Until The End

Minute Meditations True Flesh If we treat the Eucharist as though it were just bread and wine, we sin against Jesus, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians. Ask for God's mercy on all the times you have "casually" received Him. And next time you are at Mass, reflect more deeply on the miracle before you. — from A 40-Day Spiritual Workout for Catholics St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779-1865)   The legacy of Madeleine Sophie Barat can be found in the more than 100 schools operated by her Society of the Sacred Heart, institutions known for the quality of the education made available to the young. Sophie herself received an extensive education, thanks to her brother, Louis, 11 years older and her godfather at Baptism. Himself a seminarian, he decided that his younger sister would likewise learn Latin, Greek, history, physics and mathematics—always without interruption and with a minimum of companionship. By age 15, she had received a thorough exposure to the Bible, the teachings of the Fathers of the Church and theology. Despite the oppressive regime Louis imposed, young Sophie thrived and developed a genuine love of learning Meanwhile, this was the time of the French Revolution and of the suppression of Christian schools. The education of the young, particularly young girls, was in a troubled state. At the same time, Sophie, who had concluded that she was called to the religious life, was persuaded to begin her life as a nun and as a teacher. She founded the Society of the Sacred Heart, which would focus on schools for the poor as well as boarding schools for young women of means; today, co-ed Sacred Heart schools can be found as well as schools exclusively for boys. In 1826, her Society of the Sacred Heart received formal papal approval. By then she had served as superior at a number of convents. In 1865, she was stricken with paralysis; she died that year on the feast of the Ascension. .Madeleine Sophie Barat was canonized in 1925.   Comment: Madeleine Sophie Barat lived in turbulent times. She was only 10 when the Reign of Terror began. In the wake of the French Revolution, rich and poor both suffered before some semblance of normality returned to France. Born to some degree of privilege, she received a good education. It grieved her that the same opportunity was being denied to other young girls, and she devoted herself to educating them, whether poor or well-to-do. We who live in an affluent country can follow her example by helping to ensure to others the blessings we have enjoyed.   Saint of the Day Lives, Lessons and Feast By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.       Presence   At any time of the day or night we can call on Jesus. He is always waiting, listening for our call. What a wonderful blessing. No phone needed, no e-mails, just a whisper.     Freedom It is so easy to get caught up with the trappings of wealth in this life. Grant, O Lord, that I may be free from greed and selfishness. Remind me that the best things in life are free. Love, laughter, caring and sharing. Consciousness How do I find myself today? Where am I with God? With others? Do I have something to be grateful for? Then I give thanks. Is there something I am sorry for? Then I ask forgiveness. The Word of God The Ascension of the Lord Lectionary: 58 Reading 1 acts 1:1-11 In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with the them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." Responsorial Psalm ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 R/ (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. or: R/ Alleluia. All you peoples, clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness, For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth. R/ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. or: R/ Alleluia. God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy; the LORD, amid trumpet blasts. Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king, sing praise. R/ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. or: R/ Alleluia. For king of all the earth is God; sing hymns of praise. God reigns over the nations, God sits upon his holy throne. R/ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. or: R/ Alleluia. reading 2 Eph 1:17-23 Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. Gospel mt 28:16-20 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." Conversation Jesus, you always welcomed little children when you walked on this earth. Teach me to have a childlike trust in you. To live in the knowledge that you will never abandon me. Conclusion Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.   