John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 6
35.	And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.	Dixit autem eis Jesus : Ego sum panis vitæ : qui venit ad me, non esuriet, et qui credit in me, non sitiet umquam.	ειπεν δε αυτοις ο ιησους εγω ειμι ο αρτος της ζωης ο ερχομενος προς με ου μη πειναση και ο πιστευων εις εμε ου μη διψηση πωποτε
36.	But I said unto you, that you also have seen me, and you believe not.	Sed dixi vobis quia et vidistis me, et non creditis.	αλλ ειπον υμιν οτι και εωρακατε με και ου πιστευετε
37.	All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out.	Omne quod dat mihi Pater, ad me veniet : et eum qui venit ad me, non ejiciam foras :	παν ο διδωσιν μοι ο πατηρ προς εμε ηξει και τον ερχομενον προς με ου μη εκβαλω εξω
38.	Because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.	quia descendi de cælo, non ut faciam voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem ejus qui misit me.	οτι καταβεβηκα εκ του ουρανου ουχ ινα ποιω το θελημα το εμον αλλα το θελημα του πεμψαντος με
39.	Now this is the will of the Father who sent me: that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up again in the last day.	Hæc est autem voluntas ejus qui misit me, Patris : ut omne quod dedit mihi, non perdam ex eo, sed resuscitem illud in novissimo die.	τουτο δε εστιν το θελημα του πεμψαντος με πατρος ινα παν ο δεδωκεν μοι μη απολεσω εξ αυτου αλλα αναστησω αυτο [εν] τη εσχατη ημερα
40.	And this is the will of my Father that sent me: that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have life everlasting, and I will raise him up in the last day.	Hæc est autem voluntas Patris mei, qui misit me : ut omnis qui videt Filium et credit in eum, habeat vitam æternam, et ego resuscitabo eum in novissimo die.	τουτο δε εστιν το θελημα του πεμψαντος με ινα πας ο θεωρων τον υιον και πιστευων εις αυτον εχη ζωην αιωνιον και αναστησω αυτον εγω τη εσχατη ημερα

35. And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes in me shall never thirst.
36. But I said to you, That you also have seen, and believe not.
37. All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.
38. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39. And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes in him may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

CHRYS. Our Lord now proceeds to set forth mysteries; and first speaks of His Divinity: And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He does not say this of His body, for He speaks of that at the end; The bread that I will give you is My flesh. Here He is speaking of His Divinity. The flesh is bread, by virtue of the Word; this bread is heavenly bread, on account of the Spirit which dwells in it.

THEOPHYL. He does not say, I am the bread of nourishment, but of life, for, whereas all things brought death, Christ has quickened us by Himself. But the life here, is not our common life, but that which is not cut short by death: He that comes to Me shall never hunger; and, He that believes in Me shall never thirst.

AUG. He that comes to Me, i.e. that believes in Me, shall never hunger, has the same meaning as shall never thirst; both signifying that eternal society, where there is no want.

THEOPHYL. Or, shall never hunger or thirst, i.e. shall never be wearied of hearing the word of God, and shall never thirst as to the understanding: as though He had not the water of baptism, and the sanctification of the Spirit.

AUG. You desire bread from heaven: but, though you have it before you, you eat it not. This is what I told you: But I said to you, that you also have seen Me, and believe not.

ALCUIN. As if He said, I did not say what I did to you about the bread, because I thought you would eat it, but rather to convict you of unbelief. I say, that you see Me, and believe not.

CHRYS. Or, I said to you, refers to the testimony of the Scriptures, of which He said above, They are they which testify of Me; and again, I am come in My Father's name, and you receive Me not. That you have seen Me, is a silent allusion to His miracles.

AUG. But, because you have seen Me, and believed not, I have not therefore lost the people of God: All that the Father gives Me, shall come to Me; and him that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out.

BEDE. All, He said, absolutely, to show the fullness of the number who should believe. These are they which the Father gives the Son, when, by His secret inspiration, He makes them believe in the Son.

ALCUIN. Whomsoever therefore the Father draws to belief in Me, he, by faith, shall come to Me, that he may be joined to Me. And those, who in the steps of faith and good works, shall come to Me, I will in no wise cast out; i.e. in the secret habitation of a pure conscience, he shall dwell with Me, and at the last I will receive him to everlasting felicity.

AUG. That inner place, whence there is no casting out, is a great sanctuary, a secret chamber, where is neither weariness, or the bitterness of evil thoughts, or the cross of pain and temptation: of which it is said, Enter you into the joy of your Lord.

