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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 04-15-13
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 04-15-13 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 04/14/2013 9:04:58 PM PDT by Salvation

April 15, 2013

Monday of the Third Week of Easter

 

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.”


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


Information:
Sts. Basilissa and Anastasia
Feast Day: April 15

21 posted on 04/15/2013 9:06:22 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Interactive Saints for Kids -- I'm puzzled about why this is here on this date.

(Blessed) Saint Damien of Molokai

Feast Day: April 15
Born: 1840 :: Died: 1889

Joseph "Jeff" de Veuster was the son of Belgian farmers. He and his brother, Pamphile, grew to be strong and healthy young lads working on the family farm. Everybody liked Jeff because he was good-natured and generous.

When they were old enough, both brothers became missionaries and joined the congregation of the Sacred Hearts. These missionaries were responsible for the Catholic faith on the Hawaiian Islands. Jeff chose the name "Damien."

More missionaries were needed in the kingdom of Hawaii. In 1863, a group of Sacred Hearts priests and brothers were chosen to go. Pamphile, Damien's brother, was selected. But just before the departure date, Pamphile had typhoid fever and he had to give up his dream of being a missionary.

Brother Damien, still studying to become a priest, asked if he could take Pamphile's place. The father general agreed to let Damien go instead. He went home to his family for a loving farewell. Then he took the ship from Belgium to Hawaii, a journey of eighteen weeks.

Damien finished his studies and was ordained a priest in Hawaii. He spent eight years among the people of three districts, traveling on horseback and by canoe. The people loved this tall, generous priest. He used the little money he could raise to build chapels. He and volunteer parishioners built the chapels themselves.

But the most incredible part of Damien's life was about to begin. The bishop asked for a volunteer priest to go to the island of Molokai. Just the name of this place struck the people with fear and dread. They knew that the part of the island called Kalawao was the "living graveyard" of people dying of leprosy.

There was so much that people did not know about leprosy and they were so frightened they too would get the disease, that lepers were mostly left alone to take care of themselves. It was a hopeless situation. There was no priest, nobody to keep law and order on Molokai and no health-care facilities.

The Hawaiian government sent some food and medical supplies, but it was not enough for the people there. And there was no system to make sure everybody on Molokai received what was distributed.

Father Damien went to Molokai. Faced with the poverty, corruption and despair, even Damien was shocked. But he made up his mind that for him there was no turning back. The people desperately needed help.

He went to Honolulu to deal with the health authorities. They told him that he could not travel back and forth to Molokai or he could spread the disease. Actually they didn't want him on Molokai because he was creating too many problems for them.

So Damien had to make a choice: if he went back to Molokai, he could never leave. The health authorities didn't know Damien. He chose to stay on Molokai.

He worked hard for eighteen years and with the help of the lepers and generous volunteers, Molokai was transformed. The word Molokai took on a whole different meaning. It became an island of Christian love.

Damien organized burial details and funeral services, so that death might have some dignity. He taught the people how to grow crops and feed themselves better. He organized a choir, and got persons to sing who had not sung in years. He gave them medical attention.

There was already a small chapel on the island but it soon proved too small. So with the help of patients he built a larger one, which soon overflowed every Sunday. Father Damien in the end became a leper himself. He died on April 15, 1889, at the age of forty-nine and was buried there. He was proclaimed "blessed" by Pope John Paul II in 1994.

Reflection: Blessed Damien showed amazing courage and generosity, even giving up his life for others. As a Christian, how do I show love and support to those around me?


22 posted on 04/15/2013 9:19:01 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
 
Catholic
Almanac:
Monday, April 15
Liturgical Color: White

On this day in 1905, Pope St. Pius X issued the encyclical Acerbo Nimis (On Teaching Christian Doctrine). He asked "How can we hope to have a people with sound morals if Christian doctrine has not been imparted to them in due time?"

