Friday - Jesus Makes Himself Known

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Today is Friday, April 30th and our daily meditation is Jesus Makes Himself Known to His Disciples.

Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

The disciple therefore whom Jesus loved, said to Peter: 'It is the Lord.' Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, girt his coat about him and cast himself into the sea" (John 21, 7).

Prelude: 

Behold the Apostles in the ship and Jesus near them on the shore.  

Prayer: 

O my Divine Saviour, what admirable models hast Thou given to us in Thy two disciples! The tender love of the virgin disciple recognized Thee first, and Peter's fiery zeal induced him to overcome all obstacles to reach Thee. Ah, when will a spark of this pure and ardent love enkindle my heart, enlighten my understanding, sanctify my actions!O my beloved Jesus, I implore Thee, create a clean heart in me, cleanse me more and more of my sins, give me a truly humble, submissive and love-inflamed heart, that I may adore Thee in all Thy loving dispensation, love and praise Thee and seek my sole happiness in the accomplishment of Thy holy Will. 

Resolution: 

I will strive to testify my love to my Saviour by purity of heart and generous immolation of self in the service of God.

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"The disciple whom Jesus loved, said to Peter: 'It is the Lord.'"

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Thursday - Shores of Lake Genesareth

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Today is Thursday, April 28th and our morning meditation is Jesus Appears to His Disciples on the Shores of Lake Genesareth.

Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"Simon Peter saith to them: 'I go a fishing.' They say to him: 'We also come with thee.' And they went forth, and entered into the ship, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus therefore said to them: 'Children, have you any meat?' They answered Him: 'No'" (John 21, 3-6). He said to them: "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find."  

Prelude: 

In spirit, visit the shore of Genesareth; see the Apostles casting out thier nets in vain and Jesus standing on the shore, lovingly conversing with them. 

Prayer: 

O Divine Saviour, must I not fear that my labors for the salvation of souls have been useless and without merit for heaven? Alas, I have forgotten Thy words: "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15, 5). Prompted by vain self-confidence and relying on my own strength, I have neglected to labor in Thy presence and to commend my work to Thee by fervent prayer. I humbly acknowledge my weakness and inefficiency, O my Saviour. I will have recourse to Thy Omnipotence with implicit trust, will the more securely rely on Thy assistance, the more miserable I am. Humbly submissive to all who command in Thy name, I will expect of Thee the blessing Thou so generously impartest to obedient souls.

Resolution: 

I will perform all my actions in a spirit of faith and love.

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"Without Me you ca do nothing."

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Wednesday - Jesus Appears to Thomas

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Today is Wednesday, April 28th and our morning meditation is Jesus Appears to Thomas and the Other Disciples. Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"And after eight days again His Disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said 'Peace be to you.' Then He saith to Thomas: 'Put in thy finger hither, and see My hands; and bring hither thy hand, and put it into My side; and be not faithless, but believing.' Thomas answered and said to Him: 'My Lord and my God!'" (John 20, 26-29).

Prelude: 

Behold the Apostle Thomas, full of shame and contrition, falling at the feet of His Master and loudly confessing his faith.

Prayer: 

O my Jesus, I, too, recognize Thee as my Lord and my God. Animated with the sentiments of humility and contrition, of submission and hope, of love and devotion, which filled the heart of Thomas, I adore Thee with profoundest reverence. Accept my sentiments with complacency and grant me with the perfect pardon of my sins, a more firm and living faith that I may be rendered worthy to reap the blessing Thou has attached to faith. Grant me grace to perform all my works in the spirit of faith, that trusting and confiding in Thee, I may overcome every obstacle and finally conquer self. Humbly confident, I will hasten to Thy Sacred Wounds, these sources of grace and salvation, and draw from them the ardent, powerful and self-sacrificing love which Thy Apostles  drew from them, that by redoubled fervor I, too, may make amends for my past transgressions and my insufficient love. 

Resolution: 

As soon as I am conscious of a fault I will return to my Saviour, contrite, and with unbounded trust promise Him to perform the following action with redoubled zeal. 

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"My Lord and my God!"

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Tuesday - Thomas

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Today is Tuesday, April 27th and our meditation is The Unbelief of Thomas. Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came" (John 20, 24).

