17 Apr Tue Easter Octave Acts 2:36-41 Ps. 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 Jn. 20:11-18 How To Pray With Shalom Home Page of Shalom Index of This Month        Mary recognizes Jesus as the Risen one and wishes to cling to Him. Imperfect faith will always want to hold on to the object of its belief since otherwise it feels threatened, whereas perfect faith is ready to let go every ground for reassurance. This will show itself in a readiness to accept a command from the risen Christ to go and share the good news with others. It is then that the believer comes to understand that the object of his faith is something given, a gift received, and consequently not to be held on to as a private possession. The very sharing of the gift clarifies its true nature because it shows that the risen Christ is the new Adam, in whom humanity is again reconciled with itself. The lines of communication among human beings, disrupted by sin, are reopened in the shared joy of the Easter message.           Lord, "save [us] from this crooked generation" (Acts 2:40). DAILY OFFERING Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen. PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH INTENTION That consecrated people, answering the call of their particular vocation, may radiate the spirit of the Gospel beatitudes in the present-day world Elaboration
- END - P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H     INTENTION : That consecrated people, answering the call of their particular vocation, may radiate the spirit of the Gospel beatitudes in the present-day world In the world of today there is a widespread search for joy, happiness, serenity, liberty. That is why the consecrated religious is called on to remind every person that the life of a human being comes from God. Religious give outstanding and striking testimony that the world cannot be transformed and offered to God without the spirit of the Beatitudes which proposes a way of living and for people to relate to each other. The consecrated life is for all the faithful a luminous sign of the common vocation to holiness, a model on which to draw inspiration and courage. Besides, the religious community based on motivations of faith, on mutual love and on sharing presents itself as a call to the constant reform of ecclesial communities. The commitment asked of consecrated people needs the support, awareness and prayer of the entire Christian community, so that human weakness may not prevail but may always allow itself to be led and transformed by God's action. In fact, the attitudes indicated by the Beatitudes not only point a sure way towards fulfilment and charity, but also lead directly to the Person of Christ who came so that men and women not only might have life but have it to the full. - END -