23 posted on 04/15/2013 5:57:19 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: April 15, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, putting off our old self with all its ways, we may live as Christ did, for through the healing paschal remedies you have conformed us to his nature. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Easter: April 15th

Monday of the Third Week of Easter

Old Calendar: Ss. Basilissa and Anastasia (Hist)

Historically today is the feast of Sts. Basilissa and Anastasia, two noble women who were disciples of the apostles Sts. Peter and Paul at Rome, and were beheaded by order of Nero, as the Roman and Greek Martyrologies testify.


Ss. Basilissa and Anastasia
The Holy Women Martyrs Basilissa and Anastasia lived in Rome and were converted to Christianity by the holy Apostles Peter and Paul. They devoted themselves to the service of the Lord.

When Emperor Nero persecuted the Christians and gave them over to torture and execution, Ss. Basilissa and Anastasia took the bodies of the holy apostles and gave them a reverent burial. Rumors of this reached Nero, and he ordered that Ss. Basilissa and Anastasia be locked up in the prison. The women were subjected to cruel tortures: were scourged with whips, had their skin scraped with hooks, and were burned with fire. However, the holy martyrs remained unyielding, and bravely confessed their faith in Christ the Savior.

By Nero’s command, they were beheaded with the sword in 68.

Excerpted from Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)


24 posted on 04/15/2013 6:04:39 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30

3rd Week of Easter

Make me understand the way of your precepts. (Psalm 119:24)

Do you find yourself cringing at times at the thought of obeying the Lord? Maybe you worry that his commands will put a damper on your desires or curtail your personal plans. But the truth is, rather than restricting us, the “law of the Lord” is meant to set us free (Psalm 119:1). It’s meant to turn us into sons and daughters of God who find their deepest happiness in living according to his ways.

Over and over again, today’s responsorial psalm speaks of the excellence of the divine Law. Like other examples of “wisdom literature” in the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 119 contrasts the virtues of the “righteous” and the vices of the “wicked.” Through continual repetition, the entire psalm highlights the blessings that come from being rooted and anchored in the Law: God’s revelation, his instructions, his promises, his word, his decrees, his ordinances, his precepts, and his teachings.

Each of the psalm’s twenty-two stanzas begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (which consists of twenty-two letters), and the first word of each verse in a stanza begins with this same letter. As Jesuit biblical scholar R. A. F. MacKenzie has noted, Psalm 119

“… is intended to be a foundation or starting-point for personal prayer… . [The psalmist] undertook to build a launching-pad, from which the devout soul might soar to loving contemplation of the unthinkable goodness of God. He knew what he meant to do, and he did it well.”

Granted, all 176 verses of this psalm can be a lot to digest at one sitting. A better approach might be to focus on just a stanza or two a day. Mull over the words. Ask the Holy Spirit to lift up your heart. Let him show you how you can find delight, hope, new life, and wisdom in God’s laws. Ask him to help you see the commandments as precious gifts, not depressing burdens. Let these words help “launch” you deeper into the heart of the Father—and embracing his ways with great delight!

“Lord, teach me the way of your laws; I shall observe them with care… . Lead me in the path of your commands, for that is my delight (Psalm 119:33, 35).”

Acts 6:8-1; John 6:22-29


25 posted on 04/15/2013 6:09:45 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
Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for April 15, 2013:

(Reader’s Tip) Wake up each morning vowing to make the decision to love your spouse no matter what. When you feel anger or negativity, look at your spouse and remember your decision to love.


26 posted on 04/15/2013 6:15:44 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Vultus Christi

Saint Benedict Joseph Labre

 on April 15, 2013 6:10 PM |
 
Antonio-Cavallucci-xx-Saint-Benedict-Joseph-Labre.jpg
 
 

Buon compleanno, caro santo Padre Benedetto!

April 16th is the 86th birthday of dear Pope Benedict XVI. He has the same age as my own father, something that always made me feel especially close to him. Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927. It was Holy Saturday. He was baptized on the same day. One-hundred-forty-four years earlier, on April 16, 1783 a poor man, who prayed always, died in Rome. His name: Benedict Joseph Labre. It is strange and wonderful that a man named Joseph, born on the feast of Saint Benedict Joseph, should take the name Benedict upon his election to the papacy. It is as if a providential indication of his destiny had been given from the beginning.

