† Quote of the Day If you wish to strengthen your confidence in God still more, often recall the loving way in which He has acted toward you, and how mercifully He has tried to bring you out of your sinful life, to break your attachment to the things of earth and draw you to His love.
— St. Alphonsus Liguori Today's Meditation "God knew you before you were born. He has given you certain gifts and talents to develop as you grow in His grace. Feed His lambs with words of wisdom. Light the path for others and God will delight in you. Heavenly Father, help me to fulfill my potential. Give me the grace to overcome my selfishness." —Father John Catoir, p. 85
An excerpt from Uplifting Thoughts for Every Day
Uplifting Thoughts for Every Day Daily Verse "With the loyal thou dost show thyself loyal; with the blameless man thou dost show thyself blameless; with the pure thou dost show thyself pure, and with the crooked thou dost show thyself perverse. Thou dost deliver a humble people, but thy eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down."
— 2 Samuel 22:26-28 | St. Hunna St. Hunna (d. 679 A.D.) was born in Alsace, France. She was the virtuous daughter of a duke, and she married a similarly virtuous nobleman. Hunna and her husband did not indulge in unnecessary luxuries according to their high state in life, and instead detached themselves from their riches by opening their home to the poor and assisting them in their need. St. Deodatus, a bishop who resigned from his See, came to live with the holy couple for a time. St. Hunna and her husband greatly profited from his religious instruction and grew in sanctity as a result. When Hunna bore a son, she named him after St. Deodatus. This child, raised by such holy parents, later joined a monastery and also became a saint. After her husband's death Hunna continued to spend her life serving the poor, especially women. No task was too menial for her. She tended to the poor and the sick and regularly, including their laundry and mending, even to the point of exhaustion. For this she was nicknamed the "Holy Washerwoman." She also gave away her wealth and property to build churches and monasteries. So many miracles were attributed to her that Pope Leo X canonized her in 1520. St. Hunna is the patron saint of laundresses and her feast day is April 15. | Tuesday of Holy Week Reading 1 Isaiah 49:1-6 Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17 R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me. R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength. R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation. Verse Before the Gospel Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father;
you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter. Gospel John 13:21-33, 36-38 Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus' side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. When he had left, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: John 13:21-33, 36-38 Now is the Son of Man glorified. (John 13:31) How could Jesus talk about being glorified—on this night of all nights? He had just seen one of his closest friends leave, under cover of night, to betray him to the authorities. He knew that, despite all of Peter's protests, this "Rock" of his Church would deny having ever known him. He also knew that the crowds who had greeted him with shouts of "Hosanna!" and who hung on his every word would quickly turn hostile and demand his execution. Even the Romans, who had been content to look the other way, could no longer afford to ignore someone the religious leaders labeled as a troublemaker. So where's the glory? What could possibly be glorious about a tale of betrayal, rejection, suffering, and death? Everything. At least that's how Jesus saw it. He was able to look through the suffering to see what it was going to accomplish. And that's where the glory lay. By offering himself up humbly and peacefully, Jesus would save all of humanity from its bondage to sin and death. He would break the very gates of hell and rescue all the righteous who had already died in the hope of a future resurrection. And he would fling open the gates of heaven so that everyone who believed could live with him in glory forever. The glory that Jesus talked about at the Last Supper is not limited to the glory that awaits us in heaven. It was made manifest when his scattered disciples returned and received the Holy Spirit. It shone forth as they became bold, powerful witnesses to his death and resurrection. It was evident as the very people who had rejected Jesus received the grace of redemption and found their way back to the Lord. It radiated beyond Jerusalem as the Gentiles received the good news of salvation and became full members of the body of Christ. Isn't it amazing that all this happened because of the suffering and death of the Son of God? May we never forget that the glory of God is always shining—even in the times that look the bleakest. "All praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!" Isaiah 49:1-6
Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: Our Lord said:
"Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times........" - Word of the Lord! | From Bishop Barron: "St. Augustine was among the first to comment that the threefold statement of love was meant to counteract the threefold denial. Peter emerges as the archetype of the forgiven and commissioned Church, for after each of his reaffirmations, Peter hears the command to tend the sheep. Once we are brought back into friendship with Jesus, we are called to love those whom he loves......." end quote.
From Roberto Juarez: "This passage reminds us that both the traitor and the denier were among those closest to Jesus. And that Jesus does not stop loving them, even when their failures lead him to the cross.
How do I feel when I realize that Jesus knows my weaknesses and still loves me?
Am I able to recognize my inner Judas: attitudes, fears, or decisions that distance me from Him?
How do I live Peter's trust? Am I willing to grow in humility by acknowledging my limits?
Jesus does not cease to offer bread, his love, his forgiveness. But it also confronts us with the truth of our fragility. This gospel is not to condemn us, but to invite us to a sincere and trusting conversion. Lord Jesus,
You know the depths of my heart
my sincere desire to follow you,
but also my fears, my falls, my betrayals. Thank you for not turning me down,
for continuing to give me your bread, your word, your forgiveness.
Teach me to love you with truth,
not to trust in my own strength, but in your grace. And when he falls, like Peter,
May I have the humility to weep over my faults
And return to you without fear,
'Cause you don't judge me
but you lift me up tenderly.
Amen. ... " End quote.
From brother Adrian: A reflection from USCCB today, recalls that we all sit around that table, with our Lord. What about us that sit with the Lord?
So often we think about all the others that don't go to Church, and those that don't come to meetings, and those that say yes and they never go.
But what about us, sitting at table?
I warn those I teach sternly about the Eucharist which we are about to embark the remembrance at the Last Supper.
I warn students "be careful what you eat and how you are going to receive". I'm talking about our hearts, for the Lord. He will enter us, like a man enters a woman, in hopes to unify, and do His will through us. It is then, a climatic even, and indeed the Holy Church teaches in the Catechism, that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith? Why? How come? Because, it is our Lord Jesus Himself in the Eucharist. He then, is to be our Love, our everything, our sweet Sacrament to adore, praise, and worship with all our heart, mind, body, soul, all our strength.
So why do I warn people? Because. We do not want to blaspheme Him. I'm not talking about hypocrites now, we all have concupiscence, that natural tendency to sin, no, I'm talking more.
Some people receive the Eucharist and leave, as bad, or worse than when they came to the table. Long before we receive Him, we already have hearts set on something else...other priorities, other loves, other ambitions, other goals, other gods even.
And then, we receive what then, becomes the hardener of what is within. Our Lord aims to cement our faith forever, and so He enters to solidify what is within, and what if what is within is darkness?
Granted, He can heal venial sin in the Eucharist, with mercy, but, He cannot heal a heart that does not care, and why would we want to solidify that? Would you want to be intimate with someone who does not care? It would be a disgusting moment!
And yet, I'm sorry to report, it happens, with lay people, clergy, and all of us who go to receive the Lord with a closed mind, heart, soul, and body to His totality, which is given over in abundance poured out on the altar, as libation for our sins, as freedom...and true love...if we so desire.
Lord, I am not worthy to receive You! Please, let us love Thee more and more, with every morsel of Yourself that is offered, may it make my love grow exponentially for You, for Your sake, to do Your will, to live in me, both now, and forever! | Random Bible Random Bible Verse 1
2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
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