Quote of the Day "Let us love Jesus above all, let us love Mary as our mother; but then, how could we keep from loving Joseph, who was so intimately united to both Jesus and Mary? And how can we honor him better than by imitating his virtues? Now, what else did he do in all his life but contemplate, study, and adore Jesus, even in the midst of his daily labors? Behold, therefore, our model."
— St. Madeleine Sophie Barat Today's Meditation "I believe the life of Saint Joseph offers us a great example of strength and courage. I imagine there were many times when Joseph wondered what was in store for him and his family. Having to leave everything behind to find safety has the potential for causing great anxiety. Saint Joseph found courage in his profound faith. The life of this humble carpenter, chosen by God to be the spouse of Mary and foster father of Jesus, invites us to find our strength and courage by placing our complete trust in the Lord." –Elizabeth Kingsbury-Puscas, p. 256
An excerpt from Every Day With Saint Joseph Daily Verse "And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful." — Colossians 3:14-15 St. Joseph The Worker St. Joseph (1st c.) was born in Bethlehem in Judea and later settled in Nazareth. By Divine command he became the husband of the Virgin Mary and adoptive father to God Incarnate. We know from Scripture and Tradition that St. Joseph was a virtuous man and a carpenter by trade. It was he who was entrusted with the great mission to guard, protect, and provide for the temporal needs of God's most precious gifts, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, in the role of husband and father within the Holy Family. St. Joseph's mission continues from heaven as the patron saint of the Catholic Church. He is also the patron of many causes including fathers, laborers, and families. His feast days are: St. Joseph the Husband of Mary on March 19th, and St. Joseph the Worker on May 1st. Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955 to emphasize the dignity, meaning, and value of human work in the eyes of God, and to give all laborers a model of virtue as well as a heavenly intercessor and protector. | Pope Saint Pius V Pope St. Pius V (1504–1572) was born as Antonio Ghislieri to a poor yet noble family in Bosco, Italy. He worked as a shepherd until the age of 14, after which he joined the Dominican Order and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. He taught theology and philosophy, spent long hours in prayer, and fasted regularly. Due to his great intelligence and reputation for holiness he rose to a number of prominent positions in the Church, including Inquisitor and Bishop. In 1565 he was elected Pope and took the name Pope Pius V. As Supreme Pontiff he was a great reformer and worked to implement the decisions of the Council of Trent following the Protestant revolt. He reformed the clergy, supported the foreign missions, published a catechism, revised the breviary and missal, and named St. Thomas Aquinas a Doctor of the Church. In his alliance with Venice and Spain, and with the aid of a rosary crusade among the faithful, he defeated the Ottoman Turks in the famous and decisive Battle of Lepanto in the Mediterranean sea on October 7, 1571. This miraculous victory saved Europe from being ruled by the Ottoman Empire. The Holy Father afterwards instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory (now Our Lady of the Rosary) in thanksgiving to Our Lady for leading the Christian forces to victory, and to encourage a greater devotion to the Holy Rosary throughout the universal Church. For this he is known as the "Pope of the Rosary." His feast day is April 30th. | Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 5:27-33 When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
"We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man's blood upon us."
