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Scripture for today...

Matthew 23:23-26

Do Not Neglect Justice, Mercy and Faith

Do you allow any blind-spots to blur your vision of God’s kingdom and his ways? Jesus went to the heart of the matter when he called the religious leaders of his day blind Pharisees and hypocrites!

A hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing but does the opposite or who puts on an outward appearance of doing good while inwardly clinging to wrong attitudes, selfish desires and ambitions, or bad intentions.

Many scribes and Pharisees had made it a regular practice to publicly put on a good show of outward zeal and piety with the intention of winning greater honors, privileges, and favors among the people.

Jesus had a very good reason for severely rebuking the scribes and Pharisees, the religious teachers and leaders, for misleading people and neglecting the heart and essence of God’s law – love of God and love of neighbor What forms our outward practices and habits?The scribes in particular devoted their whole lives to the study of God’s law contained in the five books of Moses (Torah). As the religious experts of their day, they took great pride in their knowledge and outward observance of the commandments and precepts of the law of Moses.

They further divided the 613 precepts of the Law of Mosesinto thousands of tiny rules and regulations. They were so exacting in their interpretations and in trying to live them out, that they had little time for much else.

By the time they finished compiling their interpretations it took no less than fifty volumes to contain them! Jesus chastised them for neglecting the more important matters of religion, such as justice and the love of God. In their misguided zeal they had lost sight of God and of his purpose for the law. God’s law of love reveals what is truly important and necessaryJesus used the example of tithing to show how far they had missed the mark. God had commanded a tithe of the first fruits of one’s labor as an expression of thanksgiving and honor for his providential care for his people (Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30).

The scribes, however, went to extreme lengths to tithe on insignificant things (such as tiny plants) with great mathematical accuracy. They were very attentive to minute matters of little importance, but they neglected to care for the needy and the weak.

Jesus admonished them because their hearts were not right. They were filled with pride and contempt for others who were not like themselves. They put unnecessary burdens on others while neglecting to show charity, especially to the weak and the poor. The scribes and Pharisees meticulously went through the outward observance of their religious duties and practices while forgetting the realities of God’s intention and purpose for the law – his love and righteousness (justice and goodness).

Jesus used a humorous example to show how out of proportion matters had gotten with them. Gnats were considered the smallest of insects and camels were considered the largest of animals in Palestine. Both were considered ritually impure.

The scribes went to great lengths to avoid contact with gnats, even to the point of straining the wine cup with a fine cloth lest they accidentally swallowed a gnat. The stark contrast must have drawn chuckles as well as groans. God’s love shapes our minds and transforms our hearts and actions What was the point of Jesus’ humorous and important lesson?

The essence of God’s commandments is rooted in love – love of God and love of neighbor, righteousness (justice and goodness), and mercy. God is love and everything he does, including his justice and goodness, flows from his love for us.

True love is costly and sacrificial – it both embraces and lifts the burdens of others. Do you allow the love of God to shape and transform the way you live your daily life – including the way you think of others, speak of them, and treat them?

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗📗

“Lord Jesus, fill me with your love and mercy that I may always think, speak, and treat others with fairness, loving-kindness, patience, and goodness.” Amen

✳️✳️✳️✳️🔰🔰🔰🔰✳️✳️✳️✳️
🟢The Life Story of the Saint🟢

Saint Monica
c. 330 – 387

The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law, and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations.

Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home.

Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism.

Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest, Augustine, is the most famous. At the time of his father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage.

Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy—”all flesh is evil”—and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house.

Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. In fact she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.

When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she still followed him.

She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan. In Milan, Augustine came under the influence of the bishop, St. Ambrose, who also became Monica’s spiritual director.

She accepted his advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her. Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste.

She continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of instruction. At Easter 387, St. Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa.

Although no one else was aware of it, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days before her death.

Almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of St. Augustine, especially his Confessions.

Reflection
Today, with Google searches, online shopping, text messages, tweets, and instant credit, we have little patience for things that take time. Likewise, we want instant answers to our prayers. Monica is a model of patience.

Her long years of prayer, coupled with a strong, well-disciplined character, finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband, her cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son, Augustine.

Saint Monica is the Patron Saint of:
AlcoholicsConversionMothersWives

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 23:13-22

Do Not Close the Door to God’s Kingdom

When the Lord Jesus knocks on the door of your heart are you ready to answer and receive him (Revelations 3:20)? The Lord offers each one of us an open door to the kingdom of God, but we can shut ourselves out if we ignore or reject his offer.

What is the door to the kingdom of heaven? When Jacob fled from his brother Essau, who wanted to kill him for stealing his birthright (Genesis 27:41), Jacob sought refuge in the wilderness.

There God pursued him and gave him a vision that both changed his life and the life of his people. As Jacob slept on a star-lit hillside God showed him a great ladder or stairway that extended from earth to heaven. This stairway was filled with a multitude of angels ascending and descending before the throne of God. An open door to the throne of GodGod opened heaven to Jacob, not only to give him a place of refuge and peace, but to offer him the blessing of dwelling in intimate friendship with the living God. God spoke to Jacob and renewed the promises which he had made to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and now to Jacob and his descendants.

God promised not only to bless and protect Jacob, but to make him and his descendants a blessing to all the nations as well. When Jacob awoke he exclaimed: “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17). God opened a door for Jacob that brought him and his people into a new relationship with the living God. Jesus is the door to God’s kingdomJesus proclaimed to his disciples that he came to fulfill the prophetic dream of Jacob in his very own person: “You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (John 1:51). Jesus proclaimed that he is the door (John 10:8-9) and the way (John 14:6) that makes it possible for us to access heaven and God’s very throne.

But Jesus woefully warned the religious leaders and successors of Jacob that they were shutting the door of God’s kingdom not only on themselves but on others as well. The word woeexpresses sorrowful pity as well as grief and sadness. Why did Jesus lament and issue such a stern rebuke? Don’t be misled by wrong-headed teachersJesus was angry with the religious leaders because they failed to listen to God’s word and they misled the people they were supposed to teach and lead in the ways of God.

They were blindly leading people to “pharisaism” – to their own ideas, rules, and practices which God did not intend or require – rather than to God’s intention and way of life for his people.

Jesus also chastised them for their hyprocisy – a hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing but does the opposite. Jesus gave some examples to show how misguided they were in their thinking and practices. In their zeal to win converts, the religious leaders required unnecessary and burdensome rules and practices which obscured the more important matters of religion, such as love of God and love of neighbor. And at the same time they made exceptions for themselves by devising clever ways to evade binding oaths and solemn promises which they had made to God.

The Jews treated an oath made to God as a binding obligation that must not be broken under any circumstance, but the Pharisees found clever ways to evade their obligations when inconvenience got in the way. They forgot that God hears every word we utter (especially our oaths and promises) and he sees the intentions of our heart even before we speak or act. God’s ways and thoughts are different from oursThe scribes and Pharisees preferred their idea of religion to God’s idea. They failed to lead others to God because they listened to their own ideas of what is true religion and they failed to understand the true meaning and intention of God’s word.

Through their own pride and prejudice they blindly shut the door of their own hearts and minds to the truth of God’s kingdom. The prophets of the Old Testament had repeatedly warned God’s people to seek the Lord and to put aside their own thoughts and ideas of religion in order to hear and understand God’s mind and intentions for his people.

The prophet Isaiah wrote:
“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts … For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:6-9).
Seek God’s kingdom firstHow can we shut the door of God’s kingdom in our own personal lives? We close it through stubborn pride, disobedience, and ignorance. Do you submit your mind to God’s word or do you cling to your own thoughts and ideas of what is right, true, and good for you?

Do you allow the world’s way of thinking to form the way you think, act, and speak – or do you allow God’s word of truth to form the way you think, act, and speak? Do you ignore God’s word through indifference or lack of reflection on his word? The Lord Jesus wants to speak to us each and every day – to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of his love and truth. The Lord is knocking at the door of your heart – are you receptive and ready to listen to his voice as he speaks through his life-giving Word?

God’s kingdom is always present to those who seek him with a humble mind and a willing heart. The Lord invites us to pray daily, “May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗📗

“Lord Jesus, your word is life for me. May I never shut the door to your heavenly kingdom through my stubborn pride or disbelief. Help me to listen to your voice attentively and to conform my life more fully to your word.” Amen

Saint Joseph Calasanz
September 11, 1556
August 25, 1648

From Aragon where he was born in 1556, to Rome where he died 92 years later, fortune alternately smiled and frowned on the work of Joseph Calasanz.

A priest with university training in canon law and theology, respected for his wisdom and administrative expertise, he put aside his career because he was deeply concerned with the need for education of poor children.

When he was unable to get other institutes to undertake this apostolate at Rome, Joseph and several companions personally provided a free school for deprived children. So overwhelming was the response that there was a constant need for larger facilities to house their effort. Soon, Pope Clement VIII gave support to the school, and this aid continued under Pope Paul V.

Other schools were opened; other men were attracted to the work, and in 1621 the community—for so the teachers lived—was recognized as a religious community, the Clerks Regular of Religious Schools—Piarists or Scolopi. Not long after, Joseph was appointed superior for life.

A combination of various prejudices and political ambition and maneuvering caused the institute much turmoil. Some did not favor educating the poor, for education would leave the poor dissatisfied with their lowly tasks for society!

Others were shocked that some of the Piarists were sent for instruction to Galileo—a friend of Joseph—as superior, thus dividing the members into opposite camps.

Repeatedly investigated by papal commissions, Joseph was demoted; when the struggle within the institute persisted, the Piarists were suppressed. Only after Joseph’s death were they formally recognized as a religious community. His liturgical feast is celebrated on August 25.

Reflection
No one knew better than Joseph the need for the work he was doing; no one knew better than he how baseless were the charges brought against him. Yet if he were to work within the Church, he realized that he must submit to its authority, that he must accept a setback if he was unable to convince authorized investigators.

While the prejudice, the scheming and the ignorance of men often keep the truth from emerging for a long period of time, Joseph was convinced, even under suppression, that his institute would again be recognized and authorized. With this trust he joined exceptional patience and a genuine spirit of forgiveness.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 22:34-40

Come and See

How can we know with certainty that Jesus is truly who he claims to be – the Son of God and Savior of the world? Philip was eager to tell his friend Nathaniel (who is also known as Bartholomew in Matthew 10:3 and Luke 6:14) about his decision to be a disciple of Jesus. Philip tried to convince his friend that Jesus was the Messiah, whom Moses and the prophets had foretold would come.

Nathanial was very skeptical because he didn’t think it was possible for the Messiah to come from Nazareth, a town in Galilee. Nathaniel not only disliked the town of Nazareth, he despised its residents as unworthy Jews. “How could anything good come from such a place?” Nazareth was at the crossroads of the ancient world where people from different cultures and religions would pass through. Perhaps Nathaniel thought its religious teachers were not orthodox enough in their understanding and interpretation of the law of Moses.

Besides, how could the Messiah come from Galilee when the prophets said he would come from Bethlehem of Judaea? Aren’t we all a bit like Nathaniel? We are skeptical when someone tries to convince us of the truth until we can comprehend it for ourselves.A skeptical but earnest search for God’s truthSo what kind of proof did Philip offer to Nathanael? Rather than argue with his friend, Philip took the wiser strategy of inviting Nathanael to “come and see” for himself who this Jesus claimed to be. Clever arguments rarely win people to the Gospel – but an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ can change one’s life forever.

When people are receptive to the word of Christ and when they see his love in action, the Lord Jesus himself, through the power of the Holy Spirit, touches their hearts and opens their minds to recognize that he truly is the Son of God who reveals the Father’s love and truth to us. When Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, Jesus did something which only God could do! He opened Nathanael’s heart and his innermost thoughts and desires to God’s revelation. Jesus called Nathanael a true “Israelite in whom there is no guile.”

God had chosen Jacob, who was given the name Israel, over his twin brother Essau, because Jacob was a man of faith, without guile or cunning like Essau (Genesis 25:27). Nathanael, like Jacob, hungered for God and believed in God’s promises. Nathanael knew the Scriptures. He had read the law and the prophets. And like Jacob he was waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people Israel.

Nathanael was an earnest seeker of God. He not only sought to grow in understanding of God’s word, but he sought an intimate personal relationship with God as well. That is why he was willing to meet Jesus, to see if perhaps this miracle worker from Galilee might be the long-awaited Messiah and Savior. God’s word brings blessing and refreshment for those who receive itWhat is the significance of Jesus’ revelation of seeing Nathanael “under the fig tree”? For the people of Israel, the fig tree was a symbol of God’s peace and blessing (1 Kings 4:24b-25, Micah 4:4). It provided shade from the midday sun and a cool refreshing place to retreat, pray, and reflect on God’s word.

Rabbis often gathered their disciples under the shade of the fig tree to teach them the wisdom and revelation of God’s word in the Scriptures. The rabbis had an expression for comparing the fig tree to being nourished with God’s word in Scripture, “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit.”Jesus offers the greatest gift possible – peace and friendship with GodIt is very likely that Nathanael had been thinking about God’s word while sitting “under his fig tree” and reflecting on God’s promise to send a Messiah King who would free his people from sin and oppression and usher in God’s kingdom of righteousness and peace for the whole world.

Perhaps Nathanael dozed off for a midday nap and dreamt of God’s kingdom like Jacob had dreamt when God gave him a vision of a great ladder which united earth with heaven (see Genesis 28:12-17).

Through the gift of revelation Nathanael recognized that Jesus was truly the Messiah, the everlasting “Son of God and King of Israel” (John 1:49). The Lord Jesus offered Nathanael the greatest gift of all – the gift of friendship with God and the offer of free access to God’s throne in heaven. Jesus promises that we will dwell with the living GodWhat does Jesus mean when he says “you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man”? One of the most remarkable revelations recorded in the Bible is the dream of Jacob (Genesis 28:12-17).

God had opened a door for Jacob that brought him and his people into a new relationship with the living God. In Jacob’s dream God revealed his angelic host and showed him the very throne of heaven and promised Jacob that he and his descendants would dwell with the living God.Jesus, the Son of God, unites earth and heaven in himself Jesus’ response to Nathanael’s new faith in accepting Jesus as the Messiah is the promise that Jesus himself will open the way for free access to the very throne of God in heaven.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Jacob and his descendants – he is the way to the Father in heaven and the true “ladder (or stairway) which unites earth with heaven.”

In Jesus’ incarnation, the divine Son of God taking on human flesh for our sake, we see the union of heaven and earth – God making his dwelling with us and bringing us into the heavenly reality of his kingdom through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus gives us free access to God’s presenceJesus’ death on the cross, where he defeated sin and won new life for us through his resurrection, opens the way for each of us to come into a new relationship with God as his adopted sons and daughters. The Lord Jesus opens the way for each one of us to “ascend to heaven” and to bring “heaven to earth” in the daily circumstances of our lives.

God’s kingdom is present in those who seek him and who strive to do his will. Through the gift of faith God opens a door for each one of us to the heavenly reality of his kingdom. Do you see with the “eyes of faith” what the Lord Jesus has done for us?

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗📗

“Heavenly Father, through your Son Jesus Christ, you have opened the way to heaven for each one of us. As you personally revealed yourself to your beloved patriarchs and apostles, so reveal yourself to me that I may recognize your presence with me and know the power of your kingdom at work in my life. May I always find joy and peace in your presence and never lose sight of your everlasting kingdom.” Amen

✳️✳️✳️✳️🔰🔰🔰🔰✳️✳️✳️✳️

🟢The Life Story of the Saint🟢

Saint Bartholomew

c. 1st century

In the New Testament, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles. Some scholars identify him with Nathanael, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip.

Jesus paid him a great compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47b). When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48b).

Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it brought Nathanael to exclaim, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49b). But Jesus countered with, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this” (John 1:50b).

Nathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (see John 21:1-14). They had been fishing all night without success.

In the morning, they saw someone standing on the shore though no one knew it was Jesus. He told them to cast their net again, and they made so great a catch that they could not haul the net in. Then John cried out to Peter, “It is the Lord.”

When they brought the boat to shore, they found a fire burning, with some fish laid on it and some bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had caught, and invited them to come and eat their meal.

John relates that although they knew it was Jesus, none of the apostles presumed to inquire who he was. This, John notes, was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles.

Reflection

Bartholomew or Nathanael? We are confronted again with the fact that we know almost nothing about most of the apostles. Yet the unknown ones were also foundation stones, the 12 pillars of the new Israel whose 12 tribes now encompass the whole earth.

Their personalities were secondary—without thereby being demeaned—to their great office of bearing tradition from their firsthand experience, speaking in the name of Jesus, putting the Word Made Flesh into human words for the enlightenment of the world.

Their holiness was not an introverted contemplation of their status before God. It was a gift that they had to share with others. The Good News was that all are called to the holiness of being Christ’s members, by the gracious gift of God.

The simple fact is that humanity is totally meaningless unless God is its total concern. Then humanity, made holy with God’s own holiness, becomes the most precious creation of God.

Saint Bartholomew is the Patron Saint of: Plasterers

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

Who Is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

Are you surprised to see the disciples discussing with Jesus who is the greatest? Don’t we do the same thing? The appetite for glory and greatness seems to be inbred in us.

Who doesn’t cherish the ambition to be “somebody” whom others admire rather than a “nobody”? Even the Psalms speak about the glory God has destined for us. You have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5). Whose glory do you seek?Jesus made a dramatic gesture by placing a child next to himself to show his disciples who really is the greatest in the kingdom of God. What can a little child possibly teach us about greatness?

Jesus elevated a little child in the presence of his disciples by placing the child in a privileged position of honor at his right side. It is customary, even today, to seat the guest of honor at the right side of the host. The lowly of heart empty themselves of prideWho is the greatest in God’s kingdom? The one who is humble and lowly of heart – who instead of asserting their rights willingly empty themselves of pride and self-seeking glory by taking the lowly position of a servant and child before God.

The simple of heart know that they belong to God – he is their father, teacher, and provider – the one who shows them the way of peace, joy, and life everlasting. They are content to recognize their total dependence on God who is the source of all goodness and every good gift.Jesus restores us to the people he has made holyWhat does Jesus’ story about a lost sheep tell us about God and his kingdom? Shepherds normally counted their sheep at the end of the day to make sure all were accounted for. Since sheep by their very nature are very social, an isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered and even neurotic.

The shepherd’s grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold. What was new in Jesus’ teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out and not merely mourned for. God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that all be saved and restored to fellowship with him.

That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God (Luke 15:7). Seekers of the lost are much needed today. Do you pray and seek after those you know who have lost their way to God?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, teach me your way of humility and simplicity of heart that I may find perfect joy in you. May your light shine through me that others may see your truth and love and find hope and peace in you.”

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal

January 28, 1572

December 13, 1641

Jane Frances was wife, mother, nun, and founder of a religious community. Her mother died when she was 18 months old, and her father, head of parliament at Dijon, France, became the main influence on her education.

Jane developed into a woman of beauty and refinement, lively and cheerful in temperament. At 21, she married Baron de Chantal, by whom she had six children, three of whom died in infancy. At her castle, she restored the custom of daily Mass, and was seriously engaged in various charitable works.

Jane’s husband was killed after seven years of marriage, and she sank into deep dejection for four months at her family home. Her father-in-law threatened to disinherit her children if she did not return to his home. He was then 75, vain, fierce, and extravagant. Jane Frances managed to remain cheerful in spite of him and his insolent housekeeper.

When she was 32, Jane met Saint Francis de Sales who became her spiritual director, softening some of the severities imposed by her former director. She wanted to become a nun but he persuaded her to defer this decision.

She took a vow to remain unmarried and to obey her director.

After three years, Francis told Jane of his plan to found an institute of women that would be a haven for those whose health, age, or other considerations barred them from entering the already established communities.

There would be no cloister, and they would be free to undertake spiritual and corporal works of mercy. They were primarily intended to exemplify the virtues of Mary at the Visitation—hence their name the Visitation nuns—humility and meekness.

The usual opposition to women in active ministry arose and Francis de Sales was obliged to make it a cloistered community following the Rule of Saint Augustine. Francis wrote his famous Treatise on the Love of God for them. The congregation consisting of three women began when Jane Frances was 45.

She underwent great sufferings: Francis de Sales died; her son was killed; a plague ravaged France; her daughter-in-law and son-in-law died. She encouraged the local authorities to make great efforts for the victims of the plague, and she put all her convent’s resources at the disposal of the sick.

During a part of her religious life, Jane Frances had to undergo great trials of the spirit—interior anguish, darkness, and spiritual dryness. She died while on a visitation of convents of the community.

Reflection

It may strike some as unusual that a saint should be subject to spiritual dryness, darkness, interior anguish. We tend to think that such things are the usual condition of “ordinary” sinful people.

Some of our lack of spiritual liveliness may indeed be our fault. But the life of faith is still one that is lived in trust, and sometimes the darkness is so great that trust is pressed to its limit.

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal is a Patron Saint of:

MothersWidowsWives

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 6:41-51

If Anyone Eats of This Bread, He Will Live for Ever

We are living in a world where people of all races and creeds hunger more for spiritual sustenance than for physical food. In response to the spiritual hunger of people in his own day, Jesus proclaims Himself to be “the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven” and feeds them with His words.

We continue this Sunday with the beautiful “Bread of Life Discourse” from John’s Gospel. At the beginning of today’s passage, we read that the people listening to this discourse “murmured about Jesus.”

They did so because He had been teaching them that He was the Bread of Life Who had come down from Heaven. For some of His listeners, this was too much to accept. It was especially difficult for those who knew Jesus and His family from Nazareth. When Jesus became aware of their murmurs, He confronted them straight on saying, “Stop murmuring among yourselves.”

He then doubled down on His teaching, taking it even further, telling them that whoever eats His flesh will live forever.

In some ways, Jesus’ teaching could be said to defy human reason. Imagine hearing this teaching for the first time from someone who grew up in your hometown.

Human reason alone is insufficient to comprehend and accept such teaching. But that is precisely the point. Human reason alone is insufficient. But when human reason is endowed with a special revelation from the Father in Heaven, then all becomes clear and all makes sense.

On that point, Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him” and that “Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.” Therefore, even though it is beyond the ability of natural human reason alone to make sense of what Jesus was teaching, those who were drawn by the Father and listened to His voice were given a new form of knowledge that brought clarity to their human minds.

This knowledge is essential if we are to know and understand the path to eternal life and if we are to understand and believe in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that faith is just believing in something that is beyond us. But faith is much more. It’s not just blindly believing. It’s not just wishful thinking that turns into a personal choice to believe.

Faith is based on something absolutely real and unmistakable. It’s based on true spiritually revealed knowledge—a knowledge given to us by God. In fact, this form of knowledge, given by God, is far more certain than any other form of knowledge.

For example, you know that 2+2=4 because you can take two objects, add two more, and then count four. Or you know that music is playing because your ears perceive the sound. Thus, you rely upon your senses to produce knowledge to arrive at conclusions.

Spiritually infused knowledge, however, is even more certain than that which we can obtain through our senses because it is God Who reveals the truth. Therefore, if God speaks to you and imparts to you a knowledge that His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink, and that if you eat His flesh and drink His blood then you will obtain eternal life, then this knowledge is certain, transforming, and becomes the basis of a life of pure faith.

Though this may seem overly philosophical, it is true and necessary to understand.

Reflect, today, upon anything that you fail to have perfect faith in. Do you believe in the Most Holy Eucharist? Do you believe that it is the food for eternal life? Do you believe in everything Jesus taught? Examine your faith and where it is lacking; seek the voice of the Father.

Only God can impart the deepest spiritual knowledge to you. For your part, you must listen, comprehend, accept and believe. Doing so will produce the gift of faith within your human reason, and that faith will be your guide to the life of the fullness of grace.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you are the living bread which sustains me in this life. May I always hunger for the bread which comes from heaven and find in it the nourishment and strength I need to love and serve you wholeheartedly. May I always live in the joy, peace, and unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, both now and in the age to come.”

