May 2023

Saint Matthias

Saint Matthias, according to the Acts of the Apostles, was chosen by the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter’s betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death.

There is no mention of a Matthias among the lists of disciples or followers of Jesus but according to Acts, he had been with Jesus from his baptism by John until his Ascension. No further information about Matthias is to be found in the canonical New Testament. The tradition of the Greeks says that St. Matthias planted the faith about Cappadocia and on the coasts of the Caspian Sea, residing chiefly near the port Issus.

His calling as an apostle is unique, in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended into heaven, and it was also made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_the_Apostle

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Sixth Sunday of Easter

Gosples & Readings

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17

Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem
heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent them Peter and John,
who went down and prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
for it had not yet fallen upon any of them;
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid hands on them
and they received the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

Response– Let all the earth cry out to God with joy

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
R–Let all the earth cry out to God with joy

"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R–Let all the earth cry out to God with joy

He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R–Let all the earth cry out to God with joy

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R–Let all the earth cry out to God with joy

Second Reading: 1 Pt 3:15-18

Beloved:
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence,
keeping your conscience clear,
so that, when you are maligned,
those who defame your good conduct in Christ
may themselves be put to shame.
For it is better to suffer for doing good,
if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.

Alleluia: Jn 14:23

Alleluia, alleluia. Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Jn 14:15-21

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

Gospel: Jn 14:15-21

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

The Readings and Gospel were sourced from:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050723.cfm

Sixth Sunday of Easter Read More »

John 16:33

Daily Reflections, Verse

Verse:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

John 16:33 Read More »

Feast of Our Lady Fatima

Daily Saints

Feast of Our Lady Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portugal.

Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children–Francisco and Jacinta Marto and their cousin Lucia dos Santos–received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners, and for the conversion of Russia.

Mary gave the children three secrets. Following the deaths of Francisco and Jacinta in 1919 and 1920 respectively, Lucia revealed the first secret in 1927. It concerned devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The second secret was a vision of hell. When Lucia grew up she became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at the age of 97.

Pope John Paul II directed the Holy See’s Secretary of State to reveal the third secret in 2000; it spoke of a “bishop in white” who was shot by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him. Many people linked this vision to the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981.

The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to the Church’s worldwide calendar in 2002.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_F%C3%A1timahttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/our-lady-of-fatima/

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Proverbs 17:28

Daily Reflections, Verse

Verse:

“Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” - Proverbs 17:28

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Saint Leopold Mandic

Daily Saints

Saint Leopold Mandic was a Croatian Capuchin friar and Catholic priest, ordained to the priesthood at the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice. After his ordination, Mandić was sent to posts in various Capuchin friaries in the Venice region and in his native Croatia.

Saint Leopold Mandic was physically malformed and delicate, he grew to a height of only 1.35 m (4’5″), with a clumsy walk. He developed tremendous spiritual strength in spite of his disabilities and became extremely popular in his ministry as a confessor, often spending 12–15 hours in the confessional.

Common to all his assignments was that of the duty of a confessor at the church which the friars served. This went on until 1906, when he was assigned to the Friary of Santa Croce in Padua. It was there that he would spend the rest of his life. He became known as an Apostle of Confession and an Apostle of Unity. He made a famous prayer that is the forerunner of today’s ecumenism.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_Mandi%C4%87

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Mark 16:19

Daily Reflections, Verse

Verse:

“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.” - Mark 16:19

Prayer For Gods Protection

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You, Lord for loving me and reminding me of Your Truth. Help me keep my eyes on You, especially in times of rejection. May I remember that You can use all things for my good and Your glory. Give me a heart that trusts, and take away the desire to lean on my own understanding. Thank You for Your protection, provision, and presence! In Jesus' name, Amen

Sources:

https://prayerist.com/prayer/godsprotection

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Saint Ignatius of Laconi

Daily Saints

Saint Ignatius of Laconi was a Roman Catholic professed religious born in Sardinia, and a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He suffered a serious illness that made him vow that he would consecrate himself to God and join the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin if he managed to recover from it.

He asked for admission at the convent in Cagliari but the superiors there hesitated because of his delicate health. He made his profession on 10 November 1722. He was known for his strict and total obedience to his superiors, even when it required the denial of his own will.

He mingled with all people he met and was generous towards those who were ill. His modest demeanor was seen as a quiet sermon for all who saw him going about, which made him a noted figure. He spoke with exceptional kindness and great affection.

Despite poor health and infirmities he continued his work, however arduous. Even after he became blind in 1779, he continued to work for the benefit of those around him. He became known as a wonder worker and it was claimed that he had performed 121 miracles during his life. He died on 11 May 1781.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Laconi

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1 John 4:9

Daily Reflections, Verse

Verse:

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” - 1 John 4:9

Prayer For God's Love And Mercy

Christ Jesus, through you, all my sins have been wiped away. You have paid all my debts and I now stand free with no one to point a finger at me. It is your mercy that made you obey your Father that you may save a wretch like me. You gave yourself wholly so that I may live. Thank you, Jesus, for your unending love and mercy. Pour upon me your grace and strength to stand in faith even in trying times. May I be more like you, Amen.

Sources:

https://prayerist.com/prayer/godsloveandmercy

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Saint Damien of Molokai

Daily Saints

Saint Damien of Molokai, also known as Father Damien, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He was recognized for his ministry, which he led from 1873 until his death in 1889.

Saint Damien was forced to quit school at age 13 to work on the family farm. His father sent him to a college at Braine-le-Comte to prepare for a commercial profession, but as a result of a mission given by the Redemptorists in 1858, Joseph decided to pursue a religious vocation.

Because he learned Latin well from his brother, his superiors decided to allow him to become a priest. During his religious studies, Damien prayed daily before a picture of St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionaries, to be sent on a mission. Three years later when his brother Father Pamphile (Auguste) could not travel to Hawaiʻi as a missionary because of illness, Damien was allowed to take his place.

He taught the Catholic faith to the people of Hawaii. Father Damien also cared for the patients and established leaders within the community to build houses, schools, roads, hospitals, and churches. He dressed residents’ ulcers, built a reservoir, made coffins, dug graves, shared pipes, and ate poi with them, providing both medical and emotional support.

After eleven years caring for the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of those in the leper colony, Father Damien contracted leprosy. He continued with his work despite the infection but finally succumbed to the disease on 15 April 1889. Father Damien has been described as a “martyr of charity”.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Damien

Saint Damien of Molokai Read More »

Sources:

Liturgy of the Word

Liturgy of the Word

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

Second Reading: 1 Pt 3:15-18

Alleluia: Jn 14:23

Gospel: Jn 14:15-21

Gospel: Jn 14:15-21

The Readings and Gospel were sourced from:

Verse:

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Prayer For Gods Protection

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Verse:

Prayer For God's Love And Mercy

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