 |  clickable | | Truth Is Lived through Charity If the mystic is one who experiences in an extraordinary way the intimacy with God offered to everyone, then Mary is the model and pattern of the mystical life. She literally carried God in her womb and gave birth to him. Spiritual impregnation, gestation and giving birth are the initial stages of the mystical life. God invades our life, usually when we are not expecting it; we embrace that gift. Even if we are tempted to hoard it as ours alone, God will be born from us; we will serve others as a result of God's own indwelling love. All mystics wonder what is happening to them when the Holy Spirit asks them to believe the seemingly impossible, that God wants to enter their lives. They can, of course, refuse out of fear or doubt, and it is the glory of Mary that she does not refuse but says yes. Each true mystic who says yes to God at some point is sent forth into the world as the Father sent the Son to announce and build up God's kingdom. For Mary this moment comes almost immediately when the angel announces that her aged cousin Elizabeth is in her sixth month of pregnancy (for nothing is impossible with God). Mary says to the angel, "Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). And Mary sets out into the hill country to minister to her cousin Elizabeth. There God will be revealed in Mary's deep charity, as God had been revealed in her deep prayer. For when she enters Elizabeth's house, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaps, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cries out, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.… And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord" (Luke 1:42, 45). Mary's decision and the truth of the angel's message are confirmed, not when Mary is rapt in contemplation, but when she is doing charity. The truth of the mystic's visions and intimacy with God is proven in the selfless charity of the mystic's life. —from Mystics: Twelve who Reveal God's by Murray Bodo |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Occupy your mind with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be."
— St. Thomas More 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
"Infinite grief I wish from My creature in two ways: in one way, through her sorrow for her own sins, which she has committed against Me her Creator; in the other way, through her sorrow for the sins which she sees her neighbors commit against Me. Of such as these, inasmuch as they have infinite desire, that is, are joined to Me by an affection of love, and therefore grieve when they offend Me, or see Me offended, their every pain, whether spiritual or corporeal, from wherever it may come, receives infinite merit, and satisfies for a guilt which deserved an infinite penalty, although their works are finite and done in finite time; but, inasmuch as they possess the virtue of desire, and sustain their suffering with desire, and contrition, and infinite displeasure against their guilt, their pain is held worthy. Paul explained this when he said: If I had the tongues of angels, and if I knew the things of the future and gave my body to be burned, and have not love, it would be worth nothing to me. The glorious Apostle thus shows that finite works are not valid, either as punishment or recompense, without the condiment of the affection of love."
— St. Catherine of Siena, p. 4
AN EXCERPT FROM
Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena † VERSE OF THE DAY
"But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:4-7 |  click to read more | | BLESSED IMELDA LAMBERTINI Bl. Imelda Lambertini (1322–1333) was born to a noble and devout family in Bologna, Italy. As a child she developed a great love for prayer, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the Holy Eucharist. She spent much of her time in the Dominican monastery praying with the nuns, and at nine years of age requested to enter there as a postulant. Her parents and the nuns allowed her to enter, however, in that era children her age were not permitted to receive Holy Communion. Imelda repeatedly pleaded to receive Communion, but each time she was denied. Nevertheless, she developed a close relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. When the feast of the Ascension approached, Imelda begged to make her First Holy Communion on this feast. Again, she was denied. On the Vigil of the Feast of the Ascension she was in the chapel praying, as usual, as the other Sisters received Holy Communion. Afterwards a glowing host was seen suspended in the air above the child. The priest understood this as a sign that the child should be permitted to receive, and he ministered the Holy Eucharist to her. Imelda remained kneeling in prayer in thanksgiving as the nuns left the chapel. When they returned for her, they found her just as they had left her, but her body was lifeless. It was understood that Imelda died of pure estatic joy after receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, as she had so ardently desired. Bl. Imelda Lambertini is the patron saint of First Communicants. Her feast day is May 12th. | Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 286
