Regina Coeli

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. / For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.

Has risen, as he said, alleluia. / Pray for us to God, alleluia.

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. / For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 6
60.	6:61 Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it?	6:61 Multi ergo audientes ex discipulis ejus, dixerunt : Durus est hic sermo, et quis potest eum audire ?	πολλοι ουν ακουσαντες εκ των μαθητων αυτου ειπον σκληρος εστιν ουτος ο λογος τις δυναται αυτου ακουειν
61.	6:62 But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you?	6:62 Sciens autem Jesus apud semetipsum quia murmurarent de hoc discipuli ejus, dixit eis : Hoc vos scandalizat ?	ειδως δε ο ιησους εν εαυτω οτι γογγυζουσιν περι τουτου οι μαθηται αυτου ειπεν αυτοις τουτο υμας σκανδαλιζει
62.	6:63 If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?	6:63 si ergo videritis Filium hominis ascendentem ubi erat prius ?	εαν ουν θεωρητε τον υιον του ανθρωπου αναβαινοντα οπου ην το προτερον
63.	6:64 It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.	6:64 Spiritus est qui vivificat : caro non prodest quidquam : verba quæ ego locutus sum vobis, spiritus et vita sunt.	το πνευμα εστιν το ζωοποιουν η σαρξ ουκ ωφελει ουδεν τα ρηματα α εγω λαλω υμιν πνευμα εστιν και ζωη εστιν
64.	6:65 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that would betray him.	6:65 Sed sunt quidam ex vobis qui non credunt. Sciebat enim ab initio Jesus qui essent non credentes, et quis traditurus esset eum.	αλλ εισιν εξ υμων τινες οι ου πιστευουσιν ηδει γαρ εξ αρχης ο ιησους τινες εισιν οι μη πιστευοντες και τις εστιν ο παραδωσων αυτον
65.	6:66 And he said: Therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.	6:66 Et dicebat : Propterea dixi vobis, quia nemo potest venire ad me, nisi fuerit ei datum a Patre meo.	και ελεγεν δια τουτο ειρηκα υμιν οτι ουδεις δυναται ελθειν προς με εαν μη η δεδομενον αυτω εκ του πατρος μου
66.	6:67 After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him.	6:67 Ex hoc multi discipulorum ejus abierunt retro : et jam non cum illo ambulabant.	εκ τουτου πολλοι απηλθον των μαθητων αυτου εις τα οπισω και ουκετι μετ αυτου περιεπατουν
67.	6:68 Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?	6:68 Dixit ergo Jesus ad duodecim : Numquid et vos vultis abire ?	ειπεν ουν ο ιησους τοις δωδεκα μη και υμεις θελετε υπαγειν
68.	6:69 And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.	6:69 Respondit ergo ei Simon Petrus : Domine, ad quem ibimus ? verba vitæ æternæ habes :	απεκριθη ουν αυτω σιμων πετρος κυριε προς τινα απελευσομεθα ρηματα ζωης αιωνιου εχεις
69.	6:70 And we have believed and have known, that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.	6:70 et nos credidimus, et cognovimus quia tu es Christus Filius Dei.	και ημεις πεπιστευκαμεν και εγνωκαμεν οτι συ ει ο χριστος ο υιος του θεου του ζωντος

60. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
61. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said to them, Does this offend you.
62. What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63. It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were For believed not, and who should betray him.
65. And he said, Therefore said I to you, that no man can come to me, except it were given that him of my Father.
66. From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
67. Then said Jesus to the twelve, Will you also go away?
68. Then Simon Peter answered him. Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life.
69. And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God.

AUG. Such is our Lord's discourse. The people did not perceive that it had a deep meaning or, that grace went along with it: but receiving the matter in their own way, and taking His words in a human sense, understood Him as if He spoke of cutting of the flesh of the Word into pieces, for distribution to those who believed on Him: Many therefore, not of His enemies, but even of His disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying, who can bear it?

CHRYS. i.e. difficult to receive, too much for their weakness. They thought He spoke above Himself, and more loftily than He had a right to do; and so said they, Who can bear it? which was answering in fact for themselves, that they could not.

AUG. And if His disciples thought that saying hard what would His enemies think? Yet it was necessary to declare a thing, which would be unintelligible to men. God's mysteries should draw men's attention, not enmity.

