† Quote of the Day "Nothing seems tiresome or painful when you are working for a Master who pays well; who rewards even a cup of cold water given for love of Him." — St. Dominic Savio Today's Meditation "Without doubt, Jesus Christ could have abolished pain at a single stroke, and, by virtue of the infinite grace of the Redemption, restored man to the state of complete, unmixed bliss that he enjoyed in the paradise of innocence. He did not so wish. He judged that, for some, suffering would be a source of merit, a gain, a source of glory, and a means of renewal and triumph; that, for the greater number, it would be a necessary expiation. He therefore maintained suffering, but purified, ennobled, and transfigured it by taking it upon Himself. He became the man of sorrows, virum dolorum, in the strict and absolute sense of these words." —Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 276 An excerpt from The End of the Present World Daily Verse "For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek. For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live." — Romans 1:16-17 | St. Francis De Laval Saint Francis-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval (1623-1708) was one of eight children born to one of France's most illustrious families. He learned his piety from his mother, and like his namesake desired to become a priest and missionary. This dream was realized when he was appointed by Pope Alexander VII to be the first Apostolic Vicar of New France (Canada). His territory covered all of what is now Canada and the central section of what would become the United States, an enormous frontier which he undertook as a great spiritual work. He landed in Quebec in 1659 when the population was just 500 people. He supported the missions, built a cathedral to the Immaculate Conception, taught devotion to Our Lady under this title, founded a seminary and an industrial school, and began the first Catholic school system in Canada. In all seasons he made long and perilous journeys by land and water to minister to his flock. When Quebec became a diocese he was consecrated as Canada's first bishop. He fought the sinister alcohol trade to the Indian tribes by having it outlawed within his territory and excommunicating those involved with it. He converted and baptized an Iroquois chief who then became a promoter of the Christian faith and won other converts among the local tribes. St. Francis de Laval was a man known for his great influence and holiness of life. His feast day is May 6th.
Find a devotional for this saint | Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 16:11-15 We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
"If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us. Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 15:26b, 27a R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 15:26—16:4a Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning. "I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you."
| Daily Meditation: John 15:26–16:4 I have told you this so that you may not fall away. (John 16:1) If you have ever moved to a new location, you know how easy it can be to "fall away" from old friends. At first, you may keep up with phone calls, but then the calls become less frequent. Over time, calls become replaced with occasional check-ins on social media and annual Christmas cards, until you lose touch altogether. In today's Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples that they, too, risk falling away—from him—as a result of the hardships they will face in preaching the gospel (John 16:2). We can imagine them enthusiastically soldiering through all manner of rejection and persecution at first, but then gradually deciding that discipleship is simply too hard. Their efforts slowly weaken, and they eventually return to their former lives. But we know this didn't happen. Why? Because of the Holy Spirit, the "Advocate" whom Jesus sent to them (John 15:26). Jesus knew that their human efforts alone would not be enough to carry them through the difficulties of evangelizing and leading the Church. But he also knew that if they relied on the Spirit even as they worked hard, their faith would be built up. And that would help keep them from falling away. The Holy Spirit wants to keep the flame of faith alive in you, too. The demands of daily life, fear of change, and worldly distractions are just some of the subtle forces and challenges that can sneak up and take your focus off Jesus. That's why it's so important that you keep asking the Spirit for his guidance and his power throughout your day. He may respond by bringing an upbuilding Scripture passage to mind. Maybe he will help you make a difficult decision. Or perhaps he will give you an extra outpouring of patience or humility when you need it the most. Whether life is going smoothly or about to overwhelm you, the Holy Spirit is always with you. He is your Advocate who is always ready to fill your heart with grace and to keep you connected with Jesus. "Jesus, I don't ever want to fall away from you! Thank you for sending me your Spirit to help me stay close to you." Acts 16:11-15
Psalm 149:1-6, 9 |  try to hear it read by AI | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you."....." end quote. | Do you believe these words have been fulfilled? Where people expelled from churches and killed thinking they were offering worship to God?
Yes. It has happened. And yes it still happens. One of the frequent killers are the extreme Jihadist of the Muslim faith. They just tried to poison a boy for believing. They frequently put bombs in churches in Africa and kill dozens at a time. What's crazy is that this only seems to make the fire grow. The more we are squashed, the more we grow. The seed of faith is the blood of martyrs, and all martyrs for Christ go straight to Heaven.
But why do they do this? Our Lord gives us the answer, and watch very carefully because this applies to every soul that hears this message: "They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me."
This is critical.
People do this kind of atrocity because they do not know Christ our Lord, much less the true Father who has commanded from the beginning not to kill others.
Because others do not know Christ, they do not know mercy.
Why don't many care for Christ? Because many of us don't care that much. And I don't mean this in the bad way but because of ignorance. And why is there ignorance of Christ? Poor catechism. Very few classes focus on loving God. We just teach "stuff" about religion, and not much is focused on a true encounter with Christ. And for that we have retreats, and interpersonal relationship with Christ.
Why else do others not know about Christ?
We are timid. We are afraid. We are too proud to risk our necks for Christ. And so evil gets away with murder. A simple case proven time and time again, is the atrocity of abortions which are now as easy as ordering a sandwich online. Women can order baby killing pills and flush babies down the toilets. This is the convenience we have in our modern world. All the while, God's laws are ignored, and evil thrives. They say because of this modernism, abortion is actually now at an all time high.
What culture do we live in and how can we change it for Christ?
It begins with you and the next person you meet.
Will Christ be involved in that hopeful trinity? He wants to be in that next person you meet, in that talk, in that relationship, in that communication, in that very act of the will of the mind, and the soul.
Every act makes a difference.
There are atheists and Muslims that are meeting Christ though, through humble Christians, humble to obedience. And Christ is even crossing over into their dreams and conversions are happening daily.
Christ, the light of the World enters, with or without you or me. It would be better to enter through us than not. It would be a great gift to God and neighbor.
And to "know Jesus" is to be intimate with Him.
A most intimate moment of receiving Him is the Holy Word and in the culmination of the Most Holy Eucharist. Lord, I want to receive You more fully into my life, and proclaim Thee with my Life forever. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
John 6:35 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
