The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me. JN 10:27
ACTS 11:19-26
My Soul's Beloved,
Our reaction in the face of persecution should not be to cower in fear, but like the disciples, when we flee persecution and travel to other places, we must carry the Gospel with us. We must preach and teach, and spread the Good News that saves. Wherever the believers fled, they proclaimed the message of salvation. At first, they restricted their preaching to Jews, but soon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, according to Your will, the message was being preached to Greeks as well. We ought never to restrict or restrain the Holy Spirit but permit Him to blow where He will. God desires that all His children be saved and come to the knowledge of Truth.
Barnabas was sent by the Apostles to Antioch when they heard that the Good News was being preached to Gentiles as well, and when he found a flourishing Christian community, he knew he needed zealous workers to labor in Your vineyard. He sought Paul, and together they began to establish the Church in Antioch that was to put down deep roots and spread from there to the whole world.
My Lord, help me to be attentive to the Holy Spirit, be docile to His promptings, and do all He wishes me to in humility and obedience. Let me not look at my negligible capabilities but rely wholly on the power of God.
Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.
The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.
Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’
PSALM 86(87)
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
‘Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’
The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.
Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’
PSALM 86(87)
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
‘Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
JOHN 10:22-30
JOHN 10:22-30
My Soul's Beloved,
How it must break the Father's heart and grieve the Holy Spirit, when those who ought to know better question You, saying, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ And You respond in sorrow and disbelief to the incredulous demands, ‘I have told you, but you do not believe.’
So many baptized Catholics are cold and indifferent to the faith of our fathers. How long can we blame poor catechesis, or not growing up grounded in the faith? How do these poor souls fill the yawning vacuum within them except with the trivial and fleeting pleasures of the world?
Once again, O Lord, there is new hope sweeping the Church. We pray that in the reign of the newly elected Pontiff, Leo XIV, hearts and minds will be rekindled with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Grant, O Lord, that the Church enters a new age of Catholicism where millions of people everywhere will be set on fire with the love of Christ and be baptized. Most especially, O Lord, that the grace of baptism in the hearts of lukewarm, indifferent, lazy Catholics is reignited, and may they become zealous disciples ready to lay down their lives for You and the Gospel. What joy will fill the earth, Beloved, when the whole world falls on their knees to confess that You, Jesus Christ, are Lord and there is salvation in no other name except Yours.
‘The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness;
but you do not believe,
because you are no sheep of mine.
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’
because you are no sheep of mine.
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’
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