Reading 1
Acts 6:8-15

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
“We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God.”
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
“This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30

R. (1ab) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

From: Acts 6:8-15

Stephen's Arrest

[8] And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people. [9] Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue
of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the
Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed
with Stephen. [10] But they could not withstand the wisdom and the
Spirit with which he spoke. [11] Then they secretly instigated men,
who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and
God." [12] And they stirred up the people and the elders and the
scribes, and they came upon him and seized him, and brought him before
the council, [13] and set up false witnesses who said, "This man never
ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law; [14] for we
have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place,
and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us." [15] And
gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like
the face of an angel.

Commentary:

8-14. From the text it would appear that Stephen preached mainly among
Hellenist Jews; this was his own background. Reference is made to
synagogues of Jews of the Dispersion (Diaspora). These synagogues were
used for worship and as meeting places. The very fact that these
Hellenist Jews were living in the Holy City shows what devotion they
had to the Law of their forebears.

No longer is it only the Sanhedrin who are opposed to the Gospel; other
Jews have been affected by misunderstanding and by misrepresentation of
the Christian message.

The charge of blasphemy--also made against our Lord--was the most
serious that could be made against a Jew. As happened in Jesus' case,
the accusers here resort to producing false witnesses, who twist
Stephen's words and accuse him of a crime the penalty for which is
death.

15. St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this verse, recalls that the
face of Moses, when he comes down from Sinai (cf. Exodus 34:29-35),
reflected the glory of God and likewise made the people afraid: "It was
grace, it was the glory of Moses. I think that God clothed him in this
splendor because perhaps he had something to say, and in order that his
very appearance would strike terror into them. For it is possible,
very possible, for figures full of Heavenly grace to be attractive to
friendly eyes and terrifying to the eyes of enemies" ("Hom. on Acts",
15).

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.

From: John 6:22-29

The People Look for Jesus

[22] On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the
sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not
entered the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone
away alone. [23] However, boats from Tiberias came near the place
where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. [24] So when
the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they
themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

The Discourse on the Bread of Life

[25] When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to
Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?" [26] Jesus answered them,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs,
but because you ate your fill of the loaves. [27] Do not labor for the
food which perishes, but the food which endures to eternal life, which
the Son of Man will give to you; for on Him has God the Father set His
seal." [28] Then they said to Him, "What must we do, to be doing the
works of God?" [29] Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God,
that you believe in Him He has sent."

Commentary:

26. Our Lord begins by pointing out that their attitudes are wrong: if
they have the right attitude they will be able to understand His
teaching in the eucharistic discourse. "You seek me", St. Augustine
comments, "for the flesh, not for the spirit. How many seek Jesus for
no other purpose than that He may do them good in this present life!
[...] Scarcely ever is Jesus sought for Jesus' sake" ("In Ioann.
Evang.", 25, 10).

This verse marks the beginning of the discourse on the bread of life
which goes up to verse 59. It opens with an introduction in the form
of a dialogue between Jesus and the Jews (verses 26-34), in which our
Lord reveals Himself as the bringer of the messianic gifts. Then comes
the first part of the discourse (verses 35-47), in which Jesus presents
Himself as the Bread of Life, in the sense that faith in Him is food
for eternal life. In the second part (verses 48-59) Christ reveals the
mystery of the Eucharist: He is the Bread of Life who gives Himself
sacramentally as genuine food.

27. Bodily food helps keep us alive in this world; spiritual food
sustains and develops supernatural life, which will last forever in
Heaven. This food, which only God can give us, consists mainly in the
gift of faith and sanctifying grace. Through God's infinite love we
are given, in the Blessed Eucharist, the very author of these gifts,
Jesus Christ, as nourishment for our souls.

"On Him has God the Father set His seal": our Lord here refers to the
authority by virtue of which He can give men the gifts He has referred
to: for, being God and man, Jesus' human nature is the instrument by
means of which the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity acts. St.
Thomas Aquinas comments on this sentence as follows: "What the Son of
Man will give He possesses through His superiority over all other men
in His singular and outstanding fullness of grace. ...When a seal is
impressed on wax, the wax receives the complete form of the seal. So
it is that the Son received the entire form of the Father. This
occurred in two ways; eternally (eternal generation), which is not
referred to here because the seal and the sealed are different in
nature from one another; what is referred to here is the other manner,
that is, the mystery of the Incarnation, whereby God the Father
impressed on human nature the Word, who is the reflection and the very
stamp of God's nature, as Hebrews 1:3 says" ("Commentary on St. John,
in loc.").

