26 Apr
Fri 		4th Week of Easter
Acts 13:26-33
Ps. 2:6-7,8-9,10-11
Jn. 14:1-6 Mk. 16:15-20
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The second Psalm was a favourite of the early Church whenever it was necessary to speak of the resurrection of Jesus. We see this from the fact that Paul quotes it. In the time between his Damascus experience and his baptism, he had been taught to read the Psalm in the light of Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

The Psalm does not use the word "resurrection" of course, but the phrase we use for today's response, "You are my Son, this day have I begotten you", was seen to be the heart of the Psalm. Against their Old Testament background, the early Church understood the Psalm in a prophetic way. The Psalms were, first of all, prayers. However, in as much as they frequently celebrated God's gifts and promises to Israel, they were easily seen in a prophetic light: they spoke about the great promise of the Messiah. In Christian hearts, they spoke about Jesus.

Then, as they preached the Gospel to the Gentiles, the apostles and other Christian preachers experienced how God made the nations an inheritance for Christ. The Risen Jesus took possession of the ends of the earth through the preaching of His resurrection.


Father in Heaven, fill our hearts with the joy of the resurrection and so bring us to a new birth as Your sons and daughters in Christ.

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 in the many rapid changes taking place in today's world, the importance of the family may be recognised in its fundamental vocation as cradle of life and school of faith and right values
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That in the many rapid changes taking place in today's world, the importance of the family may be recognised in its fundamental vocation as cradle of life and school of faith and right values

The family as a domestic Church and cradle of life is the appropriate setting in which faith can increase. It is here that faith can be nourished through an attitude of appreciation of the treasure which parents are called on to transmit to their children through personal words and testimonies of life. This attitude must then be nourished with a sense of wonder and hope and it must be contemplated as Mary contemplated it in the face of the Word she received and the events of her life.

This deep sense of faith helps parents and their children to fulfil the vocation received from God. Parents, teaching their children and bearing witness to the true sense of suffering and dying, lead the young to be more attentive to all forms of suffering. They, thus develop positive attitudes of assistance and sharing with others, especially with weaker people like the sick and the aged. This life of faith must be continually nourished through individual and family prayer.

On the strength of this foundation the family becomes a place for training in justice, self-control, temperance, respect for the personal dignity of each individual and the service of the poor and needy.



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