† Quote of the Day "I urge you to remain steadfast in faith, so that at last we will all reach heaven and there rejoice together." — St. Andrew Kim Taegon Today's Meditation "The soul that does not attach itself solely to the will of God will find neither satisfaction nor sanctification in any other means, however excellent by which it may attempt to gain them. If that which God Himself chooses for you does not content you, from whom do you expect to obtain what you desire? ...It is only just, therefore, that the soul that is dissatisfied with the divine action for each present moment should be punished by being unable to find happiness in anything else." —Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, p. 14
An excerpt from Abandonment to Divine Providence Daily Verse "Gladden the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication. In the day of my trouble I call on thee, for thou dost answer me." — Psalm 86:4-7 | Blessed Anacleto Gonzalez Flores
Bl. Anacleto Gonzalez Flores (1888–1927) was the second of twelve children born to a poor family in Jalisco, Mexico. He was baptized the day after his birth. As he grew, a priest recognized his intelligence and recommended that he enter the seminary. Anacleto studied there for a time before discerning that he was not called to the priesthood. Instead he became an attorney, husband, and father, as well as an activist for his Catholic faith. He was a prolific writer and dedicated catechism teacher, and attended daily Mass. He joined the Catholic Association of Young Mexicans (ACJM) in addition to starting another Catholic lay organization committed to resisting the fierce persecution of the Catholic Church under the infamous Mexican dictator, Calles. Initially he participated only in the non-violent resistance against Calles, until four members of the ACJM were murdered in 1926. Their deaths spurred Anacleto to lend support to the armed resistance movement. Anacleto did not take up arms but instead gave speeches to encourage Catholics to support the Cristeros, the Catholic army fighting against Calles. Anacleto was captured during the Cristero War on April 1, 1927, and was brutally tortured before being martyred by firing squad. His feast day is April 1st. | Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Reading 1 Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 The angel brought me, Ezekiel,
back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the right side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the right side.
Then when he had walked off to the east
with a measuring cord in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and had me wade through the water,
which was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and once more had me wade through the water,
which was now knee-deep.
Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade;
the water was up to my waist.
Once more he measured off a thousand,
but there was now a river through which I could not wade;
for the water had risen so high it had become a river
that could not be crossed except by swimming.
He asked me, "Have you seen this, son of man?"
Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
He said to me,
"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine." Responsorial Psalm Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 R. (8) The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn. R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth. R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Verse Before the Gospel Psalm 51:12a, 14a A clean heart create for me, O God;
give me back the joy of your salvation. Gospel John 5:1-16 There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate
a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him,
"Do you want to be well?"
The sick man answered him,
"Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured,
"It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
He answered them, "The man who made me well told me,
'Take up your mat and walk.'"
They asked him,
"Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
The man who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,
"Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you."
The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because he did this on a sabbath.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 The water had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming. (Ezekiel 47:5) Today's first reading from Ezekiel offers hope to anyone who is feeling worn out from their journey through Lent. In a vision, Ezekiel sees a small trickle of water that is flowing out from under the Temple. It seems rather insignificant. But at the prompting of the angel, Ezekiel follows this trickle of water farther and farther downstream (47:2-5). As he does so, the water gets deeper and deeper, until it flows like a vast river. What was once a small stream has become a substantial source of pure water that gives life to a region that was once lifeless (47:5). What a wonderful promise this vision must have been for the Jews who had been exiled to Babylon: God was going to restore the Temple and bring them back home! But it's also a promise for you as you journey through Lent. That's especially true if you're tired of the struggle of keeping your Lenten practices or if you feel as if God's grace and presence are but a trickle in the desert. Maybe by this point in Lent, you can't even see how your sacrifices are drawing you closer to God, and you're tempted to abandon them. If that's the case, press on and keep walking farther downstream with the Lord! Although persisting in your Lenten practices can be difficult, know that they are giving you the opportunity, time and again, to rely on God's grace and strength. They are also helping to prepare you to enter into the joy of Easter, with its promise of life-giving water to enliven and refresh you. Today, take heart from Ezekiel's vision. Trust that as you faithfully journey with the Lord, he will bring you to a place where you "shall bear fresh fruit"—because your nourishment is from him (Ezekiel 47:12)! "Jesus, stay by my side as I journey through Lent! Help me to trust in your promise of refreshment and restoration. " Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
John 5:1-16 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "Jesus said to him,
"When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him,
"Do you want to be well?"
The sick man answered him,
"Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured,
"It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
He answered them, "The man who made me well told me,
'Take up your mat and walk.'"....." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"The healing occurs on the Sabbath, and Jewish leaders criticize the man for carrying his mat on a holy day. Later, Jesus tells him, "Sin no more, lest something worse happen to you" (v. 14), showing that his healing also involves conversion. The Pharisees, instead of rejoicing in the healing, persecute Jesus for having healed on the Sabbath. God heals us, but He also calls us to a profound transformation. It's not just about physical well-being, but about renewed life in the Spirit. • Am I stuck in some situation in my life waiting for someone to help me, instead of trusting Jesus? • Do I hear the voice of Jesus telling me to "Arise" or do I still hold on to my fears and excuses? • After receiving God's grace, do I take steps toward true conversion? 'Lord
You ask me if I want to heal,
And sometimes my fears paralyze me.
Help me get up,
to trust in your power and walk in faith.
Make me a witness of your love and mercy.
Amen.'......" end quote Roberto Juarez.
From Bishop Barron: "The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus' healing encounters with those whose spiritual energies are unable to flow. Much of Jesus' ministry consisted in teaching people how to see (the kingdom of God), how to hear (the voice of the Spirit), how to walk (thereby overcoming the paralysis of the heart), how to be free of themselves so as to discover God. It is interesting that Jesus was referred to in the early Church as the Savior (soter in Greek and salvator in Latin). Both terms speak of the one who brings healing.
The "soul" is that still point at the heart of every person, that deepest center, that point of encounter with the transcendent yet incarnate mystery of God. When the soul is healthy, it is in a living relationship with God; it is firmly rooted in the soil of meaning and is the deepest center of the person....." end quote.
From brother Adrian:
"Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath." Was this poor sick man sinning for the last 38 years he was sick? Did a particular sin cause him to be so sick that he couldn't help himself to the healing pools of water? What keeps us from coming to the healing waters?
Lent is a good time to repent. Are we making it to the place of healing and refreshment in reconciliation and receiving Him in the Eucharist?
What is keeping me from a healing that we need? Is it our sin that is holding us down?
If so, we need the help of our Lord, don't we? Sin holds us down and apart, doesn't it? Think of all the people that do not go to Sunday Mass. Are they wretched sinners, or are they sick like the man in the Gospel? Or are they both? And who will help them? Who will help them to heal? Our Lord risked His life for helping this man. Once they found out that He healed, on the Sabbath, they wanted to have Him arrested right away.
They weren't amazed. They only saw the wrong.
Are we like that? Do you only see the wrong that people do?
Who am I in the story? The persecutor or the sinner, the sick? Or both? Really, it is everyone in the story that needs our Lord's healing and saving grace, amen?
Lord, help us to be unified and healed in Your Precious Body, both now and forever! | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 24:7–8 "Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!" Word of the Lord. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
