PRESENCE OF JESUS BANISHES FEAR.
THE GOSPEL:
"When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum.
"It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
"When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
"But he said to them,
“It is I. Do not be afraid.”
"They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading." (John 6: 16 - 21).
Saturday 18th April 2026, in the 2nd Week of EASTER.
One of the most consoling verses uttered by Jesus in the Gospels is: “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
In today's Gospel from (John 6: 16 - 21), the Disciples of Jesus were very frightened when they saw Jesus walking on the sea along their boat.
The sea in the Scriptures represent the world, unpredictable and menacing.
We are the disciples without the least control over the incidents in our lives.
Companies rise and fall in the stock market. Russia attacks Ukraine. Hamas seizes captives. Flood devastates California. Election is won and lost.
Yet the Lord can say Calmly in all these frightening circumstances:
“It is I. Do not be afraid.”
What does this mean? It means: You are not God. I AM. I am in control of all circumstances.
When we learn that God controls all events and that what God permits to happen in our lives is for our good and not our woes, we begin to appreciate and enjoy the truth and power of Divine Providence.
God is in control of everything. You are not.
THE EUCHARIST IS THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS THE EUCHARIST.
The Church learns more and honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.
"The bread and the wine of the Eucharist before the holy invocation of the adorable Trinity were simple bread and wine, but the invocation having been made, the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine the Blood of Christ."
(St. Cyril of Jerusalem).
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
GAMALIEL PRINCIPLE 2026
"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." (Acts 5: 34 - 42).
Gamaliel was one of the most important Doctors of Sacred Scripture at this time in Israel.
He was the teacher of St. Paul the Apostle.
He enunciated a principle, a word of wisdom to guide the Supreme Court of Israel on how to handle Peter and John.
Their options may be:
1. Torture and kill them.
2. Torture and long prison sentences with heavy labor.
Below is the counsel of Gamaliel:
"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." (Acts 5: 38 - 39).
I have used the Gamaliel Principle for discerning God's will. It has often brought me wisdom and peace.
Every year after Easter, I look forward to the Gamaliel Principle Reading from Acts 5: 34 - 42. It reinforces my faith. I heard it first at the beginning of my Journey of Faith and I relish to hear it again at this time in the Easter Season.
Gamaliel was a famous teacher in Israel at the time of the death of Jesus. He was the teacher of St Paul and a member of the Sanhedrin. He laid down a principle of discerning God's will in complex situations based on astute historical analysis.
Divine action in history is predictable, he opined. It is governed by God's sovereign, powerful, merciful and mysterious Providence.
Gamaliel was a teacher schooled in the mystery of Divine Providence.
Members of the the Sanhedrin accepted Gamaliel's advice but went ahead to flog the Apostles in order to intimidate them. You may call this state terrorism. Read on to see if they succeeded.
"After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them." (Acts 5: 40).
"So they [Apostles] left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name." (Acts 5: 41).
These men have tasted the Holy Spirit and were transformed by the experience.
Instead of quitting....
"All day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus." (Acts 5: 42).
"What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Acts 8: 31).
"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]." (Romans 8: 37 AMP).
How I came to know about Gamaliel Principle:
Over thirty years ago, I was discerning a very important project. After sometime, I decided to consult a spiritual director. He acknowledged that the project was tough and near impossible. The only support he offered was this Scripture (Acts 5: 38 - 39).
I read and reread the Scripture for over a week. At the end, I concluded that God has spoken to me through Rabbi Gamaliel. I embarked on the project without hesitation. Years after the consultation, I started to call the inspired Scripture the "Gamaliel Principle" after the main character, Rabbi Gamaliel. The Scripture turned out to be one of my key Scriptures in spiritual discernment.
What I learned from the Gamaliel Principle:
1. If God is with you, it is accomplished. No matter the obstacles, delays,
disappointments or personal weaknesses.
2. No fear. No worry. No doubt as long as the Lord is with you.
3. God will finish what He started. (Exodus 14: 13-14; Isaiah 13: 15; 2 Chronicles 20: 15; Philippians 1: 6)
"Wait for the Lord, take courage;
be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27: 14)
God does His best actions when we show we trust Him.
