Quote of the Day "If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes." — St. Clement Today's Meditation "Prayer is greatly aided by fasting and watching and every kind of bodily chastisement. In this regard each of you must do what you can. Thus, the weaker will not hold back the stronger, and the stronger will not press the weaker. You owe your conscience to God. But to no one else do you owe anything more except that you love one another." —St. Augustine, p. 143 An excerpt from Augustine Day by Day Daily Verse "To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing." — Isaiah 40:25-26 | St. Bernardine Of Siena St. Bernardine of Siena (1380–1444) was born to a noble family in Siena, Italy. As a young man he witnessed the bubonic plague raging mercilessly through the city, and volunteered to care for the sick in the local hospital. At this time he also spent much time praying and fasting to know God's will for his life. He discerned a call to Holy Orders and the religious life, and joined the Franciscans at the age of 22. He lived in solitude for over a decade before being sent to preach in the streets, which he did with incredible skill, so much so that he became the most renowned preacher of his day. He traveled on foot to strife-torn cities, attacking sin and paganism and encouraging all to a life of faith and virtue. Huge crowds numbering in the tens of thousands would come to hear him preach in the public square. His fame and effectiveness as a preacher caused the pope to compare him to St. Paul the Apostle. Bernardine was especially known for his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and for promulgating devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. It was he who devised the IHS symbol over a blazing sun as a monogram and logo for the Holy Name of Jesus (in Greek) to replace the public display of insignias of rival family tribes which disturbed the peace. This symbol of Christ began appearing in churches and on public buildings, even to this day. He also served as the head of his Franciscan community. When he began there were 300 friars; when he died there were over 4,000. St. Bernardine's feast day is May 20th. | Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 14:19-28 In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
"It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God."
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21 R.(see 12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Luke 24:46, 26 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 14:27-31a Jesus said to his disciples:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
'I am going away and I will come back to you.'
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: John 14:27-31 My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. (John 14:27) In the late nineteenth century, French artists experimented with a new technique in painting called pointillism. They created pictures by painting a series of small dots of color. Up close, all you can see are dots. But step back, and the picture becomes clearer! Sometimes, our lives can be like that. Daily joys and problems, ups and downs, can loom large before our eyes. We become engrossed in the chaotic or colorful or tragic moments. We lose our peace or get swept up into an unwarranted sense of excitement. We forget to step back and see the big picture. The peace that Jesus promises us in today's Gospel reading is not something we conjure up on our own. It doesn't come from manipulating every "dot" that makes up the circumstances of our lives. It's far more solid and reliable—far more like the "big picture." Look at Paul and Barnabas. They were threatened with being stoned while in Iconium, so they moved to Lystra, where the people hailed them as gods. But these same people later turned on them and attacked Paul, leaving him for dead. Then, escaping Lystra, Paul and Barnabas ended up making a "considerable number" of disciples in Derbe (Acts 14:5-6, 11, 19, 21). That's a lot of ups and downs! According to the world, these men should have felt anxious, not peaceful. But they didn't. Writing years later, Paul said, "I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. . . . I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me" (Philippians 4:12, 13). Will we face ups and downs? Fickle responses from people? Happiness interspersed with hardship? Yes. But we can still find peace in Christ. How? By stepping back and looking at the big picture. Today, lean into the arms of the divine Artist, who is painting the masterpiece of your life. Let the chaos and beauty of all those individual dots come together to form one amazing picture. The peace that Jesus promised will come as you look beyond your changing circumstances and remember his love and provision. "Jesus, you are my Prince of Peace!" Acts 14:19-28
Psalm 145:10-13, 21 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: In the Gospel we hear today:
"I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me......." - Word of the Lord! | Is it scary that our Lord said that the "ruler of the world is coming"?
It is strange that our Lord would leave us and say "I will no longer speak much with you" also! Right?
So...it seems we are being left alone?
Hang tight.
3 days later, our Lord rises from death. To swallow up death, and all the wrath that we deal with on earth.
In this way, our Lord is victorious.
And then our Lord will say before ascending into Heaven "I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS" and then commands us to go forth baptizing all in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
They say that the bible reminds us about 365 times the phrase "Do Not Be Afraid". Once for every day of the year.
Indeed, it happened again today, when our Lord said "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."
And our Lord said to rejoice in Him, and that the Father is greater than Him.
I don't think we all grasp the very concept of God's Kingdom. Jesus is King. God is Creator, the ultimate of all lives and existence. What He is may never be known, ever, and this mystery is good, and all we know is that HE says I AM, and that He is love.
The Kingdom of Love must permeate every soul, beginning with you and me.
My2cents: I am in many ministries. Within the last month, one ministry, a member comes in makes another cry and wanting to quit. In another ministry, another harsh member made another quit last year, by his mannerisms. And in another, we see brutality of mannerisms even towards the priests, and the ruler never stops coming. Even last night, I could not sleep when I awoke with evil attacks on thoughts that made me restless because of an issue with one. So, I prayed, even though my mind could not pray, my heart would not let me, the evil seed had been thrust at me, I got up, prayed again, attempted about 7 times to finish a Glory be or an Our Father, until I was able to trust in the Lord, and rest again.
This is the world we live in. Not easy. But tests of love come at us constantly. I encourage you to be more holy. Be more attentive and watchful, with your lights on, not disgraced. There is more to say, but these words of encouragement is what you need for today is enough to carry without living in the past or fretting about tomorrow. God's grace is enough. May we tend to His Kingdom. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 5:3 [Matthew 5] 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
