Author name: sanjose

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
"What are we to do, my brothers?"
Peter said to them,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call."
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6

Response– The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R– The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want

He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R– The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R– The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R– The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want

Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:20b-25

Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Alleluia: Jn 10:14

Alleluia, alleluia. I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Jn 10:1-10

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

The Readings and Gospel were sourced from:

Fourth Sunday of Easter Read More »

Revelation 3:20

Verse:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” - Revelation 3:20

Prayer For Spiritual Blessings

Dear Lord, You have told us that the man that does not walk in the ways of the world and refuses to be influenced by the trinkets that this world offers, but who puts their trust in You, is blessed indeed.

Amen.

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Saint Marie of Incarnation

Saint Marie of Incarnation was an Ursuline nun born in France as Marie Guyart. From an early age she was drawn to religious liturgy and the sacraments. When Marie was seven years old, she recounted her first mystical encounter with Jesus Christ.

Intent on belonging to Christ, Marie, aged fourteen, proposed to her parents that she enter religious life with the Benedictines of Beaumont Abbey but her parents disregarded her desire. Instead, she was married to Claude Martin, a master silk worker in 1617. Her husband died only months after the birth of their son, leaving Marie a widow at the age of nineteen.

With her husband’s death, Saint Marie inherited his failing business which she then lost. Forced to move into her parents’ home, Saint Marie secluded herself to pursue a deepening of her commitment to spiritual growth. Free to pursue her religious inclinations after her husband’s death, Saint Marie took a vow of chastity, obedience, and poverty. On 24 March 1620, she reported a religious vision that set her on a new path of devotional intensity.

In 1631, after working with a spiritual director for many years, Saint Marie decided to enter the Ursuline monastery in Tours to answer her religious vocation. As part of a group of nuns sent to New France to establish the Ursuline Order, Saint Marie was crucial in the spread of Catholicism in New France. She was a religious author and has been credited with founding the first girls’ school in the New World.

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Saint Catherine of Siena

The value Catherine makes central in her short life and which sounds clearly and consistently through her experience is complete surrender to Christ. What is most impressive about her is that she learns to view her surrender to her Lord as a goal to be reached through time.

She was the 23rd child of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa and grew up as an intelligent, cheerful, and intensely religious person. Catherine disappointed her mother by cutting off her hair as a protest against being overly encouraged to improve her appearance in order to attract a husband. Her father ordered her to be left in peace, and she was given a room of her own for prayer and meditation.

She entered the Dominican Third Order at 18 and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer, and austerity. Gradually, a group of followers gathered around her—men and women, priests and religious. An active public apostolate grew out of her contemplative life. Her letters, mostly for spiritual instruction and encouragement of her followers, began to take more and more note of public affairs. Opposition and slander resulted from her mixing fearlessly with the world and speaking with the candor and authority of one completely committed to Christ. She was cleared of all charges at the Dominican General Chapter of 1374.

Her public influence reached great heights because of her evident holiness, her membership in the Dominican Third Order, and the deep impression she made on the pope. She worked tirelessly for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope.

In 1378, the Great Schism began, splitting the allegiance of Christendom between two, then three, popes and putting even saints on opposing sides. Catherine spent the last two years of her life in Rome, in prayer and pleading on behalf of the cause of Pope Urban VI and the unity of the Church. She offered herself as a victim for the Church in its agony. She died surrounded by her “children” and was canonized in 1461.

Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. In 1939, she and Francis of Assisi were declared co-patrons of Italy. Pope Paul VI named her and Teresa of Avila doctors of the Church in 1970. Her spiritual testament is found in The Dialogue.

Sources:

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-catherine-of-siena/

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Saint Zita

Saint Zita was an Italian saint, born in Tuscany. She entered domestic service at the age of twelve and served the same family for almost fifty years.

Through her diligence and fidelity, she became a trusted and valued servant. She gave one-third of her wages to her parents, kept a third, and gave the rest to the poor. The mistress of the house placed Zita in charge of the household almsgiving, and allowed her to visit the sick poor in their own homes and tend to their needs.

She always rose several hours before the rest of the family and took care to hear Mass every morning before she began work. She attended to her tasks with diligence and fidelity, and studied when possible to anticipate what needed to be done. Saint Zita continued to serve the Fatinellis after the death in 1260 of Guglielmo Fatinelli when his son Pagano became the head of the family.

Saint Zita was known for her kindness and generosity to the poor. She is known as the patron saint of maids and domestic servants. She is often appealed to in order to help find lost keys.

Sources:

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Romans 12:16

Verse:

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” - Romans 12:16

Prayer For Guidance Today

Heavenly Father, I bow my knee before You in prayer and praise. Lead and guide me today in all You say and do. May I walk in spirit and truth today and be sensitive to Your gentle guidance.

Romans 12:16 Read More »

Zechariah 9:9

Verse:

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” - Zechariah 9:9

Prayers for the Glory of God

Father God, I worship my Lord Jesus today, as being equal and the same in person and in glory with You. Thank You, that I can always be certain of who Christ is, the very image of You and Your glory. In His precious name I pray,

Amen.

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Pope Anacletus

Also known as Saint Cletus, was the bishop of Rome, following Peter, and Linus. He served between c. AD 79 and his death, c. AD 92.

As with much of the earlier papacy, little is known of Anacletus’ pontificate. According to tradition, Pope Anacletus divided Rome into twenty-five parishes. One of the few surviving records concerning his papacy mentions him as having ordained an uncertain number of priests.

Traditionally, it was accepted that he reigned for twelve years, though the dates of that reign are questionable. The Annuario Pontificio states, “For the first two centuries, the dates of the start and the end of the pontificate are uncertain”, before placing Anacletus’ pontificate from AD 80 to AD 92. However, AD 76 to AD 88 are also frequently cited.

Pope Anacletus was martyred, ending his pontificate. A tomb ascribed to Anacletus is located near St Peter’s tomb in the Vatican Necropolis field P, underneath St Peters Basilica.

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Hebrews 9:28

Verse:

“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” - Hebrews 9:28

Prayer To Wait On The Lord

Dear Lord Jesus, at times I feel so weary and tired as I seek to carry out the duties and tasks of each day. Help me Lord, to step aside from the business of the day and to spend time simply waiting upon You, for You have promised that those that wait on You will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Hebrews 9:28 Read More »