Quote of the Day "Let us never forget that if we wish to die like the saints we must live like them." — St. Eugene de Mazenod Today's Meditation "The works of her [Mary], who was to be the Mother of the God-man, were altogether and in every way most perfect, and even to understand them exceeds the capacity of all human creatures and of the angels. Her interior acts of the virtues were so precious and of such great merit and favor, that they surpass all that the seraphim can do . . . But it is my Will, that during thy pilgrimage in thy mortal body thou place most holy Mary as the beginning of thy joy, and that thou follow her through the desert of renunciation and abnegation of all that is human and visible. Follow her by a perfect imitation according to the measure of thy strength and of the light which thou receivest. Let her be thy guiding star and thy Directress: she will manifest to thee my Will and will let thee find my holy law which is written in her by the power of my right hand: meditate upon it day and night." —Jesus to Ven. Mary of Agreda, p. 87
An excerpt from The Mystical City of God Daily Verse "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved." — Ephesians 1:3-6 | St. Eugene De Mazenod St. Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861) was born in southern France to a noble family. When he was eight years of age his family was forced to flee the turmoil of the French Revolution and seek political asylum in Italy. Leaving their possessions behind, the family struggled financially as they relocated from city to city. A sympathetic priest took it upon himself to educate Eugene and stir in him a love for God. The family returned to France when Eugene was twenty. They were distressed to find a dramatically altered society, and their social status no greater than ordinary citizens. The family was also plagued with in-fighting which culminated in divorce, a rarity at the time. While Eugene's father remained in Italy, Eugene's mother fought to regain the family's former possessions. She also attempted to force Eugene to marry a wealthy heiress. St. Eugene, deeply affected by how the Revolution had decimated the Church in France, decided to enter the seminary instead. After his ordination he sought out other zealous priests and together they went as missionaries into the countryside villages, calling themselves the "Missionaries of Provence," which was later approved by the pope as the "Oblates of Mary Immaculate." St. Eugene went on to become the Bishop of Marseilles. He did much work in restoring his diocese by building and repairing churches, doubling the number of priests, and bringing in religious communities. He also worked to weaken the government's monopoly on education, and supported the rights of the Holy See. Eugene de Mazenod is the patron saint of dysfunctional families. His feast day is May 21st. | Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 15:1-6 Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
"Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved."
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters
about this question.
They were sent on their journey by the Church,
and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria
telling of the conversion of the Gentiles,
and brought great joy to all the brethren.
When they arrived in Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the Church,
as well as by the Apostles and the presbyters,
and they reported what God had done with them.
But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers
stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them
and direct them to observe the Mosaic law." The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5 R.(see 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia John 15:4a, 5b R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 15:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: John 15:1-8 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. (John 15:2) In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks of his Father as a vine grower who does the careful work of pruning. Scripture scholars have noted that in the language Jesus used in this passage, the word for "prune" also implies a cleansing—and this was probably deliberate on the Lord's part. He knew that after he returned to his Father, his disciples would still need to be cleansed of attitudes and actions that stood in the way of their remaining connected to him, "the true vine" (John 15:1). As followers of Jesus, we, too, need to be continually pruned and cleansed. This can make us feel anxious; it surely doesn't sound like a pleasant prospect! But as one commentator said, "The vinedresser is never closer to the vine, taking more thought over its long-term health and productivity, than when he has the knife in his hand." So we can trust that if we experience him "pruning" us, he is doing it with great care and love. And he is doing it only because he sees how it will help us to bear more fruit for him and his kingdom. How can we cooperate with the Lord's pruning? Sometimes it's helpful to reflect on whether we have become too set in our habits or ways of thinking. Maybe we tend to respond to challenges too defensively. Maybe we need to reexamine our priorities. Or perhaps we have other blind spots. If you see anything like this, simply ask the Spirit, "Is this an opportunity for me to be pruned?" If the answer is yes, we can turn to the Lord in repentance. Then we can give him permission to gently cut away the tangled vines in our lives that are blocking the flow of his life. There's no doubt that the experience of pruning can be painful. Yet we can trust that our faithful and loving Lord knows exactly what he's doing. He will stay close to us as he prunes us and helps us to bear fruit in every area of our lives. "Lord Jesus, I trust that you will cleanse and prune me so that I can bear fruit for you!" Acts 15:1-6
Psalm 122:1-5 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: In the Gospel we hear today:
"I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."......." - Word of the Lord! | What does it mean when our Lord says He is the vine?
And you and me are branches?
It is what He says: I AM the Life.
I've been encouraging seminarians I meet with the words of grace. These Sacraments avail grace. We must strive for a life of grace.
Grace is an amazing gift of God that fortifies the faith, our very life and connection with Our Father....and guess how? Through Jesus.
Pondering scriptures today, I cannot fathom, how we are connected with God our Father, but through Jesus now, and to Jesus through the Holy Spirit. What an amazing connection! And it begins with Baptism! Grace availed. Grace can abound, if only, we remain.
To me, remaining means everything. I see people take it easy in the faith, stop ministries, then, they get cold, and then, they wither, as they venture deeper and deeper into a life of sin, the ways of darkness. And then...death, spiritual, and then, physical. And then, after physical death, the eternal death begins, where time does not exist, and God cannot be touched in prayer in an eternal death. Except, through our prayers on earth.
Today, we must let the blood of Christ flow, through our spiritual veins, and in our hearts. May His precious blood course through our hearts that make one Sacred Heart of Jesus. |  audio | AMAZING. Random Bible Verse 1
Hebrews 11:6 [Hebrews 11] 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