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 49 (50)
True reverence for the Lord
The Lord, the God of gods has spoken; he has summoned the whole earth, from east to west. God has shone forth from Sion in her great beauty. Our God will come, and he will not be silent. Before him, a devouring fire; around him, a tempest rages. He will call upon the heavens above, and on the earth, to judge his people. “Bring together before me my chosen ones, who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice”. The heavens will proclaim his justice; for God is the true judge. 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 49 (50)

True reverence for the Lord

The Lord, the God of gods has spoken;
he has summoned the whole earth, from east to west.
God has shone forth from Sion in her great beauty.
Our God will come, and he will not be silent.
Before him, a devouring fire;
around him, a tempest rages.

He will call upon the heavens above, and on the earth, to judge his people.
“Bring together before me my chosen ones, who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice”.
The heavens will proclaim his justice; for God is the true judge.

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 49 (50)
Listen, my people, and I will speak; Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. I will not reproach you with your sacrifices, for your burnt offerings are always before me. But I will not accept calves from your houses, nor goats from your flocks. For all the beasts of the forests are mine, and in the hills, a thousand animals. All the birds of the air – I know them. Whatever moves in the fields – it is mine. If I am hungry, I will not tell you; for the whole world is mine, and all that is in it. Am I to eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer a sacrifice to God – a sacrifice of praise; to the Most High, fulfil your vows. Then you may call upon me in the time of trouble: I will rescue you, and you will honour 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.

Psalm 49 (50)

Listen, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
I will not reproach you with your sacrifices,
for your burnt offerings are always before me.
But I will not accept calves from your houses,
nor goats from your flocks.

For all the beasts of the forests are mine,
and in the hills, a thousand animals.
All the birds of the air – I know them.
Whatever moves in the fields – it is mine.

If I am hungry, I will not tell you;
for the whole world is mine, and all that is in it.
Am I to eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?

Offer a sacrifice to God – a sacrifice of praise;
to the Most High, fulfil your vows.
Then you may call upon me in the time of trouble:
I will rescue you, and you will honour 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.

Psalm 49 (50)
To the sinner, God has said this: Why do you recite my statutes? Why do you dare to speak my covenant? For you hate what I teach you, and reject what I tell you. The moment you saw a thief, you joined him; you threw in your lot with adulterers. You spoke evil with your mouth, and your tongue made plans to deceive. Solemnly seated, you denounced your own brother; you poured forth hatred against your own mother’s son. All this you did, and I was silent; so you thought that I was just like you. But I will reprove you – I will confront you with all you have done. Understand this, you who forget God; lest I tear you apart, with no-one there to save you. Whoever offers up a sacrifice of praise gives me true honour; whoever follows a sinless path in life will be shown the salvation of God. 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 49 (50)

To the sinner, God has said this:

Why do you recite my statutes?
Why do you dare to speak my covenant?
For you hate what I teach you,
and reject what I tell you.

The moment you saw a thief, you joined him;
you threw in your lot with adulterers.
You spoke evil with your mouth,
and your tongue made plans to deceive.
Solemnly seated, you denounced your own brother;
you poured forth hatred against your own mother’s son.

All this you did, and I was silent;
so you thought that I was just like you.
But I will reprove you –
I will confront you with all you have done.

Understand this, you who forget God;
lest I tear you apart, with no-one there to save you.
Whoever offers up a sacrifice of praise gives me true honour;
whoever follows a sinless path in life will be shown the salvation of God.

