 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 |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
APRIL 6, 2020
"Lord, help me to make time today to serve you in those who are most in need of encouragement or assistance."
— St. Vincent de Paul † MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Fear of the Lord does not mean to be afraid of God. St. John tells us that where there is love, there is no fear. Rather, fear of the Lord is to stand in awe and wonder before the greatness of the Lord. It is to recognize that God is the creator and we are the creatures. Fear of the Lord should lead us to praise and worship."
— Rev. Jude Winkler, OFM, p.95
AN EXCERPT FROM
Daily Meditations with the Holy Spirit † VERSE OF THE DAY
"What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
Matthew 10:27-28 |  click to read more | | BL. JULIANA OF MONT CORNILLON Blessed Juliana of Mont Cornillon, also known as Juliana of Liege (1193-1258) was born near Liege, Belgium. She was orphaned at the age of five and placed in the convent of Mt. Cornillon near Liege. She made rapid progress in virtue and grew in love for the Passion of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Blessed Sacrament. At the age of thirteen she became a nun and devoted herself to caring for the sick in the convent hospital. She eventually became the superioress of her community. Taught in repeated visions that Our Lord wanted a liturgical feast in honor of the Holy Eucharist to be established, she worked diligently to have the feast of Corpus Christi instituted for the Universal Church, a task for which she endured much opposition. She was forced to flee her convent after its general superior excited the populace against her and her visions. She was later vindicated by the bishop and returned to her rightful place, only to be forced to flee a final time, ending her life in seclusion. The feast of Corpus Christi was finally instituted six years after her death by Pope Urban IV, who also commissioned Saint Thomas Aquinas to prepare the magnificent texts for the feast's Office and Mass. Her feast day is April 6. | Saint Crescentia Hoess (October 20, 1682 – April 5, 1744) Crescentia was born in 1682, the daughter of a poor weaver, in a little town near Augsburg. She spent play time praying in the parish church, assisted those even poorer than herself and had so mastered the truths of her religion that she was permitted to make her first Holy Communion at the then unusually early age of 7. In the town she was called "the little angel." As she grew older, she desired to enter the convent of the Tertiaries of Saint Francis. But the convent was poor, and because Crescentia had no dowry, the superiors refused her admission. Her case was then pleaded by the Protestant mayor of the town to whom the convent owed a favor. The community felt it was forced into receiving her, and her new life was made miserable. She was considered a burden and assigned nothing other than menial tasks. Even her cheerful spirit was misinterpreted as flattery or hypocrisy. Conditions improved four years later when a new superior was elected who realized her virtue. Crescentia herself was appointed mistress of novices. She so won the love and respect of the sisters that, upon the death of the superior, Crescentia was unanimously elected to that position. Under her, the financial state of the convent improved and her reputation in spiritual matters spread. She was soon being consulted by princes and princesses; bishops and cardinals too sought her advice. And yet, a true daughter of Francis, she remained ever humble. Bodily afflictions and pain were always with her. First it was headaches and toothaches. Then she lost the ability to walk, her hands and feet gradually becoming so crippled that her body curled up into a fetal position. In the spirit of Francis she cried out, "Oh, you bodily members, praise God that he has given you the capacity to suffer." Despite her sufferings she was filled with peace and joy as she died on Easter Sunday in 1744. She was beatified in 1900 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001. The Liturgical Feast Day for Saint Crescentia Hoess is April 5.
Reflection Although she grew up in poverty and willingly embraced it in her vocation, Crescentia had a good head for business. Under her able administration, her convent regained financial stability. Too often, we think of good money management as, at best, a less-than-holy gift. But Crescentia was wise enough to balance her worldly skills with such acumen in spiritual matters that heads of State and Church both sought her advice. | Monday of Holy Week
Lectionary: 257
Reading 1 Is 42:1-7 Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spreads out the earth with its crops,
Who gives breath to its people
and spirit to those who walk on it:
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. Responsorial Psalm 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14 R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
When evildoers come at me
to devour my flesh,
My foes and my enemies
themselves stumble and fall.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Verse Before the Gospel Hail to you, our King;
you alone are compassionate with our faults.
Gospel Jn 12:1-11 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
"Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages
and given to the poor?"
