One Minute Reflection – 1 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter Monday – Acts 10:37-43, Luke 24:13-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Stay with us!” … Luke 24:29
REFLECTION – “My brethren, when was it that the Lord made Himself recognised? When He broke the bread. So, we ourselves are convinced, too, that when we break the bread, we recognise the Lord. If He had not wanted to be recognised until that moment, it was for our sakes, we, who were not to see Him in the flesh but who were yet to eat Him in the flesh. So you, who believe in Him, whoever you are, you who do not bear the name of Christian in vain, who do not come casually into Church, who hear the Word of God in fear and hope – for you the broken bread will be a consolation. Our Lord’s absence is not a real absence. Trust, be faithful and He is with you, even if you do not see Him.
When the Lord hailed them, the disciples had no faith. They did not believe in His Resurrection, they did not even hope that He might be raised. They had lost faith, they had lost hope. They were dead men walking alongside a living one, they were walking, dead, with Life itself! Life was walking with them but, in their hearts, Life was not as yet renewed.
And do you long for Life? Imitate the disciples and you will recognise the Lord. They offered hospitality, our Lord seemed determined to proceed on His way but they held Him back … You too, then, keep hold of the stranger if you wish to recognise your Saviour! … Learn where to look for the Lord, where to possess Him, where to recognise Him – in breaking bread with Him!” … St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – O God, Who dost heal the sick world by the solemn gladness of the Passover, continue, we beseech Thee, to pour forth Thine heavenly gifts upon Thy people, until the same shall bring them into perfect liberty and finally, avail them unto life everlasting .Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
One Minute Reflection – 10 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Monday – Acts 10:37-43, Luke 24:13-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“You know the word which hath been published through all Judea; for it began from Galilee …” – Acts 10:37
REFLECTION – “It is aptly said of our Redeemer that: “He is going on ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, as He said to you.” Galilee is interpreted: “the passing has been completed.” In truth our Redeemer had now passed from His Passion to His Resurrection, from His Death to Life, from punishment to glory, from corruption to incorruption. After His Resurrection, He was first seen by His disciples in Galilee because we will happily see the glory of His Resurrection later, if we now pass from vice to the height of virtue. There is a “passing” to be accomplished because, He, Who was proclaimed at the sepulchre, has to be seen in another place…
There were two lives. One we know about, of the other we are ignorant; One is mortal, the other immortal; One is corruptible, the other incorruptible; One ends in Death, the other in Resurrection. But the Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1Tim 2,5), came. He took upon Himself, the One and revealed to us, the other; the One He bore by Dying and the other He revealed by Rising. If He had promised resurrection of the body to us, who knew this mortal life but did not visibly manifest it, who would have believed His promises?” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospels 21, 6-7).
PRAYER – O God, Who dost heal the sick world by the solemn gladness of the Passover, continue, we beseech Thee, to pour forth Thine heavenly gifts upon Thy people, until the same shall bring them into perfect liberty and finally, avail them unto life everlasting .Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
One Minute Reflection – 7 April – Easter Wednesday, Readings: First: Acts 3: 1-10, Psalm: Psalms 105: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9, Gospel: Luke 24: 13-35
“And they said one to the other: ‘Was not our hearts burning within us, whilst he spoke in this way and opened to us the scriptures?’” – Luke 24:32
REFLECTION – “What is the innermost reason of this fruitfulness of God’s Word? It is that Christ is ever living: He is ever the God who saves and quickens. … All proportion guarded, that which is true of the person of Jesus is true also of His Word and, what was true yesterday, is still true in our days. Christ lives in the soul of the just, under the infallible direction of this inner master, the soul … penetrates into the divine light, Christ gives it His Spirit, the first author of Holy Writ, that it may there “search into the very depths of the infinite” (cf. 1 Cor 2:10). It contemplates God’s marvels with respect to men; it measures, by faith, the divine proportions of the mystery of Jesus and this wonderful spectacle, whereof the splendours enlighten and illuminate it, touches, draws, enraptures, uplifts, transports and transforms the soul. It experiences in its turn, what the disciples of Emmaus felt when Christ Jesus Himself vouchsafed to interpret to them the sacred books: “Was not our heart burning within us whilst he spoke in the way and opened to us the Scriptures.”
What is there astonishing, then, in the fact, that the soul, charmed and won by this living Word, “which penetrates even to the marrow” (Heb 4:12) makes the prayer of these disciples its own – “Stay with us! O Thou the incomparable Master, indefectible Light, infallible Truth, the only true Life of our souls!” Forestalling these holy desires “the Holy Spirit Himself prays for us with unspeakable groanings” which constitute true prayer, these vehement desires to possess God, to live no longer save for the Father’s glory and for that of His Son Jesus. Love becomes great and burning by contact with God, takes possession of all the powers of the soul, renders it strong and generous, to do perfectly, all the Father’s will, to give itself up ,wholly to the divine good pleasure.” – Blessed Columba Marmion (1858-1923) Abbot – Monastic prayer (Christ, the Ideal of the Monk)
PRAYER – God our Father, you give us the joy of celebrating our Lord’s Resurrection. Let the word of the Word, our Resurrected Saviour, lead us to our eternal joy. May the intercession of all your Angels, Saints and the Blessed Mother of the Risen Christ, bring us safely home. Through Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, now and for all eternity, amen.
Epistle: Acts 3: 1-10 1 Now Peter and John went up into the temple at the ninth hour of prayer. 2 And a certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb, was carried: whom they laid every day at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, that he might ask alms of them that went into the temple. 3 He, when he had seen Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked to receive an alms. 4 But Peter with John fastening his eyes upon him, said: Look upon us. 5 But he looked earnestly upon them, hoping that he should receive something of them. 6 But Peter said: Silver and gold I have none; but what I have, I give thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise, and walk. 7 And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up, and forthwith his feet and soles received strength. 8 And he leaping up, stood, and walked, and went in with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 And they knew him, that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened to him.
Gospel: Luke 24: 13-35 13 And behold, two of them went, the same day, to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus himself also drawing near, went with them. 16 But their eyes were held, that they should not know him. 17 And he said to them: What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk, and are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: Art thou only a stranger to Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that have been done there in these days? 19 To whom he said: What things? And they said: Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in work and word before God and all the people; 20 And how our chief priests and princes delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we hoped, that it was he that should have redeemed Israel: and now besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea and certain women also of our company affrighted us, who before it was light, were at the sepulchre, 23 And not finding his body, came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who say that he is alive. 24 And some of our people went to the sepulchre, and found it so as the women had said, but him they found not. 25 Then he said to them: O foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken. 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the things that were concerning him. 28 And they drew nigh to the town, whither they were going and he made as though he would go farther. 29 But they constrained him; saying: Stay with us because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in with them. 30 And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in this way, and opened to us the scriptures? 33 And rising up, the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem: and they found the eleven gathered together, and those that were staying with them, 34 Saying: The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way; and how they knew him in the breaking of the bread.
AnaStpaul 
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