THEOPHYL. When you hear, however, of His disciples murmuring, understand not those really such, but rather some who, as far as their air and behavior went, seemed to be receiving instruction from Him. For among His disciples were some of the people, who were called such, because they stayed some time with His disciples.

AUG. They spoke, however, so as not to be heard by Him. But He, who knew what was in them, heard within Himself: When Jesus knew within Himself that His disciples murmured at it, He said to them, Does this of offend you?

ALCUIN. i.e. that I said, you should eat My flesh, and drink My blood.

CHRYS. The revelation however of these hidden things was a mark of His Divinity: hence the meaning of what follows; And if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before; supply, What will you say? He said the same to Nathanael, Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, believe you? You shall see greater things than these. He does not add difficulty to difficulty, but to convince them by the number and greatness of His doctrines. For if He had merely said that He came down from heaven, without adding any thing further, he would have offended His hearers more; but by saying that His flesh is the life of the world, and that as He was sent by the living Father, so He lives by the Father; and at last by adding that He came down from heaven, He removed all doubt. Nor does He mean to scandalize His disciples, but rather to remove their scandal. For so long as they thought Him the Son of Joseph, they could not receive His doctrines; but if they once believed that He had come down from heaven and would ascend thither, they would be much more willing and able to admit them.

AUG. Or, these words are an answer to their mistake. They supposed that He was going to distribute His body in bits: whereas He tells them now, that He should ascend to heaven whole and entire: What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? You will then see that He does not distribute His body in the way you think. Again; Christ became the Son of man, of the Virgin Mary here upon earth, and took flesh upon Him: He says then, What and, if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? to let us know that Christ, God and man, is one person, not two; and the object of one faith, not a quaternity, but a Trinity. He was the Son of man in heaven, as He was Son of God upon earth; the Son of God upon earth by assumption of the flesh, the Son of man in heaven, by the unity of the person.

THEOPHYL. Do not suppose from this that the body of Christ came down from heaven, as the heretics Marcion and Apollinarius say; but only that the Son of God and the Son of man are one and the same.

CHRYS. He tries to remove their difficulties in another way, as follows, It is the spirit that quickens, the flesh profits nothing: that is to say, You ought to understand My words in a spiritual sense: he who understands them carnally is profited nothing. To interpret carnally is to take a proposition in its bare literal meaning, and allow no other. But we should not judge of mysteries in this way; but examine them with the inward eye; i.e. understand them spiritually. It was carnal to doubt how our Lord could give His flesh to eat. What then? Is it not real flesh? Yes, verily. In saying then that the flesh profits nothing, He does not speak of His own flesh, but that of the carnal hearer of His word

AUG. Or thus, the flesh profits nothing. They had under stood by His flesh, as it were, of a carcass, that was to be cut up, and sold in the shambles, not of a body animated by the spirit. Join the spirit to the flesh, and it profits much: for if the flesh profited not, the Word would not have become flesh, and dwelt among us. The Spirit has done much for our salvation, by means of the flesh.

AUG. For the flesh does not cleanse of itself, but by the Word who assumed it: which Word, being the principle of life in all things, having taken up soul and body, cleanses the souls and bodies of those that believe. It is the spirit, it, then, that quickens: the flesh profits nothing; i.e. the flesh as they understood it. I do not, He seems to say, give My body to be eaten in this sense. He ought not to think of the flesh carnally: The words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.

CHRYS. i.e. are spiritual, have nothing carnal in them, produce no effects of the natural sort; not being under the dominion of that law of necessity, and order of nature established on earth.

AUG. If then you understand them spiritually, they are life and spirit to you: if carnally, even then they are life and spirit, but not to you. Our Lord declares that in eating His body, and drinking His blood, we dwell in Him, and He in us. But what has the power to affect this, except love? The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given to us.

CHRYS. Having spoken of His words being taken carnally, He adds, But there are some of you that believe not. Some, He says, not including His disciples in the number. This insight shows His high nature.

AUG. He says not, There are some among you who understand not; but gives the reason why they do not understand. The Prophet said, Except you believe, you shall not understand. For how can he who opposes be quickened? An adversary, though he avert not his face, yet closes his mind to the ray of light which should penetrate him. But let men believe, and open their eyes, and they will be enlightened.