The Story for the reflection

The Bible often refers to our good deeds as a perfume pleasing to God. In the Book of Sirach, Wisdom personified is quoted as saying, “Like cinnamon or fragrant balm, or precious myrrh, I give forth perfume.” We can appreciate that.

Don’t incense and the scents of flowers charm us with moments of contentment? Among God’s miracles are the sweet odors which He has time again caused to come forth from the bodies of saintly people. Sometimes the fragrance occurs after their death, as it did

ఇన్ the case of St. Martin De Porres. Sometimes it occurs while they are alive.

When a priest-friend of St. Theresa of Avila first noticed a fragrance surrounding St. Teresa of Avila, he thought she had been wearing perfume! One of the holy people gifted recently with this miraculous gift was the Capuchin priest, Padre Pio Forgione (1887-1968). He had the stigmata, or wounds of Christ’s crucifixion in his hands and feet, and these often gave off a sweet scent.

Even more marvelously, he seemed to be able to “broadcast” perfumes of one sort or another, to indicate to people far away that they were in his thoughts and prayers. On February 15, 1950, for instance, an Italian physician was visiting with the Bertolo family, who knew Padre Pio well and had often experienced this perfume phenomenon.

That day another caller at the Bertolo’s had just returned from a visit to the friar at his monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo. He was describing the great humility of the Padre despite his fame, when suddenly the physician recalled “an intense perfume of violets enveloped us all, lasting about a half hour, although the doors and windows were wide open.”

Another physician who was there, Dr. Edoardo Bianco, signed an affidavit about the same waft of violet perfume. He said that on other similar occasions he had smelt the perfume of roses and carnations; and he declared there was no scientific explanation for what had happened.

Today St. Paul tells us that Christ’s offering of himself to God was “a gift of pleasing fragrance.” By Jesus’ “perfume miracles” is not God reminding us that no incense we offer Him is sweeter than the total gift of ourselves? (Ephesians, 5:2.

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 18:15-20

If Your Brother Sins against You

What’s the best way to repair a damaged relationship? Jesus offers his disciples spiritual freedom and power for restoring broken or injured relationships.Don’t brood over an offense – speak directly and privatelyWhat can we learn from Jesus’ instructions about how to mend a damaged relationship (Matthew 18:15-20)?

If you feel you have been wronged by someone, Jesus says the first step is to speak directly but privately to the individual who has done the harm. One of the worst things we can do is brood over our grievance. This can poison our mind and heart and make it more difficult to go directly to the person who caused the damage.Seek the help of wise ChristiansIf we truly want to settle a difference with someone, we need to do it face to face. If this fails in its purpose, then the second step is to bring another person or persons, someone who is wise and gracious rather than someone who is hot-tempered or judgmental.

The goal is not so much to put the offender on trial, but to persuade the offender to see the wrong and to be reconciled. And if this fails, then we must still not give up, but seek the help of the Christian community.

Note the emphasis here is on restoring a broken relationship by seeking the help of other Christians who hopefully will pray and seek a solution for reconciliation based on Christian love and wisdom, rather than relying on coercive force or threat of legal action, such as a lawsuit.Pray for the offender – for healing and reconciliationLastly, if even the Christian community fails to bring about reconciliation, what must we do? Jesus seems to say that we have the right to abandon stubborn and obdurate offenders and treat them like social outcasts.

The tax-collectors and Gentiles were regarded as “unclean” by the religious-minded Jews and they resorted to shunning them.

However we know from the Gospel accounts that Jesus often had fellowship with tax-collectors (as well as other public sinners), ate with them, and even praised them at times! Jesus refuses no one who is open to receive pardon, healing, and restoration. Set no obstacle in seeking to heal your brother’s woundWhen you are offended, are you willing to put aside your own grievance and injury in order to help your brother’s wound? The Lord Jesus wants to set us free from resentment, ill-will, and an unwillingness to forgive. The love of Christ both purifies and sets us free to do good to all – even those who cause us grief.

The call to accountability for what we have done and have failed to do is inevitable and we can’t escape it, both in this life and at the day of judgment when the Lord Jesus will return. But while we have the opportunity today, we must not give up on praying for those who cause us offense.

With God’s help we must seek to make every effort to win them with the grace and power of God’s healing love and wisdom. Do you tolerate broken relationships or do you seek to repair them as God gives you the opportunity to mend and restore what is broken?

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗📗

“Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of your healing love and peace. Give me wisdom and courage to bring your healing love and saving truth to those in need of healing and restoration.”

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe

January 8, 1894

August 14, 1941

“I don’t know what’s going to become of you!” How many parents have said that? Maximilian Mary Kolbe’s reaction was, “I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell me what would happen to me.

She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red. She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom. I said, ‘I choose both.’ She smiled and disappeared.” After that he was not the same.

He entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in Lvív–then Poland, now Ukraine– near his birthplace, and at 16 became a novice. Though Maximilian later achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in science, even drawing plans for rocket ships.

Ordained at 24, Maximilian saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the day. His mission was to combat it. He had already founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work, and suffering.

He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the Immaculata, a religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good News to all nations. For the work of publication he established a “City of the Immaculata”—Niepokalanow—which housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers. He later founded another one in Nagasaki, Japan.

Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one-million mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily filtered through devotion to Mary.

In 1939, the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed.

Niepokalanow was severely bombed. Kolbe and his friars were arrested, then released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

In 1941, Fr. Kolbe was arrested again. The Nazis’ purpose was to liquidate the select ones, the leaders. The end came quickly, three months later in Auschwitz, after terrible beatings and humiliations.

A prisoner had escaped. The commandant announced that 10 men would die. He relished walking along the ranks. “This one. That one.”

As they were being marched away to the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the line.

“I would like to take that man’s place. He has a wife and children.”“Who are you?”“A priest.”

No name, no mention of fame. Silence.

The commandant, dumbfounded, perhaps with a fleeting thought of history, kicked Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered Fr. Kolbe to go with the nine. In the “block of death” they were ordered to strip naked, and their slow starvation began in darkness.

But there was no screaming—the prisoners sang. By the eve of the Assumption, four were left alive.

The jailer came to finish Kolbe off as he sat in a corner praying. He lifted his fleshless arm to receive the bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbolic acid. They burned his body with all the others. Fr. Kolbe was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982.

Reflection

Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata was his inspiration.

Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe is a Patron Saint of:

AddictsRecovery from drug addiction

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 16:13-19

You Are the Christ – the Son of the Living God

How firm is your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? At an opportune time Jesus tested his disciples with a crucial question: Who do men say that I am and who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:13).

Jesus was widely recognized in Israel as a mighty man of God, even being compared with the greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah. Peter, always quick to respond, exclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.Through the gift of faith Peter recognized that Jesus was the “anointed one” (in Hebrew and Greek the word is translated as Messiah and Christ), and the only begotten Son of God sent by the Father in heaven to redeem a fallen human race. No mortal being could have revealed this to Peter; but only God.

Jesus then conferred on Peter authority to govern the church that Jesus would build, a church that no powers could overcome. Jesus played on Peter’s name which is the same word for “rock” in both Aramaic and Greek. Spiritual rock ad living stonesTo call someone a “rock” is one of the greatest of compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: “I have discovered a rock to found the world upon.” Abraham put his trust in God and made God’s word the foundation of his life and the bedrock of his faith.

Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle

Born in old Castile, Spain, Dominic was trained for the priesthood by a priest-uncle, studied the arts and theology, and became a canon of the cathedral at Osma, where there was an attempt to revive the apostolic common life described in Acts of the Apostles.

On a journey through France with his bishop, Dominic came face to face with the then virulent Albigensian heresy at Languedoc. The Albigensians–or Cathari, “the pure ones”–held to two principles—one good, one evil—in the world. All matter is evil—hence they denied the Incarnation and the sacraments.

On the same principle, they abstained from procreation and took a minimum of food and drink. The inner circle led what some people regarded as a heroic life of purity and asceticism not shared by ordinary followers.

Dominic sensed the need for the Church to combat this heresy, and was commissioned to be part of the preaching crusade against it.

He saw immediately why the preaching crusade was not succeeding: the ordinary people admired and fo lo llowed the ascetical heroes of the Albigense. Understandably, they were l not impressed by the Catholic preachers who traveled with horse and retinues, stayed at the best inns and had servants.

Dominic therefore, with three Cistercians, began itinerant preaching according to the gospel ideal. He continued this work for 10 years, being successful with the ordinary people but not with the leaders.

His fellow preachers gradually became a community, and in 1215 Dominic founded a religious house at Toulouse, the beginning of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans.

Dominic’s ideal, and that of his Order, was to organically link a life with God, study, and prayer in all forms, with a ministry of salvation to people by the word of God. His ideal: contemplata tradere: “to pass on the fruits of contemplation” or “to speak only of God or with God.”

Reflection

The Dominican ideal, like that of all religious communities, is for the imitation, not merely the admiration, of the rest of the Church. The effective combining of contemplation and activity is the vocation of truck driver Smith as well as theologian Aquinas.

Acquired contemplation is the tranquil abiding in the presence of God, and is an integral part of any full human life. It must be the wellspring of all Christian activity.

Saint Dominic is the Patron Saint of:

AstronomersDominican Republic

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 15:21-28

Great Is Your Faith! Be It Done for You as You Desire

Do you ever feel “put-off” or ignored by the Lord? This passage (Matthew 15:21) describes the only occasion in which Jesus ministered outside of Jewish territory. (Tyre and Sidon were fifty miles north of Israel and still exist today in modern Lebanon.)

A Gentile woman, a foreigner who was not a member of the Jewish people, puts Jesus on the spot by pleading for his help. At first Jesus seemed to pay no attention to her, and this made his disciples feel embarrassed. Jesus does this to test the woman to awaken faith in her. Jesus first tests the woman’s faithWhat did Jesus mean by the expression “throwing bread to the dogs”? The Jews often spoke of the Gentiles with arrogance and insolence as “unclean dogs” since the Gentiles did not follow God’s law and were excluded from God’s covenant and favor with the people of Israel.

For the Greeks the “dog” was a symbol of dishonor and was used to describe a shameless and audacious woman. There is another reference to “dogs” in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus says to his disciples, “Do not give to dogs what is holy” (Matthew 7:6).

Jesus tests this woman’s faith to see if she is earnest in receiving holy things from the hand of a holy God. Jesus, no doubt, spoke with a smile rather than with an insult because this woman immediately responds with wit and faith – “even the dogs eat the crumbs”. Seek the Lord Jesus with expectant faithJesus praises a Gentile woman for her faith and for her love. She made the misery of her child her own and she was willing to suffer rebuff in order to obtain healing for her loved one. She also had indomitable persistence. Her faith grew in contact with the person of Jesus.

She began with a request and she ended on her knees in worshipful prayer to the living God. No one who ever sought Jesus with earnest faith – whether Jew or Gentile – was refused his help. Do you seek the Lord Jesus with expectant faith?

The Mother of the Gentiles, by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century)

“After our Lord departed from the Jews, he came into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. He left the Jews behind and came to the Gentiles. Those whom he had left behind remained in ruin; those to whom he came obtained salvation in their alienation.

And a woman came out of that territory and cried, saying to him, ‘Have pity on me, O Lord, Son of David!’ O great mystery! The Lord came out from the Jews, and the woman came out from her Gentile territory. He left the Jews behind, and the woman left behind idolatry and an impious lifestyle. What they had lost, she found.

The one whom they had denied in the law, she professed through her faith. This woman is the mother of the Gentiles, and she knew Christ through faith. Thus on behalf of her daughter (the Gentile people) she entreated the Lord. The daughter had been led astray by idolatry and sin and was severely possessed by a demon.”

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗

“Lord Jesus, your love and mercy knows no bounds. May I trust you always and pursue you with indomitable persistence as this woman did. Increase my faith in your saving power and deliver me from all evil and harm.”

Saint Cajetan

October 1, 1480

August 7, 1547

Like most of us, Cajetan seemed headed for an “ordinary” life—first as a lawyer, then as a priest engaged in the work of the Roman Curia.

His life took a characteristic turn when he joined the Oratory of Divine Love in Rome, a group devoted to piety and charity, shortly after his ordination at 36. When he was 42 he founded a hospital for incurables at Venice.

At Vicenza, he joined a “disreputable” religious community that consisted only of men of the lowest stations of life—and was roundly censured by his friends, who thought his action was a reflection on his family. He sought out the sick and poor of the town and served them.

The greatest need of the time was the reformation of a Church that was “sick in head and members.” Cajetan and three friends decided that the best road to reformation lay in reviving the spirit and zeal of the clergy.

Together they founded a congregation known as the Theatines—from Teate [Chieti] where their first superior-bishop had his see. One of the friends later became Pope Paul IV.

They managed to escape to Venice after their house in Rome was wrecked when Emperor Charles V’s troops sacked Rome in 1527.

The Theatines were outstanding among the Catholic reform movements that took shape before the Protestant Reformation. Cajetan founded a monte de pieta—“mountain or fund of piety”—in Naples, one of many charitable, nonprofit credit organizations that lent money on the security of pawned objects.

The purpose was to help the poor and protect them against usurers. Cajetan’s little organization ultimately became the Bank of Naples, with great changes in policy.

Reflection

If Vatican II had been summarily stopped after its first session in 1962, many Catholics would have felt that a great blow had been dealt to the growth of the Church. Cajetan had the same feeling about the Council of Trent, held from 1545 to 1563.

But as he said, God is the same in Naples as in Venice, with or without Trent or Vatican II. We open ourselves to God’s power in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, and God’s will is done. God’s standards of success differ from ours.

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus Blessed the Loaves and Fishes

What can truly satisfy our deepest hunger and longing? Wherever Jesus went multitudes of people gathered to meet him – people from every part of society – rich and poor, professionals and laborers, even social outcasts and pagans. What drew them to Jesus?

Were they simply curious or looking for a healing? Many were drawn to Jesus because they were hungry for God.

Jesus’ message of God’s kingdom and the signs and wonders he performed stirred fresh hope and expectation that God was acting in a new and powerful way to set people free from sin and oppression and to bring them the blessings of his kingdom. God never rests in caring for our needsJesus never disappointed those who earnestly sought him out. We see a marvelous example of this when Jesus and his twelve disciples got into the boat to seek out a lonely place for some rest along the lake of Galilee, only to discover a crowd of a few thousand people had already gathered in anticipation of their arrival!

Did Jesus’ disciples resent this intrusion on their plan to rest awhile? Jesus certainly didn’t – he welcomed them with open-arms. His compassion showed the depths of God’s love and care for his people. Jesus spoke the word of God to strengthen them in faith and he healed many who were sick. God multiplies the little we have to bring great blessing to othersAs evening approached the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away. Jesus, instead, commanded his disciples to feed the whole crowd.

Why did Jesus expect his disciples to do what seemed impossible – to feed such a large and hungry crowd when there was no adequate provision in sight? Jesus very likely wanted to test their faith and to give them a sign of God’s divine intervention and favor for his people.

Jesus took the little they had – five loaves and two fish – and giving thanks to his heavenly Father, distributed to all until they were satisfied of their hunger. Twelves baskets full of fish and loaves that were leftover show the overflowing generosity of God’s gifts to us – gifts that bring blessing, healing, strength, and refreshment. Bread from heaven to sustain us on our journeyJesus’ feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospel accounts (Luke 9:10-17, Mark 6:34-44, John 6:51-58, Matthew 14:13-21).

What is the significance of this miracle? The miraculous feeding of such a great multitude recalled the miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness under Moses’ leadership and intercession for his people (Exodus 16).

The daily provision of food for the people of Israel during their forty years of journeying in the barren wilderness foreshadowed the true heavenly bread which Jesus would pass on to his disciples at his last supper meal on the eve of his sacrifice on the cross. Jesus makes a claim which only God can make: He is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience (John 6:32-35).

The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, when Jesus said the blessing, broke and distributed the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, is a sign that prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper which sustains us on our journey to the kingdom of heaven. God multiplies the little we have so we can bring his blessing to othersThe feeding of the five thousand shows the remarkable generosity of God and his great kindness towards us. When God gives, he gives abundantly.

He gives more than we need for ourselves that we may have something to share with others, especially those who lack what they need. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. Do you trust in God’s provision for you and do you share freely with others, especially those who lack?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus Christ, you satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts and you feed us with the finest of wheat (Psalm 81:16). Fill me with gratitude for your blessings and give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others what you have given to me.”

The Life Story of the Saint

The Story of the Dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica

Completed in 1743

First raised at the order of Pope Liberius in the mid-fourth century, the Liberian basilica was rebuilt by Pope Sixtus III shortly after the Council of Ephesus affirmed Mary’s title as Mother of God in 431. Rededicated at that time to the Mother of God, St. Mary Major is the largest church in the world honoring God through Mary.

Standing atop one of Rome’s seven hills, the Esquiline, it has survived many restorations without losing its character as an early Roman basilica. Its interior retains three naves divided by colonnades in the style of Constantine’s era. Fifth-century mosaics on its walls testify to its antiquity.

St. Mary Major is one of the four Roman basilicas known as patriarchal churches in memory of the first centers of the Church.

St. John Lateran represents Rome, the See of Peter; St. Paul Outside the Walls, the See of Alexandria, allegedly the see presided over by Mark; St. Peter’s, the See of Constantinople; and St. Mary’s, the See of Antioch, where Mary is supposed to have spent most of her later life.

One legend, unreported before the year 1000, gives another name to this feast: Our Lady of the Snows. According to that story, a wealthy Roman couple pledged their fortune to the Mother of God.

In affirmation, she produced a miraculous summer snowfall and told them to build a church on the site. The legend was long celebrated by releasing a shower of white rose petals from the basilica’s dome every August 5.

Reflection

Theological debate over Christ’s nature as God and man reached fever pitch in Constantinople in the early fifth century.

The chaplain of Bishop Nestorius began preaching against the title Theotokos, “Mother of God,” insisting that the Virgin was mother only of the human Jesus. Nestorius agreed, decreeing that Mary would henceforth be named “Mother of Christ” in his see.

The people of Constantinople virtually revolted against their bishop’s refutation of a cherished belief. When the Council of Ephesus refuted Nestorius, believers took to the streets, enthusiastically chanting, “Theotokos! Theotokos!”

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 6:24-35

Lord, Give Us This Bread Always

Today’s readings challenge us to be more concerned with spiritual food than with physical food and to get our spiritual food regularly from the word of God and from the Holy Eucharist – the Heavenly Bread

— because only God can satisfy the various forms of our spiritual hunger.

Is there anything in this life that can truly satisfy our deepest hunger and longing? Many sought Jesus out because he offered them something no one else could give – bread from heaven from the very hand of God himself.

When Jesus had performed the miracle of multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish to provide a refreshing and satisfying meal for more than 5000 people (see John 6:1-15), they wanted to make him their king – no doubt because they wanted more.

When Jesus withdrew from the crowd and quietly returned to Capernaum to be with his twelve disciples, they ran to seek him there (John 6:24-25). Jesus met them with a probing question – are you looking for physical food that perishes or food that gives eternal life? Jesus offers us the bread of heaven which produces spiritual life in usDo you hunger for the bread of life? The Jews had always regarded the manna in the wilderness as the bread of God (Psalm 78:24, Exodus 16:15).

There was a strong Rabbinic belief that when the Messiah came he would give manna from heaven. This was the supreme work of Moses.

Now the Jewish leaders were demanding that Jesus produce manna from heaven as proof to his claim to be the Messiah. Jesus responds by telling them that it was not Moses who gave the manna, but God. And the manna given to Moses and the people was not the real bread from heaven, but only a symbol of the bread to come. Jesus makes the claim which only God can make: I am the bread of life. The bread which Jesus offers is none else than the very life of God. This is the true bread which can truly satisfy the hunger in our hearts.

The manna from heaven prefigured the superabundance of the unique bread of the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper which Jesus gave to his disciples on the eve of his sacrifice. The manna in the wilderness sustained the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. It could not produce eternal life for the Israelites. Only Jesus can satisfy our deepest hunger for everlasting truth, life and loveJesus’ question to the crowd, and to each one of us as well, echoes the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy” (Isaiah 55:2)?

There are two fundamental types of hunger – physical and spiritual. Only the Lord Jesus can satisfy the deepest hunger in our heart – the hunger for everlasting truth, life, and love.

Jesus alone can satisfy our hunger for truth – because in him alone is the Truth which is found in God. Jesus alone can satisfy our hunger for life – because he alone can give us abundant life – the supernatural life of God which transforms us now and lasts forever.

Jesus alone can satisfy our deepest hunger for love – the love of God that knows no end, that never fails nor forsakes us, that outlasts sin and death. Jesus alone can satisfy the eternal hunger of our heart, mind, and spirit. Doing the works of GodJesus spoke about the works of God and what we must do to be doing the works of God, namely to believe in God’s Son whom he has sent into the world.

The Lord Jesus offers a new relationship with God which issues in a new kind of life – a life of sacrificial love, selfless service, and the forgiveness of others which corresponds to God’s mercy, goodness and loving kindness; a life of holiness, purity, and truth which corresponds to God’s holiness; and a life of obedience and trust which corresponds to God’s offer of abundant life, peace, and happiness.

This is the work which Jesus directs us to and enables us to perform in the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you hunger for the bread which comes down from heaven and thirst for the words of everlasting life?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you are the true Bread of Heaven. Only you alone can truly satisfy the deepest longing and hunger of my heart. Nourish me with the bread of life that I may be truly satisfied in you alone as the giver of life.”

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint John Vianney

May 8, 1786

August 4, 1859

A man with vision overcomes obstacles and performs deeds that seem impossible. John Vianney was a man with vision: He wanted to become a priest. But he had to overcome his meager formal schooling, which inadequately prepared him for seminary studies.

His failure to comprehend Latin lectures forced him to discontinue. But his vision of being a priest urged him to seek private tutoring. After a lengthy battle with the books, John was ordained.

Situations calling for “impossible” deeds followed him everywhere. As pastor of the parish at Ars, John encountered people who were indifferent and quite comfortable with their style of living. His vision led him through severe fasts and short nights of sleep.

With Catherine Lassagne and Benedicta Lardet, he established La Providence, a home for girls. Only a man of vision could have such trust that God would provide for the spiritual and material needs of all those who came to make La Providence their home.

His work as a confessor is John Vianney’s most remarkable accomplishment. In the winter months he was to spend 11 to 12 hours daily reconciling people with God.

In the summer months this time was increased to 16 hours. Unless a man was dedicated to his vision of a priestly vocation, he could not have endured this giving of self day after day.

Many people look forward to retirement and taking it easy, doing the things they always wanted to do but never had the time. But John Vianney had no thoughts of retirement. As his fame spread, more hours were consumed in serving God’s people. Even the few hours he would allow himself for sleep were disturbed frequently by the devil.

Who, but a man with vision, could keep going with ever-increasing strength? In 1929, Pope Pius XI named him the patron of parish priests worldwide.

Reflection

Indifference toward religion, coupled with a love for material comfort, seem to be common signs of our times. A person from another planet observing us would not likely judge us to be pilgrim people, on our way to somewhere else. John Vianney on the other hand, was a man on a journey, with his goal before him at all times.

Saint John Vianney is the Patron Saint of:

Diocesan PriestsParish Priests

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 14:1-12

Herod’s Reaction to John the Baptist

Do you ever feel haunted by a past failure or a guilty conscience? King Herod, the most powerful and wealthy man in Judea, had everything he wanted, except a clear conscience and peace with God. Herod had respected and feared John the Baptist as a great prophet and servant of God.

John, however did not fear to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife. He ended up in prison because of Herodias’ jealousy. Herod, out of impulse and a desire to please his family and friends, had John beheaded.