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 7:1 - 17 ©
Next I saw four angels, standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the world back to keep them from blowing over the land or the sea or in the trees. Then I saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God’. Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand had been sealed; from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’ One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord’. Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Reading

Apocalypse 7:1 - 17 ©

Next I saw four angels, standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the world back to keep them from blowing over the land or the sea or in the trees. Then I saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God’. Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.
From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand had been sealed; from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’
One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord’. Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Reading	From the commentary on the first letter of Peter by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest
A chosen race, a royal priesthood
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood. This praise was given long ago by Moses to the ancient people of God, and now the apostle Peter rightly gives it to the Gentiles, since they have come to believe in Christ who, as the cornerstone, has brought the nations together in the salvation that belonged to Israel. Peter calls them a chosen race because of their faith, to distinguish them from those who by refusing to accept the living stone have themselves been rejected. They are a royal priesthood because they are united to the body of Christ, the supreme king and true priest. As sovereign he grants them his kingdom, and as high priest he washes away their sins by the offering of his blood. Peter says they are a royal priesthood; they must always remember to hope for an everlasting kingdom and to offer to God the sacrifice of a blameless life. They are also called a consecrated nation, a people claimed by God as his own, in accordance with the apostle Paul’s explanation of the prophet’s teaching: My righteous man lives by faith; but if he draws back, I will take no pleasure in him. But we, he says, are not the sort of people who draw back and are lost; ,we are those who remain faithful until we are saved. In the Acts of the Apostles we read: The Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. Thus, through the blood of our Redeemer, we have become a people claimed by God as his own, as in ancient times the people of Israel were ransomed from Egypt by the blood of a lamb. In the next verse, Peter also makes a veiled allusion to the ancient story, and explains that this story is to be spiritually fulfilled by the new people of God, so that, he says, they may declare his wonderful deeds. Those who were freed by Moses from slavery in Egypt sang a song of triumph to the Lord after they had crossed the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army had been overwhelmed; in the same way, now that our sins have been washed away in baptism, we too should express fitting gratitude for the gifts of heaven. The Egyptians who oppressed the people of God, and who can also stand for darkness or trials, are an apt symbol of the sins that once oppressed us but have now been destroyed in baptism. The deliverance of the children of Israel and their journey to the long-promised land correspond with the mystery of our redemption. we are making our way toward the light of our heavenly home with the grace of Christ leading us and showing us the way. The light of his grace was also symbolised by the cloud and the pillar of fire, which protected the Israelites from darkness throughout their journey, and brought them by a wonderful path to their promised homeland.

Reading

From the commentary on the first letter of Peter by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest

A chosen race, a royal priesthood

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood. This praise was given long ago by Moses to the ancient people of God, and now the apostle Peter rightly gives it to the Gentiles, since they have come to believe in Christ who, as the cornerstone, has brought the nations together in the salvation that belonged to Israel.
Peter calls them a chosen race because of their faith, to distinguish them from those who by refusing to accept the living stone have themselves been rejected. They are a royal priesthood because they are united to the body of Christ, the supreme king and true priest. As sovereign he grants them his kingdom, and as high priest he washes away their sins by the offering of his blood. Peter says they are a royal priesthood; they must always remember to hope for an everlasting kingdom and to offer to God the sacrifice of a blameless life.
They are also called a consecrated nation, a people claimed by God as his own, in accordance with the apostle Paul’s explanation of the prophet’s teaching: My righteous man lives by faith; but if he draws back, I will take no pleasure in him. But we, he says, are not the sort of people who draw back and are lost; ,we are those who remain faithful until we are saved. In the Acts of the Apostles we read: The Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. Thus, through the blood of our Redeemer, we have become a people claimed by God as his own, as in ancient times the people of Israel were ransomed from Egypt by the blood of a lamb.
In the next verse, Peter also makes a veiled allusion to the ancient story, and explains that this story is to be spiritually fulfilled by the new people of God, so that, he says, they may declare his wonderful deeds. Those who were freed by Moses from slavery in Egypt sang a song of triumph to the Lord after they had crossed the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army had been overwhelmed; in the same way, now that our sins have been washed away in baptism, we too should express fitting gratitude for the gifts of heaven. The Egyptians who oppressed the people of God, and who can also stand for darkness or trials, are an apt symbol of the sins that once oppressed us but have now been destroyed in baptism.
The deliverance of the children of Israel and their journey to the long-promised land correspond with the mystery of our redemption. we are making our way toward the light of our heavenly home with the grace of Christ leading us and showing us the way. The light of his grace was also symbolised by the cloud and the pillar of fire, which protected the Israelites from darkness throughout their journey, and brought them by a wonderful path to their promised homeland.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

Catholic Culture

Collect:
God our Father, creator and ruler of the universe, in every age you call man to develop and use his gifts for the good of others. With St. Joseph as our example and guide, help us to do the work you have asked and come to the rewards you have promised. 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.

