FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: APRIL 26, 2024

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter!

We continue to celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this Easter season and always🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | April 26, 2024” |

Pray “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 26, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | April 26, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 26, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 26, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteriels VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, April 26, 2024
Reading 1, Acts 13:26-33
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11
Gospel, John 14:1-6

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF APRIL – MONTH OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST: The month of April is traditionally dedicated to devotion to Jesus in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Sacrament is the real and living presence of Christ—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—received into our souls with every reception of Holy Communion. Our Eucharistic Lord is the source and summit of our Christian life, the ultimate proof of His infinite love for us.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL – FOR THE ROLE OF WOMEN: We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world. 🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

During this Easter season, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

We continue to celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel. And we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Abbot; Saints Cletus and Marcellinus, Popes and Martyrs; and Saint Rafael Arnáiz Baron, Religious (Patron Saint of Diabetics and World Youth Day ).

Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick, we particularly pray for those suffering from diabetes and those who are terminally ill and dying. May God in His infinite grace and mercy grant them His divine healing and intervention. We also pray for the Church, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, for all youths and Christians all over the world.🙏

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, after a painting said to be miraculous, now found in the thirteenth century Augustinian church at Genazzano, near Rome, Italy. Over the centuries, devotions to Our Lady of Good Counsel grew among saints and Popes, to the extent that a reference to it was added to the Litany of Loreto and the devotion spread throughout the world.

On the Feast of St. Mark, April 25, 1467, at the close of a festival in Genazzano, Italy, a cloud descended upon an ancient 5th-century deteriorated church, dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel. When the cloud disappeared, the festive crowd found a small, fragile image of the Blessed Virgin and Child on a thin sheet of plaster. The painting is said to have hung in mid-air, suspended without support, floating, on a small ledge. This particular fresco is said to date to the time of the Apostles. It had long been venerated in Albania’s capital city, Scutari. Much of the church of Our Lady of Good Counsel was destroyed in World War II, but the image remained intact and in place. The miraculous image is still there today after more than 500 years. Countless miracles have been attributed to the prayerful intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Many pilgrims visit the church in Genazzano, and take part in the annual spring celebration, observed on April 25. Elsewhere in the world, the feast is celebrated April 26. Our Lady of Good Counsel is the Patron Saint of Albania, Missionary Sisters of Saint Peter Claver, Augustinian Province of Midwest US, Parañaque City, Philippines, Mother of Good Counsel Minor Seminary.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen🙏

PRAYER: O Holy Virgin, to whose feet we are led by our anxious uncertainty in our search for and attainment of what is true and good, invoking you by the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel, we beseech you to come to our assistance, when, along the road of this life, the darkness of error and of evil conspires towards our ruin by leading our minds and our hearts astray. O Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the doubtful and the erring, that they be not seduced by the false appearances of good; render them steadfast in the face of the hostile and corrupting influences of passion and of sin. O Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from your Divine Son a great love of virtue, and, in the hour of uncertainty and trial, the strength to embrace the way that leads to our salvation. If your hand sustains us, we shall walk unmolested along the path indicated to us by the life and words of Jesus, our Redeemer; and having followed freely and securely, even in the midst of this world’s strife, the Sun of Truth and Justice under your maternal Star, we shall come to the enjoyment of full and eternal peace with you in the haven of salvation ~ Amen🙏

SAINT PASCHASIUS RADBERTUS, ABBOT: St. Paschasius was an orphan abandoned on the steps of the convent of Notre-Dame de Soissons, France, at the beginning of the 9th century. He was adopted and raised by the nuns there and sent to the monks of St. Peter’s, Soissons, for his education. He became very fond of the abbess, Theodrara. Theodrara was sister of St Adalard of Corbie (C 751-827) and St Wala of Corbie (c 755–836), two monks (and both abbots prior to Paschasius) whom he admired greatly. Interested in the Latin classics, Paschasius spent a few years in the world before becoming a monk at Corbie, where he excelled in sacred studies. In 822, he was sent to found New Corbie in Westphalia and brought fame to the Corbie schools. He served as Master of Novices and later as Abbot for seven years, although he never became a priest.

