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Daily Readings for:May 03, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism may, under your protective care, bear much fruit and come to the joys of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Chocolate Pecan Pie

ACTIVITIES

o Family May Crowning

o Marian Hymn: Bring Flowers of the Fairest

PRAYERS

o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter Season (2nd Plan)

o Prayers for the Easter Season

o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter (1st Plan)

· Easter: May 3rd

· Fifth Sunday of Easter

Old Calendar: Fourth Sunday after Easter

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you (Jn 15:5-7).

Today is the Feast of Sts. Philip and James which is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading taken from the the Acts of the Apostles 9:26-31 is about St. Paul's first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion.

The second reading is from the first Letter of John 3:18-24. In today's verses the Beloved Disciple is urging his readers to believe firmly in Jesus Christ the Son of God, and to love their neighbor with a practical love, a love which will help him in his corporal and spiritual needs.

The Gospel is from St. John 15:1-8. The words of consolation and encouragement which our Lord spoke to his Apostles on Holy Thursday night were intended to console and encourage all his followers for all time. They encourage and console us today, and we need encouragement to persevere on the road to heaven. Living a truly Christian life is never easy. We have always the attraction of the world, and the temptations by the agents of evil, to make that life less easy still. But in our own day these difficulties have increased a hundredfold. The attractions of this world have been multiplied by the increased comforts, pleasures and means of self-indulgence which science and technology have put within our reach. Human nature, always inclined to choose the easiest way out, has been given so many means of escape from the strain of self-control that even for a fervent Christian it is frequently very difficult to avoid these worldly allurements.

Having the ordinary comforts of life and the possession of some of this world's goods is not wrong or anti-Christian, but the natural temptation is to get more and more of these comforts and riches, and the point is soon reached where this becomes the only purpose in life. When this sad stage is arrived at, God and our future life are forgotten; this world becomes our idol and our prison. The temptations which the agents of evil put in Christ's way are also multiplied today. The communications media are now very technically improved and perfected and can be, and sometimes are, a means for good. Unfortunately, more frequently, they are the channels of bad example. The evil deeds of men have more "news value" than their good deeds. And it is so much easier to follow the bad example! Permissiveness, rejection of authority, glorification of unlawful sexual indulgence, drug addiction, and other such crimes are placed before the minds and the eyes of the youth of today, and are unfortunately copied by far too many.

It is indeed hard to swim against the current; it is so much more pleasant to allow oneself to be carried along without effort by the rushing tide. But when there are rocks and shoals ahead, the thoughtless and ease-seeking swimmer will end in grief. Our Lord has warned us today, as he warned his first followers, to abide in him, to remain closely united with him, as is the branch to the vine, if we hope to bear fruit worthy of heaven. He promises us that if we remain closely united to him, that is, if we strive daily to keep his commandments, he will be ever ready to answer our requests, and to heed all our prayers. The sincere prayer today of every man who is trying to lead a Christian life is for the grace to overcome the allurements of the world, the flesh and the devil. Let us take courage, then. Christ has promised to remain beside us during life if only we stay close to him. While we remain healthy branches of the vine, Christ, we will be on the road to heaven. Our daily tasks, our work as well as our prayer, our recreation as well as our rest, our joys as well as our sorrows, will give glory to God and prove that we are worthy to be called disciples of Christ.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 15:1-8

5th Sunday of Easter

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit. (John 15:5)

A good gardener can seem like a surgeon sometimes: meticulously careful in his goal of removing anything that is a threat to his plantings. He is completely dedicated to making his roses even more beautiful or his grapes more delicious.

Imagine the kind of pruning Jesus, the master Gardener, had to do with Paul. In the days immediately following his conversion, Paul proved needed a lot of work! On fire with his new-found faith, he debated so forcefully with the Jews in Damascus that they tried to kill him. Even the disciples were afraid of him (Acts 9:26-29)! The situation became so drastic that the apostles decided to send Paul back home to Tarsus for a while. They could tell that some time away from all the action would do him good.

This story shows us two ways that God likes to prune us. First, there is quiet time spent with the Lord. Paul spent a number of years in Tarsus praying, studying the Scriptures, and examining his heart. During this time of retreat, he gave the Holy Spirit the opportunity to soften his rough edges, reveal the gospel to him more clearly, and prepare him for his future ministry. The same holds true for us. By sitting quietly before the Lord in prayer, we give the Spirit the opportunity to prune us and form us.

Another way God prunes us is through the steps we take in our walk with him, whether we are sharing our faith or trying to serve our family. As Saul preached, he came to see how argumentative he was. He learned from his mistakes, and over time he learned the art of being both passionate and compassionate in his preaching.

So keep stepping out in faith, but be sure also to keep listening to the Lord in the quiet of your prayer. Let him prune you, and you’ll find yourself bearing more and more fruit for his kingdom!

“Come, Holy Spirit, and make me more like Jesus!”

Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32; 1 John 3:18-24

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:

Mass Readings: Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8

1. In the first reading we find Saul speaking “boldly in the name of the Lord.” In what ways do you believe that you also have been called to boldly tell others of Christ, e.g., at work, in your neighborhood, or in everyday encounters with other people? What do you believe is the source of this boldness?

2. With the following words, the Responsorial Psalm also reinforces the call we have as Catholics to share our faith with others: “Let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice of the Lord.” In what ways have you been willing to tell members of your family how Jesus satisfied the justice of God by dying on the cross for our sins? What are the obstacles that you may need to overcome in order to do this with a confidence that the Lord will use you to touch the “coming generation”?

3. The second reading encourages us to love “not in word or speech but in deed and truth” and to “love one another just as he commanded us.” How well do you regard other members of your parish as your brothers and sisters in Christ? In what ways do you show it “in deed and truth”? What additional steps can you take to reach out even more to others in your parish or your community?

4. In the Gospel, Jesus says to his disciples (and us): “I am the vine, you are the branches,” and he says that that he will “prune” the branch (that is, you and I) so that “it bears more fruit.” Jesus also tells us that “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” What do these words mean to you?

5. The meditation ends with these encouraging words: “So keep stepping out in faith, but be sure also to keep listening to the Lord in the quiet of your prayer. Let him prune you, and you’ll find yourself bearing more and more fruit for his kingdom!” In what ways have the pleasant and difficult circumstances of your life allowed your heavenly Father to prune you and mold you, so that you become more and more like his beloved Son? How has this pruning by the Lord allowed your faith, and the fruit that it bears, to grow? What additional steps can you take to increase your openness to his pruning?

6. Take some time now to pray and ask the Father, through his Holy Spirit, to prune you and make you more like Jesus -- so that you can “bear much fruit.” Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.