Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 04-01-17

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 04-01-17 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

April 1, 2017

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Reading 1 Jer 11:18-20

I knew their plot because the LORD informed me;
at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings.

Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter,
had not realized that they were hatching plots against me:
"Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will be spoken no more."

But, you, O LORD of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

R. (2a) O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,
Lest I become like the lion's prey,
to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
Do me justice, O LORD, because I am just,
and because of the innocence that is mine.
Let the malice of the wicked come to an end,
but sustain the just,
O searcher of heart and soul, O just God.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart;
A just judge is God,
a God who punishes day by day.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.

Verse Before the Gospel See Lk 8:15

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.

Gospel Jn 7:40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
"This is truly the Prophet."
Others said, "This is the Christ."
But others said, "The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David's family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?"
So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.
Some of them even wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid hands on him.

So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees,
who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?"
The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man."
So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived?
Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed."
Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,
"Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him
and finds out what he is doing?"
They answered and said to him,
"You are not from Galilee also, are you?
Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."

Then each went to his own house.

[Salvation]

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:  And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.  Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.  Hail Mary . . .  And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.  Hail Mary . . .  Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.  Let us pray:  Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.  "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)   "Blessed are you among women,  and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Lk 1:42).

[annalex]

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 7
40.	Of that multitude therefore, when they had heard these words of his, some said: This is the prophet indeed.	Ex illa ergo turba cum audissent hos sermones ejus, dicebant : Hic est vere propheta.	πολλοι ουν εκ του οχλου ακουσαντες τον λογον ελεγον ουτος εστιν αληθως ο προφητης
41.	Others said: This is the Christ. But some said: Doth the Christ come out of Galilee?	Alii dicebant : Hic est Christus. Quidam autem dicebant : Numquid a Galilæa venit Christus ?	αλλοι ελεγον ουτος εστιν ο χριστος αλλοι ελεγον μη γαρ εκ της γαλιλαιας ο χριστος ερχεται
42.	Doth not the scripture say: That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem the town where David was?	nonne Scriptura dicit : Quia ex semine David, et de Bethlehem castello, ubi erat David, venit Christus ?	ουχι η γραφη ειπεν οτι εκ του σπερματος δαυιδ και απο βηθλεεμ της κωμης οπου ην δαυιδ ο χριστος ερχεται
43.	So there arose a dissension among the people because of him.	Dissensio itaque facta est in turba propter eum.	σχισμα ουν εν τω οχλω εγενετο δι αυτον
44.	And some of them would have apprehended him: but no man laid hands on him.	Quidam autem ex ipsis volebant apprehendere eum : sed nemo misit super eum manus.	τινες δε ηθελον εξ αυτων πιασαι αυτον αλλ ουδεις επεβαλεν επ αυτον τας χειρας
45.	The ministers therefore came to the chief priests and the Pharisees. And they said to them: Why have you not brought him?	Venerunt ergo ministri ad pontifices et pharisæos. Et dixerunt eis illi : Quare non adduxistis illum ?	ηλθον ουν οι υπηρεται προς τους αρχιερεις και φαρισαιους και ειπον αυτοις εκεινοι δια τι ουκ ηγαγετε αυτον
46.	The ministers answered: Never did man speak like this man.	Responderunt ministri : Numquam sic locutus est homo, sicut hic homo.	απεκριθησαν οι υπηρεται ουδεποτε ουτως ελαλησεν ανθρωπος ως ουτος ο ανθρωπος
47.	The Pharisees therefore answered them: Are you also seduced?	Responderunt ergo eis pharisæi : Numquid et vos seducti estis ?	απεκριθησαν ουν αυτοις οι φαρισαιοι μη και υμεις πεπλανησθε
48.	Hath any one of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?	numquid ex principibus aliquis credidit in eum, aut ex pharisæis ?	μη τις εκ των αρχοντων επιστευσεν εις αυτον η εκ των φαρισαιων
49.	But this multitude, that knoweth not the law, are accursed.	sed turba hæc, quæ non novit legem, maledicti sunt.	αλλ ο οχλος ουτος ο μη γινωσκων τον νομον επικαταρατοι εισιν
50.	Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to him by night, who was one of them:)	Dixit Nicodemus ad eos, ille qui venit ad eum nocte, qui unus erat ex ipsis :	λεγει νικοδημος προς αυτους ο ελθων νυκτος προς αυτον εις ων εξ αυτων
51.	Doth our law judge any man, unless it first hear him, and know what he doth?	Numquid lex nostra judicat hominem, nisi prius audierit ab ipso, et cognoverit quid faciat ?	μη ο νομος ημων κρινει τον ανθρωπον εαν μη ακουση παρ αυτου προτερον και γνω τι ποιει
52.	They answered, and said to him: Art thou also a Galilean? Search the scriptures, and see, that out of Galilee a prophet riseth not.	Responderunt, et dixerunt ei : Numquid et tu Galilæus es ? scrutare Scripturas, et vide quia a Galilæa propheta non surgit.	απεκριθησαν και ειπον αυτω μη και συ εκ της γαλιλαιας ει ερευνησον και ιδε οτι προφητης εκ της γαλιλαιας ουκ εγηγερται
53.	And every man returned to his own house.	Et reversi sunt unusquisque in domum suam.	και απηλθεν εκαστος εις τον οικον αυτου