A Pilgrim

Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, born on March 26, 1748 in northern France, exemplifies a very particular kind of holiness found in both East and West. He was a wanderer who prayed ceaselessly, a pilgrim walking from one holy place to another, a fool for Christ.

A Misfit

As a young man, Benedict Joseph made a number of unsuccessful attempts at monastic life. He tried his vocation with the Trappists, with the Cistercians, and with the Carthusians, but, in every instance, after a few months or a few weeks, he was rejected as being unsuitable. Benedict Joseph was endearing in his own way. He was a gentle young man, tortured by scruples of conscience, and sensitive. He was completely honest, humble, candid, and open. He was cheerful. But, for all of that, he was a misfit. There was an oddness about him. He was drawn irresistibly to monastic life and, at the same time, rejected from every monastery in which he tried his vocation.

The Road

When he was twenty-two years old, Benedict Joseph left the Abbey of Sept-Fons, still wearing his Cistercian novice's habit, with a rosary around his neck, and a knapsack on his back. His only possessions, apart from the clothes he wore, were his two precious rosaries, a New Testament, a Breviary for reciting the Divine Office, and The Imitation of Christ.

The Divine Office

I have always found Benedict Joseph's attachment to the Divine Office wonderfully compelling. Deprived of choir and choir-stall, of sonorous abbey bells calling to prayer at regular intervals, and of the support of chanting in unison with others, Saint Benedict Joseph carried the Hours into the highways and byways of Europe, into the shadows of the Roman Colosseum, into humble parish churches, and into the occasional barns where he rested upon the hay. His love for the Divine Office made him a worthy namesake of the great Patriarch who ordered, "that nothing be put before the Work of God."

Short Breviary.jpg

There was a similar love for the Divine Office among the joyful, homespun sort of folks who belonged to the forward-looking lay movements of the post-war period: The Catholic Worker, Madonna House, the Grail Girls, the Legion of Mary, and the leading people in the Catholic Rural Life Conference in the United States. The breviary, in one of the many attractive presentations available during that time, was deemed indispensable to a thriving Catholic life. I remember Adé Béthune teling me how she and her young friends, working as apprentices in the John Stevens stone carving business in Newport, Rhode Island, would interrupt their labours, morning and evening, to say Prime and Compline . . . in Latin! They were Benedictine Oblates.

Catholics of the pre-conciliar 1950s discovered the Divine Office and savoured it like a new wine, capable of rejoicing souls with a kind of sober inebriation in the Holy Spirit: Christ the Head praying in His members. The magnificent Collegeville Short Breviary,, complete with notes by Pius Parsch; The Little Breviary originally edited in The Netherlands; Frank Duff's abridged Breviary for members of the Legion of Mary; and the Collegeville edition of Lauds, Vespers, and Compline were among the more popular editions in circulation.

I would guess that the inroads of the Charismatic Movement had something to do with the abandonment of the Divine Office among ordinary work-a-day Catholics. Later editions of the "Liturgy of the Hours" were poor in content and in presentation. They failed to enchant and captivate souls the way earlier editions of the Divine Office had.

I rather suspect that if The Liturgical Press (Collegeville) were to re-issue the classic Short Breviary today, it would mark a renaissance of authentic liturgical prayer, but I digress.

black-madonna-einsiedeln.jpg

Saint Benedict Joseph visited the shrine of Our Lady of Einsieldeln in Switzerland.

Bound to God Alone

Walking all the way to Rome, begging as he went, Saint Benedict Joseph became a vagabond bound to God alone, a pilgrim vowed to ceaseless prayer. He walked from one shrine to another, visiting the Holy House of Loreto, Assisi, Naples, and Bari in Italy. He made his way to Einsiedeln in Switzerland, to Paray-le-Monial in France, and to Compostela in Spain. Saint Benedict Joseph lived on whatever people would give him, and readily shared what little pittance he had. He observed silence, praying constantly. He was mocked, abused, and treated like a madman. Cruel children pelted him with garbage and stones.

