 |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Heaven is filled with converted sinners of all kinds, and there is room for more."
— St. Joseph Cafasso †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"The reason why the soul not only travels securely when in obscurity, but also makes greater progress, is this: In general the soul makes greater progress in the spiritual life when it least thinks so, yea, when it rather imagines that it is losing everything ...There is another reason also why the soul has traveled safely in this obscurity; it has suffered: for the way of suffering is safer, and also more profitable, than that of rejoicing and of action. In suffering God gives strength, but in action and in joy the soul does but show its own weakness and imperfections. And in suffering, the soul practices and acquires virtue, and becomes pure, wiser, and more cautious."
— St. John of the Cross, p.149
AN EXCERPT FROM
Dark Night of the Soul †VERSE OF THE DAY
"O Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us, thou hast wrought for us all our works."
Isaiah 26:12 |  click to read more | | ST. MATTHIAS THE APOSTLE St. Matthias the Apostle (1st c.) followed Jesus during his entire earthly ministry and was one of his 72 disciples. Matthias was chosen by the 11 Apostles to replace Judas Iscariot after his betrayal of Christ and subsequent suicide. After Christ's Ascension into heaven, St. Matthias devoted himself to preaching Christianity among the pagans, some of them barbarians and cannibals, all over Judea, Cappadocia, and Ethiopia for over 30 years. Many miracles are ascribed to him as the pagans sought to kill him: that he was unharmed after being forced to drink poison, that he once hid by becoming invisible, and that the earth opened up and swallowed his attackers. St. Matthias also preached the need for mortification of the flesh as an aid to growth in holiness. Eventually, at God's appointed time, he was martyred for the cause of Christ, though there are conflicting traditions as to exactly where and how. St. Matthias is the patron saint of carpenters, tailors, and reformed alcoholics. His feast day is May 14th. | Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle Lectionary: 564
Reading I Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place).
He said, "My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let his encampment become desolate, and may no one dwell in it.
and: May another take his office. Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection."
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
"You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place."
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles. Responsorial Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 R. (8) The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD; above the heavens is his glory.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
To seat them with princes, with the princes of his own people.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Jn 15:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 15:9-17 Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love. "I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another." | Daily Meditation: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 The lot fell upon Matthias. (Acts 1:26) Peter was in a bind. It wasn't clear who should replace Judas Iscariot as the twelfth apostle. He needed someone who had been with Jesus from the beginning and who could be a "witness to his resurrection" (Acts 1:22). That description could apply to any number of people, including many of the seventy people Jesus had sent out as his ambassadors early in his ministry (Luke 10:1). So he tried to whittle down the list the best he could and left the rest to the Lord. In the end, the lot fell to Matthias. This story tells us two things. First, that everyone who has encountered the Lord is qualified to become a witness to him. Every one of the disciples on Peter's list had their own unique story to tell about Jesus. Each one of them had something to share, and they probably did share it—with their families, their neighbors, and their friends. Second, this passage tells us that each one of us has a role to play in the kingdom of God. There could only be one twelfth apostle, and God chose Matthias. But that didn't mean that Joseph-Barsabbas, the other candidate, was a nobody. It just meant that God had something else in mind for him. He could still be a witness to the risen Lord in whatever way God was calling him—perhaps as a healer, intercessor, prophet, teacher, or a combination of these. You may not have seen the risen Lord as Matthias and the others had, but you have had your own personal encounters with him—maybe at Mass, in prayer, or through a friend. That means you have a story to share, a story that belongs only to you. It also means you have a unique role to play in God's kingdom. Take some time over the coming weekend to think about your story. Are there people you know who haven't heard about your encounters with Christ? Can your story give them confidence that something similar can happen to them? Think about your role too. You too are a disciple, called to be a witness to the risen Christ, and God has a job for you to do that no one else can fulfill. "Jesus, show me how to witness to your resurrection and your love." Psalm 113:1-8
John 15:9-17 |  clickable | We read the Gospels to meet Christ Jesus. We must read and reread them, if we want to come to our own personal intimacy with our Redeemer.
— Frank Sheed
from his book To Know Christ Jesus |  Recordings go out minutes after writing is emailed! | |  CLICK TO HEAR IT READ! | my2cents:
"You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen..."
Let's keep this in mind as we hear our Lord speak in the Holy Gospel. | We pray in the Psalms:
"Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people."
I do have a quarrel with our positioning on earth. Not questioning why I am here, exactly where I am at, but there is tremendous amounts of work, like moving a mountain, and I only have a spoon in my hand to do so. What is keeping me from moving the mountain? Let us go into the Gospel to hear from our Lord. | Our Lord speaks:
""As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love."
There is something to recognize here...our Lord is asking us to love others as He has loved us.
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you."
Back to the guy with a spoon in his hand.
What could I possibly do to move that mountain?
I KNOW! I will give spoonfuls of honey to everyone I meet, the love of God. Soon, together with all who were fed will join in the force of God to move the mountain.
And then we will look at each other...that mountain isn't that big....let's do this! | Let's pray: Lord, How quickly we box ourselves in, seeing no way out, no answers! Help us open ourselves to You, help us open ourselves to true Love! You in Your Precious Body on earth, the Eucharist and the tabernacles that carry you in their soul! | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: WOW!
1 Peter 3:8–9 Suffering for Righteousness' Sake 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
