†Quote of the Day "What great faith our Lord Jesus Christ asks of us—and how just that is. Do we not owe him such faith? It looks impossible to us, but Jesus is Master of the impossible." –Blessed Charles de Foucauld †Today's Meditation "Mary knows the power of the Redemption, the power of merciful Love, better than anyone. In fact, Pope St. John Paul II says she knows it "more than any other heart in the whole universe, visible and invisible." Therefore, she calls us not only to conversion but "to accept her motherly help to return to the source of Redemption." For again, Mary's task is to bring us to the Fountain of Mercy, to the pierced side of Christ, to his Merciful Heart. Essentially, then, consecrating ourselves to Mary "means accepting her help to offer ourselves and the whole of mankind" to the infinitely Holy God. —Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, p.103 An Excerpt From 33 Days to Morning Glory †Daily Verse "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." –Acts 4:11-12 | click to read more | | St. Judith of Prussia St. Judith of Prussia (13th c.), also known as St. Jutta, was born to a wealthy family in Thuringia in what is now Germany. She desired to model her life after another noble saint from her country, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, who lived in the previous century. Judith was married at age fifteen to a man of equal rank, and together they raised a family. Despite their great wealth, Judith desired that they should live in a simple way and share their fortune generously with the poor. Her husband was at first displeased with her because he desired a lifestyle according to their means and rank. However, Judith persevered and eventually won him over to join her in a life of greater humility and piety. Her husband later died while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, leaving Judith to raise her children alone. Once her children were grown, she rid herself of her costly clothes, jewelry, and other possessions and joined the Third Order of St. Francis. She committed herself to serving the poor and the sick, for which she incurred mockery due to her noble rank in society. In the final years of her life she relocated to Prussia to live as a hermitess in a simple hut. There she spent her days in prayer and penance for the conversion of the pagan Prussians. After she died many miracles occurred at her grave, and she became the patron saint of Prussia. Her feast day is May 5th. | Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 13:26-33 When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue: "My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets that are read sabbath after sabbath. For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him put to death, and when they had accomplished all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people. We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." Responsorial Psalm Ps 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab R.(7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. or: R. Alleluia. "I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain." I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. or: R. Alleluia. "Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish." R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. or: R. Alleluia. And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice. R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. or: R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 14:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia. I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 14:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." | From today's 1st Holy Scripture: "We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." What is our Lord Jesus? Right? It is not what He is, but WHO He is, right? An expiation lamb? A paschal lamb? Yes. The offered one. The one who God promised would come to be the means, the salvation, the very life we are to live out, the perfection of God's will. | We pray today: _""I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain." I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." You are my Son; this day I have begotten you."_ | In the Gospel today we heard: "Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me." says our Lord. My testimony is that, I am an only son. We are in a family business. I find myself at a point, where my earthly dad has passed sooner than expected, and now, I'm left to tend to the business of my father....literally. I am noticing, that in my will of all I do, is to carry on his good will. All the things he wished he could do, I am doing them little by little, and the way he treated others, I seek to do too, because I wish to do my father's will, to fulfill his dreams. Who does that? Someone with honor? Nah. I'd say someone with love, and a love that endures. One of the most confounding prayers I did when my dad was suffering his last days was to pray "Jesus, I trust in You." We heard today: "Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." end quote. And so, basically, all we CAN do is to trust in Him. My kids don't get all they want. I wanted so much for my dad to live, to beat that dreaded COVID we never believed would hurt us. And of all the people, the center of our lives...our father. And now, our Lord says He goes to prepare a place for us, in Heaven. Our Lord died at 33 years of age. Now, He lives, and loves, and suffers for love. Love don't cost a thing some say. But true love costs everything I'd say. It costs to have faith and to believe and to walk on water. Your life is the cost. The Lamb of God already gave His for us, and now...our leap of faith in love is called for. | ...†.... Let's pray: Holy Spirit, may Your life of Love thrive in us from this point on. | Random Bible Verse Random Bible Verse 1 1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com God Bless You! Peace | | |