CHRYS. The expression, that the Father gives Me, shows that it is no accident whether a man believes or not, and that belief is not the work of human cogitation, but requires a revelation from on high, and a mind devout enough to receive the revelation. Not that they are free from blame, whom the Father does not give, for they are deficient even in that which lies in their own power, the will to believe. This is a virtual rebuke to their unbelief, as it shows that whoever does not believe in Him, transgresses the Father's will. Paul, however, says, that He gives them up to the Father: When He shall have given up the kingdom to God, even the Father. But as the Father, in giving, does not take from Himself, so neither does the Son when He gives up. The Son is said to give up to the Father, because we are brought to the Father by Him. And of the Father at the same time we read, By Whom you were called to the fellowship of His Son. Whoever then, our Lord says, comes to Me, shall be saved, for to save such I took up flesh: For I came down from heaven not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. But what? Have you one will, He another? No, certainly. Mark what He says afterwards; And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes in Him, should have everlasting life. And this is the Son's will too; For the Son quickens whom He will. He says then, I came to do nothing but what the Father wills, for I have no will distinct from My Father's: all things that the Father has are Mine. But this not now: He reserves these higher truths for the end of His ministry.

AUG. This is the reason why He does not cast out those who come to Him. For I came down from, heaven not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. The soul departed from God, because it was proud. Pride casts us out, humility restores us. When a physician in the treatment of a disease, cures certain outward symptoms, but not the cause which produces them, his cure is only temporary. So long as the cause remains, the disease may return. That the cause then of all diseases, i.e. pride, might be eradicated, the Son of God humbled Himself. Why are you proud, O man? The Son of God humbled Himself for you. It might shame you, perhaps, to imitate a humble man; but imitate at least a humble God. And this is the proof of His humility: I came not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. Pride does its own will; humility the will of God.

HILARY. Not that He does what He does not wish. He fulfills obediently His Father's will, wishing also Himself to fulfill that will.

AUG. For this very reason therefore, I will not cast out Him that comes to Me; because I came not to do Mine own will. I came to teach humility, by being humble Myself. He that comes to Me, is made a member of Me, and necessarily humble, because He will not do His own will, but the will of God; and therefore is not cast out. He was cast out, as proud; he returns to Me humble, he is not sent away, except for pride again; he who keeps his humility, fails not from the truth. And further, that He does not cast out such, because He came not to do His will, He shows when He says, And this is the Father's will which has sent Me, that of all which He has given Me, I should lose nothing. Every one of an humble mind is given to Him: It is not the will of your Fatter, that one of these little ones should perish. The swelling ones may perish; of the little ones none can; for except you be as a little child, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

AUG. They therefore who by God s unerring providence are foreknown, and predestined, called, justified, glorified, even before their new birth, or before they are born at all, are already the sons of God, and cannot possibly perish; these are they who truly come to Christ. By Him there is given also perseverance in good to the end; which is given only to those who will not perish. Those who do not persevere will perish.

CHRYS. I should lose nothing; He lets them know, he does not desire his own honor, but their salvation. After these declarations, I will in no wise cast out, and I should lose nothing, He adds, But should raise it up at the last day. In the general resurrection the wicked will be cast out, according to Matthew, Take him, and cast him into outer darkness. And, Who is able to cast both soul and body into hell. He often brings in mention of the resurrection for this purpose: viz. to warn men not to judge of God's providence from present events, but to carry on their ideas to another world.

AUG. See how the twofold resurrection is expressed here. He who comes to Me, shall forthwith rise again; by becoming humble, and a member of Me. But then He proceeds; But I will raise him up at the last day. To explain the words, All that the Father has given Me, and, I should lose nothing, He adds; And this is the will of Him that has' sent Me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes in Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up on the last day. Above He said, Whoso hears My word, and believes in Him that sent Me: now it is, Every one which sees the Son, and believes in Him. He does not say, believe in the Father, because it is the same thing to believe in the Father, and in the Son; for us the Father has life in Himself, even so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself, and again, That whoso sees the Son and believes on Him, should hare everlasting life; i.e. by believing, by passing over to life, as at the first resurrection. But this is only the first resurrection, He alludes to the second when He says, And I will raise him up at the last day.

Catena Aurea John 6

St. Soter & St. Caius

Feast Day: April 22
Born: St. Soter lived in the second century and St. Caius in the third century

St. Soter was born at Fondi, Latium in Italy and his father was a Greek. He was the twelfth pope and bishop of Rome at the time of the Roman emperors. He was a real father to all Christians and did much to help the poor. He took special care of those who had been punished and sent to work in dangerous mines because they would not give up their faith in Jesus.