For some years the Saint retired to the Abbey of Saint-Riquier and ended his life at Corbie about 865. His most well-known and influential work is an exposition on the nature of the Eucharist written around 831, entitled De Corpore et Sanguine Domini. Among his prolific works are commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew and the Book of Lamentations, the forty-fourth Psalm, biographies of St. Adalhard of Corbie and his brother Wala, and what is regarded as the first scientific monograph on the Holy Eucharist.

PRAYER: Lord, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. Paschasius the Abbot. Amen🙏
 
SAINT CLETUS AND MARCELLINUS, POPES AND MARTYRS: St. Cletus (1st c.) and St. Marcellinus (3rd c.) were both Romans, popes, and martyrs who ruled the Holy See during the terrible persecution of Christians at the hands of the Roman Empire. Both served as Popes two centuries apart. SAINT CLETUS.was a convert and disciple of St. Peter the Apostle who became the third Bishop of Rome for twelve years from 76 to 89 A.D., under the reigns of Roman Emperors Vespasian and Titus. His name appears in the Roman Canon of the Mass. While SAINT MARCELLINUS was the twenty-ninth Bishop of Rome from 296 to 304 A.D. during the infamous persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, on the eve of the legalization of Christianity across the Empire. What they share is that their pontificates occurred during times of great torture and persecution for professing Christians under Roman rule. Reflecting on the lives of Popes Cletus and Marcellinus puts into perspective the trials the faithful now are facing. Statues of these two Popes of the early Church sit on opposite corners of the portico ceiling of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. They share a feast day on April 26th.

PRAYER: Lord, hear the prayers of the martyrs Sts. Cletus and Marcellinus and give us courage to bear witness to your truth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever…Amen🙏

SAINT RAFAEL ARNÁIZ, RELIGIOUS: St. Rafael was born in Burgos, Spain (April 9, 1911- April 26, 1938).  He was a trappist monk and he is considered one of the greatest mystics of the twentieth century. He studied architecture in Madrid, but decided to cease his studies in favor of the religious life. This was often interrupted due to his struggle with diabetes and his being called for active service. But these never hindered his religious call and he did as best as he could to deal with his diabetes through his constant life of reflection and writing on spiritual subjects in his letters. Throughout 1937 and early 1938 his condition worsened and Rafael died from complications of diabetes on April 26, 1938. He was beatified on September  27, 1992 by Pope John Paul II and was canonized a saint of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009. St. Rafael Arnáiz is the Patron Saint of Diabetics and World Youth Day

“The angels and the saints rejoice at the sight of men on earth who struggle, suffer and labor for the love of Christ”. ~ Rafael Arnaiz Baron’s Quote

PRAYER: O God, you made Saint Rafael an outstanding disciple in the knowledge of Christ crucified. Helped by his example and prayers to love you above all things.
May our hearts be enlarged, so that we may run with inexpressible sweetness of love along the way of the cross and deserve to share the life and joy of the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS:* We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth during this Easter Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. For all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners and Christians all over the world. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 14:1-6

“I am the way and the truth and the life”

“Jesus said to His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus spoke to His disciples in the context of the last supper, on the evening before His crucifixion, the evening of His betrayal. His disciples needed reassurance. Jesus has announced that one of those at table will betray Him; He has been talking about His departure from this world. The tone of the evening is ominous. Jesus senses that His disciples are troubled and fearful. He calls on them to trust in God and to trust in Himself. Sometimes when times are bleak we have to trust in God and in Jesus that all will be well. Jesus goes on to explain why this trust in God is appropriate. Although Jesus is going away and leaving them, He promises to return to them, to come again and to take them to the Father’s house with its many dwelling places. Jesus speaks of eternal life as His Father’s house with many rooms or dwelling places and He promises to take His disciples with Him to that house of His Father so that where He, Jesus, is they may be also. This promise of dwelling with Jesus in the house of His Father does not only apply to life after death. In today’s Gospel according to John, Jesus invites His disciples, and all of us, to dwell in Him here and now, just as He is dwelling in the Father. There is a sense in which God the Father’s house with its many dwelling places is a present reality for all of us, in and through the church. The church is sometimes spoken of in the New Testament as a household. Here and now we are members of God’s household. We have the privilege of dwelling with Jesus in His Father’s house as His sons and daughters and as brothers and sisters of Jesus. To that extent, there is great continuity between our life now as believers and our life in heaven when our faith gives way to vision. Our present dwelling in and with Jesus in God’s household is a wonderful privilege. It also entails a calling. Jesus wants to dwell in us, as we dwell in Him. He wants His love to dwell in us so that we are clearly recognizable as His brothers and sisters and as sons and daughters of His Father and ours.