Now his conscience is pricked when he hears that all the people are going to Jesus to hear his message of repentance and to see his mighty works. Herod is now haunted by the thought that the prophet he murdered might now be raised from the dead! A sign of vanity and cowardiceUnfortunately for Herod, he could not rid himself of sin by ridding himself of the man who confronted him with his sin. Herod’s power and influence was badly flawed.

He could take a strong stand on the wrong things when he knew the right. Such a stand, however, was a sign of weakness and cowardice. Where do you get the strength of will and heart to choose what is right and to reject what is bad? God is our help and our strengthThe Lord Jesus gives grace and help to the humble, to those who acknowledge their weaknesses and their sinfulness, and who look to God for his mercy and pardon, wisdom and strength.

His grace and pardon not only frees us from a guilty conscience, it enables us to pursue holiness in every area of our lives, in our thoughts and intentions as well as our words and actions. Fight fear with faithGod’s grace enables us to fight fear with faith and to overcome the temptation to compromise good with evil. Do you rely on God’s grace and help to choose his way of holiness and to reject whatever would weaken your faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ?

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗

“Heavenly Father, form in me the likeness of your Son Jesus that I may imitate him in word and deed. Help me to live the gospel faithfully and give me the strength and courage I need to not shrink back in the face of hardship and temptation.”

Saint Peter Julian Eymard
February 4, 1811
August 1, 1868

Born in La Mure d’Isère in southeastern France, Peter Julian’s faith journey drew him from being a priest in the Diocese of Grenoble in 1834, to joining the Marists in 1839, to founding the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in 1856.

In addition to those changes, Peter Julian coped with poverty, his father’s initial opposition to Peter’s vocation, serious illness, a Jansenistic overemphasis on sin, and the difficulties of getting diocesan and later papal approval for his new religious community.

His years as a Marist, including service as a provincial leader, saw the deepening of his Eucharistic devotion, especially through his preaching of Forty Hours in many parishes. Inspired at first by the idea of reparation for indifference to the Eucharist, Peter Julian was eventually attracted to a more positive spirituality of Christ-centered love.

Members of the men’s community which Peter founded alternated between an active apostolic life and contemplating Jesus in the Eucharist. He and Marguerite Guillot founded the women’s Congregation of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament.

Peter Julian Eymard was beatified in 1925 and canonized in 1962, one day after Vatican II’s first session ended.

Reflection
In every century, sin has been painfully real in the life of the Church. It is easy to give in to despair, to speak so strongly of human failings that people may forget the immense and self-sacrificing love of Jesus, as his death on the cross and his gift of the Eucharist make evident. Peter Julian knew that the Eucharist was key to helping Catholics live out their baptism and preach by word and example the Good News of Jesus Christ.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 13:47-53

Trained for the Kingdom of Heaven

What can a story of a dragnet and a great catch of fish tell us about God’s kingdom? The two most common ways of fishing in Jesus’ time was with a casting-net (or hand-net) which was thrown from the shore and the drag-net or trawl which was let down or cast into the waters from a boat.

As the boat moved through the waters the dragnet was drawn into the shape of a great cone which indiscriminately took in all kinds of fish and flotsam and jetsam swept in its path. It usually took several men to haul such a net to shore. Reward and judgment at the end of the ageWhat is Jesus’ point here? Just as a drag-net catches every kind of fish in the sea, so the church acts as God’s instrument for gathering in all who will come. Just as the drag-net does not or cannot discriminate, so the church does not discriminate between the good and the bad, the useless and the useful. God’s kingdom is open to all who will accept and believe.

But there will come a time of separation, at the close of the age when the Lord Jesus returns again and sends out his angels who will separate the good and the bad and then send them to their respective destinations. Our duty in this present age is to gather in all who want to become citizens of God’s kingdom here on earth as well as in heaven above. The Lord Jesus, when he comes again at the end of this age, will give to those who believed in him and his way of truth and righteousness a glorified resurrected body and a home in his everlasting kingdom. But for those who refused to follow the Lord Jesus and his merciful word of truth and righteousness, their destiny will be total separation and loss of joy and happiness with God and his community of redeemed men and women.

The Lord Jesus freely offers the treasure of abundant life and everlasting joy to all who believe in him and accept him as their Lord and Savior. Do you yearn for total peace, joy, and union with God in his everlasting kingdom? Trained for the kingdom of heavenWhat is the point of Jesus’ parable about a “scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13:52)?

Jewish scribes were specially devoted to the study and practice of the Word of God entrusted to Moses (the first five books of the Bible) and in instructing others in how to live according to God’s commandments and way of holiness. In the Old Testament Ezra was called “the ready scribe of the law of the God of heaven” (Book of Ezra 7:6,21).

He received this title because he “had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7:10). Ezra’s heart was set on the kingdom of heaven because he revered God’s word and he taught others through example and instruction to love and obey God’s word. The old and new treasure of God’s wordWhy does Jesus compare a “trained scribe” with a “householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (Matthew 13:52)? Some people love to store up old prized possessions along with their newly acquired prizes. Others are eager to get rid of the old to make room for the new.

So why does Jesus seem to emphasize keeping the old along with the new? Why not replace the old, especially if the new seems to be better or more useful? Wouldn’t a person want to throw away an old pair of shoes and replace them with a new pair – especially if the old pair became well-worn or torn beyond repair?

But, who in his right mind would throw away an old precious jewel or some old gold coins simply because they were ancient and maybe tarnished a bit? Precious gems and gold do not lose their value with age! Like choice vintage wine they increase in value. Jesus’ parable of the “old” and the “new” certainly points to the “older covenants” which God made with his covenanted people of the Old Testament, beginning with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with Moses on Mount Sinai, and with King David – the precursor of the Messiah (Psalm 89:3 and Psalm 110:1).

Jesus’ parable also points to the “new covenant” which he came to establish through the shedding of his blood on the cross and the anointing of his Holy Spirit who seals the new covenant on the day of Pentecost.

Jesus did not come to abolish the Old Covenant but to fulfill it. The Lord calls us to treasure all of his word – all of his commandments, promises, precepts, and teaching (Psalm 119:14,72,127,162). Do you promise to keep all of God’s commands? The Lord gives strength, blessing, and joy to those who treasure all of his word. We would be impoverished today if we only possessed the treasures of the word of God in the “Old Testament” Scriptures or if we only knew the treasures of the “New Testament” Scriptures.

Both the Old and New Testament Scriptures are given by the same eternal Father, inspired by the same eternal Holy Spirit, and fulfilled by the same eternal Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and who was sent from heaven to take on human flesh for our salvation (John 1:1-3,14). Unity of the Old and New TestamentsThere is a profound unity between the Old and New Testaments. Both are divinely inspired by one and the same Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). The Old Testament prepares for the New and the New Testament fulfills the Old – the two shed light on each other.

The Old Testament prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ as the redeemer of all who would be saved through his sacrifice on the cross. The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.

That is why Jesus interpreted the Old Testament Scriptures for his disciples and explained how he came to fulfill what was promised and foreshadowed in the Old (Luke 24:27). That is why we read the Old Testament in the light of Christ’s saving death and resurrection. Do you revere the word of God in the Scriptures – both old and new – and see their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ?

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗

“Lord Jesus, may your word take deep root in my heart and transform my way of thinking, discerning, and acting. May your Spirit open my ears to hear and understand the word of God in the Scriptures that I may revere and treasure both the Old and the New Testaments which God has prepared for all who desire to enter his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Help me to be a diligent student and faithful disciple of your word.”

September 27, 1696

August 1, 1787

Saint Alphonsus Liguori’s Story

Moral theology, Vatican II said, should be more thoroughly nourished by Scripture, and show the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world. Alphonsus, declared patron of moral theologians by Pius XII in 1950, would rejoice in that statement.

In his day, Alphonsus fought for the liberation of moral theology from the rigidity of Jansenism. His moral theology, which went through 60 editions in the century following him, concentrated on the practical and concrete problems of pastors and confessors. If a certain legalism and minimalism crept into moral theology, it should not be attributed to this model of moderation and gentleness.

At the University of Naples, Alphonsus received a doctorate in both canon and civil law by acclamation, at the age of 16, but he soon gave up the practice of law for apostolic activity. He was ordained a priest, and concentrated his pastoral efforts on popular parish missions, hearing confessions, and forming Christian groups.

He founded the Redemptorist congregation in 1732. It was an association of priests and brothers living a common life, dedicated to the imitation of Christ, and working mainly in popular missions for peasants in rural areas.

Almost as an omen of what was to come later, he found himself deserted after a while by all his original companions except one lay brother. But the congregation managed to survive and was formally approved 17 years later, though its troubles were not over.

Alphonsus’ great pastoral reforms were in the pulpit and confessional—replacing the pompous oratory of the time with simplicity, and the rigorism of Jansenism with kindness.

His great fame as a writer has somewhat eclipsed the fact that for 26 years he traveled up and down the Kingdom of Naples preaching popular missions.

He was made bishop at age 66 after trying to reject the honor, and at once instituted a thorough reform of his diocese.

His greatest sorrow came toward the end of his life. The Redemptorists, precariously continuing after the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773, had difficulty in getting their Rule approved by the Kingdom of Naples. Alphonsus acceded to the condition that they possess no property in common, but with the connivance of a high Redemptorist official, a royal official changed the Rule substantially.

Alphonsus, old, crippled and with very bad sight, signed the document, unaware that he had been betrayed. The Redemptorists in the Papal States then put themselves under the pope, who withdrew those in Naples from the jurisdiction of Alphonsus. It was only after his death that the branches were united.

At 71, Alphonsus was afflicted with rheumatic pains which left incurable bending of his neck. Until it was straightened a little, the pressure of his chin caused a raw wound on his chest. He suffered a final 18 months of “dark night” scruples, fears, temptations against every article of faith and every virtue, interspersed with intervals of light and relief, when ecstasies were frequent.

Alphonsus is best known for his moral theology, but he also wrote well in the field of spiritual and dogmatic theology. His Glories of Mary is one of the great works on that subject, and his book Visits to the Blessed Sacrament went through 40 editions in his lifetime, greatly influencing the practice of this devotion in the Church.

Reflection

Saint Alphonsus was known above all as a practical man who dealt in the concrete rather than the abstract. His life is indeed a practical model for the everyday Christian who has difficulty recognizing the dignity of Christian life amid the swirl of problems, pain, misunderstanding and failure. Alphonsus suffered all these things. He is a saint because he was able to maintain an intimate sense of the presence of the suffering Christ through it all.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori is the Patron Saint of:

TheologiansVocations

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 13:54-58

They Took Offense at Jesus

Are you critical towards others, especially those who are close to you? The most severe critics are often people very familiar to us, a member of our family, a relative, neighbor, student, or worker we rub shoulders with on a regular basis.

Jesus faced a severe testing when he returned to his home town, not simply as the carpenter’s son, but now as a rabbi with disciples. It would have been customary for Jesus to go to the synagogue each week during the Sabbath, and when his turn came, to read from the scriptures during the Sabbath service.

His hometown folks listened with rapt attention on this occasion because they had heard about the miracles he had performed in other towns. What sign would he do in his hometown? Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. The people of Nazareth took offense at himand refused to listen to what he had to say.

They despised his preaching because he was a carpenter from the working class, and a mere layman untrained by religious scholars. They also despised him because of his family background. After all, Joseph was a tradesman as well and Mary had no special social distinctions. Familiarity breeds contemptHow easily familiarity breeds contempt.

Jesus could do no mighty works in his hometown because the people who were familiar with him were closed-minded and despised his claim to speak and act in the name of God. If people come together to hate and refuse to understand others different than themselves, then they will see no other point of view than their own and they will refuse to love and accept others.

How do you view those who are familiar to you? With kindness and respect or with a critical and judgmental spirit? The Lord Jesus offers us freedom from sin, prejudice, contempt, and fear. His love and grace sets us free to love others with the same grace and mercy which he has shown to us.

Only Jesus can truly set us free from the worst tyranny possible – slavery to sin and the fear of death. His victory on the cross brings us pardon and healing, and the grace to live holy lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you know the joy and freedom which Christ’s love brings to our hearts?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, your love conquers every fear and breaks the power of hatred and prejudice. Flood my heart with your mercy and compassion, that I may treat my neighbor with the same favor and kindness which you have shown to me.”

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli

c. 300 – August 1, 371

Someone has said that if there had been no Arian heresy denying Christ’s divinity, it would be very difficult to write the lives of many early saints. Eusebius is another of the defenders of the Church during one of its most trying periods.

Born on the isle of Sardinia, he became a member of the Roman clergy, and is the first recorded bishop of Vercelli in Piedmont in northwest Italy.

Eusebius was also the first to link the monastic life with that of the clergy, establishing a community of his diocesan clergy on the principle that the best way to sanctify his people was to have them see a clergy formed in solid virtue and living in community.

He was sent by Pope Liberius to persuade the emperor to call a council to settle Catholic-Arian troubles.

When it was called at Milan, Eusebius went reluctantly, sensing that the Arian block would have its way, although the Catholics were more numerous. He refused to go along with the condemnation of Saint Athanasius; instead, he laid the Nicene Creed on the table and insisted that all sign it before taking up any other matter.

The emperor put pressure on him, but Eusebius insisted on Athanasius’ innocence and reminded the emperor that secular force should not be used to influence Church decisions. At first the emperor threatened to kill him, but later sent him into exile in Palestine.

There the Arians dragged him through the streets and shut him up in a little room, releasing him only after his four-day hunger strike. They resumed their harassment shortly after.

His exile continued in Asia Minor and Egypt, until the new emperor permitted him to be welcomed back to his see in Vercelli.

Eusebius attended the Council of Alexandria with Athanasius and approved the leniency shown to bishops who had wavered. He also worked with Saint Hilary of Poitiers against the Arians.

Eusebius died peacefully in his own diocese at what was then considered an advanced age.

Reflection

Catholics in the U.S. have sometimes felt penalized by an unwarranted interpretation of the principle of separation of Church and state, especially in the matter of Catholic schools. Be that as it may, the Church is happily free today from the tremendous pressure put on it after it became an “established” Church under Constantine.

We are happily rid of such things as a pope asking an emperor to call a Church council, Pope John I being sent by the emperor to negotiate in the East, or the pressure of kings on papal elections. The Church cannot be a prophet if it’s in someone’s pocket.

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 11:20-24

Will You Be Exalted to Heaven?

If Jesus were to visit your community today, what would he say? Would he issue a warning like the one he gave to Chorazin and Bethsaida? And how would you respond? Wherever Jesus went he did mighty works to show the people how much God had for them.

Chorazin and Bethsaida had been blessed with the visitation of God. They heard the good news and experienced the wonderful works which Jesus did for them. Why was Jesus upset with these communities?

The word woe can mean misfortune, calamity, distress, sorrow, sadness, misery, grief, or wretchedness. It is as much an expression of sorrowful pity and grief as it is of dismay over the calamity and destruction which comes as a result of human folly, sin, and ignorance. Why does Jesus lament and issue a stern warning? The people who heard the Gospel here very likely responded with indifference.

Jesus upbraids them for doing nothing! Repentance demands change – a change of heart and way of life. God’s word is life-giving and it saves us from destruction – the destruction of heart, mind, and soul as well as body.

Jesus’ anger is directed toward sin and everything which hinders us from doing the will of God. In love he calls us to walk in his way of truth and freedom, grace and mercy, justice and holiness. Do you receive his word with faith and obedience or with doubt and indifference?

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗

“Most High and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of our hearts and give us a true faith, a certain hope and a perfect love. Give us a sense of the divine and knowledge of yourself, so that we may do everything in fulfillment of your holy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226).”

The Life Story of the Saint

At the base of Mount Carmel, on the northwest coast of Israel, lies a Carmelite monastery named Stella Maris, Latin for “Star of the Sea.” This monastery is built over a cave believed to have been where the prophet Elijah, inspired by God, challenged 450 prophets of Baal in a contest to the death. Elijah triumphed.

Shortly after, Elijah prophesied the end of a three-year drought when, in the passage above, his servant reported to him that he saw a “cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” That small cloud quickly transformed into a heavy rainfall over the parched earth.

Later Carmelites interpreted Elijah’s vision as a prefiguration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was seen as the small cloud rising from the sea, a true “Star of the Sea,” and the rain that would emerge from her to end the three-year drought was perceived as the grace and mercy poured out by her Son, Jesus.

It is believed that following the time of Elijah, other hermits emulated Elijah and his successor, Elisha, by becoming hermits in the caves of Mount Carmel. Although some traditions hold that these holy hermits embraced Christ and lived on this sacred mountain from the time of Christ, written records only confirm their presence from the thirteenth century onwards.

It was then, in 1209, that a group of hermits asked Bishop Albert, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to provide them with a rule of life. Bishop Albert did so, and the Order of Brothers of The Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, later known as the Carmelites, was formed.

One of their first acts was to erect a chapel dedicated to Mary, Star of the Sea, Stella Maris. In 1226, their rule was approved by Pope Honorius.
Shortly after the order’s founding on Mount Carmel, Muslim invaders conquered nearby territories, leading some of the hermits to flee from the Holy Land to other parts of Europe, including Aylesford, England.

Though records are uncertain, it is believed that one of the first men to join the Carmelite hermits in England was a man named Simon Stock. The Carmelites were a new form of religious life, living as hermits rather than as a more ordered community like the Benedictines, Cistercians, and Augustinians. As a result, they found it challenging to gain wide acceptance.

In 1247, Simon Stock is believed to have been elected Superior General of the Carmelites at the age of eighty-two. In an attempt to help the new order gain wider acceptance within the Church, Simon and his fellow hermits sought out the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She responded and, in 1251, appeared to Simon while holding the Christ Child in one arm and a brown scapular in the other.

She said to him, “Receive, my beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire…It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace.”

In the centuries that followed, the Carmelites continued to develop a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially clothing themselves in the scapular habit and developing liturgies in her honor.

In the fifteenth century, the Carmelite order expanded to include women in religious service and also developed into a lay third order. In 1726, Pope Benedict XIII placed this Carmelite devotion to our Blessed Mother on the universal calendar of the Church under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Throughout the centuries, many popes have spoken in favor of the scapular and devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In 1908, the Congregation for Indulgences at the Vatican issued a summary of this devotion as follows:
It is permitted to the Carmelite Fathers to preach that the Christian people may piously believe in the help which the souls of brothers and members, who have departed this life in charity, have worn in life the scapular, have ever observed chastity, have recited the Little Hours of the Blessed Virgin.

Or, if they cannot read, have observed the fast days of the Church, and have abstained from flesh meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays (except when Christmas falls on such days), may derive after death—especially on Saturdays, the day consecrated by the Church to the Blessed Virgin—through the unceasing intercession of Mary, her pious petitions, her merits, and her special protection.

As we honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we honor not only our Blessed Mother but also her central role in the Carmelite orders and the devotions to her that they have promoted, especially the devotion of the scapular.

Reflect on your own devotion to our Blessed Mother. If you wear the scapular, renew your faith in her motherly intercession that is obtained through this holy devotion. If you do not wear the scapular, consider doing so as an outward sign of your interior devotion to her and your trust in her intercession.

Prayer: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, your arrival was prophesied by the vision of Elijah the prophet when he saw the small cloud rising from the sea. From that cloud, rain quenched the arid earth.

Through you, the true rain of mercy continues to fall upon us in the form of your divine Son. Please pray for me, that my thirst from the dryness of my soul will always seek satisfaction only in your Son and the mercy He pours forth. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Blessings from
Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 10:34 – 11:1

I Have Not Come to Bring Peace, but a Sword

Why does Jesus describe his mission and the coming of God’s kingdom in terms of conflict, division, and war? Jesus told his disciples that he did not “come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).

The “sword” which Jesus speaks of here is not a physical weapon that cuts people down, but a spiritual weapon that cuts through the inner core of our being to expose the corruption of sinful thoughts and intentions as well as the lies and deception of Satan and his kingdom of darkness. Sword of the SpiritScripture describes God’s word as a sharp two-edged sword that “pierces to the division of soul and spirit… discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, Revelations 19:15).

Scripture also describes “God’s word” as the “sword of the Spirit” which has power to destroy every spiritual stronghold that keep people in bondage to sin, deception, and Satan (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus came to rescue us from slavery to sin and to set us free to live as citizens of God’s kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Spiritual warfareJesus’ mission was an act of war against the spiritual forces who oppose the kingdom of God and his rule over the earth. That is why Jesus identified Satan as the ruler of this world whom he will cast out (John 12:31).

The battle Jesus had in mind was not an earthly conflict between individuals and nations, but a spiritual warfare between the forces of Satan and the armies of heaven. Jesus came to wage war against the spiritual powers of this present world that turn the minds and hearts of people away from God and his kingdom of joy, peace, and goodness.Kingdom of light versus kingdom of darknessThe Scriptures make clear that there are ultimately only two kingdoms or powers and that they stand in opposition to one another – God’s kingdom of light and Satan’s kingdom of darkness.

John the Apostle contrasts these two opposing kingdoms in the starkest of terms: We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19). The Scriptures describe the “world” as that society of people who are opposed to God and his kingdom of righteousness, truth, and goodness.

Jesus came to overthrow Satan’s power and to set us free from everything that would hold us back from knowing, loving, and serving God who has loved each one of us with boundless mercy, compassion, and goodness. God must take first place in our livesJesus told his disciples that if they followed him it would be costly because they must put God’s kingdom first and obey his word. Whenever a great call is given it inevitably causes division between those who accept and reject it.

When Jesus remarked that division would cut very close to home his listeners likely recalled the prophecy of Micah: a man’s enemies are the men of his own household (Micah 7:6). The love of God compels us to choose who will be first in our lives. To place any relationship or any other thing above God is a form of idolatry.

Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than that owed to spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. The just rewardTrue love for God compels us to express charity towards our neighbor who is created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus declared that any kindness shown and any help given to the people of Christ will not go unrewarded.

Jesus never refused to give to anyone in need who asked for his help. As his disciples we are called to be kind and generous as he is. Jesus sets before his disciples the one goal in life that is worth any sacrifice and that goal is the will of God which leads to everlasting life, peace, and joy with God. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?

🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻

“Lord, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has conceived the things you have prepared for those who love you. Set us ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that we may love you in and above all things and so receive the rewards you have promised us through Christ our Lord. (from A Christian’s Prayer Book).”

Saint Bonaventure was born sometime during the last decade of Francis of Assisi’s life and would be closely tied to the saint and his Franciscan order for all of his own life. Born in Civita di Bagnoregio, present-day Italy, the baby was baptized Giovanni di Fidanza, after his father.

The region was then part of the Papal States, located about seventy miles north of Rome and fifty miles southwest of Assisi. At the time of Giovanni’s birth, the Franciscan order had expanded to include around 5,000 members in less than a decade.

As a child, Giovanni was miraculously healed by Saint Francis of Assisi and may have acquired the name Bonaventure as a result.

According to one legend, when Francis cured Giovanni, the future saint exclaimed, “O buona ventura!” which translates to, “O good fortune!” Some biographies suggest that the cure may have occurred after Francis’ death through the intercession of Giovanni’s mother.

Regardless, Saint Bonaventure later recounted the miracle, stating, “For I, who remember as though it happened but yesterday how I was snatched from the jaws of death, while yet a child, by his invocation and merits, should fear to be convicted of the sin of ingratitude did I refrain from publishing his praises.” Little else is known about Giovanni’s childhood.

As a young man, Giovanni traveled to Paris for his studies and joined the Franciscans in 1243, formally adopting the name Bonaventure. He stayed in Paris and embarked on a rigorous study regimen, with a special focus on the Sacred Scriptures and the Sentences of Bishop Peter Lombard. His doctoral thesis was titled Questions on the Knowledge of Christ.