Although the holy women and disciples assured him "We have seen the Lord," and to make their testimony more credible even related all the details, Thomas refused to believe. He relied more on his own judgment than on the words of others. What obduracy, what stubbornness! In his presumption he even indicated the manner in which he would be convinced. We cannot realize that Thomas should have lacked the faith of his fellow-laborers. Had he not distinguished himself formerly by his spirit of sacrifice, the the other Apostles sought to dissuade Jesus from going to Bethany? Thomas courteously declared: "We will go with Him and die with Him" (John 11, 16). And now, having forfeited the graces imparted to the Apostles at Christ's first apparition, he fell from one fault into another, from obstinacy into obdurate unbelief and gross presumption  

Prelude: 

In spirit behold the Apostles animatedly relating to Thomas the apparition of their risen Master.

Prayer: 

Divine Saviour, I thank Thee for the wholesome instructions imparted to me in this meditation. Preserve me from the spirit of singularity and stubbornness, which would rob me of the many graces attached to fidelity in community exercise. Grant me the grace to know myself and imbue me with the desire to submit in childlike simplicity to the direction of my superiors, and humbly to walk the way Thou hast traced for us in our Holy Rule and the constitutions of our Congregation. Let Thy hand guide me securely, that I may find peace and happiness in unreserved surrender to Thee, the portion of those that love Thee, O Highest Good, with all their hearts. 

Resolution: 

I will endeavor to be prompt at all community exercises.  

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"Where two or three are assembled in My name, I will be in their midst."

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Monday - Jesus Imparts Peace to His Disciples

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Today is Monday, April 26th and our morning meditation is Jesus appears to His Apostles and Imparts His Peace. Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"Now whilst they were speaking these things, Jesus stood in the midst of them, and saith to them: 'Peace be to you; it is I; fear not'" (Luke24, 36).

Prelude: 

Behold the risen Saviour in the midst of the assembled disciples, wishing them peace.

Prayer: 

O Divine Prince of Peace, not only to Thy Apostles didst Thou leave the precious gift of peace, but Thou didst leave it, also, to Thy faithful servants, as a secure heritage for all times. Couldst Thou have given us a more comforting assurance? How should it be possible for sorrow and misery to depress, or for trials  to discourage, us, if the peace of Jesus Christ, surpassing all comprehension, dwells in our hearts? That it may always be my portion, I will endeavor to avoid carefully what might dim the purity of my soul. I will observe my Holy Rule with all possible fervor, as the expression of the Divine Will, and the law of His love, and will maintain interior and exterior tranquillity by holy recollection, at such a price to purchase the blessedness of inward peace by self-denial and complete surrender to the holy, amiable, and adorable Will of God. 

Resolution: 

In order to maintain peace with God, I will scrupulously avoid the slightest act of unfaithfulness.

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"Lord, grant us Thy peace!"

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Meditation for The Third Sunday After Easter

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Although these little meditations were written for religious nuns who lived in a convent in Germany a long time ago, we believe that they will be of great benefit to us as well.

Today's Meditation is Jesus Forewarns His Apostles That Tribulations Shall be Their Lot.

Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy" (John 16, 20).

Prelude: 

Behold our Divine Lord in the company of His disciples.

Prayer: 

I thank Thee, O my Divine Saviour, for the light of Thy grace in which I have realized the value of sufferings and trials. Even here below tears shed for Thy sake are mingled with much sweetness, and promise to bear fruits of eternal joy. Confirm in us ever more the hope of the eternal, imperishable heritage,―the fruit of Thy passion― that neither labors, nor fatigue, neither sufferings nor sorrow and disgrace, can shatter our courage, or disturb our peace of soul. O my Jesus, replenish our hearts with so generous and powerful a love as burned in the hearts of Thy Apostles and martyrs, that we may endure the sorrows of This present life not only with resignation, but with a holy joy, deeming ourselves happy to bear closer resemblance with Thee, our Divine Model.

Resolution: 

We will unite our sufferings with those of Jesus and bear them cheerfully for love of Him. 

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"Your sorrow shall be turned into joy."

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Saturday - The Disciples Entreat Our Lord

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Although these little meditations were written for religious nuns who lived in a convent in Germany a long time ago, we believe that they will be of great benefit to us as well.

Today's Meditation is The Disciples Entreat Our Lord to Stay with them.

Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"And they drew night to the town, whither they were going; and He made as though He would go farther. But they constrained Him, saying: 'Stay with us; because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent.' And He went in with them" (Luke 24, 28-29).

