 clickable | | The Christian Response to Salvation Glory 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. Amen. This short prayer of praise known as the Glory Be comes at the end of each decade, but it is not simply a closing prayer. Rather it is meant to express the peak of our contemplation. Praise of the Holy Trinity is the Christian response to the events of salvation that God has accomplished in his Son. We praise God for his becoming man and dwelling among us; for his death, which conquered sin; for his resurrection, which gives us new life; for his ascension to the right hand of the Father; and for sending the Holy Spirit to us at Pentecost (CCC, 2641). —from the book Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth by Edward Sri |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"We are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has worked, we too have but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as He rejoiced to do his work, we must rejoice in ours also."
— St. John Neumann † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"When he was younger, St. Martin of Tours dedicated himself to military service. When he heard the call of Christ, he realized that his call was to fight a spiritual battle. His armor and weapons were vitrue and a life guided by the Spirit of God. Do I consider my spiritual life to be a type of battle against the forces of evil?"
— Rev. Jude Winkler, OFM, p.164
AN EXCERPT FROM
Daily Meditations with the Holy Spirit ⛪ TODAY'S FEAST DAY⛪ ASCENSION THURSDAY
After Jesus' Resurrection from the dead, He continued to appear to His disciples for a period of 40 days. After this time, with His Apostles gathered around Him on the Mount of Olives, Jesus was taken up bodily into heaven, as recorded in the Gospels. To comfort them in His physical absence, He promised to send them a Consoler and Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with them and to guide them into all truth until the end of the world. The Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter Sunday, also called Ascension Thursday. It is a Holy Day of Obligation, and among the oldest and most solemn feasts on the liturgical calendar. In many dioceses the celebration of the feast is transferred to the following Sunday. † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Indeed, you are my lamp, O Lord, the Lord lightens my darkness. By you I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him."
2 Samuel 22:29-31 |  click to read more | | ST. JOAN OF ARC St. Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was born in Domremy, France to peasant farmers during the Hundred Years War between France and England. She was a pious child, and from age 13 she received visions of saints, most notably St. Michael the Archangel, St. Margaret of Antioch, and St. Catherine of Alexandria, who became her special patrons. Through these visions, voices, and other interior promptings, Joan understood that she was to help the King of France regain his throne. After overcoming her own reluctance, and that of the military and ecclesiastical authorities, she heroically led the French army in battle. With her leadership they recaptured Orleans and Troyes, which allowed Charles VII to be restored to the throne of France. All the while she wore the dress of a soldier to protect her virtue and modesty. The following year she was captured by the English, imprisoned, and placed on trial under accusation of heresy and witchcraft. She was treated unjustly and illegally during her captivity, and her trial became a circus. Under political pressure she was condemned and burned alive at the stake, even though she proved herself to be blameless and fearless in character and faith. As she burned she kept her eyes on a crucifix and repeatedly called on the name of Jesus. A second Church trial twenty-five years later nullified the earlier verdict and found her innocent of all charges, paving the way for her veneration as a saint. St. Joan of Arc is the patron saint of captives, rape victims, soldiers, and France. Her feast day is May 30th. | The Ascension of the Lord Reading 1 Acts 1:1-11 In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for "the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." When they had gathered together they asked him,
"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth."
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, "Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." Responsorial Psalm Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Reading 2 Eph 1:17-23 Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might:
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. Or Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23 Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that men and women die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since through the blood of Jesus
we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary
by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,
that is, his flesh,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God, "
let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed in pure water.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,
for he who made the promise is trustworthy. Alleluia Mt 28:19a, 20b R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 24:46-53 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you;
but stay in the city
until you are clothed with power from on high." Then he led them out as far as Bethany,
raised his hands, and blessed them.
As he blessed them he parted from them
and was taken up to heaven.
They did him homage
and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
and they were continually in the temple praising God.
