On Humble Submission to God:

[Weedy]

On Humble Submission to God:

Do not be concerned overmuch who is with you or against you, but work
and plan that God may be with you in all that you do (Rom 8:31). Keep
a clean conscience, and God will mightily defend you; for whoever
enjoys the protection of God cannot be harmed by the malice of man. If
you learn to suffer in silence, you may be sure of receiving God's
help (2 Cor. 7:6). He knows the time and the way to deliver you; so
trust yourself entirely to His care. God is strong to help you, and to
free you from all confusion. It is often good for us that others know
and expose our faults, for so may we be kept humble.
--Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 2, Ch 2

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November 19th - The Holy Prophet Obadiah
(Also known as Abdias. Abdis)

Memorial
19 November
15 Tobi (Coptic)

This name is the Greek form of the Hebrew `Obhádhyah, which means "the
servant [or worshipper] of Yahweh". The fourth and shortest of the
minor prophetical books of the Old Testament (it contains only 21
verses) is ascribed to Abdias. In the title of the book it is usually
regarded as a proper name. Some recent scholars, however, think that
it should be treated as an appellative, for, on the one hand, Holy
Writ often designates a true prophet under the appellative name of
"the servant of Yahweh", and on the other, it nowhere gives any
distinct information concerning the writer of the work ascribed to
Abdias. It is true that in the absence of such authoritative
information Jews and Christian traditions have been freely circulated
to supply its place; but it remains nonetheless a fact that "nothing
is known of Abdias; his family, station in life, place of birth,
manner of death, are equally unknown to us" (Abbé Trochon, Les petits
prophètes, 193). The only thing that may be inferred from the work
concerning its author is that he belonged to the Kingdom of Judea.

The short prophecy of Abdias deals almost exclusively with the fate of
Edom as is stated in its opening words. God has summoned the nations
against her. She trusts in her rocky fastnesses, but in vain. She
would be utterly destroyed, not simply spoiled as by thieves (1-6).
Her former friends and allies have turned against her (7), and her
wisdom shall fail her in this extremity (8,9). She is justly punished
for her unbrotherly conduct towards Judea when foreigners sacked
Jerusalem and cast lots over it (10-11). She is bidden to desist from
her unworthy conduct (12-14). The "day of Yahweh" is near upon "all
the nations", in whose ruin Edom shall share under the united efforts
of "the house of Jacob" and "the house of Joseph" (16-18). As for
Israel, her borders will be enlarged in every direction; "Saviours"
shall appear on Mount Sion to "judge" the Mount of Esau, and the rule
of Yahweh shall be established (19-20).

More information

The Holy Prophet Obadiah [or Abdia] is the4th of the 12 Minor
Prophets, and he lived during the ninth century B.C. He was from the
village of Betharam, near Sichem, and he served as steward of the
impious Israelite King Ahab. In those days the whole of Israel had
turned away from the true God and had begun to offer sacrifice to
Baal, but Obadiah faithfully served the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob in secret.

When Ahab's wife, the impious and dissolute Jezebel, hunted down all
the prophets of the Lord (because of her quarrel with the Prophet
Elijah), Obadiah gave them shelter and food (3/1 Kgs 18:3 ff). Ahab's
successor King Okhoziah [Ahaziah] sent 3 detachments of soldiers to
arrest the holy Prophet Elijah. One of these detachments was headed by
St Obadiah. Through the prayer of Elijah, two of the detachments were
consumed by heavenly fire, but St Obadiah and his detachment were
spared by the Lord 4/2 Kgs 1).

From that moment St Obadiah resigned from military service and became
a follower of the Prophet Elijah. Afterwards, he himself received the
gift of prophecy. The God-inspired work of St Obadiah is the fourth of
the Books of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Bible, and contains
predictions about the New Testament Church. The holy Prophet Obadiah
was buried in Samaria.


Saint Quote:
Eternal God, behold me prostrate before your immense majesty, humbly
adoring you. I offer you all my thoughts, words, and actions of this
day. I offer them all to be thought, spoken, and done entirely for
love of you, for your glory, to fulfill your divine will, to serve
you, to praise you, and bless you. I wish and intend to do everything
in union with the most pure intentions of Jesus and Mary.
--St. John Leonardi

Bible Quote:
But according to him that hath called you, who is holy, be you also in
all manner of conversation holy: Because it is written: You shall be
holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16 ) DRB


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Angels--Their Unclouded Happiness

Happiness consists in the unimpeded activity of every part of our
nature. The nobler our nature, the greater our capacity for happiness.
Perfect happiness consists in full activity of a perfect nature. The
Angels have a nature perfect in its order and degree, and their whole
nature is occupied with the joy of seeing God face to face. Hence
their happiness is perfect. So too will my happiness be one day, if I
am faithful to God.

Happiness requires that we should look forward to the future without
any misgivings or fear lest we should forfeit our present joy. The
Holy Angels know that for all eternity nothing in Heaven or on earth
can cloud the brightness of their vision of God, or hinder the streams
of delight that flow thence to them unceasingly. We on the other hand
dread coming evils. Yet why should we do so, when all things work
together for good to those who love God? If we loved God more, what we
now fear as evil would lose all its power to terrify us. What we now
dread most would be gladly accepted by us as certain in the end to
work for our good.

The Holy Angels never have their wills crossed, never are thwarted,
never are disappointed, because they have no will save God's. Before
they know His will, they tend to do what seems to them the greatest
good. But they always do so under the condition that God does not will
otherwise. Their own will disappears when His is known to them. This
is the secret of happiness in this world as well as in the next.