Monday, April 10, 2023

† ". . . fearful yet overjoyed,. . .. "

†Saint Quote
"Therefore, my brother, scorned as you are by men, lashed as it were by God, do not despair. Do not be depressed. Do not let your weakness make you impatient. Instead, let the serenity of your spirit shine through your face. Let the joy of your mind burst forth. Let words of thanks break from your lips."
–St. Peter Damian

†Today's Meditation
"You were not faint of heart, Joseph. You were a man after God's own heart. And so, as He loves [Mary], so in proportion did you. You were betrothed. You touched that hand when you made your espousals. Did it burn? Were you branded? That hand would be yours. It would fit into your rough and worn palm and find security and strength there. Did you stare at your hand that night by the candlelight? Did you marvel that something so poor held something so rich? A man knows when he is out of his league. He rises or recedes. You rose."
–Fr. Matthew Kauth, p.170

†Daily Verse
"Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God."

–1 Corinthians 1:26-29

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St. Bademus (d. 376 A.D.) was a wealthy and noble citizen of Bethlapeta in Persia. Desiring to give himself completely to God, he gave away his wealth and founded a monastery where he led a life of prayer and austerity. His sanctity was known to all, and he trained his monks to progress in devotion, virtue, and love of God. One day he and seven of his monks were abducted during the Christian persecution by King Sapor of Persia. He was chained in a dungeon for four months and whipped daily for his faith. He suffered his tortures for Christ and triumphed over them with patience and joy. One day a Christian prince named Nersan was also put into the dungeon, and, seeing the torments he would endure, apostatized from the faith in order to be released. To prove his conversion, the king ordered Nersan to slay St. Bademus on the spot. Bademus, after declaring his willingness to die for Christ, also warned Nersan of the account he would have to give to God for his actions. Nersan, timid and fearful, then killed Bademus with several awkward and misplaced blows. The pagans who were present admired the abbot's holy and resigned death, while abhorring the king's cruelty. St. Bademus' feast day is April 10th.

Monday in the Octave of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 2:14, 22-33
-----------‐
On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.

"You who are children of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.

My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
--------‐------
R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
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 Mt 28:8-15
----------‐-
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me."

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, "You are to say,
'His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.'
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

DAILY MEDITATION: ACTS 2:14, 22-33
But God raised him up. (Acts 2:24)

Today we continue our celebration of Easter, a feast so great that we spend fifty days rejoicing that Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. And in our first reading, St. Peter reminds us what our celebration is all about: the resurrection.

Peter tells us that Jesus' resurrection is God's rebuke to every force, act, and effect of evil in the world—even death! Sinful men handed Jesus over, and his own friends abandoned him. But God raised him up (Acts 2:25). He suffered agony while his mother and a few friends watched him die. But God raised him up. His disciples laid his body in a borrowed tomb, and all hope seemed lost. But God raised him up.

The resurrection of Jesus became the hallmark of the apostles' preaching. Over and over, Peter proclaimed that God had raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 4:10). It wasn't just a historical event—it had changed their very lives. Jesus' resurrection restored hope to his disciples. Seeing and touching the risen Lord dispelled their doubts, rebuilt their faith, and energized them to proclaim the gospel to everyone. Even the Jewish leaders could see how vital the resurrection was. That's why they claimed that Jesus' body had been stolen (Matthew 28:12-13).

How important is the resurrection? St. Paul proclaimed, "If Christ has not been raised," then our faith, forgiveness, and hope of eternal life are all in "vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17). The resurrection changed everything; its repercussions echo throughout all eternity.

Jesus' resurrection has changed our lives, too! When we're waiting for an answer to our prayers or perplexed by the evil in the world, it's easy to lose sight of his victory. That's when we need to declare with Peter: But God raised him up. And he will raise me up, too! What we see now is not the end of the story. Sin and death and evil do not have the final word. One day, every wrong will be made right, and we will see God face-to-face. Even now, we sing the resurrection song: Alleluia! Christ is risen from the grave!

"Lord Jesus, you are risen! I rejoice in your victory!"

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From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence."

What does one miss about a loved one that has passed on?
From experience..it is their presence. Yet mysteriously, we can experience the Holy Presence of God. And if He is everything and in everyone...then u can experience everything and everyone through Him. This has been made possible in Easter. Nothing can separate us..from the love of God.

We pray today:
"You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope."

In the Gospel today we heard:

"Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me."

There is something to be said about...the encounter.
Everyone who seeks Him sincerely, will have an encounter.
I had mine. Now I just wish all would too.
This is the reason many invite you to retreats or church....or prayer.
Because once you encounter Him...everything changes.
Perhaps this is why I reach out to you always.

It was always that He appeared then...when they were on their way.
To seek Him always means to live for Him.
And to find Him is to give everything to have everyone else find Him.
Alleluia means praise to Allah..the ancient word for God.
Praise Him now, if you want to praise Him forever.

Let's pray:
...†...
Lord, we want to be in Your Prescence...and You are already there...waiting. How can I keep my King waiting? Let us go to the Lord!