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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 05-04-06
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 05-04-06 | New American Bible

Posted on 05/04/2006 7:57:05 AM PDT by Salvation

May 4, 2006

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

Psalm: Thursday 19

Reading 1
Acts 8:26-40

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
“Get up and head south on the road
that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.”
So he got up and set out.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,
a court official of the Candace,
that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,
in charge of her entire treasury,
who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.
Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip,
“Go and join up with that chariot.”
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
This was the Scripture passage he was reading:

Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will tell of his posterity?
For his life is taken from the earth.

Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,
“I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?
About himself, or about someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.
As they traveled along the road
they came to some water,
and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water.
What is to prevent my being baptized?”
Then he ordered the chariot to stop,
and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,
and he baptized him.
When they came out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,
and the eunuch saw him no more,
but continued on his way rejoicing.
Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news
to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20

R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 6:44-51

Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”




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For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

1 posted on 05/04/2006 7:57:08 AM PDT by Salvation
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To: nickcarraway; sandyeggo; Lady In Blue; NYer; american colleen; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ...
Alleluia Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Alleluia Ping List.

2 posted on 05/04/2006 7:59:14 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All

From: Acts 8:26-40


Philip Baptizes a Eunuch



[26] But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the
south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a
desert road. [27] And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a
eunuch, a minister of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of
all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship [28] and was
returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
[29] And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."
[30] So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet,
and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" [31] And he said,
"How can I, unless some one guides me?" And he invited Philip to come
up and sit with him. [32] Now the passage of the scripture which he was
reading was this: "As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its
shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. [33] In his humiliation
justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life
is taken up from the earth."


[34] And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, pray, does the prophet
say this, about himself or about some one else?" [35] Then Philip
opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the
good news of Jesus. [36] And as they went along the road they came to
some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What is to
prevent my being baptized?" [38] And he commanded the chariot to stop,
and they both went down into the water, Philip, and the eunuch, and he
baptized him. [39] And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit
of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went
on his way rejoicing. [40] But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing
on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesarea.




Commentary:


26-40. The baptism of the Ethiopian official marks an important step
in the spread of Christianity. St Luke's account underlines the
importance of Sacred Scripture, and its correct interpretation, in the
work of evangelization. This episode encapsulates the various stages in
apostolate: Christ's disciple is moved by the Spirit (v. 29) and
readily obeys his instruction; he bases his preaching on Sacred
Scripture--as Jesus did in the case of the disciples of Emmaus--and
then administers Baptism.


27. Ethiopia: the kingdom of Nubia, whose capital was Meroe, to the
south of Egypt, below Aswan, the first cataract on the Nile (part of
modern Sudan). Candace, or Kandake, is not the name of an individual;
it was the dynastic name of the queens of that country, a country at
that time ruled by women (cf. Eusebius, "Ecclesiastical History", II,
1, 13).


The term "eunuch", like its equivalent in Hebrew, was often used
independently of its original physiological meaning and could refer to
any court official (cf. for example, Gen 39:1; 2 Kings 25:19). This
particular man was an important official, the equivalent of a minister
of finance. We do not know if he was a member of the Jewish race, a
proselyte (a Jew not by race but by religion) or--perhaps--a God-fearer
(cf. note on Acts 2:5-11).


28. "Consider," St John Chrysostom says, "what a good thing it is not
to neglect reading Scripture even when one is on a journey.... Let
those reflect on this who do not even read the Scriptures at home, and,
because they are with their wife, or are fighting in the army, or are
very involved in family or other affairs, think that there is no
particular need for them to make the effort to read the divine
Scriptures. [...] This Ethiopian has something to teach us all--those
who have a family life, members of the army, officials, in a word, all
men, and women too (particularly those women who are always at home),
and all those who have chosen the monastic way of life. Let all learn
that no situation is an obstacle to reading the word of God: this is
something one can do not only when one is alone at home but also in the
public square, on a journey, in the company of others, or when engaged
in one's occupation. Let us not, I implore you, neglect to read the
Scriptures" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 35).


29-30. The fact that they are alone, that the road is empty, makes it
easier for them to have a deep conversation and easier for Philip to
explain Christian teaching. "I think so highly of your devotion to the
early Christians that I will do all I can to encourage it, so that
you--like them--will put more enthusiasm each day into that effective
Apostolate of discretion and friendship" (J. Escriva, "The Way", 971).
This was in fact one of the characteristic features of the kind of
apostolate carried out by our first brothers and sisters in the faith
as they spread gradually all over the Roman empire. They brought the
Christian message to the people around them--the sailor to the rest of
the crew, the slave to his fellow slaves, soldiers, traders,
housewives.... This eager desire of theirs to spread the Gospel showed
their genuine conviction and was an additional proof of the truth of
the Christian message.


31. "How can I understand it, unless some one guides me?": to a Jew of
this period the very idea of a Messiah who suffers and dies at the
hands of his enemies was quite repugnant. This explains why the
Ethiopian has difficulty in understanding this passage--and, indeed,
the entire song of the Servant of Yahweh, from which it comes (cf. Is
53).


Sometimes it is difficult to understand a passage of Scripture; as St
Jerome comments: "I am not," to speak in passing of himself, "more
learned or more holy than that eunuch who traveled to the temple from
Ethiopia, that is, from the end of the earth: he left the royal palace
and such was his desire for divine knowledge that he was even reading
the sacred words in his chariot. And yet...he did not realize whom he
was venerating in that book without knowing it. Philip comes along, he
reveals to him Jesus hidden and as it were imprisoned in the text
[...], and in that very moment he believes, is baptized, is faithful
and holy. [...] I tell you this to show you that, unless you have a
guide who goes ahead of you to show you the way, you cannot enter the
holy Scriptures" ("Letter 53", 5-6).


