| Minute Meditations
St. Peter Chanel Anyone who has worked in loneliness, with great adaptation required and with little apparent success, will find a kindred spirit in Peter Chanel. As a young priest he revived a parish in a "bad" district by the simple method of showing great devotion to the sick. Wanting to be a missionary, he joined the Society of Mary (Marists) at 28. Obediently, he taught in the seminary for five years. Then, as superior of seven Marists, he traveled to Western Oceania where he was entrusted with an apostolic vicariate (term for a region that may later become a diocese). The bishop accompanying the missionaries left Peter and a brother on Futuna Island in the New Hebrides, promising to return in six months. He was gone five years. Meanwhile, Pedro struggled with this new language and mastered it, making the difficult adjustment to life with whalers, traders and warring natives. Despite little apparent success and severe want, he maintained a serene and gentle spirit and endless patience and courage. A few natives had been baptized, a few more were being instructed. When the chieftain's son asked to be baptized, persecution by the chieftain reached a climax. Father Chanel was clubbed to death, his body cut to pieces.
Quote: "No one is a martyr for a conclusion, no one is a martyr for an opinion; it is faith that makes martyrs" (Cardinal Newman, Discourses to Mixed Congregations).
Patron Saint of: Oceania
PresenceDear Jesus, as I call on you today I realise that I often come asking for favours.
FreedomYour death on the cross has set me free. ConsciousnessKnowing that God loves me unconditionally, I can afford to be honest about how I am. How has the last day been, and how do I feel now?
The Word of GodReading 1 acts 4:23-31After 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 Psalm ps 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9R. (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. Gospel jn 3:1-8There 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." ConversationHow has God's Word moved me? Has it left me cold? Has it consoled me or moved me to act in a new way? I imagine Jesus standing or sitting beside me, I turn and share my feelings with him.
ConclusionGlory 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: Acts 4:23-31Subscriber? Login to view archives. Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and MartyrAs they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 4:31)
Did you know that sand dunes can sing? It's true! Sand dunes around the world have been recorded making up to nine different notes in several frequencies. Sometimes, the sound can be such a loud boom that it is heard up to six miles away and can cause avalanches! Scientists don't know exactly how the dunes sing, but most agree that the grains of sand must somehow move together at the same frequency to form vibrations that then synchronize to become a musical note. In a way, we are a lot like those grains of sand. God wants to guide us along his special frequency so that we can sing his praises together and start "avalanches" of grace that change our environment. Who me? Yes, you! How can God do anything significant through me? You may feel as insignificant as a grain of sand, but you can make a big difference. Look at today's story of Nicodemus as an example. He was one of the Pharisees, and he was surrounded by many other Pharisees who would not accept all the signs pointing to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. But Nicodemus was moved by the Spirit to seek Jesus out. Many of the Pharisees around him refused to move to the frequency of the Spirit, but not this man. He let the music move him. He sought out the source of the vibrations in his heart. And as a result, he became one of the many grains of sand capable of singing and announcing the good news of the gospel. Remember that God can move the smallest particles of sand and tune them to his own special frequency. If he can use these little pieces of rock to sing his praises, he most certainly can make you into an instrument that will carry his name to the ends of the earth! Today, think of something that is blocking the Spirit's frequency in your life. How can you make yourself more tuned in to his movements? "Lord, you can make beautiful music out of me. Take me, form me, and teach me to move with your Spirit so that I can sing your praises."
Psalm 2:1-9; John 3:1-8 my2cents:
The spanish reflection ended today with: "We want to be turned into rich people, because riches offer happinness. The true wealth is to accept the marvelous plans of love of God...that give us the fullness of life...the life in God." Yesterday we witnessed many children being "born again" during the Holy Mass. One of them was a little girl we were asked to be "padrinos" or sponsors. They poured water over their heads and then annointed with oils and blessed, and a candle was given to have them show their light to the world. This is what happens when we are born again, given a light to show the world or hide it. We must be born of water and spirit. Baptism, water, and Confirmation, Spirit. These are gifts for the world. What happens with baptized children are things that are amazing, just read today's 1st Scripture where they are gathered and the earth shook as they prayed for the power to speak boldly in the face of those that could have them killed. This is the kind of faith that is needed, and it happens more when the baptized gather more. Wars are diffused. Divine Mercy happens. This is what we celebrated yesterday, bathing ourselves in the Mercy of God for those baptized that chose to do so. Once you are born again, you have another life to live...an eternal life. Too many will go to the next life not ever having known God, lost as they are today if they see the light of day. Too many sadly, because we decided to dim the lights of faith. I am born of the Spirit, of what is above, and so are you my child. My mother gave light to me at my birth, and Jesus gives light to me at my baptism. What is of the flesh is now of God. I am a child of God. Pray for the mothers though, because they infuse light to their children because of the earthly connection. Too often we find ourselves up against a battle with children whose mothers did not take them to be baptised or did and then dimmed the lights. So who's fault is who's? The answer is simple, for if the screen you are reading was a mirror, you would see not who is at fault, but who can shine the light because they have been born again. There are too many dynamics in human person at work, and the most powerful is the spiritual. Saint Pope John Paul II was asked what was the most impacting thing that happened to him in the faith, and he responded that it had been the day he was baptized. Because unless you are baptised, born of water and spirit, you can NOT enter the Kingdom of God. Hard words to read for a person brought up being taught that everyone and their mommas can believe whatever they want and still get into Heaven, right? Too many will go to hell for this, for both teaching it and living it and not caring about it. But not even the threat of hell frightens anybody now, because quite frankly, hardly nobody believes. What will make people care? You and me and the Holy Spirit. We will love people to life because we have been born from above and what is from above is Love. We can't force people to believe, but we can pray and live it to be. What's more, is we have to be more insistent than the devil. Because we have competition here, and sometimes it is fierce, but we have nothing to fear. Too many times we want results, but we can not see, just like the wind, only God knows. In comes faith, that which was imparted on to our souls the day we were born Again  adrian
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Going4th,
