Reading 1 Acts 6:8-15

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
“We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God.”
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
“This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30

R. (1ab) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Matthew 4:4b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

 

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Daily Meditation

 

Who Do You Work For?

Click here for daily readings It’s a standard networking question: “Who do you work for?” or probably more commonly “Where do you work?” Today’s Gospel makes me wonder what Jesus…

Saint of the Day

 

Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

It’s a standard networking question: “Who do you work for?” or probably more commonly “Where do you work?” Today’s Gospel makes me wonder what Jesus would say if I responded with a list of clients or former companies I’ve worked for. On the flip side, I wonder how a person would reply if I answered, “God,” or “anywhere God needs me.” I imagine the result might be a chuckle, with a casual, “Yeah, me too, but no really, who do you work for?” But today, I’m asking myself – am I working for myself or am I working for God?

Jesus is clear in today’s Gospel, when we work, it should be for the eternal, for food that endures, for eternal life. That work shouldn’t be about us, it should be about God. What does He need to accomplish through us? What do we need to be doing so that our relationship with Him deepens? What do we need to be doing so that more people might open their hearts to Him?

It’s a different perspective to be about eternal things rather than things of this world. When the people push Jesus for how to accomplish the works of God, He tells them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” That is the eternal food: Believing in Jesus. If we TRULY believe in Jesus, we should live differently. It should impact how we live, how we love and how well we can let go of anything other than God.

Ambition may seem like a way to work for things of this world, but rightly ordered ambition with belief in Jesus can be for the eternal as well. Are you working for a promotion for the mere power of it or are you working to be in a position to help other people? Jesus understood how to be about the Father’s work in His position, not only by healing a physical ailment, but also by teaching people, by healing their hearts, by recognizing their dignity, by loving them and ultimately, by dying for them and us.

Jesus tells the people in today’s Gospel that they were searching for Him because they had eaten the loaves and were filled. Will we do the same, or will we seek the food that endures for eternal life? Will we allow Him to fill us through His Word and the Eucharist? If we do, we will find ourselves searching for and finding Him in our families, in others, in our work and in our homes. And the more we find Him, the more we will realize it is not about ourselves but about Him. Let us all spend our lives working for God.

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Daily Reading

 

Saint of the Day

 

Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

Reading 1 Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders, did we not,
to stop teaching in that name?
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles
to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13

R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
 but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Revelation 5:11-14

I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels
who surrounded the throne
and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing.”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea,
everything in the universe, cry out:
“To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever.”
The four living creatures answered, “Amen, “
and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Alleluia <a href="https://bible.usccb.orgroute? “>

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ is risen, creator of all;
he has shown pity on all people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 21:1-19 

At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

or John 21:1-14

At that time, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “”I am going fishing.””
They said to him, “”We also will come with you.””
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “”Children, have you caught anything to eat?””
They answered him, “”No.””
So he said to them, “”Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.””
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “”It is the Lord.””
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “”Bring some of the fish you just caught.””
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “”Come, have breakfast.””
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “”Who are you?””
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.

 

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Daily Meditation

 

Who Do You Work For?

Click here for daily readings It’s a standard networking question: “Who do you work for?” or probably more commonly “Where do you work?” Today’s Gospel makes me wonder what Jesus…

Saint of the Day

 

Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

In the midst of our Lord’s passion, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. In today’s Gospel, we hear Peter affirm his love for Jesus three times. Three denials, three affirmations of love. St. Augustine commented that Jesus asks Peter three times so that he who had thrice denied through fear might thrice confess through love. 

How many times have I, like Peter, denied Jesus through fear? I lead a well-blessed life and I have never feared for my life, but I have denied Jesus through fear. There was the time I was working in an area dominated by another faith and was warned to tuck my crucifix into my sweater so they wouldn’t know I was Catholic. I am sad to say, I complied. I have watched something happen that I knew was wrong, but I didn’t speak up out of fear of being ridiculed or laughed at. I have seen someone in need, but I told myself it wasn’t safe in this day and age to stop and help. 