Is the present situation from God or not? Use the Gamaliel Principle.
"Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
(Acts 5:38-39 NIV)
Today we see the vindication of the wisdom of Gamaliel. In spite of the opposition of the Jewish leaders, we see the growth of the Faith through the power of God.
Gamaliel Principle is true. As it was then, so it is now and forever.
Do not be afraid that God will forsake you or abandon you in your calling.
XXX
THE EUCHARIST IS THE CHURCH.
The Church learns more and honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:
GOD DOES NOT RATION THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THE GOOD NEWS:
"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." (John 3: 31 - 36).
Thursday April 16th 2026, Thursday in the 2nd Week in the Easter Season.
The Holy Spirit and Peace are the dominant themes of the Easter Season.
We are told in the Gospel of today that God does not ration His Holy Spirit.
When you ask for the Holy Spirit in faith, be sure you will receive what you ask for.
God told Solomon when he asked for wisdom and not for riches and power:
"Here and now I grant you what you ask for and more." (Cf 1 King 11).
Jesus promises: "Ask and you shall receive." If you ask for the Holy Spirit, your Father will be so delighted that He will give you what you ask for at once.
The Father does not ration the Holy Spirit.
It means you receive in direct proportion to your desire and capacity to receive.
The Holy Spirit is the source of abundant life.
Ask for the Holy Spirit today.
THE EUCHARIST IS THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS THE EUCHARIST.
The Holy Spirit is at the heart of the Eucharist, because it is the Spirit who makes Christ truly present and unites us to him in Communion.
In the Mass, the Church prays for the Spirit to come upon the gifts of bread and wine, transforming them into the Body and Blood of the Lord and, at the same time, transforming us into one body in Christ.
This is why the Eucharist is never just a sacred symbol or a private devotion.
It is a living encounter with the risen Christ by the power of the Spirit.
The same Spirit who gave life to the Church at Pentecost continues to nourish that life at the altar, drawing us into deeper holiness, unity, and communion with God.
The Church learns more and honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD.
THE GOOD NEWS:
"God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
"Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
"And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." (John 3: 16 - 21).
Wednesday 15th April 2026.
We have for our reflection one of the most known verses in the Bible.
"God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."
The proof of God’s love is the crucifixion and death of Jesus.
Our response to this love is to be constrained or be controlled by this love to love God back.
The beginning of this loving relationship between God and man is Belief.
In Baptism, we become the children of God and the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
Through the transformation of the Holy Spirit, we walk by faith and not by sight or feeling.
Every Sunday, the Church proclaims the Creed to remind us of what we believe.
This repetition of the Credo is life transforming if we enter into it in the spirit of faith.
The Church learns more about the Holy Eucharist every day.
The Eucharist is the Food for the Journey.
APRIL is dedicated to honoring the HOLY EUCHARIST.
THE EUCHARIST IS THE PRECIOUS BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
It is the Sacrament of those who have been born again.
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
ARE YOU BORN AGAIN?
THE GOOD NEWS:
"Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
“How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3: 7 - 15).
In our Gospel of today, Jesus answered Nicodemus:
“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” (AMP Bible translation).
The carnal man is incapable of experiencing spiritual things.
He is acquainted only with material carnal things. (Cf Romans 8: 6; 1 Corinthians 2: 14).
This is what Jesus teaches Nicodemus. This is also a truth anyone can bear witness to by reflecting on his acquaintances. Your earth-bound friends will find meaningless every spiritual talk. They will scoff at the least reference to Jesus and salvation.
Everything on earth is created twice. The first creation is from the earth and unsurprisingly earthy.
The second creation is from above and is heavenly.
It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the second birth.
And this happens when we are baptized.
We become born anew and in fact new creation.
Since we died with Christ when we were immersed into the water of Baptism and raised with Christ, let us seek what is above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. (Cf Colossians 3: 1).
The Holy Catholic Church honors the Most Holy Eucharist in April.
THE EUCHARIST IS THE PRECIOUS BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
It is the Sacrament of those who have been born again.
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
FEAST OF ST MARTIN I, POPE AND MARTYR.
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
THE GOSPEL:
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to him,
"How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3: 1 - 8).