During his time in Paris, a theological battle was brewing between traditional academics and the new Franciscan and Dominican mendicant orders. Unlike previous orders that lived in large monasteries and sustained themselves by owning large tracts of land, these two new orders were traveling preachers living out the vow of poverty.

Their novel approach to religious life, combined with their rapid growth, incited envy and suspicion within traditional academic circles. Father Bonaventure, a Franciscan, was at the forefront of this battle through his writings, in which he clarified the theological and Scriptural basis of the mendicant charism.

After about fourteen years in Paris, Father Bonaventure was recognized as a Doctor and Master of Theology at the University of Paris. His Dominican counterpart, Father Thomas Aquinas, also received his doctorate degree on the same day, October 23, 1257.

Father Bonaventure had gained such a reputation that popes regularly sought his counsel. In 1274, Pope Gregory X ordained him a bishop and appointed him as a cardinal.

He then tasked him with guiding the significant Second Council of Lyon, which aimed at restoring the unity of the Eastern and Western Churches. Before the council concluded, for unknown reasons, Cardinal Bonaventure passed away at the age of fifty-six.

Saint Bonaventure was, in many ways, the new face of the new Franciscan order. God inspired the order through Saint Francis and shortly after, He directed the zeal of its members through Saint Bonaventure’s profound mystical wisdom.

As we honor this great saint, ponder, especially, his intellectual approach to the faith. He was brilliant, but he always used that brilliance to point others to an authentic conversion of heart.

He didn’t engage in theology for the sake of theology; he did it for the love of Christ, in imitation of the charism of Saint Francis. Ponder your own knowledge of Christ and pray to this Seraphic Doctor, asking him to intercede for you so that your knowledge of Christ will lead you and others to a deeper love of Christ Himself.

Prayer: Saint Bonaventure, you were called by God to use your mind to guide the profound simplicity and newness of the Franciscan order. Through prayer, faith, and intelligence, you remained true to Saint Francis’ charism of pointing others to Christ. Please pray for me, that I will always seek Christ above all things and serve Him with all my heart. Saint Bonaventure and Saint Franics, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Mark 6:7-13

Jesus Gave Them Authority over Sickness and Unclean Spirits

In today’s Gospel, this is Jesus, for the very first time sending his disciples, all by themselves, into the villages and towns where he himself had preached before. But he sent them up two by two, which has become sort of a tradition.

And of course two by two is much better than one or three. Why?
Because two by two are kind of companions for each other, and they, since it’s the first time, they’re going to have to tell the Good News to the people and explain all the wonderful things that the Messiah is bringing to them.

Because of that, they were a little bit of nervous, especially since they had no education. We forget that. They were fishermen. They were trained to fish and that was about all. Some might be able to read a little, write a little, not much.

And here they go all into these strange places. And they are to do what Jesus does. He has come to bring the Good News to all the people.
And what does he give them in this journey?

Well, if we went today in our world, we would all have to go to school for a few weeks and be told exactly what to do and explain theology and philosophy and all the different things.

And then, of course, we’d have to be told just about everything, and we would go heavily armed with books and pamphlets and all the paraphernalia that comes with modern evangelization.
This is an amazing story. Jesus just takes twelve fisherman and he says, “Okay, go to it now.”
Why?

Because the future is yours, not mine, you see.
“I will be with you all days, even to the end of time.” That is true. “I will comfort you. I will never leave you.”
And yet you must do it alone, or you will feel that you’re doing it alone.

Because the only way the word of God will reach the ends of the earth is through, not Jesus, but through men and women who take their lives seriously and who live their lives seriously, because this is the way, by their work and their prayer and their commitment, that the word of God is spread, and spreads out through the whole world and from generation to generation.

So never ask:
“When is God going to do this? When is God going to do that? When is the parish going to do this? When is the parish going to do that?” Because the answer is you’re supposed to do it right now. Right now you are supposed to do it and you can do it with your whole life.

Why did God call Amos to be a prophet in the first reading for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B?
God called Amos, a shepherd, to be a prophet because He wanted to deliver a message to Israel. It shows that God can choose anyone for His work, no matter their background.

How can we apply the lesson from Amos to our lives?
We can apply Amos’ lesson by being open to God’s call. No matter our job or status, God may call us to serve Him in different ways.

What does it mean to be “sealed with the Holy Spirit” in the second reading for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B?
Being “sealed with the Holy Spirit” means we belong to God. It is a sign that we are protected and guided by the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to be chosen in Ephesians?
Being chosen means God has a special purpose for us. We are called to live holy lives and share His love with others.

How do spiritual blessings help us?
Spiritual blessings, like being chosen and redeemed, give us strength and hope. They remind us of God’s love and our mission to live for Him.

Why did Jesus tell the apostles to travel light in the Gospel for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B?

Jesus told the apostles to travel light so they would rely on God for their needs. It teaches us to trust in God’s care and not depend too much on material things.

What can we learn from the apostles’ mission?
We learn to spread God’s message and help others. We should rely on God and be willing to go where He sends us.

What is the main message of the Gospel reading?
The main message is about preaching repentance and healing. Jesus sent the apostles to help people turn away from sin and find healing through God’s love.

How can we practice repentance?
We can practice repentance by acknowledging our sins, asking for forgiveness, and making an effort to change our ways. This helps us grow closer to God.

Why is trust important in the readings for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B?
Trust is important because it shows our faith in God’s care. The apostles trusted God to provide for them, and we should do the same in our lives.

🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻

“Lord Jesus, make me a channel of your healing power and merciful love that others may find abundant life and freedom in you. Free me from all other attachments that I may joyfully pursue the treasure of your heavenly kingdom. May I witness the joy of the Gospel both in word and deed.”

✳️✳️✳️✳️🔰🔰🔰🔰✳️✳️✳️✳️
🟢 Story for the reflection 🟢

An angel spoke directly to Gideon, the fourth judge of the Israelites in the 12th century B.C. This two-way conversation is recorded in detail in Jgs 6:11-25 and comprises the commissioning of Gideon to be a deliverer and “Judge” of God’s people.

The angel of the Lord came to meet Gideon under the oak tree at Ophrah with specific instructions for a raid on the Midianites who were the controlling force in the land, fielding a unique and fast-moving camel-battalion.

The raiders had forcefully reaped all the grain of the Israelites during the harvest season for seven years. Gideon protested that his clan, Manasseh, was the weakest in the nation. But God assured Gideon, “I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them” (v 16).

Gideon asked for a sign from God, and God graciously gave it to convince Gideon that it was God who was sending him to fight, and it was God who would be fighting for him. In Judges 7:2-11 God gave additional instruction to Gideon and asked him to send home those soldiers who were afraid to fight a strong, extensive army.

That reduced the number of soldiers in Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 10,000. But it was still too many in God’s sight. God further instructed Gideon to conduct a water-drinking test in the river. The test eliminated 9700 more soldiers, leaving behind only 300 soldiers of God’s selection.

The story of Gideon’s calling was about strategy: “Go in My strength.” The Midianites had a force of 135,000 men with them when they invaded Israel in the 8th harvest season.

But Gideon trusted in the strength of the Lord and through the Spirit of the Lord possessing him, defeated and destroyed the mighty army of the Midianites by his surprise midnight attack.

Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus selected twelve ordinary men and delegated them for preaching and healing mission trip.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 10:16-23

Sheep in the Midst of Wolves – Wise and Innocent

What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16)? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25).

This Old Testament prophecy certainly refers to the second coming of Christ when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth (Ephesians 1:10 and Revelation 11:15).

In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who oppose the Gospel and the coming of God’s kingdom. The readiness to serve and face hardship for Christ and his kingdomJesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they chose to follow him. Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst – do you accept it?

This is not the world’s way of recruitment for service and toil with promise of honor and reward. After the British defeat at Dunkirk (June 1940), Churchill offered his country blood, toil, sweat, and tears. This is not the message we prefer to hear when the Lord Jesus commissions us in his service for the advancement of God’s kingdom and the battle against Satan’s kingdom of darkness and death.

Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Lord and Master who willingly laid down his life for us in order to bring us victory over Satan, sin, and death. Are you willing to accept hardship and suffering in serving the Lord Jesus Christ?

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗

“Lord Jesus, help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you and your kingdom of love, truth,and goodness. Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing your will.”

Saint John Jones (c.1530 – 1598)
and Saint John Wall (1620 – 1679)

Saint John Jones’ and Saint John Wall’s stories
These two friars were martyred in England in the 16th and 17th centuries for refusing to deny their faith.
John Jones was Welsh. He was ordained a diocesan priest and was twice imprisoned for administering the sacraments before leaving England in 1590.

He joined the Franciscans at the age of 60 and returned to England three years later while Queen Elizabeth I was at the height of her power. John ministered to Catholics in the English countryside until his imprisonment in 1596. He was condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. John was executed on July 12, 1598.

John Wall was born in England but was educated at the English College of Douai, Belgium. Ordained in Rome in 1648, he entered the Franciscans in Douai several years later. In 1656 he returned to work secretly in England.
In 1678, Titus Oates worked many English people into a frenzy over an alleged papal plot to murder the king and restore Catholicism in that country.

In that year Catholics were legally excluded from Parliament, a law which was not repealed until 1829. John Wall was arrested and imprisoned in 1678, and was executed the following year.
John Jones and John Wall were canonized in 1970.

Reflection
Every martyr knows how to save his/her life and yet refuses to do so. A public repudiation of the faith would save any of them. But some things are more precious than life itself. These martyrs prove that their 20th-century countryman, C. S. Lewis, was correct in saying that courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, that is, at the point of highest reality.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 9:18-26

Take Heart, Your Faith Has Made You Well

Do you take your troubles to the Lord with expectant faith and confidence in his help? People in desperate or helpless circumstances were not disappointed when they sought Jesus out.

What drew them to Jesus? Was it hope for a miracle or a word of comfort in their affliction? What did the elderly woman who had suffered greatly for twelve years expect Jesus to do for her? And what did a grieving father expect Jesus to do about his lost beloved daughter? Words of hope directed to GodJesus gave hope where there seemed to be no human cause for it because his hope was directed to God. He spoke words of hope to the woman (Take heart, daughter!) to ignite the spark of faith in her (your faith has made you well!). And he also gave divine hope to a father who had just lost a beloved child. It took considerable courage and risk for the ruler of a synagogue to openly go to Jesus and to invite the scorn of his neighbors and kin. Even the hired mourners laughed at him in scorn.

Their grief was devoid of any hope. Nonetheless, Jesus took the girl by the hand and delivered her from the grasp of death. In both instances we see Jesus’ personal concern for the needs of others and his readiness to heal and restore life.The infinite love of GodIn Jesus we see the infinite love of God extending to each and every individual as he gives freely and wholly of himself to each person he meets. Do you approach the Lord with confident expectation that he will hear your request and act?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you love each of us individually with a unique and personal love. Touch my life with your saving power, heal and restore me to fullness of life. Help me to give wholly of myself in loving service to others.”

Saint Gregory Grassi and Companions
February 13, 1823 – July 9, 1900

Christian missionaries have often gotten caught in the crossfire of wars against their own countries. When the governments of Britain, Germany, Russia, and France forced substantial territorial concessions from the Chinese in 1898, anti-foreign sentiment grew very strong among many Chinese people.

Gregory Grassi was born in Italy in 1823, ordained in 1856, and sent to China five years later. Gregory was later ordained bishop of North Shanxi. With 14 other European missionaries and 14 Chinese religious, he was martyred during the short but bloody Boxer Uprising of 1900.

Twenty-six of these martyrs were arrested on the orders of Yu Hsien, the governor of Shanxi province. They were hacked to death on July 9, 1900. Five of them were Friars Minor; seven were Franciscan Missionaries of Mary—the first martyrs of their congregation.

Seven were Chinese seminarians and Secular Franciscans; four martyrs were Chinese laymen and Secular Franciscans. The other three Chinese laymen killed in Shanxi simply worked for the Franciscans and were rounded up with all the others.

Three Italian Franciscans were martyred that same week in the province of Hunan. All these martyrs were beatified in 1946, and were among the 120 martyrs canonized in 2000.

Reflection
Martyrdom is the occupational hazard of missionaries. Throughout China during the Boxer Uprising, five bishops, 50 priests, two brothers, 15 sisters and 40,000 Chinese Christians were killed.

The 146,575 Catholics served by the Franciscans in China in 1906 had grown to 303,760 by 1924, and were served by 282 Franciscans and 174 local priests. Great sacrifices often bring great results.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Mark 6:1-6

Jesus Marveled because of Their Unbelief

Today’s readings introduce Jesus as a prophet and explain how prophets and other messengers from God inevitably suffer rejection. The readings challenge us to face rejection and hardship with prophetic courage.

God’s Empowerment

In the first reading for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B from Ezekiel, God gives Ezekiel the strength to speak to the rebellious people of Israel. Even though the people are stubborn, God still sends His prophet. This shows us that God never gives up on His people, no matter how far they stray.

Ezekiel’s mission reminds us that sometimes we are called to speak the truth, even when it is difficult. We might face resistance or rejection, but God wants us to keep going. He will give us the strength we need to carry out His will.

God’s empowerment of Ezekiel teaches us that we are not alone in our mission. When we feel weak or afraid, we can trust that God is with us. He will guide us and help us speak His truth.

Strength in Weakness

In the second reading for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, Paul talks about his weaknesses and hardships. He explains that these challenges allow Christ’s power to shine through. This teaches us that our struggles can help us grow closer to God.

Paul’s message is clear: we do not need to be perfect to be loved by God. Our weaknesses and difficulties can be opportunities for God’s strength to be shown. We can embrace our struggles and trust that God is working through them.

Paul’s words encourage us to rely on God’s power rather than our own. When we face hardships, we can remember that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Faith and Rejection

The Gospel reading for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B shows Jesus visiting His hometown of Nazareth. Despite His wisdom and miracles, the people reject Him because they see Him as just a carpenter’s son. This lack of faith amazes Jesus.

Jesus’ experience in Nazareth shows us how important faith is. Even though He had the power to perform miracles, the people’s unbelief limited what He could do. This teaches us that our faith plays a crucial role in receiving God’s blessings.

Jesus challenges the people with a new way of thinking, and it is just too much for them. God is indeed a person, but perhaps we are also more comfortable with the idea of God than an actual encounter. When we encounter God, we know we might be pushed beyond our current way of thinking, and that is frightening.

We are reminded to have faith in Jesus, even when others doubt or reject Him. Our belief in His power can open the door to His healing and new ways of thinking.

Today’s Scriptures challenge us to face rejection with prophetic courage and optimism. Very often our friends, families, or childhood companions fail to listen to us and refuse to accept the words of grace, love, and encouragement that we offer to them because they are so familiar with us that they are unable to see us as God’s appointed instruments, the agents of God’s healing and saving grace for them.

But we have to face such rejection with prophetic courage because by our Baptism we are called to be prophets like Jesus, sharing Jesus’ prophetic mission. As prophets, our task is to “speak the truth in love,” and to oppose the evils in our society, refusing to condone or encourage sinful behavior even in our dear ones.

Let us also acknowledge, appreciate, and encourage the prophets of our time who stand for Truth and Justice in our society with the wisdom of God in their heads, the power and love of the Holy Spirit in their hearts and words, and the courage of God in their actions.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and desires. Your Spirit brings grace, truth, freedom, and abundant life. Set my heart on fire with your love and truth.”

The Life Story of the Saint

Bishop Fulton Sheen, the great Preacher, was told by his college debate coach, “You are absolutely the worst speaker I ever heard.”(Mark Link S.J.). Ruth Graham felt an uncontrollable urge to run out of the meeting the first time she heard Billy Graham preach. She was not convinced of his preaching ability. She was put off by his preaching style.

Billy had to improve his preaching before Ruth would become his wife. Brilliant British Theologian G.K. Chesterton could not read until he was eight years old. A teacher said if his head were opened, they would probably find a lump of fat where there was supposed to be a brain.

That teacher was wrong. Ernest Hemingway, the great novelist, was told by his teachers, ”Forget about writing; you don’t have enough talent for it.”Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit was rejected by seven publishers. Richard Bach got twenty rejection slips before Jonathan Livingston Seagull was published.

Richard Hooker’s humorous war novel, MASH was rejected by 21 publishers before it became a bestseller, a movie, and long-running television series. Dr. Seuss, one of the most popular children’s authors of all time, got more than two dozen rejection slips before The Cat in the Hat made it to print.

— Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus encountered rejection with prophetic courage. If people rejected Jesus in his lifetime, we should not be surprised if people reject us who believe in and follow Jesus in our lifetime.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 9:9-13

The Day Will Come When They Will Fast

Which comes first, fasting or feasting? The disciples of John the Baptist were upset with Jesus’ disciples because they did not fast. Fasting was one of the three most important religious duties, along with prayer and almsgiving. Jesus gave a simple explanation.

There’s a time for fasting and a time for feasting (or celebrating). To walk as a disciple with Jesus is to experience a whole new joy of relationship akin to the joy of the wedding party in celebrating with the groom and bride their wedding bliss. A time to rejoice and a time to mournBut there also comes a time when the Lord’s disciples must bear the cross of affliction and purification. For the disciple there is both a time for rejoicing in the Lord’s presence and celebrating his goodness and a time for seeking the Lord with humility and fasting and for mourning over sin. Do you take joy in the Lord’s presence with you and do you express sorrow and contrition for your sins? The closed mind that refuses to learnJesus goes on to warn his disciples about the problem of the “closed mind” that refuses to learn new things. Jesus used an image familiar to his audience – new and old wineskins. In Jesus’ times, wine was stored in wineskins, not bottles. New wine poured into skins was still fermenting.

The gases exerted gave pressure. New wine skins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wine skins easily burst because they had become hard and had lost their ability to expand and stretch. What did Jesus mean by this comparison? Are we to reject the old in place of the new? Treasuring the old and new wine of the Holy SpiritJust as there is a right place and a right time for fasting and for feasting, so there is a right place for the old as well as the new. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old (Matthew 13:52).

How impoverished we would be if we only had the Old Testament or the New Testament books of the Bible, rather than both. The Lord gives us wisdom so we can make the best use of both the old and the new.

He doesn’t want us to hold rigidly to the past and to be resistant to the new work of his Holy Spirit in our lives. He wants our minds and hearts to be like new wine skins – open and ready to receive the new wine of the Holy Spirit. Are you eager to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God’s word and plan for your life?

Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit, that I may grow in the knowledge of your great love and truth. Help me to seek you earnestly in prayer and fasting that I may turn away from sin and willfulness and conform my life more fully to your will. May I always find joy in knowing, loving, and serving you.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself. (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430).”

Saint Maria Goretti
October 16, 1890
July 6, 1902

One of the largest crowds ever assembled for a canonization—250,000—symbolized the reaction of millions touched by the simple story of Maria Goretti.

She was the daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer, had no chance to go to school, never learned to read or write. When Maria made her First Communion not long before her death, she was one of the larger and somewhat backward members of the class.

On a hot afternoon in July, Maria was sitting at the top of the stairs of her house, mending a shirt. She was not quite 12 years old, but physically mature. A cart stopped outside, and a neighbor, 18-year-old Alessandro, ran up the stairs.

He seized her and pulled her into a bedroom. She struggled and tried to call for help. “No, God does not wish it,” she cried out. “It is a sin. You would go to hell for it.” Alessandro began striking at her blindly with a long dagger.

Maria was taken to a hospital. Her last hours were marked by the usual simple compassion of the good—concern about where her mother would sleep, forgiveness of her murderer (she had been in fear of him, but did not say anything lest she cause trouble to his family), and her devout welcoming of Viaticum, her last Holy Communion. She died about 24 hours after the attack.

Alessandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison. For a long time he was unrepentant and surly. One night he had a dream or vision of Maria gathering flowers and offering them to him. His life changed. When he was released after 27 years, his first act was to beg the forgiveness of Maria’s mother.

Devotion to the young martyr grew, miracles were worked, and in less than half a century she was canonized. At her beatification in 1947, her 82-year-old mother, two sisters, and her brother appeared with Pope Pius XII on the balcony of St. Peter’s.

Three years later, at Maria’s canonization, a 66-year-old Alessandro Serenelli knelt among the quarter-million people and cried tears of joy.

Reflection
Maria may have had trouble with catechism, but she had no trouble with faith. God’s will was holiness, decency, respect for one’s body, absolute obedience, total trust. In a complex world, her faith was simple: It is a privilege to be loved by God, and to love him—at any cost.

Saint Maria Goretti is the Patron Saint of:
Catholic YouthGirlsTeenagers

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 9:9-13

I Desire Mercy – Not Sacrifice

What is God’s call on your life? Jesus chose Matthew to be his follower and friend, not because Matthew was religious or learned, popular or saintly. Matthew appeared to be none of those.

He chose to live a life of wealth and ease. His profession was probably the most corrupted and despised by everyone because tax collectors made themselves wealthy by over-charging and threatening people if they did not hand over their money to them. God searches our heartWhat did Jesus see in Matthew that others did not see? When the prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint the future heir to the throne of Israel, he bypassed all the first seven sons and chose the last! “God looks at the heart and not at the appearance of a man” he declared (1 Samuel 16:7).

David’s heart was like a compass looking for true north – it pointed to God. Matthew’s heart must have yearned for God, even though he dare not show his face in a synagogue – the Jewish house of prayer and the study of Torah – God’s law.

When Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax office – no doubt counting his day’s profit – Jesus spoke only two words – “follow me”. Those two words changed Matthew from a self-serving profiteer to a God-serving apostle who would bring the treasures of God’s kingdom to the poor and needy. John Chrysostom, the great 5th century church father, describes Matthew’s calling: “Why did Jesus not call Matthew at the same time as he called Peter and John and the rest?

He came to each one at a particular time when he knew that they would respond to him. He came at a different time to call Matthew when he was assured that Matthew would surrender to his call.

Similarly, he called Paul at a different time when he was vulnerable, after the resurrection, something like a hunter going after his quarry. For he who is acquainted with our inmost hearts and knows the secrets of our minds knows when each one of us is ready to respond fully.

Therefore he did not call them all together at the beginning, when Matthew was still in a hardened condition. Rather, only after countless miracles, after his fame spread abroad, did he call Matthew. He knew Matthew had been softened for full responsiveness.” Jesus- the divine physicianWhen the Pharisees challenged Jesus’ unorthodox behavior in eating with public sinners, Jesus’ defense was quite simple. A doctor doesn’t need to visit healthy people – instead he goes to those who are sick.

Jesus likewise sought out those in the greatest need. A true physician seeks healing of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. Jesus came as the divine physician and good shepherd to care for his people and to restore them to wholeness of life.

The orthodox were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed spiritual care. Their religion was selfish because they didn’t want to have anything to do with people not like themselves.

Jesus stated his mission in unequivocal terms: I came not to call the righteous, but to call sinners. Ironically the orthodox were as needy as those they despised. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). On more than one occasion Jesus quoted the saying from the prophet Hosea:For I desire mercy and not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6). Do you thank the Lord Jesus for the great mercy he has shown to you? And do you show mercy to your neighbor as well?

Prayer

Saint Anthony Zaccaria
1502 – July 5, 1539

At the same time that Martin Luther was attacking abuses in the Church, a reformation within the Church was already being attempted. Among the early movers of the Counter-Reformation was Anthony Zaccaria. His mother became a widow at 18, and devoted herself to the spiritual education of her son.

He received a medical doctorate at 22, and while working among the poor of his native Cremona in Italy, was attracted to the religious apostolate. He renounced his rights to any future inheritance, worked as a catechist, and was ordained a priest at the age of 26.

Called to Milan in a few years, he laid the foundations of three religious congregations, one for men, one for women, and an association of married couples. Their aim was the reform of the decadent society of their day, beginning with the clergy, religious, and lay people.

