...and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached.... – Luke 24:47

Life is indeed a cycle.
      We were yesterday’s students and today’s professionals.
      We were the young ones of the “Yeah, Yeah Vonnel” generation.
      Now we are the young once as we become parents or grandparents of this dot.com generation.
      But no matter how old we have become, God is here to stay.
      He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
      Yes, He was, He is, and He will always be our merciful and forgiving father as long as we go to Him with contrite hearts, to repent and ask forgiveness for our imperfections, inadequacies and sinfulness.
      He will always forgive us our sins no matter how many times we fall.
      Thank you, dear God, for forgiving us our trespasses. You are indeed A Father for All Seasons. Thank you, Lord. Henry Y.

REFLECTION:
How many times have I been deaf and stubborn not to listen to You when You called my attention?

Lord, forgive me for all the times that I have gone against Your teachings.

P S A L M

Psalm 8:2, 5, 6-7, 8-9

R: O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

1 [2] O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! 4 [5] What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the Son of Man that you should care for him? (R) 5 [6] You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 [7] You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet. (R) 7 [8] All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, 8 [9] the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. (R)

G O S P E L

Luke 24:35-48

The disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus recount their adventure to the apostles. It is in sharing our faith experiences with one another that we will encourage and strengthen each other’s faith. In this way we are all built up and our ability to evangelize grows. Let us never lose an opportunity to share what God has done for us and remember, we should always ensure the glory stays with God.
  
35 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. 36 While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 Then he said to them,“Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” 40 And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them,“Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of baked fish; 43 he took it and ate it in front of them. 44 He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. 46 And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

my reflections
think: It is in sharing our faith experiences with one another that we will encourage and strengthen each other’s faith.

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Chronicles 11-13

 GETTING TO KNOW THE SAINTS

 Saint John Baptist De La Salle

John Baptist de la Salle, patron saint of teachers, was born on April 30, 1651 to a noble family in Rheims, France. He was a devout Christian and was in the seminary when his parents died. While he was caring and teaching his brothers,  John continued with his education, thus, he was ordained a priest.

He pitied the common people who had no chance to be educated. John opened schools  and started a new order, the Brothers of the Christian Schools, to provide teachers. He taught in the language his students would understand, and not in Latin. He grouped them into classes, giving emphasis on the importance of silence during classroom discussions. More and more schools were opened, educating the sons of the working class and the nobility.

The priest's health was never good. He was in constant pain because of arthritis and asthma. At the age of sixty-eight, Saint John Baptist de la Salle died on April 7, 1719. He was proclaimed a saint by Pope Leo XIII in 1900.

http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/saintday/m4.html

In a very real sense the Jewish people are still heirs to the covenant; it is just that they have not yet realized that the covenant has taken on a slightly different form to what they first expected. Unfortunately, they did not recognize the Messiah in the form that he came. However, this will not be the case when He comes again in all his glory; when this happens, everyone will see, believe and know that He is the Son of God.
      The past 40 years following on from Vatican II, there has been a lot of dialogue between the Vatican and various leading Jewish figures. This new depth of relationship has given rise to such descriptions of the Jewish people as our older brothers and so on. As Christians we have much to be thankful for to the Jews in that they were the ones who for two thousand years developed the understanding of God and His dealings with humanity that we assumed with our faith in Christ. If it were not for them, we would not have the rich heritage of revelation present to us in the Old Testament! It is important that we do not divorce our understanding of Christianity from its Jewish roots. Likewise, it is important that we never forget that the revelation of Christ gives rise to a new tool with which to interpret and understand the Old Testament writings.
      Like most tensions in life it is important to avoid the extremes while trying to walk a middle path. Jesus certainly knew and respected his Jewish heritage as Scriptures record His faithful following of the Law in terms of rituals and celebrations. As we seek to redefine Christianity for the third millennium, let us not lose sight of our roots while at the same time endeavor to speak into the lives of a very modern society. We are heirs to the Kingdom of God – let us never forget where we have come from and to where we are
going. Fr. Steve T.

REFLECTION QUESTION: How well do I know the history of my Catholic faith? Perhaps I ought to do a little reading here in order to better understand from where the faith I profess has come.
Father, You carefully guide the Church through the difficulties of relating to a modern and often atheistic world. Help me to remain firmly rooted in the heritage of my faith so that I have a firm foundation upon which to build my life.

St. Vissia, virgin and martyr, pray for us.