April, 2019

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Doctors and their Collaborators in War Zones, For doctors and their humanitarian collaborators in war zones, who risk their lives to save the lives of others.

'Almost every sin is committed for the sake of sensual pleasure; and sensual pleasure is overcome by hardship and distress arising either voluntarily from repentance, or else involuntarily as a result of some salutary and providential reversal. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged; but when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, so that we should not be condemned with the world." (1 Cor. 11:31-32)'

St. Maximos the Confessor

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.

Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mark, 04-25-17

Earliest manuscript of Gospel of Mark reportedly found
ST MARK, EVANGELIST, PATRON SAINT OF VENICE, Feast: April 25
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF SAINT MARK THE EVANGELIST, APRIL 25
Orthodox Feast of St. Mark the Apostle & Evangelist, May 3
Saint Mark the Evangelist

Information: St. Mark

Feast Day: April 25

Born: 1st century AD, Palestine

Died: April 25, 68 AD, Alexandria

Major Shrine: Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Cairo, Egypt)

Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Alexandria, Egypt) Basilica di San Marco (Venice, Italy)

Patron of: against impenitence, against struma, attorneys, barristers, captives, glaziers, imprisoned people, prelature of insect bites, Ionian Islands, lawyers, lions, notaries, prisoners, scrofulous diseases, stained glass workers, struma patients, Venice

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, April 25

Liturgical Color: Red

Today is the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. St.
Mark was a disciple of St. Peter and
accompanied him to Rome, writing one of the
gospels. He later established the Church in
Alexandria serving as its bishop until he was
martyred in 68 A.D.

Catholic Culture

Easter: April 25th

Thursday in the Octave of Easter

MASS READINGS

April 25, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who have united the many nations in confessing your name, grant that those reborn in the font of Baptism may be one in the faith of their hearts and the homage of their deeds. 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: Easter Thursday

"Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you!'" The Gospel tells of an appearance of Jesus in the Cenacle on the very day of His resurrection. The newly baptized (neophytes) and all Christians with them, must live like the risen Christ, none but a heavenly life and by their manner of living proclaim their faith in Christ.

"This is the day the Lord has made, Alleluia!
Let us rejoice and be glad, Alleluia!"

The feast of St. Mark, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Easter liturgy.

Stational Church

Meditation
Shallow minds are easily scandalized at the thought that, despite Christ Jesus' divine mission and His heroic earnestness in fulfilling it, despite the limitless possibilities of the Sacrifice of Calvary glorified in the power of the Resurrection, even now so many human souls are still sick and diseased, even dead in sin and seemingly lost in impenitence.

But think for a moment of some definite astounding force in nature, as for instance lightning, or even better, of so simple a force as the stroke of a hammer or the approach of a lighted match; notice the vast difference in the effects produced on a block of granite, on a cake of ice, and on a keg of powder. Even so, the definite effect of the same graces upon different individual souls depends on the receptivity of each. Yet never doubt, the doors of the treasury of the merits and fruits of Calvary are wide open; the fountains of the Savior are pouring out heavenly waters to purify and cure and refresh souls; the invitation goes out to all:

"Come, eat My bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you. All you that thirst come to the waters, and you that have no money, make haste, buy, and eat: come ye, buy wine and milk without money! Come! to experience the virtue of the waters, and of the food, and of the medicine, and of the fire. Come and drink lest you die of thirst! Come and eat lest your soul hunger and starve! Come, approach the fire of My charity, to be stirred out of your spiritual coldness and numbness!"

— Our Way to the Father by Rev. Leo M. Krenz, S.J.

Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Station at Twelve Holy Apostles at Trajan's Forum (Ss. XII Apostoli al Foro Traiano):
At Rome, the Station is in the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles. The newly baptized were brought, today, into the church dedicated to the witnesses of the Resurrection, where repose the bodies of two out of the twelve: St. Philip and St. James the Less. An ancient inscription shows that this church was formerly dedicated to Philip and James.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 24:35-48

Thursday within the Octave of Easter

He showed them his hands and his feet. (Luke 24:40)

In many of the resurrection stories in the Bible, Jesus makes it a point to prove to the apostles that he is not just a ghost. He walks long distances with them, eats breakfast with them, and invites them to probe his wounds. Clearly he wanted them to be sure that he had truly risen from the dead.

