† Quote of the Day“ "You must make a sound and firm resolution to submit yourselves totally to His will and, with a lively and steadfast faith, to receive from Him what you have to do for love of Him. And in this (whatever may happen) to persevere with constancy to the very end."” -St. Angela Merici Today’s Meditation"God gives prayer growth precisely according to our degree of readiness for it. He forces no one. According as we are more or less receptive, He bestows more or less depth of communion. In the same manner, five hundred people in a parish church all hear the same sound waves during the homily, but they profit from it exactly as they are or are not disposed for the message. Jesus taught the same truth in his parable of the sower: from the word of God some hearers yield nothing at all, while others yield thirty or sixty or a hundredfold." —Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 114
An excerpt from Fire Within Daily VerseYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. -Deuteronomy 6:5-9
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EWTN Daily Saint
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Blessed Margaret Of CastelloSt. Margaret of Castello (1287–1320) was born to noble Italian parents who were awaiting the birth of the child of their dreams. Instead, they bore a daughter who was blind, dwarfed, lame, and hunchbacked. Margaret's parents were horrified by the physical appearance of their newborn child, so they hid her and kept her existence secret. A servant had her baptized and named her Margaret, meaning, "Pearl." When she was six years of age she was nearly discovered, so that her father confined her to a cell inside the wall of a church with her necessities given through a window. The parish priest took it upon himself to educate Margaret. She lived in this way until age sixteen, when her parents took her on pilgrimage to a shrine famous for miraculous healings. There they prayed earnestly for their daughter to be cured of her deformities, which they loathed. When no cure came, her parents abandoned her in the streets and returned home, never to see her again. Margaret begged for food and was helped by the town's poor who took turns sheltering her in their homes. She became a Dominican Tertiary and took up the work of serving the sick, dying, and imprisoned. Margaret was known for her great joy, sanctity, and profound mystical experiences. She died at the age of 33, and hundreds of miracles were credited to her intercession both before and after her death. Her body is incorrupt. She is the patron against poverty, and of the disabled, handicapped, and unwanted. She was beatified in 1609. In 2021, recognizing her life of heroic virtue, Pope Francis declared her a saint through an equipollent canonization. Her feast day is April 13.
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Monday of the Second Week of EasterLectionary: 267 Reading 1Acts 4:23-31 After their release Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, "Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant: Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed. Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9 R. (see 11d) Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples utter folly?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the LORD and against his anointed:
"Let us break their fetters
and cast their bonds from us!"
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He who is throned in heaven laughs;
the LORD derides them.
Then in anger he speaks to them;
he terrifies them in his wrath:
"I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish."
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. AlleluiaColossians 3:1 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelJohn 3:1-8 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to him,
"How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
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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 3:1-8 What is born of spirit is spirit. (John 3:6) Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you had been born into a different family and in a different country? Your language would be different. The traditions you observe would be different. Your entire outlook on life would be different. All of your choices, both big and small, would be shaped by your environment. In a way, this is what Jesus meant when he told Nicodemus that he must be “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). He knew that Nicodemus was an upright and holy man, but he also knew that Nicodemus needed something more. And that “something more” was so all-encompassing that it would change everything about him. It would be like being born into a new life. Most of us have already experienced this new birth. It happened at our Baptism. That’s when we were born of the Spirit and brought into the kingdom of God. We were made citizens of a whole new environment, a “country” and culture that can shape every decision we make and form us into the new creation he longs for us to become. In truth, it takes time for us to grow into the people Jesus wants us to become. It’s a gradual process of learning a new way of life, of trying and sometimes failing, of growing and changing, of getting used to hearing God’s voice and receiving the love and grace of his Spirit. But for any of that to happen, we need to keep seeking the Lord. We can’t just wait to absorb our new life. St. Ignatius of Loyola is a clear example. Laid up in bed as he recovered from a wound sustained in battle, he realized that thinking about the glory he might achieve as a soldier left him feeling oppressed. But imagining himself imitating the saints lifted his heart and filled him with excitement. He later said that his eyes “were opened a little” to see how fulfilling life in Christ could be. And with that small revelation, Ignatius started to change. He longed to be with the Lord in prayer. He sought forgiveness for his sins. He wanted to spend his life sharing the good news of Christ—and that’s exactly what he ended up doing! How have your eyes been “opened a little”? What’s the next step you can take to live your new life in the kingdom of God? “Jesus, open my eyes as you opened St. Ignatius’ eyes!” Acts 4:23-31
Psalm 2:1-9
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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: ".. Nicodemus said to him,
"How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." ..."
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From Roberto Juarez:
"The great message of this Gospel is clear: It is not enough to believe "headlong". It is not enough to know things about God. It is necessary to be born again. That is, to let God transform our lives, to allow the Spirit to act, to open ourselves to real change. Easter is not just a memory. It is an opportunity for renewal.
Today the Lord invites us to ask ourselves a very concrete question: Am I really living as someone who has been born again? Or perhaps: I continue in the same as always, I continue in a superficial faith, I continue not to let God transform my life.
Let us ask that the Holy Spirit will blow strongly into us, that he will renew our hearts, that he will help us to take that interior step, and that, like Nicodemus, we will move from seeking in the night to the light of a living faith. For Christ is risen... so that we too may be born into a new life." end quote.
Your Bro. Adrian.
This morning at Mass, during Father's Homily (sometimes thing come at you as you reflect), I wondered on the words of our Lord today "The wind blows where it wills...you hear the sounds...but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going"...and so it is with all who are born OF THE SPIRIT.
The first disciples baptized, yes with water, but then they noticed something...they needed a baptism of fire, of the Holy Spirit. And that is where our Easter days are taking us...to Pentecost. We must be born of water, and of Spirit.
A quick search says it more fully:
"In Catholic theology, being born of "water and the Spirit" (John 3:5) refers directly to the Sacrament of Baptism, which is considered necessary for salvation and entry into the Kingdom of God. Water symbolizes the physical cleansing and immersion into Christ's death, while the Spirit signifies the inward spiritual rebirth, cleansing from sin, and infusion of sanctifying grace by the Holy Spirit."
We need God's grace, amen? The Holy Sacraments avail us grace. Prayers avail us grace. Sacrifices avail us grace. We should have learned this during lent! Why should lent stop? Some saints kept up to 3 different 40 days fasts for the year, we should continuously seek God's graces...gifts from Heaven.
And the scripture of the winds coming and going, God's Word reminds me: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord (Isaiah 55:8-9). This Bible verse highlights that God's perspective, plans, and wisdom are infinitely higher than human understanding, focusing on His compassionate, sovereign, and unexpected ways of accomplishing His will. "
We don't know where He is going with all this that is going on in our lives...amen?
But as my little 8 year old boy said under his breath to his sibling as he was being told what to do instead of complaining he in a funny joking voice "just trust the process".
Yesterday we were celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday.
Remember the words "Jesus, I Trust In You!"
If you really trust...you really love.
If you really have faith...you really love.
If you really give...you really love.
Give to God what He desires....
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Random Bible Verse 1
Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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