Greatly inspired by Saint Paul—his congregation is named the Barnabites, after the companion of that saint—Anthony preached with great vigor in church and street, conducted popular missions, and was not ashamed of doing public penance.

Anthony encouraged such innovations as the collaboration of the laity in the apostolate, frequent Communion, the Forty Hours devotion, and the ringing of church bells at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays. His holiness moved many to reform their lives, but as with all saints, it also moved many to oppose him.

Twice his community had to undergo official religious investigation, and twice it was exonerated.
While on a mission of peace, Anthony became seriously ill and was brought home for a visit to his mother. He died at Cremona at the age of 36.

Reflection
The austerity of Anthony’s spirituality and the Pauline ardor of his preaching would probably “turn off” many people today. When even some psychiatrists complain at the lack of a sense of sin, it may be time to tell ourselves that not all evil is explained by emotional disorder, subconscious and unconscious drives, parental influence, and so on.

The old-time “hell and damnation” mission sermons have given way to positive, encouraging, biblical homilies. We do indeed need assurance of forgiveness, relief from existential anxiety, and future shock.

But we still need prophets to stand up and tell us, “If we say ‘We are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 9:1-8

Take Heart – Your Sins Are Forgiven

What cripples the mind and heart and stifles the healing power of love? Sin and unforgiveness for certain! Sin cripples us more than any physical ailment can.

Sin is the work of the kingdom of darkness and it holds us in eternal bondage. There is only one solution and that is the healing, cleansing power of Jesus’ forgiveness. Power of forgiveness Jesus’ treatment of sinners upset the religious teachers of the day. When a cripple was brought to Jesus because of the faith of his friends, Jesus did the unthinkable. He first forgave the man his sins.

The scribes regarded this as blasphemy because they understood that only God had authority to forgive sins and to unbind a man or woman from their burden of guilt. Jesus claimed an authority which only God could rightfully give.

Jesus not only proved that his authority came from God, he showed the great power of God’s redeeming love and mercy by healing the cripple of his physical ailment. This man had been crippled not only physically, but spiritually as well. Jesus freed him from his burden of guilt and restored his body as well. Healing body, mind, and soulThe Lord Jesus is ever ready to bring us healing of mind, body, and soul. His grace brings us freedom from the power of sin and from bondage to harmful desires and addictions. Do you allow anything to keep you from Jesus’ healing power?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, through your merciful love and forgiveness you bring healing and restoration to body, mind, and soul. May your healing power and love touch every area of my life – my innermost thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and memories. Pardon my offences and transform me in the power of your Holy Spirit that I may walk confidently in your truth and goodness.”

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
1271 – July 4, 1336

Elizabeth is usually depicted in royal garb with a dove or an olive branch. At her birth in 1271, her father Pedro III, future king of Aragon, was reconciled with his father James, the reigning monarch. This proved to be a portent of things to come.

Under the healthful influences surrounding her early years, she quickly learned self-discipline and acquired a taste for spirituality.
Thus fortunately prepared, Elizabeth was able to meet the challenge when at the age of 12, she was given in marriage to Denis, king of Portugal.

She was able to establish for herself a pattern of life conducive to growth in God’s love, not merely through her exercises of piety, including daily Mass, but also through her exercise of charity, by which she was able to befriend and help pilgrims, strangers, the sick, the poor—in a word, all those whose need came to her notice.

At the same time she remained devoted to her husband, whose infidelity to her was a scandal to the kingdom.

Denis, too, was the object of many of her peace endeavors. Elizabeth long sought peace for him with God, and was finally rewarded when he gave up his life of sin.

She repeatedly sought and effected peace between the king and their rebellious son Alfonso, who thought that he was passed over to favor the king’s illegitimate children. She acted as peacemaker in the struggle between Ferdinand, king of Aragon, and his cousin James, who claimed the crown.

And finally from Coimbra, where she had retired as a Franciscan tertiary to the monastery of the Poor Clares after the death of her husband, Elizabeth set out and was able to bring about a lasting peace between her son Alfonso, now king of Portugal, and his son-in-law, the king of Castile.

Reflection
The work of promoting peace is anything but a calm and quiet endeavor. It takes a clear mind, a steady spirit and a brave soul to intervene between people whose emotions are so aroused that they are ready to destroy one another.

This is all the more true of a woman in the early 14th century. But Elizabeth had a deep and sincere love and sympathy for humankind, an almost total lack of concern for herself, and an abiding confidence in God. These were the tools of her success.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 9:9-13

I Desire Mercy – Not Sacrifice

What is God’s call on your life? Jesus chose Matthew to be his follower and friend, not because Matthew was religious or learned, popular or saintly. Matthew appeared to be none of those.

He came to each one at a particular time when he knew that they would respond to him. He came at a different time to call Matthew when he was assured that Matthew would surrender to his call.

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗📗

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 20:24-29

Do Not Be Faithless – but Believing

What can give us unshakeable hope and confidence in the face of failure, defeat, and death? The apostles had abandoned Jesus in his hour of trial when he was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemani by Judas and arrested by the Jewish authorities.

Their fear turned to despair when Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion for his claim to be the King of the Jews. In that hour of darkness on “Good Friday” the apostles saw Jesus’ death as defeat rather than victory. From death and despair to joy and victoryOn Sunday morning when they heard the reports from the women who saw the empty tomb, they were slow to believe that Jesus had risen as he prophesied to them previously.

Their despair turned to joy when the Risen Lord at last appeared to them and showed them the scars of his victory – his pierced hands, feet, and side. Jesus had indeed triumphed over the enemies which held the human race in slavery to sin, Satan, and death. The last apostle to meet the resurrected Lord was the first to go with him to Jerusalem at Passover time. The apostle Thomas was a natural pessimist. When Jesus proposed that they visit Lazarus after receiving news of his illness, Thomas said to the disciples: “Let us also go, that we may die with him”(John 11:16).

While Thomas deeply loved the Lord, he lacked the courage to stand with Jesus in his passion and crucifixion. After Jesus’ death, Thomas made the mistake of withdrawing from the other apostles.

He sought loneliness rather than fellowship in his time of sorrow and adversity. He doubted the women who saw the resurrected Jesus and he doubted his own fellow apostles who also testified that Jesus had risen. When Thomas finally had the courage to rejoin the other apostles eight days later, the Lord Jesus made his presence known to him and reassured him that he had indeed overcome death and risen again. When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! Through faith we meet the Risen LordThrough the gift of faith we, too, are able to recognize the presence of the risen Lord in our personal lives. The Holy Spirit reveals the Lord Jesus to us and helps us to grow in knowledge and understanding of God and his ways.

Through the gift of faith we are able to proclaim that Jesus is our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.

The Lord offers each of us new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his resurrection. Do you believe in God’s word and in the power of the Holy Spirit?

📗📗🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻📗📗

“Lord Jesus Christ, through your victory over sin and death you have overcome all the powers of darkness. Help me to draw near to you and to trust in your life-giving word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and strengthen my faith in your promises and my hope in the power of your resurrection.”

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Thomas’
1st Century
December 21, 72

Poor Thomas! He made one remark and has been branded as “Doubting Thomas” ever since. But if he doubted, he also believed. He made what is certainly the most explicit statement of faith in the New Testament: “My Lord and My God!” and, in so expressing his faith, gave Christians a prayer that will be said till the end of time.

He also occasioned a compliment from Jesus to all later Christians: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29).

Thomas should be equally well-known for his courage. Perhaps what he said was impetuous—since he ran, like the rest, at the showdown—but he can scarcely have been insincere when he expressed his willingness to die with Jesus. The occasion was when Jesus proposed to go to Bethany after Lazarus had died.

Since Bethany was near Jerusalem, this meant walking into the very midst of his enemies and to almost certain death. Realizing this, Thomas said to the other apostles, “Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16b).

Reflection
Thomas shares the lot of Peter the impetuous, James and John, the “sons of thunder,” Philip and his foolish request to see the Father—indeed all the apostles in their weakness and lack of understanding. We must not exaggerate these facts, however, for Christ did not pick worthless men.

But their human weakness again points up the fact that holiness is a gift of God, not a human creation; it is given to ordinary men and women with weaknesses; it is God who gradually transforms the weaknesses into the image of Christ, the courageous, trusting, and loving one.

Saint Thomas is the Patron Saint of:
Architects/ Builders/ Construction Workers/ Surveyors/ India/ Pakistan/ Sri Lanka / Theologians

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 8:23-27

Why Are You Afraid, O Men of Little Faith?

How can we fight fear with faith? Jesus’ sleeping presence on the storm-tossed sea reveals the sleeping faith of his disciples (Matthew 8:25). They feared for their lives even though their Lord and Master was with them in the boat.

They were asleep to Christ while he was present to them in their hour of need. Why are you afraid?The Lord is ever present to us. And in our time of testing he asks the same question: Why are you afraid? Have you no faith (Matthew 8:26)?

Do you recognize the Lord’s presence with you, especially when you meet the storms of adversity, sorrow, and temptation? Whenever we encounter trouble, the Lord Jesus is there with the same reassuring message: “It is I, do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

Faith nourished with the word of GodWhat are the characteristics of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. Believing is only possible by grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and who opens the eyes of the mind to understand and accept the truth which God has revealed to us.

Let the love of Christ rule your heart and mindFear does not need to cripple us from taking right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. Courage working with faith enables us to embrace God’s word of truth and love with confidence and to act on it with firm hope in God’s promises.

The love of God strengthens us in our faith and trust in him and enables us to act with justice and kindness towards our neighbor even in the face of opposition or harm. Do you allow the love of Jesus Christ to rule in your heart and mind, and to move your will to choose what is good in accordance with his will?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, increase my faith in your redeeming love and power that I may always recognize your abiding presence with me. Give me courage and strength to face every difficulty, trial, and temptation with trust in your saving help and guiding presence.”

Saint Oliver Plunkett
Nov 1, 1629 – July 1, 1681

The name of today’s saint is especially familiar to the Irish and the English—and with good reason.

The English martyred Oliver Plunkett for defending the faith in his native Ireland during a period of severe persecution.

Born in County Meath in 1629, Oliver studied for the priesthood in Rome and was ordained there in 1654.

After some years of teaching and service to the poor of Rome he was appointed Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland. Four years later, in 1673, a new wave of anti-Catholic persecution began, forcing Archbishop Plunkett to do his pastoral work in secrecy and disguise and to live in hiding.

Meanwhile, many of his priests were sent into exile, schools were closed, Church services had to be held in secret, and convents and seminaries were suppressed. As archbishop, Plunkett was viewed as ultimately responsible for any rebellion or political activity among his parishioners.

Archbishop Plunkett was arrested and imprisoned in Dublin Castle in 1679, but his trial was moved to London. After deliberating for 15 minutes, a jury found him guilty of fomenting revolt. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered in July 1681. Pope Paul VI canonized Oliver Plunkett in 1975.

Reflection
Stories like that of Oliver Plunkett seem to fit history. “Things like that don’t happen today” is often our thought. But they do. False accusations, prejudice, anti-Catholic sentiments, racism, sexism, etc. are still an active reality in our day. Perhaps a prayer to Saint Oliver for peace and justice might be appropriate.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Luke 1:57-66,80

The Hand of the Lord Was with Him

Birthdays are a special time to remember and give thanks for the blessings that have come our way. Are you grateful for the ways that God has worked in your life, even from your birth?

In many churches of the East and West the birth of John the Baptist is remembered on this day. The friends of Zechariah and Elizabeth marveled at the wonderful way in which God blessed them with a child. This child was destined by God for an important mission.

The last verses in the last book of the Old Testament, taken from the prophet Malachi, speak of the Lord’s messenger, the prophet Elijah who will return to “turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6). Birth and mission of John the BaptistWe see the beginning of the fulfillment of this word when the Angel Gabriel announced to Zechariah the marvelous birth and mission of John the Baptist (Luke 1:17).

When this newly born child was about to be named, as customary on the eighth day, his relatives quibbled over what name to give him. (Don’t relatives today often do the same when the time comes for naming a newborn?) This child, however has been named from above! And Elizabeth is firm in her faith and determined to see that God be glorified through this child.

The name John means “the Lord is gracious”. In the birth of John and in the birth of Jesus the Messiah we see the grace of God breaking forth into a world broken by sin and without hope. John’s miraculous birth shows the mercy and favor of God in preparing his people for the coming of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. John the Baptist’s life was fueled by one burning passion – to point others to Jesus Christ and to the coming of God’s kingdom. Scripture tells us that John was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15, 41) by Christ himself, whom Mary had just conceived by the Holy Spirit. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, John leapt in the womb of Elizabeth as they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41).

The fire of the Spirit dwelt in John and made him the forerunner of the coming Messiah. John was led by the Spirit into the wilderness prior to his ministry where he was tested and grew in the word of God. John’s clothing was reminiscent of the prophet Elijah (see Kings 1:8). John broke the prophetic silence of the previous centuries when he began to speak the word of God to the people of Israel. His message was similar to the message of the Old Testament prophets who chided the people of God for their unfaithfulness and who tried to awaken true repentance in them.

Among a people unconcerned with the things of God, it was his work to awaken their interest, unsettle them from their complacency, and arouse in them enough good will to recognize and receive Christ when he came. God’s gracious gift to usWhat is the significance of John the Baptist and his message for our lives? When God acts to save us he graciously fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes our faith come “alive” to his promises. Each and every day the Lord is ready to renew us in faith, hope, and love.

Like John the Baptist, the Lord invites each of us to make our life a free-will offering to God. God wants to fill us with his glory all the days of our lives, from birth through death. Renew the offering of your life to God and give him thanks for his mercy and favor towards you.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you bring hope and salvation to a world lost in sin, despair, and suffering. Let your grace refresh and restore your people today in the hope and joy of your great victory over sin and death.”

Saint John the Baptist

Jesus called John the greatest of all those who had preceded him: “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John….” But John would have agreed completely with what Jesus added: “[Y]et the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).

John spent his time in the desert, an ascetic. He began to announce the coming of the Kingdom, and to call everyone to a fundamental reformation of life. His purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus.

His baptism, he said, was for repentance. But one would come who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John was not worthy even to untie his sandals. His attitude toward Jesus was: “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30).

John was humbled to find among the crowd of sinners who came to be baptized the one whom he already knew to be the Messiah. “I need to be baptized by you” (Matthew 3:14b). But Jesus insisted, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all

righteousness” (Matthew 3:15b).

Jesus, true and humble human as well as eternal God, was eager to do what was required of any good Jew. Jesus thus publicly entered the community of those awaiting the Messiah. But making himself part of that community, he made it truly messianic.

The greatness of John, his pivotal place in the history of salvation, is seen in the great emphasis Luke gives to the announcement of his birth and the event itself—both made prominently parallel to the same occurrences in the life of Jesus.

John attracted countless people to the banks of the Jordan, and it occurred to some people that he might be the Messiah. But he constantly deferred to Jesus, even to sending away some of his followers to become the first disciples of Jesus.

Perhaps John’s idea of the coming of the Kingdom of God was not being perfectly fulfilled in the public ministry of Jesus. For whatever reason, when he was in prison he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah.

Jesus’ answer showed that the Messiah was to be a figure like that of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah. John himself would share in the pattern of messianic suffering, losing his life to the revenge of Herodias.

Reflection

John challenges us Christians to the fundamental attitude of Christianity—total dependence on the Father, in Christ. Except for the Mother of God, no one had a higher function in the unfolding of salvation.

Yet the least in the kingdom, Jesus said, is greater than he, for the pure gift that the Father gives. The attractiveness as well as the austerity of John, his fierce courage in denouncing evil—all stem from his fundamental and total placing of his life within the will of God.

Saint John the Baptist is the Patron Saint of:

Baptism

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Luke 1:57-66,80

The Hand of the Lord Was with Him

Birthdays are a special time to remember and give thanks for the blessings that have come our way. Are you grateful for the ways that God has worked in your life, even from your birth?

Prayer

Saint John the Baptist

righteousness” (Matthew 3:15b).

Reflection

Saint John the Baptist is the Patron Saint of:

Baptism

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

When You Pray, Fast, and Give Alms

Why did Jesus single out prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for his disciples? The Jews considered these three as the cardinal works of the religious life. These were seen as the key signs of a pious person, the three great pillars on which the good life was based.

Jesus pointed to the heart of the matter. Why do you pray, fast, and give alms? To draw attention to yourself so that others may notice and think highly of you? Or to give glory to God? True piety and devotion to GodThe Lord warns his disciples of self-seeking glory – the preoccupation with looking good and seeking praise from others. True piety is something more than feeling good or looking holy. True piety is loving devotion to God.

It is an attitude of awe, reverence, worship and obedience. It is a gift and working of the Holy Spirit that enables us to devote our lives to God with a holy desire to please him in all things (Isaiah 11:1-2). Completely united with God our FatherWhat is the sure reward which Jesus points out to his disciples? It is communion with God our Father. In him alone we find the fullness of life and happiness, truth and beauty, love and joy.

Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) wrote the following prayer in his Confessions: When I am completely united to you, there will be no more sorrows or trials; entirely full of you, my life will be complete.The Lord rewards those who seek him with humble and repentant hearts. He renews us each day and he gives us new hearts of love and compassion that we may serve him and our neighbor with glad and generous hearts.

Do you want to grow in your love for God and for your neighbor? Seek him expectantly in prayer, with fasting, and in generous giving to those in need.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, give me a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, and a great love for you. Take from me all lukewarmness in meditating on your word, and dullness in prayer. Give me fervor and delight in thinking of you and your grace. Fill my heart with compassion for others, especially those in need, that I may respond with generosity.”

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Romuald

c. 950 – June 19, 1027

In the midst of a wasted youth, Romuald watched his father kill a relative in a duel over property. In horror he fled to a monastery near Ravenna. After three years, some of the monks found him to be uncomfortably holy and eased him out.

Romuald spent the next 30 years going about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages.

He longed to give his life to Christ in martyrdom, and got the pope’s permission to preach the gospel in Hungary. But he was struck with illness as soon as he arrived, and the illness recurred as often as he tried to proceed.

During another period of his life, Romuald suffered great spiritual dryness. One day as he was praying Psalm 31 (“I will give you understanding and I will instruct you”), he was given an extraordinary light and spirit which never left him.

At the next monastery where he stayed, Romuald was accused of a scandalous crime by a young nobleman he had rebuked for a dissolute life.

Amazingly, his fellow monks believed the accusation. He was given a severe penance, forbidden from offering Mass, and excommunicated—an unjust sentence that he endured in silence for six months.

The most famous of the monasteries Romuald founded was that of the Camaldoli in Tuscany. Here began the Order of the Camaldolese Benedictines, uniting the monastic and eremitical lives. In later life Romuald’s own father became a monk, wavered, and was kept faithful by the encouragement of his son.

Reflection

Christ is a gentle leader, but he calls us to total holiness. Now and then, men and women are raised up to challenge us by the absoluteness of their dedication, the vigor of their spirit, the depth of their conversion. The fact that we cannot duplicate their lives does not change the call to us to be totally open to God in our own particular circumstances.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

When You Pray, Fast, and Give Alms

Do you want to grow in your love for God and for your neighbor? Seek him expectantly in prayer, with fasting, and in generous giving to those in need.

Prayer

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Romuald

c. 950 – June 19, 1027

Romuald spent the next 30 years going about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages.

At the next monastery where he stayed, Romuald was accused of a scandalous crime by a young nobleman he had rebuked for a dissolute life.

Reflection

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 5:43-48

Love Your Enemies and Pray for Them

What makes the disciples of Jesus different from others and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is grace – treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated – with loving-kindness, forbearance, and mercy.

God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Overcome evil with goodOur love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so.

How much harder when we can expect nothing in return. Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil. Christ’s redeeming love and mercy frees us from all hatred and malice towards othersHow can we possibly love those who cause us harm or ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. His love conquers all, even our hurts, fears, prejudices and griefs.

Only the cross of Jesus Christ can free us from the tyranny of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and gives us the courage to return evil with good. Such love and grace has power to heal and to save from destruction. Do you know the power of Christ’s redeeming love and mercy? Allow the Holy Spirit to change and transform the way you think, judge, and treat othersWas Jesus exaggerating when he said we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect?

The original meaning of “perfect” in Aramaic is “completeness” or “wholeness – not lacking in what is essential.” God gives us every good gift in Jesus Christ so that we may not lack anything we need to do his will and to live as his sons and daughters (2 Peter 1:3). He knows our weakness and sinfulness better than we do.

And he assures us of his love, mercy, and grace to follow in his ways. Do you want to grow in your love for God and for your neighbor? Ask the Holy Spirit to change and transform you in the image of the Father that you may walk in the joy and freedom of the Gospel.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, your love brings freedom and pardon. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart ablaze with your love that nothing may make me lose my temper, ruffle my peace, take away my joy, nor make me bitter towards anyone.”

The Life Story of the Saint

Venerable Matt Talbot

May 2, 1856 – June 7, 1925

Matt can be considered the patron of men and women struggling with alcoholism. He was born in Dublin, where his father worked on the docks and had a difficult time supporting his family.

After a few years of schooling, Matt obtained work as a messenger for some liquor merchants; there he began to drink excessively. For 15 years—until he was almost 30—Matt was an active alcoholic.

One day he decided to take “the pledge” for three months, make a general confession and begin to attend daily Mass.

There is evidence that Matt’s first seven years after taking the pledge were especially difficult. Avoiding his former drinking places was hard. He began to pray as intensely as he used to drink. He also tried to pay back people from whom he had borrowed or stolen money while he was drinking.

Most of his life Matt worked as a builder’s laborer. He joined the Secular Franciscan Order and began a life of strict penance; he abstained from meat nine months a year.

Matt spent hours every night avidly reading Scripture and the lives of the saints. He prayed the rosary conscientiously. Though his job did not make him rich, Matt contributed generously to the missions.

After 1923, Matt’s health failed, and he was forced to quit work. He died on his way to church on Trinity Sunday. Fifty years later, Pope Paul VI gave Matt Talbot the title venerable. His liturgical feast is celebrated on June 19.

Reflection

In looking at the life of Matt Talbot, we may easily focus on the later years when he had stopped drinking for some time and was leading a penitential life.

Only alcoholic men and women who have stopped drinking can fully appreciate how difficult the earliest years of sobriety were for Matt.

He had to take one day at a time. So do the rest of us.

Venerable Matt Talbot is the Patron Saint of:

AlcoholicsRecovery from Substance Abuse and AddictionsSobriety

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 5:43-48

Love Your Enemies and Pray for Them

Prayer

The Life Story of the Saint

Venerable Matt Talbot

May 2, 1856 – June 7, 1925

Matt can be considered the patron of men and women struggling with alcoholism. He was born in Dublin, where his father worked on the docks and had a difficult time supporting his family.

One day he decided to take “the pledge” for three months, make a general confession and begin to attend daily Mass.

Most of his life Matt worked as a builder’s laborer. He joined the Secular Franciscan Order and began a life of strict penance; he abstained from meat nine months a year.

Reflection

In looking at the life of Matt Talbot, we may easily focus on the later years when he had stopped drinking for some time and was leading a penitential life.

Only alcoholic men and women who have stopped drinking can fully appreciate how difficult the earliest years of sobriety were for Matt.

He had to take one day at a time. So do the rest of us.

Venerable Matt Talbot is the Patron Saint of:

AlcoholicsRecovery from Substance Abuse and AddictionsSobriety

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 5:38-42

Do Not Return Evil for Evil

If someone insults you or tries to take advantage of you, how do you respond? Do you repay in kind? Jesus approached the question of just retribution with a surprising revelation of God’s intention for how we should treat others, especially those who mistreat us.

When Jesus spoke about God’s law, he did something no one had done before. He gave a new standard based not just on the requirements of justice – giving each their due – but based on the law of grace, love, and freedom.Law of grace and loveJesus knew the moral law and its intention better than any jurist or legal expert could imagine. He quoted from the oldest recorded law in the world: If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Exodus 21:23-25).