This guide is the Church; God, who inspired the sacred books, has
entrusted their interpretation to the Church. Therefore, the Second
Vatican Council teaches that "If we are to derive their true meaning
from the sacred texts," attention must be devoted "not only to their
content but to the unity of the whole of Scripture, the living
tradition of the entire Church, and the analogy of faith. [...]
Everything to do with the interpretation of Scripture is ultimately
subject to the judgment of the Church, which exercises the divinely
conferred communion and ministry of watching over and interpreting the
Word of God" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 12).


35. "The eunuch deserves our admiration for his readiness to believe,"
St John Chrysostom comments. "He has not seen Jesus Christ nor has he
witnessed any miracle; what then is the reason for his change? It is
because, being observant in matters of religion, he applies himself to
the study of the sacred books and makes them his book of meditation and
reading" ("Hom. on Acts", 19).


36. "What is to prevent my being baptized?": the Ethiopian's question
reminds us of the conditions necessary for receiving Baptism. Adults
should be instructed in the faith before receiving this sacrament;
however, a period of "Christian initiation" is not required if there is
a good reason, such as danger of death.


The Church's Magisterium stresses the obligation to baptize children
without delay. "The fact that children are incapable of making a
personal profession of faith does not deter the Church from conferring
this sacrament on them; what it does is baptize them in its own faith.
This teaching was already clearly expressed by St Augustine: 'Children
are presented for the reception of spiritual grace, not so much by
those who carry them in their arms--although also by them, if they are
good members of the Church as by the universal society of saints and
faithful. [...] It is Mother Church herself who acts in her saints,
because the whole Church begets each and all' ("Letter 98", 5; cf.
"Sermon 176", 2). St Thomas Aquinas, and after him most theologians,
take up the same teaching: the child who is baptized does not believe
for itself, by a personal act of faith, but rather through others 'by
the faith of the Church which is communicated to the child' ("Summa
Theologiae", III, q.69, a.6, ad 3; cf. q. 68, a. 9, ad 3). This same
teaching is expressed in the new rite of Baptism, when the celebrant
asks the parents and godparents to profess the faith of the Church 'in
which the children are being baptized'"("Instruction on Infant
Baptism", 20 October 1980).


The Instruction goes on to say that "it is true that apostolic
preaching is normally addressed to adults, and that the first to be
baptized were adults who had been converted to the Christian faith.
From what we read in the New Testament we might be led to think that it
deals only with adults' faith. However, the practice of Baptism of
infants is based on an ancient tradition of apostolic origin, whose
value must not be underestimated; furthermore, Baptism has never been
administered without faith: in the case of infants the faith that
intervenes is the Church's own faith. Besides, according to the Council
of Trent's teaching on the sacraments, Baptism is not only a sign of
faith: it is also the cause of faith" ("ibid.").


Christian parents have a duty to see that their children are baptized
quickly. The Code of Canon Law specifies that parents are obliged to
see that their infants are baptized within the first few weeks. As soon
as possible after the birth, indeed often before it, they are to
approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child,
and to be themselves duly prepared for it" (can. 867).


37. This verse, not to be found in some Greek codexes or in the better
translations, was probably a gloss which later found its way into the
text. In the Vulgate it is given in this way: "Dixit autem Philippus:
Si credis ex toto corde, licet. Et respondens ait: Credo, Filium Dei
esse Jesum Christum", which translated would be: "Philip said, If you
believe with all your heart, you may. And he replied, I believe that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God." This very ancient gloss, inspired by
baptismal liturgy, helps to demonstrate that faith in Christ's divine
worship was the nucleus of the creed a person had to subscribe to in
order to be baptized. On this occasion Philip, guided by the Holy
Spirit, lays down no further condition and he immediately proceeds to
baptize the Ethiopian.


39. St John Chrysostom pauses to note that the Spirit takes Philip away
without giving him time to rejoice with the man he has just baptized:
"Why did the Spirit of the Lord bear him away? Because he had to go on
to preach in other cities. We should not be surprised that this
happened in a divine rather than a human way" ("Hom. on Acts", 19).


The official "went on his way rejoicing" that God had made him his son
through Baptism. He had received the gift of faith, and with the help
of divine grace he was ready to live up to all the demands of that
faith, even in adverse circumstances: quite probably he would be the
only Christian in all Ethiopia.


Faith is a gift of God and is received as such at Baptism; but man's
response is necessary if this gift is not to prove fruitless.


Baptism is one of the sacraments which imprints an indelible mark on
the soul and which can be received only once. However, a baptized
person needs to be continually renewing his commitment; this is not
something to be done only during the Easter liturgy: in his everyday
activity he should be striving to act like a son of God.


It is natural and logical for the Ethiopian to be so happy, for Baptism
brings with it many graces. These St John Chrysostom lists, using
quotations from the Gospels and from the letters of St Paul: "The newly
baptized are free, holy, righteous, sons of God, heirs of heaven,
brothers and co-heirs of Christ, members of his body, temples of God,
instruments of the Holy Spirit.... Those who yesterday were captives
are today free men and citizens of the Church. Those who yesterday were
in the shame of sin are now safe in righteousness; not alone are they
free, they are holy" ("Baptismal Catechesis", III, 5).



Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.


3 posted on 05/04/2006 8:00:43 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All

From: John 6:44-51


The Discourse on the Bread of Life (Continuation)



(Jesus said to the Jews,) [44] "No one can come to Me unless the Father
who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
[45] It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by
God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
[46] Not that any one has seen the Father except Him who is from God;
He has seen the Father. [47] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who
believes has eternal life. [48] I am the bread of life. [49] Your
fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. [50] This is
the bread which comes down from Heaven, that a man may eat of it and
not die. [51] I am the living bread which came down from Heaven; if
any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which
I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh."




Commentary:


44-45. Seeking Jesus until one finds Him is a free gift which no one
can obtain through his own efforts, although everyone should try to be
well disposed to receiving it. The Magisterium of the Church has
recalled this teaching in Vatican II: "Before this faith can be
exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he
must have the interior help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and
converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and makes it easy
for all to accept and believe the truth" ("Dei Verbum", 5).


When Jesus says, "They shall all be taught by God", He is invoking
Isaiah 54:13 and Jeremiah 31:33ff, where the prophets refer to the
future Covenant which God will establish with His people when the
Messiah comes, the Covenant which will be sealed forever with the blood
of the Messiah and which God will write on their hearts (cf. Isaiah
53:10-12; Jeremiah 31:31-34).


The last sentence of verse 45 refers to God's Revelation through the
prophets and especially through Jesus Christ.


46. Men can know God the Father only through Jesus Christ, because only
He has seen the Father, whom He has come to reveal to us. In his
prologue St. John already said: "No one has ever seen God; the only
Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known" (John
1:18). Later on Jesus will say to Philip at the Last Supper: "He who
has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9), for Christ is the Way,
the Truth and the Life, and no one goes to the Father except through
Him (cf. John 14:6).


In other words, in Christ God's revelation to men reaches its climax:
"For He sent His Son, the eternal Word who enlightens all men, to dwell
among men and to tell them about the inner life of God (cf. John
1:1-18). Hence, Jesus Christ, sent as `a man among men', `utters the
words of God' (John 3:34), and accomplishes the saving work which the
Father gave Him to do (cf. John 5:36; 17:4). To see Jesus is to see
His Father (cf. John 14:9)" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 4).


48. With this solemn declaration, which He repeats because of His
audience's doubts, (cf. John 6:35, 41, 48), Jesus begins the second
part of His discourse, in which He explicitly reveals the great mystery
of the Blessed Eucharist. Christ's words have such a tremendous
realism about them that they cannot be interpreted in a figurative way:
if Christ were not really present under the species of bread and wine,
this discourse would make absolutely no sense. But if His real
presence in the Eucharist is accepted on faith, then His meaning is
quite clear and we can see how infinite and tender His love for us is.


This is so great a mystery that it has always acted as a touchstone for
Christian faith: it is proclaimed as "the mystery of our faith"
immediately after the Consecration of the Mass. Some of our Lord's
hearers were scandalized by what He said on this occasion (cf. verses
60-66). Down through history people have tried to dilute the obvious
meaning of our Lord's words. In our own day the Magisterium of the
Church has explained this teaching in these words" "When
Transubstantiation has taken place, there is no doubt that the
appearance of the bread and the appearance of the wine take on a new
expressiveness and a new purpose since they are no longer common bread
and common drink, but rather the sign of something sacred and the sign
of spiritual food. But they take on a new expressiveness and a new
purpose for the very reason that they contain a new `reality' which we
are right to call "ontological". For beneath these appearances there
is no longer what was there before but something quite different [...]
since on the conversion of the bread and wine's substance, or nature,
into the body and blood of Christ, nothing is left of the bread and the
wine but the appearances alone. Beneath these appearances Christ is
present whole and entire, bodily present too, in His physical
`reality', although not in the manner in which bodies are present in
place.


For this reason the Fathers have had to issue frequent warnings to the
faithful, when they consider this august Sacrament, not to be satisfied
with the senses which announce the properties of bread and wine. They
should rather assent to the words of Christ: these are of such power
that they change, transform, `transelement' the bread and the wine into
His body and blood. The reason for this, as the same Fathers say more
than once, is that the power which performs this action is the same
power of Almighty God that created the whole universe out of nothing at
the beginning of time" (Paul VI, "Mysterium Fidei").


49-51. The manna during the Exodus was a figure of this bread--Christ
Himself--which nourishes Christians on their pilgrimage through this
world. Communion is the wonderful banquet at which Christ gives
Himself to us: "the bread which I shall give for the life of the world
is My flesh". These words promise the manifestation of the Eucharist
at the Last Supper: "This is My body which is for you" (1 Corinthians
11:24). The words "for the life of the world" and "for you" refer to
the redemptive value of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In some
sacrifices of the Old Testament, which were a figure of the sacrifice
of Christ, part of the animal offered up was later used for food,
signifying participation in the sacred rite (cf. Exodus 11:3-4). So,
by receiving Holy Communion, we are sharing in the sacrifice of
Christ: which is why the Church sings in the Liturgy of the Hours on
the Feast of Corpus Christi: "O sacred feast in which we partake of
Christ: His sufferings are remembered, our minds are filled with His
grace and we receive a pledge of the glory that is to be ours"
("Magnificat Antiphon", Evening Prayer II).



Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.


