†Saint Quote:“Have caution in not allowing yourself to be struck down by adversity nor becoming vain by prosperity.” -St. Clare of Assisi Today’s Meditation"Finally—and this is perhaps the most difficult aspect of what concerns the practice of conformity to the will of God—we should desire virtue itself and the degrees of grace only insofar as God wishes to give them, and not desire more. Our whole ambition should be to attain the degree of perfection that has been appointed for us, since it has not been given to everybody to reach the same height. It is obvious that however well we may correspond with the graces given us, we can never equal the humility, charity and other virtues of the Blessed Virgin. And who can even presume to imagine that he can reach the same heights as the Apostles? Who can equal St. John the Baptist whom Christ called the greatest of the children of men? Or St. Joseph to whom God entrusted His Son? In this we must as in all else submit to the will of God. He must be able to say of us, My will is in them; it rules and governs everything. So when we hear or read that God in a short time has brought some souls to a very high degree of perfection and shown them signal favors, enlightened their understanding and imbued their hearts with His love, we should repress any desire to be treated likewise so as not to fall short in pure love of conformity to His Will. We should even unite ourselves still more closely to His Will by saying, 'I praise Thee, O Lord, and bless Thee for deigning to show Thyself with so great love and familiarity to the souls Thou has chosen ...'" —Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure, p. 75-76
An excerpt from Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence Daily VerseThe salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him. -Psalm 37:39-40
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St Victor MaurusSt. Victor Maurus (d. 303 A.D.), also known as Victor the Moor and Victor of Milan, was born in Mauretania (North Africa) in a Christian household. He later relocated to Milan, Italy, as a soldier of the Praetorian Guard that served Roman Emperor Maximian during his persecution of Christians. Although Victor was a Christian since childhood, this fact was not widely known until he destroyed an altar to a pagan god. The Emperor, infuriated, had Victor imprisoned and starved for six days. The Emperor then gave him every chance to recant his faith, including offering him riches, but Victor refused each attempt. He was then tortured mercilessly, unless he would offer sacrifice to the gods, by being stretched on the rack and having molten lead poured over his body. Victor remained steadfast and boldly proclaimed his faith in Christ, declaring that the Roman gods were demons. Finally the saint was beheaded on May 8 in the year 303 A.D. The Emperor refused him burial so that wild beasts would consume his body. However, after six days the body was discovered untouched with two beasts guarding it at the head and foot. The local bishop then received permission to bury the body. A church was later erected over Victor's grave and many miracles occurred there. St. Victor's feast day is May 8th.
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Friday of the Fifth Week of EasterLectionary: 289 Reading IActs 15:22-31 The Apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“ And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 57:8-9, 10 and 12 R. (10a) I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast; I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD, I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God; above all the earth be your glory!
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. AlleluiaJohn 15:15b R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelJohn 15:12-17 Jesus said to his disciples:
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
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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 15:12-17No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13) What a challenge Jesus poses to his disciples—and to us! He spoke these words on the night before his passion, when he knew full well that his love would lead him to the cross. His death on Calvary reveals the fullest extent of what it means to “lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” and now he calls his disciples—and us—to follow in his footsteps (John 15:13). Throughout the ages, holy men and women have shown what this looks like. Take St. Maximilian Kolbe, who took the place of another prisoner in Auschwitz during World War II. Or think of heroes you’ve heard about in the news, like someone diving into a dangerous rip current to save a drowning person. So many examples like these rise to the level Jesus describes for us. But Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was not the first time he laid down his life. Think of the countless times that he gave of himself to the crowds that followed him, even when he was tired. Or the patience he showed when his disciples didn’t understand what he was trying to teach them. We can follow in his footsteps in these ways as well. You probably also know ordinary men and women who give of themselves every day: by caring for a loved one with a chronic illness, by working two or three jobs to feed their family, or by nursing an elderly parent with Alzheimer’s. They may not be physically dying, but their day in, day out example of selfless love also mirrors the love Jesus shows us. So how can you find the strength to love so extravagantly? Laying down your life does not always involve a grand gesture. Sometimes it starts simply. Consider where the Lord has you now. Surely there are situations in your life where you are already being called to imitate Jesus’ acts of sacrificial love. It’s just a matter of stepping out and doing what God has put before you. And every time you say yes, you’ll find Jesus there, ready to pour out the grace you need to lay down your life. Each act of obedience to God’s call to love is an opportunity to grow closer to Jesus and to reflect his self-giving love. “Jesus, give me the grace to say yes to your call to love, just where I am today.” Acts 15:22-31
Psalm 57:8-10, 12
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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: ".. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”.. ”
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From Bishop Barron: "Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us his friends. Psychologists tell us that a true friend is someone who has seen us at our worst and still loves us. If you have encountered me only on my best days, I have no guarantee that you are my friend. But when you have dealt with me when I am most obnoxious and you still love me, then I am sure that you are my friend. The old gospel song says, “What a friend we have in Jesus!” This is not pious sentimentalism; it is the heart of the matter. What the first Christians saw in the dying and rising of Jesus is that we killed God, and God returned in forgiving love. He saw us at our very worst and loved us anyway. Thus they saw confirmed in flesh and blood what Jesus had said the night before he died: “I no longer call you slaves. . . . I have called you friends.” They realized, in the drama of the paschal mystery, that we have not only been shown a new way; we have been drawn into a new life, a life of friendship with God. " end quote.
Our Lord said: "This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you. " I remember a story about how one person, not a very nice person that we would say, died. It was a story about purgatory and a seer in a vision. The way that person died, merited him so much mercy and grace that he just about skipped all of purgatory if not directly into Heaven. That man had ran into a house that was on fire to save a person. The man died trying to save that person, and none made it out.
But that man had given his life for another. And God saw that. And the eternal reward is amazing.
Now, there are two ways to be a martyr.
One, is a red martyr, those who are murdered for their faith in Christ.
The other, is a white martyr, those who give the entirety of the lives to the Lord. A-I helps explain: In Catholic theology, a white martyr is a person who offers their life for Christ through a daily, "bloodless" sacrifice of self-denial, extreme asceticism, and unwavering faith, rather than through immediate physical death. It is seen as a lifelong, heroic "dying to self" and witness (martyrdom) in the face of worldly allurements, personal trials, or persecution.
That white martyrdom is what the rest of us are called to, until red martyrdom is called for.
It is a fire really. A fire of the Holy Spirit, this martyrdom thing. The fire spreads when someone tries to put it out, because it cannot be extinguished, for one light is still...the light! Lord, You have given us a command...to remain, in love, to remain in Thee, to remain in Love, and give thus for all both now and eternity...grace, and mercy, that which is lacking among us now. Help us love Thee more and more!
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Random Bible Verse 1
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 " Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Word of the Lord!
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