Recipes:

less

Activities:

less

Prayers:

less

May 01, 2006

Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker

The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was established by Pope Pius XII in 1955 in order to Christianize the concept of labor and give to all workmen a model and a protector. By the daily labor in his shop, offered to God with patience and joy, St. Joseph provided for the necessities of his holy spouse and of the Incarnate Son of God, and thus became an example to all laborers. "Workman and all those laboring in conditions of poverty will have reasons to rejoice rather than grieve, since they have in common with the Holy Family daily preoccupations and cares (Leo XIII)."

St. Joseph the Worker
"May Day" has long been dedicated to labor and the working man. It falls on the first day of the month that is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Pius XII expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labor and would bring a spiritual dimension to labor unions. It is eminently fitting that St. Joseph, a working man who became the foster-father of Christ and patron of the universal Church, should be honored on this day.

The texts of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours provide a catechetical synthesis of the significance of human labor seen in the light of faith. The Opening Prayer states that God, the creator and ruler of the universe, has called men and women in every age to develop and use their talents for the good of others. The Office of Readings, taken from the document of the Second Vatican Council on the Church in the modern world, develops this idea. In every type of labor we are obeying the command of God given in Genesis 2:15 and repeated in the responsory for the Office of Readings. The responsory for the Canticle of Zechariah says that "St. Joseph faithfully practiced the carpenter's trade. He is a shining example for all workers. " Then, in the second part of the Opening Prayer, we ask that we may do the work that God has asked of us and come to the rewards he has promised. In the Prayer after Communion we ask: "May our lives manifest your love; may we rejoice for ever in your peace."

The liturgy for this feast vindicates the right to work, and this is a message that needs to be heard and heeded in our modern society. In many of the documents issued by Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II, reference is made to the Christian spirit that should permeate one's work, after the example of St. Joseph. In addition to this, there is a special dignity and value to the work done in caring for the family. The Office of Readings contains an excerpt from the Vatican II document on the modern world: "Where men and women, in the course of gaining a livelihood for themselves and their families, offer appropriate service to society, they can be confident that their personal efforts promote the work of the Creator, confer benefits on their fellowmen, and help to realize God's plan in history" (no. 34).

Excerpted from Saints of the Roman Calendar by Enzo Lodi

Patron: Against doubt; against hesitation; Americas; Austria; diocese of Baton Rouge, California; Belgium; diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi; Bohemia; diocese of Buffalo, New York; bursars; cabinetmakers; Canada; Carinthia; carpenters; China; Church; confectioners; craftsmen; Croatian people (in 1687 by decree of the Croatian parliment) dying people; emigrants; engineers; expectant mothers; families; fathers; Florence, Italy; happy death; holy death; house hunters; immigrants; interior souls; Korea; laborers; diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky; diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire; married people; Mexico; diocese of Nashville, Tennessee; New France; New World; Oblates of Saint Joseph; people in doubt; people who fight Communism; Peru; pioneers; pregnant women; protection of the Church; diocese of San Jose, California; Sicily; diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; social justice; Styria, Austria; travellers; Turin, Italy; Tyrol, Austria; unborn children; Universal Church; Vatican II; Viet Nam; diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia; wheelwrights; workers; working people.

Symbols: Bible; branch; capenter's square; carpenter's tools; chalice; cross; hand tools; infant Jesus; ladder; lamb; lily; monstrance; old man holding a lily and a carpenter's tool such as a square; old man holding the infant Jesus; plane; rod.

Things to Do:

May 1 is celebrated in Communist countries as the Day of the International Solidarity of Workers. Today would be a good day to pray for athesistic Communism's influence to cease and a proper application of the principles explained by Leo XIII in Rerum novarum and John Paul II in

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

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Letters from the Desert - your response


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Dear Salvation and Fellow Freepers in Christ,

Here are some recent emails I have received from "The Folks who run a "Voice in the Desert".

The First one is the earliest which I received early last week and the last one I received 4 weeks back.

They are quite optimistic that this web site will be up and running in the near future.

From:"email"

Subject:Re: A Belated and Holy Divine Mercy Sunday to you and to your Family.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

A glorious Easter season to you, -------.

Yes, we did receive your beautiful Divine Mercy card. It was a special feature for our day.

