Quote of the Day Quote of the Day
"I place trust in God, my creator, in all things; I love Him with all my heart." — St. Joan of Arc Today's Meditation "All, however, cannot attain to the same degree of sacrifice. There are chosen souls whom God has raised above the ordinary callings of life, who, true to their vocation, show their love for God in heroic self-denial, in total surrender to His will, exulting in the use of all their powers to spread His kingdom. But regardless of disparity of calling, all can be led by the same spirit. It is the spirit, not the measure, of sacrifice that will decide our eternity." —John A. Kane, p. 81
An excerpt from How to Make a Good Confession Daily Verse "Yea, thou art my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. Yea, by thee I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." — 2 Samuel 22:29-31 | St Joan Of Arc St. Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was born in Domremy, France to peasant farmers during the Hundred Years War between France and England. She was a pious child, and from age 13 she received visions of saints, most notably St. Michael the Archangel, St. Margaret of Antioch, and St. Catherine of Alexandria, who became her special patrons. Through these visions, voices, and other interior promptings, Joan understood that she was to help the King of France regain his throne. After overcoming her own reluctance, and that of the military and ecclesiastical authorities, she heroically led the French army in battle. With her leadership they recaptured Orleans and Troyes, which allowed Charles VII to be restored to the throne of France. All the while she wore the dress of a soldier to protect her virtue and modesty. The following year she was captured by the English, imprisoned, and placed on trial under accusation of heresy and witchcraft. She was treated unjustly and illegally during her captivity, and her trial became a circus. Under political pressure she was condemned and burned alive at the stake, even though she proved herself to be blameless and fearless in character and faith. As she burned she kept her eyes on a crucifix and repeatedly called on the name of Jesus. A second Church trial twenty-five years later nullified the earlier verdict and found her innocent of all charges, paving the way for her veneration as a saint. St. Joan of Arc is the patron saint of captives, rape victims, soldiers, and France. Her feast day is May 30th. | Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter Reading 1 Acts 18:9-18 One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,
"Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
No one will attack and harm you,
for I have many people in this city."
He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,
the Jews rose up together against Paul
and brought him to the tribunal, saying,
"This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law."
When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,
"If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,
I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;
but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles
and your own law, see to it yourselves.
I do not wish to be a judge of such matters."
And he drove them away from the tribunal.
They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,
and beat him in full view of the tribunal.
But none of this was of concern to Gallio. Paul remained for quite some time,
and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,
together with Priscilla and Aquila.
At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth. R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He brings people under us;
nations under our feet.
He chooses for us our inheritance,
the glory of Jacob, whom he loves. R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise. R. God is king of all the earth.
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 16:20-23 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Acts 18:9-18 Do not be silent, for I am with you. (Acts 18:9-10) Does the word "evangelize" make you nervous? You might feel reluctant to talk about your faith, or perhaps you had a negative experience with a pushy preacher. But the word comes from the Greek euangelizo, which means "good news." Sharing the good news of Jesus is a blessing! But it isn't easy. Just ask St. Paul. After preaching in Thessalonica and Athens amid hostile opposition, Paul traveled to Corinth, hoping to find safety. Even there, however, some Jewish leaders rejected Paul and his message. But in the quiet of night, he received powerful assurance in a vision. God's words to Paul echo through time and can speak to you, too: "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you" (Acts 18:9-10). Like Paul, we don't need to be afraid. And we can't remain silent! God calls each of us to "make disciples" even though we may feel anxious about witnessing (Matthew 28:19). We might fear rejection or saying the wrong thing or being misunderstood. We might even wonder where to begin. But Paul's experience in Corinth shows that sharing the good news doesn't have to be complicated. He lived there for eighteen months and built strong friendships. And that's an excellent starting place. Evangelization begins by deepening our relationships and living out Jesus' call to love the people around us. If your actions show that you are gentle, kind, and compassionate, you create space where meaningful conversations naturally occur. When that space starts to open, just listen. Try to understand your friend's perspective. What do they believe? What objections to the faith do they have? Why do they have them? Are they carrying wounds from their encounters with members of the Church? Listen and intercede for the concerns they share. Second, when the Holy Spirit prompts you to speak, do not be silent! Simply share how your faith has changed you. How has Jesus brought greater joy and peace into your life? You might even admit your doubts and how God helps you overcome them. As you love, listen, and speak, the Spirit will bless you and your friend. And that's really good news! "Lord, help me to speak of your goodness!" Psalm 47:2-7
John 16:20-23 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."......" | They say that in our rich country, we are probably some of the most anxious and depressed people in the world along with some other countries, not the worst, but we are high up in rankings. This is proof then, that our joys do not come from our riches, some of the least anxious and depressed were in the poor countries.
My hope is that one day everyone will realize the truth of the Lord, and we will in the next life, that true joy comes from the Lord.
Is it a gift from God too? Our Lord speaks about joy. And then, to end the Gospel, He says to ask whatever from the Father and He will give you...but how many of us ask for the Joy of the Lord?
The joy of the Lord then, we must know, study, and obtain. How many of us study the joy of the Lord?
A quick artificial intelligence answer says: "The fruit of the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, are nine virtues that are developed in a believer's life through the work of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues are a sign of spiritual growth and a result of the Holy Spirit's presence and power in a person's life."
Pentecost is coming. Let us begin focusing, taking our excitement of Easter, the the everlasting Joy of the Holy Spirit.
Let us stay tuned to Him in what is to come...focus on the good, and God is Good...and He is Love.
People have asked me what drugs I do, and I reply that I do no drugs, but that the joy they see comes from the Lord, as I speak, my heart is pumping, with His blood and Holy Spirit. I do not have words to express what my heart has seen and knows of God. You see my failures, but you do not see my heart. I wrote a song, that said that if you scratch my surface and dig, you will find the joy of the Lord. And it is true of you and many others, if we can scratch to what is truly underneath the hidden veils...perhaps we will find our Lord Himself. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
2 Corinthians 3:17 17 Now the Lord1 is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