[annalex]

40. Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42. Has not the Scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43. So there was a division among the people because of him.
44. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
45. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have you not brought him?
46. The officers answered, Never man spoke like this man.
47. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also deceived?
48. Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
49. But this people who knows not the law are cursed.
50. Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
51. Does our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he does?
52. They answered and said to him, Are you also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee arises no prophet.
53. And every man went to his own house.

AUG. Our Lord having invited those, who believed in Him, to drink of the Holy Spirit, a dissension arose among the multitude: Many of the people therefore, when they heart these saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

THEOPHYL. The one, that is, who was expected. Others, i.e. the people said, This is the Christ.

ALCUIN. These had now begun to drink in that spiritual thirst, and had laid aside the unbelieving thirst. But others still remained dried up in their unbelief: But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? They knew what were the predictions of the Prophets respecting Christ, but knew not that they all were fulfilled in Him. They knew that He had been brought up at Nazareth, but the place of His birth they did not know; and did not believe that it answered to the prophecies.

CHRYS. But be it so, they knew not His birth-place: were they ignorant also of His extraction? that He was of the house and family of David? Why did they ask, Has not the Scripture said, that Christ comes of the seed of David? They wished to conceal His extraction, and therefore put forward where He had been educated. For this reason, they do not go to Christ and ask, How say the Scriptures that Christ must come from Bethlehem, whereas you come from Galilee purposely and of malice prepense they do not do this. And because they were thus inattentive, and indifferent about knowing the truth, Christ did not answer them: though He had lauded Nathanael, when he said, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? and called Him an Israelite indeed, as being a lover of truth, an well learned in the ancient Scriptures.

So there was as a division among the people concerning Him.

THEOPHYL. Not among the rulers; for they were resolved one way, viz. not to acknowledge Him as Christ. The more moderate of them only used malicious words, in order to oppose Christ's path to glory; but the more malignant wished to lay hands on Him: And some of them would haze taken Him.

CHRYS. The Evangelist says this to show, that they had no concern for, and no anxiety to learn, the truth.

But no man laid hands on Him.

ALCUIN. That is, because He Who had the power to control their designs, did not permit it.

CHRYS. This were sufficient to have raised some compunction in them; but no, such malignity believes nothing; it looks only to one thing, blood.

AUG. They; however who were sent to take Him, returned guiltless of the offense, and full of admiration: Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have you not brought Him?

ALCUIN. They who wished to take and stone Him, reprove the officers for not bringing Him.

CHRYS. The Pharisees and Scribes profited nothing by seeing the miracles, and reading the Scriptures; but their officers, who had done neither, were captivated with once hearing Him; and they who went to take hold of Him, were themselves taken hold of by the miracle. Nor did they say, We could not because of the multitude: but made themselves proclaimers of Christ's v wisdom;: The of officers answered, Never man spoke like this Man.

AUG. He spoke thus, because He was both God and man.

CHRYS. Not only is their wisdom to be admired, for not wanting miracles, but being convinced by His teaching only, (for they do not say, Never man did such miracles as this Man, but, Never man spoke like this Man,) but also their boldness, in saying this to the Pharisees, who were such enemies of Christ. They had not heard a long discourse, but minds unprepossessed against Him did not require one.

AUG. The Pharisees however rejected their testimony: Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also led away? As if to say, We see that you are charmed by His discourse.

