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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 05-26-17, M, St. Philip Neri, Priest
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 05-26-17 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 05/25/2017 9:38:59 PM PDT by Salvation

May 26, 2017

Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest

Reading 1 Acts 18:9-18

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,
"Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
No one will attack and harm you,
for I have many people in this city."
He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,
the Jews rose up together against Paul
and brought him to the tribunal, saying,
"This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law."
When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,
"If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,
I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;
but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles
and your own law, see to it yourselves.
I do not wish to be a judge of such matters."
And he drove them away from the tribunal.
They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,
and beat him in full view of the tribunal.
But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Paul remained for quite some time,
and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,
together with Priscilla and Aquila.
At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He brings people under us;
nations under our feet.
He chooses for us our inheritance,
the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia See Lk 24:46, 26

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
"Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory."
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; easter; jn16; prayer; saints
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To: All
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.


21 posted on 05/25/2017 10:22:19 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
John
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  John 16
20 Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Amen, amen dico vobis : quia plorabitis, et flebitis vos, mundus autem gaudebit ; vos autem contristabimini, sed tristitia vestra vertetur in gaudium. αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οτι κλαυσετε και θρηνησετε υμεις ο δε κοσμος χαρησεται υμεις δε λυπηθησεσθε αλλ η λυπη υμων εις χαραν γενησεται
21 A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. Mulier cum parit, tristitiam habet, quia venit hora ejus ; cum autem pepererit puerum, jam non meminit pressuræ propter gaudium, quia natus est homo in mundum. η γυνη οταν τικτη λυπην εχει οτι ηλθεν η ωρα αυτης οταν δε γεννηση το παιδιον ουκετι μνημονευει της θλιψεως δια την χαραν οτι εγεννηθη ανθρωπος εις τον κοσμον
22 So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you. Et vos igitur nunc quidem tristitiam habetis, iterum autem videbo vos, et gaudebit cor vestrum : et gaudium vestrum nemo tollet a vobis. και υμεις ουν λυπην μεν νυν εχετε παλιν δε οψομαι υμας και χαρησεται υμων η καρδια και την χαραν υμων ουδεις αιρει αφ υμων
23 And in that day you shall not ask me any thing. Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. Et in illo die me non rogabitis quidquam. Amen, amen dico vobis : si quid petieritis Patrem in nomine meo, dabit vobis. και εν εκεινη τη ημερα εμε ουκ ερωτησετε ουδεν αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οτι οσα αν αιτησητε τον πατερα εν τω ονοματι μου δωσει υμιν

22 posted on 05/26/2017 4:27:32 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
20. Verily, verily, I say to you, That you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
21. A woman when she is in travail has sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
22. And you now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you.

CHRYS. Then He shows that sorrow brings forth joy, short sorrow infinite joy, by an example from nature: A woman when she is in travail has sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

AUG This comparison does not seem difficult to understand. It was one which lay near at hand, and He Himself immediately shows its application. And you now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice. The bringing forth is compared to sorrow, the birth to joy, which is especially true in the birth of a boy. And your joy no man takes from you: their joy is Christ. This agrees with what the Apostle said, Christ being risen from the dead dies no more (Romans 6:9).

CHRYS. By this example He also intimates that He loosens the chains of death, and creates men anew. He does not say however that she should not have tribulation, but that she should not remember it; so great is the joy which follows. And so is it with the saints. He said not that a boy is born, but that a man, a tacit allusion to His own resurrection.

AUG. To this joy it is better to refer what was said above: A little while and you shall not see Me, and again, a little while and you shall see Me. For the whole space of time that this world continues is but a little while. Because I go to the Father, refers to the former clause, a little while and you shall not see Me, not to the latter, a little while and you shall see Me. His going to the Father was the reason why they would not see Him. So to them who then saw Him in the body He says, A little while and you shall not see Me; for He was about to go to the Father, and mortals would thenceforth never see Him again, as they saw Him now. The next words, A little while and you shall see Me, are a promise to the whole Church. For this little while appears long to us while it is passing, but when it is finished we shall then see how little a time it has been.

