†Saint Quote
"One just soul can obtain pardon for a thousand sinners."
–St. Margaret Mary Alacoque †Today's Meditation
"Creation itself is a silent word of God. The wordless beauty of nature displays before our eyes the manifold riches of a Father who is ceaselessly present among men. This divine speech is not audible to ears that are too human; nevertheless, it is the most profound speech of all. The sun, the moon, and the stars are absolutely silent to our ears, but they are a word and a message essential to our earthly existence. There is a language of the stars that we can neither know nor comprehend but that God understands perfectly."
–Robert Cardinal Sarah, p.88
An Excerpt From
The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, p.88 †Daily Verse
"There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops."
–Luke 12:2-3 |  click to read more | | St. Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur St. Peter of St. Joseph Betancur, or Pedro de San José Betancur (1626-1667), also known as Hermano Pedro, was born into poverty in the Canary Islands. He was a shepherd until the age of 24 at which time he traveled to Guatemala, then the capital of New Spain, hoping to connect with a relative and to begin training to be a priest. The journey so impoverished him that he entered a bread line served by the Franciscans. He took up work in a textile factory and later entered a Jesuit college to study for the priesthood. Being too poor to continue his studies, he instead became a Franciscan tertiary. He dedicated his life to helping the poor and oppressed in jails and hospitals, as well as ministering to African slaves, Native Americans, and anyone else in need. He also founded a hospital, a school for the poor, and a homeless shelter. He also preached to the rich, inviting them to repent of their sins. Because of his effective apostolate he became known as "St. Francis of the Americas." People were attracted to his way of life and followed him, leading to the founding of the Bethlehemite Brothers and Sisters. In addition to serving the poor, they had the charism of special devotion to the Divine Child and the Blessed Virgin, and offered prayer and sacrifices for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Each night St. Peter would carry a heavy wooden cross through the streets as a form of penance and evangelization. It is also said that he was the first to start the Posadas procession during Advent. He died in 1667 and was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II as the first saint from Central America. His feast day is April 18. | Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 4:32-37 The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need. Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated ""son of encouragement""),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles. Responsorial Psalm Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5 R.(1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 3:14-15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 3:7b-15 Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
'How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
| Daily Meditation: John 3:7-15 You must be born from above. (John 3:7) Life is a gift. Yes, your physical existence is a blessing from your heavenly Father. But wait—as the oft-mimicked commercial exclaims—there's more! With God there is always more. Jesus talks about this "more" with Nicodemus in today's Gospel. Even better than the gift of our physical birth is the gift of our spiritual rebirth. Jesus is emphatic: "You must be born from above" (John 3:7, emphasis added). This new birth changes you and fills you with the hope of life eternal. The kind of life and faith that Jesus meant for Nicodemus, and for us, to experience is a work of God. If you've been baptized, that work has already begun in you. The life of God was breathed into you at that moment, and you were "born from above." It takes time, however—the rest of your life—to develop. Just as the physical life of a newborn baby needs to be cared for and nurtured in order to flourish, the life that comes to us from above also needs care and nurturing. God is the One who fosters and sustains this gift of life "from above" through his power and presence and love. But you can cooperate with his grace, and one key way to do that is by praying. Prayer brings you close to God; it gives him the opportunity to work more deeply in your life. In prayer, you learn to hear his voice. You experience his power to comfort or heal you. His love and mercy can change your heart or revive your hope. In prayer, you can come to know him better. You can lift your thoughts and attention above the demands of daily life and focus on the reality of the heavenly life that God's grace is growing in you. What does this life "from above" look like (John 3:7)? As your heart stirs in prayer or at Mass, you understand that God is present with you (Matthew 28:20). When you feel freed from the weight of guilt or shame in Confession, you see his deep love for you and his desire that you share his life more completely. As you come to understand more deeply the redemption Jesus won for you day by day, your heart fills with joy. You are tasting what it means to be "born from above!" "Heavenly Father, draw me closer to you so that your life will grow and flourish in me." Acts 4:32-37
Psalm 93:1-2, 5 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common." Sounds heavenly, no? Everyone was a believer, and they were of one heart and one mind, and nobody claimed anything as their own? Or is this a fleeting communistic view of how things ought to be? Communists want someone in charge...that is not God! That there is the greatest of differences. And so, what we read today is the flooding and outpouring of the love for God, everyone was building up the Church, selling all they had, risking it all, so that this Church, this love for God would live forever. And it has. And it will. Nothing can stop the love of God. Let your floodgates open to His Sacred love! | We pray today:
"The LORD is king, in splendor robed; robed is the LORD and girt about with strength. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty." Why don't you join me in praying for the whole world to see our Lord Jesus as King? Isn't that His will? That all be saved? | In the Gospel today we heard: "Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?" And here, in this faith sharing bit, I too share testimony. I share stories of miracles. Do they phase you? An eye witness account comes before you, do you believe? Can you trust the source? It's almost as if it helps a bit, but it doesn't cause life changing and spectacular movements to cause everyone to fall on their knees. Miracles become common, and forgotten, and they go on thankless. What happened to a childlike faith? What has happened that we are so closed up in our own little world?
I don't want to be like that, like everybody else that has a lukewarm, a tepid and listless faith.
As a matter of fact, it can't anymore, for I have witnessed God's love in action.
I have seen things that maybe I should not have seen. The Lord suffering. The Lord in Glory. The inter workings of Heaven. I am amazed at how we see energy on earth, and the energy is different in Heaven. Our energy depends on physical manifestations, but spiritual energy depends on loving manifestations.
Bite your tongue. That would be a loving manifestation. Say no negative thing. That would be love in action.
Serve God because you Love Him, and not for any other reason.
Obedience is important, it will get you further than trying to decide to follow.
This is faith in action.
Heavenly things are being exposed here. And they are sustenance for a real and vibrant life.
Maybe we would sell our houses and give all to the poor, to live with each other, in the same house...of God! In Heaven, and forever! | Let's pray:
...†...
Lord, I hear things about Heaven. Help me focus on these things from above. Help me with this inheritance you promise, to cherish it, these things from above where God resides, in love. | Random Bible Verse 1
Romans 8:38–39 "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