4 posted on 05/04/2006 8:02:00 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Office of Readings -- Awakening Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 88 (89)
A lament at the ruin of the house of David
But you have spurned and rejected him;
 you are enraged against your anointed.
You have repudiated the covenant of your servant,
 you have trampled his crown in the dust.
You have demolished his walls
 and laid his fortifications in ruins.
Anyone who passes can despoil him;
 he is a mockery among his neighbours.

You have strengthened the arm of those who oppress him,
 you have gladdened the hearts of his enemies.
You have turned back the sharp edge of his sword;
 you have deprived him of your help in battle.
You have put an end to his splendour,
 and cast his throne to the ground.
You have cut short the days of his youth;
 you have covered him from head to foot in shame.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 88 (89)
How long, O Lord, will you hide yourself? For ever?
 Will your anger always burn like fire?
Remember how short is my time.
 Was it truly so pointless, your creation of man?
Who is the man who can live and not die,
 who can save his life from the grasp of the underworld?

Where are the kindnesses you showed us of old?
 Where is the truth of your oath to David?
Remember, Lord, how your servants are taunted,
 the taunts I bear in my bosom, the taunts of the nations –
 the insults of your enemies, Lord,
 the insults that follow the steps of your anointed!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 89 (90)
Let the Lord's glory shine upon us
Lord, you have been our refuge
 from generation to generation.
Before the mountains were born,
 before earth and heaven were conceived,
 from all time to all time, you are God.

You turn men into dust,
 you say to them “go back, children of men”.
A thousand years in your sight
 are like yesterday, that has passed;
 like a short watch in the night.

When you take them away, they will be nothing but a dream;
 like the grass that sprouts in the morning:
in the morning it grows and flowers,
 in the evening it withers and dries.

For we are made weak by your anger,
 thrown into confusion by your wrath.
You have gazed upon our transgressions;
 the light of your face illuminates our secrets.

All our days vanish in your anger,
 we use up our years in a single breath.
Seventy years are what we have,
 or eighty for the stronger ones;
and most of that is labour and sadness –
 quickly they pass, and we are gone.
Who can comprehend the power of your wrath?
 Who can behold the violence of your anger?
Teach us to reckon our days like this,
 so that our hearts may be led at last to wisdom.

Turn to us, Lord, how long must we wait?
 Let your servants call on you and be answered.
Fill us with your kindness in the morning,
 and we shall rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
Give us joy for as long as you afflicted us,
 for all the years when we suffered.

Let your servants see your great works,
 and let their children see your glory.
Let the glory of the Lord God be upon us:
 make firm the work of your hands.
 Make firm the work of your hands.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Reading Apocalypse 9:13 - 21 ©
The sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice come out of the four horns of the golden altar in front of God. It spoke to the sixth angel with the trumpet, and said, ‘Release the four angels that are chained up at the great river Euphrates’. These four angels had been put there ready for this hour of this day of this month of this year, and now they were released to destroy a third of the human race. I learnt how many there were in their army: twice ten thousand times ten thousand mounted men. In my vision I saw the horses, and the riders with their breastplates of flame colour, hyacinth-blue and sulphur-yellow; the horses had lions’ heads, and fire, smoke and sulphur were coming out of their mouths. It was by these three plagues, the fire, the smoke and the sulphur coming out of their mouths, that the one third of the human race was killed. All the horses’ power was in their mouths and their tails: their tails were like snakes, and had heads that were able to wound. But the rest of the human race, who escaped these plagues, refused either to abandon the things they had made with their own hands – the idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood that can neither see nor hear nor move – or to stop worshipping devils. Nor did they give up their murdering, or witchcraft, or fornication or stealing.

Reading From the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop
The Eucharist, pledge of our resurrection
If our flesh is not saved, then the Lord has not redeemed us with his blood, the eucharistic chalice does not make us sharers in his blood, and the bread we break does not make us sharers in his body. There can be no blood without veins, flesh and the rest of the human substance, and this the Word of God actually became: it was with his own blood that he redeemed us. As the Apostle says: In him, through his blood, we have been redeemed, our sins have been forgiven.
We are his members and we are nourished by creatures, which is his gift to us, for it is he who causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall. He declared that the chalice, which comes from his creation, was his blood, and he makes it the nourishment of our blood. He affirmed that the bread, which comes from his creation, was his body, and he makes it the nourishment of our body. When the chalice we mix and the bread we bake receive the word of God, the eucharistic elements become the body and blood of Christ, by which our bodies live and grow. How then can it be said that flesh belonging to the Lord’s own body and nourished by his body and blood is incapable of receiving God’s gift of eternal life? Saint Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians that we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. He is not speaking of some spiritual and incorporeal kind of man, for spirits do not have flesh and bones. He is speaking of a real human body composed of flesh, sinews and bones, nourished by the chalice of Christ’s blood and receiving growth from the bread which is his body.
The slip of a vine planted in the ground bears fruit at the proper time. The grain of wheat falls into the ground and decays only to be raised up again and multiplied by the Spirit of God who sustains all things. The Wisdom of God places these things at the service of man and when they receive God’s word they become the eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. In the same way our bodies, which have been nourished by the eucharist, will be buried in the earth and will decay, but they will rise again at the appointed time, for the Word of God will raise them up to the glory of God the Father. Then the Father will clothe our mortal nature in immortality and freely endow our corruptible nature with incorruptibility, for God’s power is shown most perfectly in weakness.
A concluding prayer may follow here.

