† Quote of the Day“My prayer is that the good God may establish His absolute reign in your heart and in the hearts of all.” -St. Julie Billiart Today’s Meditation"Jesus Christ could have appeared among us, radiant with joy and encompassed by divine splendor, amidst the glitter and pomp of His sovereign majesty. He deemed it more worthy of His glory and more profitable to the salvation of men, to show Himself to them girt with a diadem of thorns, clothed in purple and stained with blood, His face bruised, the gaping grimace of death on His lips, bearing the bloody unction of the nails imprinted on His hands and feet. In uniting Himself closely with suffering, Jesus Christ assuredly did not smooth all its severity and all its pangs; but He removed part of its bitterness, corrected and destroyed its poison. He made the chalice of His Blood fruitful. Like the brazen serpent set up by Moses in the desert, He implanted Himself in the center of the world as an inexhaustible instrument of mercy, life, and health. Owing to this transformation, His divine wounds, like fountains ever gushing, remain eternally open to all straying and fallen souls who are eager to escape from their coarse, sensual aspirations, wanting to immerse themselves anew in the joys of sacrifice and the honor of purity." —Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 276-277
An excerpt from The End of the Present World Daily Verse"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord." -Psalm 40:1-3
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St Julie BilliartSt. Julie Billiart (1751-1816) was born in Cuvilly, France, to a large and prosperous farming family. By the age of seven she knew her catechism by heart, and would gather her playmates together and teach it to them. Her spiritual progress was so remarkable that her parish priest allowed her to make an early first communion at the age of nine, at which time she took a vow of chastity. As a teenager she already had the reputation of being a living saint. When financial ruin struck her family she worked in the fields alongside the reapers. At the age of twenty-two she became paralyzed and remained a bed-ridden invalid for the next twenty-two years. However this did not prevent her from having an active life. She received Holy Communion daily, made altar laces and linens, catechized the village children from her bedside, and spent many hours in contemplative prayer. When the French Revolution erupted she gave aid to priests in her home, and soon after was smuggled to safety while hidden in a hay cart. She took refuge in the home of a countess, and due to her sanctity soon had a company of young, noble ladies gathered around her bed to whom she taught the ways of the interior life. From this St. Julie founded and led the Institute of the Sisters of Notre Dame dedicated to the Christian education of girls and the training of catechists. After making her vows in 1804, she was cured of her paralysis. For the next twelve years she made over a hundred journeys as she founded fifteen convents of her order. St. Julie Billiart's feast day is April 8th.
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Wednesday in the Octave of EasterLectionary: 263 Reading 1Acts 3:1-10 Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o’clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, “Look at us.”
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 R.(3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations--
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. Sequence -- optionalVictimae paschali laudes Christians, to the Paschal Victim Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems; Christ, who only is sinless, Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous: The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living, The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting, The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen; to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining. Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning! Amen. Alleluia. AlleluiaPsalm 118:24 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelLuke 24:13-35 That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: Acts 3 :1-10Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up. (Acts 3:7) Imagine the crowds bustling through the temple gate, many eager to offer the Lord a sacrifice of praise. But one man lies bundled on the ground. He is a stark reminder of the misery that everyone wants to avoid. Many, uncomfortable with the suffering he represents, try to avoid him. How surprised he must have been when Peter grasped his hand! This wasn’t a mere gesture of sympathy like tossing a few coins on the ground in front of him. It was a firm, direct connection that communicated confidence, strength, and promise. Anything could happen—and it did! “Immediately his feet and ankles grew strong,” and he was able to join Peter and John, “walking and jumping and praising God” (Acts 3:7, 8). Peter’s outstretched hand reveals the special role that physical touch can play in sharing God’s healing power. Think, for instance, of the Sign of the Cross on your forehead at Baptism, the anointing with holy oil you received at Confirmation, or the physical act of consuming the Host at Communion. Think, too, about everyday settings—how you can place a hand on a loved one’s shoulder and pray for them. This simple gesture of solidarity and compassion can become more than a sign—it can become the vehicle for blessing and consolation. And healing. How appropriate, then, that we hear this passage during the Octave of Easter! Jesus’ resurrection is the perfect example of how God not only honors the physical world but is committed to working in it and through it. God didn’t simply send an angel to tell us that his Son had overcome death. He raised Jesus’ body from the dead to demonstrate that his kingdom is a place where brokenness of any kind can be transformed into wholeness. Similarly, by grasping the beggar’s hand while healing him, Peter reveals that Jesus has transformed our world—and that he will continue to transform it. So this Easter week, praise the Lord who heals and restores. And find ways to demonstrate his healing love. Reach out to those close to you and offer them the grace of Jesus’ healing touch. You never know what might happen! “Jesus, make me an instrument of your healing!” Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9
Luke 24:13-35
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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Audio of 2 Cents
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From today's Holy Gospel: ".. So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. ..."