Prelude: 

Behold the disciples urging our Blessed Lord to stay with them. 

Prayer: 

O my Saviour, how often has it been Thy most ardent desire to come to me, to take up Thy abode in my heart, and to manifest Thy presence by special marks of affection and the sweetest impulses of Thy grace. My tepidity and coldness have stifled any longing on my part for Thy happy, blessed presence, and constrained Thee rather to abandon me. Pardon, O my beloved Jesus, such indifference. Let Thy heart be moved by my sincere compunction and humility, and be Thou moved by my fervent petitions, to enter into my heart with Thy grace and love, and transform it through the fire of the Holy Spirit. "Stay with me, Lord," I will then say with the disciples, for I, too, will always remain with Thee; remain with me, for in Thee is the source of life; stay with me during my earthly pilgrimage, that I may one day attain to Thee and remain with Thee for all eternity. 

Resolution: 

I will frequently entreat my dear Saviour to abide in me with His grace and love.

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"Stay with us, for the day is now far spent."

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Friday - Jesus Instructs His Disciples

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Although these little meditations were written for religious nuns who lived in a convent in Germany a long time ago, we believe that they will be of great benefit to us as well.

Today's Meditation is Jesus Instructs His Disciples Concerning the Necessity of Tribulations.

Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into His glory" (Luke 24, 26)?

Prelude: 

In spirit, accompany the two disciples and hear our Lord's wholesome instructions.

Prayer: 

O my Beloved Saviour, Who didst will to enter into glory only through sufferings, let me taste the mystery of the cross. How could I, Thy spouse, desire to walk any other way than the way of sacrifice, of sufferings and humiliations, which Thou hast marked out for me! In future I will contemplate the sufferings and tribulations that befall me in the light of a lively gratitude and affection instead of discouragement. May they reanimate and quicken my confidence in the infinite wisdom and goodness of God. Let my soul, O Jesus, burn with an ardent desire to be intimately united with Thee through love and sufferings, and to seek in Thee my sole consolation, my peace and happiness.

Resolution: 

In all sufferings and reverses, I will be mindful that the cross is for me the means of sanctification. 

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into His glory?"

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Thursday - The Disciples Mistake Jesus for a Stranger

 Read the Story - Life Magazine

Good Morning Children of Mary,

Although these little meditations were written for religious nuns who lived in a convent in Germany a long time ago, we believe that they will be of great benefit to us as well.

Today's Meditation is The Disciples Mistake Jesus for a Stranger.

Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"Art Thou only a stranger in Jerusalem and hast not known the things that have been done there in these days" (Luke 24, 18)?

Prelude: 

Imagine the two disciples in the presence of Jesus; they see Him, hear His words, but fail to recognize Him. 

Prayer: 

O my Jesus, with St. Augustine, I cry to Thee: "Grant me to know Thee that I may love Thee." Is it possible, O Jesus, for me daily to contemplate Thy beauty, Thy goodness and Thy sublime virtues, without being filled with confidence and love, without experiencing the desire to imitate Thy love, obedience, self denial, and renunciation? Permit not, O Jesus, that my tepidity and infidelity estrange me from Thee and hinder the effects of grace in m soul. Grant me to be Thy faithful spouse to walk in Thy presence, and thus to become a fit instrument in Thy hands to promote the salvation of souls. Amen.

Resolution: 

In order the better to know and love my Jesus, I will commune with Him by frequent ejaculations (short prayers such as Jesus Mercy, Mary Help).

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"Let me know Thee, O Lord, that I may love Thee."

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Wednesday - On the Way to Emmaus

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Although these little meditations were written for religious nuns who lived in a convent in Germany a long time ago, we believe that they will be of great benefit to us as well.

Today's Meditation is Christ's Discourse with the Two Disciples on Their Way to Emmaus.

Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"And He said to them: 'What are these discourses that you hold one with another, as you walk, and are sad'" (Luke 24, 17)?

Prelude: 

Behold the two disciples on their way to Emmaus and Jesus in their midst. 

Prayer: 

I pray Thee, my Jesus, speak to me as Thou didst speak to the unhappy disciples: speak to my mind, by imparting to it the knowledge of Thy doctrines, to my heart by inflaming it with the fire of Thy divine love. Give me humility and docility that I may profit by the counsels and admonitions of Thy representatives. I thank Thee, O Jesus, for having pointed out to me my defects, and at the same time the means and ways to amendment and betterment, to greater progress in religious perfection. Sustain me, O Beloved of my soul, with Thy powerful grace, that I may walk the ways of perfection with courage and perseverance. 

