21 Apr Sat Easter Octave Acts 4:13-21 Ps. 118:1, 14-15, 16ab-21 Mk. 16:9-15 How To Pray With Shalom Home Page of Shalom Index of This Month        So many are silent about their faith and hesitant to speak of God or Jesus at all. After all, it is unacceptable in many circles and may even earn us ridicule and rejection. Speaking out might even bring about difficulties or persecution. This is the choice facing Peter and John: keep quiet and live undisturbed lives, or speak out and suffer. But their experience of Jesus and the things God's spirit is working through them is so wonderful and overpowering that it is impossible for them to be silent. It would be easier not to breathe.      So often fear has its grip on us. The Gospel of Mark originally ended with verse 8 - the women ran away frightened and told no one at all. Later on, Christians added a longer account that reflected their own experience of being afraid but being empowered by the Spirit. When we have met the Risen Lord, there is no going back, we must tell the world what God has done for us and what God expects in the way of love and justice from His people. The choice is ours: fear and submissiveness or the Spirit and joyful courage.           Lord, give me the Spirit of courage and joy. 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 -