But there’s another reason why Jesus wanted his apostles—and us—to know he rose bodily. He wanted to show us how important our own bodies are. He wanted us to see what we would be like when we rise from the dead at his Second Coming.

This truth of our bodily resurrection is central to our faith. It’s so essential, in fact, that St. Paul says Christianity would not exist without it. “If the dead are not raised,” he wrote, “neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain” (1 Corinthians 15:16-17).

You see, the “resurrection of the body” that we profess in the Apostles’ Creed tells us that our bodies, imperfect or ailing though they may be, are precious to God. When Jesus became man, he healed the sick and fed the hungry as a sign of his care for every part of who we are. He will raise up everything about us, including our ability to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell all the beauty he has created in this world.

This is also why Jesus gives himself to us physically in the Eucharist and why he sends his people out to take care of each other in hands-on ways. He wants everyone to know how much he treasures them—all of them.

This is the good news of the gospel: God cares about every part of your life, including your body. He loves you so deeply that he promises to restore you to the fullest, most perfect version of yourself when he comes again. And that includes both your body and your soul.

Let this hope lift up your heart today. Maybe you could even take a look at yourself in the mirror and say, “This is who I am, and Jesus wants to raise me up. Every part of me!”

“Jesus, thank you for giving me a body that reveals your glory. I trust you with my physical needs, today and always.”

Acts 3:11-26
Psalm 8:2, 5-9

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint Peter Chrysologus (c.406-450)
Bishop of Ravenna, Doctor of the Church
Sermon 81

“Jesus came and stood before them. ‘Peace be with you.’”

Rebellious people had chased peace from the earth… and thrown the world into its primordial chaos… Among the disciples as well, war was waging; faith and doubt fought furious assaults on one another… Where a storm was raging, their hearts could find no peaceful harbor, no calm port.

At the sight of that Christ who plumbs the hearts, who commands the winds, who is master over tempests and who with a simple sign changes the storm into a serene sky, strengthened them with his peace, saying: “Peace be with you! It is I; fear not. It is I who was crucified, who was dead, who was buried. It is I, your God become man for you. It is I. Not a spirit clothed with a body, but truth itself become man. It is I, the living one among the dead, who have come from heaven to the heart of hell. It is I before whom death fled, whom hell feared. In its terror, hell proclaimed me to be God. Do not be afraid, Peter, you who denied me, nor you, John, who fled, nor all of you who abandoned me, who thought of nothing but betraying me, who do not yet believe in me, even though you see me. Do not be afraid, it really is I. I have called you with grace, I have chosen you with forgiveness, I have upheld you with my compassion, I have carried you in my love, and I am taking you today solely because of my kindness.”

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

Daily Marriage Tip for April 25, 2019:

Now that the weather is warming up, plan a picnic! It’s a great way to spend some quality time together. Make it a just-for-two date or bring the whole family.

Regnum Christi

April 25, 2019 – You Are Witnesses of These Things

Thursday in the Octave of Easter

Father Robert Presutti, LC

Luke 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, it is really I. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are the source of all life because you are life itself. Your resurrection gives me the hope of being raised from the dead to rejoice with you in heaven forever. I need to reflect more often on the good you have done for us and on your promises to those who put their trust in you. Thank you, Jesus, for taking up your life again and leading the way home to heaven. I love you, and I want to follow after you with all my heart. I want to cooperate more fully with you in bringing many others to heaven with me.

Petition: Lord Jesus, bring me your Easter peace. Let me share in your victory over sin and death. May I live for you alone.

The Disciples’ Mixed and Changing Reaction to the Resurrection: The Gospel narratives manifest the disciples’ volatile situation. They want to believe, but lack confidence. They experience the sincere joy of seeing Christ resurrected, but have not completely overcome their cautious disbelief. The two from Emmaus recount their encounter, and Christ himself appears to them. Yet even when he is right there in front of them, they are slow to believe. Our Lord’s patient, accepting attitude is encouraging. He did not come for a meal but takes a piece of fish to help them believe. We all have our moments of light and generosity, and our moments of sluggishness and inner resistance. I want to believe, but because it implies letting go of my false securities, I need detachment and purification. Christ aids my weakness by his closeness.

