SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Wednesday - April 25, 2018

Wednesday - April 25, 2018

"It is a lesson we all need - to let alone the things that do not concern us. He has other ways for others to follow Him; all do not go by the same path. It is for each of us to learn the path by which He requires us to follow Him, and to follow Him in that path." 

-     St. Katharine Drexel

 

April 25, 2018

 

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Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist
Lectionary: 555

Reading 11 PT 5:5B-14

Beloved: 
Clothe yourselves with humility
in your dealings with one another, for:

God opposes the proud
but bestows favor on the humble.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time.
Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

Be sober and vigilant.
Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in faith,
knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world
undergo the same sufferings.
The God of all grace
who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
after you have suffered a little.
To him be dominion forever. Amen.

I write you this briefly through Silvanus,
whom I consider a faithful brother,
exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.
Remain firm in it.
The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son.
Greet one another with a loving kiss.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Responsorial PsalmPS 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17

R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. 
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The heavens proclaim your wonders, O LORD,
and your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can rank with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the sons of God? 
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia1 COR 1:23A-24B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We proclaim Christ crucified;
he is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMK 16:15-20

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

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Going Into the Whole World with the Good News

Mark 16:15-20 contains the reason for the name "Good News Ministries." Jesus said: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News." In 1995, when my husband Ralph and I were commissioned to start this Catholic evangelization ministry in our local diocese, we had no idea we would be reaching out to "the whole world".

The Feast of St. Mark is a good opportunity to share some of our experiences in ministry with you, to inspire you in whatever the Holy Spirit is calling you to do for spreading the Gospel of salvation.

Over the years, beginning early on, there have been temptations and attacks to stall or stop Good News Ministries. The first reading shows why I have always felt an urgency to keep this ministry and these daily reflections going despite every hardship. Everywhere, people are suffering and struggling in daily battles against Satan and trials and other sufferings. I want to be God's proclaimer of the Good News about victory over evil, healing from our wounds, encouragement in holiness, and restoration from weariness.

Like you, Ralph and I have had frequent occasions of resisting the devil. By turning to the Holy Spirit for help, we've grown stronger in faith and persistence.

In every trial, God has restored us, confirmed us, and used the hardships to make us more compassionate, more humble, and more able to do his work well. When one ministry door gets slammed shut in our faces, God opens a new door and blesses us as we walk into unexpected opportunities. This is how our Internet ministry has grown so huge. We've been sharing the Good News in many ways that we had not foreseen or imagined.

For example, after the sinful behavior of our chaplain caused us to lose our local reputation, God raised us up by sending our team of three lay people across country to provide a week-long diocesan Pastoral Institute on Catholic Evangelization. He gave us a new chaplain, Monsignor Joseph Kimu, who called me to Malawi in Central Africa to teach two courses to seminarians and their professors.

Satan prowls around like a roaring lion, trying to interfere, especially when God is about to do something important and life-changing. Christians in ministry are tempted most when the devil wants us to stop what we're doing. If you're being harassed by unusual problems that keep popping up, praise the Lord! God is about to take you to the next level of service and growth.

If you're suffering and are willing to turn it into a ministry for others who are likewise suffering, praise God like in Psalm 89! You are already victorious; you will be a powerful and effective instrument for God's kingdom.

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God Bless You.....

Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”