Such a law today seems cruel, but it was meant to limit vengeance as a first step towards mercy. This law was not normally taken literally but served as a guide for a judge in a law court for assessing punishment and penalty (see Deuteronomy 19:18). The Old Testament is full of references to the command that we must be merciful: You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:18).

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink (Proverbs 25:21). Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done” (Proverbs 24:29). Let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults (Lamentations 3:30). Jesus does something quite remarkable and unheard of. He transforms the law of mercy with grace, forbearance, and loving-kindness. Jesus also makes clear that there is no room for retaliation. We must not only avoid returning evil for evil, but we must seek the good of those who wish us ill.

Do you accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice? When you are compelled by others to do more than you think you deserve, do you insist on your rights, or do you respond with grace and cheerfulness? Grace of the Holy SpiritWhat makes a disciple of Jesus Christ different from everyone else? What makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? It is grace – treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy.

The Lord Jesus suffered insult, abuse, injustice, and death on a cross for our sake. Scripture tells us that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and guilt (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7, I John 1:7, Revelation 1:5).

Since God has been merciful towards us through the offering of his Son, Jesus Christ, we in turn are called to be merciful towards our neighbor, even those who cause us grief and harm. Do you know the power and freedom of Christ’s redeeming love and mercy?

Prayer

“O merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with the graces of your Holy Spirit; with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.

Teach us to love those who hate us; to pray for those who despitefully use us; that we may be the children of your love, our Father, who makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

In adversity grant us grace to be patient; in prosperity keep us humble; may we guard the door of our lips; may we lightly esteem the pleasures of this world, and thirst after heavenly things; through Jesus Christ our Lord.(Prayer of Anselm, 1033-1109 AD).”

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Joseph Cafasso

January 15, 1811 – June 23, 1860

Even as a young man, Joseph loved to attend Mass and was known for his humility and fervor in prayer. After his ordination, he was assigned to a seminary in Turin.

There he worked especially against the spirit of Jansenism—an excessive preoccupation with sin and damnation. He used the works of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Alphonsus Liguori to moderate the rigorism popular at the seminary.

Joseph recommended membership in the Secular Franciscan Order to priests. He urged devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and encouraged daily Communion. In addition to his teaching duties, Joseph was an excellent preacher, confessor, and retreat master.

Noted for his work with condemned prisoners, he helped many of them die at peace with God.

Joseph urged one of his former pupils—Saint John Bosco—to establish the Salesians congregation to work with the youth of Turin. Joseph Cafasso died in 1860, and was canonized in 1947. His liturgical feast is celebrated on June 23.

Reflection

Devotion to the Eucharist gave energy to all Joseph’s other activities. Long prayer before the Blessed Sacrament has been characteristic of many Catholics who have lived out the gospel well: Saint Francis, Bishop Fulton Sheen, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta among them.

Saint Joseph Cafasso is the Patron Saint of:

PrisonersPrussia

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 5:38-42

Do Not Return Evil for Evil

Prayer

“O merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with the graces of your Holy Spirit; with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Joseph Cafasso

January 15, 1811 – June 23, 1860

Even as a young man, Joseph loved to attend Mass and was known for his humility and fervor in prayer. After his ordination, he was assigned to a seminary in Turin.

Noted for his work with condemned prisoners, he helped many of them die at peace with God.

Reflection

Saint Joseph Cafasso is the Patron Saint of:

PrisonersPrussia

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Mark 4:26-34

What the Kingdom of God Is Like

Today’s readings are about the birth and growth of the reign or rule of God (Kingdom of God), in our human lives and about the gigantic growth of the Church from very humble beginnings. Both growths are slow and mysterious, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The kingdom of God for Pharisees was the absolute observance of the Mosaic Law. The Zealots saw it as a political state established by force of arms with God as Supreme Ruler.

The Essenes, despairing of the society of their day, imagined the Kingdom of God as heralding the end of the world, and so they withdrew to Qumran and elsewhere in the Dead Sea wilderness to await its coming. Jesus proclaimed this Kingdom as God’s rule in human lives beginning here on earth and coming to completion in Heaven.

The Kingdom Jesus speaks of exists not only in the afterlife but in life here and now; it is the way God wants the world to be. Jesus’ Kingdom parables in today’s Gospel point to the Kingdom as a Divine act rather than a human accomplishment. They call on man to be patient with the delay of the Kingdom in coming.

They are called “Kingdom parables” because they announce, “the Kingdom of God is like . . .” After the parable of the sower in the fourth chapter of Mark comes the parable of the harvest (4:26-29). Here, Jesus describes the farmer planting the seed and harvesting the crop, but not even knowing how the seed secretly sprouts and grows. The third parable in this chapter is the parable of the mustard seed (4:30-32).

The consistent factors in all three parables of response in Mark 4 are, first, the word of God is like a seed; second, God alone can give the growth; and third, great growth is possible in God’s Kingdom. We are called to do what we can do — plant and nurture.

God will do what only God can do — produce the growth. In the 2nd and the 3rd parables, the comparisons Jesus makes are startling in their simplicity. The kingdom of God, the great future presence of the Divine, is likened to a small seed, a dried-up kernel of potential. But the actual development, from seed to stalk to ripened grain, occurs outside any influence of the sower.

The grain’s growth occurs “by itself” without any observable cause. Clearly, God’s providential power ordains the growth of seeds into harvestable crops, both in Leviticus and here in Jesus’ parable. This Divinely-ordered growth gradually brings the small seeds to fully ripened grain heads, ready for harvest. The Kingdom that grows to full fruition under God’s power will be ready for its completion and fulfillment at the moment determined by God for judgment.

The message of the parable is quite simple and direct. The reign of God will grow to its fullness, despite all obstacles. In those who accept Jesus as their God and Savior, the Will of God will also be accepted in all areas of their lives with the help of the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. The Church of Jesus Christ had a tiny beginning in the work of an obscure teacher and a pitifully small group of ordinary people.

But one of the proofs of the Divine origin of the Church of Christ is its growth from such a very humble beginning. No wonder the Church has become the greatest of all shrubs, the world-wide Church that welcomes people of all races and nations into her fold, celebrating the marvel of growth!

A parable of encouragement: The parable of the mustard seed is a word of encouragement for us. Things might not be what you and I want them to be, but there is still hope. God works in mysterious ways. God is still with us even when our efforts are frustrated, because He is the Source of growth. Growth often starts out small like a mustard seed and then blossoms into something huge.

The second thing these words of Jesus do is to remind us that while we are called to do something, we are not called to do everything. We scatter the seed, but the growth is up to God. The same process works in the Christian life. We practice daily prayer and Bible reading.

We find ways to be of service to others. We pledge money and time to the Church and charitable purposes. We join the people of God at the altar regularly. These are some of the seeds that God uses to mold and shape our lives in love, peace, and hope. But the shaping happens both at God’s own pace and as we are willing and able to cooperate with Him.

1) We need to cooperate in the growth of God’s Kingdom: The Kingdom of God is the growth of God’s rule in human hearts that occurs when man does the will of God and surrenders his life to God. The seed of Faith lies dormant within each of us.

2) We need to avoid discouragement: Since the acceptance God’s rule by human beings is a terribly slow process, there is the danger of discouragement and hopelessness among preachers, evangelizers, and believers.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and transform me into the Christ-like holiness you desire. Increase my zeal for your kingdom and instill in me a holy desire to live for your greater glory.”

The word “impossible” is not in God’s dictionary:

You remember David, a pre-teen shepherd boy, taking down the mighty soldier Goliath?

You remember Moses, the stuttering herdsman who, in a personal interview with God, was directed to liberate his nation from a two-thousand-year-old nation? As a boy,

Thomas Edison was informed by a teacher that he was too stupid to learn anything. His teacher advised his mother to take him out of school.

Albert Einstein seemed so slow and dull that his parents feared that he was mentally deficient.

Winston Churchill was admitted to school in the lowest level classes and never moved out of the lowest group in all the years he attended Harrow. But the word “impossible” is not in God’s dictionary.

Eighty percent of success is perseverance. How do you think Michelangelo got the angel out of the rock? The most successful salespersons are those who try and try again.

Walt Disney was fired from his first job because he didn’t have any good ideas.

Abraham Lincoln entered the Black Hawk War as a captain and came out a private.

George Washington Carver, a little-known Afro-American agricultural scientist, revolutionized the agriculture of the Southern Unites States with the peanut and the sweet potato.

Today’s Gospel teaches us how God causes His Kingdom to grow in human hearts and communities in a slow but steady way.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Mark 10:46-52

What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

Have you ever encountered a once in a life-time opportunity you knew you could not pass up? Such a moment came for a blind and destitute man, named Bartimaeus. He was determined to get near the one person who could meet his need.

He knew who Jesus was and had heard of his fame for healing, but until now had no means of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah. Seeking Jesus with effort and persistence pays offIt took a lot of “guts” (courage) and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the din of a noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he made his way out of town. Why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man’s persistent shouts? He was disturbing their peace and interrupting Jesus’ discourse.

It was common for a rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst and thus caught the attention of Jesus. Goodness and mercy follows those who put their trust in GodThis incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us.

The blind man was determined to get Jesus’ attention and he was persistent in the face of opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him because he was disturbing his talk and his audience. Jesus showed that acting was more important than talking.

This man was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. A great speaker can command attention and respect, but a man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart is loved more. What do you want Jesus to do for you?Why did Jesus put a question to Bartimaeus – “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus wanted to draw out of him a personal response of faith and trust in his power to heal and make whole.

Jesus commends Bartimaeus for recognizing who he is with the eyes of faith and grants him physical sight as well. Do you recognize the Lord Jesus with “eyes of faith” as your merciful Lord and healer? Ask the Lord Jesus to strengthen your faith that you may draw near to him and receive his grace and mercy.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, may I never fail to recognize my need for your grace and mercy. Strengthen my faith and trust in you that I may seek your presence daily and listen to your word with a readiness to follow you who are my All.” Amen

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Joan of Arc

Jan 6, 1412 – May 30, 1431

Burned at the stake as a heretic after a politically-motivated trial, Joan was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920.

Born of a fairly well-to-do peasant couple in Domremy-Greux southeast of Paris, Joan was only 12 when she experienced a vision and heard voices that she later identified as Saints Michael the Archangel, Catherine of Alexandria, and Margaret of Antioch.

During the Hundred Years War, Joan led French troops against the English and recaptured the cities of Orléans and Troyes. This enabled Charles VII to be crowned as king in Reims in 1429.

Captured near Compiegne the following year, Joan was sold to the English and placed on trial for heresy and witchcraft. Professors at the University of Paris supported Bishop Pierre Cauchon of Beauvis, the judge at her trial; Cardinal Henry Beaufort of Winchester, England, participated in the questioning of Joan in prison. In the end, she was condemned for wearing men’s clothes. The English resented France’s military success–to which Joan contributed.

On this day in 1431, Joan was burned at the stake in Rouen, and her ashes were scattered in the Seine River. A second Church trial 25 years later nullified the earlier verdict, which was reached under political pressure.

Remembered by most people for her military exploits, Joan had a great love for the sacraments, which strengthened her compassion toward the poor. Popular devotion to her increased greatly in 19th-century France and later among French soldiers during World War I.

Theologian George Tavard writes that her life “offers a perfect example of the conjunction of contemplation and action” because her spiritual insight is that there should be a “unity of heaven and earth.” Joan of Arc has been the subject of many books, plays, operas and movies.

Reflection

“Joan of Arc is like a shooting star across the landscape of French and English history, amid the stories of the Church’s saints and into our consciousness. Women identify with her; men admire her courage.

She challenges us in fundamental ways. Despite the fact that more than 500 years have passed since she lived, her issues of mysticism, calling, identity, trust and betrayal, conflict and focus are our issues still.” (Joan of Arc: God’s Warrior by Barbara Beckwith)

Saint Joan of Arc is the Patron Saint of:

FranceMilitary Members

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Mark 10:32-45

Are You Able to Drink the Cup That I Drink?

Why did Jesus, the Messiah, have to suffer and die for us? Jesus called himself the “Son of Man” both to identify himself with our human condition, subjected to pain and death, and with his divine mission to restore the world to the glory God had intended from the beginning of creation.

The ‘Son of Man’ is a prophetic title for the Messiah recorded in the prophecy of Daniel (see the Book of Daniel 7:13-14). In Jesus’ time the Jewish people were looking for a Messiah who would set them free from the oppressive rule of Rome.

Jesus came to set people free from the worst oppression of all – the tyranny of endless slavery to sin, Satan, and death. Jesus came to bring us into a new covenant relationship with God that would not end with death but lead to everlasting peace, joy, and abundant new life.Why did the Messiah have to suffer rejection, condemnation, and death on a cross?On no less than three different occasions the Gospel accounts record that Jesus predicted he would endure great suffering through betrayal, rejection, and condemnation to tortuous death.

The Jews resorted to stoning and the Romans to crucifixion – the most painful and humiliating death they could devise for criminals they wanted to eliminate. No wonder the apostles were greatly distressed at such a prediction! If Jesus their Master were put to death, then they would likely receive the same treatment by their enemies. Why did Jesus freely and willingly lay down his life for us? Did not God promise that his ‘Anointed One’ (the literal meaning of ‘Messiah’ and ‘Christ’ in Hebrew and Greek) would deliver his people from their oppression and establish a kingdom of peace and justice?

The prophet Isaiah had foretold that it was God’s will that the “Suffering Servant” make atonement for sins through his suffering and death (Isaiah 53:5-12). Jesus paid the price for our redemption with his own blood. The ransom Jesus paid sets us free from the worst tyranny possible – the tyranny of sin and the fear of death.

Jesus’ victory did not end with death but triumphed over the tomb when he rose again on the third day. Jesus defeated the powers of death through his resurrection. Do you want the greatest freedom possible, the freedom to live as God truly meant us to live as his sons and daughters? Jesus weds authority with sacrificial love and serviceJesus did the unthinkable! He wedded authority with selfless service and with loving sacrifice. Authority without sacrificial love is brutish and self-serving.

Jesus also used stark language to explain what kind of sacrifice he had in mind. His disciples must drink his cup if they expect to reign with him in his kingdom. The cup he had in mind was a bitter one involving crucifixion.

What kind of cup does the Lord have in mind for us? For some disciples such a cup entails physical suffering and the painful struggle of martyrdom. But for many, it entails the long routine of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifices, disappointments, set-backs, struggles, and temptations. Through death to self we serve and reign with Christ our victorious LordA follower of Jesus must be ready to lay down his or her life in martyrdom and be ready to lay it down each and every day in the little and big sacrifices required.

An early church father summed up Jesus’ teaching with the expression: to serve is to reign with Christ. We share in God’s reign by laying down our lives in humble service as Jesus did for our sake. Are you willing to lay down your life and to serve others as Jesus did?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, your death brought life and freedom. Make me a servant of your love, that I may seek to serve rather than be served, and share in your victory over sin, suffering, and death.” Amen

✳️✳️✳️✳️🔰🔰🔰🔰✳️✳️✳️✳️

🟢The Life Story of the Saint🟢

Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat

Dec 12, 1779 – May 25, 1865

The legacy of Madeleine Sophie Barat can be found in the more than 100 schools operated by her Society of the Sacred Heart, institutions known for the quality of the education made available to the young.

Sophie herself received an extensive education, thanks to her brother Louis, 11 years older and her godfather at baptism. Himself a seminarian, Louis decided that his younger sister would likewise learn Latin, Greek, history, physics and mathematics—always without interruption and with a minimum of companionship.

By age 15, she had received a thorough exposure to the Bible, the teachings of the Fathers of the Church and theology. Despite the oppressive regime Louis imposed, young Sophie thrived and developed a genuine love of learning.

Meanwhile, this was the time of the French Revolution and of the suppression of Christian schools. The education of the young, particularly young girls, was in a troubled state. Sophie, who had discerned a call to the religious life, was persuaded to become a teacher.

She founded the Society of the Sacred Heart, which focused on schools for the poor as well as boarding schools for young women of means. Today, co-ed Sacred Heart schools also can be found, along with schools exclusively for boys.

In 1826, her Society of the Sacred Heart received formal papal approval. By then she had served as superior at a number of convents. In 1865, she was stricken with paralysis; she died that year on the feast of the Ascension.

Madeleine Sophie Barat was canonized in 1925. Her liturgical feast is celebrated on May 25.

Reflection

Madeleine Sophie Barat lived in turbulent times. She was only 10 when the Reign of Terror began. In the wake of the French Revolution, rich and poor both suffered before some semblance of normality returned to France. Born to some degree of privilege, Sophie received a good education.

It grieved her that the same opportunity was being denied to other young girls, and she devoted herself to educating them, whether poor or well-to-do. We who live in an affluent country can follow her example by helping to ensure to others the blessings we have enjoyed.

Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat is a Patron Saint of:

Educators/Teachers

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 12:44-50

Believe in Me – That You May Not Remain in Darkness

What kind of darkness does Jesus warn us to avoid? It is the darkness of unbelief and rejection – not only of the Son who came into the world to save it – but rejection of the Father who offers us healing and reconciliation through his Son, Jesus Christ.

In Jesus’ last public discourse before his death and resurrection (according to John’s Gospel), Jesus speaks of himself as the light of the world. In the Scriptures light is associated with God’s truth and life. Psalm 27 exclaims, The Lord is my light and my salvation.The light of Christ removes the darkness and reveals the goodness of God to usJust as natural light exposes the darkness and reveals what is hidden, so God’s word enables those with eyes of faith to perceive the hidden truths of God’s kingdom. Our universe could not exist without light – and no living thing could be sustained without it.

Just as natural light produces warmth and energy – enabling seed to sprout and living things to grow – in like manner, God’s light and truth enables us to grow in the abundant life which only he can offer us. Jesus’ words produce life – the very life of God – within those who receive it with faith.To see Jesus, the Word of God who became flesh for our sake (John 1), is to see God in visible form. To hear the words of Jesus is to hear the voice of God. He is the very light of God that has power to overcome the darkness of sin, ignorance, and unbelief.

God’s light and truth brings healing, pardon, and transformation. This light is not only for the chosen people of Israel, but for the whole world as well. Jesus warns that if we refuse to listen to his word, if we choose to ignore it or to take it very lightly, then we choose to remain in spiritual darkness. The Word of God has power to set us free from sin, doubt, and deceptionJesus made it clear that he did not come to condemn us, but rather to bring us abundant life and freedom from the oppression of sin, Satan, and a world in opposition to God’s truth and goodness.

We condemn ourselves when we reject God’s word of truth, life, and wisdom. It is one thing to live in ignorance due to lack of knowledge and understanding, but another thing to disdain the very source of truth who is Christ Jesus, the Word of God sent from the Father.

Jesus says that his word – which comes from the Father and which produces eternal life in us – will be our judge. Do you believe that God’s word has power to set you free from sin and ignorance and to transform your life in his way of holiness? Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) summed up our need for God’s help in the following prayer he wrote: “God our Father, we find it difficult to come to you, because our knowledge of you is imperfect.

In our ignorance we have imagined you to be our enemy; we have wrongly thought that you take pleasure in punishing our sins; and we have foolishly conceived you to be a tyrant over human life. But since Jesus came among us, he has shown that you are loving, and that our resentment against you was groundless.” The Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand the truth and wisdom of God’s wordGod does not wish to leave us in spiritual darkness – in our ignorance and unbelief. He is always ready to give his light, wisdom, and truth to all who seek him and who hunger for his word.

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit he helps us to grow each and every day in faith, knowledge, and understanding of his life-giving word. Do you want to know more of God and grow in his transforming love? Look to Jesus, the Light of God,and in his truth you will find joy, freedom, and wholeness of body, mind, heart, and soul.

🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻

“Lord Jesus, in your word I find life, truth, and freedom. May I never doubt your word nor forget your commandments. Increase my love for your truth that I may embrace it fully and live according to it.” Amen

🟡The Story for the Reflection🟡

Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen

1577 – April 24, 1622

If a poor man needed some clothing, Fidelis would often give the man the clothes right off his back. Complete generosity to others characterized this saint’s life.

Born in 1577, Mark Rey became a lawyer who constantly upheld the causes of the poor and oppressed people. Nicknamed “the poor man’s lawyer,” Rey soon grew disgusted with the corruption and injustice he saw among his colleagues.

He left his law career to become a priest, joining his brother George as a member of the Capuchin Order. Fidelis was his religious name. His wealth was divided between needy seminarians and the poor.

As a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi, Fidelis continued his devotion to the weak and needy. During a severe epidemic in a city where he was guardian of a friary, Fidelis cared for and cured many sick soldiers.

He was appointed head of a group of Capuchins sent to preach against the Calvinists and Zwinglians in Switzerland. Almost certain violence threatened. Those who observed the mission felt that success was more attributable to the prayer of Fidelis during the night than to his sermons and instructions.

He was accused of opposing the peasants’ national aspirations for independence from Austria. While he was preaching at Seewis, to which he had gone against the advice of his friends, a gun was fired at him, but he escaped unharmed.

A Protestant offered to shelter Fidelis, but he declined, saying his life was in God’s hands. On the road back, he was set upon by a group of armed men and killed. Fidelis was canonized in 1746. Fifteen years later he was recognized as a martyr.

Reflection

Fidelis’ constant prayer was that he be kept completely faithful to God and not give in to any lukewarmness or apathy. He was often heard to exclaim, “Woe to me if I should prove myself but a halfhearted soldier in the service of my thorn-crowned Captain.”

His prayer against apathy, and his concern for the poor and weak make him a saint whose example is valuable today. The modern Church is calling us to follow the example of “the poor man’s lawyer” by sharing ourselves and our talents with those less fortunate and by working for justice in the world.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 10:22-30

My Sheep Hear My Voice

How secure is your faith and trust in God? Scripture describes God’s word as a “lamp for our feet and a light for our steps”(Psalm 119:105). The Jewish Feast of the Dedication is also called the Festival of Lights or Hanakkuh.

This feast was held in late December, near the time when Christians celebrate the feast of Christmas. This is the time of year when the day is shortest and the night longest. Jesus used this occasion to declare that he is the true light of the world (John 8:12). In his light we can see who God truly is and we can find the true path to heaven. Our true and lasting security rests in Jesus aloneJesus speaks of the tremendous trust he has in God his Father and the tremendous trust we ought to have in him because he is our good shepherd (John 10:11).

Sheep without a shepherd are defenseless against prey, such as wolves, and often get lost and bewildered without a guide. That is why shepherds literally live with their sheep out in the open field and mountain sides. The shepherd guards his sheep from the dangers of storms, floods, and beasts of prey.

The shepherd leads his sheep to the best places for feeding and the best streams for drinking. He finds the best place for their rest and safety at night. The sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd and heed his call when he leads them to safe pasture and rest. Listen to the Good Shepherd and you will not go astrayWe are very much like sheep who stray, we become easy prey to forces which can destroy us – sin, Satan, and a world in opposition to God and his people.

The Lord Jesus came not only to free us from Satan’s snares and the grip of sin, he came to personally lead us to the best of places where we can feed on his “word of life” and drink from the “living waters” of his Holy Spirit. The sheep who heed the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd, have no fear. He leads them to the best of places – everlasting peace, joy, and fellowship with God and his people. In this present life we will encounter trials, difficulties, and persecution. We can face them alone or we can follow Jesus, the true shepherd, who will bring us safely through every difficulty to the place of peace and security with God. Do you listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and heed his commands?

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who secures what is best for us. I place all my hope and trust in you. Open my ears to hear your voice today and to follow your commands.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who secures what is best for us. I place all my hope and trust in you. Open my ears to hear your voice today and to follow your commands.” Amen

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

I Am the Bread of Life

Do you hunger for the bread of life? The Jews had always regarded the manna in the wilderness as the bread of God (Psalm 78:24, Exodus 16:15). There was a strong Rabbinic belief that when the Messiah came he would give manna from heaven. This was the supreme work of Moses.

