†Saint Quote:“I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather, I believe in order that I may understand.” -St. Anselm of Canterbury Today’s Meditation"St. Augustine says, that to prevent the sheep from seeking assistance by her cries, the wolf seizes her by the neck, and thus securely carries her away and devours her. The Devil acts in a similar manner with the sheep of Jesus Christ. After having induced them to yield to sin, he seizes them by the throat, that they may not confess their guilt; and thus he securely brings them to Hell. For those who have sinned grievously, there is no means of salvation but the confession of their sins." —St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 138
An excerpt from The Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori Daily VerseAnd Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.' -1 Samuel 15:22
|
EWTN Daily Saint
|
|
Pope Saint Pius VPope St. Pius V (1504–1572) was born as Antonio Ghislieri to a poor yet noble family in Bosco, Italy. He worked as a shepherd until the age of 14, after which he joined the Dominican Order and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. He taught theology and philosophy, spent long hours in prayer, and fasted regularly. Due to his great intelligence and reputation for holiness he rose to a number of prominent positions in the Church, including Inquisitor and Bishop. In 1565 he was elected Pope and took the name Pope Pius V. As Supreme Pontiff he was a great reformer and worked to implement the decisions of the Council of Trent following the Protestant revolt. He reformed the clergy, supported the foreign missions, published a catechism, revised the breviary and missal, and named St. Thomas Aquinas a Doctor of the Church. In his alliance with Venice and Spain, and with the aid of a rosary crusade among the faithful, he defeated the Ottoman Turks in the famous and decisive Battle of Lepanto in the Mediterranean sea on October 7, 1571. This miraculous victory saved Europe from being ruled by the Ottoman Empire. The Holy Father afterwards instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory (now Our Lady of the Rosary) in thanksgiving to Our Lady for leading the Christian forces to victory, and to encourage a greater devotion to the Holy Rosary throughout the universal Church. For this he is known as the "Pope of the Rosary." His feast day is April 30th.
|
Thursday of the Fourth Week of EasterLectionary: 282 Reading IActs 13:13-25 From Paphos, Paul and his companions
set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia.
But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats.
After the reading of the law and the prophets,
the synagogue officials sent word to them,
“My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak.” So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,
“Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out,
and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.
When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,
he gave them their land as an inheritance
at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.
After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet.
Then they asked for a king.
God gave them Saul, son of Kish,
a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
Then he removed him and raised up David as their king;
of him he testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’" Responsorial PsalmPsalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27 R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.’”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia. AlleluiaSee Revelation 1:5ab R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead,
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelJohn 13:16-20 When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
|
Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
|
From Word Among Us WAU.org
|
Daily Meditation: John 13:16-20If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. (John 13:17) It was personal. Jesus had just washed his apostles’ feet. He didn’t just teach them with words. He showed what humble, self-emptying love looked like—he got close enough to wash the dust and dirt from their feet. We know that this act of foot washing foreshadowed the ultimate act of love that Jesus would do the very next day, when he would offer himself on the cross to free us from sin and restore us to his Father. But on this night, the lesson was an invitation for his disciples to empty themselves on behalf of others and to serve one another tenderly and humbly. This was the kind of personal connection that Jesus made with people, and he wanted his apostles to do the same. The beauty of such a calling is that by imitating Jesus, they would bring him to everyone they served (John 13:20). As Jesus’ self-emptying love softened and changed the apostles’ hearts, their own humility and self-emptying could do the same for the people around them. Though we are not apostles, we, too, are called to model Jesus’ sacrificial love. That might feel uncomfortable at times. When you think about “washing the feet” of someone in your life, do you hesitate? Let’s say you have a bad-tempered neighbor who just had surgery. Remember Jesus’ example and ask him how you could serve that person as he might do. Maybe your neighbors would appreciate it if you brought them a meal and spent time talking with them. Your listening ear might be a comfort to them, and you might make a new friend. You never know whether the time you take to reach out will have a ripple effect on their hearts. Chances are, if you’ve been deeply touched by another person’s love, it was when they cared for you in a personal way. When the love of Christ touched you through them, you might have resolved to pass it on to someone else. Their mercy led you to be more merciful; their generosity inspired your giving; their closeness to Jesus made you thirst for the same. So begin today. Imitate Jesus by serving someone with humility and tenderness. “Lord, help me to love as you love.” Acts 13:13-25
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27
|
Reflections with Brother Adrian:
|
Audio of 2 Cents
|
From today's Holy Gospel: ".. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”... ”
|
From Roberto Juarez:
"Jesus also introduces a note of realism: "I do not say this for all of you..." It refers to betrayal. This reminds us that not everyone accepts the Gospel, not everyone remains faithful. Following Christ also includes the experience of difficulty.
Jesus says, "I tell you now... so that when it happens, you may believe." Faith is not naïve. He knows that there will be moments of darkness. But even there, the Lord sustains us.
And he ends with a key statement: "He who receives whom I send receives me." Here the missionary dimension appears. The disciple is sent. And whoever welcomes the envoy, welcomes Christ... and the Father. Our Christian life does not remain personal. He opens himself up to others.
Today the Lord invites us to three very concrete things: to live our service with humility, to move from knowledge to practice, and to recognize that we are sent.
Let us ask that we learn to serve like Jesus of Nazareth, without seeking recognition, that we live the Gospel coherently, and that we be credible witnesses. So that, through our lives, others may encounter Christ. And so we discover that true greatness... it is not in dominating, but in serving with love." end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
"Judas the betrayer expresses the mysterium iniquitatis with particular symbolic power, for he had spent years in intimacy with Jesus, taking in the Lord’s moves and thoughts at close quarters and sharing table fellowship with him—and yet, he saw fit to turn Jesus over to his enemies.
Those of us who regularly gather around the table of intimacy with Christ and yet engage consistently in the works of darkness are meant to see ourselves in the betrayer." end quote.
Our Lord fulfills the Old Testament. Everything He did was foretold for thousands of years, through the prophets.
Many things He says are directly from the Old Testament, the prophets, and teachings, and He spoke in Psalms, much of which come from King David.
No wonder our Lord is called "Son of David!", right?
We heard in today's first Scripture: "I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish. "
This is God the Father speaking! He is still speaking today! He is speaking among the daily prophets, the heralds of the Good News that sometimes calls for sacrifice...that is good.
Things take work...some things take very hard work! And so, our Lord simply comes in the HOLY SPIRIT to encourage us! If you are encouraged to do good...it is a sign of God speaking to you. And thus, is the reason for this message reaching you.
God wants to have found you, His child, as "a child after His own Heart" to do His every wish!
Then things happen. Then things become worth the good fight. We are in a world of struggle on many fronts. Ourselves. The environment. We learn all these things in a cursillo. And there we learn the methods and tools necessary to live out the will of God in His strength and in His presence.
Let us take heart then...because all of these things have been presented to you. A calling from Heaven.
Take heart.
I AM with you.
|
Click for Audio
|
Random Bible Verse 1
Nahum 1:7 "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him."
Word of the Lord!
|
If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace
|
|
|
