 |  clickable | | What Can We Do with Our Fear? Our age has been called the age of anxiety, and I think it's probably a good description for this time. We no longer know where our foundations are. When we're not sure what is certain, when the world and our worldview keep being redefined every few months, we're going to be anxious. We want to get rid of that anxiety as quickly as we can. Yet, to be a good leader of anything today—to be a good pastor, a good bishop, or, I'm sure, a good father or mother—we have to be able to contain, to hold patiently, a certain degree of anxiety. Probably the higher the level of leader someone is, the more anxiety he or she must be capable of holding. Leaders who cannot hold anxiety will never lead us to anyplace new. That's probably why the Bible says so often, "Do not be afraid." I have a printout showing that the phrase appears 365 times—one for each day of the year! If we cannot calmly hold a certain degree of anxiety, we will always be looking for somewhere to expel it. Expelling what we can't embrace gives us an identity, but it's a negative identity. It's not life energy, it's death energy. Formulating what we are against gives us a very quick, clear, and clean sense of ourselves. Thus, most people fall for it. People more easily define themselves by what they are against, by who they hate, by who else is wrong, instead of by what they believe in and whom they love. —from The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder by Richard Rohr, OFM |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Oh, my soul, how much longer do you wish to be so stingy with Jesus? Why so negligent towards Jesus who made You? Why so lazy towards Jesus who redeemed you? Who do you want to love, if you do not want to love Jesus?"
— St. Gemma Galgani 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
"Solomon prayed for prudence and wisdom so that he might govern God's people rightly. Because his request was unselfish, God granted what he sought. When we pray, we should make sure that our desires are not motivated by selfishness. We should only want those gifts that help us most to serve others."
— Rev. Jude Winkler, p. 105
AN EXCERPT FROM
Daily Meditations with the Holy Spirit † VERSE OF THE DAY
"We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."
1 John 3:16-18 |  click to read more | | ST. IVO (IVES) OF KERMARTIN St. Ivo of Kermartin (1253–1303) was born to a noble family in Brittany, France. He studied civil and canon law, philosophy, and theology. He went on to practice law for many years in both the civil and ecclesiastical courts. He graciously defended the poor without charge, and visited them in prison as they awaited trial. He also worked to settle matters out of court to save litigants money and time. For these good works he became known as "Advocate of the Poor." St. Ivo also practiced a life of asceticism; he wore a hairshirt under his clothing, fasted regularly, and became a Franciscan Tertiary. These spiritual disciplines aided him in his practice of virtue in the courtroom: he fought the State in court on behalf of the rights of the Church, and became a diocesan judge who was unable to be tempted by bribes. St. Ivo eventually resigned from practicing law and joined the priesthood. He used the funds from his years practicing law to build a hospital for the poor, and he fed them with the harvests of his land. He became a miracle-worker during his life, feeding hundreds from a single loaf of bread. St. Ivo is the patron saint of judges, attorneys, lawyers, orphans, bailiffs, advocates, and canon lawyers. His feast day is May 19th. | Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 292
Reading 1 Acts 16:22-34 The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,
and the magistrates had them stripped
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After inflicting many blows on them,
they threw them into prison
and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell
and secured their feet to a stake. About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
"Do no harm to yourself; we are all here."
He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved."