Resolution: 

I will be attentive to the presence of God in my interior, and will gratefully accept the counsels that He imparts to me through His representatives. 

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"Speak, Lord for, for Thy servant hearth."

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Tuesday - Jesus Appears to James

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Although these little meditations were written for religious nuns who lived in a convent in Germany a long time ago, we believe that they will be of great benefit to us as well.

Today's Meditation is Jesus Appears to James. 

Have a beautiful day!

The Setting:

"After that, He was seen by James, then by all the Apostles" (Cor. 15, 7).

Prelude: 

Represent to ourself the joy of St. James when he was favored with a special apparition of our Divine Lord.

Prayer: 

O Divine Saviour, Whose delight it is to be with the children of men, may it be our sole delight to be in Thy holy Presence. Is there, in truth, genuine happiness without Thee? Alas, experience proves that the soul is sad and dismayed when attached to creatures, living in distractions, and wandering astray among the vain things of this world. How wonderfully are the words of St. Augustine verified, that Thou has created our heart for Thee and that it cannot find rest save in Thee! O my Jesus, endow Thy Spouses, with the gift of love for the hidden, interior life, the spirit of silence and prayer, that our convent may be for us an abode of peace and sanctity, and we thus lose none of the precious advantages that a faith filled life offers in such generous measure. 

Resolution: 

By silence and recollection, I will endeavor more and more to foster the spirit of prayer. .

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"What have I in heaven but Thee, and besides Thee what do I desire upon earth? Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever" (Ps. 72).

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Monday - Jesus Appears to Simon Peter

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Today's Meditation is Jesus Appears to Simon Peter. Have a beautiful day today and a great week.

The Setting:

"The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon" (Luke 24, 34).

Prelude: 

Picture St. Peter at the moment when he again beholds his Divine Master. 

Prayer: 

Blessed be Thou, O God of goodness and mercy, that Thou didst appear to Thy penitent disciple, with Thy own lips to assure him of pardon and flood his soul with an abundance of peace and grace. Praised be Thy Divine Wisdom for manifesting to him before all others Thy glorious resurrection, the foundation of our holy faith!

O Holy Apostle, we offer thee our felicitations to the happiness of being so highly favored by thy Divine Master. Obtain for us the reverence and humility, the burning and ineffable love that filled thy heart on beholding thy Lord and God. Confirm in us faith, hope, and gratitude, that we may say with Psalmist; "Bless the Lord, O my soul, Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion" (Ps. 102).

Resolution: 

I will strive to atone for my past faults by greater love.

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart." 

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio, 

Sunday - Jesus the Good Shepherd of Souls

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Good Morning Children of Mary,

Today's Meditation is Jesus the Good Shepherd of Souls.  Have a beautiful day today.

The Setting:

"And when He hath let out His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him, because they know His voice" (John 10, 4).

Prelude: 

Picture Jesus, the Good Shepherd carrying a lost sheep on His shoulders. 

Today's Prayer: 

Divine Shepherd of our souls, how great is Thy love for Thy sheep! Thou goest to such excess as to offer Thy life for their salvation. In Thy prodigal compassion and love Thou leadest Thy sheep to the best pasture and defends them against their enemies. Yes, O Divine Saviour, I recognize Thee as my loving Shepherd and thank Thee for having numbered me among Thy chosen flock. Oh, that I had always listened to Thy sweet voice and wholly surrendered myself to Thy guidance! O Jesus, pardon my indifference and infidelity. Henceforth I will constantly remain near Thee, my Good Shepherd, will rivet my eyes upon Thee and heed Thy divine counsels! As Thy faithful sheep I will follow Thee with implicit trust, tender love, and gratitude, on the way marked out for me by Thy infinite goodness. 

Resolution: 

I will strive to know my Good Shepherd ever better, confidently entrust myself to Him and heed His voice.

Spiritual Bouquet: 

"The Good Shepherd giveth His life for His sheep." 

Jesus Mercy! Mary Help!

Jesus - Model of Religious, Meditations for every day of the year. Frederick Pustet Co.,   Copyright, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio,