 |  clickable | | Disciples Have Passion We can walk with Jesus, whose mission will be accomplished whether we like it or not, or we can grasp at our fleeting comforts, getting in his way. It doesn't seem like much of a choice to me. If we want to follow after Jesus, we need to let go of our apathy and laziness, the comfort that comes from being disconnected from others, and begin to truly care. Discipleship is about a life of passion, about giving our lives completely over to the mission that Christ is calling us to. Either we're fully in, or we're not in at all. —from the book Let Go: Seven Stumbling Blocks to Christian Discipleship by Casey Cole, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Be peace-loving. Peace is a precious treasure to be sought with great zeal. You are well aware that our sins arouse God's anger. You must change your life, therefore, so that God in his mercy will pardon you. What we conceal from men is known to God. Be converted, then, with a sincere heart. Live your life that you may receive the blessing of the Lord. Then the peace of God our Father will be with you always."
— St. Francis of Paola PRAYER DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
O clement, O loving, O sweet Mother Mary,
We, your children of every nation,
Turn to you in this pandemic.
Our troubles are numerous; our fears are great.
Grant that we might deposit them at your feet,
Take refuge in your Immaculate Heart,
And obtain peace, healing, rescue,
And timely help in all our needs.
You are our Mother.
Pray for us to your Son.
Amen. † PRAYER OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen. †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"How many souls might reach a high degree of sanctity if properly directed from the first. I know God can sanctify souls without help, but just as He gives the gardener the skill to tend rare and delicate plants while fertilizing them Himself, so He wishes to use others in His cultivation of souls. What would happen if the gardener were so clumsy that he could not graft his trees properly, or knew so little about them that he wanted to make a peach tree bear roses?"
— St. Therese of Lisieux, p. 64
AN EXCERPT FROM
The Story of a Soul †VERSE OF THE DAY
"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous."
Matthew 5:44-45 |  click to read more | | ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673 – 1716) was born in Brittany, France, to a large farming family. As a child he displayed an unusual spiritual maturity and spent much time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. At the age of 19 he went on foot to Paris to study theology at a prestigious school with the support of a benefactor; along the way he gave his possessions to the poor and made a lifelong vow to live in poverty supported entirely on alms. He was ordained a priest at the age of 27, and at 32 discovered his calling to be an itinerant preacher, receiving the title of "Apostolic Missionary" from the Pope after his bishop tried to silence him. For the next 17 years he preached missions in countless towns and villages throughout France with an emphasis on renewal and reform. His fiery devotion, oratory skill, and identification with the poor led many souls to conversion. He was persecuted by the Jansenists, who, in their spiritual pride, poisoned him, banished him from preaching in their dioceses, and made an assassination attempt on his life. He had a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and taught on the power of the Holy Rosary. He also wrote a number of classic works on Marian devotion, the most famous being True Devotion to Mary. His feast day is April 28. | Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 274
Reading 1 Acts 7:51—8:1a Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:
"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels,
but you did not observe it." When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them";
and when he said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his execution. Responsorial Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21ab R. (6a) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name's sake you will lead and guide me.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
My trust is in the LORD;
I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 6:35ab R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the bread of life, says the Lord;
whoever comes to me will never hunger.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 6:30-35 The crowd said to Jesus:
"What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." So Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world." So they said to Jesus,
"Sir, give us this bread always."