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;
then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal
and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God. Responsorial Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8 R. (7c) Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Because of your kindness and your truth,
you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Jn 16:7, 13 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;
he will guide you to all truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 16:5-11 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me;
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned." | Today's Meditation: Acts 16:22-34 There was suddenly . . . a severe earthquake. (Acts 16:26) What do you think Paul and Silas were doing when that earthquake came and their shackles fell away? They were singing and praising God! Why, after having just been stripped and beaten, would they even think of this? Because they knew that God deserves to be praised in every situation. You might say the earthquake was the effect of Paul and Silas praising God—and maybe it was. But their prayers and hymns of praise had deeper and more far-reaching effects. Praising God helped them keep their focus on the Lord and his goodness. It reminded them of all the blessings they had received from his hand. And the gratitude that it likely cultivated in their hearts helped them see their predicament through the eyes of faith and trust. But the effects reached even further. Hearing these words of praise and thanksgiving coming from two battered and bruised men, the jailer and the other prisoners were able to see God's goodness at work. It softened their hearts and moved them to seek God for themselves. They were amazed at how Paul and Silas' faith had sustained them through a terrifying earthquake and how it kept them from immediately running away once their chains had broken and the prison doors were flung open. It affected their jailer so deeply that he not only asked to be baptized, but he also provided for his prisoners' needs by tending their wounds and offering them a midnight meal. It's always the right time to praise God. Sometimes, like Paul and Silas, we will see the practical effects of our prayer. As we develop a habit of praising God no matter our circumstances, our thoughts will line up with his thoughts. We will learn to keep our focus on what is true about God, not just about what's going on at each moment. It can also touch the people around us and open their eyes to the reality of God's love and provision. That's why it's always a good idea to praise God in all circumstances. "Lord, you are worthy of all praise. Help me practice praising you at every moment and in every situation." Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8
John 16:5-11 |  clickable | Share everything with Mary, even the cross—as Jesus did.
— St. Teresa of Calcutta
From Love: A Fruit Always in Season | my2cents:
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved."
Just believe. Protestants say this all the time. Just say the secret words, and that's it. But what about really believing? The Protestant's Dilemma was written by Devin Rose, a former and avid atheist. He explains where there is a problem with their beliefs. Just believe. Believe what? The Apostles didn't say "JUST believe". There is much to our beliefs. And not man made traditions, but things God said to do, not abolishing the old, ever, not taking off the T in tradition. Believe what then?
EVERYTHING.
And you may be saved. | We prayed today: "I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple, and give thanks to your name. Your right hand saves me, O Lord."
Have you sung in the presence of Angels...to God our Father? Yes. How? How do you know? We have a guardian angel, that's one. Everyone has one, that's billions. And in Heaven? Trillions. They speak. Can we hear? Can we listen? The Holy Spirit speaks. | Our Lord says: ""Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?".
They were sad. And rightly so. You've given up your life for the promise of the Kingdom...and the King is leaving? God was crowning Himself, he would be crowned in the world and mounted on a throne. Suffering and hardships were the name. Totally backwards. And He entered the life of Kingship. King of the Jews said the inscription...well, rightly, the Jews were Israel, and this meant...the people of God.
You see?
God is amazing. Just wake up and see a living creature. That is an amazing feat, but to see you...and to see God?
Yet they would be left sad, and alone, beaten, tortured, imprisoned. The body of Christ.
Welcome to the promise. Jn 16:33
"Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!"
You need not look further and study "tribulations" theory that protestants have come up with. They say that tribulations will happen in the end of time. But the tribulations are here and now. What does the world struggle with right now? Apathy.
It is sad. The world, struck with anxiety, and then apathy. Sin and then death. Bitten and smitten. What is apathy? A quick search says: 'Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. Apathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical, or physical life and the world. | "...grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go."
If God gains the crown, He is King over all. God defeats death but had to be given a crown, death itself.
This way the Mass Exodus begins, from this life...to His.
Jesus gave His life by giving it fully before physically.
It begins in the heart. It begins with the choice. It begins here and now. It begins in your heart. "And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father..." Long before the world convicted us, the Holy Spirit already convicted us in terms of righteousness. What is your conviction? Are you convicted?
I believe there is a world where they speak righteousness. Not self-righteousness, but the truth, so Truth Righteousness, all things true holiness. True people. True to God. I believe in that world. They sing from their cells, and darkness. Saint John of the Cross was one, and so many countless others. What song do they sing? Fidelity. Fidelity that stems from love. Love that holds true. And this breaks chains. Chains of bondage to darkness. Was the story about a miracle? Or was it a about a jailer that was convicted by the convicted?
What must I do?
Believe.
Be live.
Be found living the Way,
Be found Speaking the Truth,
Be found giving...the LIFE | Random Bible verse from an online generator: Proverbs 16:77 When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. | 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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