 clickable | | Let the Name of Jesus Slow You Down A friend of mine suggests that we treat the name of Jesus in the Hail Mary like a speed bump: Slow down as you approach it, and speak it with care and attention. "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb … Jesus." Let's speak Jesus's name with tender love at every Hail Mary in the rosary. Indeed, we should never neglect the power of Christ's name—the only name under heaven by which we may hope in salvation (see Acts 4:12). —from the book Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth by Edward Sri |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"The stillness of prayer is the most essential condition for fruitful action. Before all else, the disciple kneels down."
— St. Gianna Molla † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"God gives prayer growth precisely according to our degree of readiness for it. He forces no one. According as we are more or less receptive, He bestows more or less depth of communion. In the same manner, five hundred people in a parish church all hear the same sound waves during the homily, but they profit from it exactly as they are or are not disposed for the message. Jesus taught the same truth in his parable of the sower: from the word of God some hearers yield nothing at all, while others yield thirty or sixty or a hundredfold."
— Fr. Thomas Dubay, p. 114
AN EXCERPT FROM
Fire Within † VERSE OF THE DAY
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."
Proverbs 9:10 |  click to read more | | Saint Cristóbal Magallanes and Companions (d. between 1915 and 1937) Like Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, SJ, Cristóbal and his 24 companion martyrs lived under a very anti-Catholic government in Mexico, one determined to weaken the Catholic faith of its people. Churches, schools, and seminaries were closed; foreign clergy were expelled. Cristóbal established a clandestine seminary at Totatiche, Jalisco. He and the other priests were forced to minister secretly to Catholics during the presidency of Plutarco Calles (1924-28). All of these martyrs, except three, were diocesan priests. David, Manuel and Salvador were laymen who died with their parish priest, Luis Batis. They all belonged to the Cristero movement, pledging their allegiance to Christ and to the Church that he established, to spread the Good News in society—even if Mexico's leaders had made it a crime to receive baptism or celebrate the Mass. These martyrs did not die as a single group but over 22 years time in eight Mexican states, with Jalisco and Zacatecas having the largest number. They were beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later.
Reflection Every martyr realizes how to avoid execution, but refuses to pay the high price of doing so. A clear conscience was more valuable than a long life. We may be tempted to compromise our faith while telling ourselves that we are simply being realistic, dealing with situations as we find them. Is survival really the ultimate value? Do our concrete, daily choices reflect our deepest values, the ones that allow us to "tick" the way we do? Anyone can imagine situations in which being a follower of Jesus is easier than the present situation. Saints remind us that our daily choices, especially in adverse circumstances, form the pattern of our lives. | Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 14:19-28 In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
"It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God."
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples. Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21 R.(see 12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Lk 24:46, 26 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 14:27-31a Jesus said to his disciples:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
'I am going away and I will come back to you.'
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me." | Meditation: Acts 14:19-28 Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs (Optional Memorial) It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) St. Paul must have made quite an impact when he spoke these words. He had just returned from traveling to Derbe, Lystra, and Pisidian Antioch, preaching the gospel as he went. But the Paul who came back to them probably looked noticeably worse than the Paul who had first visited them a few months earlier. Not only had he been subjected to "violent abuse" by some of his detractors, but he had also been stoned and left for dead (Acts 13:45; 14:19)! So there he was, a living illustration of what it meant to "undergo many hardships" for the sake of Christ (Acts 14:22). Let's imagine what he might have said to them: Brothers and sisters, look at me. Do you see the bruises on my face and how I still limp? Look, but don't let the memory of the anger and violence of the crowd overtake you. Instead, think about Jesus and his power to heal and to save. If one person comes to faith in him, I will consider all these scars and bruises to have been worth it. I stand before you today as a living reminder that believing in Jesus doesn't shield you from hardship. Sometimes your faith will invite it! But try to follow my lead. After some people from Antioch and Iconium and Lystra tried to kill me, I didn't give up. Instead, I returned to them later. It wasn't easy, but I found the grace to forgive them, to overcome my fears, and to persevere. My dear friends, I know that you also are undergoing hardships. You may be disturbed by the sexual immorality around you. You may be suffering from a family member's mockery of your faith. You may be bearing unseen wounds in your heart. Persevere through all of these challenges! Never let go of your faith! Remember that Jesus is indeed alive in you: in your hope, your joy, and your generosity to one another. He promised that your love would win people over. So hold fast to him, and let him sustain you. "Jesus, help me cling to you in my hardships. Lord, I trust that you will not abandon me." Psalm 145:10-13, 21
John 14:27-31 |  clickable | And yet, even in our imitation of Christ, we will discover a startling paradox—the more we become like him, the more we become fully ourselves. The more fully Christ lives in us, the more fully we will discover our uniqueness. Our talents and gifts will shine forth the clearer and we will understand, perhaps for the first time, the truths that there are many gifts, but one Spirit, and we, though different members, are one body in Christ.
—Sam Guzman
from The Catholic Gentleman | 2cents:
""It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God."
Our Sunday Homily had our priest saying over and over to the graduates and all present "..no cross, nor crown". It is true. No guts, no glory. It takes guts to give glory to God. Just look at the Christ. The one who was to come and show the way. Did it have to take the Son of God from Heaven to show us the way? Surely there were many brave men and women, like St. John the Baptist and many other prophets. Yes. But God had to show that these prophets were true. What they lived and died for was true. What you would live and die for would be true. | We pray: "Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom." The faithful ones bless God. The funeral for the deacon yesterday had 24 deacons present, our Bishop and various priests. It was a sight for the world to see men that say "I am a friend of God", for they are making known the glorious splendor of His Kingdom. By far the testimony you and I will give is the glory we give to God. What makes a priest beautiful? The people, the parish, the laypersons. They can make a priest truly shine...or...seem very dull and dim. We are now speaking of Christ our Light. | Our Lord says today "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." But they were afraid the whole time He was taken away, while He was beaten, and while they crucified Him and while He was buried, so far as they stayed, so far they feared. This is what happens when we stray from Him. Fear sets in, and other things take over. Our Lord says to take heart! "If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father". If you loved Him you'd have faith to move mountains. Our Lord continues with faith "... the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me." I do show love when I show I follow commands of God. But I don't show love when I don't follow commands. I'm asking you a question that should perplex your soul, "do you think there are souls in Heaven who do not love God? And what do you think Heaven will be for?" Glory my child. |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (Listen) 17 Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Random Bible Verse 2
2 Corinthians 3:17 (Listen) 17 Now the Lord [1] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Thank You Jesus | |
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