Monday 13th April 2026, in the 2nd Week in the Easter Season is the feast of St Martin I, Pope and Martyr.
Martin suffered martyrdom because of his defense of the truth that Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% Man. Emperor Constans II got him arrested and exiled him to Crimea where he suffered much abuse and humiliation.
Martin wrote from prison: “For forty-seven days, I have not been given water to wash in. I am frozen through and wasting away…. But God sees all things and I trust in him.”
This Scripture below could have been spoken by Pope St Martin I:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony." (John 3: 11).
For the past 2000 years, saints and martyrs following the example of Jesus have been persecuted for speaking the truth they know.
The adversaries have no answers to refute them.
But like Pilate, Herod, Henry VIII, Hitler and Stalin they had brute force and they responded accordingly.
The brutal persecution did not stop the Gospel from spreading.
"You, O Christ, are the faithful witness [Martyr], the First-born from the dead, you have loved us and have washed away our sins with your blood. (Cf Revelation 1: 5).
Jesus was born, lived and died to establish the Kingdom of God.
Jesus answered Nicodemus in the AMP Bible translation, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”
The carnal man is incapable of experiencing spiritual things. He is acquainted only with material carnal things. (Cf Romans 8: 6; 1 Corinthians 2: 14).
This is what Jesus teaches Nicodemus. This is also a truth anyone can bear witness to by reflecting on his acquaintances.
Everything is created twice.
The first creation is from the earth and unsurprisingly earthy.
The second creation is from above and is heavenly.
It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the second birth.
And this happens when we are baptized. We become born anew and in fact new creation.
Since we died with Christ when we were immersed into the water of Baptism and raised with Christ, let us seek what is above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. (Cf Colossians 3: 1).
THE CHURCH HONORS THE EUCHARIST IN APRIL.
"CCC 282. How is Christ present in the
Eucharist?
Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in
a unique and incomparable way.
He is
present in a true, real and substantial way,
with his Body and his Blood,
with his Soul
and his Divinity.
In the Eucharist,
therefore, there is present in a
sacramental way, that is, under the
Eucharistic species of bread and wine,
Christ whole and entire, God and Man."
My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink says the Lord.
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY.
DIVINE MERCY MANIFESTS ITSELF ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION.
THE GOODNEWS:
"On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again,
"Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."
And when he had said this,
he breathed on them, and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him,
"We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."
Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.
The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said,
"Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas,
"Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side;
do not be faithless, but believing."
Thomas answered him,
"My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20: 19 - 31).
Sunday April 12th, 2nd Sunday of Easter. Sunday of Divine Mercy.
The universal Church celebrates today the Solemnity of Divine Mercy. (Always 2nd Sunday of Easter).
Jesus is the Face of Mercy of Abba Father.
Mercy is the name and essence of God the Father revealed to us through His Only Son, Jesus the Christ.
The open Heart of Jesus is the symbol and seat of Mercy.
Mercy is promised to all.
To demonstrate that the powerful gift and message of Mercy that Jesus shared in His public ministry will remain in the Church after His Ascension, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation and gave His Apostles and their successors the power to forgive sins.
To prepare ourselves to receive and retain Mercy, the ABC OF MERCY is very useful.
It is called ABC because, it is an acronym that can be remembered easily and secondly it is as simple as ABC.
A: Ask for Mercy.
B: Be Merciful.
C: Completely Trust Jesus for Mercy.
God is rich in mercy and is waiting for us to turn to Him to blot out all our sins and receive us in His merciful love.
Mercy, mercy. Nothing but mercy!
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by." (Psalm 57: 1)
"Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself." (The Diary of St Maria Faustina, #950).
To learn how to recite the Divine Mercy Rosary, click the link below:
The Church learns more and honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.
Here are a couple of Quotes by Saints on the Holy Eucharist.
St. MaximilianKolbe:
"If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion."
St. Padre Pio:
"A thousand years of enjoying human glory is not worth even an hour spent sweetly communing with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament."
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
REFLECTION ON THE EASTER SEQUENCE.
Victimae paschali laudes
"Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.
." (The Easter Sequence).
Saturday April 11th in the Octave of Easter.
