Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin, all hope consists in confession; in confession there is a chance for mercy.

St. Isidore of Seville

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

The Word Among Us

View the Order of Mass

Today's Meditation: John 10:31-42

Even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand. (John 10:38)

This is not the first time Jesus’ enemies picked up stones to hurl at him. At every turn, they tried to trip him up, to catch any misstep. Yet despite all of this, Jesus kept inviting them to believe in him. In today’s Gospel, he implored them to set aside their skepticism about his words and look at his actions instead. If my words are confusing you, Jesus was saying, look at my works. Aren’t they evidence enough for you to start to believe in me?

What were those “works”? A man paralyzed for thirty-eight years was completely healed (John 5:1-18). A couple of loaves of bread and fish fed five thousand people (John 6:1-15). A woman caught in adultery was saved from stoning and received mercy (John 8:1-11). A man who had been blind since birth could now see (John 9). Only God could do such things!

Jesus wants his works to speak to you as well. Now you’re probably familiar with the stories about Jesus and the impressive miracles he worked in the Bible. But make no mistake, he is still working today. He is even working in the people around you. So ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize these works. You might notice a recent widow in your parish who is able to find joy after her husband has passed away. Or maybe you’ll realize your neighbor has been patiently caring for his wife for months without complaint. You might even find yourself in financial need and receive a welcome bonus.

These moments of grace come from God’s hands. The more of them you see for what they are, the more you will believe, especially when times of doubt or anxiety make your faith feel shaky. Set your eyes on Jesus—both on what he has done in the past and what he is doing right now. Believe too that he wants to work just as patiently in your life. If he kept trying to convince his “enemies,” why wouldn’t he work just as hard to help you know him better?

“Jesus, you bring miracles to life around me. Open my eyes to see your works and believe in you.”

Jeremiah 20:10-13
Psalm 18:2-7

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

Daily Marriage Tip for April 3, 2020:

Where did all the flowers and magic go? Infatuation may get a couple together but eventually fades and romance alone will not keep you together over the long haul. Common values, commitment to each other, and shared experiences are the glue.

Homily of the Day

April 3, 2020

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

How often have felt that we’ve done the “right thing” but suffered for our decisions? When this happened, how did we express our disappointment and feelings during our prayers and conversations with God? During those moments, were we facing a tough no-win situation or were we trying to change these situations into a positive one?

In the first reading today, Jeremiah was facing one of those times. He heard rumors directed against him and knew that certain people around him were waiting for him to make mistakes and fail. Even through all his trials, he continued to keep his trust in the Lord.

During Jesus’ ministry, many people made efforts to stop and discourage him. Doubts were created by these people, to deter others from listening to his teachings and following him. But even with all their efforts, Jesus persisted by continuing to preach and perform miracles.

How do we then, in our daily lives, learn to trust or deepen our trust in the Lord, to guide and help us in our decisions even through adversities?

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 36, Issue 3

<< Friday, April 3, 2020 >>

Jeremiah 20:10-13
View Readings

Psalm 18:2-7

John 10:31-42
Similar Reflections

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO JESUS?

They "again reached for rocks to stone Him." �John 10:31

Wednesday in the daily Scripture readings we heard Jesus say: "You are trying to kill Me" (Jn 8:37). Yesterday we heard: "They picked up rocks to throw at Jesus, but He hid Himself and slipped out of the temple precincts" (Jn 8:59). Today we hear: "The Jews again reached for rocks to stone Him" (Jn 10:31) and "They again tried to arrest Him" (Jn 10:39). Tomorrow we hear from Caiaphas, the high priest, " 'You have no understanding whatever! Can you not see that it is better for you to have one Man die [for the people] than to have the whole nation destroyed?' (He did not say this on his own. It was rather as high priest for that year that he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation)" (Jn 11:49-51). On Passion (Palm) Sunday, we will hear of Jesus' death on the cross. Obviously, many people had a persistent desire to hurt and kill Jesus.

This continues to the present day. Those who sin against the Lord "are crucifying the Son of God for themselves and holding Him up to contempt" (Heb 6:6). We can either be part of the eternal worship of Jesus enthroned in heaven (see Rv 5:12ff) or of the continuing rejection of Jesus through our sins. When we hear the Passion read on Sunday or on Good Friday, we will be hearing about ourselves. We will face our similarity with someone. Will we resemble the betraying Judas, the denying Peter, or the unfaithful fearful apostles? Or we will see our similarity with Nicodemus in his repentance, Mary in her supreme love, or the centurion in his profession of faith?

Jesus is alive and loving us personally. We are responding to His love � whether we admit it or not. We are rejecting Jesus' love or loving Him in return. Love Jesus always and forever.

Prayer: Father, I repent of any ways in which I have physically or emotionally abused Jesus.

Promise: "He has rescued the life of the poor." —Jer 20:13

Praise: John repented of denying Jesus by his silence.