†Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
"Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him."
–St. Augustine †Today's Meditation
There is a symbolic beauty in the circumstance that the tomb of Jesus was only a few paces from His Cross. Suffering and death are but two aspects of the same thing; the one lays us low, and the other completes the work of destruction. Yet through Jesus they both raise us up, and our joint ascension presents the three stages of the Cross, the tomb, and Heaven. – A.G. Sertillanges, p. 197-198 An Excerpt From
What Jesus Saw from the Cross Daily Verse "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from thee, and thou rulest over all. In thy hand are power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank thee, our God, and praise thy glorious name."
–1 Chronicles 29:11-13 Ascension Thursday After Jesus' Resurrection from the dead, He continued to appear to His disciples for a period of 40 days. After this time, with His Apostles gathered around Him on the Mount of Olives, Jesus was taken up bodily into heaven, as recorded in the Gospels. To comfort them in His physical absence, He promised to send them a Consoler and Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with them and to guide them into all truth until the end of the world. The Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter Sunday, also called Ascension Thursday. It is a Holy Day of Obligation, and among the oldest and most solemn feasts on the liturgical calendar. In many dioceses the celebration of the feast is transferred to the following Sunday. |  click to read more | | St. Felix of Cantalice St. Felix of Cantalice (d. 1587) was born to a pious peasant family in Italy. He grew up tending sheep and was hired out to work for a farmer at the age of nine, which he did for twenty years. He evidenced signs of holiness and spent his free time in prayer. He had a friend read him the lives of the saints from which he drew much inspiration. Felix eventually joined the Capuchin Franciscans and served in Rome as the Order's official beggar. Although he could not read, and received no formal study, he had great influence over the Roman people because of his piety and the labors he undertook to convert even the most hardened sinners. Felix also encouraged those he met to lead greater lives of virtue, regardless if they were dignitaries or peasants. Men who lived scandalous lives retreated from his presence, lest he convict them of their sins. St. Felix's special apostolate was among the children of the city to whom he gave religious instruction with childlike humility and simplicity. He was a contemporary and friend of St. Philip Neri, who declared Felix to be the Church's greatest living saint. St. Felix served in this way for 42 years. He was beatified immediately after his death, becoming the first Capuchin Franciscan ever canonized. His body rests under an altar dedicated to him in the church of the Immaculate Conception in Rome. His feast day is May 18. | Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter Ascension Reading I Acts 18:1-8 Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,
who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla
because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.
He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,
stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,
attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,
Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,
testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
When they opposed him and reviled him,
he shook out his garments and said to them,
"Your blood be on your heads!
I am clear of responsibility.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
So he left there and went to a house
belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;
his house was next to a synagogue.
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized. Responsorial Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.
R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Jn 14:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;
I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 16:16-20 Jesus said to his disciples:
"A little while and you will no longer see me,
and again a little while later and you will see me."
So some of his disciples said to one another,
"What does this mean that he is saying to us,
'A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me,'
and 'Because I am going to the Father'?"
So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks?
We do not know what he means."
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,
"Are you discussing with one another what I said,
'A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me'?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy." | Daily Meditation: John 16:12-15 When he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. (John 16:13) The time had come for Jesus to depart, and he wanted to reassure his disciples that he wasn't leaving them alone. He would send the Holy Spirit, who would guide them to all truth (John 16:13). It was an amazing promise—and it's meant for us as well! So what are some of the truths that the Spirit reveals to us? The Holy Spirit reveals God's personal love to us. The words "God loves you" can fall flat unless we have some experience of his love, which only the Holy Spirit can provide. He opens our eyes to all the ways God shows his love to us each day. And when we pray, the Spirit lifts us into the Father's presence and tells us how precious we are to him. The Holy Spirit opens up the Scriptures. Much like a collection of attic items we've inherited, the Scriptures may at first have little personal meaning for us. But when a beloved relative explains the story of each item one by one, they come to life. In the same way, when the Holy Spirit opens the Scriptures to us, they become treasures that speak deeply to our hearts. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see our neighbors as brothers and sisters in Christ. He brings us together as one family and moves us to share our joys with one another and carry each other's burdens. And when our hearts are hardened by sin or pain or anger, the Holy Spirit softens them so that we can forgive as the Lord has forgiven us. The Holy Spirit reveals our eternal destiny. Under his guidance, we begin to see that completing our journey in this life is only the beginning. All that is ours in Christ has its source in heaven, and one day we will join the Lord there and live with him forever. What a day that will be! Today, reflect on one of these truths. Let the Spirit show you how you were made for love or unity or eternity. Allow him to speak to you through the Scriptures. That's what he came to do, so go ahead and ask! "Holy Spirit, thank you for revealing God's truths to me each and every day." Acts 17:15, 22–18:1
Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
" Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized."
End of quote. You would be amazed at how people are actually more receptive the God's word. The problem is, that not many are living the word, to spread the word. And this, knowing full well, that our Lord wants us to go to the ends of the earth spreading the word, and baptizing every soul! Where is the disconnect? The Ascension of our Lord should always be at the forefront of our minds, I know it is mine in the Evangelization we are called to be and to do. | We pray today:
" The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise." | In the Gospel today we heard: ""A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." Says our Lord. They asked each other what that meant. And so do we right?
Maybe tuning into what He said at the end today will help us:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy." says our Lord our God the Christ. Did that help you understand what He meant?
In our world, we aim to be happy, but I'm sad to report, that true happiness belongs in Heaven. This here on earth is the Church Militant. Every single day seems to be a living battle on many fronts, spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and they are all centered in the heart of the matter.
They say that the richest nation on earth is also inundated with the most depressed people on earth. They kill their unborn. They kill each other in the malls and in their churches. They are bored and confused and many of their youth want to change their gender. They are not happy with themselves. They are not happy with God. They do not know God. They do not know the righteous Love from Heaven.
You would be amazed at how receptive they would be, if only the believers would believe. The most powerful speakers on the faith are those who are transformed and unafraid to lose themselves for the Gospel. They are now far and few between.
How about you? Can Christ count on you?
Our Lord said He'd return. In the meanwhile, the Holy Spirit would be with us. And not only is He with us, but He can be inside of us, dwelling, and shining the guiding light to Heaven.
These words have reached you for a specific reason. And I hope it is reason to believe and to action. I'm banking on real happiness in the real eternal life, but for now, all hands on deck, this is a place of training and for war, to stand guard, and to save souls. The devil is preying on the weak and the vulnerable as we speak, taking them one by one into darkness. That is natural! That is God's design! Like algae in stagnant waters. But algae will not thrive in living waters, meaning, running waters, meaning, that what is flowing from Christ Himself. Enter God's heart. | ...†....
Let's pray:
Lord, Your Ascension to Heaven gives me hope. It makes me look up when I'm used to looking down. As much as I seek to be happy, I am never happy in sin, and it takes me away from You. Help us be children of the Ascension, of the Resurrection, of hope, and of living beings of Christ's Life. | Random Bible Verse 1
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,1 for those who are called according to his purpose. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