5 posted on 05/04/2006 8:09:30 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Thursday, May 4, 2006
Easter Weekday
First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20
John 6:44-51

Forth to the Paschal Victim, Christians, bring

-- Victimae paschali laudes


6 posted on 05/04/2006 8:12:00 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Catholic Culture

Collect:
God, all-powerful Father, you strengthen our faith and take away our weakness. Let the prayers and example of the Blessed Martyrs of England and Wales help us to share in the passion and resurrection of Christ and bring us to eternal joy with all your saints.

Recipes:

May 04, 2006 Month Year Season

Feast of the Beatified Martyrs of England and Wales (Eng) (Wal, Memorial)

Old Calendar: St. Monica, widow

The Forty Holy Martyrs of England and Wales are a group of forty men, women, religious, priests, and lay people who were canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 25, 1970. These people were executed for their Faith during a period of anti-Catholicism from 1535 to 1679. The Martyrs who were canonized were among more than two hundred martyrs who had been beatified by various earlier popes.

Some of the common "crimes" of these people were being priests, harboring priests, or refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy. This group of saints includes some well-known saints, such as St. Alban Roe, and St. Edmund Campion. Many of these saints are recognized on the days of their martyrdom, but as a group, they are recognized on the day they were canonized. — Al Bushra

The feast of St. Monica has been transferred to August 27.


Beatified Martyrs of England and Wales
These forty were canonised by Pope Paul VI on October 25th., 1970. They are representative of the English and Welsh martyrs of the Reformation who died at various dates between 1535 and 1679. Some 200 of these martyrs had already been declared ‘Blessed’ (i.e. ‘beatified’) by previous Popes. They include:
  • SS. John Houghton, Robert Lawrence and Augustine Webster, the first martyrs (1535), all priors of different Charterhouses (houses of the Carthusian Order, including the one in London) who, by virtue of the Carthusian vow of silence, refused to speak in their own defence;
  • St. Cuthbert Mayne, a Devonian, who was the first martyr not to be a member of a religious order. He was ordained priest at the then newly established English College at Douai in Northern France and was put to death at Launceston in 1577;
  • St. Edmund Campion, the famous Jesuit missionary and theologian who published secretly from Stonor Park, the ancient Catholic country house near Henley-on-Thames, who died in 1581 on the same day as St. Ralph Sherwin, the first martyr to have been trained at the English College in Rome;
  • St. Richard Gwyn, the first of the Welsh martyrs, a schoolteacher from Llanidloes in Mid-Wales who died at Wrexham in 1584;
  • St. Margaret Clitherow, the wife of a butcher with a shop in the famous Shambles in York, who allowed her house to be used as a Mass centre, who was sentenced to be crushed to death under a large stone at the Ouse Bridge Tollbooth in the city;
  • St. Swithun Wells, a teacher from Brambridge in the county of Hampshire who owned a London house at Grays Inn Fields which was also a secret Mass centre (1591);
  • St. Philip Howard, eldest son of the fourth Duke of Norfolk (himself executed for treason in 1572) who led a dissolute existence and left behind an unhappy wife in Arundel Castle until he was converted by the preaching of St. Edmund Campion, and died in the Tower in 1595;
  • St. Nicholas Owen, Jesuit lay brother and master carpenter, who constructed many priests’ hiding-holes in houses throughout the country, some of them so cunningly concealed they were not discovered until centuries later (1606).
Under James I and Charles I the purge died down, but did not entirely cease. St. John Southworth, missionary in London, was put to death under Cromwell and is venerated in Westminster Cathedral, and the final martyrs died in the aftermath of the Titus Oates plot in 1679. [SS. John Fisher & Thomas More are not included in this list for they had been canonised in 1935].

Taken from Sacred Heart Parish, Waterloo.

Things to Do:

  • If you would like to learn more about the Forty Martyrs you can purchase a pamphlet published by the Catholic Truth Society from St. Bernard Books.
  • For a a list of the forty martyrs and a little more information about some of them, you can visit this site

7 posted on 05/04/2006 8:22:35 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 86 (87)
Jerusalem, mother of all nations
Its foundations are set on the sacred mountains –
 the Lord loves the gates of Sion
 more than all the tents of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you, city of God!

I shall count Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me.
 The Philistines, Tyrians, Ethiopians –
 all have their birthplace here.
Of Sion it will be said “Here is the birthplace of all people:
 the Most High himself has set it firm”.

The Lord shall write in the book of the nations:
 “Here is their birthplace”.
They will sing as in joyful processions:
 “All my being springs from you”.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Canticle Isaiah 40
The good shepherd is God, the Most High
Behold, the Lord God comes in strength, and his right arm triumphs.
Behold, his reward is with him, his prize is before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock,
 he gathers the lambs in his arms and lifts them to his breast;
 he carries the pregnant ewes.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
 and arranged the heavens with his palms?
Who has measured the dust of the earth,
 weighed out the mountains,
 weighed the hills on the balance?
Who directed the spirit of the Lord?
Who gave him advice in his task?

With whom did he consult? Who taught him?
Who led him in the paths of justice,
 gave him knowledge,
 showed him the way of understanding?

Behold, the Gentiles are like a drop in a bucket,
 a piece of fluff on the scales.
All the islands are a handful of dust.
What burnt-offering could be worthy of the Lord?
 The forests of Lebanon could not feed that fire;
 all the animals of Lebanon would not be enough for that sacrifice.
All the nations count for nothing before him:
 for him, they are nothingness and emptiness.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 98 (99)
The Lord our God is holy
The Lord reigns! let the peoples tremble.
 He is enthroned on the cherubim: let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Sion,
 he is high above all the peoples.

