DAILY- HOMILY

April 29, 2019 – MONDAY, 2ND WEEK OF EASTER

St. Catherine of Siena,

Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Memorial. White.

Acts 4: 23 – 31 / Jn 3: 1 – 8

St. Catherine of Siena (1347 – 1380) was instrumental in the return of the papacy to Rome from the Avignon captivity (1309 – 1377). Imprinted with the stigmata, she died in Rome at age 33. She is the Patroness of Italy.

FROM THE 1ST READING:             Acts 4: 27 – 26, 29 - 31

As soon as Peter and John were set free, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and elders had said to them.

When they heard it, they raised their voices as one and called upon God, "Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth, of the sea and everything in them, you have put these words in the mouth of David, our father and your servant, through the Holy Spirit: Why did the pagan nations rage and the people conspire in folly? The kings of the earth were aligned and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against the Messiah." . . .

"But now, Lord, see their threats against us and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness. Stretch out your hands to heal and to work signs and wonders through the Name of Jesus your holy servant."

When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered together shook, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.

Gospel Reading:               Jn 3: 1 – 8

Among the Pharisees there was a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus. He came to Jesus by night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God to teach us, for no one can perform miraculous signs like yours unless God is with him."

Jesus replied, "Truly, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again from above,"

Nicodemus said, "How can there be rebirth to a grown man? Who could go back to his mother's womb and be born again?"   Jesus replied, "Truly,      I say to you: No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Because of this, don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again from above.' The wind blows where it pleases and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

REFLECTION

The first sacrament in the Church is baptism, the sacrament of initiation. In baptism we are freed from the sin of Adam, receive God's gift of grace and become members of his Church; we receive the gift of faith, the Holy Spirit and the promise of eternal life. Without baptism we cannot receive the other sacraments.

In the Gospel reading Jesus tells Nicodemus that "no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit." Baptism is a re- birth into God's grace and life, through its cleansing waters. Baptism is also seen as dying to sin and death and rising to new life with and in Christ.

Let us thank God for his sharing of his divine life with us when we were baptized: "Given a new birth [in baptism] by water and the Holy Spirit, may we live always as members of his body, sharing everlasting life."

FINALLY, WE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ASKED OUR PRAYERS AND FOR THOSE WHO NEED OUR PRAYERS THE MOST. 

BIRTHDAY 

     Jun S. Cabusay

     Renald Peñano

THANKSGIVING 

     Renard, Rob, Era & Andi Penaño

Have a good day!

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   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

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