Rome

After 1774, apart from an annual pilgrimage to the Madonna at the Holy House of Loreto, Benedict Joseph remained in the Eternal City. At night he would sleep in the Colosseum. During the day he would seek out those churches where the Forty Hours Devotion was being held, so as to be able to adore the Blessed Sacrament exposed. So striking was his love for the Blessed Sacrament that the Romans came to call him "the beggar of Perpetual Adoration." He was graced with a profound recollection in church. More than once he was observed in ecstasy, ravished into the love of God and shining with an unearthly light. It was on one of these occasions that the artist Antonio Cavallucci painted the beautiful portrait of Saint Benedict Joseph that allows us, even today, to see his handsome face illumined by union with God.

The Death of a Saint

On April 16, 1783 Benedict Joseph collapsed on the steps of the Church of Santa Maria dei Monti. It was the Wednesday of Holy Week. He was carried to a neighbouring house where he received the last sacraments, and died. He was thirty-five years old. No sooner did news of his death reach the streets than a huge throng gathered crying, "È morto il santo! -- The saint is dead!" Benedict Joseph was buried beneath the altar in a side chapel of Santa Maria dei Monti. I have gone there to pray, and knelt before the life-sized sculpture in marble that depicts him in the repose of a holy death.

Miracles

Benedict Joseph Labre was dead but a few months when more than 136 miraculous healings were attributed to his intercession. Present in Rome at the time of his funeral was an American Protestant clergyman from Boston, The Reverend John Thayer. The experience of Benedict Joseph's holy death converted Thayer. He was received into the Catholic Church, ordained to the priesthood, and died in Limerick, Ireland in 1815.

This is the prayer to which The Reverend John Thayer attributed his conversion to Catholicism:

Almighty and eternal God, Father of mercy, Saviour of mankind, I humbly intreat thee by thy sovereign goodness, to enlighten my mind, and to touch my heart, that by true faith, hope and charity I may live and die in the true Religion of Jesus Christ. I am sure that as there is but one true God; so there can be but one faith, one religion, one way of salvation, and that every other way which is opposite to this, can only lead to endless misery. It is this faith, Oh my God, which I earnestly desire to embrace, in order to save my soul. I protest therefore before thy divine Majesty, and I declare by all thy divine attributes, that I will follow that Religion which thou shalt shew me to be true; and that I will abandon, at whatever cost, that in which I shall discover error and falsehood : I do not deserve, it is true, this favour on account of the greatness of my sins, for which I have a profound sorrow because they offend a God so good, so great, so holy and worthy of my love; but what I do not deserve, I hope 'to obtain from thy infinite mercy, and I conjure thee to grant through the merits of the precious blood which was shed for us poor sinners by thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Intercessions

Father John Thayer's remarkable conversion and the witness of countless other miracles and graces attributed to Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, make me bold in presenting to him my own list of intentions and needs. And I invite you, dear reader, to add your intentions and needs to mine.

I, first of all, recommend to the intercession of Saint Benedict Joseph, our beloved Holy Father emeritus, who bears both his names: Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, eighty-six years ago today.

I ask the powerful intercession of Saint Benedict Joseph for all who suffer from depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and other forms of emotional and mental illness.

I ask his intercession for a revival of liturgical prayer among ordinary Catholic laity, and for the world-wide extension of silent adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

I present to Saint Benedict Joseph Silverstream Priory. Were he to knock at our door, I would probably, after a few weeks or months, be obliged to suggest, as did so many others, that his place might be elsewhere. He would, however, take comfort, I think, as do I, in this excerpt from our Constitutions:

The real stability of the monk is both inward and ecclesial, insofar as it is fixed in the Sacred Host, that is, in Jesus Christ truly present as Priest and Victim upon the altars of the Church, whence He offers Himself to the Father as a pure oblation from the rising of the sun to its setting. Ubi Hostia, ibi Ecclesia.

Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, pray for us, that like you we may pass through this life as pilgrims, and as perpetual adorers, magnetized by the wondrous mystery of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.