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
"We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20 R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him. R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia John 20:29
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 3:31-36 The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Acts 5:27-33 We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit. (Acts 5:32) Nothing could stop the apostles from preaching the gospel—not even threats of imprisonment or scourging or death. Whatever it cost them, they would keep on filling Jerusalem—and eventually the entire world—with the good news. What motivated these men to defy the religious leaders and continue testifying to Christ? Peter tells the high priest, "We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit" (Acts 5:32, emphasis added). They had been with Jesus from the beginning; they had heard his teachings and seen his many miracles. And most miraculous of all, they had encountered him as the risen Lord. Jesus had conquered sin and death, and they couldn't keep this astounding news to themselves! But beyond their own actions, there was something else going on. The Holy Spirit was at work in a powerful way and he couldn't be stopped, either! Just look at what had happened before the apostles were arrested. They had performed so "many signs and wonders" that people began carrying the sick out into the streets for them to heal (Acts 5:12, 15). Plus, after the Sanhedrin threw the apostles in prison, an "angel of the Lord opened the doors" and let them out (5:19). Like the disciples, we, too, are witnesses to Jesus, and we, too, are called to proclaim the good news to the people we encounter each day. But we can easily forget that it's not all up to us. We need the Spirit, not only to help us become effective witnesses, but to work in mighty ways that will convince people that Jesus is who he says he is. So turn to the Holy Spirit and ask him to witness with you! He will provide opportunities to share your faith. He will give you the courage and the right words to say. He will come in power when you pray with someone. He is always at work—and he can't be stopped! "Holy Spirit, empower me to be your witness today!" Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-20
John 3:31-36 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: In the Gospel we hear today:
"The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony......." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"Many times, like the neighbors of Nazareth, it is difficult for us to see God in the simple: in a friendly word, in silent prayer, in Mass every Sunday, in the sacraments. Am I attentive to God's presence in my daily life?
Or do I limit it to extraordinary moments?
The inhabitants of Nazareth had their image of Jesus so fixed that they could not accept that God acted through him. We too can set limits to God.
Are there prejudices or routines that harden my heart? Am I willing to let myself be surprised by God?
Jesus did not force anyone to believe. The miracle requires an open, trusting heart. It is not magic, but a living relationship with God.
How is my faith? Do I truly trust that God can work in my life, even when I don't understand everything? Lord, you passed through your town and were not welcomed. I also sometimes close the door on you when you show up unexpectedly. It takes away from me pride, judgment, hardness. Give me a humble heart, like Mary's, to recognize you in the simple and to say: "Let it be done".
Jesus, you are the one sent by the Father, wisdom made flesh. Forgive me when I close myself to your voice because of prejudice, doubts or habit. Today I want to open my heart to you again. Make me simple to recognize you, confident to follow you, and available to let you work in me. Amen.... " End quote.
From brother Adrian:
Bishop Barron ends his reflection today with: "The purpose of the sending of the Son was to gather the human race into the divine life—the rhythm of the Trinitarian love—so that we might relate to God not merely as creatures but as friends. You see, love becomes complete only when there is another who can receive fully what the lover wants to give." end quote. Our Lord said today: "For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit."
Ever heard God speaking to you?
Ever?
He speaks!
He has spoken through so many already in all of these reflections.
He has spoken at all the Masses, in all the readings, the Holy Scriptures.
And you know how we can see Him clearly speaking? This is weird...but through the ages. Through time, a great woven masterpiece of a message is being unraveled through decades, through centuries and millenniums. And yesterday, I was pondering that, as I have been on years of a certain prayer habit in the evenings as the sun is setting, certain prayers...I believe too, that my years of prayer, are also speaking to God our Father.
And here is another revelation. There is in my theories of God's revelations, a very unique stamp, a unique code sequence for every person ever created, and every bond made with anybody, especially with God our Father, every bond of love has its own genetic sequence, supremely unique.
Let's take that further. The bond with our Lord that bonds us with God the Father, Our Father, through our Lord.
Wouldn't you want to increase your love of God in that bond?
I remember when I was young, riding the school bus, two older students, I believe were seniors, one day, the girl was ecstatic, thrilled and was storming through the bus hugging everyone, the feeling was energetic and magnetic. What happened? Her boyfriend had just proposed to her, and her joy was infectious.
My question, since that memory never left me, the question is, shouldn't we have that joy for the Lord? We are in a love bond with Jesus our Lord. Has He proposed to you? The whole of a love relationship hinges on the love we love to be loved with. There is powerful and unique love of God that comes through our Lord Jesus our King, our lover. He is the heart of us all.
We should consider His love calls, His daily messages, His daily bond with each of us in a unique way, everything hinges on that love, and that is the Kingdom we fight and die for...The Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Love.
Let this revelation spread like wild fire. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 16:24 [Matthew 16]
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
