 clickable | | Wounded and Forgiven The world contains only one thing that is truly novel: forgiveness. And this is the message of the resurrection. Everything else is like the words of an old song repeating itself endlessly over and over again. There is normally only one song that gets sung: the song of betrayal, hurt, resentment, and non-forgiveness. That pattern never changes. There is an unbroken chain of unforgiveness, resentment, and anger stretching back to Adam and Eve. We are all part of that chain. Everyone is wounded and everyone wounds. Everyone sins and everyone is sinned against. Everyone needs to forgive and everyone needs to be forgiven. —from the book The Passion and the Cross by Ronald Rolheiser |  clickable: The Following is from MorningOffering | †Saint Quote
"Even on the cross He did not hide Himself from sight; rather, He made all creation witness to the presence of its Maker. Then, having once let it be seen that it was truly dead, He did not allow that temple of His body to linger long, but forthwith on the third day raised it up, impassible and incorruptible, the pledge and token of His victory. "
— St. Athanasius of Alexandria † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives for ever, so after death the righteous will live for ever with the risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day. Our resurrection, like his own, will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity."
— (CCC, 989)
AN EXCERPT FROM
Catechism of the Catholic Church † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Ah, my Lord God! You made the heavens and the earth with your great power and your outstretched arm; nothing is too difficult for you. ... Great and mighty God, whose name is Lord of hosts, great in counsel, mighty in deed, whose eyes are fixed on all the ways of mortals, giving to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their deeds."
Jeremiah 32:17-19 |  click to read more | | Saint Benedict the African (1526 – 1589) Benedict held important posts in the Franciscan Order and gracefully adjusted to other work when his terms of office were up. His parents were slaves brought from Africa to Messina, Sicily. Freed at 18, Benedict did farm work for a wage and soon saved enough to buy a pair of oxen. He was very proud of those animals. In time, he joined a group of hermits around Palermo and was eventually recognized as their leader. Because these hermits followed the Rule of Saint Francis, Pope Pius IV ordered them to join the First Order. Benedict was eventually novice master and then guardian of the friars in Palermo—positions rarely held in those days by a brother. In fact, Benedict was forced to accept his election as guardian. And when his term ended, he happily returned to his work in the friary kitchen. Benedict corrected the friars with humility and charity. Once he corrected a novice and assigned him a penance only to learn that the novice was not the guilty party. Benedict immediately knelt down before the novice and asked his pardon. In later life, Benedict was not possessive of the few things he used. He never referred to them as "mine," but always called them "ours." His gifts for prayer and the guidance of souls earned him throughout Sicily a reputation for holiness. Following the example of Saint Francis, Benedict kept seven 40-day fasts throughout the year; he also slept only a few hours each night. After Benedict's death, King Philip III of Spain paid for a special tomb for this holy friar. Canonized in 1807, he is honored as a patron saint by African Americans. The Liturgical Feast of Saint Benedict the African is April 4.
Reflection Among Franciscans, a position of leadership is limited in time. When the time expires, former leaders sometimes have trouble adjusting to their new position. The Church needs men and women ready to put their best energies into leadership—but also men and women who are gracefully willing to go on to other work when their time of leadership is over.
Saint Benedict the African is the Patron Saint of: African Americans | Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Reading 1 Is 49:8-15 Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you. Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18
R. (8a) The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful. Verse Before the Gospel Jn 11:25a, 26 I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me will never die. Gospel Jn 5:17-30 Jesus answered the Jews:
"My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation. "I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me."
| Meditation: Isaiah 49:8-15 4th Week of Lent The Lord comforts his people. (Isaiah 49:13) When you think about being comforted, you might imagine someone putting their arms around you or speaking encouraging words when you were hurt or sick or upset. You might recall moments from childhood when your mother knew just the right way to make you feel better. She listened to your concerns, even though she knew she couldn't fix everything. She probably told you how much she loved you as well and that she would try to help. Her presence and love reassured you that somehow, things would be okay. Even if you never really knew this kind of comfort from your parents, you can still experience it from God. Today's first reading promises that! Your God knows you intimately; he knows your needs, your worries, and your sorrows. He won't forget you, not even for an instant. Even if a mother forgets her child, God will never forget you (Isaiah 49:15). Now, you can't have someone's arm around you all the time. But then again, maybe you can. God's comfort is not limited to physical closeness. He is always with you, even when you make a mess of things and everyone else has left you alone. This is what the Scriptures mean when they proclaim God to be faithful and true. Jesus promised he will be with us always—and he never breaks his promises (Matthew 28:20). You may have already experienced God's comfort in a personal way. Maybe you felt him strengthen you during a stressful time. Or maybe he guided you through a confusing situation. Even so, the difficulties of life can tempt you to think that God is far away. He isn't. He walks beside you: suffering with you, persevering with you, and comforting you, even if you aren't sure that he is there. So feel free to talk to Jesus about your joys and struggles, your questions and doubts. Don't be afraid to express your deepest thoughts, even the ones that are filled with anxiety, fear, bitterness, or anger. Don't worry; you won't surprise or offend him. In fact, it's in those moments that you may begin to sense his presence and his comfort. And even if you don't exactly feel his presence, that's okay. He is still there. God is giving you a chance to strengthen your faith. Always remember: he will never leave you. "Jesus, be my comfort today." Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18
John 5:17-30 |  clickable | 'It's so hard to be good!' And so we have to practice. It is hard to become a concert pianist. It is hard to become an expert surgeon. It is hard to become an outstanding ballerina. We have to practice and practice and practice. If this is true of the worldly arts, it is more true of the art of spiritual fidelity.
—Mother Mary Francis P.C.C.
from A Time of Renewal: Daily Reflections for the Lenten Season |  Click to see the Devotional Calendar | | 2cents:
" I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land...". Who will make the difference for the Lord in the Land? Surely it is He, ultimately, but will we do His will? That is our freedom. | "The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works." The tone of the voice makes all the difference in manner of speaking, doesn't it? I can say something confounding, or truthful, but if it comes out in a harsh tone...then love is lost. Who then is gracious and merciful? Wouldn't it have been wonderful to hear the tone of our Lord speaking. How did He speak? They say He was compassionate...how does a compassionate person speak? Someone with passion...and our Lord proved it on Calvary. | Our Lord said ""My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."
Until. That funny word in the english language we fail to understand. Did the Father stop working? Of course not. Was it fulfilled now through our Lord. Of course. Was Mary a virgin UNTIL she conceived? Of course not. Was she a virgin after? Of course. That word holds nothing in comparison to the eternal. | Our Lord said some heavy things that contradicted the "law". "You can't call yourself a son of God", was the law. It's as if they had outlawed God Himself. Sadly, this happens when we want control. As we speak, laws are being passed to basically ban the bible, so homosexualism can win. So the people can win. And once again, outlaw God. Other gods win. When did it start? Anti-conception. When we decided against life. When do we decide against life? Sin. Jesus is the Life, Truth, and Way.
Lent is for us to repent.
Spread the message. We need to become once again what we were created to be His.
His children.
His beloved.
His creation.
Totally His forever.... |  click to hear the bible verse | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Colossians 3:9-10 (Listen) 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self [1] with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Footnotes [1] 3:9 Greek man; also as supplied in verse 10 Thank You Jesus | |
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