†Saint Quote
"Let each of us accept the truth of the following statement and try to make it our most fundamental principle: Christ's teaching will never let us down, while worldly wisdom always will. Christ Himself said that this sort of wisdom was like a house with nothing but sand as its foundation, while His own was like a building with solid rock as its foundation."
–St. Vincent de Paul †Today's Meditation
"If during vocal prayer your heart is drawn to mental prayer, do not restrain it, but let your devotion take that channel, omitting the vocal prayers which you intended to say: that which takes their place is more acceptable to God, and more useful to your own soul."
—St. Francis de Sales, p. 63 An Excerpt From
An Introduction to the Devout Life †Daily Verse
"Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you."
–1 Samuel 12:23-24 |  click to read more | | Saint of the Day St. Lidwina of Schiedam (1380-1433) was born to a poor family in Holland. She had a devotion to the Blessed Mother and would often pray before the miraculous image of Our Lady of Schiedam. One winter, when she was 15 years old, she fell while ice skating and broke a rib, which she never recovered from. Gangrene spread throughout her body, which became as one big sore, and she was bed-ridden for the rest of her life. No medicine was able to help her. Her gradual physical deterioration was so grotesque that many suspected her of being possessed by the devil. However, when a priest brought her an unconsecrated Host, she was able to discern that it was not the Body and Blood of Christ. She experienced great suffering in this way until she was 53, but God rewarded her with the gift of heightened prayer, mystical visions, and spiritual consolations. Although she was not cured, many miraculous healings were attributed to her intercession. She fasted continuously, eventually surviving on only the Eucharist, and after her death on Easter Sunday the sweet odor of sanctity filled her room. Her grave became a pilgrimage site over which a chapel was erected. St. Lidwina of Schiedam is the patron of the chronically ill and ice skaters. Her feast day is April 14th. | Friday in the Octave of Easter Reading 1 Acts 4:1-12 After the crippled man had been cured,
while Peter and John were still speaking to the people,
the priests, the captain of the temple guard,
and the Sadducees confronted them,
disturbed that they were teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
They laid hands on Peter and John
and put them in custody until the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe
and the number of men grew to about five thousand. On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes
were assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest,
Caiaphas, John, Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly class.
They brought them into their presence and questioned them,
"By what power or by what name have you done this?"
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them,
"Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved." Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a R.(22) The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
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 Jn 21:1-14 Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."
They said to him, "We also will come with you."
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?"
They answered him, "No."
So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something."
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast."
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
| When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment . . . and jumped into the sea. (John 21:7) Can you remember a moment when you felt such unbridled excitement and anticipation that you couldn't stand still? For example, you may recall childhood memories of waking early on Christmas Day and racing to the tree to open your presents. In today's Gospel, we see Peter, like a child on Christmas morning, throwing himself into the water just to be near his Savior. Although he had seen Jesus alive before, Peter didn't want to miss a single chance to be with him. Not even his past denials could stifle his anticipation. Perhaps he wondered what his Master might have in store for him this time. As we grow into adulthood, moments like these seem to become rarer. We might feel an overwhelming joy or anticipation as we await our wedding day or the birth of a child. But we are often distracted by our daily obligations. Or maybe we feel our hearts trudging under the weight of our worries. Before we know it, our joy gets swept away, and we miss the blessings God brings to us. As Catholics, we can experience no greater blessing than receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. Just as Peter's bounding enthusiasm culminated in an encounter with Jesus, we can rush to meet the Lord and joyfully share a meal with him in Holy Communion. He will feed us just as surely as he fed Peter breakfast on the beach that day. This should fill our hearts with joy and eager anticipation for the next time we will receive him. At every Mass, Jesus invites you to come and eat. Rather than a simple breakfast of bread and fish, he wants to nourish you with his own Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity! He wants to move your heart with so much joy that you will want to run to meet him every chance you get. This Sunday, ask Jesus to help you anticipate and appreciate the great gift of the Eucharist. Ask him to help you get ready to receive him. Be like Peter and don't let anything hold you back. Don't take his presence for granted. The Holy Spirit can open your eyes and fill you with wonder and awe at his presence. "Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Eucharist. Help me to receive you with joy." Acts 4:1-12
Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-27 |  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:
"He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." Did you know that there are so called "architects of the world" til this day, and they actually have architectural tools as their logo, and they claim to have been shaping the world for centuries? And the claim to be about freedom and builders, but there is a very dark side to human leaders...they have a tendency to sin, and sin leads to death, and because of these folks, hundreds of innocents have died, priests slaughtered and hung on telephone poles, because they reject...our Savior, our Messiah, the Christ even though they don't say it at first. Sounds bad, right? But it all starts on who you truly say He is. Is He the cornerstone of Your life? Or is He, in a sense, not the cornerstone...meaning, the very basis of which you build your entire life on. | We pray today:
"The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it." | In the Gospel today we heard: "Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No."
So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So, let's get the story straight. The disciples heard a voice, and they listened to the unknown man on the seashore yelling at them?
They cast the net on the right side, and immediately began to catch tons of fish.
What is it about the disciples that were so susceptible to God's word? He chose them and trained them, and they did well to listen to the voice of...Hope.
And the beloved disciple said "it is the Lord!" and we hear in another Gospel that Peter tucked in his robe and dove into the water to swim about 100 yards to our Lord. He still wasn't walking on water, but that didn't matter...one day he would.
And this gives us hope.
That God still speaks to us. That we are to be susceptible, and even somewhat gullible to believe, to act on the belief, and to live in real faith.
"When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread."
and our Lord said "come have some breakfast". Mind you, they could hardly recognize Him physically, but they just knew it was Him.
Father was feeding His children. Bread. And fish. And feeding them Himself. Lessons. Love. Faith.
What is it about a Father's love?
It is not like a mother's love. A father is designed to provide. To give.
And that is the message I was saying yesterday when I was asked to help our local Catholic Radio, that God is a giver, and He calls us to be like Himself, a giver, a lover, a being who can live and let live...and live by sacrifice. We know what we are called to do deep inside, it is written in our spiritual DNA.
Why has it become so hard to recognize our Lord?
Our minds get distracted from the cornerstone. We fail to recognize Him.
I say that because, I pray much, rosaries, chaplets, daily prayers, and even daily Mass, like a while ago, and I noticed a while ago before receiving the Lord, that, if I'm not really all there in my mind, body, and spirit for Him, I could totally miss Him. Almost as if to pray in vain, to receive Him in vain. And what does "vain" mean? Like to take the Lord's name in vain, what does that mean?
It's almost the same as throwing pearls to the pigs. And then the ugly word vanity begins to root itself up. To do things in vain means to not give it the importance, as if to do something for nothing.
Our Lord serves on the seashore. As I was taking the Eucharist, I thanked God for the bread He provides Himself in.
My Father and Your Father has been cooking something on the other side for a very long time, and sometimes I just wish I could believe, and tuck in, and dive into the deep waters to the Lord...to do whatever it takes...right? | Let's pray:
...†...
Lord, this Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. I pray that on this Sunday, we can open ourselves to Your Divine Mercy, and be bathed so good, so as to come out a different person, alive, and shining Your greater Glory...forever. | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 16:19 19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
