† Quote of the Day"Know this: just as the wood of the ark saved the just from drowning, so too, by the mystery of His wooden Cross, does Christ, the Church’s God and King, save us from drowning in the sea of this world. In the symbol of a thing made of wood He gave human beings a foreshadowing of both the judgment to come and the salvation of the just." —St. Augustine, p.136
An excerpt from Augustine Day by Day Daily VerseMay the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. -Romans 15:5-6
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St. DonanSt. Donan (d. 617 A.D.), also known as St. Donnán of Eigg, was a prominent Celtic missionary and Gaelic priest. Little is known of his life except that he was likely an Irishman who traveled as a missionary throughout Galloway and northward along the west coast of Scotland. He is thought to have been a contemporary of St. Columba. Donan formed a religious community on the tiny northwest island of Eigg in Scotland. The community grew to fifty-two men. One year, after celebrating the Easter Vigil Mass, they were unexpectedly attacked and martyred either by pirates or a band of Viking raiders. Tradition holds that the community was gathered together and killed in the refectory on the night of April 17, 617. The martyrdom of Christian missionaries at this time was rare, leading many to suspect the attack was instigated by a malicious local queen who viewed St. Donan and his monks as a threat to her power. His feast day is April 17.
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Friday of the Second Week of EasterLectionary: 271 Reading 1Acts 5:34-42 A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel,
a teacher of the law, respected by all the people,
stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time,
and said to the Sanhedrin, "Fellow children of Israel,
be careful what you are about to do to these men.
Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important,
and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed,
and all those who were loyal to him
were disbanded and came to nothing.
After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census.
He also drew people after him,
but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered.
So now I tell you,
have nothing to do with these men, and let them go.
For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God."
They were persuaded by him.
After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged,
ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus,
and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes,
they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 R. (see 4abc) One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. AlleluiaMatthew 4:4b R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelJohn 6:1-15 Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little."
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people recline."
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
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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: John 6:1-15What good are these for so many? (John 6:9) In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples what to do about a hungry multitude. But John tells us that Jesus “knew what he was going to do” (John 6:6), so his question is really an invitation to participate with him in his work. Andrew offers the first suggestion: he has five barley loaves and two fish. But, he warns, “What good are these for so many?” (6:9). Andrew’s words might echo in our own minds as we consider the magnitude of the needs that we see in the world, the Church, our neighborhoods, and our families. “What good” can we do about them? Our resources aren’t enough to meet all the needs, and we might feel overwhelmed. But remember, Jesus already knows what he is going to do in each of these situations. He is inviting you to participate in his work, not do it all yourself. Like Andrew, you can give what you have and watch Jesus use it. How? Perhaps your heart breaks for the casualties of the many wars throughout the world. You can’t stem the tide of violence by yourself. But you can pray and even fast or offer some other sacrifice for peace. You can support relief efforts for people whose lives have been turned upside down. You might be disturbed by the polarization of our culture and the way different groups of people are treated with disrespect. You can’t change thousands of minds on your own. But you can start by showing love and respect to people right where you live. You might be moved to speak out against injustice by writing to a local elected official. There are ruptured relationships in your workplace and your family that you don’t know how to heal. Hurts or bad choices drive a wedge between some of them, and you can’t fix it. But you can lend a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear to someone who is hurting in some way. Start small; do what you can do. Like Andrew, offer Jesus a concrete, practical step that you can take to work toward healing, reconciliation, or relief. Remember, Jesus knows what he’s doing, and he is perfectly capable of multiplying whatever you offer him. “Jesus, I lay all these tragedies at your feet. Show me today how I can cooperate with you.” Acts 5:34-42
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
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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: ".. Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little."
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people recline." ..."
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From Roberto Juarez: "Let us ask that we know how to trust more, that we may not be afraid to give, and that we may learn to live generously. And that, like that boy, we give our lives to Jesus of Nazareth, so that He may transform it... and turn it into food for many. Because in God's hands, the little... it becomes abundance." end quote.
From Bishop Barron: "This liturgical rhythm is beautifully conveyed by the laconic lines: “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.”
Our Lord took five loaves and two fishes to feed 5,000 men plus all the women and children.
Does this remind you of another parable our Lord said? It was perhaps the smallest of the parables He said.
The mustard seed.
He takes the 5 loaves to feed the 5 thousand.
The smallest of seeds for all the birds to take refuge.
To provide all the future seeds in the mustard tree to multiply many times over.
For thus, the seed of the new Adam propagates the world.
He takes the little we give and miracles happen.
What does this all mean?
Have faith. The LORD is with you. Yahweh-Yireh. The Lord will provide.
Next lesson: Do Not Be Afraid.
If you keep reading the bible, the disciples go out on a boat and are taken over by a dark and scary storm.
To which the Lord will appear and say something like "did you not learn the lesson from Me feeding the five thousand?"
They had to sit and think as the storm subsided.
"Don't you get it?", it seems our Lord asks.
" I AM, and I AM Here!".
Why then, should you be afraid to surrender to God.
The Lord asks Philip "WHERE can we buy all these people some food?".
Philip said "there's a boy here with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, BUT, BUT! BUT! There's not enough money!".
Wow.
Mother Angelica started a worldwide network of Catholic Broadcasting with no money, just a poor little nun.
Mother, Saint Mother Teresa started a worldwide movement with no money, being with the poorest of the poor.
Yet, it is as if we trusted money more.
As if we trust the world more...than our Lord.
How sad...but true. Because God is the provider. He is FATHER!
And even at the last supper, Philip still doesn't get it, as we heard: "During the Last Supper, Philip asked, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us". Jesus responded with a poignant teaching on his unity with the Father, saying, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" HE IS HERE, in the breaking of the bread...the Most Holy Eucharist. Come see Him...Thy Father.
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Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 20:9 " Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?"
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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