† Quote of the Day "I earnestly admonish you, therefore, my brothers, to look after your spiritual well-being with judicious concern. Death is certain; life is short and vanishes like smoke. Fix your minds, then, on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Inflamed with love for us, he came down from heaven to redeem us. For our sake he endured every torment of body and soul and shrank from no bodily pain. He himself gave us an example of perfect patience and love. We, then, are to be patient in adversity." — St. Francis of Paola Today's Meditation "Know this: just as the wood of the ark saved the just from drowning, so too, by the mystery of His wooden Cross, does Christ, the Church's God and King, save us from drowning in the sea of this world. In the symbol of a thing made of wood He gave human beings a foreshadowing of both the judgment to come and the salvation of the just." —St. Augustine, p.136 An excerpt from Augustine Day by Day Daily Verse "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." — Romans 15:5-6 | St. Francis Of Paola St. Francis of Paola (1416-1507) was born in Calabria, Italy, to a husband and wife known for their holiness. After suffering childlessness for many years, his parents had recourse to prayer, especially the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi. They eventually had three children, and the eldest, Francis, was named after St. Francis in thanksgiving for his birth. Francis of Paola grew in sanctity, and after having a vision of St. Francis he spent a year in a Franciscan convent to fulfill a vow his parents had made to the saint. After his time there, he returned to his parents and accompanied them on a pilgrimage to Assisi. Upon returning home, Francis retired to a private spot on his parents' estate to live as a hermit. He later moved his dwelling to a lonely cave by the seashore, living there in prayer, solitude, and mortification for six years. Disciples gradually came to him to imitate his manner of life, so many that St. Francis of Paola, with the permission of his bishop, built a monastery and church to accommodate them. He later obtained permission from the Holy See to found a new religious order called the Minims, or "The Least," as they were to live hidden lives of poverty, abstinence, and humility. St. Francis of Paola became famous and was sought out by others for his prophecies and miracles. He spent the last three months of his life in solitude in preparation for his death. On Good Friday, after receiving Last Rites, he died while the Passion of Christ was read to him aloud. His feast day is April 2. | Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Reading 1 Isaiah 49:8-15 Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18 R. (8a) The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful. Verse Before the Gospel John 11:25a, 26 I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me will never die. Gospel John 5:17-30 Jesus answered the Jews:
"My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation. "I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me." | 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: "Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation. "I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me."...." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez: "Jesus declares that he has received from the Father the power to judge mankind. However, his judgment is not condemnation, but justice based on the Father's will. • How do I prepare for the encounter with Jesus, the just and merciful judge? • Am I living according to God's will or guided by my own interests? Jesus' judgment does not seek to punish, but to lead us to conversion and eternal life. 'Lord Jesus,
Help me to hear your voice and follow your will.
Grant me the grace to live in your truth and trust in your love,
so that one day I can enjoy eternal life with you.
Amen......." end quote Roberto Juarez.
From Bishop Barron: "Think of judgment as a sort of light, which reveals both the positive and the negative. Beautiful things look even more beautiful when the light shines on them; ugly things look even uglier when they come into the light. When the divine light shines, when judgment takes place, something like real love is unleashed.
Someone might avoid seeing the doctor for years, fearful that he will uncover something diseased or deadly. But how much better it is for you when you do, even when the doctor pronounces a harsh "judgment" on your physical condition!
And this is why judgment is the proper activity of a king. It is not the exercise of arbitrary power, but rather an exercise of real love.
....." end quote.
From brother Adrian:
How many of us can speak like our Lord? How many of us can prophesy? How many of us can give our life to God the Father like our Lord?
Can we prophesy? Yes.
Can we give our life to Our Father? Yes.
Can we speak like our Lord? Yes.
Many of us tend to speak like those we hang out with or are tuned into very much.
This lent, we should've been tuning less into the world and more into Him, so that in the end, there is more of Him in the world through you. If you haven't, there is still time, to do less of your will, and more of His. In giving. In forgiving. In praying. In our extra effort in prayer, meaning, to fast, to sacrifice, not for our own good, but for the world. You see? Not my will, but Our Father's will is at stake, and it is at hand.
Lord, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, in me! | Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 18:21–22 [Matthew 18]
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant "Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Word of the Lord. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
