 | Weaving a Rule of Life As Clare had labored over the years in doing the fine handwork that helped support the monastery, she now set herself the task of a written text... As she had always consulted the sisters on matters that touched the lives of all, she now could invite them to discern with her the precise wording of difficult passages. We can imagine the spirited conversations and debates of those chapters. Thus, she and her sisters embroidered an enclosure of words chosen to protect their vision as surely as their stout outer walls. Little by little the work moved forward. As with Francis, the written record was firmly rooted in a lived experience. For that reason, Clare would not work in splendid isolation. She would offer multiple opportunities for the sisters and her closest advisors to help her shape the final results. — from the book Light of Assisi: The Story of Saint Clare by Margaret Carney, OSF |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Here is a rule for everyday life: Do not do anything which you cannot offer to God."
— St. Jean Marie Vianney †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"There is not a moment in which God does not present Himself under the cover of some pain to be endured, of some consolation to be enjoyed, or of some duty to be performed. All that takes place within us, around us, or through us, contains and conceals His divine action. It is really and truly there present, but invisibly present, so that we are always surprised and do not recognise His operation until it has ceased. If we could lift the veil, and if we were attentive and watchful God would continually reveal Himself to us, and we should see His divine action in everything that happened to us, and rejoice in it. At each successive occurrence we should exclaim: 'It is the Lord', and we should accept every fresh circumstance as a gift of God. We should look upon creatures as feeble tools in the hands of an able workman, and should discover easily that nothing was wanting to us, and that the constant providence of God disposed Him to bestow upon us at every moment whatever we required."
—Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade
AN EXCERPT FROM
Abandonment of Divine Providence †VERSE OF THE DAY
"And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.'"
1 Samuel 15:22 |  click to read more | | ST. ANSELM OF CANTERBURY St. Anselm (1033–1109) was born into a noble family in the Lombardy region of Italy. The example of his pious mother led him to great faith, and he sought to enter the monastery at age 15. However, the abbot refused him due to Anselm's stern father. After his mother's death Anselm left home and settled in Normandy to study under the direction of a famed monk named Lanfranc. Upon the death of his father, Anselm became a Benedictine monk at the age of 27. Due to his brilliance, Anselm became a teacher at the abbey's school and prior of the monastery. He went on to become the most learned theologian, philosopher, and mystic of his generation, the greatest since St. Augustine of Hippo. Anselm's fame led to his appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury in England, succeeding Lanfranc in this office, where he went on to correct abuses against the Church at the hand of the English kings. Twice he was banished from the island while appealing to Rome for assistance, and twice he returned to Canterbury to carry on his duties until his death. His abilities as an extraordinary theologian, negotiator, and statesman greatly supported the cause of the Church. As archbishop he continued his monastic lifestyle and intellectual pursuits. He composed several philosophical and theological treatises, as well as a series of beautiful prayers and meditations, which led him to be proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Clement XI in 1720. His feast day is celebrated on April 21st. | Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Lectionary: 275
Reading I Acts 8:1b-8 There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment. Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city. Responsorial Psalm 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Jn 6:40 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 6:35-40 Jesus said to the crowds,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day." | Daily Meditation: Acts 8:1-8 Philip went down to the city of Samaria. (Acts 8:5) Philip was preaching the good news—in Samaria, of all places! To understand how radical that would have been in Jesus' time, we need some context. The rupture between Jews and Samaritans was as bristling and adversarial as any modern political divide. It was founded on the Jews' conviction that Samaritans had departed from orthodox beliefs. The hostility, deemed righteous by some Jews, resulted in deeper and deeper avoidance and hatred of one another (John 4:9). Jesus and his followers had been caught in the ugliness of the divide themselves. One Samaritan village had refused to offer them hospitality (Luke 9:52-53). Another time, someone "insulted" Jesus by calling him a Samaritan, implying that he was as despicable and lawbreaking as they were said to be (John 8:48). It seems as if the Samaritans were the last people on earth that faithful Jews would want to treat like family. They were more like estranged relatives! So they were the last people on earth to whom the long-awaited Messiah would reveal himself—or at least that's what many Jews, including the disciples, probably thought. But Jesus listened to his Father. In unity with the Father's will, he told his disciples, "I will not reject anyone who comes to me" (John 6:37). His Father willed—as he still does today—that everyone who believes in the Son will have eternal life (6:40). Jesus lived out this deep, wide receptivity by offering the living water of salvation to Samaritans (4:10) and by asking his disciples to witness to them as brothers and sisters (Acts 1:8). In turn, believers like Philip went on to preach the message of salvation and healing through Jesus in Samaria. We are all tempted at times to close ourselves off from people we don't understand or with whom we disagree. But Jesus shows us that no one in the world is unworthy or excluded from his family. Today, pray for a spirit of openness and receptivity so that you, like Philip, are willing to share the love of God with everyone, no matter who they are. "Jesus, widen my heart to witness with love to the people I disagree with." Psalm 66:1-7
John 6:35-40 |  clickable | The centrality of obedience becomes most clear in the drama of Jesus's prayer in the Garden where Jesus surrenders to the Father's will for our salvation. According to Cardinal Ratzinger, this is the place we can see the two natures of Christ most clearly, His divine nature and His human nature. In the words, 'not my will but yours be done,' we can see the freedom of the human will of Christ who submits His divine will.