Let them proclaim his name – great and terrible it is,
 let them proclaim his holy name,
 the powerful king, who loves justice.
The laws you establish are just:
 you have given Jacob uprightness and right judgement.

Praise the Lord, our God,
 worship at his footstool,
 for he is holy.

Moses and Aaron were among his prophets,
 Samuel one of those who called on him.
They called on the Lord and he listened,
 and from the pillar of cloud he spoke to them.
They kept his decrees
 and the commands he gave them.
Lord our God, you listened to them;
 O God, you were gracious to them,
 but you punished their wrongdoing.

Praise the Lord, our God,
 worship on his holy mountain,
 for the Lord our God is holy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.
A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here.
Canticle Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God.
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
 hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
 thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our trespasses
 as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.
A concluding prayer may follow here.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
A M E N

8 posted on 05/04/2006 8:24:16 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Regnum Christi

 

The Obedience of Faith
May 4, 2006


God freely created us. There was no motive other than his love.

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
Father Paul Campbell, LC

John 6:44-51
Jesus said to the crowds: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world."

Introductory Prayer: Lord I believe in you. I believe that you see me and hear me. I believe in your love. I know that you love me, for nothing else explains your death on the cross and the gift of yourself in the Eucharist. Help me to return love for love. Help me to love as you love, and to love those whom you love.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith in your presence in the Eucharist and in my life.

1. Approaching the Father. We continue our reflections on the Bread of Life discourse. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him.” God freely created us. There was no motive other than his love. We are not necessary to creation. God could have gotten along fabulously well if we had never been born. But he chose to give us life, not out of need or necessity, but out of love. He created us to be with him for all eternity. When we became lost in sin, he began to draw us to himself. We begin our search for God only because he draws us to himself. He gives us the grace of conversion both to start the journey of our spiritual life and to continue to get up each and every time we stumble into sin along the way. Often we think of our spiritual life as something we do, but it is more of what God does in us. God works within us to draw us to himself. He sends us his lights, insights into his love and his plan for our life. He sends us holy desires to break with sin and live for him. 

2. Receiving Eternal Life. “Whoever believes has eternal life.” God calls us to an obedience of faith. He reveals his love and his plan in the Scriptures. There he speaks to us. He reveals his love and his plan for our salvation through the sacrifice of his Son. He asks us to believe with the obedience of faith, with coherence of life. “To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to ‘hear or listen to’) in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself…. The Virgin Mary is its most perfect embodiment” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 144). Faith requires free submission of our will to God. We lovingly do what God asks of us. This is why Mary is the perfect model of faith. She didn’t understand everything, but she knew and loved God. She did what he asked of her; she gave herself to him to become the mother of God.

3. Flesh for the World. “The bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” Jesus is speaking of the mystery of the Eucharist, of his real presence. He has been speaking of the bread of life that comes down from heaven. He can only be speaking of himself, for no one else has come down from heaven. He spoke of giving them the bread of life. Now he clarifies that this bread is his flesh. It is not simply a symbol or an image of another reality. The Eucharist is his flesh. He is present and gives himself to us because he loves us; self-donation is the form of love.

Dialogue with Christ: Lord, help me to believe in your love. I know that you love me, but sometimes the cares of life and all my activities chase this thought from my mind. I forget and get wrapped up in passing things. Help me to return to you. Help me to love as you love. I can’t live without love. Help me to give myself to you today in all of my activities. When I’m with others, help me to love you in what I say and do, and in how I act. Let my love be practical and concrete.

Resolution: I will choose one act of charity to do for someone today.


9 posted on 05/04/2006 8:38:56 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Homily of the Day


Homily of the Day

Title:   It’s An Offer You Can’t Refuse!
Author:   Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:   Thursday, May 4, 2006
 


Acts 8:26-40 / Jn 6:44-51

Trying to comprehend who and what God is is a project doomed in advance to failure, and the process of trying can make our heads hurt. The idea of an infinite, utterly transcendent being is just too big to wrap our minds around. And at the other end of the spectrum, the idea of an immanent God who actually dwells within us feels almost too good to be true. But true it is, as Jesus told us. The Holy Spirit of God dwells within each one of us at all times. Even when we sin, the Spirit does not abandon us, but whispers to us and guides us back to Jesus’ way.

Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us an instance of the indwelling Spirit’s active guidance of Philip the Apostle. What’s important to note is not just that the Spirit spoke to Philip’s need for guidance at a specific moment, but that Philip heard and acted upon the Spirit’s guidance. That’s the real marvel! And it’s also our challenge. Few things are more vital to our lives as followers of Jesus than developing the habit of listening to the Spirit and the skill of discerning whether it’s the Spirit speaking or just our own wishes and desires trying to make themselves heard.

The Spirit is offering us wisdom and insight - all for free. Listen carefully and watch your life gain a whole new dimension.

 


10 posted on 05/04/2006 8:42:10 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Carmelite Coat of Arms Pray for

A Voice in the Desert

 Fidelity Green Light Award for Excellence in Catholic Fidelity
given by
CatholicCulture.org in February 2006 
        

The Archbishop's Response - with a commentary
Response of Fr. Altier and Fr. Welzbacher, pastor
Is this the reason Father Altier was silenced?
Father Altier innocent of any impropriety
About Father Altier and the Desert Voice Website
A Statement from the Webmaster at Desert Voice

Letters from the Desert - your response

This is the bread which came down
from heaven -- he who eats this bread
will live forever.
                                         ~ John 6:58

  

email@desertvoice.org



In obedient compliance with the expressed written request of

Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn

Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Father Altier’s homilies and spiritual presentations
can no longer be published on www.desertvoice.org

or broadcast on Relevant Radio.

