Quote of the Day "I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather, I believe in order that I may understand." — St. Anselm of Canterbury Today's Meditation "St. Augustine says, that to prevent the sheep from seeking assistance by her cries, the wolf seizes her by the neck, and thus securely carries her away and devours her. The Devil acts in a similar manner with the sheep of Jesus Christ. After having induced them to yield to sin, he seizes them by the throat, that they may not confess their guilt; and thus he securely brings them to Hell. For those who have sinned grievously, there is no means of salvation but the confession of their sins." —St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 138
An excerpt from The Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori Daily Verse "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.'" — 1 Samuel 15:22 | Pope Saint Pius V Pope St. Pius V (1504–1572) was born as Antonio Ghislieri to a poor yet noble family in Bosco, Italy. He worked as a shepherd until the age of 14, after which he joined the Dominican Order and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. He taught theology and philosophy, spent long hours in prayer, and fasted regularly. Due to his great intelligence and reputation for holiness he rose to a number of prominent positions in the Church, including Inquisitor and Bishop. In 1565 he was elected Pope and took the name Pope Pius V. As Supreme Pontiff he was a great reformer and worked to implement the decisions of the Council of Trent following the Protestant revolt. He reformed the clergy, supported the foreign missions, published a catechism, revised the breviary and missal, and named St. Thomas Aquinas a Doctor of the Church. In his alliance with Venice and Spain, and with the aid of a rosary crusade among the faithful, he defeated the Ottoman Turks in the famous and decisive Battle of Lepanto in the Mediterranean sea on October 7, 1571. This miraculous victory saved Europe from being ruled by the Ottoman Empire. The Holy Father afterwards instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory (now Our Lady of the Rosary) in thanksgiving to Our Lady for leading the Christian forces to victory, and to encourage a greater devotion to the Holy Rosary throughout the universal Church. For this he is known as the "Pope of the Rosary." His feast day is April 30th. | Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 5:17-26 The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
"We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside."
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people."
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad. R.The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia John 3:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 3:16-21 God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Acts 5:17-26 Tell the people everything about this life. (Acts 5:20) The apostles had been jailed by the Sanhedrin for preaching the good news. But an angel came to them, opened the gates, and led them out. "Go and take your place in the temple area," the angel told them, "and tell the people everything about this life" (Acts 5:20). They were free! But what is "this life" that the apostles were commanded to proclaim? We may think it was the promise of a heavenly life after death. But that's not what the apostles focused on. They proclaimed Jesus as Messiah and Lord, whose death and resurrection have fulfilled God's plan of salvation here and now. They proclaimed that everyone can taste the joy of the resurrection immediately, even as they await their full salvation in heaven. This is the good news that motivated the apostles and filled them with the courage to continue preaching. It's the same good news that has been changing people's lives for two thousand years. It has given saints the grace to find joy in poverty. It has made martyrs into pillars of strength for others. It has healed wounded marriages, converted hardened sinners, and filled ordinary people with the grace to show extraordinary love. This is the message that the Holy Spirit wants to give you in your prayer time every day: Jesus is alive, and his resurrection changes everything! He has freed you from the power of sin. He has removed your guilt and shame over past sins. And he is with you right now to help you when you confront hardship, suffering, or even the threat of death. Today, you can tell people about "this life." You can tell them that they don't have to wait for the hereafter; they can experience heaven here and now! Where the world offers kind thoughts or greeting-card sentimentality, you can offer the firm hope of God's love and mercy. You can let the message of Easter radiate out of you through your kindness, your persistent joy, and your humility because the life of the risen Christ is living and active in you and through you. So how will you "tell the people everything about this life" today? "Jesus, help me to share the good news of your life and to continue your mission today!" Psalm 34:2-9
John 3:16-21 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: In the Gospel we hear today:
"God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God......." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"Do I really trust Jesus as the source of life? Or do I seek fulfillment in other places that leave me empty?
Christ is the light that illuminates our darkness. To welcome the light means to live in the truth, even if that means acknowledging our mistakes and allowing ourselves to be transformed.
Do I let the light of Christ illuminate my life, my decisions, my wounds? Or are there corners in my heart where I'd rather it not fit?
Lord, thank you for loving me to the end. Sometimes I doubt your love or try to deserve it, when in reality it is a gift. Help me to open myself to your light, to walk in truth, to live as a child of light. May your love transform me and make me a reflection of yourself to others.
Lord Jesus, you are the light that does not quench the weak or reject the sinner. Today I come to you, not with fear, but with confidence. I know that you love me and that you have come to save me. Help me to live in your light, not to hide, and to bring your love to those who still live in darkness. Amen.
.... " End quote.
From brother Adrian:
Bishop Barron says in his reflection today: "In his passion to set right a disjointed universe, God broke open his own heart in love. The Father sent not simply a representative but his own Son into the dysfunction of the world, so that he might gather that world into the bliss of the divine life. God's center—the love between the Father and the Son—is now offered as our center; God's heart breaks open so as to include even the worst and most hopeless among us." end quote. I am looking at my own life, I was always with my dad, at work, in family business. I knew how he felt about everyone and how he fixed things or coped. I always asked to help, and if I stepped in, he asked me to step out, and now that he is gone, I am in his seat. Only, this little "kingdom" is not mine, but everyone feels it is still his. I am not inheriting it. Yet, I have to do everything he did, I have to take on all the problems good and bad, and all the heartaches and stress of a construction company that like anybody else, like a farmer, depends on external factors of jobs, or the lack thereof. But, what I want to divulge, is the revelation after reading all these reflections, some of which I do not share, for fear I may lose your interest for great lengths of writings. But the gist is this, as I am at the core of the "kingdom", and in all ministries or being a leader in other events and such, it boils down to the heart. The leader, has to be the heart. What people do at the extremities of the body, in any part of the body, as a funciton, affects the heart. What people are doing affects me, good or bad. Good employees help. Good ministers help. It helps us stay healthy, or to grow. But, bad employees are hurting the heart, and it is not helping us grow, but to shrink.
Think now of priests, how we are to help the church grow, as they attempt to be the heart.
And herein is a message for a priest, be the love of God the world wants to see.
And for that to happen, every member has to do the same as well, the calling from Heaven does not deviate from this.
You are at the heart, of your home. Show the home how to love with the love of God.
When my employees insult me, it is a strike, a blow to the face and heart. When my ministry helpers start fighting or are not loving with their mannerisms, it affects people dearly, and many leave. We ought to treat each other with the most tender love of God, but do not beat around the bush! Someone said in a meeting last night "yes, but honesty is kindness" as we did not know how to approach a ministry leader who has not been doing their job all year, and this, a paid position! The church suffers...and what does this mean? Christ suffers, for Christ is the heart of the Church. Jesus is the heart, the King, the one we are the help in this kingdom on earth that truly belongs to God our Father.
Remember I've always equated Jesus, as the very Sacred Heart of God, that we might see what we do to Him with our evil ways, that we might see on that cross that He loves us, even though...we do not show it rightly and justly as we ought.
That we might see Him and believe, that we might be saved and save the world together, hand in hand with Him, in this battle of love in the coldness of the darkened world. |  audio | Wow Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 3:18 [1 Peter 3] 18 For Christ also suffered1 once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