Today’s Gospel is popularly read at funeral Masses and it has brought and continues to bring consolation to people who are grieving the loss of loved ones. As the Lord Himself reassured His disciples that He would always be with them regardless of anything, and He would always be by their side. The Lord has not abandoned us, and through His Son, He would prepare for us all a place with Him in Heaven as the Lord Himself told His disciples just prior to His Passion, His suffering and death. That despite Him being persecuted and put to death, but not even death itself can separate us from God and His Love. And the resurrection of the Lord proved us all just exactly this case, that God Himself has conquered and destroyed death for us, and by offering Himself, He has built for us a new Bridge through His Cross and Resurrection, that became sure guarantee and firm passageway in the path that we have towards eternal life and salvation in God.

In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul continued to speak to the Jewish people in Antioch in Pisidia in their synagogue. St. Paul spoke about the Messiah or Saviour Who had come into their midst, Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate in the flesh, Who has ministered, laboured and preached the Good News of God, the salvation and redemption that have finally come from the Lord Himself. Yet, as St. Paul recounted it to the Jews, those Jewish leaders and people in Jerusalem were swayed by their stubbornness and jealousy to reject the Lord and His teachings, and condemned Him to death after arresting Him, and leading Him to be crucified by the Romans under Pontius Pilate’s leadership. But in doing so, in truth, everything had happened as the Lord Himself willed it. In taking up His Cross, suffering and dying for us from His Cross, the Lord fulfilled everything that He has ever promised for us just as St. Paul explained it. We ourselves must understand this well, as Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross was the only path through which all of us mankind could be reconciled to God, our loving Father and Creator. Since at the very beginning of time and Creation, mankind chose to abandon the Lord for the sweet lies and falsehoods of Satan, and through their disobedience leading up to sin, they had been sundered from the fullness of God’s love and grace. That was why all of us had to experience suffering and death, because separated from God, there can be no life and true happiness for us. Yet, God did not despise us, but He has loved us all the same, and because of His ever enduring love, He reached out to us, helped and guided us, and ultimately He gave us all His beloved Son.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, each one of us are reminded that all of us have a sure and firm foundation in Christ, and we have been reminded of this fact, as we listened again of everything that He had done for us which culminated in the perfect sacrifice and offering that His Son, Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ, has offered on our behalf, as the perfect and worthy sacrifice that is the only one worthy in redeeming all of us from the many and unimaginably great burdens and bondage of our sins. Our Paschal Lamb, the Lamb of God, has taken away our many and innumerable sins, upon Himself and became the worthy sacrifice that opened the path for all of us towards the salvation and eternal life in our loving God, Father and Creator. May the Risen Lord, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and King continue to guide and bless us in all things, and may He help each and every one of us to persevere through the challenges facing us in how we live our Christians lives with faith. May God in His infinite grace and mercy be with us and may He grant us His grace and continue to help us living our lives with faith and as Christ-like as possible and may we do our best so that we may become great inspiration and role models for others in how we live our lives with faith, now and always. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My loving Shepherd, You know all things. You know my heart and the difficulties I face in life. Give me the courage I need, dear Lord, to face every temptation to fear with confidence and trust in You. Bring clarity to my mind and peace to my troubled heart. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel and Saint Paschasius Radbertus; Saints Cletus and Marcellinus, Popes and Martyrs; and Saint Rafael Arnáiz Baron ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for His Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful Fourth Week of Easter and relaxing weekend🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