CHRYS. To let you know that it was before these words, and not after, that the people murmured and were offended, the Evangelist adds, For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.

THEOPHYL. The Evangelist wishes to show us, that He knew all things before the foundation of the world: which was a proof of His divinity.

AUG. And after distinguishing those who believed from those who did not believe, our Lord gives the reason of the unbelief of the latter, And He said, Therefore said I to you, that no man can come to Me, except it were given him of My Father.

CHRYS. As if He said, Men's unbelief does not disturb or astonish Me: I know to whom the Father has given to come to Me. He mentions the Father, to show first that He had no eye to His own glory; secondly, that God was His Father, and not Joseph.

AUG. So then (our) faith is given to us: and no small gift it is. Wherefore rejoice if you believe; but be not lifted up, for what have you which you did not receive? And that this grace is given to some, and not to others, no one can doubt, without going against the plainest declarations of Scripture. As for the question, why it is not given to all, this cannot disquiet the believer, who knows that in consequence of the sin of one man, all are justly liable to condemnation; and that no blame could attach to God, even if none were pardoned; it being of His great mercy only that so many are. And why He pardons one rather than another, rests with Him, whose judgments are unsearchable, and His ways past finding out.

And from that time many of the disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.

CHRYS. He does not say, withdrew, but went back, i.e. from being good hearers, from the belief which they once had.

AUG. Being cut off from the body, their life was gone. They were no longer in the body; they were created among the unbelieving. There went back not a few, but many after Satan, not after Christ; as the Apostle says of some women, For some had already turned aside after Satan. Our Lord says to Peter, Get you behind Me. He does not tell Peter to go after Satan.

CHRYS. But it may be asked, what reason was there for speaking words to them which did not edify, but might rather have injured them? It was very useful and necessary; for this reason, they had been just now urgent in petitioning for bodily food, and reminding Him of that which had been given to their fathers. So He reminds them here of spiritual food; to show that all those miracles were typical. They ought not then to have been offended, but should have inquired of Him further. The scandal was owing to their fatuity, not to the difficulty of the truths declared by our Lord.

AUG. And perhaps this took place for our consolation; since it sometimes happens that a man says what is true, and what He says is not understood, and they which hear are offended and go. Then the man is sorry he spoke what was true; for he says to himself; I ought not to have spoken it; and yet our Lord was in the same case. He spoke the truth, and destroyed many. But He is not disturbed at it, because He knew from the beginning which would believe. We, if this happens to us, are disturbed. Let us desire consolation then from our Lord's example; and withal use caution in our speech.

BEDE. Our Lord knew well the intentions of the other disciples which stayed, as to staying or going; but yet He put the question to them, in order to prove their faith, and hold it up to imitation: Then said Jesus to the twelve, Will you also go away?

CHRYS. This was the right way to retain them. Had He praised them, they would naturally, as men do, have thought that they were conferring a favor upon Christ, by not leaving Him: by showing, as He did, that He did not need their company, He made them hold the more closely by Him. He does not say, however, Go away, as this would have been to cast them off; but asks whether they wished to go away; thus preventing their staying with Him from any feeling of shame or necessity: for to stay from necessity would be the same as going away. Peter, who loved his brethren, replies for the whole number, Lord, to whom shall we go?

AUG. As if he said, You cast us from You: give us another to whom we shall go, if we leave You.

CHRYS. A speech of the greatest love: proving that Christ was more precious to them than father or mother. And that it might not seem to be said, from thinking that there was no one whose guidance they could look to, he adds, You have the words of eternal life: which showed that he remembered his Master's words, I will raise Him up, and, has eternal life. The Jews said, Is not this the Son of Joseph? how differently Peter: We believe and are sure, that you art that Christ, the son of the living God.

AUG. For we believed, in order to know. Had we wished first to know, and then to; believe, we could never have been able to believe. This we believe, and know, that You are the Christ the Son of God; i.e. that You are eternal life, and that in Your flesh and blood you give what You are Yourself.