— Deacon James Keating
from his book A True and Mature Obedience |  Listen to 2cents Podcast Going4th | | my2cents:
"Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing."
St. Stephen had just been stoned. Now Philip was on fire. They were being scattered. And the fire of the Lord was spreading....like wild fires, or was this a great fanned flame from Heaven? You see, evil can be used for greater good. It is a tool then to accomplish God's will, right? So how can you say our Lord is not Good? Last night our choir practice was interrupted by a student of mine and at one point mentioned they were praying there hoping not to interrupt, because someone had told them "it's gonna take something more than God to help you". LOL. I commented "wow, so someone is making something greater than God out there huh?" She left to pray. But really now. It's amazing how easily we make other things greater than our Lord. As if any problem was greater than Him, or any love is greater than Him, or any thing or idea as greater. But perhaps that evil drove her to prayer, to seek Him more, right? I see people enter church for the first time when they come to a funeral. This is why I do my best at funerals to help souls see God. Like wild lambs, perhaps in search for the Good Shepherd! | We pray in the Psalms: ""Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!" Come and see the works of God his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam."
Among the children of...the first of God's creation, that is, chosen. If you think about God's creation, He speaks about the beginning of man. Is that all mankind? Or is that of His people? If it is of all mankind, then, we are all united and called to the same. If it is of His people, then we are all hearing His invitation to be His people! There's no way around it, we are bound and His! | Our Lord continues in the Gospel: "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe."
Do you believe that "seeing is believing"? Many saw Him and did not believe. They could not believe. And they even chose not to believe. Do you believe? Do you believe the very same is happening today? How can you see Him? Has yours truly seen Him? Yes. But if I told you how I saw Him, would you believe? Because I have seen Him in various forms! Not just in human or likeness form! His being is not what we believe all beings are or should be! Transubstantiation perhaps is an inkling, or a clue of how He works and manifests Himself in the Spirit. For now, the way to see, is to come. Come and see! | Our Lord continues: "And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day." Now, was our Lord speaking about Himself, or are those words for everyone now baptized into Him as a priest, which means all the faithfully baptized!? His will is: to not lose anything of what He gave me, but to raise it on the last day. So consider what our Lord has given you. Your life. Your wife. This means the spousal relation, and this means everything for eternity, our life with God our Father. And not only that, but our beloved, and relations, our neighbor even!
And so in this view let us pray:
"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."
Again, come and see! Did you see that invitation in that verse we prayed? See the Son and believe.
I have seen the Son. Come and see! I have seen and I have come to believe! Believe with me! Let us pray:
Lord, I have seen you in ways that are unbelievable! I have seen not only works, but yourself offering. I pray that everyone can come and see, and believe the works of Your tremendous love and mercy that bursts forth as water from a rock in an arid desert to feed us all with life sustenance. May we come to You for this living bread and water, to live with You, worshiping You Forever....if that is enough, and if it is Thy Most Holy Will....Amen! | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random online bible verse from a random verse generator: Wow
Proverbs 20:9
9 Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"? | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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