THURSDAY - April 30, 2020
TODAY'S READINGS
April 29 2020
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church
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.
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.
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 Psalm66:1-3A, 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.
AlleluiaJN 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.”
******************************
Dream Bigger and Reach Your Full Potential!
In the bread we use for sandwiches, the yeast that made the dough rise has been baked to death. The heat of the oven prevents the bread from growing any larger. Jesus, on the other hand, is living bread. He overcame death. His life is constantly rising, continually growing larger within us and then out from us to change the world. Or it should be.
God wants us reach our full potential. Most people today settle for a life of mediocrity. How hard do you push yourself to move beyond your comfort zone to discover how far your potential can actually reach?
We under-estimate our worth. We under-expect what God wants to do through us. We under-work our talents. We under-eat the Bread of Life. Like the baker who kneads the dough, we have to put effort into becoming all that God designed us to be and to do all that Jesus desires for us. And we have to spend time dreaming to find out what God has dreamt up for us.
It's important to know our limits, but only so that we can turn to God and find new ways to grow past these limits. "Do you really grasp what you're reading?" That's the question that Philip asked the Ethiopian in our first reading today. The foreign official was on his way home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He wanted to grow in his relationship with God, but he was limited until Philip taught him about Jesus.
What's the limit of your understanding of who Jesus is and what he can do for you and what you can do for him because of your faith? How can you expand beyond that?
How are the people around you limited in their understanding of Jesus? Will you let God stretch you so that you can help them experience more of him?
Jesus points out: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them... They shall be taught by God." Philip was able to lead the Ethiopian to Christ because the Father was already drawing him. Anyone who truly desires a full relationship with God is drawn by the Father to the Son. If we're willing to fulfill our own potential, God will have us jog along beside them, and the Holy Spirit will empower us to expand beyond our old limits, even beyond earthly limits, so that we can make a difference.
Daily, how much do we rely on God to take us to our full potential? We need to dare to dream his dreams for us. When we desire to grow beyond the mediocre, fascinated by the unimagined possibilities of our full potential, we find more self-esteem, more satisfaction, and more joy -- and we change the world.
Today's Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for giving Yourself to me in the Eucharist. Give me the grace for opening my heart to whatever You want to do in me. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day
through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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