Daily Prayer for April 2

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. Isaiah 51:6, NIV

Lord our God, in you we want to find our strength, in you we want to hold out even in these times. We rejoice that the end is coming, the end you are preparing, when your salvation and justice will come on earth according to your promises. Be with us and with the believing circle given to us through Jesus Christ. Make us alert and give us fresh courage again and again, however difficult life may be. We want to continue to live and find strength in the grace of Jesus Christ, holding on in joy without grumbling and complaining. Lord God, may your name be honored, your kingdom come, and your will be done in us according to your plan. Amen.

 

Recent articles on Plough




Rediscovering Pope John Paul II

Nathan Beacom

Twenty years after his death, it’s a good time to take a fresh look at the legacy of a remarkable man. Read now



The Thin Brown Line

Steve Guthrie

Can the police ensure public safety? G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown suggests the responsibility might lie elsewhere. Read now



A Small-Town Dentist Chooses to Stay

Charles E. Cotherman

When a professional forgoes better pay to devote his life to the rural community he was born into, the benefits ripple outward. Read now



A Sure Prayer for Lent

Benjamin Crosby

Lent is not about our own spiritual athleticism. This well-worn daily prayer can remind us of its real meaning. Read now



Humanizing Medicine

Margaret S. Chisolm

In Baltimore, the Paul McHugh Program for Human Flourishing gets med students talking. Read now

Rise and Walk / Levántate y anda

With a little over two weeks left in Lent, Jesus asks the ill man – seeing him and knowing he had been ill a very long time – “Do you want to be well?” (John 5:6) It’s a question to ask ourselves during Lent as we approach Easter. Do we want to be well? 

Sometimes we choose to make our prayers a list of everything that stands in the way of what we want rather than give Jesus the space to work His miracles and bring His healing. We can watch others walk away healed and wish it was us instead. We can choose to be a victim of circumstances out of our control. But Jesus doesn’t want that for us.

And so today, He is asking you to set aside the excuses, set aside the complaints, set aside the hurdles, all the why-you-can’ts or why-you-haven’ts. Today, He is asking you: “Do you want to be well?” That’s the beauty of today’s Gospel. We see the ill man answer Jesus with all the reasons he is not well, and Jesus doesn’t sympathize with him or doesn’t argue with him about whether he is trying hard enough. Jesus tells the man to get up, grab his mat and get walking. The man listens and obeys. This is key. 

Jesus is constantly speaking into our lives. We only need to listen to receive remedies for all the things holding us back. He might ask you to do the thing you least believe you can do like this man who had been ill for 38 years. But Jesus says: “Rise, pick up your mat, and walk.” (John 5:8) Those are Easter words. He is beckoning us to Easter. 

Rise: it’s time to start something fresh–a new day is dawning.

Pick up your mat: Stop floundering in a place you aren’t meant to be. Make a change. Don’t lay on your mat, carry it.

Walk: Live, step forward into new life.

And we see the ill man immediately change and walk away from the pool he had waited years to get into, the pool he thought would someday heal him. Jesus offered more. Jesus offered immediate transformation to the person who obeyed Him. Next, the man is met with opposition. The Pharisees accuse him of doing something wrong and he has no issue telling them what is going on. He says in his own way: I am obeying Jesus because something changed in me. 

The truth is none of us will be disheartened once we take that first step of obedience towards our Lord and accept His invitation to make us well. In our walk forward, may we always remember the reason for our hope, the reason we walk forward with the mat we sat on for years. Jesus, may we never stop walking forward, remaining well, remaining with You. 

Contact the author


Quedan poco más de dos semanas para que termine la Cuaresma. Al verlo y saber que llevaba mucho tiempo enfermo, Jesús le pregunta al enfermo: “¿Quieres curarte?” (Juan 5,6). Es una pregunta que debemos hacernos durante la Cuaresma, mientras vamos acercándonos a la Pascua. ¿Queremos curarnos?

A veces, elegimos hacer de nuestras oraciones una lista de todo lo que se interpone en el camino de lo que queremos, en lugar de darle a Jesús el espacio para que obre sus milagros y nos traiga su sanación. Podemos ver a otros salir sanados y desear que fuéramos nosotros en su lugar. Podemos elegir ser víctimas de circunstancias que están fuera de nuestro control. Pero Jesús no quiere eso para nosotros.