Knowing that I have acted out of fear, I can choose now to act out of love. How do I make this change? How can love overcome fear? In order to be prepared to choose love at the moment of decision, we need to prepare our will to choose the good. This is not something we can consistently do from our own strength or desire. We need to be open to God’s grace. We are given all the grace we need to follow Jesus at our baptism, but that grace is like a wrapped gift. We must take the time to unwrap and open the gift in order to enjoy the benefits. 

We unwrap the gift of grace when…

  • we encounter Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We can take all of those times we acted out of fear to Him and He will wipe the slate clean. This opens us up to the grace to behave differently in the future. 
  • we humble ourselves to pray on our knees. This gives God’s grace the room to work within us. So rather than just mumbling my evening prayers as I drop off to sleep, I can actually kneel by my bed, evoking with my body the humility I desire in my soul. 
  • we practice putting others first. Let someone go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, let that car in on the highway on ramp, open the door for someone. These tiny, seemingly insignificant acts predispose our will to act in love when the choices are tougher. 

Dear Lord, help me today, right now, to turn away from acting in fear and like Peter, choose instead to affirm my love for you over and over.

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Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

Reading 1 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the Gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more
than five hundred brothers and sisters at once,
most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the Apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5)  Their message goes out through all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day;
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia John 14:6b, 9c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord;
Philip, whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 14:6-14

Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

 

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Daily Meditation

 

Who Do You Work For?

Click here for daily readings It’s a standard networking question: “Who do you work for?” or probably more commonly “Where do you work?” Today’s Gospel makes me wonder what Jesus…

Saint of the Day

 

Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

In today’s Gospel Philip, an apostle of Jesus, asks Jesus to show him God the Father. Jesus responds saying “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”  Jesus tells Philip that He is one with God the Father and goes on to say “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it”.

I have always found myself asking God for things, whether it was to pass a test during college, to win a soccer game, or even make a deadline. Sometimes I get upset when things don’t go my way. I find myself questioning God if He truly cares about me and asking Him why He let me fail.

Many people, including myself, can relate to today’s Gospel, asking for proof of God’s existence to justify belief. In the movie The Polar Express, Tom Hanks says: “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.” It’s human nature to ask questions about what lies beyond life. Philip had seen Jesus perform great miracles of healing yet still asked questions about God’s existence. 

As we go through the season of Easter and into the rest of the year, I invite you to find ways to encounter God in the midst of your daily life.

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Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

Reading 1 Acts 5:34-42

A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel,
a teacher of the law, respected by all the people,
stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time,
and said to the Sanhedrin, “Fellow children of Israel,
be careful what you are about to do to these men.
Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important,
and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed,
and all those who were loyal to him
were disbanded and came to nothing.
After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census.
He also drew people after him,
but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered.
So now I tell you,
have nothing to do with these men, and let them go.
For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
They were persuaded by him.
After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged,
ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus,
and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes,
they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (see 4abc) One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Matthew 4:4b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

 

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Daily Meditation

 

Who Do You Work For?

Click here for daily readings It’s a standard networking question: “Who do you work for?” or probably more commonly “Where do you work?” Today’s Gospel makes me wonder what Jesus…

Saint of the Day

 

Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

John’s Gospel speaks about the signs of Jesus. Signs point us to something, or in this case, to Someone – God incarnate. John says, “A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.” These signs gave people hope, and we Christians are called to be a people of hope. But are we? 

Perhaps we are like Philip. When Jesus asked him how to feed the multitudes, Philip saw an impossible situation. “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough.” He could see no way to solve the problem and wanted to send the people away. Out of sight, out of mind. We are like Philip when we see the impossibility of the situation and throw up our hands. There is violence, war, broken families, addiction, oppression and abuse, hate and injustice. We are suffering and see no light at the end of the tunnel. We may despair because we fail to consider that God can do the impossible. 