This action of the Archbishop is not related to any scandal
or sexual misconduct on the part of Father Robert Altier.

We regret any inconvenience and humbly ask for your prayers.

All concerns should be directed in a spirit of charity to:

Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

 Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn
226 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN, USA 55102
(651) 291-4400

communications@archspm.org


11 posted on 05/04/2006 10:22:28 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation; NYer; Nihil Obstat; Coleus; Pyro7480; BearWash; trisham; Ciexyz

Dear Freepers in Christ,

Today, it seems is the Feast Day of Saint Florian -- He was a Military Officer in the Roman Army.

Check out http://www.jesus-passion.com today. It is a terrific and awesome web site. I would say it is only second to "A Voice in the Desert" in terms of its awesomeness.


SAINT FLORIAN, MARTYR

FEAST DAY: MAY 4TH

Florian was a Roman military officer stationed in Noricum in Austria, during the Chrisitan persecution under the Roman co-Emperor Diocletian (reigned 284-305).

The governor in this local area was ordered by Diocletian to look for Christians. Florian acknowledged himself as a Christian to the authorities who then arrested him and tortured him. He was beaten and then they slowly pealed the skin off his body, but he would not deny his faith in the Lord Jesus.

The authorities then weighed his body with heavy stones and flung him into the River Enns where he drowned to death in the year 304.

Saint Florian is a patron of Poland and Upper Austria.

Intercessory Prayer:Ask Saint Florian to intercede for your needs today.

Saint Florian, please pray for (make your prayer request).

IN THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST,








12 posted on 05/04/2006 12:10:46 PM PDT by MILESJESU (JESUS, THE DIVINE MERCY I TRUST IN YOU.)
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To: All
Vespers -- Evening Prayers

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 131 (132)
God's promise to the house of David
Lord, remember David and how he served you.
He swore to the Lord, vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

“I will not go into my tent, my home, nor go up to my bed of rest;
I will not let my eyes sleep or my eyelids grow heavy
until I have found a place for the Lord,
a dwelling-place for the Mighty One of Jacob”.

We heard that it was in Ephratha, we found it in the plains of Jaar.
So let us go into his dwelling-place and let us worship before his footstool.

Rise up, Lord, and come to your place of rest.
Come with the Ark of your power.
Let your priests be robed in your justice,
and let your chosen ones rejoice.
Remember what David did for you,
and do not turn your face from your Anointed.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 131 (132)
The Lord swore David a true oath, he will not go back on his word:
“The fruit of your body I will place on your throne.
If your children keep my covenant and the commands I teach them,
their children’s children will occupy your throne for ever”.

For the Lord has chosen Sion, taken it for his dwelling-place:
“Here will I take my rest for all time: here will I live, such is my desire.

I will bless its crops with my blessing, I will fill its poor with bread.
I will clothe its priests with righteousness. Its chosen ones will exult with joy.

There will I plant the sign of David, and prepare a lamp for my anointed one.
I will wrap his enemies in confusion, but over his head my crown will shine.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Canticle Apocalypse 11
The Judgement
We thank you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were,
that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign.

The nations were angered, but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged,
the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants, and those who feared your name, both great and small.

Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God, and the power of his Anointed,
for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down, who accused them day and night in the sight of God.

But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb and through their own witness.
They did not cling to life, even in the face of death.
Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.
A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here.
Canticle Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
 and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
 me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
 because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
 his mercy lasts for generation after generation
 for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:
 he has scattered the proud and conceited,
 torn princes from their thrones;
 but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
 the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
 he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
 to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions ?
Christ rose from the dead, the first-fruits of all who slept. Let us rejoice and give him praise, saying:
You rose from the dead: hear our prayer.
Remember, Christ, your holy Church. You founded it on the Apostles and spread it throughout the world:
give your blessing to all who believe in you.
Healer of our souls and our bodies,
come to our aid and bring us to safety.
Help the sick and give them strength:
free them from their weakness.
Help those who are weighed down with pain and oppression;
in your mercy, sustain the the poor.
Through your cross and resurrection, you opened up for all the road to eternal life:
grant that our brethren who have died may share in the joy of your kingdom.
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
 hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
 thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our trespasses
 as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.
A concluding prayer may follow here.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
A M E N

13 posted on 05/04/2006 5:26:18 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
The Word Among Us


Thursday, May 04, 2006

Meditation
Acts 8:26-40



Having been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, Philip developed a natural expectation to hear God’s voice. Through years of practice, he had become sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings and knew when God was speaking to him. So when the Spirit told him, “Go over to this chariot and join it” (Acts 8:29), he was swift to obey. It may not have made much sense at first, but Philip’s desire to spread the good news won out. If he thought the Spirit was telling him to chase after a chariot, he would do it—and the results were amazing.

Like any skill, discerning the Spirit’s voice requires practice. After all, God’s way of thinking can be quite different from ours. For example, we might wonder why Philip, whose mission was to preach the gospel, would be directed to leave a city like Samaria, where his preaching was bearing fruit, and to travel through a less populated region. And why should he approach a eunuch, whose physical condition, according to the Mosaic law, made him incapable of participating fully in Israel’s worship?

A man guided only by human thinking could find reasons to dismiss these promptings from the Spirit. But through acts of loving obedience and time in prayer and study of Scripture, Philip had absorbed Jesus’ way of thinking. He had come to see how precious each person is to God, and he was not too surprised when spreading the gospel involved some unexpected maneuvers.