27 posted on 04/15/2013 6:26:24 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Regnum Christi

The Sincere Search for Christ
| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
Monday of the Third Week of Easter


Father Daniel Ray, LC

John 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."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here and now as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith.

1. Food of Eternal Life: Some television evangelists preach a “Gospel of Prosperity,” promising financial and health benefits or general well-being for those who follow Christ in their church. “Good things will come your way!” they say. While these earthly things are good, Christ shows us that his greatest gifts are not the “loaves that fill,” but the grace and eternal life that can be ours through faith. Faith is both our offering to God and his gift to us. It opens our heart to receive the gift that never perishes: eternal life.

2. No Complacency in Faith: Christ didn’t stay with the crowds, but rather he crossed over to Capernaum. The crowds, still full with the bread of the miracle of the loaves, had to figure out where Christ went, get in their boats, and find him. When Christ seems to have moved on us, we need to get into our boat and row—to look for him, to seek him in prayer, to be renewed in his sacraments. He wants us to follow him pro-actively, not passively sitting on the shore with our boat in dry-dock. We need to shove off into the waters of prayer and row.

3. What Must We Do? “This is the work of God….” Our belief (faith) in the one the Father sent is the result of both God’s work in our lives and our work to use and make that gift of faith grow. Above all, faith is God’s gift to us. But it is a gift that grows only when we exercise it, use it, and ask for more. Just as a runner must run more to be a better runner, to believe more we need to believe more. Only then is our heart open to receive the gift of greater faith.  

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I don’t want to settle for seeking only the “loaves that fill,” but the joy and salvation that comes from believing in you. “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Show me what I must do to follow you. Make your path clear to me, and give me the strength to follow it.

Resolution: When faced with any difficulty, obstacle, or frustration today, I will exercise my faith in God and seek to do his will.


28 posted on 04/15/2013 6:31:43 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Rising Above

 

by Food For Thought on April 15, 2013 · 

Today’s fast-paced world is all about the mad rush to success. As prices continue to soar amidst crashing economies, the need to get ahead to survive has never been more crucial. Daily grind equals daily bread—and it’s easy to forget that “man does not live on bread alone.”

Today’s gospel is a sequel to the well-known multiplication of loaves. Eager for more signs, the people of Tiberias sought out Jesus all the way to Capernaum. But he rebuked them for their unnecessary focus on the material fruits of the miracles, telling them plainly that they were missing the point. Physical comforts can only provide temporary satisfaction; it is in living in faith and love and finding Jesus—the Bread of Life himself—that we can find deeper satisfaction, lasting joy and more permanent peace.

St. Stephen knew this, as told in the first reading. He sought a loftier purpose than the religious leaders of his time, who craved power and popularity. As his influence grew, so did their envy, and they plotted against him. But faith as deep as his is hard to shake, and his blamelessness shone through, so that his face appeared like “the face of an angel.”

How often do we succumb to the lures of the world we live in? Do we seek success and comfort at the expense of others? Have we lost sight of what’s truly important? As much as we need to ensure the survival of our physical bodies, Jesus urges us to nurture our spirit as well, and feed it with life-giving faith and love. This life is but a prelude to the life God has prepared for us. It is important never to lose sight of our long-term goal of eternal life, so that all our short-term actions may lead us to it.


29 posted on 04/15/2013 6:37:34 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body


 

<< Monday, April 15, 2013 >>
 
Acts 6:8-15
View Readings
Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30 John 6:22-29
 

UNSTOPPABLE

 
"This man never stops..." —Acts 6:13
 

St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr:

  • was "a man filled with grace and power" (Acts 6:8),
  • was full of the Holy Spirit and faith (Acts 6:5),
  • was so full of wisdom that the international all-star team of debaters "proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke" (Acts 6:8-10),
  • lived so full a life that, even though he was commissioned to handle the time-consuming job of distributing food, he still found plenty of time to witness about Jesus,
  • "worked great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8),
  • evangelized so powerfully that the Jews rated him as a greater enemy than the twelve apostles, choosing him as the first Christian to be killed, and
  • focused so intently and lovingly on Jesus that even while hostile enemies sought his life, he radiated heavenly joy (Acts 6:15).

