 clickable | | Carry the Light of the Risen One Carry the Light of the Risen OneOne of Pope Francis's favorite distinctions is the difference between joy and mere happiness. This is something that's good to carry with us into the Easter season. His example of Mary Magdalene points to a key aspect of joy: It often follows a time of suffering, of disappointment, of struggle overcome and transformed. If Mary hadn't cared so much for Jesus, her sense of loss wouldn't have been as deep, but neither would her joy at their reunion. One of the hallmarks of a true friend is someone who can accompany us through good times and bad, weeping and rejoicing as circumstances change. A genuine faith offers the same support. We are blessed if we have such friends, graced if we have such faith. —from the book The Hope of Lent: Daily Reflections from Pope Francis by Diane M. Houdek |  clickable: The Following is from MorningOffering | †Saint Quote
"The last degree of love is when He gave Himself to us to be our Food; because He gave Himself to be united with us in every way."
— St. Bernardine of Siena † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Prayer brings our mind into the brightness of divine light, and exposes our will to the warmth of divine love. Nothing else can so purge our mind from its ignorance, and our will from its depraved affections. It is a blessed fountain which, as it flows, revives our good desires and causes them to bring forth fruit, washes away the stains of infirmity from our soul, and calms the passions of our hearts."
— St. Francis de Sales, p. 61
AN EXCERPT FROM
An Introduction to the Devout Life † VERSE OF THE DAY
"My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures—then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."
Proverbs 2:1-5 |  click to read more | | Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577 – April 24, 1622) If a poor man needed some clothing, Fidelis would often give the man the clothes right off his back. Complete generosity to others characterized this saint's life. Born in 1577, Mark Rey became a lawyer who constantly upheld the causes of the poor and oppressed people. Nicknamed "the poor man's lawyer," Rey soon grew disgusted with the corruption and injustice he saw among his colleagues. He left his law career to become a priest, joining his brother George as a member of the Capuchin Order. Fidelis was his religious name. His wealth was divided between needy seminarians and the poor. As a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi, Fidelis continued his devotion to the weak and needy. During a severe epidemic in a city where he was guardian of a friary, Fidelis cared for and cured many sick soldiers. He was appointed head of a group of Capuchins sent to preach against the Calvinists and Zwinglians in Switzerland. Almost certain violence threatened. Those who observed the mission felt that success was more attributable to the prayer of Fidelis during the night than to his sermons and instructions. He was accused of opposing the peasants' national aspirations for independence from Austria. While he was preaching at Seewis, to which he had gone against the advice of his friends, a gun was fired at him, but he escaped unharmed. A Protestant offered to shelter Fidelis, but he declined, saying his life was in God's hands. On the road back, he was set upon by a group of armed men and killed. Fidelis was canonized in 1746. Fifteen years later he was recognized as a martyr.
Reflection Fidelis' constant prayer was that he be kept completely faithful to God and not give in to any lukewarmness or apathy. He was often heard to exclaim, "Woe to me if I should prove myself but a halfhearted soldier in the service of my thorn-crowned Captain." His prayer against apathy, and his concern for the poor and weak make him a saint whose example is valuable today. The modern Church is calling us to follow the example of "the poor man's lawyer" by sharing ourselves and our talents with those less fortunate and by working for justice in the world. | Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Reading 1 Acts 3:1-10 Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o'clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called "the Beautiful Gate" every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, "Look at us."
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk."
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him. Responsorial Psalm pS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 R.(3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
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 Lk 24:13-35 That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus' disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
| Meditation: Luke 24:13-35 Wednesday within the Octave of Easter Their eyes were opened and they recognized him. (Luke 24:31) It had been a long day of walking, but Cleopas and his friend wanted more time with their traveling companion. The mysterious stranger seemed ignorant of the turmoil of the past days, but he could explain the Scriptures like no one they had ever heard before. Wanting to hear more, they urged him, "Stay with us" (Luke 24:29). So he stayed and shared a meal. Then, with a simple gesture and a simple prayer, he broke the bread and gave it to them. And suddenly, their eyes were opened: they recognized their broken Lord, their risen Lord. Imagine what must have flashed through their minds: "Wait—that's what Jesus did! Could this be him?" They had more than just a hunch or a guess, though; they felt certain that it was Jesus. It was Jesus, who had broken bread, saying, "This is my body" (Mark 14:22). It was Jesus, who prayed, "Father, forgive them" as he hung on the cross (Luke 23:34). It was Jesus, whose promise to rise from the dead shone in their hearts once again. All this came flooding back to them in the moment when he broke the bread. In the early Church, the entire Eucharistic celebration was referred to as the breaking of the bread. That's how important this gesture was. And today, two thousand years later, we still consider the moment when the priest breaks the Host as one of the most solemn parts of the Mass. It's at that moment that we can recognize Jesus in the Host—the same Jesus who walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. What do you see when the bread is broken? Do you see the broken body of the Crucified One who died to bring us back to his Father? Do you see the Risen One who overcame the power of death and who has opened the gates of heaven to you? He is there, every time, ready to give himself to you in love. If you struggle to see Jesus, you're in good company. The Emmaus disciples couldn't recognize him right away either. But just as Jesus revealed himself to them, he can open your eyes too. So when the priest breaks the bread and says, "Behold, the Lamb of God," ask Jesus to open your eyes and your heart. That's a prayer God will always answer. "Lord, help me to see you more clearly in the breaking of the bread." Acts 3:1-10
Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9 |  clickable | It's one thing to transubstantiate bread and wine into Christ's body, blood, soul, and divinity. It's another thing for God to form, to transform, to conform us to Christ, to transubstantiate us to Christ, as it were, from sinners into saints.