ALCUIN. And so they were led away; and laudably too, for they had left the evil of unbelief, and were gone over to the faith.

CHRYS. They make use of the most foolish argument against them: Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him? but this people who knows not the law are cursed? This then was their ground of accusation, that the people believed, but they themselves did not.

AUG. They who knew not the law, believed on Him who had given the law, and they who taught the law condemned Him; thus fulfilling our Lord's words, I am come, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind.

CHRYS. How then are they cursed, who are convinced by the law? Rather are you cursed, who have not observed the law.

THEOPHYL. The Pharisees answer the officers courteously and gently, because they are afraid of their forthwith separating from them, and joining Christ.

CHRYS. As they said that none of the rulers believed on Him, the Evangelist contradicts them: Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.)

AUG. He was not unbelieving, but fearful; and therefore came by night to the light, wishing to be enlightened, but afraid of being known to go. He replies, Does our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he does? He thought that, if they would only hear Him patiently, they would be overcome, as the officers had been. But they preferred obstinately condemning Him, to knowing the truth.

AUG. He calls the law of God, our law; because it was given to men.

CHRYS. Nicodemus shows that they knew the law, and did not act according to the law. They, instead of disproving this, take to rude and angry contradiction: They answered and said to him, Are you also of Galilee?

AUG. i.e. led away by a Galilean. Our Lord was called a Galilean, because His parents were of the town of Nazareth; I mean by parents, Mary.

CHRYS. Then, by way of insult, they direct Him to the Scriptures, as if He were ignorant of them; Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet: as if to say, Go, learn what the Scriptures say.

ALCUIN. They knew the place where He had resided, but never thought of inquiring where He was born; and therefore they not only denied that He was the Messiah, but even that He was a prophet.

AUG. No prophet indeed arises out of; Galilee, but the Lord of prophets arose thence.

And every man went to his own house.

ALCUIN. Having effected nothing, devoid of faith, and therefore incapable of being benefited, they returned to their home of unbelief and ungodliness.

Catena Aurea John 7

[annalex]

Christ among the Doctors

Leonaert Bramer

1640-45
Oil on panel, 51 x 38 cm
Private collection

[Salvation]

Saint Hugh of Grenoble

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Image: Saint Hugh of Grenoble in the Carthusian Refectory | Francisco de Zurbarán

Saint Hugh of Grenoble

Saint of the Day for April 1

(1053 – April 1, 1132)

 

 

Saint Hugh of Grenoble’s Story

Today’s saint could be a patron for those of us who feel so overwhelmed by all the problems in the world that we don’t know where to begin.

Hugh, who served as a bishop in France for 52 years, had his work cut out for him from the start. Corruption seemed to loom in every direction: the buying and selling of Church offices, violations of clerical celibacy, lay control of Church property, religious indifference and/or ignorance. After serving as bishop for two years, he’d had his fill. He tried disappearing to a monastery, but the pope called him back to continue the work of reform.

Ironically, Hugh was reasonably effective in the role of reformer—surely because of his devotion to the Church but also because of his strong character. In conflicts between Church and state he was an unflinching defender of the Church. He fearlessly supported the papacy. He was eloquent as a preacher. He restored his own cathedral, made civic improvements in the town, and weathered a brief exile.

Hugh may be best known as patron and benefactor of Saint Bruno, founder of the Carthusian Order. He died in 1132. He was canonized only two years later.

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Reflection

In the midst of our confusing life these days, let us pray for the ability to rise above the fray and to see things in the light of faith as did Saint Hugh.

[Salvation]

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Hugh of Grenoble

Feast Day: April 01
Born: 1052 :: Died: 1132

St. Hugh was born at Dauphine in France. He grew up to be tall and handsome, gentle and polite. Although he always wanted to live for God as a monk, he was given important positions instead. He was ordained a priest and then a bishop.

As bishop, Hugh began at once to correct the sinful ways of some people in his district. He made wise plans, and to draw God's mercy upon his people, St. Hugh prayed with his whole heart. He did hard penances and in a short time, many became very good and holy.

Only some rich folks continued to fight against the rules he had made and he felt sad. Bishop Hugh still thought about becoming a monk as that was what he truly wanted. He resigned as bishop of Grenoble and entered a monastery. At last, he was at peace.