Please do not stop praying for the return of this website. God has a plan! Hopefully we can report good news in the near future.

We must continue to beseech Our Lord and Our Lady. God bless you!

From:"email"

To:"email DV"

Subject:New Desert Web Page: Letters from the Desert

Dear Friends of DesertVoice,

What did you go out to the desert to see - a reed swayed by the wind?

Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments?

Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces. Then what did you go out to see? - Saint Luke 7:24-26

One speaking the truth.

Now that voice has been silenced, but we want your voices to be heard.

So we have compiled excerpts of your messages to us in a new web page entitled Letters from the Desert.

Your prayers have been a very powerful support for Father Altier in these days, and his homilies seem even more inspired than ever.

A Voice in the Desert website was created for you, and we know you want your website back.Your words of testimony stand as a strong witness to the necessity of re-establishing this spiritual ministry.

As we enter now these final two weeks of Lent, a Lent which has been especially difficult - as Father Altier prophetically stated in his homily on February 13, 2006, when he said, "I submit to you that Lent this year may be quite different from any that we have ever known" - let us unite in offering to God our prayers and sacrifices, sufferings and trials, which are daily increasing for every single soul trying to live the life of Christ in the world today, that A Voice in the Desert will be heard again in this desert land.

United in the Passion of Our Lord,

DesertVoice Webmasters

P.S. Please visit www.desertvoice.org daily to show your support- and pass the word on!

From:"email"

Subject:the battle is definitely not over

Dear ------, our Beloved Soldier of Christ in India,

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Thanks for copying us on your latest letter to the Archbishop.

Want you to know we are thinking of you. Hope you like the Letters from the Desert.

If those testimonies can be seen far and wide, it may make a difference.

Pass the word on! -- and don't lose hope!

We're counting on you to get this out to blogs, the newspapers, the Vatican, even the secular press, anybody who has an ear.

Our hands are tied, but yours aren't, so please help. Sorry obedience has kept us from complying with your past requests, but you will understand. Our Lord conquered Satan through obedience; He will reward obedience and bring this website back to His sheep.

God bless you, DesertVoice Support

Jn 6:22-29
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
22	The next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other ship there but one: and that Jesus had not entered into the ship with his disciples, but that his disciples were gone away alone.	altera die turba quae stabat trans mare vidit quia navicula alia non erat ibi nisi una et quia non introisset cum discipulis suis Iesus in navem sed soli discipuli eius abissent
23	But other ships came in from Tiberias, nigh unto the place where they had eaten the bread, the Lord giving thanks.	aliae vero supervenerunt naves a Tiberiade iuxta locum ubi manducaverant panem gratias agente Domino
24	When therefore the multitude saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they took shipping and came to Capharnaum, seeking for Jesus.	cum ergo vidisset turba quia Iesus non esset ibi neque discipuli eius ascenderunt naviculas et venerunt Capharnaum quaerentes Iesum
25	And when they had found him on that other side of the sea, they said to him: Rabbi, when camest thou hither?	et cum invenissent eum trans mare dixerunt ei rabbi quando huc venisti
26	Jesus answered them and said: Amen, amen, I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled.	respondit eis Iesus et dixit amen amen dico vobis quaeritis me non quia vidistis signa sed quia manducastis ex panibus et saturati estis
27	Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you. For him hath God, the Father, sealed.	operamini non cibum qui perit sed qui permanet in vitam aeternam quem Filius hominis vobis dabit hunc enim Pater signavit Deus
28	They said therefore unto him: What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?	dixerunt ergo ad eum quid faciemus ut operemur opera Dei
29	Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent.	respondit Iesus et dixit eis hoc est opus Dei ut credatis in eum quem misit ille

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.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 83 (84)
Longing for the Lord's temple
How delightful is your dwelling-place, Lord of hosts! My soul is weak with longing for the courts of your palace. My heart and my body rejoice in the living God. Even the sparrow finds itself a home, the swallow a nest to raise her young – in your altars, O Lord, Lord of strength, my king and my God. Blessed are they who dwell in your house: they will praise you for ever. Blessed the man whose help comes from you, who has set his heart on reaching you. They pass through the valley of thirst and make a spring there: the morning rain will cover it with blessings. They will go from strength to strength: they will see the God of gods, in Sion. Lord God of hosts, listen to my prayer; hear me, O God of Jacob. Take notice of us, God our protector, and look on the face of your anointed one. One day in the courts of my God is worth more than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be at the doorstep of the house of my God than live in the dwellings of sinners. For the Lord my God is my sun and my shield. The Lord gives grace and glory. He will not deny his good things to those who walk in purity. Blessed is he who trusts in you, O Lord of hosts. 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 83 (84)

