†Saint Quote:“To join two things together there must be nothing between them or there cannot be a perfect fusion. Now realize that this is how God wants our soul to be, without any selfish love of ourselves or of others in between, just as God loves us without anything in between.” -St. Catherine of Siena Today’s Meditation"The soul, who is lifted by a very great and yearning desire for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, begins by exercising herself, for a certain space of time, in the ordinary virtues, remaining in the cell of self-knowledge, in order to know better the goodness of God towards her. This she does because knowledge must precede love, and only when she has attained love, can she strive to follow and to clothe herself with the truth. But, in no way, does the creature receive such a taste of the truth, or so brilliant a light therefrom, as by means of humble and continuous prayer, founded on knowledge of herself and of God; because prayer, exercising her in the above way, unites with God the soul that follows the footprints of Christ Crucified, and thus, by desire and affection, and union of love, makes her another Himself." —St. Catherine of Siena, p.1
An excerpt from Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena Daily Verse"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods! Thou hast multiplied, O Lord my God, thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us; none can compare with thee! Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be numbered." -Psalm 40:4-5
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St Catherine Of SienaSt. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380) was born in Siena, Italy, the 24th of 25 children born to a wealthy wool dyer and his wife. Catherine began having profound mystical experiences at the age of six which encouraged her in a life of virtue, extreme penance, and total consecration to God through a private vow of virginity. She became a Dominican Tertiary at the age of 16 while continuing to live in the home of her parents. She had regular mystical visits from, and conversations with, Jesus, Mary, and many of the saints. Catherine had no formal education and was illiterate, yet her theological knowledge acquired through prayer astounded learned theologians. She was especially devoted to working for the unity and spiritual health of the Church. Among her most famous accomplishments was that she persuaded the Pope to return to Rome from Avignon in 1377. She also encouraged him to call for a Crusade to the Holy Land. She was an important political figure in her day, often entering into negotiations between warring rulers through personal visits and dictated letters. Her practical wisdom and profound spiritual insight was widely sought both inside and outside the Church. St. Catherine was a great mystic and was granted the stigmata which was made visible only after her death. She died in Rome at the age of 33, offering her life to God for the sanctification of the Church, and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970. St. Catherine of Siena is the patron saint of Italy and Europe. Her feast day is April 29th.
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Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the ChurchLectionary: 281 Reading IActs 12:24—13:5a The word of God continued to spread and grow. After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,
they returned to Jerusalem,
taking with them John, who is called Mark. Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off. So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
went down to Seleucia
and from there sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived in Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 67:2-3, 5, 6 and 8 R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia. AlleluiaJohn 8:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelJohn 12:44-50 Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: John 12:44-50Whoever believes in me . . . (John 12:44) Jesus has come to the end of his time in public ministry. He has healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed the stormy sea, and proclaimed the gospel throughout Israel. Now he turns his attention to his disciples, to help prepare them for the time when he will be lifted up on the cross. So in today’s Gospel, we hear him summarizing his mission as he prepares to shift his focus. Jesus says a lot here in just a few words, so read this passage a few times slowly and prayerfully. Ask the Spirit to help you grasp what was in Jesus’ heart as he made his final public proclamation. First, did you notice that the passage begins and ends with Jesus announcing his deep connection to his Father? He’s not just a passionate man with strong convictions. As the Son of God, he is speaking the very words of God himself (John 1:14). His words and his actions all reveal God in a way that surpasses any other revelation. He is the living “Word” of God who has become “flesh” for our sake (1:14). Then, at the center of this passage, Jesus makes it clear that he came to rescue us from the “darkness” of our sin (John 12:46). He came, not to “condemn” us, but to “save” us (12:47). He has spoken about condemnation and salvation throughout the Gospel of John (3:17-18; 5:24, 29; 8:10-11). Now he announces one more time that everyone who believes in his words, which come from his Father, will be saved from the “darkness” and be brought into the “light” (12:46). These words of his will be our final judge: did we treasure them and strive to follow them? Jesus never minces words. He wants us to be clear-eyed about our sins and about our need for his salvation. But he also wants us to be clear about the mercy that he extends to everyone who places his words at the center of their hearts and actions. There is not a single soul who is beyond the reach of his love. There is not a single unredeemable person. He promised that whoever believes in him can be saved. Whoever believes in him can have eternal life. Whoever believes in him “will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). “Jesus, thank you for your great gift of salvation!” Acts 12:24–13:5
Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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Audio of 2 Cents
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From today's Holy Gospel: "..Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. ... ”
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This weekend at a Knights of Columbus Convention, me and my wife saw an booth about the shroud of Turin. I am particularly fond of the image because it draws me to the Passion of our Lord, our God. The face for some reason, draws much of my attention, as it pulls me back to the vision of our Lord I was in. I told my wife "His Holy face, it is the face of THE KING, it is so majestic to me".
And the vision spoke volumes. Nothing was said. I was just shown things, not with physical eyes. I was knowing things. And in that dark moment of the dying moments of our Lord, I saw our King breathing His last. Yes, but those breaths meant so much. I knew I was looking at OUR FATHER on the cross. The strangest sensation. Hard to explain. I always like to say that Jesus is the physical heart of God, because God sent us not only His only Son, but, His very Sacred Heart. He sent us His love...He does it still every day...sends us His Love from Heaven, which is the only reason I go to daily Mass, for that catching moment, that encounter with Him coming from Heaven...yes, bread, yes Manna, but much more there...
You see, God is coming to us just about at every angle. This is getting deep, and I hope you understand.
He can come at us as a child, even your child, therefore, not to be mistreated or neglected.
He can come as a sibling that is acting up, not to be mistreated or neglected.
He can come across as your boss, not to be mistreated or neglected.
He can come across as your worker, not to be mistreated or neglected.
He can definitely come across as your priest, not to be mistreated or neglected.
He can come across as a poor person, not to be mistreated or neglected.
He can come across as anything or anyone He pleases....HE even notices how we treat animals!
Why do I say this? Because...the Holy Spirit moves and acts in ways we cannot understand and in and through however He sees fit.
If I have heard the voice of the Lord...the Father has spoken.
If I have seen the Lord...I have seen the very reason for existence. God Himself. Love itself.
I hope you understand then...the very core...the very reason to exist! IT IS AMAZING.
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Random Bible Verse 1
James 1:17–18 " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.1 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
Word of the Lord!
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