The Lord Jesus in the Gospel (Mark 16: 9 - 15), rebuked the Apostles for not believing the credible witnesses who informed them of His Resurrection.
Our reflection today however is from the rich Easter Sequence. (It is in the Roman Missal).
"We offer the Paschal Victim [Jesus] our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving through our prayers but especially through immersion in His word and the Eucharist.
At Calvary, we the Sheep are ransomed by the Lamb[Jesus].
What does Ransom mean? It means Redemption. Because of our sins, we owe a debt to God that no man or all men can redeem. Jesus paid the Ransom through His death. This is the meaning of Redemption.
Now we are reconciled to God and therefore qualified for the fruits of Salvation.
At Calvary, we are redeemed but now wait for the Promise of the Father in Pentecost to enjoy the fruits of Salvation. What is Salvation?
"The Lord led his people to freedom and they shouted with joy and gladness. Alleluia!"
This is Salvation.
Salvation is freedom from slavery to sin, fear, worry, doubt.
Redemption plus Salvation equals Spirit-filled Christian. This is the Good News we must share.
Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and our Savior.
As we march towards the Promise of the Father in Pentecost, let us sing:
"Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.Alleluia! Alleluia!
THE EUCHARIST IS THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS THE EUCHARIST.
The Church learns more and honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.
Here are a couple of Quotes by Saints on the Holy Eucharist.
“For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate... the food which has been made into the Eucharist... is the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus Christ.” — St. Justin Martyr.
- “For just as the bread and the wine of the Eucharist... become the Body of Christ and the wine the Blood of Christ.” — St. Cyril of Jerusalem.
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
CAST THE NET ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
"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." (John 21: 1 - 14).
Easter Friday. 10th April 2026 in the Octave of Easter.
Our Gospel of today (John 21: 1 - 14) is one of my favorite passages in the Gospel. It is one of the post Resurrection appearances of Jesus to His brothers.
He seeks them out everywhere to be with them and encourage them. He prepares a breakfast for His disciples in this occasion.
Why do I find this passage comforting?
#1. As a salesman, I know what it means to toil a whole week and catch nothing.
Isn't it comforting to know that Jesus knows the hideouts of all the fish? He knows who is your best client and He has the contact details.
The fishermen obeyed the advice of the stranger on the shore and their disappointment was turned into comfort and joy.
#2. “Come, have breakfast.”
In the Gospels, a number of important teachings of Jesus happened around the dinner table.
Good food and eating are essential to a healthy spirituality.
Jesus invited the Apostles to come and eat and there was an unforgettable party there at the shore.
Can thunder strike twice in the same place?
Jesus reveals Himself to His disciples through familiar words and actions.
John was the first to make the connection of this miraculous catch of fish to the earlier incident when Jesus called them to the ministry. "Come follow Me and I will make you fishers of men."
Jesus is constantly invading our spaces trying to catch our attention. He is the great Hound of Heaven.
THE EUCHARIST IS THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS THE EUCHARIST.
The Church learns more and honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.
Here are a couple of Quotes by Saints on the Holy Eucharist.
“For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate... the food which has been made into the Eucharist... is the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus Christ.” — St. Justin Martyr.
- “For just as the bread and the wine of the Eucharist... become the Body of Christ and the wine the Blood of Christ.” — St. Cyril of Jerusalem.
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
WHY ARE YOU TROUBLED?
"The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
"While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
"But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
"Then he said to them,
“Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.”
"And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them,
“Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.
"He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
"And he said to them,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24: 35 - 48).
Thursday 9th April in the Octave of the Solemnity of Easter.
I was struck by this verse in our Gospel of today:
“Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?"
This is my spiritual problem. I want to see and touch like the Apostles.
I have not learned to accept the word of Jesus as truth even when it is contradicted by circumstances.
"Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?"
Lord Jesus deepen my faith. Remove the fears, worries and doubts in my heart. Amen!
THE EUCHARIST IS THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS THE EUCHARIST.
The Church learns more and honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.
“The devotion which God sends to the succor of His Church and of the nations at the present time is the devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist. It is the highest of all devotions.” (Pope Leo XIII).
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
