 | Our Deepest Desires Link Us to the Divine For Catherine, God may test humanity, provoke growth with suffering, and even permit the devil to tempt souls. But God never violates or coerces human free will—an arena that is off-limits to the devil as well. Participation in the incarnation is not automatic but depends on our desires. Catherine warns against purely external and superficial engagement with God. She encourages her followers to attend to their deepest desires because it is precisely these authentic desires within their hearts that make possible the link between the human and the divine. — from Accidental Theologians: Four Women Who Shaped Christianity
by Elizabeth Dreyer |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Commitment is doing what you said you would do, after the feeling you said it in has passed."
— St. Camillus †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"The soul, who is lifted by a very great and yearning desire for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, begins by exercising herself, for a certain space of time, in the ordinary virtues, remaining in the cell of self-knowledge, in order to know better the goodness of God towards her. This she does because knowledge must precede love, and only when she has attained love, can she strive to follow and to clothe herself with the truth. But, in no way, does the creature receive such a taste of the truth, or so brilliant a light therefrom, as by means of humble and continuous prayer, founded on knowledge of herself and of God; because prayer, exercising her in the above way, unites with God the soul that follows the footprints of Christ Crucified, and thus, by desire and affection, and union of love, makes her another Himself."
— St. Catherine of Siena, p.1
AN EXCERPT FROM
Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena † VERSE OF THE DAY
"If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."
Matthew 6:14-15 |  click to read more | | POPE SAINT PIUS V Pope St. Pius V (1504–1572) was born as Antonio Ghislieri to a poor yet noble family in Bosco, Italy. He worked as a shepherd until the age of 14, after which he joined the Dominican Order and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. He taught theology and philosophy, spent long hours in prayer, and fasted regularly. Due to his great intelligence and reputation for holiness he rose to a number of prominent positions in the Church, including Inquisitor and Bishop. In 1565 he was elected Pope and took the name Pope Pius V. As Supreme Pontiff he was a great reformer and worked to implement the decisions of the Council of Trent following the Protestant revolt. He reformed the clergy, supported the foreign missions, published a catechism, revised the breviary and missal, and named St. Thomas Aquinas a Doctor of the Church. In his alliance with Venice and Spain, and with the aid of a rosary crusade among the faithful, he defeated the Ottoman Turks in the famous and decisive Battle of Lepanto in the Mediterranean sea on October 7, 1571. This miraculous victory saved Europe from being ruled by the Ottoman Empire. The Holy Father afterwards instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory (now Our Lady of the Rosary) in thanksgiving to Our Lady for leading the Christian forces to victory, and to encourage a greater devotion to the Holy Rosary throughout the universal Church. For this he is known as the "Pope of the Rosary." His feast day is April 30th. | Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Lectionary: 283
Reading I Acts 13:26-33 When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue: "My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." Responsorial Psalm 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish." R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice. R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 14:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 14:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way."
Thomas said to him,
"Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me." | Daily Meditation: John 14:1-6 I am the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6) Jesus is the way. He is the perfect Son of the Father who did only what the Father told him to do. He didn't cling to his own vision of the way his life should go. In this, he showed us the way to live. He loved the Father with complete trust. He knew that he was in his Father's hands, and it was there that he rested. Now ascended to heaven, Jesus calls us to live the way he lived—in trust and surrender to our Father's call. He will teach us, guide us, mold us, and make us into his children. He will show us how to rest in his presence, just as Jesus did. Jesus is the truth. Every word he spoke was the truth. When he made a promise, it was fulfilled. Every miracle he performed, every parable he told, every sermon he preached demonstrates the love our heavenly Father has for us and the way he wants us to live in love with each other. Everything that Jesus did as he walked the earth, as well as all that he does now as he works in and through his Church, is a proclamation of this love. This truth is the foundation for the whole of creation—it is the foundation for each of our lives. Jesus is the life. To know Jesus is to be fully alive because he has given us a share in his own divine life. Whenever we receive Communion, we receive this divine life into our own fallen hearts. Imagine: Jesus has chosen to live in us. He has chosen to place his own life in our hearts and to make that life the wellspring of our own lives. He comes to satisfy our deepest needs and to rejoice with us at every good gift. He comes to teach us, to fill us, and to guide us. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. In him, we lack nothing. He has given us so much more than pardon for our sins. He has given us a whole new way of living, a life in union with his heavenly Father. Don't be afraid to reach out and grasp it today! "Jesus, I love you. Open my eyes to see and know you more. Open my heart to receive your life more deeply today!" Acts 13:26-33
Psalm 2:6-11 |  clickable | [Jesus] can heal your deepest brokenness—the break between you and God. That is the healing we most need, a healing of that relationship. That is the healing that stretches into eternity. That is the peace that lasts forever. And it is offered to you.
— Lisa Benninkmeyer
From the devotional Rest: 31 Days of Peace |  Listen to 2cents Podcast Going4th | | my2cents:
""My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent."
The Word of Salvation has been sent. The Word has been turned into flesh. The Word is here. The Word is being presented to you, by many and by me, a testimony, a witness is at hand. | And so we pray today in the Psalms: ""I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain." I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." You are my Son; this day I have begotten you."
God set up a King, His King, His chosen one on the Holy Mountain. Which mountain was it? The one He was crucified on? Or the one He ascended into Heaven from? I always relate in myself, the mountain we must ascend to Him. We must make progress in our faith, for to stop is as if taking steps backwards. | Our Lord speaks today:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
I am writing to you immediately after having received our Lord in daily Mass. Daily Mass, if you don't know, is usually attended by a select few. Are they chosen? I don't know. But I tell everyone, that I go to meet our Lord as He comes down from Heaven in the Holiest of ways...to be devoured, by a needy soul and to be light for the whole world. He assumes His throne and descends among us. A song came to mind, as a saw a young fellow there with his head down, and it was a moving site. Why? The Prodigal Son comes to mind, coming back to the Father with his head so low, and the Father is super joyous at the site of the returning son. I felt in my heart a tremendous mercy from God at that moment, and a song came to mind that I would sing during Holy Communion, as wherever I go, I take my guitar, a poor troubadour for the Lord, to join in exultation with Angels from Heaven. | The song is "Be Still" by David Kauffman. It asks for faith, it asks us to remain, it asks us to take refuge in Him. I recorded it during Mass, and if you are listening to this in Podcast form you may hear it.
In the Holy Scripture, our Lord says: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way."
But immediately He is asked by Saint Thomas:
""Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me." The way of the one King on the mountain. Through Jesus the gate. Through Jesus the Savior. Through Jesus the King on that mountain. There are many errors taught by other Christians, saying that Catholics believe in saints and Mary, as if they were our salvation. WRONG! But can they help us to salvation, to Jesus, to get atop that mountain? YOU BETCHA. If I hooked you up with someone, a special contact that could boost your life, or better yet, your salvation, would you take it? We don't earn salvation, but we work to holiness so that by Grace we may be saved! This means something the world does not teach....BE HOLY. Be HOLY HIS! Let us pray:
Lord, everything with you is Epic.
Everything is as it should be, when I am with You, even calamity, even the joy of a drink of water. You fill our hearts with good things, and so I pray that we all can learn to yearn for You more deeply in our hearts, so that nothing else can satisfy it, until You fill us completely...with Thy Amazing LOVE! Send us Thy grace from Heaven to look forward to Your coming and welcoming into the place You have chosen for Us....with You...Forever. In Your Most precious Name I pray! Amen. | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: Proverbs 3:28–29 28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it"—when you have it with you.
29 Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
