Welcome to the Doctors of the Catholic Church.
Friday, May 9
Jesus asked Peter today in the gospel if he loved him. The meditation of day expounds on Peter’s reply and we would be wise to reflect upon what our first Pope said. However, the Lord is going to ask each of us the same question and if our answer is no, we must read Peter’s reply because the message of Peter is even more important than ever for you to know and understand what he had to say.
One of the best ways to truly know if we truly love Christ is if we give to others what Christ has given to us. This Sunday on the feast of Pentecost, Jesus has told us that he is going to ask the Father to send us a special gift on the Solemnity and Birthday of the Church. Each of us is a special gift from the Father to the Son and we know that Christ has given us Mary as his special gift to each of us as a spiritual mother. On Sunday we will receive the Holy Spirit’s gift to us. His gift to us wlll be God’ sanctity or holiness. It will come in a package of seven major gifts and twelve fruits.
Most of the following has been taken from the book entitled The Sanctifier found in the doctoral resources located on the sidebar.
The Holy Spirit brings about our sanctification in two ways. The first is by helping us, moving us, directing us, but in such a way that we are actually doing our own work. It is our glory to fulfill our own destiny. God has given us the wonderful and terrible gift of freedom, by which we ourselves are the artisans of our own happiness or our own ruin.
In this second way , He Himself deigns to move our faculties and to urge us so that we may perform His work.
The Holy Spirit has placed in us four gifts – wisdom, understanding, knowledge and counsel. These correspond to the different intellectual habits. The gift of understanding makes us penetrate divine truths. The three others pertain to judgment: wisdom judges divine things, knowledge judges creatures, and counsel directs our acts. The remaining 3 gifts are fortitude, fear of the Lord, and piety. Fortitude takes away the dread of danger, and fear of the Lord establishes the proper relationship between Creator and creature and to moderate the disordered impulses of our concupiscence. Piety has for its object the directing of our relations with others.
Fear and fortitude directs our sensibility and piety directs our will. The four intellectual gifts perfect our intelligence and lead us to the knowledge of supernatural things. Supernatural knowledge is of capital importance in the Christian life, for Jesus has said: “This is everlasting life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him whom Thou has sent, Jesus Christ” (Jn 17:3) The common characteristic of the four intellectual gifts of the Holy Spirit are founded on faith. Faith is the guide even though the truths of faith are made more brilliant by the illumination of the gifts. It can be said that the gifts of the Holy Spirit multiply, refine and transform the spiritual light of faith, but it is always the same light that irradiates all supernatural knowledge.
The word “fruit” express two principal ideas: perfection and sweetness, or, in other words, maturity and delectability. These are the two marks of consolations which the Holy Spirit pours into our souls. The fruits are distinct from the beatitudes – though these latter are also fruits, and the most exquisite, most perfect fruits that the Spirit produces in souls. But they suppose a divine perfection; they are something of the heights, something very exalted, that develops only in lofty places. They truly resemble heavenly joys and delights. Fruits are typically named: Charity, joy, peace, patience, longanimity, goodness, benignity, mildness, faith (also a virtue) modesty, continency and chastity.
The plants that produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit are the virtues, and especially the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we practice the virtues, when we prepare our souls to receive the influence of the Spirit by means of the gifts, then we arrive at a certain maturity that brings divine consolations with it.
Consolation is the happiness that carries pain with it as the happiness of giving human birth is preceded by labor pains, so too, perfect joy is preceded by spiritual pain…
Divine Love binds and unites both pain and grief with love and peace.
The above information is a mini exposure to the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and listed in summary below.
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord
The moral life of Christians is made firm by the gifts of the Spirit. See #1831 Catechism of the CC.
The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Longanimity, Goodness, Benignity, Mildness, Faith, (also a Virtue), Modesty, Continency, and Chastity.
These are the perfection and maturation of the Gifts. See #1832 Catechism of the CC.
This site is usually updated daily with some of the liturgical readings and the gospel that is at the heart of Christianity. If it is not posted below completely, it can be read through the following link. Open today's readings through the date on the calendar. It also contains the bible, rosary, stations, and saint of the day.
Today’s Readings
You can translate the gospel text below into 10 different languages when you copy and paste the English text in the Google link in red that follows. The same applies to translations you want for any Doctor or Apostle of the Church found on links on this site.
Google Translate Link from English to Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic
Many of the Morning and Evening Prayers and Hymns with the Meditation of the Day and other prayers, commentaries, and intercessions are frequently taken from the Magnificat Publication whose link is below.
Magnificat
Morning Prayer and Hymn
Human nature has a remarkable propensity for straying. To err is human; to forgive, divine. We have a loving and mercy God who shows us the way for surely we have too often demonstrated that
human nature will take the path of least resistance and this will sometimes lead us where we should not go.
The Lord shows the path to those who stray: let us give thanks and praise, alleluia!
Glory to the Father...
Have mercy, Lord, on me,
For you are ever kind;
Let me, oppressed with loads of guilt,
Your faithful mercy find.
Blot out my crying sins,
Nor me in anger view;
Create in me a heart that’s clean,
An upright mind renew.
