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Daily Reading

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

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 Ps 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 Mt 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 Jn 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.

Saint of the Day

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen


St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen

Feast date: Apr 24

A former lawyer who left his profession to become a Capuchin Franciscan priest, Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen has his liturgical memorial on April 24.

Fidelis’ life bridged the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a time of religious conflict in Western Europe. He died at the hands of a mob while preaching in Switzerland, where he had gone to combat the Calvinist heresy.

The future “Fidelis” received the name of Mark Rey at the time of his birth, during 1577 in present-day Germany. Mark studied at the University of Freiburg, and worked for a time as a private tutor. Eventually he went back to the university and earned his law degree around 1611.

Though he had already shown signs of devotion to God and studied canon law alongside civil law, Mark opted for a secular career as an attorney. Within a year he was known as “the poor man’s lawyer” because of his concern for the needy. Just as quickly, he became disgusted with the corrupt ways of his chosen field .

Leaving his legal practice behind, Mark decided to give his life directly to the service of Christ and the Church. In short order he received ordination as a priest, and joined the Capuchin Franciscans in Freiburg.

With his entry into the order he received the name “Fidelis,” meaning “faithful” — after the words of Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation, “Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” As he embraced radical poverty and simplicity, the attorney-turned-Franciscan left his inheritance to a scholarship fund for poor seminarians, who also received his books.

Fidelis showed his love for God through prayer and fasting, while caring for his neighbors through preaching, writing, and the celebration of the sacraments. He showed particular care for the poor and sick, and was especially revered for his work among Austrian soldiers who were suffering from a plague epidemic.

During 1614 a Swiss Catholic bishop had sought help from the Capuchins, to restore the faith and counteract the spread of Calvinist Protestantism. In 1621, Fidelis was sent on the mission. He brought just four items: a Bible, a prayer book, a crucifix and a copy of the Capuchin rule.

The winter of 1621-22 was a busy period of preaching, instruction and theological disputation for the Franciscan priest. He preached not only in the pulpits of Catholic churches, but also in public places, and even in the meeting-places of the Calvinists themselves. Some Swiss Protestants responded with hostility, but many others were also brought back to the Church.

Like many cases of religious persecution during this time, Fidelis’ treatment at the hands of the Calvinists did not stem exclusively from doctrinal disagreement. National and cultural tensions also contributed, with many Swiss Protestants suspecting that the Catholic mission was part of an Austrian plot against their nation.

This volatile situation boiled over on April 24, 1622, when Fidelis’ preaching provoked a riot at a church in the village of Seewis. Some Austrian soldiers were killed in the uproar, and a would-be assassin shot at the priest.

After declining an offer of help from a Protestant, Fidelis was confronted outside the church by a mob, and told to choose between his Catholic beliefs and his life. Fidelis was defiant: “The Catholic religion is the faith of all ages. I fear not death.”

St. Fidelis was beaten and stabbed to death. The sight of his martyrdom, however, is said to have converted one of the Protestant preachers who led the mob. A succession of attested miracles led to his canonization in 1746.

 

Daily Inspiration

The Resurrection of the Body / La resurrección del cuerpo

Happy Easter! I love today’s Gospel passage and the passage that immediately precedes this one (The Road to Emmaus). There are so many beautiful proofs of the Catholic faith in just these few Bible verses. Today’s Gospel hints at a core Catholic teaching: The Resurrection of the Body. Jesus proves He is not just a ghost by inviting the disciples to touch him and feel flesh and bones. A ghost cannot eat; Jesus takes fish and eats it in their presence. With these actions, Jesus is obviously present in His human body. 

Later John tells us: “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2) While we cannot know everything that lies ahead of us regarding the joys of Heaven, we do know that we will be like Jesus. Therefore, we know that our bodies will be resurrected at the end of time to live in Heaven forever. 

As someone who has struggled with weight and body image, this belief is jarring at first. I want to shed my body forever when I die, not get it back! However, we will get our bodies back, but they will be glorified bodies. Things that caused health issues and struggles in this life will no longer be in Heaven. Jesus has his wounds from the Crucifixion on His body, but they no longer hurt him. 

Today, let us give thanks for the gift of our bodies. Let us realize they are good and made in the image of God. And let’s take care of them the best we can on this earth, because the Holy Spirit dwells in them.

Contact the author


¡Feliz Pascua! Me encanta el pasaje del Evangelio de hoy y el pasaje que precede inmediatamente a este (El camino a Emaús). Hay tantas pruebas hermosas de la fe católica en solo estos pocos versículos de la Biblia. El Evangelio de hoy insinúa una enseñanza católica fundamental: la Resurrección del Cuerpo. Jesús demuestra que no es solo un fantasma al invitar a los discípulos a tocarlo y sentir carne y huesos. Un fantasma no puede comer; Jesús toma pescado y lo come en presencia de ellos. Con estas acciones, Jesús está obviamente presente en Su cuerpo humano.

Más adelante, Juan nos dice: “Amados, ahora somos hijos de Dios; aún no se ha manifestado lo que hemos de ser. Sabemos que cuando se manifieste, seremos semejantes a él, porque lo veremos tal como él es” (1 Juan 3,2). Si bien no podemos saber todo lo que nos espera en cuanto a las alegrías del Cielo, sí sabemos que seremos como Jesús. Por lo tanto, sabemos que nuestros cuerpos resucitarán al final de los tiempos para vivir en el Cielo para siempre.

Como alguien que ha luchado con el peso y la imagen corporal, esta creencia me resulta chocante al principio. Quiero deshacerme de mi cuerpo para siempre cuando muera, ¡no recuperarlo! Sin embargo, recuperaremos nuestros cuerpos, pero serán cuerpos glorificados. Las cosas que causaron problemas de salud y batallas en esta vida ya no existirán en el Cielo. Jesús tiene sus heridas de la Crucifixión en Su cuerpo, pero ya no le duelen.

Hoy, demos gracias por el don de nuestros cuerpos. Reconozcamos que son buenos y están hechos a imagen de Dios. Y cuidémoslos lo mejor que podamos en esta tierra, porque el Espíritu Santo habita en ellos.

Comunicarse con la autora

Mary Thissen is a St. Louis native living in East Central Illinois with her husband and children. She is blessed with twin boys Earthside and four children now living in Heaven. When she is not working as a healthcare data analyst or caring for her boys, she enjoys studying and writing about the Catholic faith and ministering to women who are suffering through miscarriage or infertility. You can connect with Mary on Instagram @waitingonmiracles. 

Feature Image Credit: Gabin Vallet, unsplash.com/photos/man-in-black-t-shirt-and-black-shorts-running-on-road-during-daytime-J154nEkpzlQ

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

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