—Scott Hahn
from Now Is the Time of Great Mercy |  clickable go see food for poor | | 2cents:
In today's first Holy Scripture we heard: "When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the one...". They recognized him. That will be the beckoning call of the day for us. To recognize, or at least, better recognize our Lord. | Let us pray: "Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds. Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord." Our Lord said "seek and ye shall find". Amen? We want to recognize? Then we must seek. Amen? And you will rejoice when you find. You will trade in everything for that joy. That's why we hear, "once you turn to the plow, there is no looking back". If you look back, you're as good as a pillar of salt. Ashes. Burned. So, how can we recognize Him? Give thanks. The more thankful you are to Him, the holier you will be. And holy souls enter Heaven- Where they rightly belong. But holiness stands out. Who wants to stand out for our Lord? Many youth don't. Why? Because many adults don't want to. We rather be "neutral" and "safe". Playing on the fences. Playing with life and death. | In the Holy Gospel we heard "...he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him...". Let's rewind a bit. Somewhere along their journey, they invited this stranger to join them. As they walked, their hearts burned as the stranger opened scripture to them and explained everything, he even called them out saying they were being foolish. Why? What is foolishness? Failing to believe. For not having faith. Amen? God wants us alive, that is, always burning bright for Him in total trust. | So now that we rewound the tape, they see he is intending to leave them, to split off, but they invite him AGAIN to stay with them. He does. He joins them for breaking of bread. He blesses the bread and breaks it. The priest does the same. Do you do this with your strangers or loved ones? Jesus comes into the picture when you do. Only, in the Eucharist, the bread is now His Precious Body. Funny thing happens next: Jesus disappears after they recognized Him. They are left with only a memory. He vanishes. In the resurrection of body, they say you can transport to time and material things. That's how angels appear and Jesus too. Do you want to see Him appear? Fine! Let's do this. Let's ask Him to appear then. We often sing, and I'm asked to sing this song "Open my eyes Lord, I want to see your face...". While I'm singing this, there is an interior struggle ensuing, because I like to mean what I sing, I like to actually proclaim when I sing, I like to actually speak evangelizations with my guitar. So why do I struggle with this song? Because, first of all, can God force your eyes open? AHh! Get my point? Do I really want to see? I don't want to just sing a lovey dovey song that makes one feel good and warm. I want to mean what I say and say what I mean. "I want to see you Lord". Now wait a minute! For reals? Are you ready to see Him? The last picture I imagined of seeing God was a piercing look. You couldn't see Him straight in the eye or else these laser like lights would pierce your very soul and a dark soul would be struck down on contact. Is that a messed up vision? Or can we stand the truth? But that picture is of the Almighty. But Jesus is one with the almighty. Do I literally see Jesus in daily Mass? Do I see Him every day in the breaking of the bread? No. But once, well twice I saw flesh in the hands of the priest, not bread. But have I seen His face? That would only happened on a walk to Emmaus. My cursillo helped me realize this. I was on a 3 day journey, and it was revealed to me that Christ was among us, showing the way and then showing Himself in the Eucharist. You see? What am I saying then?
Invite Him in.
Invite Him in your journey.
Invite Him in your journey through life.
Invite Him to remain with you.
And then, you will recognize.
His hand at work.
He is here.
I Am lives. |  click to hear the bible verse | adrian WOW AMAZING Random Bible Verse1
Matthew 7:7-8 (Listen) 7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Thank You Jesus | |
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