Catena Aurea John 6

The Stefaneschi Triptych: Martyrdom of Peter

Giotto di Bondone

c. 1330
Tempera on panel
Pinacoteca, Vatican

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=3546326%2C6

Saint of the Day — Saint Anselm.

Information: St. Anselm

Feast Day: April 21

Born: 1033 at Aosta, Piedmont, Italy

Died: 21 April 1109 at Canterbury, England

Canonized: 1492 by Pope Alexander IV

Major Shrine: Canterbury Cathedral

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Anselm

Feast Day: April 21
Born: 1033 :: Died: 1109

Anselm was born at Aosta, Piedmont in Italy to wealthy parents. He could see the Alpine Mountains from his home. As a child he was taught how to be holy and study well. When he was fifteen, Anselm tried to join a monastery in Italy but his father would not let him.

Then Anselm became sick. Soon after he got better, his mother died. He was still young and rich and clever and began to think only of having good times. He had forgotten God. But soon Anselm became bored and wanted something better, something more important.

He argued with his father and ran away to France. There he visited the holy Abbot Lanfranc of the famous monastery of Bec. Anselm became Lanfranc's very close friend and the abbot brought him to God. Then at the age of twenty-seven, Anselm decided to become a Benedictine monk.

Anselm was a warm-hearted man who loved his brother monks dearly. Even those who first disliked him soon became his friends. When he was forty-five years old he was made the abbot of Bec.

He finally had to leave Bec to become archbishop of Canterbury in England, but he told the monks that they would always live in his heart. The people of England loved and respected Anselm. But King William II treated him badly.

Anselm had to leave the country and flee into exile in 1097 and again in 1103. King William even refused to let Anselm go to Rome to see the pope for advice. But Anselm went anyway. He stayed with the pope until the king died. Then he went back to his parish in England.

Even though he had many duties that kept him very busy, St. Anselm always found time to write important books of philosophy and theology. He also wrote down the many wonderful instructions he had given the monks about God.

They were very happy about that. He used to say: "Would you like to know the secret of being happy in the monastery? Forget the world and be happy to forget it. The monastery is a real heaven on earth for those who live only for Jesus."

St. Anselm died on April 21, 1109. He was declared a great teacher or Doctor of the Church.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, April 21

Liturgical Color: White

Today is the optional memorial of St. Anselm,
bishop and Doctor. St. Anselm refused to
recognize power of the king of England within
the Church for which he suffered many years in
exile. He was finally allowed to return to his
diocese in 1106

Easter: April 21st

Optional Memorial of St. Anselm, bishop & doctor

MASS READINGS

April 21, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who led the Bishop Saint Anselm to seek out and teach the depths of your wisdom, grant, we pray, that our faith in you may so aid our understanding, that what we believe by your command may give delight to our hearts. 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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Old Calendar: St. Anselm

St. Anselm (1033-1109) was born in Aosta, Italy, and died in Canterbuy, England. St. Anselm's services to the Church are principally the following: First, as Archbishop of Canterbury he defended the rights and liberties of the Church against the encroachments of the English kings, who plundered the Church's lands, impeded the Archbishop's communications with the Holy See, and claimed the right to invest prelates with ring and crosier, symbols of the Church's spiritual jurisdiction. Second, as a philosopher and theologian he developed a method of reasoning which prepared the way for the great thinkers of the Middle Ages. Third, he had a great devotion to Our Lady and was the first to establish the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the West.

St. Anselm
As prior and abbot, Anselm made the Benedictine monastery of Bec the center of a true reformation in Normandy and England. From this monastery he exercised a restraining influence on popes, kings, the worldly great, and entire religious orders. Raised to the dignity of Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of England, he waged a heroic campaign in defense of the rights and liberties of the Church. As a result he was deprived of goods and position and finally banned from the country. He journeyed to Rome, and at the Council of Bari supported Pope Urban II against the errors of the Greeks. His writings bear eloquent testimony to his moral stature and learning, and have earned for him the title of "Father of Scholasticism."— The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