These brave Christians were kept hungry all the time and not allowed much rest. Other Christians were chained in prisons. Good Pope Soter did everything he possibly could to comfort and help them.

St. Soter also helped Christians who were far away from Rome. This holy pope was a great preacher. All the Christians loved to listen to him explain the Catholic faith. He spoke with such love. People who listed to him were filled with the courage to die for Jesus rather than worship false gods.

St. Soter himself gave his life for Jesus and died a martyr in the year 174, ten years after he was made pope. At his tomb are written the words "Saint Soter, master of charity, pray for us!"

St. Caius was pope about one hundred years later. He, too, lived in times of great trouble for Christians. This pope did all he could to prepare people to keep the faith at any sacrifice.

To help his people better, he lived eight years in underground rooms, called catacombs. These were cemeteries where the Christians often met in secret to pray and receive the sacraments. This was their hiding place from the cruel pagan soldiers. The Christians knew they would be killed if they were caught.

St. Caius was pope for twelve years. Then he, too, was martyred. He died in the year 296.

Reflection: Let us pray that God may give strength and courage to those who are ill-treated throughout the world because they are Christians.

Day 112 - Feeding the Five Thousand

Today's Reading: Mark 6:30-44

30 The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. 34 As he landed he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late; 36 send them away, to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat." 37 But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?" 38 And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down by companies upon the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Today's Commentary:

The miracle of the loaves looks both to the past and to the future.

(1) It recalls miraculous feedings from the OT, like the heavenly manna God provided for Israel in the wilderness (Ex 16) and the multiplied loaves and leftover baskets provided by Elisha (2 Kings 4:42-44).

(2) It also anticipates the later institution of the Eucharist, where the same string of verbs (taking . . . blessed . . . broke . . . gave) is found together, something that occurs only here and at the Last Supper.

Gave them to the disciples: Jesus does not give the multiplied bread directly to the crowds but distributes it to them by the hands of his apostles. This mediation foreshadows their role as New Covenant priests, when they apportion to God's people the heavenly bread that Jesus provides in the Eucharist.

Catholic Spiritual Direction.com

Practicing Recollection Throughout the Day

April 22, 2015 by Connie Rossini

St. John Chrysostom wrote, “It is impossible, utterly impossible, for the man who prays eagerly and invokes God ceaselessly ever to sin” (De Anna 4, 5). Since you are reading this post, I assume that you would like to be able to overcome every temptation. But how can we pray constantly, as not only Chrysostom, but also St. Paul taught (cf 1 Thessalonians 5:17)?

St. Teresa of Avila gives us a place to start. Speaking

about praying vocal prayer well, she pauses a moment to urge her readers to pray throughout the day:

“We must retire within ourselves even during our ordinary occupations. If I can recall the companionship which I have within my soul for as much as a moment, that is of great utility” (Way of Perfection, Chapter 29).

In other words, we should pause often during the day, in the midst of our duties, to spend a moment with God. We don’t have to leave what we are doing. We needn’t take longer than a few seconds. We might begin by choosing a short prayer to say at regular times throughout the day. For example, every time our watch chimes the hour, we might pray silently, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Or every time we pass a holy picture in our home, we might pray, “Lord, help me to love you with my whole mind, heart, soul, and strength.” Every time we think of food, we could say, “Lord, let me desire you above all earthly pleasures.”

A second way to pray throughout the day would be to imagine serving the Lord in our occupations. A mother dressing her child can imagine she is dressing the Christ Child and do it with special care. A person writing a business plan might imagine himself as an apostle writing the New Testament and write for the glory of God.

Instead of using words, we can use pictures in our minds. Lately I have been picturing the Eucharist in the monstrance several times during the day. I stop what I am doing and gaze at Him, sometimes saying a few words of praise as well. We could also picture the Sacred Heart, the Holy Spirit as a dove, the light of Christ burning in our hearts, or another simple image that can be recalled easily.

Praying throughout the day is not a substitute for a dedicated time of mental prayer. It extends it. It prepares us to be more recollected at mental prayer time. It sanctifies our day and keeps God as our primary focus. And, as St. John Chrysostom noted, it helps us overcome temptation.

