FEAST DAY After Jesus' Resurrection from the dead, He continued to appear to His disciples for a period of 40 days. After this time, with His Apostles gathered around Him on the Mount of Olives, Jesus was taken up bodily into heaven, as recorded in the Gospels. To comfort them in His physical absence, He promised to send them a Consoler and Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with them and to guide them into all truth until the end of the world. The Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter Sunday, also called Ascension Thursday. It is a Holy Day of Obligation, and among the oldest and most solemn feasts on the liturgical calendar. In many dioceses the celebration of the feast is transferred to the following Sunday.
Learn More About Today's Feast Quote of the Day "Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him." — St. Augustine Today's Meditation There is a symbolic beauty in the circumstance that the tomb of Jesus was only a few paces from His Cross. Suffering and death are but two aspects of the same thing; the one lays us low, and the other completes the work of destruction. Yet through Jesus they both raise us up, and our joint ascension presents the three stages of the Cross, the tomb, and Heaven. - A.G. Sertillanges, p. 197-198 An excerpt from What Jesus Saw from the Cross Daily Verse "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from thee, and thou rulest over all. In thy hand are power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank thee, our God, and praise thy glorious name." — 1 Chronicles 29:11-13 | St. Bona Of Pisa St. Bona (1156 - 1207 A.D.) was born in Pisa, Italy. She experienced visions at a young age which led her into an ascetical life of penance and fasting. She dedicated herself to God at the early age of ten and became an Augustinian tertiary. At the age of fourteen she went on her first pilgrimage to Jerusalem where her father was fighting in the crusades. On her trip home she was captured and wounded by Muslim pirates and imprisoned, later being rescued by her fellow countrymen. She became fond of making pilgrimages and returned to the Holy Land many times. She also led a large pilgrimage group along the Way of St. James (Santiago de Compostela), a 1,000 mile journey. She had a great devotion to St. James, whom she had seen in a vision as a child. She was named an official guide of the ancient route by the Knights of St. James. St. Bona made the Way of St. James a total of nine times. On her tenth trip she had to return home due to illness, and died soon after. St. Bona of Pisa is the patron saint of travelers, couriers, tour guides, pilgrims, flight attendants, and the city of Pisa. Her feast day is May 29th. | Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter Reading I Acts 18:1-8 Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,
who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla
because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.
He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,
stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,
attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,
Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,
testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
When they opposed him and reviled him,
he shook out his garments and said to them,
"Your blood be on your heads!
I am clear of responsibility.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
So he left there and went to a house
belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;
his house was next to a synagogue.
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia. Alleluia See John 14:18 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;
I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel John 16:16-20 Jesus said to his disciples:
"A little while and you will no longer see me,
and again a little while later and you will see me."
So some of his disciples said to one another,
"What does this mean that he is saying to us,
'A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me,'
and 'Because I am going to the Father'?"
So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks?
We do not know what he means."
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,
"Are you discussing with one another what I said,
'A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me'?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Acts 18:1-8 He met a Jew named Aquila, . . . who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. (Acts 18:2) With all of its sermons, conversions, miracles, and travels, the Book of Acts gives us a bird's-eye view of the early Church. But it doesn't give us the full stories of all the heroes and heroines of that first generation of Christians who were instrumental in building the Church. As John said about his Gospel, "There wouldn't be enough books in the entire world" to write down all those stories (21:25)! Think about Barnabas. He was instrumental in starting Paul on his apostolic career, and he even journeyed with him for a time (Acts 9:27; 13:1-3). But we don't hear much more about him after that point. Think, too, about Priscilla and Aquila, whom we meet in today's first reading. This is what we know: they had recently arrived in Corinth because the emperor Claudius had expelled all the Jews from Rome. They welcomed Paul into their home and worked beside him during his stay. Then they met Apollos, realized he was not teaching the full gospel, and invited him into their home to teach him more fully. They also opened their home to church services and constantly nurtured new believers in the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:19). Later, we learn that Priscilla and Aquila traveled with Paul, and on at least one occasion risked their lives for him (Romans 16:3-4). Finally, think of all the people whose names are listed at the end of many of Paul's letters—people like Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Junias, Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, Aristobulus, Herodion, and Narcissus (Romans 16:3-11). So many names! So many people! And so many stories that are unknown to us! But here's the most important point: each one of them was essential to the growth of the Church. The same is true for you! There is no such thing as nonessential support staff in the kingdom of God. There are no second-tier builders of the Church—at least not in God's eyes. You can make a real difference in the world as you embrace the calling God has for you. Whether you are in the spotlight or working "behind the scenes," know that the Lord sees your faithfulness—and he rejoices in you! "Holy Spirit, thank you for all the heroes of the faith! And thank you for calling me to be a hero, too." Psalm 98:1-4
John 16:16-20 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,
"Are you discussing with one another what I said,
'A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me'?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy......" | From Roberto:
"Jesus anticipates a radical change: pain will be transformed into joy. This is one of the keys to the Christian life: Easter does not deny suffering, but transforms it. Faith does not prevent weeping, but it fills it with meaning and leads it towards the light.
This Gospel challenges us in those moments of our lives when it seems that God has hidden himself, when his absence is felt, and uncertainty or pain reigns. Jesus does not promise a life without trials, but he does promise a certainty: his return, his consolation, his victory over sadness. • How do I respond when I experience God's absence in my life? • Do I trust that, after the darkness, the Lord will once again manifest himself clearly? • Am I willing to go through the pain trusting in the promise of Easter joy? Lord Jesus,
When pain clouds my gaze,
And sadness seems to dominate my heart
Help me to remember your words:
"Your sadness will turn to joy."
Teach me to wait in faith in the midst of silence,
to trust in your return,
to live every cross united to your Passover,
with the certainty that you never leave us alone.
Amen."
Our Lord said ""A little while and you will no longer see me,
and again a little while later and you will see me."
Like a flash. A gust of wind. Like a whisper. He comes and goes, or so it would seem, if we step back and look outside our realms where time does not exist. You see, I believe that when we pass on to the next real life, we will look back to this life, as if it happened in a flash, a flash fire too. Is life passing by quickly? The year is going fast, even in the pandemics it was going fast, with its own set of problems. And today? Are you making plans for the summer? Do they involve the Lord? What about the quick life we are living? How much of it will be for God our Father who has said He is love?
Did you know today is a great feast to celebrate? We will be pushing this to celebrate on Sunday, but the next week, we celebrate Pentecost. And then? How will we live the faith on fire for the Lord? We must be on full time watch, like, with eyes behind our head, to see all that is going on, mindful, that we are that whisper of God, that we are that flash of light, that lets all see, that God is indeed Good, and if He left a little while, it was only to come back forever, and to say before ascending into Heaven as if the Mass is ending with the The Great Commission:
Matthew 28:
"But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated to them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." I AM with you....ALWAYS!
Even when time stops, I AM! Let us take heart, hold His hand, and never let go of Love. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 1:3–5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