It Is I Myself: Christ is not a ghost. He is not a figment of my imagination, nor the result of my wishful thinking––something too good to be true. Christ is more real than my fears; his grace is stronger than my weakness, more powerful than sin and death itself. As the disciples have mixed reactions to his presence, he invites them to get a grip on themselves and reflect in faith. Reflection and contemplation in faith always lead to the truth of Christ. Am I living in an illusory world of my own making because I’m not reflecting in faith on the realities and experiences of my life? All I need to do is overcome my incredulity with faith and trust in the Christ.

Thus It Was Written: The Cross was not a mistake. Christ does not see it as a necessary evil. Rather, “it was written”. In other words, it could not have been any other way. Without the Cross there is no resurrection. Without the Resurrection there is no experience of the fullness of life, no hope for things to come. My life too has its own experience of Christ’s cross. What for me might be an unexpected twist, an obstacle or a problem, is for the Lord a means of purifying my heart and bringing me to the Resurrection.

Conversation with Christ: At times Lord, I fear I am seeing a ghost, just like the disciples. Your plan and will are so far beyond me that at times I have difficulty distinguishing my own wishful thinking or false hopes from your will and your call. Help me to find in you the only source of my hopes and the One who will never fail me.

Resolution: Today I will speak of Christ’s resurrection and the hope which it brings us.

Homily of the Day

April 25, 2019

Thursday in the Octave of Easter

The apostles must really have taken a hard fall with the suffering and death of their Master… that they were just soaking in misery and pain that they were simply oblivious to the realities occurring before them. How many times have this happened to us?

Note our Blessed Lord as to how he tried to present himself to his beloved ones ‘standing in their midst’ and greeting them ‘Peace to You’. There is nothing but panic, fright, disbelief and astonishment! At this point, the apostles are in denial of the occurrences until Jesus, in a sense, leveled off with them. “…have you anything to eat?’ which in essence gave the apostles a fond remembering of the days together with their Master!

From there, recall and remembrance, the understanding of the heart flowed as Jesus said; ‘Remember the Words I spoke to you when I was still with you.’ O, the power of the spoken word of Our Blessed Lord to heal the minds and hearts of his beloved ones. Jesus did it then when he walked the earth; and he does it now to us who believe!

In light of the grace we received during the Paschal Triduum, reflect, recall and remember a similar incident or situation in our life of faith in the Risen Lord!

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 3

<< Thursday, April 25, 2019 >>

Easter Thursday

Acts 3:11-26
View Readings

Psalm 8:2, 5-9

Luke 24:35-48
Similar Reflections

A LOVE STORY OR A GHOST STORY?

"It is really I. Touch Me, and see that a ghost does not have flesh and bones as I do." �Luke 24:39

Unlike all other religions, Christianity believes that God became man. We believe that God was actually a baby, physically died on a cross, and was buried in a tomb. We also believe that Jesus rose from the dead � not just spiritually but bodily. Jesus is not a ghost (see Lk 24:37). He can be seen and touched (Lk 24:39). He ate food (Lk 24:41-43). He is fully human. Jesus even let Thomas put his hand into His wounded side and his finger into the holes in His nail-scarred hands (Jn 20:27). St. John testifies to this, saying: "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and our hands have touched � we speak of the Word of life," Jesus (1 Jn 1:1). "This is how you can recognize God's Spirit: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, while every spirit that fails to acknowledge Him does not belong to God" (1 Jn 4:2-3).

Jesus' bodily Resurrection shows that our faith is not based on subjective experiences but on objective, historical fact. We are not new-agers, who are not much different than old-time gnostics seeking enlightenment in spirits and spiritual experience. No, we are Christians, who are in a deep, total, practical relationship with the Person, Jesus Christ, Who is risen from the dead. Our faith is "the substance of things hoped for" (Heb 11:1, our transl); it is not believing in ghosts. Touch the risen Christ.

Prayer: Father, make my faith and my life one.

Promise: "God raised Him from the dead, and we are His witnesses." —Acts 3:15

Praise: Praying for the Holy Spirit changed Albert's life. He received the Holy Spirit deeply. Now he prophesies both vocally and in writing each week.

“God Whispers…” Pro-Life Mobile Wallpaper Ven. Fulton Sheen: