 |  clickable | | God Never Gives up on His Mercy God never gives up on his mercy, especially in our time where there exists the false perception of self-sufficiency and lack of awareness of one's very sinfulness. These joint heresies endanger souls by creating the erroneous perception so prevalent in this day and age: that we have no need for mercy. Nothing could be further from the truth—and yet, for those who are willing to concede their need, nothing is simpler to remedy. Mercy is his loving face directed to the healing of the wounds of sin, the wounds that trigger a separation and distance in our relationship with God. —from Meeting God in the Upper Room: Three Moments to Change Your Life by Monsignor Peter Vaghi |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote "The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and those who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit."
— St. Anthony of Padua 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
"Let anger be guarded against. But if it cannot be averted, let it be kept within bounds. For indignation is a terrible incentive to sin. It disorders the mind to such an extent as to leave no room for reason. The first thing, therefore, to aim at, if possible, is to make tranquility of character our natural disposition by constant practice, by desire for better things, by fixed determination."
— St. Ambrose, p.279
AN EXCERPT FROM
A Year with the Church Fathers † VERSE OF THE DAY
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
Job 1:21 |  click to read more | | ST. BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS OF LOURDES (1844–1879)
Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an extremely poor miller in the town of Lourdes in southern France. The family was living in the basement of a dilapidated building when on February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a cave above the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes. Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma from an early age. There were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette's initial reports provoked skepticism, her daily visions of "the Lady" brought great crowds of the curious. The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed her to have a chapel built on the spot of the visions. There, the people were to come to wash in and drink of the water of the spring that had welled up from the very spot where Bernadette had been instructed to dig. According to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl of 16 or 17 who wore a white robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses covered her feet, a large rosary was on her right arm. In the vision on March 25 she told Bernadette, "I am the Immaculate Conception." It was only when the words were explained to her that Bernadette came to realize who the Lady was. Few visions have ever undergone the scrutiny that these appearances of the Immaculate Virgin were subject to. Lourdes became one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were reported at the shrine and in the waters of the spring. After thorough investigation, Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862. During her life, Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as well as by civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent of nuns. Five years later, she petitioned to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers. After a period of illness she was able to make the journey from Lourdes and enter the novitiate. But within four months of her arrival she was given the last rites of the Church and allowed to profess her vows. She recovered enough to become infirmarian and then sacristan, but chronic health problems persisted. She died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35. Bernadette Soubirous was canonized in 1933.
Reflection Millions of people have come to the spring Bernadette uncovered for healing of body and spirit, but she found no relief from ill health there. Bernadette moved through life, guided only by blind faith in things she did not understand—as we all must do from time to time. | Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Lectionary: 264
Reading 1 Acts 3:11-26 As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John,
all the people hurried in amazement toward them
in the portico called "Solomon's Portico."
When Peter saw this, he addressed the people,
"You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this,
and why do you look so intently at us
as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence,
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
And by faith in his name,
this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong,
and the faith that comes through it
has given him this perfect health,
in the presence of all of you.
Now I know, brothers and sisters,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,
and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment
and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus,
whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration
of which God spoke through the mouth
of his holy prophets from of old.
For Moses said: A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.
Everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people. "Moreover, all the prophets who spoke,
from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days.
You are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors
when he said to Abraham,
In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you
by turning each of you from your evil ways." Responsorial Psalm 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9 R.(2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Ps 118:24 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 24:35-48 The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread. While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things." | Today's Meditation: Luke 24:35-48 Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38) Despite Jesus' seeming surprise, we can easily understand the disciples' reaction. Jesus, their beloved friend and Messiah, had been nailed to the cross and laid in a tomb—but now he was standing right in front of them! Who wouldn't be terrified? Who wouldn't doubt? Doubt is a human reaction. Even the saints had doubts. The great Doctor of the Church St. Thomas Aquinas once sighed to God, "I do not know if you love me, or if I love you. . . . I do not even know if I live by faith!" Or recall the other "doubting Thomas" who wouldn't believe unless he could put his finger into the wounds of the risen Christ (John 20:25). Jesus sometimes questioned his disciples' lack of faith. But he never rejected them because of it. Instead, he always made sure to give them the help they needed. Consider his response to his disciples in today's passage: "Touch me and see" (Luke 24:39). He even ate in front of them to dispel their suspicion that he might be a ghost! Jesus was more than willing to help his friends put their fears to rest and trust in him more deeply. Like the disciples, we don't have to be ashamed of our doubts and hesitation to believe. Jesus will never condemn us for questioning. He understands how conflicted our hearts can be, and he wants to help us resolve every question or conflict that arises. He invites us to bring our questions to him so that he can show us the answers and give us his peace. So be encouraged! Jesus doesn't want you to keep your "silly questions" to yourself as you try to go it alone. Why not bring some area of unbelief in your heart to Jesus today? Trust that he already knows your heart and your needs. Believe that he always welcomes those who come to him in honesty and humility. Remember, he is gentle, merciful, and patient beyond measure. "Thank you, Lord, for not condemning me for my doubts. Send your Spirit of peace where there is confusion. May your perfect love for me cast out every fear in my heart." Acts 3:11-26
Psalm 8:2, 5-9 |  clickable | My God, imprint on my heart the infamous deformity of sin. Teach me to abhor it as a pestilence—as a fierce flame destroying on every side; as my death. Let me take up arms against it, and devote myself to fight under Thy banner in overcoming it.