Daily Readings for:April 22, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Be present to your family, O Lord, we pray, and graciously ensure those you have endowed with the grace of faith an eternal share in the Resurrection of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Buffalo Mozzarella

ACTIVITIES

o Orderliness

PRAYERS

o Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven)

o Prayers for the Easter Season

o Novena to St. Catherine of Siena

· Easter: April 22nd

· Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

Old Calendar: Saints Soter and Caius, popes and martyrs

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Sts. Soter and Caius. Soter succeeded Anicetus as Pope in 166, and died a martyr in 175, under the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Caius, whose relics are preserved at the sanctuary of St. Silvester in Rome, governed the Church a century later and died on April 22, 296. The popes of the first centuries suffered the heavy anxiety of the persecutions which continually threatened their flocks; the pontificate of Caius, however, was marked by a long period of peace, some ten years before the terrible persecution under Diocletian.

St. Soter
St. Soter, the successor to Pope Anicetus, died a martyr's death in 175. He was noted for his kindness to certain Greeks who had been condemned to the mines because of their faith in Christ. When he ascended the chair of Peter he forbade consecrated virgins to touch the sacred vessels and palls, or to carry censers in church. He also obliged the faithful, except those in mortal sin, to receive holy Communion on Maundy Thursday. Soter is the author of a letter to the Corinthians.

St. Caius
St. Caius (pope from 283 to 296) was closely related to the Emperor Diocletian. So that he might live to serve the faithful, he remained in concealment a long time and would not leave Rome. Ordinarily it was in the catacombs that he hid, and there he celebrated the holy mysteries and instructed many pagans. It was Pope Caius who decreed (according to the false Decretals) that the following steps must precede consecration to the episcopate: porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, deacon, and priest. He died a natural death and was buried in the catacomb of Callistus on April 22. St. Susanna was his niece. Pope Urban VIII revived his memory in Rome by restoring his church, naming him as its patron saint, raising it to the rank of a station, and enriching it with the saint's relics.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 6:35-40

3rd Week of Easter

Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me. (John 6:37)

Did you catch that?

The Father is giving you to Jesus. If you think that statement is meant to be little more than an empty platitude, say it again slowly. Focus on each word, and let them settle deep in your heart. You are a gift that God the Father is giving to Jesus. What does this say about you?

The Father is giving you to Jesus. Well, for one, this says that no matter how your days feel—holy, humdrum, or harried—each one of them is filled with divine opportunities. You’re not just a spectator in life. You are an important actor in a great cosmic drama. What’s more, you have been infused with the life and power of the Trinity, with all you need to play your part in this drama.

The Father is giving you to Jesus. A loving, generous God like your heavenly Father would never dream of giving a cheap gift to his Son! This can only mean that you are very valuable. You’re a masterpiece, a crown of his creation. No cost was too high to pay for you. It also means that God will never revoke your worth. He is completely invested in you. In fact, you are his treasure. He rejoices over you with exuberant, loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17)! It’s not based on how you do each day; it’s based on who you are.

The Father is giving you to Jesus. As a gift to the Lord, your life has been set apart, or made holy. Every day you have a divinely appointed purpose. The Father is giving you to Jesus so that you can give Jesus to the people around you. And you can do that simply by the witness of your life—by living for Christ as the gift that you are.

Today, keep this in mind: you are a special, unique person created by God. There is no one like you. You are a special treasure. You have a divine purpose!

“Lord, I come to you today knowing that you will never reject me. As you gave yourself to me, I give my life to you.”

Acts 8:1-8; Psalm 66:1-7

Regnum Christi

“You Will Never Be Lost Where I Cannot Find You.”

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

April 22, 2015. Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

By Father Daniel Ray, LC

John 6: 35-40

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here and now as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return.

Petition: Lord, help me to have a deeper confidence and trust in you.

1. An Empty Hole the Size of Christ: “It’s like I had a big hole in my heart, and I couldn’t fill it with anything.” So exclaimed someone who recently came back to the sacraments after being away for many years. She was hungering and thirsting for Christ, and, thankfully, Christ didn’t permit anything else to fill the place in her heart where only he belonged. On re-encountering Christ—in his mercy in confession, in his nourishing grace in communion—she was able to experience the benefits promised by Christ himself: “Anyone who comes to me I will never drive away.” Every one of us invariably finds holes in our hearts, small or not so small. Only Christ belongs there. To welcome Christ back in our hearts, we must seek out his mercy and nourishing grace.

2. Then Why Are You Afraid? If what we need is Christ and what we truly long for is Christ, then what keeps us from going to him? Sometimes it is our pride, or spiritual laziness, or maybe superficiality in our spiritual life. But behind these reasons is often a fear that if we open ourselves to Christ, we will somehow lose out. Benedict XVI addressed this fear in his first homily as Pope: “Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and He gives you everything. When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundred-fold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ - and you will find true life. Amen” (Mass for the Inauguration of the Pontificate, April 24, 2005).

