Tuesday 5th Week of Easter

 

“The crowds stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city supposing he was dead. “ Acts. 14:19-28

Do not count the cost.  

Paul was dragged out the city and was stoned to the point of almost dying. 

Rather than walk away;

Undaunted. 

He got up and went back into the city. 

His response was that it was necessary to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God!

Paul did not count the cost, because what He was going to receive in the Kingdom far outweighed the pittance he had to pay. 

For the hardships of this life are as nothing to the rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Monday 5th Week of Easter

 “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.”  Jn. 14:21

Do you Love Jesus?  

Everyone questions God’s love for us. 

“If God loves us why does he allow suffering in the world?”

Is it possible that most of the suffering in the world is because WE do not love God!

If we did love God we would keep His commandments

And by keeping His commandments much of our self inflicted sins and suffering would come to an end. 

5th Sunday of Easter

 The Vineyard Jn. 15:1-8

Every vineyard that wants to bear fruit and be productive must be pruned. 

Pruning has shown to improve the quality and size of the grape. 

The origin of pruning is said to go back to Palestine. 

Where there was a donkey that ate parts of a grapevine and at the harvest they discovered that those grape clusters were bigger and better than others. 

Therefore  any Vine grower worth his or her salt will prune the branches in order to produce a good harvest. 

God the Father is the Vine Grower 

And Jesus is the Vine. 

And we are the branches. 

What kind of branches are we?

Do we bear fruit?  

And how much fruit?

The minimum or abundant fruit?

Do we need pruning?

What are the dead branches that need to be cut off and thrown into the fire?

Maybe an unhealthy relationship;

Or a negative attitude;

A fear we cling to or a past hurt we cannot let go of. 

A bad habit that we can’t break. 

Our Heavenly Father wants us to bear fruit and remain on the Vine. 

And so every once in awhile He comes to prune His Vineyard. 

And The cross is the shears God uses for pruning. 

And when we see it coming we recoil and don’t want to be pruned. 

We would rather keep our old, dead branches that suck the life out of us and keep us from new life and bearing new fruit than be pruned. 

Be not afraid when the shears of the cross comes to prune us. 

God the Father is only cutting away the dead and useless branches of our lives 

so that we can bear abundant fruit and remain with Him forever. 

Friday 4th Week of Easter

 The Way, the Truth and the Life

We have the latest trends giving us directions 

People telling us what to believe;

Even Life Coaches telling people how to live. 

But none of these things or people can replace Jesus. 

For Jesus is the Only Way, the Truth and the Life. 

And those who follow the latest trends for directions;

Who listen to Other people’s opinions 

And follow life Coaches,

Instead of Jesus 

Are sure to get lost along the way. 

The Feast of St. Mark

 The Body of Christ

St. Paul teaches that we are the mystical Body of Christ. 

But through the centuries this Body has been broken and divided many times. 

Long before the Protestant Reformation there was another schism in the 5th century when the Coptic Church of Alexandria Egypt split from the Christian Churches in Rome and Constantinople. 

The Coptic Church claims to have been founded by St. Mark, whose feast day we celebrate today. 

And is the major Christian Church in Egypt which is severely persecuted and experiences bombings of which you may have heard occasionally on the news. 

Whenever we have a broken bone, the best way to heal it is through tender loving care. 

As we celebrate the feast of St. Mark today and call to mind the Coptic Church which he founded in Egypt

and we are once again reminded that the best way to heal the Broken Mystical Body of Christ 

is also through tender loving care of all who call themselves Christians. 

Wednesday 4th Week of Easter

 The Light of the world

Whenever there is a Tornado warning,

A person has to be prepared for the lights to go out. 

So they do not stumble around in the darkness. 

Life is filled with storms

That threaten to cast us into physical, emotional and spiritual darkness. 

Jesus came into the world so that we might not remain in darkness. 

Yet some people prefer the dark to the light. 

And it is not Jesus but they themselves who will condemn themselves to darkness

Because they refused to follow the Light. 

Tuesday 4th week of Easter

 Antioch :  Acts 11:19-26

Have you ever driven  by the Antioch Christian Church in Toluca,

And wondered where they got their name?

The city of Antioch was called “the cradle of Christianity” 

and was the first place that the followers of Jesus were called “Christian.”

Sts.  Peter, Paul and Barnabas all visited and preached in Antioch. 