Yet it was not God's will for Hugh to be a monk. After one year, the pope commanded Hugh to return to Grenoble and he obeyed. He knew it was more important to please God than to please himself.

For forty years, the bishop was sick nearly all the time. He had bad headaches and stomach problems. But he forced himself to keep working. He loved his people and there was so much to do for them. He was also often put to the test and faced temptations. But he prayed asking God to give him strength and he never gave in to sin.

He was a generous and saintly bishop for fifty-two years and was also the uncle of St. Hugh of Bonnevaux. St. Hugh died on April 1, 1132, two months before his eightieth birthday.

[Salvation]

Information: St. Hugh of Grenoble

Feast Day: April 1

Born: 1053 at Chateauneuf, Dauphiné, France

Died: 1 April 1132

Canonized: 1134 by Pope Innocent II

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Lent: April 1st

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

MASS READINGS

April 01, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

May the working of your mercy, O Lord, we pray, direct our hearts aright, for without your grace we cannot find favor in your sight. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (2)

• Mock Turtle Soup
• Mock Turtle Soup - 2

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Activities (1)

• Motivating Children to Perform Good Deeds

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Prayers (3)

• Prayer for the Fourth Week of Lent
• Lent Table Blessing 4
• Prayer Before a Crucifix

Library (0)

Old Calendar: St. Hugh of Grenoble, bishop (Hist)

"One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mk 12:28)."

Historically today is the feast of St. Hugh of Grenoble, who was elected bishop at the age of twenty-eight to purge the diocese of its disorders, and he occupied the see until his death fifty-two years later.

Stational Church

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Meditation - The Tree of Knowledge and the Cross
The sin that was wrought through the tree was undone by the obedience of the tree, obedience to God whereby the Son of man was nailed to the tree, destroying the knowledge of evil, and bringing in and conferring the knowledge of good; and evil is disobedience to God, as obedience to God is good. And therefore the Word says through Isaiah the prophet, foretelling what was to come to pass in the future—for it was because they told the future that they were "prophets"—the Word says through him as follows: I refuse not, and do not gainsay, my back have I delivered to blows and my cheeks to buffets, and I have not turned away my face from the contumely of them that spat. [Is. 50, 6] So by obedience, whereby He obeyed unto death, hanging on the tree, He undid the old disobedience wrought in the tree. And because He is Himself the Word of God Almighty, who in His invisible form pervades us universally in the whole world, and encompasses both its length and breadth and height and depth—for by God's Word everything is disposed and administered—the Son of God was also crucified in these, imprinted in the form of a cross on the universe; for He had necessarily, in becoming visible, to bring to light the universality of His cross, in order to show openly through His visible form that activity of His: that it is He who makes bright the height, that is, what is in heaven, and holds the deep, which is in the bowels of the earth, and stretches forth and extends the length from East to West, navigating also the Northern parts and the breadth of the South, and calling in all the dispersed from all sides to the knowledge of the Father. — St. Irenaeus

Things to Do:

• The fasting desired by the Lord is not so much denying oneself food (although this is important) but rather, consists in "Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; / Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own." Many families take these words to heart by having an inexpensive, penitential dinner on Fridays in Lent (such as beans and rice) and then giving the extra money to the poor.

• Many families give each child one pretzel during Friday dinners in Lent. Remind your children of the spiritual significance of the pretzel.

• Pray the Stations of the Cross today with your family. An excellent version with beautiful meditations composed by our Holy Father is his Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum. Some other recommended versions are: Eucharistic Stations of the Cross, and the more traditional Stations of the Cross written by Saint Alphonsus Liguori can be found in most Catholic bookstores. Here are some guidelines for praying the Stations of the Cross in your home.

• Any of the linked activities (Fun Pretzel Project, Lenten Scrapbook, Candelabrum for Stations of the Cross) are a perfect way for your children to spend their Friday afternoons throughout this season of Lent.

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St. Hugh of Grenoble
It was the good fortune of Saint Hugh to receive, from his cradle, strong impressions of piety through the example and solicitude of his illustrious and holy parents. He was born at Chateauneuf in Dauphiné, France, in 1053. His father, Odilo, who served his country in an honorable post in the army, labored by all means in his power to make his soldiers faithful servants of their Creator, and by severe punishments, to restrain vice. By the advice of his son, Saint Hugh, in his later years he became a Carthusian monk, and died at the age of one hundred, having received Extreme Unction and Viaticum from the hands of his son. Under his direction, his mother had served God in her own house for many years by prayer, fasting, and abundant almsgiving; and Saint Hugh also assisted her in her last hours.

