 |  clickable | | God Loves Our Attempts to Pray I remember when my first child started drawing pictures, around the age of two. I'd come home from work, and she'd be eager to show me the pictures she had drawn for me during the day. Many times, the pictures were just a bunch of scribbles, not clear depictions one could easily identify. ("That's me? Oh…wow, I didn't realize… Well, thank you!") I was always delighted that my daughter was thinking of me during the day and desiring to give me a gift. I saw her heart more than her final product. What would you think of a father who took his daughter's scribbled pictures, tore them up, and told her not to draw pictures again until she could get them exactly right? No good father would do that! "Whatever struggles you may face with the rosary, never walk away feeling discouraged." —from the book Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth by Edward Sri |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"If we wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honor."
— St. Charles Borromeo 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
"My Jesus, it is truly easy to become holy; it just takes a little good will! And if He finds this minimum of good will in a soul, He quickly gives Himself to her. And nothing can stop Him, neither our faults nor our falls, absolutely nothing. Jesus hurries to help that soul; and if the soul is faithful to this grace from God, she can in a short time reach the highest levels of holiness that a created being can attain here below. God is very generous and does not refuse His grace to anyone. He gives even more than we ask for. The shortest road is faithfulness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit."
— St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, p.142
AN EXCERPT FROM
Diary of St. Faustina †Verse of the Day
"God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7b |  click to read more | | St. Florian (C. 250-304 A.D.) was a commander in the Roman army in what is now Austria. He served during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who violently persecuted Christians. Among Florian's military duties was the organization of firefighting brigades. St. Florian was secretly a Christian and was known for miraculously saving a town from being destroyed by fire; after praying to God for help, he extinguished a raging fire with a single bucket of water. Word reached the Emperor that Florian was not enforcing the ban against Christianity in his territory. He was put under investigation and was discovered to be a Christian. In one account, it was for refusing to offer sacrifice to the gods; in another, for refusing to execute a group of Christians. He was then condemned to be tortured and executed for his Christian faith. Refusing to recant, St. Florian was then flayed alive, scourged, and martyred by being dumped in the river with a millstone attached to his body. His body was later recovered, and today his relics are venerated at a church named for him in Kraków, Poland. St. Florian is the patron saint of firefighters, chimney-sweeps, brewers, drowning victims, Austria, Poland, and against floods, fires, and battles. St. Florian's feast day is May 4th. | Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 279
Reading 1 Acts 11:1-18 The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea
heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem
the circumcised believers confronted him, saying,
'You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them."
Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,
"I was at prayer in the city of Joppa
when in a trance I had a vision,
something resembling a large sheet coming down,
lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me.
Looking intently into it,
I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth,
the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky.
I also heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.'
But I said, 'Certainly not, sir,
because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
But a second time a voice from heaven answered,
'What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.'
This happened three times,
and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.
Just then three men appeared at the house where we were,
who had been sent to me from Caesarea.
The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating.
These six brothers also went with me,
and we entered the man's house.
He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying,
'Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you
by which you and all your household will be saved.'
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
'John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to be able to hinder God?"
When they heard this,
they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying,
"God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too." Responsorial Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3, 4 R. (see 3a) Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 10:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 10:11-18 Jesus said:
"I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father." | Today's Meditation: Acts 11:1-18 Peter . . . explained it to them step by step. (Acts 11:4) Like a celebrity chef or do-it-yourself home repair guru on YouTube, Peter uses a step-by-step approach to explain his actions to the elders in Jerusalem. Why did he decide to baptize a group of Gentiles in Caesarea? He walked them through all the steps that God took him through to make this monumental decision. Let's see if we can apply Peter's approach to any decisions we might be facing. 1. God shapes us in prayer. God began his work by speaking to Peter in prayer. Of course, a heavenly vision would grab anyone's attention, but it doesn't have to be that dramatic. More often, God works by shaping the way we think as we sit in his presence and ponder his word in Scripture (Acts 11:4-5).
2. He introduces a new idea. God gave Peter a vision that challenged his way of thinking (Acts 11:6-7). Similarly, he might take a Scripture passage you are reading and open it up to you in a new, unexpected way. Or a conversation with a friend might prick your conscience. These insights don't always come, but they are worth exploring when they do.
3. He confirms his word. When Peter struggled to understand God's word, God persisted (Acts 11:9-10). Likewise, if a new idea or action persists in your mind, ask the Lord if he is trying to tell you something.
4. He gives us the opportunity to test it out. When three men from Caesarea showed up with an unexpected invitation, Peter suspected that the Holy Spirit was guiding him, so he moved forward in faith (Acts 11:12). If you think God is putting you in a situation to test his will, consider acting on it.