But because of war and changes in trade routes,

Antioch fell into decline. 

The next time you drive by the Antioch Christian Church in Toluca, say a prayer for our fellow Christians,

Who by their very name keep the Spirit of Antioch 

And its revered name alive. 

Monday 4th Week of Easter

 Christ is the Gate

Gates are used for two things. 

To keep things out and to allow others to pass through. 

Every farm has a gate to keep out the wolves and to allow the sheep to go to pasture. 

Christ is the Gate who keeps out the wolves of this world who seek seek to devour us 

Christ is The Gate to Heaven

And if we wish to enter,

We must pass through Him. 

4th Sunday of Easter

 God is Light

The Eclipse has been big news lately. 

And one thing for sure was that you could not look at the sun without glasses because it was too bright. 

It is the same with God   

God is Light!

Brighter than a million suns. 

Throughout the Old Testament,

No one could look at God and live. 

His Holiness was too bright for sinners. 

So the Son of God who is Light from Light,

Hid the brightness of His glory behind the shadow of His humanity. 

Jesus eclipsed His Divinity with His Humanity;

Just as the moon eclipsed the sun. 

This is why some people did not see Jesus as the Divine Son of God

They only saw His humanity. 

Although there were momentary glimpses whern Jesus revealed His Divinity such as at the Transfiguration and when He performed miracles. 

But then they passed and the brightness of His Divinity was hidden once again  behind His humanity. 

After the Resurrection the glory He had with His Heavenly Father was restored and once again we cannot see Him. 

So He left us the Sacraments. 

Christ is truly and fully present in the Sacraments,

But the glory of His Divinity is hidden behind the veil of bread and wine, oil and water. 

Just as the moon gave way and no longer eclipsed the brightness of the sun. 

So will the veil of the Sacraments be pulled back,

And we will see Him Face to face. 

For  on that day  Sacraments will no longer be needed,

As we will be transformed and share His glory,

And  we will see Him Face to Face.  1Jn. 3:2

Saturday 3rd week of Easter

This is one of four Marian antiphons, with following versicles and prayers, traditionally said or sung after night prayer, immediately before going to sleep. It is said throughout Eastertide. (That is, from Easter Day through Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter.

The Regina caeli is also said in place of the Angelus during Eastertide.

Queen of Heaven

V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. 
R. For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia. 
V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia. 
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. 
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday 3rd week of Easter

 From Saul to Paul Acts. 9:1-20

Saul went from breathing murderous threats against the followers of Jesus,

to Paul the greatest preacher of Christ. 

Most people would not pick a murderer to be their friend let alone the promoter of their cause. 

But when Jesus calls,

He transforms!

He transforms the person in to what he needs them to be be. 

So do not be afraid if you feel that you do not have what it takes to follow Jesus or share His message. 

If Jesus can change Saul to Paul,

He can do the same with us. 

Thursday 3rd Week of Easter

 Living Bread Jn. 6:44-51

When one goes to the grocery store there are all kinds of bread to choose from except one. 

The Bread of Life!

The Bread of Life can only be found at Mass. 

for at Mass the Bread from Heaven comes down to us on the altar;

So that one may eat it and not die. 

This bread is the Flesh of Christ that He give for the life of the world. 

The bread from the grocery store may taste good,

But those who eat of it will surely die. 

While those who eat the Bread of Life,

The Flesh of Christ that He feeds us from this table,

Will live forever. 

Wednesday 3rd Week of Easter

Persecution Acts 8:1-8

The early Church was based in Jerusalem until there was a persecution. 

Then they fled to the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 

The persecution however had the opposite effect. 

Instead of stamping out the Faith. 

It only planted the Faith in other places. 

Sometimes Peace can lull the Faithful to sleep 

While Persecution can awaken it,

And spread it like seeds on the wind. 

Tuesday 3rd Week of Easter

 Lord, receive my spirit. Acts 8:1

The way in which we die is different for everyone. 

The time we go is different as well for everyone. 

Death is a totally unique and personal experience. 

But one thing that seems to be common for many,

Is seeing the Light……

This Light is Christ for He is the Light of the world. 

As St. Stephen was being stoned,

The Heavens opened and He saw the Light,

The Son of Man standing at the right had of God,

And he prayed “Lord receive my spirit.”

Every night, before I sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep. 

If I should die before I wake

I pray the Lord my soul to take.