Saturday - May 18, 2019
O Mother of God! If I place my confidence in thee, I shall be saved; if I am under thy protection, I have nothing to fear; for the fact of being thy client is a possession of a certainty of salvation which God grants only to those whom He intends to save.
-St. John Damascene
O Mother of God! If I place my confidence in thee, I shall be saved; if I am under thy protection, I have nothing to fear; for the fact of being thy client is a possession of a certainty of salvation which God grants only to those whom He intends to save.
-St. John Damascene
May 18 2019
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 284
Reading 1ACTS 13:44-52
On the following sabbath
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
"It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth."
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
"It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth."
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
Responsorial PsalmPS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4
R.(3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 8:31B-32
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 14:7-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to Jesus,
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."
"If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to Jesus,
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."
******************************
HOW TO BRING LOVED ONES TO CHRIST WITH GOD'S HELP
Think of the special someone you've been praying for because he or she has left the Church or never had true faith. How do you feel about it?
It's heart-breaking to love someone who is stubbornly rejecting the truth about Jesus. It's hard to watch them suffer the worldly effects of not turning to him to let him be their Savior. You know how important faith in Christ is for their life now, and -- the biggest heart-wrencher -- you fear that they won't spend eternity with you in heaven.
You're not alone if feeling this kind of heart-ache. Many of the prayer requests that come into Good News Ministries are for the conversions of loved ones.
We are called and commissioned by Christ to evangelize. But how can we do this successfully for the ones we care about most?
Jesus would not ask us to partner with him in the mission of salvation if he did not also provide the means for accomplishing it. And remember, he cares more about the salvation of your loved ones than you do!
This is the topic of the podcast I published last Tuesday. In it, I explain that I cannot tell you what works in awakening a Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-filled faith in our loved ones, but I can tell you what doesn't work. I cannot tell you what works, because each case is different.
For some, what works is hitting the bottom of what the world has to offer. We have to wait for their wrong beliefs to fail them -- and most likely it has to fail them again and again before they become interested in finding out what a difference faith in Christ can make. But this doesn't work for everybody. There are plenty of people who remain fully entrapped in their wrong beliefs their whole life long.
Think about what worked for you: What brought you to a fully immersed life in Christ? What converted you? Or what strengthened your faith when you relied more on worldly beliefs than Christian truths? Or what brought you back to church after being away for a while?
Next, think about the conversion stories of others. Then think about your loved ones who need conversion. What might open their minds to the truth?
For me, it happened when a friend explained how God miraculously changes bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus during the Catholic Mass. However, I've not been able to bring anyone else to conversion the same way.
Notice the role God played in my conversion story. Think about the role God played in your own story of conversion or faith growth. None of us can convince someone to change their minds and become a faith-filled believer -- not by our own efforts. God needs to intervene with supernatural help.
This is why Jesus said, in this Saturday's Gospel reading, "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these." What was the work of Jesus? Everything he did was for the sake of the salvation of souls. Preaching the truth was just part of how he served as Savior. He also did supernatural works: healing diseases, raising people from the dead, multiplying the food -- etc.
When he sent his disciples out to help him with his mission, he gave them the power to do the same. Later, after his death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, the Holy Spirit empowered every follower of Christ to do the same -- and even greater works. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles is filled with evidence of this. Signs and wonders give testimony to the truths that are preached.
Two thousand years later, much of the Church has lost that original fervor. Most of us have not been taught how to fulfill Christ's command to bring others to conversion. Sure, we know we're supposed to share our faith -- we're supposed to talk about it and we're supposed to live the faith in such a way that our lives prove the veracity of what we say. But something is missing here. Something big. Something essential, absolutely essential.
God's divine, supernatural intervention.
Instead of relying on our lives to prove the truths we teach, we should be relying on God (because we live the truth so imperfectly). Instead of expecting our words to make a difference (and then getting frustrated and angry when we don't succeed), we should -- and can -- expect God to do something supernatural.
So how do we become like the first Christians, so alive in the faith that signs and wonders help us bring others to conversion? There's only one way: a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, which is strengthened by what is often called "baptism of the Spirit" or, as St. John the Baptist called it, "the baptism of fire". It comes from asking for a renewal and charging up of the in-filling of the Holy Spirit we received when we were baptized with water.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill me. Come, Holy Spirit, renew me. Come, Holy Spirit, You have my permission to change me.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
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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!”
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