ALCUIN. The woman is the holy Church, who is fruitful in good works, and brings forth spiritual children to God. This woman, while she brings forth, i.e. while she is making her progress in the world, amidst temptations and afflictions, has sorrow because her hour is come; for no one ever hated his own flesh.

AUG. Nor yet in this bringing forth of joy, are we entirely without joy to lighten our sorrow, but, as the Apostle said, we rejoice in hope (Romans 12:12); for even the woman, to whom we are compared, rejoices more for her future offspring, than she sorrows for her present pain.

ALCUIN. But as soon as she is delivered, i.e. when her laborious struggle is over, and she has got the palm, she remembers no more her former anguish, for joy at reaping such a reward, for joy that a man is born into the world. For as a woman rejoices when a man is born into the world, so the Church is filled with exultation when the faithful are born into life eternal.

BEDE. Nor should it appear strange, if one who departs from this life is said to be born. For as a man is said to be born when he comes out of his mother's womb into the light of day, so may he be said to be born who from out of the prison of the body, is raised to the light eternal. Whence the festivals of the saints, which are the days on which they died, are called their birthdays.

ALCUIN. I will see you again, i.e. I will take you to Myself. Or, I will see you again, i.e. I shall appear again and be seen by you; and your heart shall rejoice.

AUG. This fruit indeed the Church now yearns for in travail, but then will enjoy in her delivery. And it is a male child, because all active duties are for the sake of devotion; for that only is free which is desired for its own sake, not for any thing else, and action is for this end. This is the end which satisfies and is eternal; for nothing can satisfy but what is itself the ultimate end. Wherefore of them it is well said, Your joy no man takes from you.

23. And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say to you, Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

CHRYS, Again our Lord shows that it is expedient that He should go: And in that day shall you ask Me nothing.

AUG. The word ask here means not only to seek for, but to ask a question: the Greek word from which it is translated has both meanings.

CHRYS. He says, And in that day, i.e. when I shall have risen again, you shall ask Me nothing, i.e. not say to Me, Show us the Father, and, Where do You go? since you will know this by the teaching of the Holy Ghost; or, you shall ask Me nothing, i.e. not want Me for a Mediator to obtain your requests, as My name will be enough, if you only call upon that: Verily, verily, I say to you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you. Wherein He shows His power; that neither seen, or asked, but named only to the Father, He will do miracles.

Do not think then, He said, that because for the future I shall not be with you, that you are therefore forsaken; for My name will be a still greater protection to you than My presence: Hitherto have you asked nothing in My Name; ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Catena Aurea John 16
23 posted on 05/26/2017 4:28:02 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


The Joy of All Who Sorrow

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24 posted on 05/26/2017 4:28:58 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: All
Saint Philip Neri

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

<em>The Madonna Apperaing to Saint Philip Neri</em> | Sebastiano ConcaImage: The Madonna Apperaing to Saint Philip Neri | Sebastiano Conca

Saint Philip Neri

Saint of the Day for May 26

(July 21, 1515May 26, 1595)

 

Saint Philip Neri’s Story

Philip Neri was a sign of contradiction, combining popularity with piety against the background of a corrupt Rome and a disinterested clergy: the whole post-Renaissance malaise.

At an early age, Philip abandoned the chance to become a businessman, moved to Rome from Florence, and devoted his life and individuality to God. After three years of philosophy and theology studies, he gave up any thought of ordination. The next 13 years were spent in a vocation unusual at the time—that of a layperson actively engaged in prayer and the apostolate.

As the Council of Trent (1545-63) was reforming the Church on a doctrinal level, Philip’s appealing personality was winning him friends from all levels of society, from beggars to cardinals. He rapidly gathered around himself a group of laypersons won over by his audacious spirituality. Initially, they met as an informal prayer and discussion group, and also served poor people in Rome.