The joy your favors give
Let me again obtain,
And your free Spirit’s firm support
My fainting soul sustain.
Psalm 51 Commentary: If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. (1 Jn 1:9) Jesus’ love for Peter transforms Peter’s betrayal into a love that knows no bounds. His guilt forgiven, Peter becomes truly the rock of faith on which the Church is built. The Spirit washes away the guilt; the Spirit animates the love and faithfulness of the apostle and of the Church.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
And cleanse me from my sin.
My offenses truly I know them;
My sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
What is evil in your sight I have done.
That you may be justified when you give sentence
And be without reproach when you judge.
O see, in guilt I was born,
A sinner was I conceived.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
Then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
That the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your face
And blot out all my guilt.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
Put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
Nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help;
With a spirit of fervor sustain me,
That I may teach transgressors your ways
And sinners may return to you.
O rescue me, God, my helper,
And my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
And my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory to the Father…
Responsorial Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab
R. (19a) The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, all you his angels,
you mighty in strength, who do his bidding.
R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
Gospel Jn 21:15-19
After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Meditation of the Day
“You know that I love you”
There they were around that man, and no one dared to speak, because it was clear that is was the Master. He says, “Let eat!” So, lying down on the ground, they ate. Jesus turned and hear him was Simon, son of John. He didn’t ask him, “Simon, will you betray me again,” or Simon, will you tempt me again like when I said, ‘Get away from me, Satan?’” or , “Simon, will you be ashamed of me again like before that servant of Pilate’s? “Simon, will you commit all the sins you have committed again, all the disasters you’ve caused? Nothing of all this: he looked at him and said, “Simon, do you love me?” “Lord, you know.” Simon, said for e the third time, “You know that I love yuou. “ This answer indicates that he acknowledges that he belongs: “Lord, I belong to you .” “Yes, Lord, I belong to you, I am yours, I am a sinner; there is no sin that can prevent it. I am yours.” Th8is is the key to a deep transformation, which on a faithful journey becomes what God wants. And it cannot be measured; it’s no use wasting time trying to measure. This, then, is the miracle: not that man manages to correspond to his ideals, but that he recognize and love a historical man, in whom lies the correspondence with the divine, identify with the divine – this is the miracle of the world, that a man love Christ – Monsignor Luigi Giussani (+ 2005) was a priest from Milan, Italy, who was the founder of the ecclesial movement Communion and Liberation.
The Calendar contains the daily liturgical readings. It also lists exemplary personages including George Preca, Nicholas Albergati, Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger and about 310 Martyrs of Persia.
Calendar
Evening Prayers and Hymn
Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ alleluia!
Glory to the Father...
In preparation for Pentecost Sunday, May 11th.
Novena Prayers
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, alleluia! Glory to the Father...Alleluia!
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
And in our hearts take up thy rest;
Come with thy grace and heav'nly aid
To fill the hearts which thou has made,
To fill the hearts which thou has made.
O Comforter, to thee we cry,
The heav’nly gift of God most high:
O font of life and fire of love,
And sweet anointing from above
And sweet anointing from above.
The sev’nfold gifts of grace are thine,
O Finger of the Hand divine;
True Promise of the Father thou
Who dost the tongue with speech endow,
Who dost the tongue with speech endow.
To ev'ry sense thy light impart
And shed thy love in ev'ry heart.
To our weak flesh thy strength supply:
Unfailing courage from on high,
Unfailing courage from on high.
Drive far from us the foe we dread,
And grant us thy true peace instead;
So shall we not, with thee for guide,
Turn from the path of life aside,
Turn from the path of life aside.
O grant that we through thee may come
To know the Father and the Son,
And hold with firm, unchanging faith,
That thou are Spirit of them both,
That thou are Spirit of them both.
Now let us praise Father and Son
And Holy Spirit with them one:
And may the Son on us bestow
The gifts that from the Spirit flow,
The gifts that from the Spirit flow.
Canticle Ephesians 1: 3-10 Commentary: In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace. (Eph 1: 7)
Cleansed in Christ’s blood, our sins forgiven as Peter’s were, we are empowered by the Spirit to live for others in the richness of his grace.
Praise be the God and Father
Of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who has bestowed on us in Christ
Every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him
Before the world began
To be holy
And blameless in his sight.
He predestined us
To be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ,
Such was his will and pleasure,
That all might praise the glorious favor
He has bestowed on us in his beloved.
In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed,
And our sins forgiven,
So immeasurably generous
Is God’s favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom
To understand fully the mystery,
The plan he was pleased
To decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out
In Christ, in the fullness of time,
To bring all things into one in him,
In the heavens and on earth.
Consider that Mary loved her divine Son with an unutterable love. Venerable John Henry Newman.
Venerable John Henry Newman
The holy face of Jesus from the Shroud of Turin is considered an esteemed and sacred relic and can be viewed in the link below.
THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS
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ALMSGIVING SECTION
APOSTLES OF THE LORD
ROMAN CATHOLIC SACRED MUSIC
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The background music is Andrea Bocelli's "Ave Maria".
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