St. Anselm exhibited remarkable versatility in his life; a combination of contemplation, prayer, study, writing, and external activity. This was partly the result of the extraordinary talent that God gave him, but it was likewise the fruit of Anselm's faithful exercise of his talent in the study of natural and supernatural truths. But his chief merit lay in his earnest, conscious effort to live in accordance with what he had learned from the study of divine truths. By this means he was able to ascend to the heights of a life of faith and union with God. There is very much that we can learn from this great teacher. "Lord, I do not presume to fathom the depths of your truths, for my understanding is not equal to the task. Nevertheless, I desire to learn Your truths in some measure—those truths that I believe and love. I do not seek to gain knowledge so that I can believe; rather, I believe so that I may gain knowledge. No matter how persistently my soul gazes, it still beholds nothing of Your beauty; my soul listens intently, and yet it hears nothing of the learning of Your Being; my soul wants to breathe in Your fragrance, and yet perceives none of it. What are You, Lord? Under what image can my heart recognize You? Truly, You are life; You are truth; You are Goodness; You are Holiness; You are eternity; You are everything good! O man, why do you roam about so far in search of good things for soul and body? Love the one Good, in whom all goods are contained, and that will satisfy you!" (St. Anselm.)

Symbols: Benedictine monk admonishing an evildoer; archbishop; ship; with Our Lady appearing before him; with a ship.

Things to Do:

Learn more about St. Anselm and his works at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
You can find the works of St. Anselm at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, click on Anselm
Those who are truly ambitious might tackle this 2 volume set by Martin Rule published in 1883: The life and times of St. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury and primate of the Britains, Vol. 1 and Vol 2.

For 29

Catholic Culture

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint Anselm of Canterbury

statue of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England; artist unknown; photograph on 31 May 2010 by Ealdgyth; swiped off Wikipedia

Also known as

Anselm of Aosta
Anselmo d’Aosta
Anselmo of Canterbury
Doctor of Scholasticism

Memorial

21 April

Profile

Born to the Italian nobility. After a childhood devoted to piety and study, at age 15 Anselm wanted to enter religious life, but his father Gondulf prevented it, and Anselm became rather worldly for several years. Upon the death of his mother, Ermenberge, Anselm argued with his father, fled to France in 1056, and became a Benedictine monk at Bec, Normandy in 1060. He studied under and succeeded Lanfranc as prior of the house in 1063. Abbot of the house in 1078.
Because of the physical closeness and political connections, there was frequent travel and communication between Normandy and England, and Anselm was in repeated contact with Church officials in England. He was chosen as reluctant Archbishop of Canterbury, England in 1092; officials had to wait until he too sick to argue in order to get him to agree.
As bishop he fought King William Rufus’s encroachment on ecclesiastical rights and the independence of the Church, refused to pay bribes to take over as bishop, and was exiled for his efforts. He travelled to Rome, Italy and spent part of his exile as an advisor to Pope Blessed Urban II, obtaining the pope‘s support for returning to England and conducting Church business without the king‘s interference. He resolved theological doubts of the Italo-Greek bishops at Council of Bari in 1098.
In 1100 King Henry II invited Anselm to return to England, but they disputed over lay investiture, and Anselm was exiled again only to return in 1106 when Henry agreed not to interfere with the selection of Church officials. Anselm opposed slavery, and obtained English legislation prohibiting the sale of men. He strongly supported celibate clergy, and approved the addition of several saints to the liturgical calendar of England.
Anselm was one of the great philosophers and theologians of the middle ages, and a noted theological writer. He was far more at home in the monastery than in political circles, but still managed to improve the position of the Church in England. Counsellor to Pope Gregory VII. Chosen a Doctor of the Church in 1720 by Pope Clement XI.

Born

1033 at Aosta, Piedmont, Italy

Died

Holy Wednesday 21 April 1109 at Canterbury, Kent, England
body believed to be in the cathedral church at Canterbury

Canonized

1492 by Pope Alexander IV

Representation

Benedictine monk admonishing an evil-doer
archbishop
performing an exorcism on a monk
ship
with Our Lady appearing before him
with a ship

