† Quote of the Day "Lord, help me to make time today to serve you in those who are most in need of encouragement or assistance." — St. Vincent de Paul Today's Meditation "At times, you may become discouraged when you pray because your sins seem to jump out at you. You may actually feel worse than ever. But don't let that get you down. It's actually a sign of progress because the closer you draw to the perfect holiness of God, the more your own imperfections will stand out against the pure light of His holiness...This explains why really holy people are often the last ones to admit it, because the holier they get, the less holy they feel." –J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B, p.91 An excerpt from Humility Rules: Saint Benedict's 12-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem Daily Verse "'Ah Lord God! It is thou who hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thy outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for thee, who showest steadfast love to thousands, but dost requite the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed; whose eyes are open to all the ways of men, rewarding every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings." — Jeremiah 32:17-19 | St. Richard Of Chichester St. Richard of Chichester (1197-1253), also known as St. Richard de Wyche, was born in Worcestershire, England to a land-owning squire. His father died when he was young, causing the family to suffer hardship for many years. The situation became dire enough for Richard to suspend his studies to take over the family estates and make them profitable again. He went on to Oxford to study for the priesthood, and was so poor that he and two companions shared a set of clothes which they took turns wearing to class. He obtained degrees at the universities in Paris and Bologna before being appointed as the Chancellor of Oxford University. Richard became well-known for his learning and sanctity. As a result he next became Chancellor for the Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Edmund Rich, to whom he was a faithful companion and advisor. Years later St. Richard was ordained the Bishop of Chichester. In this position he entered into power struggles with King Henry III, who withheld his diocesan revenues and blocked his access to the cathedral. St. Richard had many accomplishments as bishop, including establishing greater order and reverence to the liturgy, vigorously defending the rights of the Church, assisting the poor and the oppressed, and preaching a crusade against the Saracens at the request of the Pope. He died of fever surrounded by his closest friends at about 56 years of age. He was buried in the Chichester Cathedral and his shrine became a popular place of pilgrimage before being destroyed by King Henry VIII. St. Richard's feast day is April 3rd. | Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Reading 1 Exodus 32:7-14 The LORD said to Moses,
"Go down at once to your people
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt,
for they have become depraved.
They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them,
making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it,
sacrificing to it and crying out,
'This is your God, O Israel,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt!'"
The LORD said to Moses,
"I see how stiff-necked this people is.
Let me alone, then,
that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.
Then I will make of you a great nation." But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,
"Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt
with such great power and with so strong a hand?
Why should the Egyptians say,
'With evil intent he brought them out,
that he might kill them in the mountains
and exterminate them from the face of the earth'?
Let your blazing wrath die down;
relent in punishing your people.
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"
So the LORD relented in the punishment
he had threatened to inflict on his people. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23 R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Our fathers made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. Verse Before the Gospel John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life. Gospel John 5:31-47 Jesus said to the Jews:
"If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true.
But there is another who testifies on my behalf,
and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.
You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept human testimony,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
He was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John's.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me.
Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.
But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
and you do not have his word remaining in you,
because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.
You search the Scriptures,
because you think you have eternal life through them;
even they testify on my behalf.
But you do not want to come to me to have life. "I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.
I came in the name of my Father,
but you do not accept me;
yet if another comes in his own name,
you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another
and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father:
the one who will accuse you is Moses,
in whom you have placed your hope.
For if you had believed Moses,
you would have believed me,
because he wrote about me.
