 clickable | | God Shows Up When We Least Expect The story of Emmaus carries a depth of feeling that resonates with us because we've all experienced some level of disappointed hopes and dreams in our lives. Dream jobs turn to daily drudgery. Failed relationships leave us brokenhearted. Illness and injury break our bodies and sometimes our spirits. If we're in the midst of such a time, Easter alleluias can sound hollow to our ears. And yet, the Word of God can speak a word of hope and promise to our despair. The Bread of Life can fill an emptiness, a hunger, that gnaws at us. Sometimes all we have to do is show up. We have to make that much of an effort. Often we go with no expectations, almost no hope. And God surprises us with the right word, the right thought, a much-needed smile or hug from someone. The message of Easter is that God shows up when we least expect it: a voice in the garden calling our name, a stranger on the road, a tap on the shoulder, breakfast on the beach or dinner after a long day at work. Sometimes the alleluias are quiet, but no less heartfelt for all that. —from the book The Hope of Lent: Daily Reflections from Pope Francis by Diane M. Houdek |  clickable: The Following is from MorningOffering | †Saint Quote
"Let us stand fast in what is right, and prepare our souls for trial. Let us wait upon God's strengthening aid and say to him: 'O Lord, you have been our refuge in all generations.'"
— St. Boniface † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Everything that exists is a gift from God. Yet oftentimes we look to the things and creatures created by God for a satisfaction and fulfillment that only God Himself can provide. When the soul wraps itself around the things and the people of this world, looking for satisfaction or fulfillment that only God can give, it produces a distortion in itself, and in others as well. Many spiritual writers call the process of unwinding this possessive, self-centered, clinging, and disordered seeking of things and persons 'detachment'. The goal of the process of detachment is not to stop loving the things and people of this world, but, quite to the contrary, to love them even more truly in God, under the reign of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Things and people become even more beautiful and delightful when we see them in this light. There are almost always painful dimensions to this process of 'letting go' in order to love more, but it's the pain of true healing and liberation. Christian detachment is an important part of the process by which we enter into a realm of great freedom and joy."
— Ralph Martin, p.205
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Fulfillment of All Desire † VERSE OF THE DAY
"As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
Colossians 3:12-13 |  click to read more | | STS. CLETUS & MARCELLINUS St. Cletus (1st c.) and St. Marcellinus (3rd c.) were both Romans, popes, and martyrs who ruled the Holy See during the terrible persecution of Christians at the hands of the Roman Empire. St. Cletus was a convert and disciple of St. Peter the Apostle who became the third Bishop of Rome from 76 to 89 A.D., under the reigns of Roman Emperors Vespasian and Titus. His name appears in the Roman Canon of the Mass. St. Marcellinus was the twenty-ninth Bishop of Rome from 296 to 304 A.D. during the infamous persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, on the eve of the legalization of Christianity across the Empire. Statues of these two popes of the early Church sit on opposite corners of the portico ceiling of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. They share a feast day on April 26th. | Friday in the Octave of Easter Reading 1 Acts 4:1-12 After the crippled man had been cured,
while Peter and John were still speaking to the people,
the priests, the captain of the temple guard,
and the Sadducees confronted them,
disturbed that they were teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
They laid hands on Peter and John
and put them in custody until the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe
and the number of men grew to about five thousand. On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes
were assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest,
Caiaphas, John, Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly class.
They brought them into their presence and questioned them,
"By what power or by what name have you done this?"
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them,
"Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved." Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a R.(22) The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Ps 118:24 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 21:1-14 Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."
They said to him, "We also will come with you."
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?"
They answered him, "No."
So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something."
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast."
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
| Meditation: Acts 4:1-12 Friday within the Octave of Easter Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them. (Acts 4:8) Maybe you've noticed this character who keeps appearing throughout Acts. He's usually in the background, avoiding the limelight. He has almost no speaking parts, and yet he always manages to get in on the action. The evidence of his presence is on every page. He is the Holy Spirit, of course! Today's first reading is a perfect example of the major role that the Holy Spirit played in the early Church. When Peter, an ordinary fisherman from Galilee, was filled with the Spirit, he boldly preached to the spiritual leaders of Jerusalem. The Spirit didn't speak to them directly. Instead, he worked behind the scenes, filling Peter with love for the elders, along with the courage he needed to speak up. And he stayed behind the scenes throughout the story. When Peter opened his mouth to preach, he declared, "Jesus Christ . . . crucified," not "the Holy Spirit glorified" (Acts 4:10). You might say that Acts is the Holy Spirit's "tour de force." But the Spirit's role isn't limited to stories from a bygone era. He is as alive and active today as ever. He wants to play a major behind-the-scenes role in your life too. In fact, he's already active in you. Every day he gives you evidence of his presence. If you look closely, you can see it in the way God is gradually transforming you and drawing you to himself. If you find it hard to sense his presence, don't get discouraged. Remember, the Spirit doesn't shine the spotlight on himself. You can trust that he really is there, working within you. The fact that you are reading this meditation is proof that the Spirit is giving you a desire to know God better! As he did with Peter, the Holy Spirit wants to soften your heart with love for the people around you. Do you have any resentments toward family or friends? Ask the Spirit to fill you with his mercy. Do you need patience? Ask for it. Do you need more boldness in sharing your faith? Let him give you the courage to talk about what Jesus has done for you. It's okay to be nervous or unsure of what to say. Just step out, and trust that the Spirit will be supporting you, as he always does. "Come, Holy Spirit, and fill me with your love and power." Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-27
John 21:1-14 |  clickable | All badness is spoiled goodness. A bad apple is a good apple that became rotten. Because evil has no capital of its own, it is a parasite that feeds on goodness.
—Ven. Fulton J. Sheen
from Through the Year with Fulton Sheen |  clickable go see food for poor | | 2cents:
Our Lord said to them ""Children, have you caught anything to eat?" The Lord is hungry. For souls. The men are trying to fish, but don't know how! This is a big deal. It is about trusting the Lord. Listening to His voice. | Let us pray: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone." | In the Holy Gospel, droves of people are being converted. Why? Because of a single miracle? Something else was cutting them to the heart...that is the truth. The truth cuts bone and marrow. It gets down to the very part that makes blood...the Creator. Here the soul resides. Precious each soul is to our Lord. | Our Lord said to them " "Come, have breakfast." Some say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Perhaps, for those who need physical energy, but for those who don't, you still need nourishment. Now let's turn the pages, back to spirituality. You need nourishment and Jesus knows it. A guy that recently quit a ministry in church had told me a few weeks ago he was planning on quitting, and he said "I don't know how you do it brother". I'll tell you how, I am spiritually nourished, I toil pretty hard in spirituality, I believe. I cannot grow faint nor weary so long as I am full in communion with our Lord. That is, bound spiritually, and nourished with the Holy Eucharist. I am an oddball in that sense. But if you cannot go to Mass daily and receive, then your communion is prayer, and lots of it, and sincere prayer at that. This 2cents you read, especially everything said before is a form of nourishment for the soul. It is a piety aid and learning aid that should propel your action for our Lord. Now back to our Lord. He serves the men a meal. He breaks bread with them again. We are to serve one another. What's the best ingredient in a meal? The meat and potatoes of course, the main course...Love. Jesus serves with a side of great mercy. Let's celebrate that this Sunday....because it is Divine |  click to hear the bible verse | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Psalm 130:5 (Listen) 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope. . . . Thank You Jesus | |
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