Now the Jewish leaders were demanding that Jesus produce manna from heaven as proof to his claim to be the Messiah. Jesus responds by telling them that it was not Moses who gave the manna, but God. And the manna given to Moses and the people was not the real bread from heaven, but only a symbol of the bread to come. Jesus then makes the claim which only God can make: I am the bread of life. The bread which Jesus offers is none else than the very life of God.

This is the true bread which can truly satisfy the hunger in our hearts. The manna from heaven prefigured the superabundance of the unique bread of the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper which Jesus gave to his disciples on the eve of his sacrifice.

The manna in the wilderness sustained the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. It could not produce eternal life for the Israelites. The bread which Jesus offers his disciples sustains us not only on our journey to the heavenly paradise, it gives us the abundant supernatural life of God which sustains us both now and for all eternity.

When we receive from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine life. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ” (Ad Eph. 20,2).

This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. Do you hunger for God and for the food which produces everlasting life?

🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻

“Lord Jesus Christ, you are the bread of life. You alone can satisfy the hunger in my heart. May I always find in you, the true bread from heaven, the source of life and nourishment I need to sustain me on my journey to the promised land of heaven.” Amen

The Story for the Reflection

Saint Bernadette Soubirous

Jan7, 1844 – Apr 16, 1879

Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an extremely poor miller in the town of Lourdes in southern France. The family was living in the basement of a dilapidated building when on February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a cave above the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes.

Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma from an early age.

There were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette’s initial reports provoked skepticism, her daily visions of “the Lady” brought great crowds of the curious.

The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed her to have a chapel built on the spot of the visions. There, the people were to come to wash in and drink of the water of the spring that had welled up from the very spot where Bernadette had been instructed to dig.

According to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl of 16 or 17 who wore a white robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses covered her feet, a large rosary was on her right arm. In the vision on March 25 she told Bernadette, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” It was only when the words were explained to her that Bernadette came to realize who the Lady was.

Few visions have ever undergone the scrutiny that these appearances of the Immaculate Virgin were subject to. Lourdes became one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were reported at the shrine and in the waters of the spring. After thorough investigation, Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862.

During her life, Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as well as by civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent of nuns. Five years later, she petitioned to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers. After a period of illness she was able to make the journey from Lourdes and enter the novitiate.

But within four months of her arrival she was given the last rites of the Church and allowed to profess her vows. She recovered enough to become infirmarian and then sacristan, but chronic health problems persisted. She died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35. Bernadette Soubirous was canonized in 1933.

Reflection

Millions of people have come to the spring Bernadette uncovered for healing of body and spirit, but she found no relief from ill health there. Bernadette moved through life, guided only by blind faith in things she did not understand—as we all must do from time to time.

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

28th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Sorrowful Mysteries Continued

– The Agony in the Garden

– The Scourging at the Pillar

– The Crowning with Thorns

– Jesus Carries His Cross

– The Crucifixion

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Luke 24:35-48

Labor for the Food Which Endures to Eternal Life

What do you most hunger for – wealth, peace, health, love, the good life? Jesus addressed this issue with those who sought him after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. Were they simply hungry for things which satisfy the body or for that which satisfies the heart and soul?

Jesus echoes the question posed by the prophet Isaiah: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy” (Isaiah 55:2)?There are two kinds of hunger – physical and spiritual. Only God can satisfy the hunger in our heart and soul – the hunger for truth, for life, and for love. Jesus also spoke about the works of God and what we must do to be doing the works of God, namely to believe in God’ Son whom he has sent into the world.

Jesus offers a new relationship with God which issues in a new kind of life: A life of love and service, and the forgiveness of others which corresponds to God’s mercy and kindness; a life of holiness and purity which corresponds to God’s holiness; and a life of submission and trust which corresponds to the wisdom of God.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the deepest longing and hunger in our hearts. May I always hunger for the imperishable bread, that I may be satisfied in you alone as the True Bread of Heaven. Nourish and strengthen me that I may serve you with great joy, generosity, and zeal all the days of my life” Amen

The Story for the Reflection

Saint Caesar de Bus

Feb 3, 1544 – Apr 15, 1607

Like so many of us, Caesar de Bus struggled with the decision about what to do with his life. After completing his Jesuit education he had difficulty settling between a military and a literary career. He wrote some plays but ultimately settled for life in the army and at court.

For a time, life was going rather smoothly for the engaging, well-to-do young Frenchman. He was confident he had made the right choice. That was until he saw firsthand the realities of battle, including the Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacres of French Protestants in 1572.

He fell seriously ill and found himself reviewing his priorities, including his spiritual life.

By the time he had recovered, Caesar had resolved to become a priest. Following his ordination in 1582, he undertook special pastoral work: teaching the catechism to ordinary people living in neglected, rural, out-of-the-way places. His efforts were badly needed and well received.

Working with his cousin, Caesar developed a program of family catechesis. The goal—to ward off heresy among the people—met the approval of local bishops. Out of these efforts grew a new religious congregation: the Fathers of Christian Doctrine.

One of Caesar’s works, Instructions for the Family on the Four Parts of the Roman Catechism, was published 60 years after his death. He was beatified in 1975 and canonized in 2022.

Reflection

“Family catechesis” is a familiar term in parish life today. Grounded in the certainty that children learn their faith first from their parents, programs that deepen parental involvement in religious education multiply everywhere.

There were no such programs in Caesar’s day until he saw a need and created them. Other needs abound in our parishes, and it’s up to us to respond by finding ways to fill them or by joining in already established efforts.

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

27th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Joyful Mysteries Continued

– The Annunciation

– The Visitation

– The Nativity

– The Presentation

– Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Luke 24:35-48

Jesus Opened Their Minds to Understand the Scriptures

The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, gives us Peter’s second sermon addressing the Jewish assembly at the Portico of Solomon in Jerusalem.

Peter forcefully shows how the messianic prophecies have been fulfilled in the crucified and risen Jesus and challenges the Jews to repent and turn toward God so that their sins may be wiped away.

In the second reading, John answers doubts raised by the heretics of his time, asserting the fundamental Christian doctrine that Jesus’ death was a sacrifice offered as expiation for our sins.

Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ appearance on the evening of His Resurrection to his apostles who were in the locked Upper Room, the Cenacle. We see Jesus remove the doubts of his apostles about his Resurrection by inviting them to touch him and by eating a piece of cooked fish.

Jesus explains how the prophecies have been fulfilled in him. Then he commissions them to bear witness to him and preach “repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name” after receiving the Holy Spirit.

This story was told and retold and recorded by Luke for at least three reasons:

(1) Jesus’ death and Resurrection fit God’s purpose as revealed in Scripture;

(2) the risen Jesus is present in the breaking of bread; and

(3) the risen Jesus is also physically absent from the disciples.

The facts emphasized: 1) The reality of Christ’s Resurrection. By inviting his apostles to look closely at him and touch him, Jesus removed any fear that they were seeing a ghost. He instilled confidence in them that he loved them by greeting them: “Peace be with you.” By eating a piece of broiled fish before their eyes, he convinced them that they were not dreaming or having a mere vision or hallucination.

Jesus wanted them to be authentic witnesses to the reality of his life as their risen Lord with his glorified soul and body. “The resurrection community that had experienced Jesus’ dying now experienced his risen presence. And it was, quite insistently, an embodied one.

This is a Jesus of sight and sound, of memories and relationships, of love and tenderness. He would take food and allow himself to be touched. Even his wounds could be examined. It was a recognizable and identifiable Jesus, a realization of his bodied existence.” (Fr. John Kavanaugh; Center for Liturgy).

2) The necessity of the cross: Jesus explained that his death on the cross had not been the result of a failed plan. Instead, it was part of God’s eternal plan to show His love for His people by subjecting His Son to willing, sacrificial, suffering and death.

3) The Resurrection of Jesus gives meaning to the Old Testament prophecies. Bible scholars cite 324 Messianic prophecies scattered throughout the Old Testament, especially in the prophets and in Psalms. Jesus explained to his disciples how these prophecies had been fulfilled in him so that they might become witnesses to their risen Lord in Jerusalem and to all the nations.

4) The commissioning of the disciples with the missionary task of preaching the Good News of salvation through repentance and Faith in Jesus. Jesus told the disciples what they were to preach

a) that the Son of God was crucified and died on the cross as expiation for our sins;

b) that he rose from the dead and conquered death; and

c) that all people must repent of their sins and obtain forgiveness in his name. In this Gospel passage, Jesus also commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem, waiting and praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, open our minds to understand the Scriptures that we may fully comprehend the truth of your word. Anoint us with your power and give us joy and boldness to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed.” Amen

The Story for the Reflection

The ghost story! There is a true story in Ripley’s Believe It or Not about a judge in Yugoslavia who had an unfortunate accident. He was “electrocuted” when he reached up to turn on the light while standing in the bathtub. His wife found his body sprawled on the bathroom floor.

She called for help. Friends and neighbors, police–everyone showed up. He was pronounced dead and taken to the funeral home. The local radio picked up the story and broadcast it all over the air. In the middle of the night, the judge regained consciousness.

When he realized where he was, he rushed over to alert the night watchman, who promptly ran off, terrified. The first thought of the judge was to phone his wife and reassure her, using the funeral home phone. But he got no further than, “Hello darling, it’s me,” when she screamed and fainted.

He tried calling a couple of the neighbors, but they all thought it was some sort of a sick prank. He even went so far as to go to the homes of several friends, but they were all sure he was a ghost and slammed the door in his face. Finally, he was able to call a friend in the next town who hadn’t heard of his death.

This friend was able to convince his family and other friends that he really was alive. — Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus had to convince the disciples that he wasn’t a ghost. He had to dispel their doubts and their fears. He showed them his hands and his feet.

He invited them to touch him and see that he was real. And he even ate a piece of cooked fish with them — all to prove that he was alive and not a ghost or spirit. He stood there before them, as real and alive as he had been over the past three years.

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

26th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Glorious Mysteries Continued

– The Resurrection of Jesus

– The Ascension of Jesus

– The Descent of the Holy Spirit

– The Assumption of Mary

– The Coronation of the Blessed Mother

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 6:16-21

Jesus Said: “It Is I – Do Not Be Afraid”

Does the Lord Jesus ever seem distant to you? When John recounted the scene of the apostles being alone at sea in a storm he described the situation as “dark” (John 6:17). It was dark not only physically but spiritually as well. Although they were experienced fishermen, they were fearful for their lives.

The Lord’s sudden presence – and his supernatural ability to walk towards them on top of the rough waves of the sea – only made them more fearful! John says they were frightened. And Jesus had to calm them with a reassuring command: “Do not be afraid because I am here with you!” The Lord Jesus is a very present help in troubleAren’t we like the apostles when we experience moments of darkness, fear, and trials? While the Lord may at times seem absent or very distant to us, he, nonetheless, is always present and close-by.

The Scriptures remind us that the Lord is “a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Whatever storms may beset us, he promises to “bring us to our desired haven” and place of calm rest and safety (Psalm 107:29-30).

The Lord keeps watch over us at all times, and especially in our moments of temptation and difficulty. Do you rely on the Lord for his strength and help? Jesus assures us that we have no need of fear if we put our trust in him and in his great love and care for us. When calamities or trials threaten to overwhelm you, how do you respond? With faith and hope in God’s love, personal care, and presence with you?

🐣🐣🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻🐣🐣

“Lord Jesus, may I never doubt your saving help and your watchful presence in my life, especially in times of trouble. Fortify my faith with courage and give me enduring hope that I may never waver in my trust in you.” Amen

The Life Story of the Saint

Saint Martin I

d. September 16, 655

When Martin I became pope in 649, Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine empire and the patriarch of Constantinople was the most influential Church leader in the eastern Christian world. The struggles that existed within the Church at that time were magnified by the close cooperation of emperor and patriarch.

A teaching, strongly supported in the East, held that Christ had no human will. Twice, emperors had officially favored this position: Heraclius by publishing a formula of faith, and Constans II by silencing the issue of one or two wills in Christ.

Shortly after assuming the office of the papacy—which he did without first being confirmed by the emperor—Martin held a council at the Lateran in which the imperial documents were censured, and in which the patriarch of Constantinople and two of his predecessors were condemned. In response, Constans II first tried to turn bishops and people against the pope.

Failing in this and in an attempt to kill the pope, the emperor sent troops to Rome to seize Martin and to bring him back to Constantinople. Already in poor health, Martin offered no resistance, returned with Calliopas, the exarch of Constantinople, and was then submitted to various imprisonments, tortures, and hardships.

Although condemned to death and with some of the imposed torture already carried out, Martin was saved from execution by the pleas of a repentant Paul, patriarch of Constantinople, who was himself gravely ill.

Tortures and cruel treatment having taken their toll, Martin died shortly thereafter. He is the last of the early popes to be venerated as a martyr.

Reflection

The real significance of the word martyr comes not from the dying but from the witnessing, which the word means in its derivation. People who are willing to give up everything, their most precious possessions, their very lives, put a supreme value on the cause or belief for which they sacrifice.

Martyrdom, dying for the faith, is an incidental extreme to which some have had to go to manifest their belief in Christ. A living faith, a life that exemplifies Christ’s teaching throughout, and that in spite of difficulties, is required of all Christians. Martin refused to cut corners as a way of easing his lot, to make some accommodations with the civil rulers.

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

25th Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Sorrowful Mysteries Continued

– The Agony in the Garden

– The Scourging at the Pillar

– The Crowning with Thorns

– Jesus Carries His Cross

– The Crucifixion

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 6:1-15

The Miraculous Sign of Jesus

Can anything on this earth truly satisfy the deepest longing and hunger we experience for God? A great multitude had gathered to hear Jesus, no doubt because they were hungry for the word of life. Jesus’ disciples wanted to send them away at the end of the day because they did not have the resources to feed them.

They even complained how much money it would take to feed such a large crowd – at least six month’s wages! Jesus, the Bread of Life, took the little they had – five loaves and two fish – and giving thanks to his heavenly Father, distributed to all until they were satisfied of their hunger. Jesus is the true bread from heaven that gives us abundant lifeThe people of Israel had been waiting for the prophet whom Moses had promised: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren – him shall you heed (Deuteronomy 18:15).

The signs which Jesus did, including the miraculous feeding of the five thousand signified that God has indeed sent him as the anointed Prophet and King. Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle that is repeated in all four Gospel accounts. What is the significance of this particular miracle?

The miraculous feeding of such a great multitude pointed to God’s provision of manna in the wilderness for the people of Israel under Moses’ leadership (Exodus 16). This daily provision of food in the barren wilderness foreshadowed the true heavenly bread which Jesus would offer his followers. The food that makes us live for ever in Jesus ChristJesus makes a claim which only God can make: He is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience.

The sign of the multiplication of the loaves when the Lord says the blessing, breaks, and distributes through his disciples prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of his Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. When we receive from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.)

calls it the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ” (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. When you approach the Table of the Lord, what do you expect to receive? Healing, pardon, comfort, and rest for your soul? The Lord has much more for us, more than we can ask or imagine. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist at the Lord’s Table is an intimate union with Jesus Christ, our Divine Healer and Savior.

As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens us in charity and enables us to break with disordered attachments to creatures and to be more firmly rooted in the love of Christ. Do you hunger for the “bread of life”? The Lord alone can satisfy the deepest longing of our heartThe feeding of the five thousand shows the remarkable generosity of God and his great kindness towards us. When God gives, he gives abundantly.

He gives more than we need for ourselves so that we may have something to share with others, especially those who lack what they need. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. Do you trust in God’s provision for you and do you share freely with others, especially those who are in need?

🐣🐣🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻🐣🐣

“Lord Jesus, you satisfy the deepest longing of our heart and you feed us with the finest of wheat (Psalm 81:16). Fill me with gratitude and give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others what you have given to me.”

Amen

🔅🔅🔅🔅🐣🐣🐣🐣🔅🔅🔅🔅

🟡The Life Story of the Saint🟡

Saint Teresa of Los Andes

July 13, 1900 – April 12, 1920

One needn’t live a long life to leave a deep imprint. Teresa of Los Andes is proof of that.

As a young girl growing up in the early 1900’s in Santiago, Chile, Juana Fernandez read an autobiography of a French-born saint—Thérèse, popularly known as the Little Flower. The experience deepened her desire to serve God and clarified the path she would follow. At age 19 Juana became a Carmelite nun, taking the name of Teresa.

The convent offered the simple lifestyle Teresa desired and the joy of living in a community of women completely devoted to God. She focused her days on prayer and sacrifice. “I am God’s,” she wrote in her diary. “He created me and is my beginning and my end.”

Toward the end of her short life, Teresa began an apostolate of letter-writing, sharing her thoughts on the spiritual life with many people. At age 20 she contracted typhus and quickly took her final vows.

She died a short time later, during Holy Week.

Known as the “Flower of the Andes,” Teresa remains popular with the estimated 100,000 pilgrims who visit her shrine in Los Andes each year. Canonized in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, she is Chile’s first saint.

Reflection

The special graces given Saint Teresa reflect the mysterious wisdom of God at work in individuals whether young or old. It appears God has his own logic when it comes to who gets what in the realm of grace. All we can say is; “Praised be the Lord.”

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

24rth Day

Sign of the Cross

Hail Mary

Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee

a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.

From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing

that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer

thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy

mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look

upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I

despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed

Our Father

3 Hail Marys

Glory Be

The Joyful Mysteries Continued

– The Annunciation

– The Visitation

– The Nativity

– The Presentation

– Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple

Pray after every decade:

I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay

this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer

Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place

upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.

Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 3:31-36

He Who Believes in the Son Has Eternal Life

Do you hunger for the true and abundant life which God offers through the gift of his Holy Spirit? The Jews understood that God gave a certain portion of his Spirit to his prophets.

When Elijah was about to depart for heaven, his servant Elisha asked for a double portion of the Spirit which Elijah had received from God (2 Kings 2:9). The Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand God’s word of truth Jesus tells his disciples that they can believe the words he speaks because God the Father has anointed him by pouring out his Spirit on him in full measure, without keeping anything back.

The function of the Holy Spirit is to reveal God’s truth to us. Jesus declared that “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). When we receive the Holy Spirit he opens our hearts and minds to recognize and understand God’s word of truth. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said, “I believe in order to understand; and I understand the better to believe.” Faith opens our minds and hearts to receive God’s word of truth and to obey it willingly. Do you believe God’s word and receive it as if your life depended on it? God gives us the freedom to accept or reject what he says is true. But with that freedom also comes a responsibility to recognize the consequences of the choice we make – either to believe what he has spoken to us through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, or to ignore, reject, and chose our own way apart from God. Our choices will either lead us on the path of abundant life and union with God, or the path that leads to spiritual death and separation from God.Love the Lord, cling to him, and you will have lifeGod issued a choice and a challenge to the people of the Old Covenant: “See I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. …

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).

And God issues the same challenge to the people of the New Covenant today. Do you weigh the consequences of your choices? Do the choices you make lead you towards life or death – blessing or cursing? If you choose to obey God’s voice and to do his will, then you will know and experience that abundant life which comes from God himself. If you choose to follow your own way apart from God and his will, then you choose for death – a spiritual death which poisons and kills the heart and soul until there is nothing left but an empty person devoid of love, truth, goodness, purity, peace, and joy. Do your choices lead you towards God or away from God?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus Christ, let your Holy Spirit fill me and transform my heart and mind that I may choose life – the abundant life you offer to those who trust in you. Give me courage to always choose what is good, true, and just and to reject whatever is false, foolish, and contrary to your holy will.”

Amen

Saint Stanislaus
July 26, 1030 – April 11, 1079

Anyone who reads the history of Eastern Europe cannot help but chance on the name of Stanislaus, the saintly but tragic bishop of Kraków, patron of Poland. He is remembered with Saints Thomas More and Thomas Becket for vigorous opposition to the evils of an unjust government.

Born in Szczepanow near Kraków on July 26, 1030, he was ordained a priest after being educated in the cathedral schools of Gniezno, then capital of Poland, and at Paris. He was appointed preacher and archdeacon to the bishop of Kraków, where his eloquence and example brought about real conversion in many of his penitents, both clergy and laity.

He became bishop of Kraków in 1072.
During an expedition against the Grand Duchy of Kiev, Stanislaus became involved in the political situation of Poland. Known for his outspokenness, he aimed his attacks at the evils of the peasantry and the king, especially the unjust wars and immoral acts of King Boleslaus II.

The king first excused himself, then made a show of penance, then relapsed into his old ways. Stanislaus continued his open opposition in spite of charges of treason and threats of death, finally excommunicating the king.

Enraged, the latter ordered soldiers to kill the bishop. When they refused, the king killed Stanislaus with his own hands. Forced to flee to Hungary, Boleslaus supposedly spent the rest of his life as a penitent in the Benedictine abbey in Osiak.

Reflection
Saints John the Baptist, Thomas Becket, Thomas More, and Stanislaus are a few of the prophets who dared to denounce corruption in high places. They followed in the footsteps of Jesus himself, who pointed out the moral corruption in the religious leadership of his day. It is a risky business.

Saint Stanislaus is the Patron Saint of:
Poland

54 Days Novena to Holy Rosary

23rd Day
Sign of the Cross
Hail Mary
Petition Prayer (first 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I humbly kneel to offer thee
a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy
mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look
upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition.
From thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing
that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

Thanksgiving Prayer (final 27 days)

Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet, I gratefully kneel to offer
thee a Crown of Roses, snow-white buds to remind thee of thy joys. Each bud recalling to thee a holy
mystery. Each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace.

O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look
upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving. From thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I
despaired not of what I asked of thee. Thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

The Apostles’ Creed
Our Father
3 Hail Marys
Glory Be

The Glorious Mysteries Continued
– The Resurrection of Jesus
– The Ascension of Jesus
– The Descent of the Holy Spirit
– The Assumption of Mary
– The Coronation of the Blessed Mother

Pray after every decade:
I bind these blood-red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay
this bouquet at thy feet.

Concluding Prayer
Hail, Holy Queen….Amen

In Petition (first 27 days)

Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place
upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request)

In Thanksgiving (final 27 days)
Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place
upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me.
Hail Mary – Sign of the Cross

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

John 20:19-31

Unless I see – I will not believe

Do you know the joy of the resurrection?
The Risen Lord Jesus revealed the glory of his resurrection to his disciples gradually and over a period of time. Even after the apostles saw the empty tomb and heard the reports of Jesus’ appearance to the women, they were still weak in faith and fearful of being arrested by the Jewish authorities.

When Jesus appeared to them he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes us friends of God.

Live and proclaim the Gospel of mercy in the power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus did something which only love and trust can do. He commissioned his weak and timid apostles to bring the good news of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

This sending out of the disciples is parallel to the sending out of Jesus by his heavenly Father. Jesus fulfilled his mission through his perfect love and obedience to the will of his Father. He called his first disciples and he now calls each one of us to do the same.

Just as he gave his first disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit, so he breathes on each of us the same Holy Spirit who equips us with new life, power, joy, and courage to live each day as followers of the Risen Lord.

The last apostle to meet the resurrected Lord was the first to go with him to Jerusalem at Passover time.

The apostle Thomas was a natural pessimist. When Jesus proposed that they visit Lazarus after receiving news of his illness, Thomas said to the disciples: “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). While Thomas deeply loved the Lord, he lacked the courage to stand with Jesus in his passion and crucifixion.

After Jesus’ death, Thomas made the mistake of withdrawing from the other apostles. He sought loneliness rather than fellowship in his time of trial and adversity. He doubted the women who saw the resurrected Jesus and he doubted his own fellow apostles.

