Wednesday May 8, 2024
Weekday of Easter (6)
Office: Psalter Week 2
Mass of the day; Preface of Easter
Vestment: White
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mysteries
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
Vespers I of the Ascension of the Lord
PORT-HARCOURT: Tomorrow is the 5th anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Most Revd P. Eluke (Auxiliary), 9th May, 2019.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will tell of your name to my kin, alleluia.
COLLECT
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, as we celebrate in mystery the solemnities of your Son’s Resurrection, so, too, we may be worthy to rejoice at his coming with all the Saints. Through our Lord…
FIRST READING
“What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.”
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 17: 15.22-18: 1)
In those days: Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command or Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from among them. But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.
The word of the Lord.
Also Read: Daily Reading for Tuesday, May 7th, 2024
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 148:1-2.11-12.13.14
R/. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Or: Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts. R/.
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,
young men and maidens as well,
the old together with the young. R/.
R/. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Or: Alleluia.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted,
his splendour above heaven and earth. R/.
He exalts the strength of his people.
He is the praise of all his faithful,
the praise of the children of Israel,
of the people to whom he is close. R/.
ALLELUIA John 14:16
Alleluia. I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you forever. Alleluia
GOSPEL
“The Spirit of truth will guide you into all the truth.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 16:12-15)
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Natural reason can lead men to the knowledge of God, but the self-revelation of the Triune God is make more concrete by the gift of faith. According to Pope St John Paul II: “Faith and reason are the two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” Paul discovered that the Athenians in their philosophical investigation did have this idea of God, though it was unclear to them. On seeing the alter to “An Unknown God.” Paul brilliantly tries to convince them of the existence of the one true God, who is not the work of any human hands but He created us and redeemed us in Christ Jesus. For in Him we live, move and have our being. May the Paraclete lead us to the complete truth!
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL IN HONOUR OF B.V.M
The power of prayer and praise can never be overemphasized and it is something we see in the life of our Mother Mary, we are expected to let the Spirit of prayer and praise possess us.
She was very apt and sincere in her praise to God. She sang the magnificat in thanksgiving to God for all He has done in her life (Luke 1:46-55). We must learn from her to be children of praise no matter the circumstances or situations we may pass through in life both good and bad. Make sure the praise of the Lord is on your lips and He will definitely make a way for you.
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father, pour out your Spirit upon me so that He will help me to praise you in good times and in bad. May my prayer and praise win souls to you and may it make your glory to be made manifest in my life. Amen. And May the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Meditation: Acts 16:22-34
MAY DEVOTION
Proposed Program of Daily Events for May Devotion (Personal / Group)
1. Opening / Introduction: Sign of the Cross + / (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament optional)
2. ACT OF CONTRITION
O my God because you’re so good, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you and by the help of your grace I will not sin again.
3. ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
O most pure heart of Mary, full of goodness, show your love towards us. Let the flame of your heart, O Mary, descend on all people. We love you immensely. Impress on our hearts true love so that we may long for you. O Mary, gentle and humble of heart, remember us when we sin. You know that all we sin. Grant that through your most pure and motherly heart, we may be healed from every spiritual sickness. Grant that we may always experience the goodness of your motherly heart, and that through the flame of your heart we may be converted. Amen.
4. Rosary Recitation and Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Begin with the invocation of the Holy Spirit: Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the heart……….
5. ART OF REPARATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY: O Most Holy Virgin, and Our Mother, we listen with grief to the complaints of your immaculate Heart surrounded with the thorns placed therein at every moment by the blasphemies and ingratitude of ungrateful humanity. We are moved by the ardent desire of loving you as Our Mother and of promising a true devotion to your Immaculate Heart. We therefore kneel before you to manifest the sorrow we feel for the grievances that people cause you, and to atone by our prayers and sacrifices for the offenses with which they return your love. Obtain for them and for us the pardon of so many sins. Hasten the conversion of sinners that they may love Jesus Christ and cease to offend the Lord, already so much offended. Turn your eyes of mercy toward us, that we may love God with all our heart on earth and enjoy him forever in Heaven.
6. Talk on Blessed Virgin Mary (optional).
7. Gift of candle light and offering of petition. (Lighting of candles and submission of petition).
8. MEMORARE: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
9. Prayers for the intention of Our Holy Father (One Our Father, One Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father).
10. Opening / Benediction