We might, instead, be like Andrew. He, too, saw an impossible situation: thousands of people and not enough food. Yet Andrew didn’t surrender to hopelessness. He saw a boy with five loaves and two fish, not enough to feed the crowd, but Andrew brought it to Jesus anyway. It’s as if he said, “This isn’t enough food, but maybe you can do something with it.” And of course, Jesus performed a miracle, multiplying the loaves and fish so that the multitudes were fed with food left over.  

Andrew and Philip face the same problem. Andrew was the one who sees something small and leaves room for God to work. He hoped in an impossible situation.

Every day we face impossible situations. It may be that God has called you to serve Him in a way you feel unqualified for. It’s out of your comfort zone and you don’t have the necessary skills. Philip would say, “It’s impossible. I can’t do it.” Andrew would say, “I have so little ability. What can you do with my inadequacy?” 

God desires to show us signs of love during the difficulties of our lives. He calls us to hope when faced with the impossible. Do we believe that God (and only God) can fix this? Do we trust in God or do we whine about the impossible? Do we frantically try to fix things ourselves? Do we have hope during times of trial? Is that hope in God rather than in ourselves?

John tells us that Jesus had the people recline so they could receive His bounty. Sometimes we are called to sit and receive rather than grasp. God is always present. God always loves. God’s perfect timing will bring an end to all suffering. 

Watch for God’s signs. The five loaves and two fish that were pitifully inadequate by themselves, through the power of God, were multiplied to bring abundance to all. Hope in God and wait for His response. 

St. Andrew and St. Philip, pray for us!

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Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

Reading 1 Acts 5:27-33

When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia John 20:29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 3:31-36

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Daily Meditation

 

Who Do You Work For?

Click here for daily readings It’s a standard networking question: “Who do you work for?” or probably more commonly “Where do you work?” Today’s Gospel makes me wonder what Jesus…

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Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

I grew up attending St. Joseph Church and School. Going to Catholic school from first through ninth grade gave me countless incredible and faith-filled memories. One memory in particular  stands out regarding today’s feast day, St. Joseph the Worker. Each year during the days prior to this date, we all felt the pressure of testing. Once we had completed our tests, our Pastor would call a general assembly for all students. We would gather in the cafeteria, buzzing with so much excitement and anticipation of what was to come that we were wiggling in our seats. Father would enter the room and tell us that we had all performed well on our subject tests, that he was proud of us, and after a dramatic pause announce: “You all have earned the day off on St. Joseph the Worker Day.” Then the entire room would erupt with shouts and applause. 

Back then, I didn’t reflect on my relationship with St. Joseph or my subject testing. It was simply a wonderful day off filled with the joy of knowing I had earned it. 

While on Earth, Jesus learned the values of hard work and rest from his earthly father, St. Joseph. St. Joseph exemplifies what it means to work diligently for the Kingdom of God. Jesus, both divine and human, labored alongside St. Joseph helping with the daily tasks and chores essential for their livelihood. St. Joseph was a great model of obedience and Jesus learned from his example. Our labor here on earth is an act of obedience to the will of God as well.  

One of the optional readings for this feast states, “Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24) We can ask St. Joseph, head of the Holy Family, for guidance and help to live this out.  

We learn the significance of the divine connection between God and His Son through the earthly example of St. Joseph and his relationship with Jesus. Today’s Gospel states “For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.” (John 3:34) Jesus will guide us through the Holy Spirit. 

This is our time to work in the fields. We must never forget that our Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us,’ will be by our side as we serve the Kingdom of God, just as He was for St. Joseph. God’s presence is closer than we think. 

St. Joseph the Worker, guide and protect us like you did your Holy Family. Your gentle and steadfast lessons are what we need now as we struggle towards the Kingdom of God. May your fatherly touch bring us the peace and joy that only comes through our Lord, Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.

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Saint Hunna

Saint Hunna, “the Holy Washerwoman,” washed and cared for the poor in Strasbourg, earning her name through her noble acts of service.
The post Saint Hunna appeared first on uCatholic.

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