Quote of the Day "To join two things together there must be nothing between them or there cannot be a perfect fusion. Now realize that this is how God wants our soul to be, without any selfish love of ourselves or of others in between, just as God loves us without anything in between." — St. Catherine of Siena Today's Meditation "The soul, who is lifted by a very great and yearning desire for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, begins by exercising herself, for a certain space of time, in the ordinary virtues, remaining in the cell of self-knowledge, in order to know better the goodness of God towards her. This she does because knowledge must precede love, and only when she has attained love, can she strive to follow and to clothe herself with the truth. But, in no way, does the creature receive such a taste of the truth, or so brilliant a light therefrom, as by means of humble and continuous prayer, founded on knowledge of herself and of God; because prayer, exercising her in the above way, unites with God the soul that follows the footprints of Christ Crucified, and thus, by desire and affection, and union of love, makes her another Himself." —St. Catherine of Siena, p.1
An excerpt from Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena Daily Verse "Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods! Thou hast multiplied, O Lord my God, thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us; none can compare with thee! Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be numbered." — Psalm 40:4-5 | St. Catherine Of Siena St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380) was born in Siena, Italy, the 24th of 25 children born to a wealthy wool dyer and his wife. Catherine began having profound mystical experiences at the age of six which encouraged her in a life of virtue, extreme penance, and total consecration to God through a private vow of virginity. She became a Dominican Tertiary at the age of 16 while continuing to live in the home of her parents. She had regular mystical visits from, and conversations with, Jesus, Mary, and many of the saints. Catherine had no formal education and was illiterate, yet her theological knowledge acquired through prayer astounded learned theologians. She was especially devoted to working for the unity and spiritual health of the Church. Among her most famous accomplishments was that she persuaded the Pope to return to Rome from Avignon in 1377. She also encouraged him to call for a Crusade to the Holy Land. She was an important political figure in her day, often entering into negotiations between warring rulers through personal visits and dictated letters. Her practical wisdom and profound spiritual insight was widely sought both inside and outside the Church. St. Catherine was a great mystic and was granted the stigmata which was made visible only after her death. She died in Rome at the age of 33, offering her life to God for the sanctification of the Church, and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970. St. Catherine of Siena is the patron saint of Italy and Europe. Her feast day is April 29th. | Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church Lectionary: 268
Reading 1 Acts 4:32-37 The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need. Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated "son of encouragement"),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5 R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength. R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD. R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia John 3:14-15 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 3:7b-15 Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
'How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Acts 4:32-37 There was no needy person among them. (Acts 4:34) Isn't it striking how the first Christians took care of one another? Moved by their love for the Lord and for each other, the wealthier members of their community—people like Barnabas—freely shared their resources with those who were less fortunate. They considered their bounty as a blessing from God that they should share with each other (Acts 4:34-37). Blessed Frédéric Ozanam is a more contemporary example of someone who, like the early Christians, looked beyond himself to the needs of the people around him. While thousands died in a cholera epidemic in Paris in 1832, many more were left destitute. Ozanam, a young university student, was moved at the hopeless state of families who had lost the support of their breadwinners. Then he was stung by another student's remark: "In former times, Christianity worked wonders, but what is it doing for mankind now? And you, who pride yourself on your Catholicity, what are you doing for the poor?" In response, Ozanam gathered a few friends and began to do whatever he could to relieve the suffering he saw in the slums of the city. Eventually, a new organization, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, grew from Ozanam's work and spread. Through the society, volunteers serve millions of disadvantaged people around the globe. They provide home visits, job training, housing assistance, food pantries, and medicine for the elderly. They pray with people, care for their needs, and show the love of Christ in countless concrete ways. Most of us don't live in as close-knit a community as the first Christians, where everything was held in common. Nor would many of us be able, like Barnabas, to sell our property, donate it to our local parish, and still be able to care for ourselves and our families. But God still calls us to bear witness to Jesus through acts of generosity and loving service that line up with our circumstances. So ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see the needs around you. Sharing some of your resources, including your time and attention, can make a big difference! "Lord, show me how I can share the blessings you have given me." Psalm 93:1-2, 5
John 3:7-15 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: In the Gospel we hear today:
"Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."......" - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"Jesus praises the Father for choosing the little ones, those who open themselves with humility. Faith is not achieved only with intelligence, but with a heart ready to accept God's gift.
Do I approach God from humility or from self-reliance? Am I willing to let Him surprise me, like a child?
Jesus does not call only the perfect, but the weary, burdened, wounded. It is an open invitation to all who feel burdened by life, by responsibilities, by sin or by pain.
Do I recognize my burdens and give them to Jesus? Or do I try to carry everything by my own strength?
The yoke of Jesus is not a heavy burden, but a lifestyle based on love and meekness. To learn from Him is to learn to live with peace, with humility, with compassion for oneself and for others.
How can I be taught by Jesus in my daily life? Am I willing to take up His yoke and follow Him with confidence?.... " End quote.
From brother Adrian:
A Spanish Reflection by Fernando Torres, CMF said: "A few years ago, among the missionaries who left their country to go and take the Gospel to other countries, other languages and other cultures, it became fashionable to say that they had to be inculturated in their new country. It was a somewhat naïve understanding of what culture is. As if it were enough to learn the language and get used to different ways of eating, dressing or relating to each other. Try as they might, those missionaries were still Spanish or Italians or French or Americans or whatever country of origin they were.
There the radicalism of Jesus' proposal becomes clearer to us. To be born again means to erase all the pages of the book that we are and to begin to fill them again. It means reading the Gospel and approaching Jesus with new eyes and an open heart, clean and free of prejudice, to let ourselves be led by the Spirit. It is a difficult proposition but not impossible. Shall we try?" end quote from Fernando Torres. Our Lord said He would have to be lifted up like the serpent, the saraph we heard about in the times of Moses. The word "saraph" is related to the Hebrew word for "burning," and in a way can be seen as the seraphim, burning angels. The term "saraph" is also used to describe seraphim, a type of angelic being, in the Book of Isaiah. These beings are often depicted as having six wings and being associated with fire and holiness.
Our Lord said He would be the one to come from Heaven, and be lifted up like that serpent, but not like any other. This would be the saving one. It would embody and heal the burning venom that was killing everybody.
I witnessed some of my students being baptized in the Easter Vigil night. I was reminded of my children being born physically, as their faces were washed and eyes opening to a new reality, a new life invitation, a new place in the heart of God. The Easter candle was lit in the dark and then dipped in the waters of Baptism, the "Alpha and the Omega" the candle says. Our Lord becomes one in us in our baptism, and we become one in Him, as we do in the Eucharist, for life eternal.
Can we fathom, that the Lord speaks in the People of God, the new Israel? Can we stand to hear Him speak the truth? We would do good to let Him speak in us, and live in us, all day, every day, the Word among us, the living God.... |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Ephesians 6:10 [Ephesians 6]
The Whole Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
