 | Giving God the first minutes of your day will pay dividends later. I promise you, He will multiply your time. You'll get more done and have a peaceful heart while doing it.
— Lisa Brenninkmeyer
from her book Be Still: A Daily Devotional |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Put your heart at His feet. It is the gift He loves most."
— St. Elizabeth Ann Seton †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Tell souls not to place within their own hearts obstacles to My mercy, which so greatly wants to act within them. My mercy works in all those hearts which open their doors to it. Both the sinner and the righteous person have need of My mercy. Conversion, as well as perseverance, is a grace of My mercy. Let souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from My mercy. I desire that these souls distinguish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will need to attain sanctity. The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is-trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts."
—Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul p. 560
AN EXCERPT FROM
Divine Mercy in My Soul, p. 560 †VERSE OF THE DAY
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be."
Matthew 6:19-21 SAINT OF THE DAY |  click to read more | | ST. FRANCIS OF GIROLAMO St. Francis de Girolamo (1642-1716) was the eldest of eleven children born to honorable and virtuous parents in Naples, Italy. As a child he was drawn to God and a life of prayer. Realizing his vocation to Holy Orders, he was ordained a Jesuit priest at the age of 28. He became a renowned public preacher due to his distinguished and eloquent voice. He was described as "a lamb when he talks, and a lion when he preaches." He had a heart for the missions after his patron St. Francis Xavier, but instead of traveling to distant lands he accepted his hometown of Naples as his India. He went as a missionary priest into country towns and villages for open-air preaching in the streets. He sought to convert sinners wherever they were—in brothels, prisons, galleys, hospitals, and asylums—as well as instructing the pious in their religious houses. He converted Muslim prisoners of war to the Christian faith, rescued chidren from dangerous and degrading situations, and opened a pawn shop for charity. The fruit of his labor was abundant. He converted many souls, even hardened sinners, and made them virtuous. Everyone knew him for his holiness and zeal. He also had a reputation for being a miracle worker during his lifetime and after his death. After spending 40 years in apostolic labor in Naples, he died of an illness from which he suffered greatly without complaint. His feast day is May 11th. | Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Lectionary: 292
Reading I 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. (7c) 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. (7c) 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. (7c) Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See 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." | Daily Meditation: John 16:5-11 Grief has filled your hearts. (John 16:6) Jesus had just told the disciples many distressing things, not only about his betrayal and execution, but also about the world's hatred of him and of them. It was a lot of misery to absorb, and Jesus knew that their hearts were focused on all the troubling news he had given them. Like the disciples, we also wrestle with fear and worries. Some are the anxieties of everyday life, and some come from those big life-altering challenges that push us to the limit. And it is precisely because of our call to serve the Lord, even in the midst of these troubles, that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. Isn't it comforting to know that Jesus doesn't minimize our difficulties? Isn't it inspiring to hear that he has sent us the Spirit to help keep grief from completely overwhelming our hearts? That's exactly what the Spirit has come to do: to give us a heavenly perspective so that we can still perceive how God is working in the people around us who are suffering and in the difficult situations we ourselves face. "I have told you all these things," Jesus tells us, "but don't focus only on them. Ask my Spirit to help you focus on what I am doing as well." When you are in the middle of a crisis, try to open yourself to a bigger picture than the immediate problem right in front of you. It may seem hard, but take a moment or two to look for signs of the Spirit. Is he inviting you to trust him more deeply in this challenge? Is he asking you to surrender a situation or a loved one into his hands? Or maybe he wants you to take another courageous step forward in faith. Whatever your challenge, get in the habit of asking, "What are you doing, Lord? How can I unite myself to your work—in my child who has abandoned the faith, in my parent's battle with Alzheimer's disease, in my spouse's stress and overwork?" Then pause for a few breaths and try to be open to his guidance and direction. Even if you don't get an answer, take comfort in knowing that you have done your best and that the Spirit is still with you to help you as you move forward. "Holy Spirit, help me to find you in the situations I will face today." Acts 16:22-34
Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8 |  clickable | Giving God the first minutes of your day will pay dividends later. I promise you, He will multiply your time. You'll get more done and have a peaceful heart while doing it.
— Lisa Brenninkmeyer
from her book Be Still: A Daily Devotional |  Listen to 2cents Podcast Going4th | | "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. "
Praising in the storm. Can you do that? When things aren't going right? When you are in the dungeon, can you still pray and SING to the Lord? Can you be the light in the dark? Sure you can. Or you can fall into despair and be silent, and having fallen into temptation, be led to the slaughter. It is liberating to be on the side of light. The chains come off. And people are saved! I'm encouraging you to do this always. | We pray in the Psalms:
"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." Since this is a faith and testimony bit, I share so that you may believe more and more, and even more and better than me. When I sing, and I lead in the Mass, the Holy Holy song at Mass, I truly believe I am singing with choirs of angels in Heaven, and this belief changes everything. This is why I don't like to hear that a person "said" the rosary, I like to hear that a person "prayed" the rosary. Or a priest "said the Mass", no, He made the most amazing offering of a Mass, I rather hear "he offered" the Mass. Now we are talking about praise, worship, and sacrifice. | "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."
When our Lord said " I am going to the one who sent me...", where was He going?
What was the greatest pain our Lord suffered the night before He was crucified, on Holy Thursday? Was it the betrayal of Judas? I don't think so. Was it the betrayal of all of His followers He knew would fail Him? Probably not, afterall, HE KNEW! I would dare say, His greatest pain, and leap of faith would be to know that He would have to leave His flock, personally. Hmm, how can I write this: It may perhaps be likened to a farewell of a child leaving the house, and the parent has a hurting heart, or, a soldier going off to war, but the pain was to know how much the world really needed Him, and the temptation to stay was so great, to change everything...but God remained true to God. His leap of faith now would go into the Advocate. The Holy Spirit. | He said "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."
It is better? Having the Son of God isn't enough? Something better or someONE better is to come? WOW!
And the Holy Spirit comes in Pentecost. A whole new era of praise and worship and evangelization begins. It is the Holy Spirit that awaits, just the mere mention of the name. You think only the name of Jesus has power? Well, yes, but if we merely mention the Holy Spirit, I truly believe it begins entering. And what is the Holy Spirit? I see God in the three facets of the Holy Trinity, First Himself, then Jesus is sent into the world, and then the Holy Spirit. It is the Heart, Mind, and Soul. I believe firmly in the Holy Spirit, and there has never been a day that I do not invoke the Holy Spirit before writing to you. The Holy Spirit in you and those you pray with can break chains. Have you ever prayed with your enemy? You become best friends! Have you ever prayed for a sick one? They are healed either spiritually and even physically!
Have you ever prayed for someone that is lost? They begin to see! And for the sake of salvation, never cease doing good. No matter what! Let us pray:
Lord, thank You for the amazing Gift of the Holy Spirit. However this Spirit moves and works is a mystery, but an amazing revelation of God at work in our every day lives. I thank You for this Amazing gift that cost You Yourself to bring about into the whole world! Holy Spirit COME, let us worship God as we ought! | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: 1 John 2:28 Children of God 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