| Meditation: John 16:16-20 Easter Weekday or The Ascension of the Lord (Solemnity) You will see me. (John 16:16) What a promise! Jesus was preparing to go away, but he would come back, and the apostles would see him once more. These words must have brought them a great measure of comfort. And yes, they did see Jesus again—on Easter Sunday, when he appeared to them in the upper room. But the "seeing" Jesus was speaking of here meant more than just encountering him again with their physical eyes. Jesus was also talking about the way that the Holy Spirit would help them sense Jesus' presence and his guidance even after he had ascended and was no longer visible. But why would Jesus think it was important for us to "see" him again? Didn't his cross and resurrection take care of our salvation? Wasn't it enough for us to hear his gospel and be baptized into his name? Simply put, no. And thank God for this truth! We need to "see" Jesus every day. We need to hear his voice, to receive his love, and to be formed by his wisdom. As St. Paul taught, Jesus gave us the Spirit "so that we may understand the things freely given us by God" (1 Corinthians 2:12). The truth is that we could never grasp the price that Jesus paid for our salvation or the depth of his love for us on our own. We need the Spirit as well, to give us the grace we need to live out Jesus' commands. Without the Holy Spirit, we limit both our understanding and our abilities. This is why Jesus wants us to be baptized, or immersed, in his Holy Spirit. He knows it's the only way we can know the power and presence of God in our lives. So what did the apostles do after Jesus was taken away from them and they could no longer see him? Looking forward to the fulfillment of his promise, they joined together in prayer. They delved into the Scriptures. They prayed, "Come, Holy Spirit!" Let's follow their example. From now until Pentecost, let's dive into Scripture, fix our eyes on Jesus, and persist in prayer. Let's ask for the grace to see Jesus with new eyes, the eyes of the Holy Spirit. "Come, Holy Spirit! Open the eyes of my heart!" Acts 18:1-8
Psalm 98:1-4 |  clickable | Christ himself was the great sacrament. Because he was the Word-made-flesh. Because he was the God-Man. We would have seen that he was a man, but we would have known that he was the Son of God.
—ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN
from Life is Worth Living | my2cents:
"...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses .....to the ends of the earth."
Yes you will. Will you? Yes. If God says You Will, then it is a mere command, a directive, a mission on earth for Him. Isn't it? To do what now? BE MY WITNESS. That has been the title of a diocesan program by Renew International, "Be My Witness". All the parish is invited. Very few respond. Some are forced to take these "classes". And those who attend are illuminated, they actually enjoy them, attendance is usually very good. And afterwards, people seem somewhat better in faith. But the 6 sessions end. Now what? BE MY WITNESS. This is a daily living. Everywhere you go is the end of the earth at some point in the body of Christ. Share the living Word...Christ! | "...in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
Pentecost is fastly approaching. The 9 days novena to the Holy Spirit should be on our minds. What if I told you a special grace appears on the 9th day? What if I told you the Holy Spirit would indeed come! Well, Jesus said it to the disciples, to everyone, and everyone present, waiting, praying, received the power from on high. You will be baptized with HIMSELF! | Let us pray: "God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. All you peoples, clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness, For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth." Our priest from Africa likes it when we sing and dance and clap in Mass. They say they do that alot in Africa, but it should be done everywhere. The Psalms tell us to do it. Blaring trumpets? OOHhh, that would wake up so many...and make many so mad! LOL. We get used to our little ways, and we don't like it when people rock our world. Some get angry at the very slightest bit. Where is the joy of the Lord? Is it hidden? You shall not hide it under a bushel. Ye shall put it on a lampstand...remember....Be My Witness! | In the Holy Gospel, our Lord speaks: "...behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you". He said "I told you I'd have to suffer and die and be buried and be raised again". And now we'd have to preach repentance. When the Holy Spirit comes, that is our mission: to preach repentance, to preach about mercy, to preach about conversion, and transformation, and to become the transformation, conversion, and mercy to the whole world!
"As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven." Think the end of Holy Mass, our encounter with Christ. The final blessing. We are blessed, He ascends and we remain. And the disciples were said to have " returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God." Yesterday as we arrived to daily Mass, as we parked the van, I told the wife and kids "we're home!". We left our home and went home. That is the calling for everyone. To depart and to arrive. To arrive and to depart. That is, leave yourself behind and let Him be first. And then come get our directives, our commands from our Chief and loving Father. So is that how Heaven will be? Who knows! AHH, wouldn't you like to know? It will be new directives and I can't wait for that command. But for now, ours is to live every single day as a whole new life for the Lord. We practice then, dying daily. Renewing ourselves daily. That is why I try to make daily Mass! To return to the source. Oh how I wish the world were set ablaze for Him...what a daunting task our Lord has set upon us. St. Joan of Arc was set on fire and died for the Lord. She had the Holy Spirit burning from the inside and died with the most precious name on earth on her lips...all she ever knew J E S U S |  hear it read | adrian Random Bible Verse1
1 John 4:7-8 (Listen) 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. Thank You Jesus | |
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