† Quote of the Day "The last degree of love is when He gave Himself to us to be our Food; because He gave Himself to be united with us in every way." — St. Bernardine of Siena Today's Meditation "Jesus has many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few cross-bearers. Many desire His consolation, but few His tribulation. Many will sit down with Him at table, but few will share His fast. All desire to rejoice with Him, but few will suffer for Him. Many will follow Him to the breaking of the bread, but few will drink the bitter cup of His Passion. Many revere His miracles, but few follow the shame of His cross. Many love Jesus when all goes well with them, and praise Him when He does them a favor; but if Jesus conceals Himself and leaves them for a little while, they fall to complaining or become depressed. They who love Jesus purely for Himself and not for their own sake bless Him in all trouble and anguish as well as in time of consolation. Even if He never sent them consolation, they would still praise Him and give thanks. Oh how powerful is the pure love of Jesus, when not mixed with self-interest or self-love!" —Thomas à Kempis, p. 88-89
An excerpt from Imitation of Christ Daily Verse "My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." — Proverbs 2:1-5 | St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577-1622) was born with the name Mark Rey in what is today Germany. He studied and taught law and became known for his charity, austerities, and great devotion to God. He gained a reputation for being "the poor man's lawyer" because of his concern for the helpless. He eventually left his profession to become a Capuchin Franciscan friar and priest, taking the religious name "Fidelis," meaning "faithful." His work as a friar was fraught with danger. He lived during the Counter-Reformation, a time of great religious, cultural, and political upheaval in Western Europe. He zealously defended the teaching of the Catholic Church against the Protestant heretics. He wrote many pamphlets against Calvinism and Zwinglianism, and even traveled to Switzerland to preach against the Calvinists both in the pulpits and the public square. His untiring efforts to bring souls back to the Church was so successful that he became a threat to the heretic preachers. One day his preaching provoked a mob that confronted him and demanded he renounce his Catholic faith upon pain of death. He replied, "I came to extirpate heresy, not to embrace it," after which he was bludgeoned to death. Many miracles led to his canonization in the following century. St. Fidelis' feast day is April 24. | Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Reading I Acts 12:24—13:5a The word of God continued to spread and grow. After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,
they returned to Jerusalem,
taking with them John, who is called Mark. Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them."
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off. So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
went down to Seleucia
and from there sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived in Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. Responsorial Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6 and 8 R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 8:12 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 12:44-50 Jesus cried out and said,
"Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me." | Daily Meditation: John 12:44-50 Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. (John 12:45) You have probably heard someone say, "There's more to him than meets the eye." Perhaps you assume someone at the hospital is a medical student but discover that she is a top-notch surgeon. Or maybe someone is so quiet in a meeting that you think he isn't even paying attention, but then he proposes a solution that answers everyone's concerns. Some people just go beyond our initial expectations! The Gospels are full of examples of the way Jesus surprised people by surpassing their initial expectations.
• They came to him expecting a learned teacher, but rather than giving a theological exposition, he offered parables. These everyday examples allowed each person to find himself in the stories.
• They came to him weighed down by sin, expecting little more than words of comfort. But his words carried the power to heal both spiritual and physical illness.
• They came to him with a simple request, expecting some help. But he responded by answering their need and by giving them a life-changing revelation of the Father's love for them. Instead of getting just an answer to their prayer, they began to love Jesus and sought to put aside their former way of life to follow him. When someone stayed with Jesus long enough, they saw beyond his unassuming appearance. They saw that he was more than a teacher or a healer or a prophet. His words of teaching, his look of love, his inner peace and joy all bore God's own inspiration and went straight to their hearts. When they saw Jesus, they saw the Father! Jesus is ready to surprise you today. He's ready to reveal his Father to you. So as you read today's Scripture passages, invite him to exceed your expectations. Ask him to show you something new. It doesn't have to be momentous. Maybe it will be just a small insight or application you haven't noticed before. Or maybe one verse will strike you in a new way. If you keep this up day after day, you'll discover that God has revealed far more than you expected. And that revelation will fill you with joy! "Lord, surprise me! Help me find your presence today." Acts 12:24–13:5
Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 |  try to hear it read by AI | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
""Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world........" end quote. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus makes it clear once again that he and the Father are one. God is not a force or an energy or a spiritual presence occupying the deep background of your life; he's not something that you can tap into when you feel like it. Nor is God a distant supreme being who organized the universe long ago and now leaves it to its own devices.
Rather, God is the Lord. He is the commander, the ruler, the governor, the one who makes a demand and who then involves himself intimately in the affairs of the world.
More to it, this Lord is one. This is, as argued by Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), a subversive statement, for it undermines anyone or anything else's claim to be absolute. No country, no president, no prime minister, no culture, no book, no person or political party is absolute—only God. The unity of God, for Jews and Christians, is not simply a theoretical claim; it is an enormously important existential claim. Jesus and the Father are one God, who is the Lord of all creation.
..." end quote.
The other day, I said God is everything. Jesus says it clearly, that He is lately;
The Good shepherd.
The gate.
And today, He is the light.
And He's already said He is the bread, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
With that said, He is everything. Everything we need.
And so, He should be everything we desire.
But how do I say this to all my students? How can the ignorant of Christ believe? And the ignorance of Christ can be deadly!
What's more, God is so good, that He even lets us judge ourselves at times. I say this because when we meet our Lord, He will not judge, but our own actions will condemn ourselves.
"Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak."
So be on the lookout for His Word today.
It has already reached you. It has reached us. Has it affected us in any way?
Do you want the light at all in your life? Or are you comfortable living in darkness?
I've grown up in the same parish all my life. Once last year, the Bishop said "this church is dark" as he squinted and looked in our dark wood, dark brick church. Last week some of our men replaced many recessed lights with whole ceiling tile LED lights. And now it looks like a different church. The thing is, I didn't really want the new bright lights. It was going to mean a change. I was used to the darkness. And now we are getting used to the bright lights.
The point is, we cannot be comfortable with sin, the same dark ways of living. We must get used to the light, the God's Way of living.
And this takes self sacrifice. Something uncomfortable, like shedding blood, so we shed light. Our Lord says to follow Him, and this is not for the faint of heart. Lord, give us the strength to be Your children of the light. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
James 4:11–12 11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.1 The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