Meditation: John 16:16-20 View NAB Reading at USCCB.org Subscriber? Login to view archives. The Ascension of the Lord or Easter Weekday A little while and you will no longer see me. (John 16:16) In our lives, there are people we miss terribly. Some have moved away, some have died, and some have just lost contact with us. In each case, losing their friendship can be painful. So we do what we can to recall them: we look at their pictures, we read their letters, and we try to remember all the great times we had with them. But there's no substitute for actually being with them. At times, we would give anything to have them beside us. The apostles would feel a similar pain when Jesus was taken away from them. After seeing him die on the cross, they would "weep and mourn," just as Jesus prophesied (John 16:20). But they would have much more than memories to get them by. They would be eyewitnesses to his resurrection! Their joy would be complete once they had seen him risen from the dead and had accepted their mission to proclaim his gospel! As the spiritual descendants of the apostles, we can have the same joy they did. But we're also human, and we can't hide from reality. When some great misfortune occurs, Jesus can seem very distant, almost as distant as he did to the apostles after the crucifixion. Sure, the Lord has promised to return, but what about present trials? What about the evil in the world? How can we be sure that he has not abandoned us? Here's the answer: Jesus is not only with you, he's within you by the power of his Holy Spirit. He has never left your side, because he is in your heart! No matter what your situation right now, you can take a few deep breaths, calm your mind, and begin to sense him. He is there, inside you, ready to give you his healing, peace, wisdom, and joy! So cast your burdens on the Lord. Stake everything on the words of St. Paul : "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). "Lord, I want to see your face. When the world tells me to give up, let me hear your words of hope and encouragement!"   Acts 18:1-8; Psalm 98:1-4 my2cents: The spanish 5minutos says today:   "One time, a man boarded a plane to travel to New York.  A little boy came in looking for a seat and sat next to his side.  The boy was well educated and passed the time coloring in his coloring book.  He didn't express anxiety nor nervousness on takeoff.  The flight wasn't very good, there was storms, and much turbulence.  Suddenly a strong jolt, and all were very nervouse, but the child remained calm and serene at all moments.  How did he do it? Why the calm?  Until a frantic lady asked him, "little boy are you afraid?", -"No ma'am" ,answered the little boy and looking to his coloring book he says "My father is the pilot"...  Along the way, we will encounter events that shake us like the turbulence.  There will be moments in which we will not see solid ground and our feet will not step on sure places, we will not see where to sustain ourselves.  In those times let us remember that Our FATHER is the pilot.  No matter the circumstances, our lives are put in the Creator.  And so the next time a storm comes to your life or if in this moment you are going through onee, put your eyes to Heaven, TRUST and say for yourself: 'My Father is the pilot!'.  The fruit of silence is prayer.  The fruit of prayer is faith.  The fruit of faith is love.  The fruit of love is service.  The fruit of service is peace.  Let us pray with greater confidence this day. " I will never forget the words my Father said in his letter to me today "I am with you always, until the end of age".  OH! You thought I was talking about my biological father?  No.  My experience on our journey has been one of coming to the Father, our Father who art in Heaven.  I share the experience so you may journey well, and even faster and more joyful then me a miserable sinner.  I will teach you to be a great disciple as I try hard myself.  But the thing is, it's the Holy Spirit that teaches. When you close this email, that's where the rubber hits the road.  That's where your loving faith begins.  That's where we will know if you are true.  When Jesus was raised and on the Ascension, He didn't say "see you later", He said "Go!", go and make what? Disciples of all nations.  I am a disciple, you are a disciple, we follow a discipline, we are foot soldiers, we are the wingless angels that spread the message of hope and love.  Why He has me in the same place with the same faces most of the time simply means there is where the transformation is needed, and until you transform, they will transform.  I can talk till my face is blue, but it has start here and now and inside.  As I type, a worker here at our family business came in and said "I'm quitting".  Apparently his job duty changed to something he didn't like.  He just left.  Hmm.  Can that be anyone of us?  Because I notice in various ministries, something changes and people drop out like flies.  A new priest comes in and some people leave, and others come.  Why are we afraid to change or even take on a challenge? Fear is of the devil.  The devil feeds off of fears.  The more you pay attention to it, the more you grow in anxiety, nervousness, and stress.  My Father is the pilot.  Look, I am not afraid, but I am afraid to sin.  Even that I should not fear because God loves me more to forgiveness.  He died so that sin and death no longer have a hold on me and you.  For what?  For peace in our lives to come, for true joy that belongs to us from Heaven.  I Am with you means He never left.  Before I began writing to you I had a vision of how it would be the day I present the unseen to you.  I would've gone to the Church, and there at the great unveiling, I would lift up the great veil off the tabernacle and show you what or who has been there all along adrian Subscribe to the Going4th mailing list.

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