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 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 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." | Today's Meditation: John 14:27-31 The ruler of the world is coming. (John 14:30) If you want to understand this verse, it would be helpful to step back in time to the story of the Garden of Eden and the serpent's conversation with Eve. "You will be like gods," he tells her (Genesis 3:5). All she and her husband have to do is eat the forbidden fruit, and they'll get to decide what is good and what is evil. They won't have to submit to God's rules any longer; they can make up their own. Convinced, they set aside God's words, accept the serpent's words, and take a bite out of the fruit. At that very moment, the devil became "the ruler of the world" (John 14:30). Because he fooled our first parents, "sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all" (Romans 5:12). Sin and its effects spread over the whole world as people embraced the devil's rules instead of God's. But then Jesus came and revealed a new way of living. In the face of the selfish grasping at the heart of Satan's rule, Jesus followed the rule of self-sacrificing love. While Satan urged vengeance, Jesus preached mercy and forgiveness. While Satan preferred pride and arrogance, Jesus taught humility and service. Again and again, Jesus showed that the devil had "no power" over him (John 14:30). No amount of lying, cajoling, or tempting could convince him to swerve from his path. He followed the law of love all the way to his death and resurrection. And because of Jesus' faithfulness unto death, the iron grip of Satan's rule was broken. We can now choose "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus" instead of the devil's "law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). Today, Jesus is telling you that he is on your side. He has overcome the ruler of this world. You are no longer under the devil's thumb. You can share in Jesus' victory. You have options that our ancestors never had—you have the Holy Spirit, always ready to help you follow the way of Christ. So whose rule will you follow today? "Thank you, Jesus, for overcoming the evil one! Lord, help me stay faithful to you." Acts 14:19-28
Psalm 145:10-13, 21 |  clickable | All the truths of the Catholic Faith are Christ-centered. When we talk about Mary, we're talking about Jesus, because Mary points us to Jesus. When we say that Mary is the Mother of God, it helps us understand that Jesus is God.
— Karlo Broussard
from The Gift of Our Blessed Mother | my2cents:
"It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God."
When you read the lives of the saints, you hear about hardships. It's what makes a saint...but the difference is the hardship purpose. Their hardships were for faith. We all have personal hardships, finances, health, relationships, but what about for God's Kingdom? What hardships are we imposed? For many, being locked up and confined in homes, it's like house arrest, mandated by the government. House arrest for millions. There has to be some now longing to go out. Go out where? To the movies? Vacations? Outings? If these lockups continue, there will be a crippling effect. Not just economic, but spiritual. How? A lasting impression will be left. A hardship not to be forgotten, like a war torn veteran could say with an eye witness account, of what it means to treasure and value freedom. Freedom to live for God and then everything else. I'm a one world order guy, but not of this world. Our citizenship is in Heaven. That is where God leads us in His Exodus through Jesus Christ. | We pray: "Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
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."
Friends of Jesus, listen up: Bless God, Bless the Lord, with faithfulness, charity, and charity means so much, from purity, to giving to the end. | In comes our Heavenly Lord:
"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."
The world offers one kind of peace...if you follow its orders.
Jesus offers His own peace, not as the world offers. Because He says later today: "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..."
Friends of Jesus,
The World Must Know that I Love The Father.
Love shows. It doesn't take so much effort when you love. It takes much effort when you do not love. You do what you love. Amen?
And so the message comes into the heart. The ruler is in the world, but we are not of the world. We were made, here, in His image, and for His purpose. Angels in their way. Us in ours. And in some strange manner, we form the mystical body of Christ.
I remember one dream, it was the countenance, the face and torso of Christ, it was an image in space, as the backdrop, total darkness, but He formed His face and countenance with the billions of lights, and they streamed and teamed with life. A moving body of lights, each cell a light. Translucent even. Can you see every ray of light? It is just light. | And our Lord ends today with: "I do just as the Father has commanded me." What has the Father commanded you? He commands things that are good. All His commands are good. Discerning His will? His will is the better half. You worry about so many things Martha, my child, but there is only one thing to worry about, the better part. And Mary has chosen the better part. At the feet of Jesus. Setting everything else second, there will be time for everything else at the proper time. Set priorities first. Mass? Yes. Sacraments? Yes. Prayer? Of course always. Set time to serve God in the mystical body, in the poor, in your loved ones, in your parish and community. But that time is only enriched if God is first and you spend the proper time with Him first.
You see, the command of Jesus is true. God did not only send His only Son, He sent the Truth.
And the Truth became flesh. And the flesh became the Spirit.
The Spirit of Truth.
It is the Eternal Word.
The Word Among us.
God's command. | Random Bible verse from an online generator:
Proverbs 25:15
Hebrews 6:11 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. | 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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