Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Saints: Saint Christopher Magallanes and his Companions, Martyrs (early 20th century); Blessed Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 4:44-62 The Tools for Good Works

Mass: Acts 16:1-10; Resp Ps 100; Jn 15:18-21

Serve the Lord with gladness.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Yearn for everlasting life with holy desire.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, 4:46)

We wrap up this week with the ten newly formally canonized saints and plenty of others too, to intercede for us. We are blessed today to commemorate Christopher Magallenes and 24 other Mexican martyrs of the early 20th century, along with the founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, also known as the OMIs, French born Eugene de Mazenod. God is praised. At the same time, we continue to be immersed in Saint Benedict's chapter on the tools for good works. Among other tools to put to use today include "guard your lips from harmful or deceptive speech; prefer moderation in speech and speak no foolish chatter, nothing just to provoke laughter; do not love immoderate or boisterous laughter" (RB 4:51-54). Indeed, our way of acting should be different from the world's way (RB 4:20), as Jesus tells us today: If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me (Jn 15:20-21). United in faith and prayer, we keep going, no matter what. Jesus understands. Mary, help of Christians, pray for us.

Why search so hard for a heart that understands us and voice that knows how to speak to us of God and the soul, when the Heart of Christ is open to us and no one in the world knows how to love us and understand us as He does?

(E. Leseur, The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur, p. 171)

Our thoughts in this present life should turn on the praise of God, because it is in praising God that we shall rejoice for ever in the life to come; and no one can be ready for the next life unless he trains himself for it now. So we praise God during our earthly life, and at the same time we make our petitions to Him ... 

We urge you to praise God. That is what we are telling each other when we say Alleluia. You say to your neighbor, "Praise the Lord!" and he says the same to you. We are all urging one another to praise the Lord, and all thereby doing what each of us urges the other to do. But see that your praise comes from your whole being; in other words, see that you praise God not with your lips and voices alone, but with your minds, your lives and all your actions.

(From a discourse on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop, in Office of Readings, Fifth Week of Easter, Saturday)

SAINT CHRISTOPHER MAGALLANES AND HIS COMPANIONS,

BLESSED EUGENE DE MAZENOD,

SERVANT OF GOD ELISABETH LESEUR,

SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA,

SAINT MARIE RIVIER,

SAINT CAROLINA SANTOCANALE,

SAINT CHARLES DE FOUCAULD,

SAINT DEVASAHAYAM PILLAI,

SAINT CESAR DE BUS,

SAINT LUIGI MARIA PALAZZOLA,

SAINT JUSTIN RUSSOLILLO,

SAINT ANNA MARIA RUBATTO,

SAINT MARIA DOMENICA MANTOVANI,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: From Moni in Veringendorf, Germany. The Lord is good.

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Saints: Saint Peter Chanel, Martyr (1803-1841); Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716); Blessed Maria Guggiari Echeverria (1925-1959)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 70 The Presumption of Striking Another Monk at Will 

Mass: Acts 5:27-33; Resp Ps 34; Jn 3:31-36

His praise shall be ever in my mouth.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

In today's account from the Acts of the Apostles, the Sanhedrin has had just about enough from Peter and the Apostles. They just would not stop teaching in the name of Jesus. So fed up, the Sanhedrin became infuriated and wanted to put Peter and the Apostles to death. Saint Peter Chanel faced many of the same challenges. However, opposition didn't stop Peter and the Apostles and it didn't stop Saint Peter Chanel, who preached the name of Christ to the people on the island of Futuna in the Pacific Ocean. As related in a eulogy of Saint Peter Chanel, "he could never refuse anything to the Futunians, even to those who persecuted him; he always made excuses for them and never rejected them, even though they were often rude and troublesome. He displayed an unparalleled mildness towards everyone on all occasions without exception" (in Office of Readings, April 28). Eventually martyred, Peter Chanel's witness and work could not be destroyed. "One the day before his martyrdom he had said: "It does not matter if I die. Christ's religion is so deeply rooted on this island that it cannot be destroyed by my death'." And furthermore, "the blood of this martyr benefitted, in the first place, the natives of Futuna, for a few years later they were all converted to the faith of Christ. But it benefited as well the other islands of Oceania, where Christian churches, which claim Peter as their first martyr, are now flourishing." 

United in faith and prayer, we go forth. The harvest is rich but the laborers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to His harvest (Responsory, Office of Readings).

And with a few words from another one of our saints of the day:

As all perfection consists in our being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus it naturally follows that the most perfect of all devotions is that which conforms, unites, and consecrates us most completely to Jesus. Now of all God's creatures Mary is the most conformed to Jesus. It therefore follows, that, of all devotions, devotion to her makes for the most effective consecration and conformity to Him. The more one is consecrated to Mary, the more one is consecrated to Jesus ...

This devotion consists in giving oneself entirely to Mary in order to belong entirely to Jesus through her.

(From "On Devotion to the Virgin Mary," by Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort, in Office of Readings, April 28)

VIRGIN MOST RENOWNED,

PRAY FOR US.

SAINT PETER CHANEL,

SAINT LOUIS GRIGNION DE MONTFORT,

BLESSED MARIA GUGGIARI ECHEVERRIA,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: This early morning shot comes from Carmichael, CA. Rise and shine and bring God your glory.

© Gertrude Feick 2022