Por eso, hoy te pide que dejes de lado las excusas, las quejas, los obstáculos, todos los por qué no puedes o por qué no has hecho. Hoy Jesús te pregunta: “¿Quieres curarte?” Esa es la belleza del Evangelio de hoy. Vemos al hombre enfermo responderle a Jesús con todas las razones por las que no se encuentra bien, y Jesús no simpatiza con él ni discute con él sobre si se está esforzando lo suficiente. Jesús le dice al hombre que se levante, tome su camilla y comience a caminar. El hombre escucha y obedece. Esto es clave.

Jesús habla constantemente a nuestras vidas. Solo tenemos que escuchar para recibir remedios para todas las cosas que nos frenan. Él puede pedirte que hagas lo que menos crees que puedes hacer, como este hombre que estuvo enfermo durante 38 años. Pero Jesús dice: “Levántate, toma tu camilla y anda” (Juan 5,8). Esas son palabras de Pascua. Él nos está llamando a la Pascua.

Levántate: es hora de comenzar algo nuevo: está amaneciendo un nuevo día.

Recoge tu camilla: deja de tambalearte en un lugar en el que no deberías estar. Haz un cambio. No te recuestas en tu camilla, llévala.

Anda: vive, da un paso adelante hacia una nueva vida.

Y vemos que el hombre enfermo cambia inmediatamente y se aleja de la piscina en la que había esperado años para entrar, la piscina que pensó que algún día lo sanaría. Jesús ofreció más. Jesús ofreció una transformación inmediata a la persona que lo obedeció. Luego, el hombre se encuentra con oposición. Los fariseos lo acusan de hacer algo malo y no tiene problema en decirles lo que está sucediendo. Dice a su manera: Estoy obedeciendo a Jesús porque algo cambió en mí.

La verdad es que ninguno de nosotros se desanimará una vez que dé ese primer paso de obediencia hacia nuestro Señor y acepte Su invitación para sanarnos. En nuestro camino hacia adelante, que siempre recordemos la razón de nuestra esperanza, la razón por la que caminamos hacia adelante con la camilla en la que nos sentamos durante años. Jesús, que nunca dejemos de caminar hacia adelante, permaneciendo sanos, permaneciendo contigo.

Comunicarse con la autora

Nicole Berlucchi is a faith and family blogger (www.nicoleberlucchi.com) and Catholic blog contributor. She has worked in a number of roles in the nonprofit world, but helping people realize their vision and make an impact, seems to be her sweet spot. Nicole owns Coley B. Creative, LLC, a marketing company providing support to small businesses. She is also the author Magnify Love: Unlocking the Heart of Jesus in Your Marriage and Your Life. A native of Philadelphia, she now resides in the Nashville area with her husband, Joe, and their four children. She’s a big fan of brilliant skies, salted caramel with chocolate, books and more books. She loves sharing her journey with Jesus so that others might: Come and see.

Feature Image Credit: Malarz Francuski, art.diocesan.com/stock-photo/christ-healing-the-paralytic-at-bethesda-14965/

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The post Rise and Walk / Levántate y anda appeared first on Diocesan.

St. Mary of Egypt


St. Mary of Egypt

Feast date: Apr 01

April 1 is the feast of a little-known saint whose story demonstrates the power of the Church as the home of forgiveness, redemption and mercy. St. Mary of Egypt was a prostitute for 17 years before she received the Eucharist and chose the life of a hermit.

Born in 344 A.D., Mary of Egypt moved to the city of Alexandria when she was 12 years old and worked as a prostitute. With the intention of continuing her trade, she joined a large group that was making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

On the feast day itself, she joined the crowd as it was headed to the church in order to venerate the relic of the True Cross, again with the intention of luring others into sin. When she got to the door of the church, she was unable to enter. A miraculous force propelled her away from the door each time she approached. After trying to get in three or four times, Mary of Egypt moved to a corner of the churchyard and began to cry tears of remorse.

Then she saw a statue of the Blessed Virgin. She prayed to the Holy Mother for permission to enter the church for the purposes of venerating the relic. She promised the Virgin Mother that if she were allowed to enter the church, she would renounce the world and its ways.

Mary of Egypt entered the church, venerated the relic and returned to the statue outside to pray for guidance. She heard a voice telling her to cross the Jordan River and find rest. She set out and in the evening, she arrived at the Jordan and received communion in a church dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

The next day, she crossed the river and went into the desert, where she lived alone for 47 years. Then, while making his Lenten retreat, a priest named Zosimus found the hermitess. She asked him to return to the banks of the Jordan on Holy Thursday of the following year and to bring her Communion. The priest was true to his word and returned bearing the Eucharist. Mary told him to come back again the next year, but to the place where he had originally met her.