He said this not because he cared about the poor
but because he was a thief and held the money bag
and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, "Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him. | Free Access: The Word Among Us has decided to provide free access to all our magazine content on our website during this stage of the coronavirus crisis. wau.org/coronavirus Today's Meditation: Isaiah 42:1-7 Here is my servant whom I uphold. (Isaiah 42:1) From early times, the Church saw Jesus as the embodiment of Isaiah's suffering servant. He is strong enough to establish justice but does not display his power in ways we might expect. He doesn't shout to make sure he is heard. He doesn't confront or oust his people's oppressors. He is gentle with the weak, the timid, the hesitant. He achieves his victory not through force but through self-sacrifice. As we enter into Holy Week, let's fix our attention on this humble Servant. Let's pay close attention to Jesus and watch what he does. Let's listen to what he says and when he remains silent. If we observe closely, we will grow in our understanding and appreciation of how much he loves us. A smoldering wick he shall not quench (Isaiah 42:3). At the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples, "All of you will have your faith in me shaken" (Matthew 26:31). But he did not reject them or condemn their shaky faith. Instead, he promised to go before them to Galilee, giving them hope that even if they fell away, they could be restored. A bruised reed he shall not break (Isaiah 42:3). When Peter slept in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus admonished him to watch and pray so that his willing spirit could overcome the weakness of his flesh. He did not become impatient with Peter or heap criticism on him. Instead, he focused on Peter's willingness and told him to pray for the grace to overcome temptation. Not crying out, not shouting (Isaiah 42:2). When he stood before Pilate, Jesus did not answer his accusers or prepare an argument for his defense. He did not cry out that he was innocent. He accepted condemnation, knowing he was doing it for each one of us. And Pilate was amazed (Matthew 27:11-14). This week, accompany Jesus through his passion. As you see how he interacts with the people along his way, ask him to show you the compassion in his heart for them but also for you. Stay close enough to see how this humble and suffering servant shows the love that will lead him all the way to the cross. "Jesus, you are God's perfect servant. Help me to stay close to you this whole week." Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14
John 12:1-11 |  clickable | I must die to myself continually and accept trials without complaining. I work, I suffer and I love with no other witness than his heart. Anyone who is not prepared to suffer all for the Beloved and to do his will in all things is not worthy of the sweet name of Friend, for here below, Love without suffering does not exist.
—St. Bernadette | my2cents:
"Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased..." Sounds like our Lord speaking from Heaven when Jesus was baptized right?
Mt. 3:17 "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. 17And a voice from heaven said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!"
God's servant? Jesus? The suffering servant? God? Our Father shows us how to be a servant. Not any servant...but the best servant. He spoke righteousness, but did not complain. He served with a yes, we never hear of Him turning away anyone...but we hear of many turning away from Him. | We pray today: "Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; Though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. The Lord is my light and my salvation...".
What does trust look like? It looks like Jesus. What does hope look like? God. What does faith look like? The Holy Spirit. | We heard today Judas ""Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages and given to the poor?"
He said this not because he cared about the poor
but because he was a thief and held the money bag...".
The venerable Archbishop Sheen told a story one time about a priest that was complaining about the parishioners, and how little they give. Somehow Sheen knew something was up. He took the priest aside and asked "how long have you been stealing from the collections?" The priest broke down and confessed. The same thing happened when Sheen encountered a young woman, obstinate in her beliefs and despised God....he took her aside and asked her about her abortion....although she had never brought up an inkling of the topic. She broke down...confessed, and came back fully into the faith. Sheen had a keen sense of knowing how to read souls. This is a mere man, but the Holy Spirit knows more. And Jesus knew who would betray Him. | "So Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
Was that perfume supposed to be used on Lazarus? Because they said he would've had a bad odor after being dead for days. And the perfume is used on Jesus instead. Jesus said to keep it for His burial. It almost seems that Jesus takes our pains, and death. Why? Because He can. What about you? What can you do? Can you give your life for a stranger? A friend? A stranger to be a friend? What about for our Lord? Can you give your life to Him? When would be a good time to do so?
We heard " the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him." Poor Lazarus, he had suffered death, and now they were plotting his second death! One was unintentional and the second was evil intent. Why death? It seems that is the only solution evil has. To kill the truth? To silence it? It doesn't work. Therefore it is a mere act of hatred, a complete rejection. What about you? How do you silence the truth in your life? I have a child that murmurs, talks real quiet, and it gets on my nerves. Sometimes, if I pay attention, instead of hushing him, he is saying some pretty important things, some reminders, and some pointers. You see? How easy we silence others...and we silence truth. I've been asked by some to stop sending them daily texts with inspirations. I've been asked to hush. And this from a fellow faithful. What do you subscribe to? What do you unsubscribe to? I am asking you to subscribe fully to our Lord. At the pointing of fingers, when you point, look at the rest pointing back and let this be a sign of the Lord teaching you...humility.
And learn to be the servant. The silent, and suffering servant. The servant that delivers what God wants....total love and devotion to God ...and God in brethren... |  click to hear a message | Random Bible verse from an online generator: Romans 8:6
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit my website Going4th.com, surely you'll find me there. God Bless You! Share the Word. Share this, share what is good | |
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