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From Roberto Juarez: "And then the climax occurs: "They recognized him in the breaking of bread." In that gesture, his eyes open. They discover that the one who walked with them was the Lord. This detail is not accidental. The "breaking of bread" is a clear reference to the Eucharist. Here is one of the great teachings of today's Gospel: the Risen Christ makes himself known to us in a privileged way in the Eucharist. In the Word that illuminates, and in the Bread that is broken. For this reason, every Mass is Emmaus: we listen, understand, recognize and encounter Him.
And then the transformation occurs: The disciples say, "Was not our heart burning as he spoke to us on the road?" They go from sadness to inner ardor. From flight to return. And, although it is night, they return to Jerusalem. This is very significant. The encounter with the Risen Christ changes the direction of life. He who fled, returns. Those who were discouraged are filled with enthusiasm. He who was closed becomes a witness.
Today the Gospel offers us a very concrete way: to recognize our Emmaus moments: of sadness, of doubt, of estrangement. To discover that Jesus walks with us, even if we do not see him. To listen to his Word, which illuminates our lives. Invite him to stay. Recognize him in the Eucharist. And to return to the community with joy.
Let us ask the Lord in this Eucharist to open our eyes to recognize him, to enkindle our hearts with his Word and to give us the strength to always return to him. And that we too can say, from experience: "We have recognized the Lord in the breaking of bread." end quote.
Big words here, "In The Breaking of The Bread".
We hear the distinct sound in the Mass of the breaking of the unleavened bread. Why unleavened? We read about it in Exodus. The angel of death would Passover on the night of flight.
For our Lord, that flight night would be Thursday night, the Eve of Passover, right? John’s Gospel suggests it occurred just before the festival, with Jesus's crucifixion coinciding with the slaughtering of the Passover lambs.
At the same time hundreds of lambs were slaughtered, the Lamb of God was slaughtered.
Back to the bread.
Our Lord knew all of this. So, as a pilgrim on flight, with the angel of death in sight, our Lord girded Himself, even kneeling to wash the feet of the followers.
This is for all of us to learn from. Humility? Servant leadership.
This is for all of us to realize, we are pilgrims in this world. We are in flight mode, not to be stuck in this world, like our Lord said to Mary after the resurrection "stop holding on to me". We are not of this world. He was about to Ascend. We are in the same period of Easter. We are awaiting the Ascension of our Lord in this liturgical time? In 2026, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on Thursday, May 14 (40 days after Easter) in many regions. However, many U.S. ecclesiastical provinces have transferred this holy day to the following Sunday, May 17, 2026. It marks the completion of Christ's resurrection.
In the meantime, we are in that wonder and awe, like those journeying to Emmaus.
He is among us. He disguises Himself. Have you been joining others on their journey? He will join where 2 or 3 are gathering in His name and for His cause...Our Father's will.
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Random Bible VerRandom Bible Verse 1
Psalm 91:1–2 [Psalm 91] My Refuge and My Fortress " He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say1 to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Word of the Lord!
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