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Encyclopedia, by W H Kent
Communium Rerum, by Pope Pius X
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Catholic Dictionary
Pictorial Lives of the Saints
Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 23 September 2009
—
Proslogium: Discourse on the Existence of God, by Saint Anselm
Monologium: On the Being of God, by Saint Anselm
Anselm’s Apologetic: In Reply to Gaunilon’s Answer in Behalf of the Fool, by Saint Anselm
books
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other sites in english
- Big C Catholics
- Brittania Biographies
- Catholic Culture
- Catholic Exchange
- Catholic Fire
- Catholic Forum
- Catholic Heroes
- Catholic Ireland
- Catholic News Agency
- Catholic Online
- Christian Biographies, by James Keifer
- Cradio
- Find A Grave
- Franciscan Media
- Garth Kemerling
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- John Dillon
- Katherine Rabenstein
- Lives of the Saints, by John J Crawley
- Medieval Source Book
- Saints in Rome
- Saints Resource
- Saints Stories for All Ages
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Tom Perna
- uCatholic
- Wikipedia
images
- Wikimedia Commons
audio
- Doctors of the Church #23
- Doctors of the Church #24
video
- YouTube PlayList
e-books
- Cur Deus Homo
- Devotions of Saint Anselm of Canterbury
- Meditations and Prayers
sitios en español
- Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
- YouTube PlayList
sites en français
- Fête des prénoms
fonti in italiano
- Cathopedia
- Riflessioni
- Santi e Beati
- Wikipedia
notitia in latin
- Documenta Catholica Omnia
nettsteder i norsk
- Den katolske kirke
sites em português
- lista de reprodução do YouTube

Readings

O God, let me know you and love you so that I may find joy in you; and if I cannot do so fully in this life, let me at least make some progress every day, until at last that knowledge, love and joy come to me in all their plenitude. While I am here on earth let me know you fully; let my love for you grow deeper here, so that there I may love you fully. On earth then I shall have great joy in hope, and in heaven complete joy in the fulfillment of my hope. O, Lord, through your Son you command us, no, you counsel us to ask, and you promise that you will hear us so that our joy may be complete. Give me then what you promise to give through your Truth. You, O God, are faithful; grant that I may receive my request, so that my joy may be complete. – Saint Anselm
No one will have any other desire in heaven than what God wills; and the desire of one will be the desire of all; and the desire of all and of each one will also be the desire of God.” – Saint Anselm, Opera Omnis, Letter 112
O Lord, we bring before you the distress and dangers of peoples and nations, the pleas of the imprisoned and the captive, the sorrows of the grief-stricken, the needs of the refugee, the impotence of the weak, the weariness of the despondent, and the diminishments of the aging. O Lord, stay close to all of them. Amen. – prayer for all classes of people by Saint Anselm
O Lord our God, grant us grace to desire Thee with our whole heart; that, so desiring, we may seek, and, seeking, find Thee; and so finding Thee, may love Thee; and loving Thee, may hate those sins from which Thou hast redeemed. Amen. – Saint Anselm

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 6:60-69

Saint Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)

It is the Spirit that gives life. (John 6:63)

Sometimes you just need a good teacher. For example, you might sum up Einstein’s theory of relativity in a simple equation: E=mc2. A quick Internet search will tell you that E represents energy, m stands for mass, and c2 is the speed of light, squared. But to understand what all these terms mean when put together, you’d need a skilled teacher who could clearly explain the concepts of physics. A superficial grasp just isn’t enough.

The same principle can apply when it comes to reading Scripture.

Jesus says in today’s Gospel that his followers must eat his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:53-58), and you might (or might not) understand that on a superficial level. But to really comprehend what Jesus is saying, you need a good, patient teacher. You need the Holy Spirit.Think about what the disciples did when they heard these words. They were confused. It didn’t make sense that they could eat the flesh of Jesus. But they believed in him. They had become convinced that he was “the Holy One of God” (John 6:69). And that helped them hold on when they didn’t understand fully. They waited for the Spirit to teach them, to give “life” to Jesus’ words.

Each of us has had times when God’s word doesn’t make sense to us. We come across Scripture passages or Church teachings that aren’t easy to understand or to follow. That’s the time to follow the disciples’ lead and hang in there. That’s the time to ask the Spirit to teach us. Keep trying your best to stay faithful, and trust that the Spirit will help you understand more deeply over time.

That’s the thing about the Holy Spirit. He works in many different ways—in Scripture, through the Church, through our own conscience, through other people in our lives—but in all of them, the key ingredient is our humble, trusting response. The key ingredient is our willingness to follow Peter’s lead and confess that Jesus has “the words of eternal life,” even if we don’t understand them all (John 6:68). If we can ask, simply, “Lord, where else can I find what you have to offer me?” we’ll discover the Holy Spirit gently, gradually answering our questions and deepening our faith.