Hugh, from the cradle, appeared to be a child of benediction; in his youth he was recognized as such through his exceptional success in his studies. Having chosen to serve God in the ecclesiastical state, he accepted a canonry in the cathedral of Valence. His great sanctity and learning rendered him an ornament of that church, and at the age of twenty-seven he was chosen Bishop of Grenoble. Pope Gregory VII consecrated him in Rome, and inspired in him an ardent zeal for the Church’s liberty and the sanctification of the clergy. He at once undertook to reprove vice and reform abuses, at that time rampant in his diocese, but found his efforts without fruit. He resolved therefore, after two years, to resign his charge, and retired to the austere abbey of Casa Dei, or Chaise-Dieu, in Auvergne.

There Saint Hugh lived for a year, a perfect model of all virtues in a monastery filled with saints, until Pope Gregory commanded him, in the name of holy obedience, to resume his pastoral charge, saying: “Go to your flock; they need you.” This time his sanctity effected great good in souls. His forceful preaching moved crowds and touched hearts; in the confessional he wept with his penitents, and aroused in them a deeper contrition. After a few years the face of his diocese had changed. His charity for the poor led him to sell even his episcopal ring and his chalice to assist them. During his episcopate the young Saint Bruno came to him for counsel, and it was Saint Hugh who assisted him in the foundation of the Carthusian Monastery in the mountains of the diocese of Grenoble, whose renown after a thousand years has not diminished.

Always filled with a profound sense of his own unworthiness, he earnestly solicited three Popes for leave to resign his bishopric, that he might die in solitude, but was never able to obtain his request. God was pleased to purify his soul by a lingering illness before He called him to Himself. He closed his penitential course on the 1st of April in 1132, two months before completing his eightieth year. Miracles attested the sanctity of his death, and he was canonized only two years afterwards, by Pope Innocent II.

Things to Do:

• Try making Mock Turtle Soup. St. Hugh for a time lived in a Carthusian monastery as a simple monk. Legend has it that once, on arriving, he found the monks assembled in the refectory but with nothing to eat. He was told that some benefactor had indeed given them fowl but their rule forbade the eating of meat. When Saint Hugh saw their predicament, he promptly made the sign of the cross and changed the fowl into turtles.

Excerpted from Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Jeremiah 11:18-20

4th Week of Lent

To you I have entrusted my cause! (Jeremiah 11:20)

Who do you look up to? Maybe a parent or a pastor; perhaps a teacher, neighbor, or coach. We all have people we want to learn from, whose good qualities we seek to emulate.

In today’s first reading, we find a good role model in the prophet Jeremiah. God revealed to him that some people were seeking to take his life. While Jeremiah might have been afraid, he cried out to God with courage and faith, “To you I have entrusted my cause!” (Jeremiah 11:20).

Now think about Jeremiah’s words in relation to Jesus—an even better role model! Like Jeremiah, Jesus was repeatedly being persecuted. And like Jeremiah, he entrusted his “cause” to his Father. On the night before he died, he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

But here’s where Jeremiah and Jesus differ. Both men were crushed, but one wanted vengeance, and the other offered forgiveness. As good and holy a man as Jeremiah was, he wasn’t perfect. Jeremiah even said, “Let me witness the vengeance you take on them” (Jeremiah 11:20). But Jesus responded to his enemies with mercy, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He went to the cross willingly, while Jeremiah became a sort of reluctant martyr.

Which role model will you follow? It’s easy to want to “get even” like Jeremiah did rather than trying to forgive. And there are times when it can be very hard to forgive. But nothing is impossible for God. He wants to remove our vengeful heart and give us a merciful heart. All he asks is that we try to give up our desire for revenge. That decision will open the door to his grace.

So today, try to give your hurts to Jesus as well as your desire to get even. Then ask him for grace to forgive the people who have hurt, betrayed, or disappointed you. If you feel unable to forgive, tell the Lord; he won’t condemn you. He wants nothing more than to help make you more merciful.

“Jesus, help me to imitate you. Help me to forgive.”

Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12
John 7:40-53

[Salvation]

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for April 1, 2017:

Do you like April Fools’ Day pranks…or do they unsettle you? Learning your own temperament, and that of your spouse, can help avoid behaving in a way that’s natural to you but that bothers your spouse. It can also be an opportunity for both of you to grow.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

April 1, 2017 – Openness of Heart

01 Apr 2017

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

John 7: 40-53

Some in the crowd who heard Jesus speak said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” Then each went to his own house,

Introductory Prayer: Christ, you are the most open-spirited person in history. You are open to all who sincerely seek you. So I seek you now, Lord, through this meditation. I hunger for your friendship and grace. I love you, but I long for my love to grow so I can be ever closer to you and more and more like you.

Petition: Lord, open my heart to you who are truth itself.

1. The Openness and Sincerity are Convincing: Just some moments prior, Christ has spoken of himself as living water (John 7:38), and some in the crowd react much the same way as did the Samaritan woman at the well. At first they thought of him as a prophet, but now they begin to believe that he is the Messiah. “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me…” (John 6:37). Even the temple guards could not bring themselves to arrest him, so compelling were his words. Christ tells his apostles not to prepare any words in their defense when they are dragged before judges and magistrates (Cf. Mark 13:11). Living in the truth is our best preparation for communicating it in a compelling way.

2. Willful Blindness: The leaders however, as Nicodemus points out, are not even willing to encounter Christ and hear him out. Their obstinacy leads them to error: “Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” (What about Jonah and Hosea?) It also leads them to malice . They are not even willing to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt that he simply might have been delusional about his identity; instead, pushed by jealousy, they have already made up their minds to accuse him of willful deception. Do I knowingly and willingly shy away from the truth, any truth? Do I realize where this could and will lead me?

3. The Truth Will Set You Free: The truth is often difficult to swallow. In particular, the truth about Christ in relation to my life—he is my Lord, he is my Redeemer, he deserves my all––seems somehow fanatic, irrational, and unnatural in a world which values technological progress, political correctness, and looking-out-for-number-one. But Christians worthy of the name, in all centuries and in all walks of life, have discovered that believing in the person of Jesus Christ, who meant every word he said, is an experience of real freedom. It is a freedom from the dead-end world of materialism, sin and death. It is a freedom to live a life of love, truly human and divine, a love like Christ’s love for me, up to death on a Cross!

Conversation with Christ: Lord, no one has ever spoken like you. You have given us your Word in the gospels. I realize that I need to have much more frequent contact with your words so as to free me from my blindness. Let my understanding of your Word never serve me as an occasion of vainglory or arrogance, rather as a tool to help others come to know you better.

Resolution: I will break down a prejudice that I still harbor in my heart against some aspect of Christ’s message.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 3

<< Saturday, April 1, 2017 >>

Jeremiah 11:18-20
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Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12

John 7:40-53
Similar Reflections

CHRISTIANS HAVE MORE THAN NINE LIVES

"Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living." �Jeremiah 11:19

The Lord informed Jeremiah (Jer 11:18) "of the evil done by the house of Israel and by the house of Judah" (Jer 11:17). Yet Jeremiah did not realize "that they were hatching plots against" him (Jer 11:19). Like Jeremiah, we know we live in a culture of death. We know that sin is not only committed but glorified. We even know that we have enemies and persecutors. Nonetheless, do we realize that the devil is "prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour"? (1 Pt 5:8) But for the grace of God, we could be killed today. As "children of God beyond reproach in the midst of a twisted and depraved generation" (Phil 2:15), we are in extreme danger. If we only knew the thousands of times the Lord in His mercy has saved each of our lives, we would give our lives totally to Him and thank Him forever!

How shall we "make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done" for us? (Ps 116:12) Thank God for the gifts of life, His loving protection, victory over the evil one, peace, and eternal life. Worship the Lord in Spirit and truth (Jn 4:24). Tell everyone about the Lord. Rejoice in Him always (Phil 4:4). "Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply" (1 Pt 3:15). The Lord has repeatedly saved your life and given you eternal life. Live for love of Jesus.

Prayer: Father, "though a thousand fall" at my side, ten thousand at my right side, near me "it shall not come" (Ps 91:7).

Promise: "No man ever spoke like that before." �Jn 7:46

Praise: Steve woke up, unharmed, after falling asleep while driving. Deeply moved, he thanked God and renewed His commitment to Jesus.

[Salvation]

Big brothers love their newborn siblings.