Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

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

First Saturday of the Month

Saints: Saint John of Beverley (-721); Blessed Albert of Bergamo OP (1214-1279)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Prologue 39-44

Mass: Acts 9:31-42; Resp Ps 116; Jn 6:60-69

My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of the people.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

(Jn 6:63)

Welcome to the First Saturday of the Month, another busy day with the Word made Flesh who dwells among us. Christ is risen. He is truly risen! 

In our account from the Acts of the Apostles, the Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. The Church was growing in numbers; many turned to the Lord after witnessing the healing of Aeneas, who was paralyzed and confined to bed for eight years. Many also came to believe after the Lord, through Peter, raised Tabitha (which translated is Dorcas 😊) from the dead. Meanwhile, in the Gospel, after Jesus talks about His Flesh being the true food, and His Blood as the true drink, many of the disciples struggle and murmur. So much so that some returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with Him. Let's not go there. Rather, may we join Simon Peter and exclaim: "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:68-69). And may many others come to believe through our witness. What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply through the help of His grace ... we must run and do now what will profit us forever (RB Prologue 41, 44).

To make Christ, always living and present within us, the model of our life and the friend of every hour, the painful hours and the blessed ones as well. To ask Him to make Himself loved by other souls through us, and to be, following a comparison I love, "the rough vessel that contains a brilliant light and through which this light brightens and warms everything around it."

(E. Leseur, The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur, p. 161)

SAINT JOHN OF BEVERLEY,

BLESSED ALBERT OF BERGAMO,

SERVANT OF GOD ELISABETH LESEUR,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: It is always fitting to honor Our Lady, especially in this month of May. This hot off the press photo was sent from a longtime, hometown friend, now faithful reader. She sends her contribution from Carmel, Indiana. As related, her daughter received this beautiful flower while volunteering during a 2nd grade religious education class this past weekend. My dear friend thought it would look beautiful with the addition of three of her favorite statues of Mary. Mary, singular vessel of devotion, pray for us. Shout out to all those east of Mississippi!

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Friday of the Third Week of Easter

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

First Friday of the Month

Saint: Saint Francois de Laval (1623-1708)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Prologue 33-38 

Mass: Acts 9:1-20; Resp Ps 117; Jn 6:52-59

The fidelity of the Lord endures forever.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

The crucified is risen from the dead and has redeemed us, alleluia.

(Communion Antiphon, Mass)

Welcome to the First Friday of the Month of May, a glorious month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary, help of Christians, pray for us. 

We have another action packed and lively account from the Acts of the Apostles today. We begin with Saul breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. By the end of it all, not without being baptized, then eating and recovering his strength, Saul proclaims Jesus in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. The marvels of God never cease. The Lord waits for us daily to translate into action, as we should, His holy teachings (RB Prologue 35).

Little duties, little efforts, the better for being seen by no one, except by Him in whose eyes nothing is little.

(E. Leseur, The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur, p. 157)

SAINT FRANCOIS DE LAVAL,

SERVANT OF GOD ELISABETH LESEUR,

BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSITI,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Glorify Him all you peoples!

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

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

Saints: Saint Asaph (6th century); Blessed Edmund Rice (1762-1844); Saint Richard Reynolds (-1535); Saint Angelus (1185-c.1220)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Prologue 21-32

Mass: Acts 8:26-40; Resp Ps 66; Jn 6:44-51

Bless our God, you peoples.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

I am the bread of life.

(Jn 6:48)

As reminded by a brother, May 3 was the anniversary of the death of Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur (1866-1914), a French laywoman whose cause for canonization is currently underway. Put simply, Elisabeth was remarkable, for among other things, her faith, her devotion to her husband, for her acceptance of others, and for her life given over to service of others, all while undergoing her own ill health and suffering. I first read Salt and Light: The Spiritual Journey of Elisabeth and Felix Leseur and was led, then, to her diary, The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest. I have quoted from both before, most recently from the latter just yesterday. Inspired once again by Elisabeth's witness to the faith, I turn to her diary once again. There is one section, Daily Thoughts (1899-1906), that the reader can open and be astounded by this woman. Were my daily thoughts so deep. For some days you will see, as perhaps you did yesterday, just what I am talking about. It seems too, that I often find wisdom related to our readings of the day. By God's grace I am what I am (RB Prologue 31/1 Cor 15:10).

The Eucharist truly acts within us to transform us, almost without our knowing it-as bread and wine, human nourishment, strengthens all our body and blood without our being aware of it. By His contact and the grace He leaves in us, Christ gives us moral health and creates for us another soul. It is not in vain that we lean for a moment upon His heart and confide to Him our burden of suffering, weakness, and anguish.