5. He shows us the fruit of our decision. Peter saw the fruit of his stepping out in faith: Cornelius and his household all began speaking in tongues as Peter preached (Acts 11:15-17)! You too can test your actions by seeing if they help produce deeper faith, more peace, or even healing and forgiveness.
| 1. | God shapes us in prayer. God began his work by speaking to Peter in prayer. Of course, a heavenly vision would grab anyone's attention, but it doesn't have to be that dramatic. More often, God works by shaping the way we think as we sit in his presence and ponder his word in Scripture (Acts 11:4-5). | | 2. | He introduces a new idea. God gave Peter a vision that challenged his way of thinking (Acts 11:6-7). Similarly, he might take a Scripture passage you are reading and open it up to you in a new, unexpected way. Or a conversation with a friend might prick your conscience. These insights don't always come, but they are worth exploring when they do. | | 3. | He confirms his word. When Peter struggled to understand God's word, God persisted (Acts 11:9-10). Likewise, if a new idea or action persists in your mind, ask the Lord if he is trying to tell you something. | | 4. | He gives us the opportunity to test it out. When three men from Caesarea showed up with an unexpected invitation, Peter suspected that the Holy Spirit was guiding him, so he moved forward in faith (Acts 11:12). If you think God is putting you in a situation to test his will, consider acting on it. | | 5. | He shows us the fruit of our decision. Peter saw the fruit of his stepping out in faith: Cornelius and his household all began speaking in tongues as Peter preached (Acts 11:15-17)! You too can test your actions by seeing if they help produce deeper faith, more peace, or even healing and forgiveness. | Peter's receptivity to the Holy Spirit opened the Church to millions of people, including us. Who knows what God has in store as each of us follows his leading? "Lord, mold my heart and mind. Help me respond to your guidance." Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3, 4
John 10:11-18 The Word Among Us' response to the coronavirus crisis. 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 Daily Mass readings: We would like to thank the USCCB for their generous offer to allow us to post the daily Mass readings on our website and to the public. Print & Digital Subscribers: Thank you for your continued support of The Word Among Us through your subscriptions. Without you, it would not be possible for us to offer the magazine without cost to other brothers and sisters in Christ who need encouragement at this time. Prayer Center: From the very beginning, The Word Among Us staff has gathered three times each week to pray for all our readers and for anyone who submits prayer requests. Now, more than ever, we want to intensify our efforts to lift up you and your loved ones in prayer. While our staff cannot meet together in person for the time being, we are continuing to intercede remotely. So please, send us your prayer requests. We believe in the power of prayer! wau.org/prayer
Comments |  clickable | Death is not the end. We were made for life. We were made for joy. And in Christ, that life and joy will be ours. Death brings the fulfillment of that life and joy, but we can live in it now. Even in the midst of grief. Even in the midst of plagues and poverty and confusion. If we are in Christ, we have nothing to fear from the terrors of the world. They cannot kill the life inside us.
— Dr. Scott Hahn
from Hope to Die | my2cents:
""God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too."
Gentiles were people not of their fold, of God's flock. It becomes an amazing feat for God to reach out to the untouchables. Amazing to a group that was locked and always played "social distancing" with the "others".
Who do you play distancing from? Probably those you don't get along with right? Maybe those who you think are unforgivable, right? God decided to reach and avail mercy to them too. Does mercy amaze you? It is Jesus. | We pray: "Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on And bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place.
Athirst is my soul for the living God."
There is light atop the mountain, if you follow Jesus, you will see the light. Jesus lived in Psalms. We also prayed today: "Then will I go in to the altar of God, the God of my gladness and joy; Then will I give you thanks upon the harp, O God, my God!" A question to my RCIA students yesterday on Zoom was "how do you give thanks to God?" And we were speaking about the Mass. And "How do you live out your thanksgiving?". It is an answer to be lived out, and daily. And we are speaking about Sacraments. The very Sacraments the Apostles were and are spreading to the entire world. The 12 Pillars with one foundation..our Lord, let us turn to Him now. | Our Lord says today: ""I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
He begins and ends today's discourse with talk about laying one's life down, and then He says He can raise it up again.
"A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them." Who is this cowardly hired man? Who is this irresponsible person? It is the one who does not care. It is the one who does not love. It is the one who is not invested in flock. It is an outsider posing to be an insider. He is not a shepherd. Who do you think about when you hear the word Shepherd? Jesus? Yes. God? Yes. What about your local priest? You see, shepherds back in the old days had to live with their flock. They didn't live in their homes, they lived in the fields, they were nomadic people that lived for the flock. Think of your priest. My priest comes from Africa, he cannot go home as he pleases. He lives with the flock. He gathers them and feeds them. He is called to lay down his life for the flock. Who is the Shepherd? Jesus. Right? Think of your local priest administering the Holy Sacraments.
We have cattle at my dad's ranch. Someone has to tend to them, vaccinate them, mark them with a brand, take care of them, gather them, feed them. Think the Holy Sacraments. The branding iron is the Baptism. The feeding is the Eucharist. The vaccinations and bathings are the other Sacraments, of Confession and so forth.
In RCIA we discussed how meal times bond. The pandemics force families to bond. And families must grow strong now being more intimate with each other...and God comes to do this for a reason, a gathering to remember what is important, and to celebrate intimately with those He cherishes so much...His flock. | " I will lay down my life for the sheep" says our Lord. Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? His sheep.
"I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd."
And Jesus talks about The Father's Love: "This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again."
Can you lay your life down too?
You can, and He will take it up.
The resurrection to the eternal life awaits all of us branded flock of God Our Father. Lord, we are yours and yours we wish to be.
Help us love thee!
Make us love thee! | Random Bible verse from an online generator: Isaiah 32:17 17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust1 forever. | 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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