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst." | Today's Meditation: Acts 7:51–8:1 Lord, do not hold this sin against them. (Acts 7:60) How could Stephen possibly forgive the people who were stoning him to death? Perhaps the answer is that it did not come out of nowhere. Scripture describes Stephen as someone "filled with the Spirit and wisdom" who was working "great wonders and signs" (Acts 6:3, 8). Clearly, the Holy Spirit had transformed his entire life—to the point that Stephen had become like his master, Jesus, who had also asked his Father to forgive his killers. Can you imagine the reaction of the men stoning Stephen when they heard these words? Instead of cursing them for what they were doing and calling down God's vengeance on them, Stephen was doing the exact opposite. It must have startled them, to say the least! Forgiveness is a hallmark of Christianity. It's the heart and soul of the gospel message, and everyone who experiences it is moved in some way or another. Yet in many ways, it can be unsettling—especially when we read stories of people who have the grace to forgive terrible crimes against themselves or their loved ones. It can even feel unnatural to forgive; resentment, anger, and even vengeance come so much easier and seem more "normal" to us. But as unnatural as it may feel, forgiveness is not optional for believers. God actually commands us to forgive those who have sinned against us. That includes family members or friends who have hurt us, betrayed us, or failed to help us when we most needed it. God also expects us to forgive even the most minor of offenses, such as someone who snubs us, ignores us, or directs a sarcastic remark to us. If you are struggling to forgive someone, know that the grace of Jesus' resurrection is freely available to you this Easter season. If the offense is so serious that you don't see how you could possibly forgive, just take the first step and ask God to forgive that person for you. Then, day by day, ask him to help you extend the same forgiveness. It might be hard at first, but over time you will begin to experience not only freedom from anger but also the joy of the risen Lord. "Jesus, help me to forgive anyone who has wronged me. Lord, I want to be filled with Easter joy." Psalm 31:3-4, 6-8, 17, 21
John 6:30-35 |  clickable | When the Gospel is lived without compromise, it casts light on the hearts of individuals. It can also expose the structures that promote injustice and keep the poor in their poverty. The rich and powerful generally lack credibility when they preach to the poor and powerless, even when the words they employ are correct.
— Francis Cardinal Arinze
from Radical Discipleship | my2cents:
St. Stephen, the first martyr, said "You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it."
What was the angelic message? An Archangel visited Mary. And Jesus was conceived. Upon the Holy Conception from the Immaculate conception, came the Word of God. Jesus spoke. He was the culmination of all prophecies that were before Him and would ever be ahead of Him. For He would be the Word spoken. And the Word speaks to you and to me this very day. Yet, they threw Stephen out of the city. They threw Jesus out of the city. And there, they killed him. Jesus prayed from the cross, "Father forgive them, they know not what they do".
Stephen prayed:
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them";
and when he said this, he fell asleep.
It is an offering because before these last words, Jesus had prayed to God "Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit".
And Stephen prayed: ""Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Stephen was fully given to Jesus. Jesus was fully given to the Father. Think about this offering. | We prayed today: "Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. My trust is in the LORD;
I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." | They told Jesus: ""He gave them bread from heaven to eat." They spoke of great signs and wonders as in the time of Moses. Moses appeared with Jesus. The old law came to worship Jesus. Moses did two things: He led and fed. We speak of Manna, now Eucharist. He led them in the mass Exodus, to a new promised life, and so does Jesus...Exodus from this life to the next. Stephen took the plunge of devotion. We must follow The Way. | So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world."
When He said this, they asked Him for this bread.
"Sir, give us this bread always."
Give us this day our daily bread, we pray.
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."
In the Holy Mass, Jesus appears and gives the bread of His life, the heart from His chest. They say the Eucharistic miracle of a Eucharist turning into flesh was tested and was said to have been found to be the flesh of a human heart, a man, about 33 years old, and the cells were alive, and the blood was the universal life blood.
Who gives their heart on the altar?
Who lays their life?
It wasn't Abraham's son.
It is God's Son.
Isaac was Abraham's son, and Isaac means laughter. God laughed with joy, loved Abraham so much. If you only knew what would be in store. And on that altar that Abraham setup, an angel came to stop the sacrifice. Little did they know that God would provide the Sacrifice.
"Abraham named that place Yahweh-yireh;* hence people today say, "On the mountain the LORD will provide."
Now we are speaking about the Altars across the world in the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass. God's heart is made edible to the human...and the Soul.
It is edible, and inconceivable. Who gives their heart to you every day? Who pours out His blood for you every day? Who invites you every day? Who is constantly on their mind every day?
It Is The Lord! And Peter Jumped in to go to Jesus. Lord, you provide us with a heart, it is available, a heart that lives without human flesh but can live in human flesh. You make all things true. You speak and truth comes. You look at us and we are changed. You breathe on us and we are given life. Now the Holy Spirit is entering... |  click to hear a message | Random Bible verse from an online generator: Psalm 84:14 14 For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. | 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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