The false witnesses who testified against Stephen managed to speak one true statement: "This man never stops" (Acts 6:13). Like Stephen, may we be so full of the Holy Spirit that we never stop serving, loving, praising, and sharing the risen Jesus.

 
Prayer: Father, may I imitate Jesus with the attentiveness, faith, and devotion of St. Stephen.
Promise: "You should not be working for perishable food but for food that remains unto life eternal, food which the Son of Man will give you." —Jn 6:27
Praise: Marty, a non-Catholic, discerned that Jesus was calling him to be a Catholic priest. He joined the Church that he once criticized and is now studying for the priesthood.

30 posted on 04/15/2013 6:40:37 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
40 Days for Life in Riverside, California
After so many years of legalized abortion, many people of faith are experiencing a renewed sense of HOPE!
 
Continue to pray to end abortion!

31 posted on 04/15/2013 6:52:12 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Why do so many who oppose the death penalty for murderers favor it for the pre-born?


32 posted on 04/15/2013 6:53:56 PM PDT by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
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To: Salvation
John
  English: Douay-Rheims Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  John 6
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. τη επαυριον ο οχλος ο εστηκως περαν της θαλασσης ιδων οτι πλοιαριον αλλο ουκ ην εκει ει μη εν εκεινο εις ο ενεβησαν οι μαθηται αυτου και οτι ου συνεισηλθεν τοις μαθηταις αυτου ο ιησους εις το πλοιαριον αλλα μονοι οι μαθηται αυτου απηλθον τη επαυριον ο οχλος ο εστηκως περαν της θαλασσης ιδων οτι πλοιαριον αλλο ουκ ην εκει ει μη εν εκεινο εις ο ενεβησαν οι μαθηται αυτου και οτι ου συνεισηλθεν τοις μαθηταις αυτου ο ιησους εις το πλοιαριον αλλα μονοι οι μαθηται αυτου απηλθον
23 But other ships came in from Tiberias; nigh unto the place where they had eaten the bread, the Lord giving thanks. αλλα δε ηλθεν πλοιαρια εκ τιβεριαδος εγγυς του τοπου οπου εφαγον τον αρτον ευχαριστησαντος του κυριου αλλα δε ηλθεν πλοιαρια εκ τιβεριαδος εγγυς του τοπου οπου εφαγον τον αρτον ευχαριστησαντος του κυριου
24 When therefore the multitude saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they took shipping, and came to Capharnaum, seeking for Jesus. οτε ουν ειδεν ο οχλος οτι ιησους ουκ εστιν εκει ουδε οι μαθηται αυτου ενεβησαν αυτοι εις τα πλοια και ηλθον εις καπερναουμ ζητουντες τον ιησουν οτε ουν ειδεν ο οχλος οτι ιησους ουκ εστιν εκει ουδε οι μαθηται αυτου ενεβησαν αυτοι εις τα πλοια και ηλθον εις καπερναουμ ζητουντες τον ιησουν
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him: Rabbi, when camest thou hither? και ευροντες αυτον περαν της θαλασσης ειπον αυτω ραββι ποτε ωδε γεγονας και ευροντες αυτον περαν της θαλασσης ειπον αυτω ραββι ποτε ωδε γεγονας
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. απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους και ειπεν αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ζητειτε με ουχ οτι ειδετε σημεια αλλ οτι εφαγετε εκ των αρτων και εχορτασθητε απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους και ειπεν αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ζητειτε με ουχ οτι ειδετε σημεια αλλ οτι εφαγετε εκ των αρτων και εχορτασθητε
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. εργαζεσθε μη την βρωσιν την απολλυμενην αλλα την βρωσιν την μενουσαν εις ζωην αιωνιον ην ο υιος του ανθρωπου υμιν δωσει τουτον γαρ ο πατηρ εσφραγισεν ο θεος εργαζεσθε μη την βρωσιν την απολλυμενην αλλα την βρωσιν την μενουσαν εις ζωην αιωνιον ην ο υιος του ανθρωπου υμιν δωσει τουτον γαρ ο πατηρ εσφραγισεν ο θεος
28 They said therefore unto him: What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? ειπον ουν προς αυτον τι ποιωμεν ινα εργαζωμεθα τα εργα του θεου ειπον ουν προς αυτον τι ποιωμεν ινα εργαζωμεθα τα εργα του θεου
29 Jesus answered, and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent. απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις τουτο εστιν το εργον του θεου ινα πιστευσητε εις ον απεστειλεν εκεινος απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις τουτο εστιν το εργον του θεου ινα πιστευσητε εις ον απεστειλεν εκεινος

