†Saint Quote
Quote of the Day
"I will simply counsel every man and woman to beware of even the very least speck of [pride], which seems to me to be the mere delight and liking of ourselves for anything whatsoever that either is in us or outwardly belongs to us."
–St. Thomas More †Today's Meditation
"How many souls might reach a high degree of sanctity if properly directed from the first. I know God can sanctify souls without help, but just as He gives the gardener the skill to tend rare and delicate plants while fertilizing them Himself, so He wishes to use others in His cultivation of souls. What would happen if the gardener were so clumsy that he could not graft his trees properly, or knew so little about them that he wanted to make a peach tree bear roses?"
—St. Therese of Lisieux, p. 64 An Excerpt From
The Story of a Soul †Daily Verse
"The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore."
–Psalm 121:5-8 |  click to read more | | Saint Teresa of the Andes St. Teresa of Jesus (1900 – 1920), also known as St. Teresa of the Andes, was born in Chile to an upper class family. She was a pious child with a profound spirituality and a deep devotion to Jesus and Mary. Yet she was also stubborn and self-centered, defects which she diligently set herself to overcome in preparation for her First Holy Communion at the age of 10. Inspired by reading the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, and confirmed by prayer, at the age of 14 she decided to become a Carmelite nun. Five years later her desire was realized. In May of 1919, at the age of 19, she entered the Carmelite monastery of Los Andes where she lived a life of prayer and sacrifice. She also took to writing letters through which she shared her remarkable spiritual life with the outside world. It was revealed to her in prayer that she would die young, which she accepted with happiness and confidence. A few months after her entry she contracted typhoid fever, from which she died in April of 1920 during Holy Week. Before her death she was permitted to profess her vows. She was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 1993, the first Chilean and the first Discalced Carmelite nun outside of Europe to be declared a saint. Her feast day is April 12. | Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Lectionary: 263
Reading 1 Acts 3:1-10 Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o'clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called "the Beautiful Gate" every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, "Look at us."
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk."
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him. Responsorial Psalm pS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 R.(3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations--
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
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 Lk 24:13-35 That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus' disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. | Daily Meditation: Acts 3:1-10 What I do have I give you. (Acts 3:6) The man who was carried to the Temple gate every morning didn't set his hopes very high. He'd be grateful if a worshipper just stopped on his way in to give him a spare coin or two. Peter had no coins to give, but he had something much better. He knew that God loved this man and had the power to restore him. So Peter fixed his full attention on him and commanded him to stand in the healing name of Jesus. Then Peter reached out his hand and helped the man rise to his feet—and the man was healed! His joy-filled leaping and grateful words of praise to the Lord led many observers to marvel and praise God as well. Imagine how this newly healed man became a valued member of the Jerusalem community of believers. Perhaps his attitude of praise gave shape to their prayer. Maybe he sought out people who had kindly given him alms, told them about his healing, and introduced them to his new Christian friends. God had given him more than a few coins—more, even, than new legs! He had given him a new family and brought him into community with other believers. It just goes to show that God loves to surprise us with far more than we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Think back a bit. You can probably remember a time when you asked God for something small, and God surprised you with more than you had hoped for. Even when he seemed to say no, you can probably see how he still had something better in store for you. Maybe God helped you find your lost keys—and drew your attention to a nearby book you'd been meaning to read, just when you needed to hear its message. Maybe you were looking for a few moments of silence when you wandered into Mass, and the good news touched your heart in a brand-new way. Maybe you asked God to protect you from bullying on your first day in a new school—and he brought a lifelong friend to stand alongside you. Our God is so generous! Trust that even when it takes time, even if you recognize it only in hindsight, you will see the blessings he is pouring out on you. "Father, thank you for all of your generous gifts to me." Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9
Luke 24:13-35 |  click to hear 2cents | Listen to my2cents audio. Share the link if you like:
Click to hear it My 2 cents with your brother Adrian | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
_"Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o'clock hour of prayer." end qutoe. And what happened at 3pm? The Son of Man was crucified. And after His Resurrection, there have been healings at 3pm. The first we hear about was when Saints Peter and Paul, when they go pray at 3pm. 3PM is the second Jewish hour of prayer [Acts 3:1; 10:9]. The Hebrew word for this hour of prayer is "Minchah" (gift-offering). This hour of prayer was known as the "hour of confession."
Last night at a pastoral meeting, I asked our priest if he'd allow us to do a 3pm prayer on Sunday, on Divine Mercy Sunday. I asked if he'd do confessions, but we were allowed Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at least.
Every day, remember that 3pm is the time of gift offering...to God! Pray then, confess then, reach for grace and give love to God. | We pray today:
"Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord." end quote. | In the Gospel today we heard: "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Why are we so slow to believe? Why does it take forever to realize something? And what of this strange talk of our Lord "entering His glory"?
Our Lord speaks about hearts. Something important and mysterious happens in our hearts.
So much happens in our hearts. We let things in our minds affect our hearts. We move because of our hearts. It is the motor. It is what is pumping life in us. And that is exactly where our Lord wants to live and move in us and through us.
We are not mere flesh mortal beings, but also spiritual beings. We have soul that can house spirits. We live and let live. We give life to things. We give life to what we allow to live, your liking, your seeking, and what you long for. Back to Glory.
What glory did our Lord enter into? Our idea of glory does not match His idea of glory.
Many times, in the bible, we hear of glory, in the Old Testament, but it deals with many people dying. Like the Egyptian army that gave glory to God by being killed in the Red Sea; "The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." Exodus 14, end quote. Our Lord Jesus was giving Glory to God at 3pm, with His arms stretched open to the Heavens and to all the peoples forever. No guts, no glory. Why did God do this...basically, to Himself?
When did God fall in love with His creation? Do you believe there is a God that loves you personally and intimately? Because, if you do, then, your life no longer becomes yours, but His. Because you seek Him. You long for Him. You live for Him. He becomes your heart, because you allowed it to be that way. Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" How can you feel God? Your heart knows. The other day we went to a healing Mass out of town, and during the exposition my heart started burning...and my eyes immediately started burning with tears trying to pour out.
I am reminded of the Sacred Heart images, witha burning heart, with a cross...it is the Lord, the Glory of God did that. A new fire for new hearts. "Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread." end of Gospel today. | Let's pray:
...†...
Lord, Your Bread of the Presence is now alive. Your Holy Presence is availed to all who come to You with an open heart...to receive You. May we here begin to feel You more intimately, to serve you with true love and sincerity, not just for Yourself in You, but in one another, in everyone we speak to and deal with, because You are all in all, and everything. | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 5:10 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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