26 Apr Thu 2nd Week of Easter Acts 5:27-33 Ps. 34:2-9, 17-20 Jn. 3:31-36 How To Pray With Shalom Home Page of Shalom Index of This Month        Not long after Jesus' resurrection, His disciples had already found themselves at odds with the authorities of the State. A situation that has repeated itself many times, in many places, ever since, and still exists in our 21st century of Christianity. And of course it is not only Christians who have had this experience. We pray for peace and harmony and concord within our country and our society, and for mutual respect and understanding between peoples and nations. Perhaps we may even have a bias towards accepting the authority of elders, or rulers, of those who have power over our lives. And hopefully we can live in peace with all people of good will. But, as Jesus' disciples found (and many others too), people in power and authority can in practice claim to be almost divine in their wisdom and power and control. Then obedience to God and His word has to come before obedience to human custom or vanity or presumption. This was the explanation of Peter and the apostles for their refusal to keep quiet about Jesus and who He was and what He did, and about the authorities' part in Jesus' death. They gave a "witness" to God's power and Jesus being alive, proclaiming something they passionately knew and believed and which they felt impelled them to proclaim in the power of the Holy Spirit. Fury and violence was the unbelieving response.           Lord Jesus, let our faith in Your Resurrection give us grace to live in peace and harmony with others. 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 -