3. Can You Tell Me Where the Lost-and-Found Is? These are words that Christ has never spoken—nor ever will. It is his Father’s will that Christ lose none of those entrusted to him. Christ never fails in his mission. Rather, in today’s reading he promises: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” This is our guarantee that we will never be abandoned and left without his grace to support us. There will be no difficulty, obstacle, or temptation too great for him to help us overcome.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I trust in you. Despite the real struggles and obstacles in my path now, I know that you are leading me towards you. You are the only one who can fill the depths of my heart. Somehow, mysteriously, each of these trials is part of making that a reality.

Resolution: When faced with any obstacle today—even if it is small—I will say a quick prayer entrusting the situation to Christ.

Homily of the Day

April 22, 2015

Mary and St. Ignatius

Today’s Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Society of Jesus, a feast proper to the liturgical calendar of the Society of Jesus, recognizes the special role of Mary, Mother of God, in the Society of Jesus and is a proclamation of the special devotion of the religious order named after Jesus to his Mother Mary.

Mary played a key role in the conversion of St. Ignatius of Loyola and in the beginnings of the Society of Jesus. After the recovery of Ignatius from his injuries in Pamplona and his “conversion,” he prayed in vigil at the shrine of our Lady of Aranzazu and offered his sword and dagger to Our Lady at the Benedictine monastery in Montserrat.
In his spiritual experiences at the River Cardoner and in the often-used triple colloquy at the end of key exercises in his Spiritual Exercises, the first colloquy was a special prayer for the intercession of Mary, the second to the Son and the third to the Father. The first contemplation of the fourth week of the Spiritual Exercises is on the risen Lord’s apparition to his mother: though not recorded in the Gospels, the risen Lord must have first appeared to his grieving mother.

The first seven companions who eventually were the founding core of the Society of Jesus made their first vows at Montmartre in Paris on the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, 15 August 1534. After Pope Paul III approved the Society of Jesus in 1540 the first Jesuits pronounced their religious vows as Jesuits before Mary’s image at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls in Rome. The first church in Rome given to the Society was that of Our Lady of the Wayside, Madonna della Strada.

Jesuits make their perpetual religious vows at the end of novitiate to the Divine Majesty “before the most sacred Virgin Mary and the whole court of heaven.” At the end of their training, Jesuits make their final vows in the Society of Jesus “in the sight of the Virgin Mary and the whole heavenly court.”

We join the Society of Jesus in its love for and confidence in Mary, Mother of the Society of Jesus: “Almighty and eternal God, you chose the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of your eternal Word. Give us strength to be servants of that Word in the Society of Jesus, which is consecrated to your glory in the presence of Mary, our Mother.”

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 3

<< Wednesday, April 22, 2015 >>

Acts 8:1-8
View Readings

Psalm 66:1-7

John 6:35-40
Similar Reflections

THE PEOPLE OF THE WORD

"The members of the church who had been dispersed went about preaching the word." —Acts 8:4

The Jewish people loved God's Word. God called them to meditate on it day and night (Jos 1:8; Ps 1:2). They considered it more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces (Ps 119:72).

However, Christians were even more devoted to God's Word than the Jews. After Jesus spent the day of His resurrection teaching the Bible for about seven miles in the afternoon (Lk 24:27) and for several hours in the evening (Lk 24:45), the early Christians got the message that God's Word was extremely important. From the moment the Church began at Pentecost, the members of the Church devoted themselves to learning, living, and teaching God's Word (Acts 2:42). The apostles concentrated on the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4) to the point that they were repeatedly thrown in jail for their uncompromised and unstoppable proclamation of God's Word (see Acts 5:42). Stephen proclaimed God's Word so boldly and courageously that he became the first martyr (Acts 7:2ff). Philip preached the Word even as he was escaping persecution (Acts 8:4-5). Moreover, the Spirit even told Philip to run up to a stranger from Ethiopia and teach God's Word (Acts 8:29ff). The first believers ever called "Christians" were only given that name after a year of intensive Bible study (Acts 11:26). The members of the church at Beroea welcomed the Word with great enthusiasm and studied God's Word each day (Acts 17:11). The spirit of the early Church is well expressed by St. Jerome: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ" (Catechism, 133).

Prayer: Father, may our hearts burn as the risen Jesus interprets the Scriptures for us this Easter season (see Lk 24:32).

Promise: "No one who comes will I ever reject, because it is not to do My own will that I have come down from heaven, but to do the will of Him Who sent Me." —Jn 6:37-38

Praise: God healed Bob of injuries sustained when he accidentally touched a high-voltage electrical wire.

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