† Quote of the Day "Oh, my soul, how much longer do you wish to be so stingy with Jesus? Why so negligent towards Jesus who made You? Why so lazy towards Jesus who redeemed you? Who do you want to love, if you do not want to love Jesus?" St. Gemma Galgani Today's Meditation "But you, 'a chosen generation', weak things of the world, who have forsaken all things, so that you may follow the Lord, go after him, and confound the strong; go after him, you beautiful feet, and shine in the firmament so that the heavens may declare his glory . . . Shine over the whole earth, and let the day, brightened by the sun, utter unto day speech of wisdom, and let the night, shining with the moon, declare to the night the word of knowledge . . . Run into every place, O you holy fires, you beautiful fires! You are the light of the world, and you are not put under a measure. He to whom you have held fast has been exalted, and he has exalted you. Run forth, and make it known to all nations."
—Saint Augustine, p.318-319
Cover image from the book, The Confessions of Saint Augustine
An Excerpt From The Confessions of Saint Augustine
Recommended Products Daily Verse "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Do not give heed to all the things that men say, lest you hear your servant cursing you; your heart knows that many times you have yourself cursed others." Ecclesiastes 7:20-22
J.Lily | St. Gemma Galgani St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903) was born in Italy, the fifth of eight children born to a prosperous pharmacist. When she was young, Gemma's mother and three of her siblings died of tuberculous. When she was 18 her father died as well, leaving Gemma to help care for her younger siblings. She rejected two marriage proposals and became a housekeeper while trying to enter the religious life as a Passionist. She was rejected due to her poor heath, and later became a Tertiary member of the order. Gemma developed spinal meningitis but was miraculously healed, which she attributed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the intercession of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Throughout her life she united herself with the Passion of Christ and experienced great suffering as a result, but not without receiving many remarkable graces as well. She experienced many mystical visions and was often visited by her guardian angel, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. For this she was known as a great mystic, and, according to her spiritual director, developed the stigmata at age 21. After a selfless life of love given to God for the conversion of sinners, she died on the Vigil of Easter at the age of 25. She is the patron saint of pharmacists, loss of parents, back illnesses, temptations, and those seeking purity of heart. Her feast day is April 11th. | Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Reading 1 Jeremiah 20:10-13 I hear the whisperings of many:
"Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!"
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
"Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him."
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked! Responsorial Psalm Psalm 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7 R. (see 7) In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies. R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
The breakers of death surged round about me,
the destroying floods overwhelmed me;
The cords of the nether world enmeshed me,
the snares of death overtook me. R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
In my distress I called upon the LORD
and cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. Verse Before the Gospel See John 6:63c, 68c Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. Gospel John 10:31-42 The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
The Jews answered him,
"We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God."
Jesus answered them,
"Is it not written in your law, 'I said, 'You are gods"'?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power. He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
"John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true."
And many there began to believe in him. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: John 10:31-42 I have shown you many good works from my Father. (John 10:32) Despite his "many good works," Jesus continued to mystify the Jewish leaders (John 10:32). They had witnessed him casting out demons and healing the sick, but they still failed to see who he truly was. They could not reconcile the man standing before them with the Messiah whom they were expecting. They were looking for a ruler who would overthrow the Romans, not a rabbi who claimed to be one with God. So they stumbled when Jesus proclaimed, "The Father and I are one" (10:30). Jesus challenged them to see: to recognize God's works and his presence, even when he defied their expectations. It's easy to read the Gospels and wonder, "How could they miss it? Their Savior stood right in front of their eyes!" But don't we do the same thing at times? Our unmet expectations can blind us to God's movement in our lives. We have our own plans and ideas for how life ought to be or how our prayers ought to be answered. And when those plans or ideas don't come to fruition, it can cause us to stumble. Maybe it's a job that falls through, a loved one who dies suddenly, or a relationship that begins to crumble. Despite all the good things we have received from our Father, doubt can creep in. We fail to see Jesus, who stands with us faithfully through the good and the bad. But what if, in these moments, we paused and asked, "I know what I want in this situation, but how is God working here? Where is Jesus trying to meet me?" What if we asked the Lord to open our eyes and help us see his presence in all things and in all of our circumstances? When we let go of our tight grip on what we think God ought to be doing, we make room for his Spirit to surprise us and show us how he is already at work. You can be confident that Jesus is with you and working in your life, even when you can't see how. He is your rock and fortress (Psalm 18:3). Today, ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of renewed sight. Ask him to remove the blinders of your expectations. He will help you to see more clearly. And he will move you to rejoice in the ways he is already present and working. "Lord, open my eyes to your works and your presence with me!" Jeremiah 20:10-13
Psalm 18:2-7 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: Our Lord said:
"The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
The Jews answered him,
"We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God......" - Word of the Lord! | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, in today's Gospel the Jewish leaders try to stone Jesus because he claimed to be the Son of God. He defends His identity and says, "If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me; but if I do, believe in the works, even if you do not believe Me. Then you will recognize and know that the Father is in Me and I in the Father."
At the Last Supper, Jesus further explains to us his intimate relationship with the Father. There he explains to us the co-inherence obtained in the most fundamental dimension of being, that is, within the very existence of God. Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered him, "Philip, I have been with you for so long, and you do not yet know me? He who has seen me has seen the Father."
How can this be true, unless the Father and the Son coexist? Although Father and Son are truly distinct, they are completely in each other, by an act of mutual love. As Jesus says, "The Father who dwells in Me is the one who does the works." end quote.
From brother Adrian:
Our Lord said:
"Is it not written in your law, 'I said, 'You are gods"'?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?" Who are the gods? The sons and daughters of God! Right? How can we claim to be gods now though? Only through Jesus Christ who comes from God, the eternal source of Love and life, and love of life, that we ought to give ourselves in our lives for Love, that is God.
And this is where we often miss the mark. The commandments are simple, but deep. The first 3 deal with God and the love of God. The next 7 deal with the love of God in the love of neighbor.
How can I love God more today? Love thy neighbor, treat them like you would love to be treated, treat them like gold!
Are we to spoil them? Not necessarily, but treat them with the love of God, in dignity and righteousness, honor, and grace.
And God avails to us these things that we can use to love rightly. Let us sing and pray:
1 Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All,
How can I love thee as I ought?
And how revere this wondrous gift,
So far surpassing hope or thought?
Sweet Sacrament, we thee adore;
Oh, make us love thee more and more.
Oh, make us love thee more and more. 2 Had I but Mary's sinless heart
To love thee with, my dearest King,
Oh, with what bursts of fervant praise
Thy goodness, Jesus, would I sing.
Sweet Sacrament, we thee adore;
Oh, make us love thee more and more.
Oh, make us love thee more and more. | Random Bible Verse 1
Luke 4:18–19 [Luke 4] 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Word of the Lord. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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