When Zosimus returned in a year’s time, he found Mary’s corpse. On the ground beside it was a written request that she be buried accompanied by a statement that she had died one year ago, in 421 A.D., on the very night she had received Holy Communion.

 

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Reading 1 Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12

The angel brought me, Ezekiel,
back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the right side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the right side.
Then when he had walked off to the east
with a measuring cord in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and had me wade through the water,
which was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and once more had me wade through the water,
which was now knee-deep.
Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade;
the water was up to my waist.
Once more he measured off a thousand,
but there was now a river through which I could not wade;
for the water had risen so high it had become a river
that could not be crossed except by swimming.
He asked me, “Have you seen this, son of man?”
Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
He said to me,
“This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

R. (8)  The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

Verse Before the Gospel Psalm 51:12a, 14a

A clean heart create for me, O God;
give me back the joy of your salvation.

Gospel John 5:1-16

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate
a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him,
“Do you want to be well?”
The sick man answered him,
“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.

Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured,
“It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”
He answered them, “The man who made me well told me,
‘Take up your mat and walk.'”
They asked him,
“Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?”
The man who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,
“Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you.”
The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because he did this on a sabbath.

 

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Daily Prayer for April 1

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5, RSV

Lord God, our Father, we thank you for all the light you give us and for all your loving help in outward things as well. We come into your presence and ask you to give us your light and your constant guidance for the path we must follow. Grant that what is of heaven may be revealed on earth, that we may rejoice in the good and beautiful things you give to all people. Our Father, reveal what is of heaven, and free people from their sin and darkness so that at last they recognize your glory. Strengthen our hope for this goal. Rule and work in the hearts of many people, that through them your glory may be proclaimed to all. Amen.

 

Recent articles on Plough




The Thin Brown Line

Steve Guthrie

Can the police ensure public safety? G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown suggests the responsibility might lie elsewhere. Read now



A Small-Town Dentist Chooses to Stay

Charles E. Cotherman

When a professional forgoes better pay to devote his life to the rural community he was born into, the benefits ripple outward. Read now



A Sure Prayer for Lent

Benjamin Crosby

Lent is not about our own spiritual athleticism. This well-worn daily prayer can remind us of its real meaning. Read now



Humanizing Medicine

Margaret S. Chisolm

In Baltimore, the Paul McHugh Program for Human Flourishing gets med students talking. Read now



Why Pastors Like Me Burn Out

Joshua J. Whitfield

A priest tries to chart a path between self-sacrifice and burnout. Read now

Ask Boldly / Pide con valentía

A royal official, a high-ranking Roman army soldier who had been trained to emulate confidence and persuasion, went up to Jesus and asked Him to heal his son. Would we dare go to Jesus and ask Him boldly to do a miracle? This royal official had most likely been hanging around overseeing the crowds and had witnessed the miracles Jesus and his disciples were performing, which helped him to grow in faith and courage. 

Have you ever walked into a gathering and immediately felt the tone of your surroundings?  Perhaps that’s what Jesus’ actions imply here, since He reacted not directly to the official but to the crowd by saying that without signs, they wouldn’t believe. But after the royal official insists, Jesus has a different reaction to his request. Jesus had already felt what was in his heart and perceived the spark of faith. To boldly ask Jesus to heal his son came from both his outward soldier experience and a deep stirring within his soul. Jesus understood. The royal official didn’t need a sign. He already had faith.

Today, when we go to Jesus pleading for a miracle, are our hearts closed? Or are we like a teenager who only half listens and is preoccupied with our ego? If we hear the Lord saying to us “O ye of little faith!” we can respond, “I believe Lord, help my unbelief.”

Yes, we can go to Jesus and boldly ask for a miracle. Do we have faith and conviction that He will do what we ask of Him? In a podcast I heard recently, Sr. Miriam said that when you are surrounded by doubt, anxiety, and fear, you should say, “God, I know you love me and want good. Please show me what to do.”  That is confident faith. 

The royal official had started with faith in the Roman Army and Ceasar, but God had other plans for him. He shows us that faith can make us bold when we acknowledge God; it can even move mountains. And as an added bonus his whole household came to believe. When we approach Jesus with a request, we, too, receive a bonus. We can kneel before Him in the Eucharist. Whether in Adoration or the Mass, Jesus is waiting to hear from us and acknowledge His presence. 

