Wednesday - May 08, 2019
"As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary."
- Saint Thomas Aquinas
"As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary."
- Saint Thomas Aquinas
May 8 2019
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 275
Reading 1ACTS 8:1B-8
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus 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 and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus 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 and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
Responsorial PsalmPS 66:1-3A, 4-5, 6-7A
R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaSEE JN 6:40
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
******************************
Satisfying Our Hungers
What are you hungry for? What are your appetites?
One day as I brought myself a cup of yogurt, and it made my birds hungry. I had an old parakeet, which squatted wearily next to my keyboard, and a parrot that perched on top of his cage in the window keeping one eye on the beautiful outdoors and one eye on me. When they realized that I was eating, these well-fed pets suddenly thought they were very hungry. The little guy found energy and the big one turned on his charm by calling my name. Of course I gave them what they wanted. (An experience of a friend of mine!)
This is how it is with Jesus. As he says in today's Gospel, when we realize we're hungry for the good things of the Lord, he gives them to us. Think of a hardship that you're enduring. How do you feel when you see others receive help from their faith? Don't you get hungry for the same benefits? This kind of hunger produces a surge of new energy that turns our hearts toward Jesus, and we ask him to give us what we need. Even if we've already done this a hundred times and we're still waiting for help, the faith of others inspires us to give our hunger to Jesus again.
He won't ever starve us! He cares about us. He cares about you, much more than I care about my well-fed birds!
Hunger and thirst for Jesus are triggered by all sorts of experiences: lack of good health, lack of human companionship, lack of attention, lack of time to do everything we want to do, and so on. Jesus never rejects us when we call out to him in our hungers and our lacks. Read again what he says in this passage from John.
If we believe in Jesus but still feel dissatisfied or empty or hungry for more, it's because we don't entirely believe that he is fully with us, fully caring for us. Any on-going hunger is an indication that we need to spend more time learning who Jesus really is and more time resting in a state of prayer meditating on his love.
Hungers that are not converted into energy that turns our hearts toward Jesus become addictions to alcohol or drugs or overeating or shopping or work or immoral relationships. Those who hunger to get their needs met without Jesus are never satisfied, so they continually seek more, and more, and more. Hopefully, when they become desperately hungry enough and all else has failed them, they will finally turn to Jesus with their whole heart and receive the nourishment that satisfies and heals.
What would it take for you to open up to the fullness of what Jesus wants to give you? Every hunger is another opportunity to experience him. Daily, we're invited to receive this Bread of Life. And daily we're called to let others see Jesus satisfying our hungers, so that they, too, will turn to him.
Today's Prayer
Beloved Lord Jesus: You know me deep inside my soul. Thank You for loving me, knowing that I'll fall many times and I won't respond to You. In You, Lord, I will arise. 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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