(E. Leseur, The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest, p. 176)

How can we not try to give when we have received so much? How can we not love when infinite Love has renewed and transformed our life?

(ibid. p. 158)

SAINT ASAPH,

BLESSED EDMUND RICE,

SAINT RICHARD REYNOLDS,

SAINT ANGELUS,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Beauty abounds here, there, and everywhere. 

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

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

Saint: The English Martyrs (16th-17th century); Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis (1840-1912); Saint Conleth (-519); The Beatified Martyrs of England and Wales (16th-17th century); Saint Jose Maria Rubio, Apostle of Madrid, Father of the Poor (1864-1929); Blessed Angel Prat Hostench and Companions (d.1936); Blessed Emily Bicchieri OP (1238-1314)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Prologue 14-20

Mass: Acts 8:1b-8; Resp Ps 66; Jn 6:35-40

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Let peace be your quest and aim.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue 17/Ps 33)

Today's account from the Acts of the Apostles begins with persecution and lamentations while Saul is trying to destroy the Church. Others who managed to scatter, persevered, preached the word, and proclaimed Christ. Crowds paid attention to Philip and watched the good being done. Unclean spirits came out of possessed people; the paralyzed and crippled were cured. And today's account ends: "There was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:8). Whew. United in faith and prayer, we must keep going, no matter what. 

Let us love. Let our souls and our lives be a perpetual song of love for God first of all and for all human beings who suffer, love, and mourn.

Let profound joy live in us, Let us be like the lark, enemy of the night, who always announces the dawn and awakens in each creature the love of light and life. Let us awaken souls.

(Elisabeth Leseur, The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest, p. 150)

The first duty now for every soul of good will is perpetual preaching, by word and by example, of the divine law of Charity.

Every Christian should be the voice crying in the desert: "Let us love!" Perhaps some heavenly breeze will carry these words farther than we suspect.

(ibid. p. 156)

THE ENGLISH MARTYRS,

BLESSED MARIE-LEONIE PARADIS,

SAINT CONLETH,

THE BEATIFIED MARTRYS OF ENGLAND AND WALES,

SAINT JOSE MARIA RUBIO,

BLESSED ANGEL PRAT HOSTENCH AND COMPANIONS,

BLESSED EMILY BICCHIERI OP,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: With blossoms a bit out of my reach, this one required a long arm stretch. 😊

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

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

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Prologue 8-13 

Mass: 1 Cor 15:1-8; Resp Ps 19; Jn 14:6-14

Day pours out the word to day; and night to night imparts knowledge.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

I am the way and the truth and the life ... whoever has seen me has seen the Father (Jn 14:6, 9), says the Lord. If you hear His voice today, then, do not harden your hearts (Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue 10/Ps 94). And just how will you let the message go out through all the earth today?

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

(Jn 14:13-14)

SAINT PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES,

PRAY FOR US. 

Today's photo: From a faithful reader who happens to be a much-loved cousin. 💖Windsor, CA.

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Monday of the Third Week of Easter

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

Saint: Saint Athanasius, Bishop, Doctor (295-373)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Prologue 1-7 

Mass: Acts 6:8-15; Resp Ps 119; Jn 6:22-29

Teach me your statutes.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

This is the work of God, that you believe in the one He sent.

(Jn 6:29)

Welcome to Monday and the Prologue of the Rule of Saint Benedict, when we begin our second read through of the year (see RB 58:9-13). For starters then, we listen with the ear of our hearts (RB Prol. 1) to Saint Benedict: "First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to God most earnestly to bring it to perfection" (RB Prol. 4). It seems a fitting way to begin the week and the month of May, the month dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

You will not see anyone who is really striving after his advancement who is not given to spiritual reading, and to him who neglects it, the fact will soon be observed in his progress.

(Saint Athanasius)

Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, the sisters should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading.

(Rule of Saint Benedict 48:1)

SAINT ATHANASIUS,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Benvenuta. "All absent sisters should always be remembered at the closing prayer of the Work of God ... when they come back from a journey ... they ask prayers for all their faults ..." (Rule of Saint Benedict, 67:2-4).

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Third Sunday of Easter

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

In other years: Saint Joseph the Worker

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 73 This Rule Only a Beginning of Perfection 

Mass: Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Resp Ps 30; Rev 5:11-14; Jn 21:1-19

O Lord, be my helper.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

It is the Lord.

(Jn 21:7)

Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Then, come, follow me, says the Lord. And what is just one way you will go about that today? 💗Buona domenica. 

SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: This is what I found just up the street. Carmichael, CA.

© Gertrude Feick 2022