How long did it take the royal official to obtain this deep faith? Who knows, but growing in faith in Jesus Christ, as true God and true Man, can be very simple. In a quiet moment say to Him, “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you; take care of everything.” No matter how weak or bold our faith is, when we come to Him, He wraps us in His arms. Let’s learn a lesson from the royal official and confidently speak up with faith.

Contact the Author


Un oficial real, un soldado de alto rango del ejército romano que había sido entrenado para emular la confianza y la persuasión, se acercó a Jesús y le pidió que sanara a su hijo. ¿Nos atreveríamos a ir a Jesús y pedirle con valentía que hiciera un milagro? Este oficial real probablemente había estado vigilando a las multitudes y había presenciado los milagros que Jesús y sus discípulos estaban realizando, lo que lo ayudó a crecer en fe y valentía.

¿Alguna vez has entrado en una reunión y has sentido de inmediato el tono de tu entorno? Tal vez eso es lo que implican las acciones de Jesús aquí, ya que a la primera no reaccionó directamente al oficial sino a la multitud al decir que sin señales, no creerían. Pero después de que el oficial real insistiera, Jesús tiene una reacción diferente a su pedido. Jesús ya había sentido lo que había en su corazón y percibió la chispa de su fe. Pedirle con valentía a Jesús que sanara a su hijo surgió tanto de su experiencia externa de soldado como de una profunda inquietud dentro de su alma. Jesús entendió. El oficial real no necesitaba una señal. Ya tenía fe.

Hoy, cuando vamos a Jesús pidiendo un milagro, ¿nuestros corazones están cerrados? ¿O somos como un adolescente que sólo escucha a medias y está preocupado por su ego? Si escuchamos al Señor que nos dice “¡Que poca fe tienes!”, podemos responder: “Creo, Señor, ayuda mi incredulidad”.

Sí, podemos ir a Jesús y pedir con valentía un milagro. ¿Tenemos fe y convicción de que Él hará lo que le pedimos? En un podcast que escuché recientemente, la Hna. Miriam dijo que cuando estamos rodeados de dudas, ansiedad y temor, debemos decir: “Dios, sé que me amas y quieres el bien. Por favor, muéstrame qué hacer”. Esa es una fe confiada.

El oficial real había comenzado con fe en el ejército romano y en César, pero Dios tenía otros planes para él. Nos muestra que la fe puede hacernos valientes cuando reconocemos a Dios; incluso puede mover montañas. Y como beneficio adicional, toda su familia llegó a creer. Cuando nos acercamos a Jesús con una petición, nosotros también recibimos un beneficio. Podemos arrodillarnos ante Él en la Eucaristía. Ya sea en la Adoración o en la Misa, Jesús está esperando escucharnos y que reconozcamos Su presencia.

¿Cuánto tiempo le tomó al oficial real obtener esta fe profunda? Quién sabe, pero crecer en la fe en Jesucristo, como verdadero Dios y verdadero Hombre, puede ser muy sencillo. En un momento de tranquilidad, dígale: “Oh Jesús, me entrego a Ti; encárgate de todo”. No importa cuán débil o audaz sea nuestra fe, cuando venimos a Él, nos envuelve en Sus brazos. Aprendamos una lección del oficial real y hablemos con confianza y fe.

Comunicarse con la autora


Marti Garcia’s passions are her retired life and growing deeper in her Catholic faith. Marti is a Sacristan/EM, facilitates small groups, and assists as a First Communion Catechist for parents. Being a parent educator and writer for 35 years, she recently published a children’s chapter book on Amazon, The Ladybugs. You can find her at her blog: MartiGarcia.org, or thewaterisshallow.com, or her cohost podcast, findingacommonthread.com, which is coming soon.

Feature Image Credit: remehernandez, cathopic.com/photo/9804-prayer

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The post Ask Boldly / Pide con valentía appeared first on Diocesan.

Easter Sunday


Easter Sunday

Feast date: Mar 31

Easter is the principal feast of the ecclesiastical year. Leo I (Sermo xlvii in Exodum) calls it the greatest feast (festum festorum), and says that Christmas is celebrated only in preparation for Easter. It is the centre of the greater part of the ecclesiastical year.