Through our prayer and study of God’s word, we too can prepare ourselves to hear the Spirit’s voice. Let us think of ourselves as athletes in competition. A runner, on his mark, drowns out all distractions and strains to hear the signal that begins the race. Similarly, let us work at shutting out distractions so we can hear the gentle voice of the Spirit. God is always preparing people’s hearts to receive the good news. Even if we are shy or reticent, the Spirit can guide us and make our very lives into signs of his love to people who are ready to receive them.

“Holy Spirit, be with me today as I walk among your people. You always point to Jesus Christ, the Lamb who has taken away the sins of the world. Guide me to those whom you have prepared, so that they would know the joy of belonging to Jesus.”

Psalm 66:8-9,16-17,20; John 6:44-51



14 posted on 05/04/2006 8:19:29 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Thursday, May 4, 2006 >>
 
Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 66 John 6:44-51
View Readings  
 
DAILY BREAD
 
"If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world." —John 6:51
 

Jesus said we must feed on His flesh (Jn 6:51, 56). "At this the Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, 'How can He give us His flesh to eat?' " (Jn 6:52) "After hearing His words, many of His disciples remarked, 'This sort of talk is hard to endure! How can anyone take it seriously?' " (Jn 6:60) "From this time on, many of His disciples broke away and would not remain in His company any longer" (Jn 6:66).

Jesus caused quarrels and lost many disciples because of His statements regarding eating His flesh and drinking His blood. If He meant this symbolically or poetically, Jesus could have said so and set many peoples' minds at rest. Instead, He stated even more emphatically that His flesh was real food and His blood real drink (Jn 6:55).

Although we don't fully understand it, we must take the Bible as it stands and believe that in a real way Holy Communion is the very Body and Blood of Jesus. We must put our faith in Jesus and say: "You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe; we are convinced that You are God's Holy One" (Jn 6:69). No mere man can reveal this to us, only the heavenly Father (Mt 16:17). No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws us (Jn 6:44).

Yield to the Father's draw. Walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). Believe and receive Jesus in Holy Communion today and every day.

 
Prayer: Jesus, may I desire to receive You in Holy Communion every day of my life.
Promise: "Philip went down into the water with the eunuch and baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away." —Acts 8:38-39
Praise: Sadie saw the healing power of the Eucharist as she observed a co-worker grow in holiness when that person became a daily communicant.
 

15 posted on 05/04/2006 9:11:34 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.


This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.


Psalm 15 (16)
The Lord, my inheritance
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Preserve me, Lord, I put my hope in you.

I have said to the Lord “You are my Lord, in you alone is all my good”.
As for the holy and noble men of the land, in them is all my delight.
But for those who run to alien gods, their sorrows are many.
I will not share in their libations of blood. I will not speak their names.

You, Lord, are my inheritance and my cup. You control my destiny,
the lot marked out for me is of the best, my inheritance is all I could ask for.
I will bless the Lord who gave me understanding; even in the night my heart will teach me wisdom.
I will hold the Lord for ever in my sight: with him at my side I can never be shaken.
Thus it is that my heart rejoices, heart and soul together; while my body rests in calm hope.

You will not leave my soul in the underworld. You will not let your chosen one see decay.
You will show me the paths of life, the fullness of joy before your face, and delights at your right hand until the end of time.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:23
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you in every way and preserve your life and your soul and your body without blemish, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Short Responsory ?
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.
- Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.
You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness, alleluia, alleluia.
- Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
- Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.

Canticle Nunc Dimittis
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. Alleluia.
Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.
 You have fulfilled your promise.
My own eyes have seen your salvation,
 which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.
A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;
 the glory of your people Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. Alleluia.

Prayer
Let us pray.
Lord our God, we are tired by the work of the day. Refresh us with peaceful sleep and, forever renewed by the help you give, let us always be dedicated to you in body and mind.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
A M E N
Final Antiphon
Queen of Heaven, be joyful,
 Alleluia.
You who were worthy to bear him.
 Alleluia.
He has risen, as he promised.
 Alleluia.
Pray for us to God.
 Alleluia.

16 posted on 05/04/2006 9:14:37 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
Jn 6:44-51
# Douay-Rheims Vulgate
44 No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day. nemo potest venire ad me nisi Pater qui misit me traxerit eum et ego resuscitabo eum novissimo die
45 It is written in the prophets: And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard of the Father and hath learned cometh forth me. est scriptum in prophetis et erunt omnes docibiles Dei omnis qui audivit a Patre et didicit venit ad me
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father: but he who is of God, he hath seen the Father. non quia Patrem vidit quisquam nisi is qui est a Deo hic vidit Patrem
47 Amen, amen, I say unto you: He that believeth in me hath everlasting life. amen amen dico vobis qui credit in me habet vitam aeternam
48 I am the bread of life. ego sum panis vitae
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the desert: and are dead. patres vestri manducaverunt in deserto manna et mortui sunt
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven: that if any man eat of it, he may not die. hic est panis de caelo descendens ut si quis ex ipso manducaverit non moriatur
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. ego sum panis vivus qui de caelo descendi

17 posted on 05/04/2006 11:12:24 PM PDT by annalex
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To: annalex


Juan de Juanes

The Last Supper

c. 1560
Oil on panel
Museo del Prado, Madrid

18 posted on 05/04/2006 11:14:55 PM PDT by annalex
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