At the urging of his confessor, Philip was ordained a priest and soon became an outstanding confessor himself, gifted with the knack of piercing the pretenses and illusions of others, though always in a charitable manner and often with a joke. He arranged talks, discussions, and prayers for his penitents in a room above the church. He sometimes led “excursions” to other churches, often with music and a picnic on the way.

Some of Philip’s followers became priests and lived together in community. This was the beginning of the Oratory, the religious institute he founded. A feature of their life was a daily afternoon service of four informal talks, with vernacular hymns and prayers. Giovanni Palestrina was one of Philip’s followers, and composed music for the services. The Oratory was finally approved after suffering through a period of accusations of being an assembly of heretics, where laypersons preached and sang vernacular hymns!

Philip’s advice was sought by many of the prominent figures of his day. He is one of the influential figures of the Counter-Reformation, mainly for converting to personal holiness many of the influential people within the Church itself. His characteristic virtues were humility and gaiety.

After spending a day hearing confessions and receiving visitors, Philip Neri suffered a hemorrage and died on the feast of Corpus Christi in 1595. He was beatified in 1615 and canonized in 1622. Three centuries later, Cardinal John Henry Newman founded the first English-speaking house of the Oratory in London.


Reflection

Many people wrongly feel that such an attractive and jocular personality as Philip’s cannot be combined with an intense spirituality. Philip’s life melts our rigid, narrow views of piety. His approach to sanctity was truly catholic, all-embracing, and accompanied by a good laugh. Philip always wanted his followers to become not less but more human through their striving for holiness.


25 posted on 05/26/2017 8:51:19 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
12 Sayings from St. Philip Neri
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] Impossible to Man's Powers, But Not To God's
Impossible to Man's Powers, But Not To God's, All Priest [St. Philip Neri]
St. Philip Neri on Sanctification
St.Philip Neri at the High Altar
26 posted on 05/26/2017 8:52:25 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Information: St. Philip Neri

Feast Day: May 26

Born: 22 July 1515 at Florence, Italy

Died: 27 May 1595

Canonized: 12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV

27 posted on 05/26/2017 8:55:51 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

St. Philip Neri

Feast Day: May 26
Born: 1515 :: Died: 1595

St. Philip Neri was born at Florence, in Italy to poor parents. His father Francisco Neri who worked as a lawyer had two sons and two daughters. But Philip's brother died when he was a little child.

As a child, Philip was affectionately called "Good little Phil." He was always so jolly and friendly that everyone he met loved him. Philip went to Rome as a teenager. He studied theology and philosophy for three years under Dominican priests and was a good student.

Above all, Philip was a very active Christian. He lived simply and worked hard. But he also did much good for the people around him. He helped poor children and spent time with the sick. He was a friend to people who were troubled and lonely. In fact, he reached out to everybody he could for the love of Jesus.

Philip with the help of a few people started an organization to take care of poor pilgrims. That ministry gradually continued as a famous Roman hospital. The priest who guided him realized that Philip was doing so much to help the Christians of Rome come close to God again.

But when Philip was thirty-six he felt a strong calling to be a priest. It was then that he began his most wonderful ministry for others. He was available for the sacrament of Reconciliation for several hours every day. The lines of people who came to him grew longer. But Father Philip was never in a hurry. He never ran out of patience and gentleness.

People began to notice that he could often read their minds. He could sometimes tell the future and the Lord even worked miracles through him. But all Philip wanted to do was bring Jesus to the people. To avoid their admiration, he acted silly once in a while. He wanted people to laugh and forget that they thought he was holy.

St. Philip was making a difference, though. Because of him, the whole city of Rome was becoming better. Once he started to think about being a missionary to far-off lands. He was very impressed by the life of St. Francis Xavier, who had died in 1552 at the gate of China.

Philip had been a priest for just one year at the time of St. Xavier's death. Should he leave Rome and volunteer for the missions? A holy Cistercian monk told him "Rome is to be your mission land." After that, Father Philip was at peace.