But if you do not believe his writings,
how will you believe my words?" | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: John 5:31-47 These works that I perform testify on my behalf. (John 5:36) Jesus had angered the religious leaders by curing a man on the Sabbath and then calling God his Father. Now they were trying "all the more to kill him" (John 5:18). Jesus knew he couldn't convince them that he was the Son of God if he testified to it himself. But the works he was performing—these were proof, he told them, that the Father had sent him (5:36). Tragically, that didn't change their minds. Even though these leaders had witnessed firsthand Jesus' many healings and miracles, they just couldn't believe that he had really come from God. Unlike the men in today's Gospel, we believe in Jesus. But for whatever reason, we, too, can sometimes fail to notice or acknowledge the works of God or the effect they have on our lives. Yet when we take the time to step back and look at all that God is doing in us and for us, we can grow in faith and in our love for him. For example, when we step outside our homes, we can marvel at the beauty of God's creation. Everything in this world was made so that we could flourish and take delight in it. Everything speaks of God's works, from a stunning sunset to a beautiful butterfly. Or what about the sacraments? These "works" are marvelous, indeed! Baptism brings us new life and incorporates us into Christ's body. The Sacrament of Reconciliation absolves us of all our sins. The Eucharist, Jesus' very presence, nourishes and sustains us on our journey to heaven. And then there is God's work in us. He doesn't just create us and leave us on our own. Every day he pours out his life and his grace in us through his Holy Spirit so that we can become more like him and share his love with the world. All these works testify to Jesus. Let's remember to keep them in the forefront of our minds, especially when we are tempted to doubt the love and power of the Lord. Jesus' works didn't stop when he ascended to heaven. He is working even now, even today. Can you see it? "Lord, help me to recognize and give thanks to you for all the great works you are doing in the world today!" Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm 106:19-23 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "But you do not want to come to me to have life. "I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.
I came in the name of my Father,
but you do not accept me;
yet if another comes in his own name,
you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another
and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father:
the one who will accuse you is Moses,
in whom you have placed your hope.
For if you had believed Moses,
you would have believed me,
because he wrote about me.
But if you do not believe his writings,
how will you believe my words?...." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez: "Jesus points out that many do not believe in Him because they seek the glory of men rather than God. Even Moses, whom they trust, will accuse them, because he himself spoke of Jesus in his writings. • Where do I look for my recognition: in human applause or in God's approval? • Is my faith authentic or conditioned by what others think of me? True faith does not seek prestige or power, but obedience and love for God.
This gospel invites us to:
Recognize Jesus as the one sent by the Father, witnessed by Scripture, the prophets, and their works. To live a sincere faith, which does not seek the glory of the world, but the truth of God. Search Scripture with an open heart, to find Christ in it and to allow ourselves to be transformed by his Word. 'Lord
Help me to seek you with a sincere heart
and to discover yourself in your Word.
Don't let me be carried away by vainglory,
but may he always seek to do your will.
Amen.'......." end quote Roberto Juarez.
From Bishop Barron: "Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus says that his Father's works testify to his identity. Jesus' words are the Father's words, and his deeds are the Father's deeds. His story is the Father's story.
Nature speaks of God, the philosophers say true things about God, the arts can reflect him, the lives of the saints can indicate him—but Jesus is the icon.
We sense in this passage, if I can put it this way, the humility of the Logos. Neither the words nor the deeds of Jesus are "his own." They are received from the Father. The Trinitarian theological tradition respects this when it speaks of the Son as the interior word of the Father and as having received everything from the Father......" end quote.
From brother Adrian:
As time has progressed, it seems I am writing less, and letting others write more. Let God speak!
And who will you believe? I am the last of the reflections, not to have the last word, but to let others be first. Will the last be first? Only God will know!
But the Pharisees would not let our Lord be first, they would not accept His words or testimony or miracles.
Now we can more easily believe our Lord's words. Right?
But do we really? How hard is it to let go...of yourself into self surrender to our God? How much have you given up of yourself this lent? In about 2 weeks, we will be in Holy week and Easter. How much of ourselves can we give to God until then? What is your goal? How much percent of your finances, your time, your talent, your love can you give until then? My OCIA class last night was full, and fully interested, and one question was given "in the next hour, how can you be more Christlike in your part of the world? What can you do? Some said, pray, another said read the bible, another said listen to Gospel music, and the answer I sought was more into action, our interactions with others. "Will you offer yourself to your siblings or parent to help?" I asked.
How many of us offer ourselves up to others, and thus...to God Himself?
The Pharisees had a hard time letting go...of themselves. Those who can't give...cannot receive.
'Lord, help me let go of myself, to You, to more fully believe, and trust, and love You. So that I may hunger to love you and serve you in those around me, every day, and every hour. Let Your Holy Will be done.' | Random Bible Verse 1
Colossians 2:6–7 [Colossians 2]
Alive in Christ " Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
Word of the Lord. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