“Holy Spirit, you are my master teacher. Come and open my heart to the life-giving words of Jesus.”

Acts 9:31-42
Psalm 116:12-17

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

Daily Marriage Tip for April 21, 2018:

As you and your spouse improve your conflict resolution skills, it sets the tone for the next generation. If you have children, don’t hide your minor conflicts from them. Let them see that you can disagree, work it out, and then reconcile.

Regnum Christi

April 21, 2018, Are You Going to Leave?

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter
Father Daniel Ray, LC

John 6: 60-69

Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

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 embrace fully all that you have revealed.

1. Hard Words to Swallow: Many of the Jews would not accept that Jesus was one with the Father—that he was God. For some, Christ’s divinity was a leap greater than they were ready to make. His message had not yet penetrated into their hearts. So, when he explained how he would give himself to them in the Eucharist, they balked. The first act of faith (belief in his divinity) was crucial for them to be able to make the second act of faith (belief in his Eucharistic presence). Each truth that Christ reveals about himself is connected to other truths he wants to reveal about himself. If we don’t accept one, the others can become difficult, too. Conversely, as we grow in our knowledge, faith, and love of Christ, other difficulties in our spiritual life become easier.

2. Do You Also Want to Leave? Christ’s invitation to accept his truth and his love is always just that: an invitation. He doesn’t force himself on us. Each saving truth he presents is free to be accepted by us, or left aside. But we are impoverished by rejecting any truth about Christ, since he is truth itself. It is the same with each grace he offers us. After this discourse on the Eucharist, many of Christ’s disciples left and no longer accompanied him. As he had invited them to follow him freely, so were they free to go. But would they be able to share in the joy of his resurrection? Would they receive the fullness of life that he had promised them? Would they find what their hearts needed and wanted most if they no longer walked with Christ? All judgment is left to God’s mercy alone.

3. To Whom Shall We Go? Peter already believed in Christ’s divinity. “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Anything else Christ might teach or say Peter could accept, even if it was something he couldn’t fully understand. Peter’s confidence and trust in Christ enabled him to cut to the chase: What could he possibly gain by going anywhere else or to anyone else? Even if the path with Christ is strewn with obscurity and great suffering—as it would be—what other direction could Peter possibly take that could be better?

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I too have come to believe and am convinced that you are the Holy One of God. How could I possibly find meaning and peace of soul anywhere except in you? Your words and your presence in the Eucharist are life for my soul.

Resolution: Today I will accept any suffering that comes my way, confident that it is somehow part of God’s loving plan.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 3

<< Saturday, April 21, 2018 >>

St. Anselm

Acts 9:31-42
View Readings

Psalm 116:12-17

John 6:60-69
Similar Reflections

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW...

"Many came to believe in the Lord." �Acts 9:42

We are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Therefore, we must have faith. Moreover, the Lord wants us to have great and growing faith (see Mt 15:27ff). Consequently, we should pray: Lord, "increase our faith" (Lk 17:5) and "I have faith; help my lack of faith" (Mk 9:24, NJB).

Jesus so much wants our faith to grow that he challenges us and may even shake our faith (Jn 6:61). To deepen our faith, He will use sickness, healing, death, miracles (see Acts 9:33-42), sorrows, joys, our vocations, work, etc. When Jesus comes again, will He find faith on this earth? (Lk 18:8) Jesus is doing everything possible to make sure that faith will be abounding when He returns.

Therefore, pray for greater faith. Learn and live God's Word, for "faith comes through hearing, and hearing by God's word" (Rm 10:17, our transl). Finally, be willing to suffer for your faith. In this way your faith will deepen (see 1 Pt 1:6-7). What the world needs is men and women of great faith!

Prayer: Father, give me faith to move mountain ranges (see Mt 17:20).

Promise: "We have come to believe; we are convinced that You are God's Holy One." —Jn 6:69

Praise: Archbishop St. Anselm stood up to the king for what he believed in, and the king eventually gave in to him. Anselm is famous for his devotion to the Blessed Mother.