To have a correct idea of the Easter celebration and its Masses, we must remember that it was intimately connected with the solemn rite of baptism. The preparatory liturgical acts commenced on the eve and were continued during the night. When the number of persons to be baptized was great, the sacramental ceremonies and the Easter celebration were united. This connection was severed at a time when, the discipline having changed, even the recollection of the old traditions was lost. The greater part of the ceremonies was transferred to the morning hours of Holy Saturday.

Commemorating the slaying of the true Lamb of God and the Resurrection of Christ, the corner-stone upon which faith is built, it is also the oldest feast of the Christian Church, as old as Christianity, the connecting link between the Old and New Testaments.

 

The connection between the Jewish Passover and the Christian feast of Easter is real and ideal. Real, since Christ died on the first Jewish Easter Day; ideal, like the relation between type and reality, because Christ’s death and Resurrection had its figures and types in the Old Law, particularly in the paschal lamb, which was eaten towards evening of the 14th of Nisan. In fact, the Jewish feast was taken over into the Christian Easter celebration; the liturgy (Exsultet) sings of the passing of Israel through the Red Sea, the paschal lamb, the column of fire, etc.

 

The connection between the Jewish and the Christian Pasch explains the movable character of this feast. Easter has no fixed date, like Christmas, because the 15th of Nisan of the Semitic calendar was shifting from date to date on the Julian calendar. Since Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, had been slain on the very day when the Jews, in celebration of their Passover, immolated the figurative lamb, the Jewish Christians in the Orient followed the Jewish method, and commemorated the death of Christ on the 15th of Nisan and His Resurrection on the 17th of Nisan, no matter on what day of the week they fell. For this observance they claimed the authority of St. John and St. Philip. 

Bl. Jane of Toulouse


Bl. Jane of Toulouse

Feast date: Mar 31

Blessed Jane lived in the French town of Toulouse during the 13th century. A Carmelite monastery was founded in the same town in 1240 which exposed Jane to the Carmelite lifestyle and spirituality.

In 1265 when St. Simon Stock, a 13th century reformer of the Carmelites, was passing through Toulouse, Jane met him and requested to be affiliated with the Carmelites. Simon agreed and Jane became the first Third Order Carmelite.

Jane vowed herself to perpetual chastity and applied herself completely to the Carmelite Rule. In addition to many daily holy practices and penances, she reached out to the community and worked to help the sick and poor. One of Jane’s primary missions was encouraging the boys of the town to help her serve the poor and help them discern whether or not they were called to be Carmelites. 

Blessed Jane is considered to be a founder of the Carmelite tertiary order and is considered to be its first member.

She died in 1286.

Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Reading I Isaiah 65:17-21

Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
    and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
    or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
    in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
    and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
    and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
    or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
    an infant who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
    and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
    and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b

R.    (2a)  I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
    and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
    you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R.    I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
    a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
    but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R.    I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
    O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
    O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R.    I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Verse before the Gospel Amos 5:14

Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the LORD will be with you.

Gospel John 4:43-54

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,
since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.

Then he returned to Cana in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and asked him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Daily Prayer for March 31

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20, NIV

Lord our God, we turn our faces to you and plead with you to come to us earthly and often tormented people. May we find strength in the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom redemption is promised to us all. May your kingdom at last be revealed and everything change for the better even though we do not see it yet. May we always honor your name above all others, for you are our Father and we want to hold fast to your grace that lets us call you Father. In our troubled times we want to have enduring faith that you can bring a new time when good shall at last emerge from all the distress. Grant that every broken and needy person may experience your help, your grace, and your salvation, and may know that these always surround us, if only our eyes are open to see and recognize them. So we want to thank and praise you at all times, and at last know the joy of eternity, to your glory and honor. Amen.

 

Recent articles on Plough


A Small-Town Dentist Choses to Stay

Charles E. Cotherman

When a professional forgoes better pay to devote his life to the rural community he was born into, the benefits ripple outward. Read now



A Sure Prayer for Lent

Benjamin Crosby

Lent is not about our own spiritual athleticism. This well-worn daily prayer can remind us of its real meaning. Read now



Humanizing Medicine

Margaret S. Chisolm

In Baltimore, the Paul McHugh Program for Human Flourishing gets med students talking. Read now



Why Pastors Like Me Burn Out

Joshua J. Whitfield

A priest tries to chart a path between self-sacrifice and burnout. Read now



Robert Frost’s “Birches”

Julian Peters

A graphic interpretation of Robert Frost’s poem “Birches.” Read now

Translate