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The soul which gives itself wholly and without reserve to God is filled with His own Peace; and inasmuch as we are prone to grow like that to which we are closely united, the closer we draw to our God, so much the stronger and more steadfast and more tranquil shall we become.
... Jean N. Grou (1731-1803), The Hidden Life of the Soul
(What is it that disturbs your experience of God's peace? Resolve to let go of this attachment and open to the peace of the risen Christ.)
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Acts 4:1-12; Ps 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a
Jn 21:1-14
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.
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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\“When the people saw him moving and giving praise to God, they recognized him as that beggar who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were struck with astonishment — utterly stupefied at what had happened to him.” —Acts 3:9-10
Fifty days after Jesus’ Resurrection, about three thousand people believed that He was risen from the dead and that He would also raise from the dead those who believed in Him (Jn 6:40). The rest of the people of the world were confused and enslaved by their ignorance of the afterlife and their fear of death (Heb 2:15). How could a few thousand people reach the rest of the world with the Good News of Jesus risen? We
currently find ourselves in a similar situation. Today, the Lord is calling the one-and-a-half billion Christians in the world to reach nearly six billion who do not know or believe in Jesus, “the Resurrection and the Life” (Jn 11:25).
In a few short years, the early Church reached millions of people with the Good News of the risen Jesus. They did this by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Spirit, they preached the Good News of Jesus. Signs, wonders, and healings accompanied their preaching (Mk 16:17-18). Sometimes the Lord first healed people to give the Church an opening for proclaiming the risen Christ (see Acts 3:11-12). Often the Lord punctuated the
Church’s preaching with a healing as an exclamation point.
Let’s reach our “culture of death” with the message of resurrection and life. Receive the Holy Spirit! Proclaim God’s Word! Heal in Jesus’ name (see Acts 3:6). Jesus is risen! Alleluia!
Prayer: Father, I will do anything to reach as many as possible with the Good News of Jesus risen (see 1 Cor 9:19).
Promise: “Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” —Lk 24:32
Praise: Praise to the Holy Spirit, Who will tell us what to say when we proclaim the Word. Alleluia!
Presentation Ministries
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Abandonment to Divine Providence
- by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
BOOK II,
CHAPTER IV. CONCERNING THE ASSISTANCE RENDERED BY THE FATHERLY PROVIDENCE OF GOD TO THOSE SOULS WHO HAVE ABANDONED THEMSELVES TO HIM
SECTION 8. Self-guidance a mistake
God imparts to the soul in the state of abandonment by means which seem more likely to destroy it.
On then, my soul, through perils and monsters, guided and sustained by that mighty invisible hand of divine Providence. On, without fear, to the end, in peace and joy, and make all the incidents of life occasions of fresh victories. We march under His Standard, to fight and to conquer; "exivit vincens ut vinceret‚"; "He went forth conquering that he might conquer‚" (Apocal. vi, 2)
As many steps as we take under His command will be the triumphs we gain. The Holy Spirit of God writes in an open book this sacred history which is not yet finished, nor will be till the end of the world. This history contains an account of the guidance and designs of God with regard to men. It remains for us to figure in this history, and to continue the thread of it by the union of our actions and
sufferings with His will. No! It is not to cause the loss of our souls that we have so much to do, and to suffer; but that we may furnish matter for that holy writing which is added to day by day.
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