St. Philip spent the last five years of his life offering the sacrament of Reconciliation to the people. He began working with youth, finding safe places for them to play, becoming involved in their lives. He died at the age of eighty in 1595.

Reflection: "A servant of God must always be happy." How can I become more cheerful and generous? I can pray for these gifts.


28 posted on 05/26/2017 8:57:29 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Catholic Culture

Easter: May 26th

Memorial of St. Philip Neri, priest

MASS READINGS

May 26, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Father, you continually raise up your faithful to the glory of holiness. In your love kindle in us the fire of the Holy Spirit who so filled the heart of Philip Neri. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Old Calendar: Tuesday after Pentecost; St. Philip Neri, confessor; St. Eleutherius, pope and martyr ; Other Titles: Philip Romolo Neri; Apostle of Rome; Amabile Santo

St. Philip Neri (1515-1595) was born in Florence and died in Rome. He lived a spotless childhood in Florence. Later he came to Rome and after living for fifteen years as a pilgrim and hermit was ordained a priest. He gradually gathered around him a group of priests and established the Congregation of the Oratory. He was a man of original character and of a happy, genial and winning disposition. A great educator of youth, he spent whole nights in prayer, had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and burned with an unbounded love for mankind. He died on the feast of Corpus Christi.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Eleutherius, who governed the Church for 15 years, after the persecution of the Emperor Commodus. He died in 192. This feast may be celebrated in particular churches.


St. Philip Neri
This gracious, cheerful saint was Rome's apostle of the sixteenth century (1515-1595). A peculiar charism was his burning love of God, a love that imperceptibly communicated itself to all about him. So ardently did this fire of divine love affect him during the octave of Pentecost in his twenty-ninth year that the beating of his heart broke two ribs. It was a wound that never healed.

For fifty years the saint lived on in the intensity of that love which was more at home in heaven than on earth. Through those fifty years his was an apostolate to renew the religious and ecclesiastical spirit of the Eternal City, a task he brought to a happy conclusion. It is to his credit that the practice of frequent Holy Communion, long neglected in Rome and throughout the Catholic world, was again revived. He became one of Rome's patron saints, even one of the most popular.

Philip Neri loved the young, and they responded by crowding about him. As a confessor he was in great demand; among his penitents was St. Ignatius. To perpetuate his life's work, St. Philip founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a society of secular clergy without religious vows. The purpose of his foundation was to enkindle piety among the faithful by means of social gatherings which afforded not only entertainment but religious instruction as well. Joy and gaiety were so much a part of his normal disposition that Goethe, who esteemed him highly, called him the "humorous saint." It was his happy, blithe spirit that opened for him the hearts of children. "Philip Neri, learned and wise, by sharing the pranks of children himself became a child again" (epitaph).

As a youth Philip Neri often visited the seven principal churches of Rome. He spent entire nights at the catacombs, near the tombs of the martyrs, meditating on heavenly things. The liturgy was the wellspring of his apostolic spirit; it should likewise motivate us to Catholic Action.

— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

Patron: Rome; United States Army Special Forces.

Symbols: Rosary; lily; angel holding a book.

Things to Do:


St. Eleutherius
Eleutherius was born at Nicopolis in Greece. He was a deacon of Pope Anicetus, and was chosen to govern the Church during the reign of the emperor Commodus. At the beginning of his pontificate he received letters from Lucius, king of the Britons, begging him to receive himself and his subjects among the Christians. Wherefore Eleutherius sent into Britain Fugatius and Damian, two learned and holy men; through whose ministry the king and his people might receive the faith. It was also during his pontificate that Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, went to Rome, and was kindly received by Eleutherius. The Church of God was then enjoying great peace and calm, and the faith made progress throughout the whole world, but nowhere more than at Rome. Eleutherius governed the Church fifteen years and twenty-three days. He thrice held ordinations in December, at which he made twelve priests, eight deacons, and fifteen bishops for diverse places. He was buried in the Vatican, near the body of St Peter.

— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

Symbols: Model of Tournay cathedral; flaming oven; dragon; scourge; angel bearing scroll.

29 posted on 05/26/2017 4:08:35 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 16:20-23

Saint Philip Neri, Priest (Memorial)

No one will take your joy away from you. (John 16:22)

What a promise—joy that cannot be taken away! Who wouldn’t want that? It seems simple. Jesus tells his disciples that the joy of seeing him again will wipe away all memory of their suffering, just as a woman in labor “forgets” the pain when she rejoices in the birth of her child.

But any parent will tell you: it’s not a bed of roses once the baby is born. Raising children is a mixture of late-night feedings and watching your baby’s first step. It’s tending to a skinned knee (again) and being bowled over by an enthusiastic hug. But no matter what challenges you face, the love is always there.

The ebb and flow of our emotions doesn’t change Jesus’ promise of joy. Do we face ups and downs? Of course! But the joy that Jesus gives doesn’t have to rise and fall with our circumstances. It’s not a fleeting thrill, but a steady stream running in the back of our minds—a stream that flows from the unshakable truth of Jesus’ resurrection. We know he is risen. We know he has overcome sin and death. We know that he has prepared a place for us in heaven. With truths like these, how can we not feel at least a glimmer of hope and joy, even in our darkest moments?

Are you having a good day today? Great! Thank Jesus for sustaining you. Are you going through something difficult? Then it’s time to proclaim what you know to be true. Tell Jesus you trust him. Tell him that you believe there’s a place in heaven with your name on it. Declare that he is bigger than what you’re going through. Then watch your anxiety begin to give way.

Jesus can deepen your faith every time you turn to him, both in sorrow and happiness. He can strengthen your foundation and give you a sense of his own joy and trust in God. You may even find yourself less subject to moodiness or better able to weather a stormy patch in life. That’s the kind of joy that Jesus wants to give you!

“Holy Spirit, fill me with your joy. Help me to trust you through my ups and downs.”

Acts 18:9-18
Psalm 47:2-7

30 posted on 05/26/2017 5:27:29 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for May 26, 2017:

“To listen carefully to one another, especially those who disagree with me, and to consider others’ feelings and needs rather than insist on having my own way.” (#3, Family Pledge of Nonviolence) Could your family say “Yes” to this? World peace begins at home

31 posted on 05/26/2017 5:30:21 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Regnum Christi

May 26, 2017 – On Grieving and Rejoicing

Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest

Father John Doyle, LC

John 16:20-23a

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this prayer I offer you my whole self: my thoughts, desires, decisions, actions, hopes, fears, weaknesses, failures and petty successes. I open my entire being to you, aware that you know everything already. I’m certain of your mercy and of the purifying power of your penetrating, loving gaze.

Petition: Lord, give me great peace and interior joy in the midst of life’s trials.

1. “You Will Weep” Grief is not an agreeable experience in itself. Jesus doesn’t promise his disciples that by following him they will be shielded from the sorrow characteristic of any exile in a foreign land. A Christian’s value system is diametrically opposed to the worldly view. Be honest and the common opinion will consider you backward or naive. Be kind and you will be seen as gullible. Be faithful to the love of your spouse and you will be seen as having repressive tendencies. The list could go on and on. An authentic Christian stands out among the fingers of the world as truly the sorest thumb. Have I accepted this unpleasant and challenging element of Christianity?

2. “I Will See You Again” “Your grief will become joy.” The disciples were surprised and discouraged by Jesus’ crucifixion, but Jesus’ death would not be the final scene in the play. After the dramatic events of Calvary came the joy of the Resurrection, a new and glorious life. How happy the disciples must have been to see Our Lord again! But even then Jesus seems to play “peek-a-boo” with his disciples. He walks through walls bringing them joy and then he just disappears again. We can have a similar experience in prayer. The alternation of dryness and consolation is an essential part of God’s pedagogy with us. Sometimes it seems that the Lord is right beside us and other times that he is on foreign business. Am I able to exercise my faith in the presence of the Lord beyond the state of my feelings at the moment?