— St. John Henry Newman
from Prayers, Verses and Devotions | my2cents:
"Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus..."
Repent! Can you? Will you? Or are you thinking of others that need repentance and not yourself? It's easy to make others do things...not so much oneself, right? To judge the whole people and not yourself? The message is for you. Why? So that we may have refreshment in our souls. If I can let go of this sin that bothers me, I can have refreshment, less anxiety, more joy. One thing for another. God is offering real pearls to the little girl, in exchange for her fake pearls, because Daddy loves her. The Holy Church. | We pray today: "O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!" Our Lord cares for us. If this were not true, He would've not returned and appeared after being crucified. Now, we have eye witnesses that died for the fact. Do you believe? Now is where faith kicks in, what all have you believed...to be truth? | Our Lord says to us today: ""Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?"
He immediately said "Touch Me" and see that He is not a ghost. He is in the flesh. That is one of the most confounding mysteries to me. To see Him in the Eucharist. In material form, in matter, to be ingested and pass through my body and soul, for what we put into our body goes into the soul. That is why we must bless meals, to ward off evil spirits. That is why I tell drug users to think about what they are putting into their bodies because many drugs are laced with evil spirits. Things of matter...well, they matter. Because we are in a material world that is moved by a spiritual world. | Our Lord asked "why are you troubled?" What is causing you depression, anxiety, or...worse...disinterest? Disinterest could be linked to spiritual slothfulness. Who is too busy to pray, may show symptoms of spiritual slothfulness. Why are you troubled? The trouble often is caused by sin. Slow to believe. Hard of hearts. All things against faith. Do you believe in Christ? "Touch Me" He says. Touch Him, made of flesh and bones with wounds from the cross. Why the wounds left over, aren't we supposed to be perfect in the next life? How can one be wounded and unhealed? My friend, these lashings are adornments on the King, marking Him as King of Heaven and Earth. What sufferings you hate, could be for God....and adornments on your crown. Remember our prayer in Psalms today? "You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor."
They say two things Angels love about us on earth...the fact that we can partake of Jesus in the Eucharist, and the other...is suffering.
Last night, a mirror fell into the bathtub of my toddler and the glass shards where all over the water and cut him, his index finger and was bleeding profusely. The site of bloody water and blood everywhere was grotesque. It was an accident scene. Frantically he'd see blood gushing and he'd scream shaking his finger spreading blood all over the place. I had to yell at him to stop it, stop being afraid, stop shaking, stop his frantic moves in fear. He settled, was shivering cold fresh out of the bath. And now I could work with him. Now he feared me more than his own fears. I am his father. Now I could tend to his wounds. Now I could work on being the doctor. After much patience, and compression, the bleeding stopped. Then we cleaned pieces of glass from his body, glitter flakes everywhere. Why do I bring up this story? Because, there are different approaches to situations of pain and testing. At one point, I remembered in my head, what one must do in horrible situations...praise God and thank God. I thanked God it wasn't worse and I praised Him in my thanksgiving. You see, now think of your horrible situation, or the next one you will go through. "Touch Me". Jesus can be touched...we touch His Sacred Heart with humility. He wanted something to eat. He took some fish and ate. Just like the resurrected little girl and others, He asked her to be fed. Food for the journey. Jesus eats with us. Bless the meal, bless Him in thanksgiving.
""These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." Jesus fulfilled all what Jews didn't expect. He would defeat, not material nations, but Spiritual worlds. Everything had been taken down to earthly terms, but God doesn't see just the earth...He goes deeper...into the heart...matters. Lord, here in my heart, you love to be.
I want you in my heart Lord. I want to be free.
Free from things that keep me from thee. I love you Father. |  click to hear a message | Random Bible verse from an online generator: DT 8:17
17 Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. | 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 | | |