33 posted on 04/15/2013 7:52:51 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
22. The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
23. (Although there came other boats from Tiberias nigh to the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
24. When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when came you hither?
26. Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27. Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give to you: for him has God the Father sealed.

CHRYS. Our Lord, though He did not actually show Himself to the multitude walking on the sea, yet gave them the opportunity of inferring what had taken place; The day following, the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone. What was this but to suspect that He had walked across the sea, on His going away? For He could not have gone over in a ship, as there was only one there, that in which His disciples had entered; and He had not gone in with them.

AUG. Knowledge of the miracle was conveyed to them indirectly. Other ships had come to the place where they had eaten bread; in these they went after Him; However there came other boats from Tiberias, nigh to the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks. When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither His disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

CHRYS. Yet after so great a miracle, they did not ask Him how He had passed over, or show any concern about it: as appears from what follows; And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, Rabbi, when came you hither? Except we say that this when meant how. And observe their lightness of mind. After saying, This is that Prophet, and wishing to take Him by force to make Him king, when they find Him, nothing of the kind is thought of.

AUG. So He Who had fled to the mountain, mixes and converses with the multitude. Only just now they would have kept Him, and made Him king. But after the sacrament of the miracle, He begins to discourse, and fills their souls with His word, whose bodies Ho had satisfied with bread.

ALCUIN. He who set an example of declining praise, and earthly power, sets teachers also an example of deliverance in preaching.

CHRYS. Kindness and lenity are not always expedient. To the indolent or insensible disciple the spur must be applied; and this the Son of God does. For when the multitude comes with soft speeches, Rabbi, when came you hither? He shows them that He did not desire the honor that comes from man, by the severity of His answer, which both exposes the motive on which they acted, and rebukes it. Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

AUG. As if He said, you seek Me to satisfy the flesh, not the Spirit.

CHRYS. After the rebuke, however, He proceeds to teach them: Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures to everlasting life; meaning, you seek for temporal food, whereas I only fed your bodies, that you might seek the more diligently for that food, which is not temporary, but contains eternal life.

ALCUIN. Bodily food only supports the flesh of the outward man, and must be taken not once for all, but daily; whereas spiritual food remains for ever, imparting perpetual fullness, and immortality.

AUG. Under the figure of food He alludes to Himself you seek Me, He said, for the sake of something else; seek Me for My own sake.

CHRYS. But, inasmuch much as some who wish to live in sloth, pervert this precept: Labor not, &c. it is well to notice what Paul says, Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs. And he himself too, when he resided with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth, worked with his hand. By saying, Labor not for the meat which perishes, our Lord does not mean to tell us to be idle; but to work, and give alms. This is that meat which perishes not; to labor for the meat which perishes, is to be devoted to the interests of this life. Our Lord saw that the multitude had no thought of believing, and only wished to fill their bellies, without working; and this He justly called the meat which perishes.

AUG. As He told the woman of Samaria above, If you knew Who it is that said to you, Give me to drink, you would have asked of Him, an He would have given you living water. So He says here, Which the Son of man shall give to you.