Through the gift of faith we recognize the Risen Lord and receive new life
When Thomas finally had the courage to rejoin the other apostles, the Lord Jesus made his presence known to him and reassured him that he had indeed overcome death and risen again.

When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! Through the gift of faith we, too, proclaim that Jesus is our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.

The Lord offers each of us new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his resurrection. Do you believe in the good news of the Gospel and in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring you new life, hope, and joy?

🐣🐣🙏🏻Prayer🙏🏻🐣🐣

“Lord Jesus Christ, through your victory over sin and death you have overcome all the powers of sin and darkness. Help me to draw near to you and to trust in your life-giving word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and strengthen my faith in your promises and my hope in the power of your resurrection.”

Amen

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❣️Divine Mercy Sunday❣️

A Whole Ocean of Graces

Saint Faustina reports in her Diary what Jesus told her about Divine Mercy Sunday:

“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.

The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are open all the divine floodgates through which graces flow” (Diary #699).

That day is today! It is the Feast of Divine Mercy! Today’s feast is among the newer feasts in our Church. Though Jesus’ desire that this feast be celebrated on the eighth day of Easter was spoken to Sister Maria Faustina Kowolska back in 1931, it was not solemnly instituted until the year 2000.

On April 30 of that year, Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Faustina and inaugurated the Feast of Divine Mercy as a universal feast within the Church. Because this Feast is so recent within the Church, we can be certain that we still have much to learn about the message of this Solemnity as well as the numerous messages about God’s mercy revealed in Saint Faustina’s Diary.

Among the many messages contained within her Diary, Jesus revealed to us that this Sunday, the eighth and final day of the Octave of Easter, is a day like none other.

Though grace and mercy are continuously poured out from Heaven upon us, Jesus is very clear that today is unique. Today, “a whole ocean of graces” is poured forth upon souls who approach the font of His mercy. Sit with that image for a time. “A whole ocean of graces.” What does that mean?

Symbolically speaking, a whole ocean is meant to depict the infinite. Try to imagine what it would be like to have the entire ocean poured upon you—it’s beyond comprehension! Thus, God is saying that the infinity of grace is given today.

The question for us all to ponder is this: How receptive am I to those infinite graces?
By analogy, imagine that your life was like a thimble, and an ocean of water was poured upon you. As a thimble, you could not contain all that was given.

Therefore, we should realize that God wants to stretch our capacity to receive His mercy more abundantly by widening our capacity for mercy. What if your soul were like a large pond? Still, the waters of the ocean could not be contained within that pond. What is it that is capable of receiving an entire ocean of mercy?

Only an ocean can contain an ocean. For that reason, God desires to first prepare our souls to receive an infinity of mercy by transforming us into vessels of infinite capacity.

Saint Teresa of Ávila, in her spiritual classic, “Interior Castles,” teaches us that the soul is, indeed, capable of infinite capacity for the simple fact that God dwells within.

The soul is like an interior castle with many interlinked dwelling places through which we must pass so as to arrive at the central chamber. She teaches that the goal of the spiritual life is to travel through these various dwelling places to the center of our souls where the infinite God dwells so that we can be present to Him there.

Therefore, we must understand that our souls are indeed capable of receiving the infinite waters of mercy, because God created us with this ability when He chose to live within us. The key to being able to fully receive this fullness of mercy is to seek out the infinite God, dwelling within. How is this done?

The heart of the path laid out in the Diary of Saint Faustina is as follows: Go to Confession and receive Holy Communion so as to obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.

However, as many of the great spiritual writers explain, such as Saint Teresa of Ávila, there are many levels we must pass on our spiritual journey so as to be able to encounter God in His fullness. This, of course, includes encountering God’s mercy given to us in Holy Communion and Confession.

Those who receive these Sacraments while dwelling only in the first dwelling places, for example, will never benefit from them to the extent that those who dwell in the seventh and central mansion where the King dwells in fullness.

Thus, mercy is given in its fullness but unless we make the transforming journey to God through conversion and purification of our souls, we will never be able to receive the ocean of graces God bestows.

Reflect, today, upon this ocean being poured forth upon you. How much of this mercy are you able to receive right now in your life? As you humbly admit your limited openness to God’s grace, know that God patiently waits for you, dwelling in His fullness deep within you, waiting for you to make the journey to Him.

Commit yourself to this journey by prayer, fasting, penance, the reading of Scripture, the celebration of the Sacraments and spiritual reading. There is an ocean of the fullness of life waiting for you. Dive in and allow His mercy to deepen your capacity to receive Him most fully.

My Lord, You are The Divine Mercy, the source of all grace and the Bestower of this grace in superabundance. I thank You for the infinity of Your generosity and pray that my soul will be more fully disposed to receive You. Please stretch the capacity of my soul through my ongoing journey of purification and conversion so that I will receive all that You wish to bestow.

Jesus, I trust in You.

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🟡The Story for the reflection 🟡

The news is filled with illustrations of mercy—or the need for mercy—in our world. One of the most moving stories came to us on October 6, 2006, when an armed man entered an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania.

He chased out the little boys and lined up the 10 little girls in front of the blackboard. He shot all of them and then killed himself. Five of the girls died.

After the medics and police left, the families of the fallen came and carried their slain children home. They removed their bloody clothes and washed the bodies. They sat for a time and mourned their beloved children.

After a while they walked to the home of the man who killed their children. They told his widow they forgave her husband for what he had done, and they consoled her for the loss of her spouse. They buried their anger before they buried their children.

— Amish Christians teach us that forgiveness is central. They believe in a real sense that God’s forgiveness of themselves depends on their extending forgiveness to other people. That’s what the mercy of God is all about.

That mercy is why we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. (Rev. Alfred McBride, O.Praem: Catholic Update – March 2008)

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❤️❤️The Divine Mercy ❤️❤️

The Divine Mercy Message

The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.

A – Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B – Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C – Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that all the graces of His mercy can only be received by our trust. The more we open the door of our hearts and lives to Him with trust, the more we can receive.

This message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy.

Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.

The message and devotional practices proposed in the Diary of Saint Faustina and set forth in this web site and other publications of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception are completely in accordance with the teachings of Church and are firmly rooted in the Gospel message of our Merciful Savior. Properly understood and implemented, they will help us grow as genuine followers of Christ.

Spend time to learn more about the mercy of God, learn to trust in Jesus, and live your life as merciful to others, as Christ is merciful to you.

♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️
❣️❣️❣️Plenary Indulgence ❣️❣️

What do a certain Polish nun and a certain Polish pope have in common? They both became saints and they were both instrumental in the institution of Divine Mercy Sunday, which offers many graces to the faithful.

Be sure to thank St. John Paul II and St. Maria Faustina Kowalska this April 16 because as Divine Mercy Sunday rolls around again this year, the faithful have the opportunity to take refuge in the depths of Christ’s mercy by receiving either a plenary or partial indulgence.

Here are some facts about Divine Mercy Sunday, including the Church’s guidance on how to receive indulgences on the day:
What is Divine Mercy Sunday?

Divine Mercy Sunday is the Sunday after Easter each year. Divine Mercy Sunday was first announced in an April 2000 homily given by John Paul II for the Mass celebrating the canonization of Maria Faustina Kowalska.

St. Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun who received prophetic messages from Christ. These messages included revelations about the infinite mercy of God — coined the “divine mercy” — and her obligation to spread the message to the world as recorded in her diary, “Divine Mercy in My Soul.”

The late pope said in his homily that “the light of divine mercy, which the Lord in a way wished to return to the world through Sr. Faustina’s charism, will illumine the way for the men and women of the third millennium.”

John Paul II granted plenary and partial indulgences to the faithful who observed certain pious practices on Divine Mercy Sunday each year in a June 2002 decree He did this in order to inspire the faithful in devotion to the Divine Mercy.

What is an indulgence?

An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins that have already been forgiven, and it can be plenary or partial.

Plenary indulgence

A plenary indulgence can be obtained by going to a church on Divine Mercy Sunday “in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin,” and participating in the prayers held in honor of Divine Mercy, the 2002 decree says.

Those practices could consist of devotions such as the divine mercy chaplet, eucharistic adoration, and the sacrament of confession.

The faithful could also visit the Blessed Sacrament either exposed or in the tabernacle and recite the Our Father, the Nicene Creed, and a devout prayer to Christ. The example of a devout prayer that is given in the decree is “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”

In order to receive the indulgence, the three usual conditions of going to confession, receiving holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father must also be met.

While it is appropriate that the two sacraments be received on the same day, the Church permits them to be received up to about 20 days before or after the day the indulgenced work is performed.

Can’t make it to a church?
Be not afraid
For the sick or others who are unable to make it to church that day, a plenary indulgence may still be obtained.

One must intend to make a confession, receive holy Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father as soon as possible, while praying one Our Father and the Nicene Creed before an image of Jesus. In addition, one also must pray “a devout invocation” to Christ such as “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you.”

For those faithful who cannot fulfill those obligations either, it is still possible to earn a plenary indulgence.

If “with a spiritual intention” people unite themselves to all the faithful hoping to obtain the indulgence through the prescribed prayers and they offer a prayer and their sufferings to Christ, then they are able to obtain the plenary indulgence.

They also must intend to go to
confession, receive holy Communion, and pray for the pope as soon as possible.

Partial indulgence

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who on that day pray “a legitimately approved invocation” with a contrite heart. As is written in the decree, this invocation could be “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”

This story was first published on CNA on April 21, 2022, and was updated April 13, 2023.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Luke 24:13-35

Did not our hearts burn while he opened to us the Scriptures

Why was it difficult for the disciples to recognize the risen Lord? Jesus’ death scattered his disciples and shattered their hopes and dreams. They had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.

They saw the cross as defeat and could not comprehend the empty tomb until the Lord Jesus appeared to them and gave them understanding. Do you doubt the good news that Jesus rose to give you new life? Jesus chided the disciples on the road to Emmaus for their slowness of heart to believe what the Scriptures had said concerning the Messiah.

They did not recognize the risen Jesus until he had broken bread with them. Do you recognize the Lord in his word and in the breaking of the bread? St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) reflects on the dimness of their perception:

“They were so disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching, did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind” (Sermon 235.1).

“Their eyes were obstructed, that they should not recognize him until the breaking of the bread. And thus, in accordance with the state of their minds, which was still ignorant of the truth – that the Christ would die and rise again, their eyes were similarly hindered. It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather that they were themselves unable to perceive the truth.” (From The Harmony of the Gospels, 3.25.72)

How often do we fail to recognize the Lord when he speaks to our hearts and opens his mind to us? The Risen Lord is ever ready to speak his word to us and to give us understanding of his ways. Do you listen attentively to the Word of God and allow his word to change and transform you?

Prayer

“Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart to recognize your presence with me and to understand the truth of your saving word. Nourish me with your life-giving word and with the bread of life.”

Amen

Wednesday in Easter Octave

The Word of God Burning Within

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?” Luke 24:30–31

Two of Jesus’ disciples had been discussing the events of the past week as they walked the seven-mile journey along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

They previously had hoped that Jesus was the one Who would redeem Israel—but then He was killed. And three days later, there were rumors of His Resurrection, which only left them confused. As they journeyed, Jesus appeared to the two disciples, but they did not recognize Him at first. His identity was hidden from their eyes.

Jesus listened to them and expressed sorrow at their lack of understanding, so He explained to them the teachings of Moses and the prophets and that the Messiah needed to suffer, die and rise on the third day. As Jesus spoke, the disciples began to understand, and their hearts burned within them.

Finally, in the gift of the Holy Eucharist, in the breaking of the Bread, their eyes were opened to see that it was Jesus with them.

Why did Jesus hide His risen presence from these disciples?

It appears that He did so because they lacked faith. They said, “…we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.” But the Crucifixion was too much for them to handle. They could not comprehend why the Redeemer had to suffer as Jesus did, so they began to doubt.

Too often we are like these disciples who are confused about matters of faith and who struggle with doubts. For that reason, we must see ourselves in the persons of these disciples as they walked the road to Emmaus. Jesus offered these disciples a wonderful gift of mercy by helping them to understand His saving act.

He explained to them all that was taught in Scripture regarding Him. And as these disciples listened to Jesus teach them, they slowly came to believe.

We, too, must allow Jesus to teach us about the transforming power of His death and Resurrection.

We must listen attentively and allow our hearts to burn within us as we listen to His holy Word. Only in this way will we come to the level of faith we need to more fully comprehend and accept the transforming power of the Paschal Mystery.

Reflect, today, upon these disciples and their need to reflect upon the Word of God so as to understand, believe and have their eyes opened. Know that you need this same grace.

You need to spend time with our Lord, immersed in His Word, listening to His voice, so that you will come to believe more fully. Allow the message of Jesus’ death and Resurrection to burn within you so that you, too, will come to believe.

My resurrected Lord, You appeared to these disciples who lacked faith and understanding and gave them the gift of Your holy teaching. Teach me, dear Lord, all that I must come to understand and know about You, Your death, Resurrection and glorious gift of new life. May Your Word burn within me and lead me to a transformation of my life.

Jesus, I trust in You.

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🟡The Life Story of the Saint🟡

Saint Teresa of Los Andes

July 13, 1900 – April 12, 1920

One needn’t live a long life to leave a deep imprint. Teresa of Los Andes is proof of that.

As a young girl growing up in the early 1900’s in Santiago, Chile, Juana Fernandez read an autobiography of a French-born saint—Thérèse, popularly known as the Little Flower.

The experience deepened her desire to serve God and clarified the path she would follow. At age 19 Juana became a Carmelite nun, taking the name of Teresa.

She died a short time later, during Holy Week.

Reflection

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❤️❤️The Divine Mercy Novena of Chaplets❤️❤️

Sixth Day

Today bring to Me THE MEEK AND HUMBLE SOULS AND THE SOULS OF LITTLE CHILDREN, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars.

I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence.Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart.”

Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father’s favorites.

They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son.

Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

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Prayer

Asking for His Mercy

Through the passion and death of Jesus, an infinite ocean of mercy was made available for all of us. But God, who created us free, will not force anything on us, not even His mercy. He must wait for us to turn from our sinfulness and ask: “Ask and it will be given to you … for everyone who asks receives” (Mt 7:7, 8).

The Scriptures are filled with examples of how to trust in God and ask for His mercy: the psalms; the faith of Abraham and Moses who pleaded and “bargained” with God; the man who persuaded his friend to get up in the middle of the night to lend him some bread; the persistent widow who secured justice from the unjust judge; the Canaanite woman who “argued” with Jesus about her right to His mercy; and the witness of Mary, whose appeal for mercy at Cana led Jesus to perform His first public miracle, thus acknowledging that His time had indeed come.

Pope John Paul II echoes this scriptural message with a new urgency for our own times: “At no time… especially at a moment as critical as our own — can the Church forget the prayer that is a cry for the mercy of God… The Church has the right and the duty to appeal to the God of mercy ‘with loud cries’ ” (Rich in Mercy, 15).

To St. Faustina, Jesus revealed this same message once again. He gave her three new ways to ask for mercy on the strength of His passion: the Chaplet, the Novena, and prayer at three o’clock; and He taught her to transform her daily life into a continuous prayer for mercy.

Through her, He calls us all to ask for His mercy:

Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion (Diary, 1146). Beg for mercy for the whole world (570). No soul that has called upon My mercy has ever been disappointed (1541).

🙏Prayer to be Merciful to Others🙏

This prayer gives us a true measure of our mercy, a mirror in which we observe ourselves as merciful Christs. We can make it our morning invocation and our evening examination of conscience.

O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.

I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls and come to their rescue.

Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.

Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.

You Yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy.

The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind.

The second: the word of mercy — if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words.

The third: prayer — if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer.

My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically.

O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for You can do all things.

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!

Scripture for today...

Matthew 28:1-10

Why do you seek the living among the dead?

Today, of course, is the most important day for us in the year. It is the celebration of the rising of Jesus from the dead. It is the beginning of a whole new way of looking at life and we, as Christians, look upon life no longer through our eyes, but through the eyes of the One who broke through the terror of death and into a new way of being.

So briefly, today, there are just two things to learn.

The first one, of course, is that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and His Son so loved his Father and the world that he suffered such a grievous and terrible ordeal as he passed through death into new life.

And we must remember that: that nowhere in the world can we say of God that He is short of love. For Jesus, on the cross, at the moment when his whole world collapsed, when everything that he believed in and trusted seemed to fall about his ears, when he said to his Father, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” as that happened, he turned to the screaming mob in front of him and he said, “Father, forgive them.”

This is when he becomes our Messiah, not when he does all the wonders, all the healing, all the things that he said, the beautiful things that he has said. It only comes when everything is taken away from him and he is on the edges of despair, and he turns to his Father and says, “I do this for you. I have only one request: that you hold back your arm of justice and, from now on, only forgiveness.”

And that’s the first great lesson of today, because he is asking us to do the same thing. If we are followers of Jesus, we must hold back justice and offer forgiveness. And, in this way, the world turns around. It is no longer eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, what is right and what is wrong. There is only love, forgiveness, caring. And this is how we enter into the new life, following in the footsteps of Jesus, our Lord.

When the disciples went to the tomb, they didn’t find anything. The tomb was empty, completely gone, an empty tomb. And what are we to think of that?

We are to think, “Where is Jesus?” They didn’t take him away. We know that that was impossible. Did his disciples hide him? They were there. They were amazed. They saw the cloth neatly folded. Where did he go? Did he hide?

And, of course, we know the answer. He passed from death into new life. And he did not do it, for Jesus never did anything for himself, he did it for us.

And so when he faces the ordeal of his life, with all its difficulties, he accepts them, and forgiving those who have made such an outrage possible.

On the other hand, he passes through death not alone but with us, every last one of us. He passes through death and gives us a share in the new life that he himself now lives.

This is the reason why we sit here.

At the Last Supper, he took bread, knowing that they would never see him again the way he had been with them, and he said, “This is my body which is offered up for you, take this. This is my blood which is poured out for you, take this.”

And in the gift of himself in this form, he said once again, “Whenever you come together, whenever you touch these things, remember it is I. It is I who am with you and I will be with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”

The question then, of course, is, if we enter into the tomb, have we really died? For now we are in another way of being.

We’re not talking about physical death. We are talking about what Jesus died for. When we pass through the death of Jesus, we pass through and turn our backs on selfishness, on hurting others, on judging, on making the place that God has created to be a place of great wonder and joy and happiness into a place where many people do not have enough to eat, where many people feel their hopes are dashed each day by the injustices that they have to confront, where many people forget that they were created to walk in this life as children, children free and full of joy.

And so it is when we enter into the tomb, we, as Christians, are asked to leave all these things behind and, in the process, we are learning how to love. Not our love. Our love is not worth anything.

To love, one with Jesus, the way Jesus loved: to forgive, to care, to reach out to all those around us. And then we, too, experience what Jesus says. He has given us new life. The new life is his life. In his life, there is only forgiveness. And so we must take that with us on our journey.

This gift of yourself was given when you were a child and someone brought you here and they gave you someone to answer for you. And, of course, it was your baptism. And the meaning of baptism is to pass through the water of death and rise to new life, and to become one with God and one with Jesus, bound together in the Spirit.

And so now we will, once again, take those vows that our godparents took for us many years ago. And we will rise up, and we will take these same words and say to God, “Yes, I do.”

The response to the questions are: “I do.” Very simple: I do. Will you do this? I do. Do you accept this? I do. And it’s a wedding. Do you take this man to be your husband?

Do you take this woman to be your wife? I do. And because both are a covenant, first the covenant between a man and a woman marrying is a binding together, the covenant of God Himself, is God and us binding ourselves together in a unity that will last for all our days.

So now we ask you to rise and we will renew those promises that we made long ago and we will say with a full heart, “I do.”

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you died that I might live forever in your kingdom of peace and righteousness. Strengthen my faith that I may I know the power of your resurrection and live in the hope of seeing you face to face for ever.”

Amen

Easter Sunday-Holy Triduum

The Resurrection of the Body

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb.

So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. John 20:1–3

Happy Easter! Our Lord has risen, He has overcome death and He has opened the gates of Heaven to all who believe and receive the gift of salvation. Alleluia! What a glorious day we celebrate!

Today’s Gospel concludes by saying, “For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” This is evident by the initial reaction of Mary of Magdala, Simon Peter and the Apostle John.

Mary first thought that someone had taken the body of Jesus and moved it from the tomb. Peter was confused and ran to see for himself. John also went and when he saw the empty tomb, he believed. Eventually, all of the Apostles would come to understand and believe. The initial reaction to the empty tomb teaches us an important lesson.

Though the Resurrection of Christ is clearly known to us today, our knowledge of this glorious event must continually deepen. This is evidenced by the fact that the disciples of Jesus came to understand the Resurrection over time. They did not comprehend His Resurrection when Jesus first taught them about it.

They did not fully understand it when they saw the empty tomb. They did not even fully comprehend it when they saw the risen Lord. It was only after they were given the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that their minds were open to this incredible mystery of faith so that they could begin to penetrate and comprehend this mystery more clearly.

The Resurrection of Christ was a real historical event. But it is also an event that transcends time. It’s an event that must permeate all time and transform every moment of our lives. When Jesus rose from the dead, it was much different than a simple return to life. He did not simply come back to the life He lived before He died.

Instead, His resurrected state was a new beginning. He was now different. He was transformed. His body would now never age. It could not die. It could pass through closed doors. This resurrected body of our Lord, which is perfectly united to His divine soul, will remain with Him forever.

The resurrected body of our Lord also made it possible for us to share in His resurrected state. We now have hope that, if we share in His suffering and death, we will also share in His Resurrection. But what does that mean? Saint Thomas Aquinas believed that our resurrected bodies will be glorious beyond imagination.

We will never age, require no food, never experience illness, be free from all disorders and will live this way forever. Somehow, through our bodies, we will also be able to share ourselves with others in a pure and holy way, communicating to others the love of God alive within our souls.

We will have the gift of agility, being able to move from place to place with immediacy simply by thinking it. Our new glorified bodies will manifest the ways that we loved and served God in this world. For example, Jesus’ resurrected body had wounds in His hands, feet and side. But now those wounds radiate His glory and forever testify to His act of perfect love.

Reflect, today, upon the Resurrection of the Savior of the World. As you do, reflect also upon His invitation to share in this new life. Though much of our understanding of the Resurrection of Jesus, as well as our hope of sharing in this resurrected state, will only be understood when we share in it, it is important to place these ideas in our minds so that we have something to anticipate.

At the very least, we must know and understand that our sharing in the resurrected state of Jesus is glorious beyond what we can imagine. This is what we celebrate today. And this celebration must fill us with hopeful anticipation of our participation in this glorious new life to come.

My resurrected Lord, Your sacred body and soul are forever united as one in a new and glorified state. You now invite all of us to share in Your suffering and death in this life so that we can share in Your Resurrection.

Please fill my mind with understanding of this gift in order to fill me with hope so that I will work tirelessly for that day on which I hope to share in Your Resurrection.

Jesus, I trust in You.

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🟡🔸Story for the Reflection🔸🟡

He is not here

The Egyptian pyramids are world-famous as one of the “seven Wonders” of the ancient world. But they are actually gigantic tombs containing the mummified bodies of Egyptian Pharaohs. Westminster Abby is famous, and thousands visit it, because the dead bodies of famous writers, philosophers, and politicians are entombed there.

But there is a Shrine of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and pilgrims from all over the world visit a tomb there which is empty with a note at its entrance which says, “He is not here.” It is famous because Jesus Christ, Who was once buried there, rose from the dead, leaving an empty tomb, as He had told his disciples he would. Thus, Jesus worked the most important miracle in His life, defying the laws of nature and proving that He is God.

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❤️❤️The Divine Mercy Novena of Chaplets❤️❤️

Third Day:

Today bring to Me ALL DEVOUT AND FAITHFUL SOULS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. The souls brought Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wonderous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.

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