We need not be afraid in God's presence,
and whatever we ask him
we shall receive
that is, if we keep his commandments,
that we believe in Christ and love each other.
May the love and peace of Jesus be with you.
Easter 4 Week: April 26- May 1:
April 26 Monday: John 10: 1-10: Through today’s gospel, the Church reminds us of our call to become good shepherds of God’s flock and good sheep of His parishes and invites us to pray for vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate and the consecrated life.
4th Week of Easter, Friday, April 30
Acts 13:26-33 / John 14:1-6
Jesus makes a promise; "I will come back. "
After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour in World War Il on December 7, 1941, they invaded and occupied the Philippines. Three months later, on March 11, 1942, General Douglas MacArthur was forced to flee from the Philippines. Before leaving for Australia, he told the islanders,
4th Week of Easter, Wednesday, April 28
Acts 12:24 - 13:5 / John 12:14-50
Jesus talks about his mission; "1 came into the world as light. "
A group of Chinese Christian clergymen invited an American professor of Scripture to give them a workshop on the Bible. In the course of the workshop the professor asked the clergymen to pick out the episode in the Gospel that impressed them most.
3rd Week of Easter, Saturday, April 24
Acts 9:31-42 / John 6:60-69
Many people leave Jesus; Peter stayed with Jesus.
A popular poster shows a loaf of bread and a goblet of wine. On the poster are the words, "Jesus of Nazareth requests the honor of your presence at a dinner to be given in his honor." The poster underscores two important points. First, the Mass is a meal to which Jesus invites us personally:
Easter 3rd Week: April 19-24:
April 19 Monday: John 6:22-29:
The context: Today’s Gospel introduces Jesus’ famous discourse on the Holy Eucharist which emerged within a dialogue between Jesus and the Jews who had gone around the Lake and come to Capernaum searching for him. In answer to their question about his arrival, Jesus challenged them, saying that they were looking for him so they could get another free meal and that such meals would not satisfy them. He also instructed them to labor for food that would give them Eternal Life.
3rd Week of Easter, Friday, April 23
Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59
3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, April 20
Acts 7:51 -
8:1 / John 6:30-35
Jesus speaks about the Eucharist; "I am the bread of life. "
There's a story about a poor immigrant family in the 1800s who spent almost their entire life's savings for boat tickets to the United States. To save what little money they had left, they ate cheese and bread in their cabin rather than go to the ship's dining room with its more expensive food.
3rd Week of Easter, Monday, May 2nd
Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29
Stephen is arrested; Stephen was the Church's first martyr.
2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, April 17
Acts 6:1-7 /
John 6:16-21
The disciples run into trouble; The Lord was with them in their trouble.
There's a famous poem called "Footprints." It's about a person, in a dream, walking along a beach with the Lord. Suddenly, across the sky, scenes appear from the person's life. For each scene, two sets of footprints appear in the sand: one belonging to the Lord, the other to the person.
2nd Week of Easter, Friday, April 16
Acts 5:34-42
/ John 6:1-15
From today and until next Saturday (8 days), the Eucharistic discourse of Jesus, as given in John 6 from the multiplication of bread. Jesus confronts us with the question: “Why are you looking for me?” Why are we looking for God, for Jesus? Is it merely for the things he gives us? We receive much from God, but do we look for Jesus himself, for what he means in our lives? Let us look to get closer to him and to become more like him. He asks us for faith in his person and mission.
****
Jesus feeds 5,000 people; He multiplied five loaves.
Almost a century ago, two men were on a train in France. The older man was reading the Bible story of the multiplication of the loaves. Noticing this, the younger man said, "Pardon me, sir, but do you really believe what you're reading?" "Yes," said the older man, "don't you believe it?"
2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, April 15
Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36
Jesus
speaks about eternal life; Whoever believes has eternal life.
Most people who turn on a television set can't tell you how the magic box works. But they don't deny that it works. The picture on the screen tells them that. Most people who drive an automobile can't tell you how the magic motor works. But they don't deny that it works. The movement of the car tells them that.
Easter 2nd Week: April 12-17:
April 12 Monday: The context: Today’s Gospel describes the night visit of Nicodemus made to Jesus. Nicodemus was a rich Jewish rabbi and one of the seventy members of Sanhedrin. Later in his Gospel, John shows us how Nicodemus argued for a fair trial for Jesus (7:51) and how he cooperated with Joseph of Arimathea to bury Jesus (19:38). Nicodemus came to Jesus convinced that obeying the Mosaic Law and offering the prescribed sacrifices were enough for one’s eternal salvation.
Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15
Jesus continues his instruction; "We must be born of the spirit. "
A town drunk and loafer underwent a religious conversion. Some of his old cronies ridiculed him. One said sarcastically, "Surely you haven't begun to believe all that stuff about changing water into wine?" The ex-drunk replied, "I can't tell you whether Jesus turned water into wine in Cana.
To the disciples gathered as a community
Jesus appeared and wished them peace.
To all of you gathered here
as the community of the Lord,
we wish you Jesus' own greeting:
"Peace be with you." . R/ And also with you.
Saturday within Octave of Easter, April 10
The capital of Texas is named after Stephen Austin, an early pioneer who founded numerous settlements in Texas. Austin didn't like preachers and tried to keep them out of his towns.
Thursday within the Octave of Easter, April 8
Acts 3:11-26
/ Luke 24:35-48
Jesus instructs his disciples; You are to be my witnesses.
Jesus
underscores three things in this reading.
(1)
the reality of
the resurrection,
(2)
the necessity of
the cross, and
(3) the urgency of the task of preaching the Good News to all nations.
Easter Octave: April 5-10, 2021:
5 Monday: Mt 28:8-15:
The context: Today’s Gospel describes how the two Marys who had been at the foot of the cross – Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (sister or cousin of Jesus’ mother) – went to the tomb of Jesus early on Sunday morning. They were shocked at seeing an open tomb without Jesus’ body in it. As they ran back with fear and joy to report the news to the apostles, the risen Jesus greeted them and told them to inform the apostles that he would meet them in Galilee. The guards, too, went to the chief priests to report the Resurrection of Jesus. But they were promptly silenced by the Temple authorities who bribed them to spread the false news that Jesus’ body had been stolen by his disciples.
Wednesday within Octave of Easter, April 7
Acts 3:1-10
/ Luke 24:13-45
Two disciples welcome a stranger; The stranger turned out to be Jesus.
The Emmaus episode dramatizes three of the ways that people encountered the risen Jesus: in the broken brother, the broken word, and the broken bread.