Longing for the Lord's temple

How delightful is your dwelling-place, Lord of hosts!
My soul is weak with longing for the courts of your palace.
My heart and my body rejoice in the living God.
Even the sparrow finds itself a home,
the swallow a nest to raise her young –
in your altars, O Lord,
Lord of strength, my king and my God.
Blessed are they who dwell in your house:
they will praise you for ever.

Blessed the man whose help comes from you,
who has set his heart on reaching you.
They pass through the valley of thirst
and make a spring there:
the morning rain will cover it with blessings.
They will go from strength to strength:
they will see the God of gods, in Sion.

Lord God of hosts, listen to my prayer;
hear me, O God of Jacob.
Take notice of us, God our protector,
and look on the face of your anointed one.

One day in the courts of my God
is worth more than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be at the doorstep of the house of my God
than live in the dwellings of sinners.

For the Lord my God is my sun and my shield.
The Lord gives grace and glory.
He will not deny his good things
to those who walk in purity.
Blessed is he who trusts in you,
O Lord of hosts.

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 2
The mountain of the house of the Lord
In the last days, at the end of time, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be prepared high above all mountains. It will be raised above the hills and all nations will come to it. And many peoples will come there and say “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. Let him teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths”. For from Sion the law will go forth, from Jerusalem the word of the Lord. And he will judge the nations and rebuke many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into sickles. Nation will lift sword against nation no longer. No longer will they go out into battle. People of Jacob, come: let us walk in the light of the Lord. 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 2

The mountain of the house of the Lord

In the last days, at the end of time,
the mountain of the house of the Lord
will be prepared high above all mountains.
It will be raised above the hills
and all nations will come to it.

And many peoples will come there and say
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
Let him teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths”.
For from Sion the law will go forth,
from Jerusalem the word of the Lord.

And he will judge the nations
and rebuke many peoples.
They will beat their swords into ploughshares
and their spears into sickles.
Nation will lift sword against nation no longer.
No longer will they go out into battle.

People of Jacob, come:
let us walk in the light of the Lord.

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 95 (96)
The Lord, the universal King and judge
Sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; day after day, proclaim his saving power. Proclaim his glory to the nations, proclaim to all peoples the wonders he has done. For the Lord is great; great is the praise we owe him, he is to be feared above all gods. The gods of the nations are foolishness, but the Lord made the heavens. Majesty and splendour are all about him, power and honour in his holy place. Bring to the Lord, clans of the peoples, bring to the Lord glory and power, bring to the Lord the glory that belongs to his name. Bring your offerings, enter his courts, worship the Lord in holy attire. Tremble at his presence, all the earth. Say to the nations: “The Lord reigns!”. For he has set the world firm, so that it cannot be shaken, and he will judge the peoples with fairness. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad, let the sea and its fulness resound. The fields will rejoice, and all that is in them, all the trees of the woods will rejoice at the Lord’s presence – for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge all the world with justice. He will judge all the peoples with fairness. 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 95 (96)

The Lord, the universal King and judge

Sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
day after day, proclaim his saving power.
Proclaim his glory to the nations,
proclaim to all peoples the wonders he has done.

For the Lord is great; great is the praise we owe him,
he is to be feared above all gods.
The gods of the nations are foolishness,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Majesty and splendour are all about him,
power and honour in his holy place.

Bring to the Lord, clans of the peoples,
bring to the Lord glory and power,
bring to the Lord the glory that belongs to his name.
Bring your offerings, enter his courts,
worship the Lord in holy attire.
Tremble at his presence, all the earth.
Say to the nations: “The Lord reigns!”.
For he has set the world firm, so that it cannot be shaken,
and he will judge the peoples with fairness.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad,
let the sea and its fulness resound.
The fields will rejoice, and all that is in them,
all the trees of the woods will rejoice
at the Lord’s presence – for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge all the world with justice.
He will judge all the peoples with fairness.

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.

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

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