ALCUIN. When, through the hand of the priest, you receive the Body of Christ, think not of the priest which you see, but of the Priest you do not see. The priest is the dispenser of this food, not the author. The Son of man gives Himself to us, that we may abide in Him, and He in us. Do not conceive that Son of man to be the same as other sons of men: He stands alone in abundance of grace, separate and distinct from all the rest: for that Son of man is the Son of God, as it follows, For Him has God the Father sealed. To seal is to put a mark upon; so the meaning is, Do not despise Me because I am the Son of man, for I am the Son of man in such sort, as that the Father has sealed Me, i.e. given Me something peculiar, to the end that should not be confounded with the human race, but that the human race should be delivered by Me.

HILARY. A seal throws out a perfect impression of the stamp, at the same time that it takes in that impression. This is not a perfect illustration of the Divine nativity: for sealing supposes matter, different kinds of matter, the impression of harder upon softer. Yet He who was God Only-Begotten, and the Son of man only by the Sacrament of our salvation, makes use of it to express the Father's fullness as stamped upon Himself. He wishes to show the Jews He has the power of giving the eternal meat, because He contained in Himself the fullness of God.

CHRYS. Or sealed, i.e. sent Him for this purpose, viz. to bring us food; or, sealed, was revealed the Gospel by means of His witness.

ALCUIN. To take the passage mystically: on the day following, i.e. after the ascension of Christ, the multitude standing in good works, not lying in worldly pleasures, expects Jesus to come to them. The one ship is the one Church: the other ships which come besides, are the conventicles of heretics, who seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. Wherefore He well says, You seek Me, because you did eat of the loaves.

AUG. How many there are who seek Jesus, only to gain some temporary benefit. One man has a matter of business, in which he wants the assistance of the clergy; another is oppressed by a more powerful neighbor, and flies to the Church for refuge: Jesus is scarcely ever sought for Jesus' sake.

GREG. In their persons too our Lord condemns all those within the holy Church, who, when brought near to God by sacred Orders, do not seek the recompense of righteousness, but the interests of this present life. To follow our Lord, when filled with bread, is to use Holy Church as a means of livelihood; and to seek our Lord not for the miracle's sake. but for the loaves, is to aspire to a religious office, not with a view to increase of grace, but to add to our worldly means.

BEDE. They too seek Jesus, not for Jesus' sake, but for something else, who ask in their prayers not for eternal, but temporal blessings. The mystical meaning is, that the conventicles of heretics are without the company of Christ and His disciples. And other ships coming is the sudden growth of heresies. By the crowd, which saw that Jesus was not there, or His disciples, are designated those who seeing the errors of heretics, leave them and turn to the true faith.

28. Then said they to him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29. Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.

ALCUIN. They understood that the meat, which remains to eternal life, was the work of God: and therefore they ask Him what to do to work the work of God, i.e. obtain the meat: Then said they to Him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God?

BEDE. i.e. By keeping what commandments shall we be able to fulfill the law of God?

CHRYS. But they said this, not that they might learn, and do them, but to obtain from Him another exhibition of His bounty.

THEOPHYL. Christ, though He saw it would not avail, yet for the good of others afterwards, answered their question; and showed them, or rather the whole world, what was the work of God: Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.

AUG. He does not say, That you believe Him, but, that you believe in Him. For the devils believed Him, and did not believe in Him; and we believe Paul, but do not believe in Paul. To believe in Him is believing to love, believing to honor Him, believing to go to Him, and be made members incorporate of His Body. The faith, which God requires of us, is that which works by love. Faith indeed is distinguished from works by the Apostle, who says, That man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. But the works indeed which appear good, without faith in Christ, are not really so, not being referred to that end, which makes them good. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. And therefore our Lord would not separate faith from works, but said that faith itself was the doing the work of God; He said not, This is your work, but, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him: in order that he that glories might glory in the Lord.

AUG. To eat then that meat which endures to everlasting life, is to believe in Him. Why do you make ready your tooth and your belly? Only believe, and you have eaten already. As He called on them to believe, they still asked for miracles whereby to believe; They said therefore to Him, What sign show you then, that we may see and believe You? What do you work?

Catena Aurea John 6
34 posted on 04/15/2013 7:53:17 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


The King and Savior


35 posted on 04/15/2013 7:53:38 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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