 |  MorningOffering.com | †Saint Quote
"Oh, my soul, how much longer do you wish to be so stingy with Jesus? Why so negligent towards Jesus who made You? Why so lazy towards Jesus who redeemed you? Who do you want to love, if you do not want to love Jesus?"
— St. Gemma Galgani †MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"Solomon prayed for prudence and wisdom so that he might govern God's people rightly. Because his request was unselfish, God granted what he sought. When we pray, we should make sure that our desires are not motivated by selfishness. We should only want those gifts that help us most to serve others."
— Rev. Jude Winkler, p. 105
AN EXCERPT FROM
Daily Meditations with the Holy Spirit † VERSE OF THE DAY
"The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth."
1 John 3:16-18 |  click to read more | | ST. IVO (IVES) OF KERMARTIN St. Ivo of Kermartin (1253–1303) was born to a noble family in Brittany, France. He studied civil and canon law, philosophy, and theology. He went on to practice law for many years in both the civil and ecclesiastical courts. He graciously defended the poor without charge, and visited them in prison as they awaited trial. He also worked to settle matters out of court to save litigants money and time. For these good works he became known as "Advocate of the Poor." St. Ivo also practiced a life of asceticism; he wore a hairshirt under his clothing, fasted regularly, and became a Franciscan Tertiary. These spiritual disciplines aided him in his practice of virtue in the courtroom: he fought the State in court on behalf of the rights of the Church, and became a diocesan judge who was unable to be tempted by bribes. St. Ivo eventually resigned from practicing law and joined the priesthood. He used the funds from his years practicing law to build a hospital for the poor, and he fed them with the harvests of his land. He became a miracle-worker during his life, feeding hundreds from a single loaf of bread. St. Ivo is the patron saint of judges, attorneys, lawyers, orphans, bailiffs, advocates, and canon lawyers. His feast day is May 19th. | Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Lectionary: 299
Reading I Acts 20:28-38 At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus:
"Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship. Responsorial Psalm 68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Show forth, O God, your power, the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem let the kings bring you gifts.
R. Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, chant praise to the Lord who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power: "Confess the power of God!"
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Over Israel is his majesty; his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel; he gives power and strength to his people.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Jn 17:17b, 17a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 17:11b-19 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:
"Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth." | Daily Meditation: John 17:11-19 Father, . . . that they may be one. (John 17:11) Have you ever thought about all the other people who are reading these meditations along with you? The Word Among Us is read in more than one hundred countries and eight languages. That means people all around the world are joining you in prayer right now! Diverse and scattered as we are, each of us is drawing closer to the Lord. Talk about unity in diversity! Jesus' first disciples were also a diverse group. But what did they have in common? Like us, the one thing that bound them together was their desire to follow Jesus. Despite their different professions, their different approaches to life, and their different temperaments, they stayed together because of their love for the Lord and their love for one another. Not to mention, they had Jesus teaching them and helping them rise above their differences. But would their unity last after he left? That's why, in the upper room, Jesus prayed "that they may be one" (John 17:11). He saw that the disciples' unity would face serious threats after he was gone. He knew that his arrest would cause them to scatter but that his appearing to them on Easter Sunday would bring them together again. He knew that the Holy Spirit would fall on them and move them to band together as the Church, but he also knew that disputes would occasionally break out amongst them. They would need to work hard to preserve their unity. It wouldn't be easy, so he prayed for them. Jesus' prayer wasn't just for the disciples; it was for the whole body of Christ—for his first disciples, for us in the present, and for all those yet to come (John 17:20-21). Even today, two thousand years later, we remain one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Still, there is disunity among believers, and we need to keep working to overcome it. How can we advance the cause of healing and unity within the body of Christ? By making Jesus' prayer our own. Let's take the Church into our hearts today by praying for one another—even those who are very different from us. May we all pursue unity in our diversity! "Father, pour out your Holy Spirit on us; make us one." Acts 20:28-38
Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36 |  clickable | The important thing to remember about mercy is that it requires you to put love into action. John Paul II stated that mercy is 'love's second name.' Saint Faustina put it this way: 'God's love is the flower, mercy is the fruit' (Diary, 949).
—Fr. Chris Alar, MIC
from his book Understanding Divine Mercy |  Bro. Adrian Reads reflection Outloud. Click here | my2cents:
"When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all. They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship."
St. Paul was saying farewell...for where he was going, there would be no return. This is the same stance that our Lord took when headed to Jerusalem for the last time. This Paul is a person who has allowed Jesus to take over His life, for the life of the world. And this is the same stance I ask that we all take for our Lord. One of no return to sin, that is to the world, to look to God's Kingdom...that is His will. | We pray in the Psalms:
"Show forth, O God, your power, the power, O God, with which you took our part; For your temple in Jerusalem let the kings bring you gifts. Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth."
It took the Eastern Kings of the Orient a long and perilous journey to find our infant Lord in a manger surrounded by sheep, and shepherds. All for what? To bring him gifts? It was more than an hommage. They came to make peace, and they knew He was the King of Nations. It was a smart move then, for oneself, for salvation. But it took much concerted effort. I can't remember if it was Fulton Sheen or Chesterton that said that they came one way, and left another. That is, there is no going back the same way as before once you encounter our Lord Jesus. St. Paul, pray for us. | Our Lord speaks in the Gospel:
""Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me...".
In the truest sense of a shepherd, He speaks. He protects. He keeps the flock together. How often do you ask our Lord to protect you from evil? In the Lord's prayer we pray for protection. But, how many of us dabble with evil, the very thing you are asking for protection from? You cannot be in Heaven with a finger in hell. You cannot blaspheme the Lord like that.
And if you do, yourself, in "your own little world", you affect the greater world. We are the body of Christ, all who are baptized. We are no longer in our "own little world". You are of the flock. What's more, we are more than a flock, we are truly His body, a tremendous body all over the world. Your sins affect the body. And your holiness helps the body heal. | Our Lord continues:
"and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world."
Who is "the world" that hates?
No need to look very far. There are currently laws of hatred against Christians being introduced, just like laws of racism being introduced as we speak. It is called a hidden aggression. How does this happen? Permission. With your permission. How does this permission work? Permissiveness. You allow things to happen by being neutral, as if to say "go ahead do whatever you want" and the children run with fire and knives in their hands, the immature in spirit and life. It isn't all the devil's fault now is it? Because it is like my kids that just keep pestering and pestering for permission. That's how evil works, it just keeps on and on until you either give in, or make a mature decision to shut the case once and for all.
Back to Saint Paul.
And to our knees we should go, praying and lamenting.
Paul had encountered our Lord. This joy would now have to be taken to Jerusalem, to the world, no matter the cost, and we will never return this way. Let's pray:
Lord, I want that peace and joy. I pray then for the Holy Spirit to come. You said, ask and we shall receive. And You also said to ask for what is right and what is good...so I ask for Your Sacred Heart to heal our little hearts, to become one with Yours, more fully, more truly. Help us love Thee more and more, and never go back the way we came from that point of love as we grow closer and closer to You. I consecrate myself to You, Lord, I set myself apart for You Lord. I am Yours and Yours I wish to be! | from your brother in Christ our Lord,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse from online generator: WOW!! Hebrews 4:16
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
