Daily Bread
May 22
Saint Rita of Cascia
Saint Rita was born in Umbria, Italy, in 1386. Although she wanted to be a nun, her parents betrothed her to a cruel and ill-tempered man whom she married at age 18. When her husband was murdered 18 years later, her twin sons were determined to avenge his murder. Rita pleaded with them to forgive the murderers, and her prayers eventually prevailed. Now a widow, Rita sought to enter the convent, but was initially refused because some relatives of her husband's murderers were members. In time, through prayer and her personal intercession, a promise of peace and reconciliation was secured and she was admitted to the Augustinian convent at Cascia, living there 40 years in prayer, contemplation and service of the poor. She was canonized in 1900 and is a patron of impossible causes.
©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.
May 22nd
Father, glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you. (John 17.1-11a)Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
"I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.
"All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one."
Used by permission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
May 22nd
A heavy loadOne afternoon, on our way home from school, my daughter felt overwhelmed. It had not been a good day in Grade 1. Small woes had plagued her all day: a spilled juice box in her knapsack, a scraped knee at recess, a lost library book.... She poured out her troubles as we walked home together. As she struggled with her knapsack, she reached her breaking point. Dropping it on the ground, she burst into tears.
Usually when my daughter balks at carrying her bag, I launch into the lecture about "responsibility." That day I picked up her bag without saying a word. Her hand slipped into mine and we continued on our way.
How easy it was for me to lighten her load! How often I forget that God offers to do the same for me.
God, I know you will help me carry my burdens today and every day.
©2012 Novalis Publishing Inc., www.novalis.ca. Reprinted with permission.
Messe
COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
The lectionary texts contained herein are from the Lectionary, Weekdays A & B of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Copyright © Concacan Inc., 1993, 1994. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
And, the Lectionary, Sundays and Solemnities of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Copyright © Concacan Inc., 1992, 2009. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. This revised edition of the Lectionary, Sundays and Solemnities follows the Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typica altera, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanus, 1981.
The Scripture quotations contained herein are based on the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Adapted and used by permission. All rights reserved.
Adaptations for liturgical use have been made to selected Scripture texts. These adaptations have been made to bring the readings into conformity with the Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typica altera, the Lectionarium and Liturgiam Authenticam, as well as to facilitate proclamation. These adaptations were prepared by and are the sole responsibility of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Adaptations copyright © 2009 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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