3. “Your Hearts Will Rejoice” Sometimes the charge is leveled against Christianity that its moral prohibitions are a source of sorrow and frustration. A closer look shows a different picture entirely. The closeness of the Lord, along with the recognition that the goods of this world are fundamentally good gifts lavished by the Father upon his children, brings profound joy. When we are able to distinguish the presence and action of the Lord in every created thing and through every circumstance, we experience a joy unknown to the world. “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” Do I have this joy founded on my faith and the awareness of God’s immense personal love? Does my obedience to the moral law stem from a complete trust in God who desires my happiness?

Conversation with Christ: My Jesus, when you are near me I experience great joy. I know that you are always with me. Help me to exercise my faith and to be able to strengthen the faith of those of my brothers and sisters who need me to show them your love.

Resolution: I will offer up any difficulty that the Lord sends me today for those who do not yet have the joy of his friendship.

32 posted on 05/26/2017 7:26:17 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Homily of the Day
May 26, 2017

In the first reading, God assures Paul of his presence and support in his missionary work, “Do not be afraid … I am with you.”

In the Gospel reading, Jesus assures his disciples of his continuing presence and support, even after he has left them. Indeed, in reality he was not leaving them: he continues to be for them at the right hand of the Father in heaven: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.”

Today is the memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest and founder of the Congregation of the Oratory. In his time, like St. Paul in the early Church, St. Philip Neri “filled the people of Rome with new ardor and re-evangelized the city.”

Jesus assured his disciples of his continuing presence and guidance. He tells them that, working for him and with him in preaching the Good News, they will be filled with joy. Though St. Paul and St. Philip Neri encountered many problems and much opposition in their ministry, they remained joyful in their love and service of Christ and the Good News.

We pray that we, too, in whatever tasks we have in living and preaching Christ and the Good News, may remain joyful in the Lord, confident of his presence and his help.


33 posted on 05/26/2017 7:28:57 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 3

<< Friday, May 26, 2017 >> St. Philip Neri
Pentecost Novena - Day 1

 
Acts 18:9-18
View Readings
Psalm 47:2-7 John 16:20-23
Similar Reflections
 

NINE DAYS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

 
"Whatever you ask the Father, He will give you in My name." �John 16:23
 

Today we begin the Pentecost novena, nine days of prayer in preparation for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. On this first day of the novena, Jesus tells us to ask for the Spirit in His name (Jn 16:23). Jesus says: "The heavenly Father [will] give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him" (Lk 11:13).

We need these nine days to prepare us to ask rightly (see Jas 4:2-3). "We will receive at His hands whatever we ask" provided that "our consciences have nothing to charge us with" (1 Jn 3:22, 21). Thus, the Lord wants us to focus on repentance during this novena.

The disciples who prayed the first Pentecost novena "devoted themselves to constant prayer" (Acts 1:14). Prayer that is constant and communal works! They were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Find some people to gather with to pray the novena.

Mary was central to the first Pentecost novena. Imagine how guilty the first disciples felt in abandoning Jesus during His crucifixion and thus adding to His pain. If you went to the funeral of someone you had hurt badly, imagine how comforted you'd feel to be loved and forgiven by the family of the deceased. Mary was Jesus' mother. Her presence with the disciples during the novena meant forgiveness and unity.

Repent and go to Confession. Pray with others. Pray with Mary. Receive the Holy Spirit!

 
Prayer: Father, I ask You in Jesus' name to prepare my heart to be a worthy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.
Promise: "The Lord said to Paul: 'Do not be afraid. Go on speaking and do not be silenced, for I am with you.' " �Acts 18:9-10
Praise: Even at age six, St. Philip was noted for his obedience to his parents.

34 posted on 05/26/2017 7:51:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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“God Whispers…” Pro-Life Mobile Wallpaper Ven. Fulton Sheen:
35 posted on 05/26/2017 7:51:41 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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