 clickable | | Christ Our Hope Has Risen Christ Our Hope Has RisenSometimes our faith moves us outward with great joy and fervent hope. But sometimes we need to go within, to renew our strength and our courage in quiet times of prayer. Depending on the circumstances of our lives this year, we might not be feeling the exuberant joy we expect in this season of Easter. Illness, death, unemployment, depression, and other human realities don't necessarily happen according to the liturgical year. But in a time when it seems the only constant is change, our faith—and even more, our hope—reminds us that God's love will always be there for us. —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 limitless loving devotion to God, and the gift God makes of Himself to you, are the highest elevation of which the heart is capable; it is the highest degree of prayer."
— St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"We are all sinners. We have all turned away from the Lord, but the Lord is always ready to take us back. When we sin we hurt ourselves, we break our own hearts. The Father sends His Holy Spirit into our hearts to bring us forgiveness and to heal whatever damage we have done to ourselves."
— Rev. Jude Winkler, p. 21
AN EXCERPT FROM
Daily Meditations with the Holy Spirit † VERSE OF THE DAY
"But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being."
Job 12:7-10 |  click to read more | | Saint George (c. 280 – April 23, 303) Saint George is the object of a vast amount of imagination. There is every reason to believe that he was a real martyr who suffered at Lydda in Palestine, probably before the time of Constantine. The Church adheres to his memory, but not to the legends surrounding his life. That he was willing to pay the supreme price to follow Christ is what the Church believes. And it is enough. The story of George's slaying the dragon, rescuing the king's daughter, and converting Libya is a 12th-century Italian fable. George was a favorite patron saint of crusaders, as well as of Eastern soldiers in earlier times. He is a patron saint of England, Portugal, Germany, Aragon, Catalonia, Genoa, and Venice.
Reflection Human nature seems to crave more than cold historical data. Americans have Washington and Lincoln, but we somehow need Paul Bunyan, too. The life of Saint Francis of Assisi is inspiring enough, but for centuries the Italians have found his spirit in the legends of the Fioretti, too. Santa Claus is the popular extension of the spirit of Saint Nicholas. The legends about Saint George are part of this yearning. Both fact and legend are human ways of illumining the mysterious truth about the One who alone is holy.
Saint George is the Patron Saint of: Boy Scouts
England
Portugal
Soldiers
Germany | Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Reading 1 Acts 2:36-41 On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,
"Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
"What are we to do, my brothers?"
Peter said to them,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call."
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day. Responsorial Psalm pS 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22
R.(5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of 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 Jn 20:11-18 Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
She said to them, "They have taken my Lord,
and I don't know where they laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?"
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
"Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni,"
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
'I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
"I have seen the Lord,"
and then reported what he had told her.
| Meditation: John 20:11-18 Tuesday within the Octave of Easter I have seen the Lord. (John 20:18) The music, the incense, the renewal of our baptismal vows, and the welcoming of those entering the Church—the Easter liturgy is so beautiful that memories from last weekend may still be lingering in your mind. During such a celebration, it's easy to say, with Mary Magdalene, "I have seen the Lord" (John 20:18). Yet our faith tells us that the risen Christ is always with us, not just on Easter and not just when we're in church before the tabernacle. He died and rose so that he could live within us and be close to us at all times. But just as Mary had difficulty recognizing Jesus in the garden, we often fail to notice that the Lord is with us in concrete, real-life ways. This month's articles are all about raising our expectations for what God can do in us this Easter season. For instance, what would happen if you expected to "see" the Lord on a regular basis? Where might you recognize his presence and how he is working in your life? • When you have been praying for something for a long time, and your prayer is answered in a way you didn't expect. • When a Scripture verse strikes you in a totally new way and helps you get through a difficult circumstance. • When you are able to forgive someone who has hurt you deeply. • When you realize you need to correct a bad habit, and you are able to do so. • When you and your spouse are finally able to see eye to eye on a thorny issue that has caused conflict in the past. • When you see someone who is hurting or needy and are able to help that person. Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list. God is infinitely creative in the times and ways he reveals himself. So expect him to "show up" each day. Then try to keep your eyes open for his presence. You may just be surprised at how often he is part of every detail and concern of your life. "Jesus, open my eyes so that I can say with Mary, 'I have seen the Lord.'" Acts 2:36-41
Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22 |  clickable | Those who make Christian love a reality build the foundation for the genuine communion of saints.
—Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar
from You Crown the Year with Your Goodness |  clickable go see food for poor | | 2cents:
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The count is now nearing 300, those who lost their lives in church by suicide killers. Those are nearly 300 martyrs, right? Because they were killed for their faith. Jesus was killed for His faith. What happens now? A moment of loss, confusion, pain. | Let us pray: "Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." Souls are waiting. Some are suffering. But those who have died for the Lord and with the Lord, the sufferings are minimum in the next life, for they will count it all as joy. Take a cue from St. Paul. Take a cue from the dark night of the soul. Waiting for the Lord means much more. Waiting on the Lord means more. | Mary Magdalene was at a loss, confused, crying, but waiting on the Lord at His tomb. Suddenly angels appeared in the tomb she was crying at. This is the kind of thing that happens when you wait on the Lord, the groom. Mary was the one who was delivered from bad spirits. 7. One from each Holy Sacrament. The perfect number. She was the grateful one. She was the one found crying, by angels. Who cries for our Lord? Only one who loves Him. Only one who was touched deeply with His love. If she never had a father, she did in Him. If she never had a protector, she had one in Him. If she ever wanted someone to know here soul, she had Him. If she ever was amazed, it was by Him. If she ever had hope, it was in Him. She is the saint on the day of my Baptism. We have something in common. First, Jesus. Second, Baptism. Third, healing in repentance. Fourth, deliverance from evil. Fifth, gratitude (Eucharist). Sixth, the Mother of God. 7th, being touched by the resurrected Lord, in the Holy Spirit. | Here's something to remember. God is not expiring, but we are in this world. God is not tiring, but we tire as we grow old. If there is hope in the world, it means Jesus is in the world. If there is wonder and awe, God is alive. Evil's message is loud and clear and issuing a threat to Christians. And the fight is on all fronts. And it starts at your home, and even before in your heart. And it goes from there. Will you hold onto faith in the darkness, while you cannot see Jesus? Mary Magdalene is said to be the first evangelizer. She went out in extreme joy. Why? Because the angels told her? There's more. Jesus Himself told her. Told her what? To go out to the others and tell them He will meet them too. He meets them gathered. He meets them at the breaking of the bread. This is why I choose to go to daily Mass. I go to an encounter my beloved. Honestly, that is the only reason. There is no better reason. It is a whole cursillo again. It is a whole Sacrament again. It is a whole encounter of Heaven and earth. Why do so few see Jesus? Because very few go to look for Him. No disciple ran to the tomb early morning. No follower runs to confession. They'd be afraid because of guards watching the tomb. We are afraid to die to our sin. Only a girl went to Jesus. Only a woman would go. She was not afraid anymore. Love would prevail. That girl, that woman is the Holy Church.
We've much to learn of this lesson, but there is more. Jesus appeared and Mary did not recognize Him. There was a girl that painted the face of Jesus, and she said he looks like the carpenter that went to their house. I believe in my life, Jesus appears as someone coming through your life. I honestly do. I often look to the unrecognizable-To the forgettables. I look and in my heart I pray "is that you Jesus?". In that person telling me the truth I don't want to hear. In that person that tries to tell me about Church. I am all ears all day and night. "What are you telling me Lord?"
That I should tell the world what you have said from the beginning.... |  click to hear the bible verse | adrian Random Bible Verse1
Romans 8:37 (Listen) 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Random Bible Verse2
Psalm 73:28 (Listen) 28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works. Thank You Jesus | |
