Tuesday of the Second week of Easter

Acts of the Apostles

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.
With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.
Thus Joseph, also named by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated "son of encouragement"), a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles.

Psalms

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
And he has made the world firm,
your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

Bl. Lindalva Justo de Oliveira((1953-1993))

Blessed Lindalva Justo de Oliveira Martyr, Religious Sister of the Society of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul (1953-1993) Lindalva Justo de Oliveira was born on 20 October 1953 at Sitio Malhada da Areia, in a very poor area of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Lindalva's father, Joáo Justo da Fé, a farmer, was a widower. His second marriage was to Maria Lúcia de Oliveira. Little Lindalva was the sixth of 13 children born to the couple. She was baptized on 7 January 1954. Her family was not well-off, but were rich in faith. Joáo moved his family to Açu so his children could attend school; and after many sacrifices, he was able to buy a house, where the family still resides today. Besides following her mother's good example, Lindalva demonstrated a natural inclination toward the poorer children and spent much time with them. At age 12, Lindalva received First Holy Communion. During her school years, she was always happy to help the less fortunate. Later, while living with her brother, Djalma, and his family in Natal, she received an administrative assistant's diploma in 1979. From 1978 to 1988, she held various jobs in retail sales and as a cashier at a petrol station, sending some of her salary to help her mother. Lindalva found time to visit the local home for the elderly every day after work. In 1982, as she lovingly assisted her father in the last months of his terminal illness, she reflected seriously on her life and decided to serve the poor. She then enrolled in a nursing course, but also enjoyed the things typical of young people: building friendships, guitar lessons and cultural studies. In 1986, she participated in the vocational initiatives of the Daughters of Charity. After receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation in 1987, Lindalva applied for admission to the Daughters. On the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, 11 February 1988, she entered the postulancy. She edified her companions with her joyfulness and genuine concern for the poor. Lindalva's character was marked by a sweet disposition, but also by truthfulness. In a letter to her alcoholic brother, Antonio, she wrote: "Think about it and reward yourself. I pray for you very much and I will continue to pray; and if necessary, I will do penance so that you are able to fulfill yourself as a person. Follow Jesus, who fought until death for the life of sinners and gave his own life, not as God but as man, for the forgiveness of sins. We must seek refuge in him; only in him is life worth living." A year later, her brother quit drinking. On 29 January 1991, Sr. Lindalva was assigned 40 elderly male patients in the municipal nursing home in Salvador da Bahia. She undertook the more humble tasks and sought out those who suffered the most. She cared for their spiritual and material well-being and encouraged them to receive the sacraments. Sr. Lindalva would sing and pray with them, and she even took her driving test so she could take them out for rides. During January of 1993, a certain Augusto da Silva Peixoto, a 46-year-old man with an irascible character, managed to be admitted to the facility through the recommendation of another, even though he had no right to be there. Sr. Lindalva treated him with the same courtesy and respect as the other patients, yet he obsessed over her. She prudently distanced herself from him and was cautious in his regard. Nonetheless, he explicitly declared his lustful intentions toward her. A simple solution would have been for Sr. Lindalva to leave, but her love for the elderly caused her to declare, "I prefer to shed my blood than to leave this place." By 30 March, Augusto's advances became so insistent and frightening that she sought the help of a health-care official to restrain this unruly patient. Although he promised to improve his attitude and behavior, he harbored hatred and vengeance that developed into a murderous plan. On 9 April 1993, Good Friday, Sr. Lindalva took part in the parish Way of the Cross at 4:30 in the morning. By 7 a.m., she was back at work to prepare and serve breakfast like she did every day. As she served coffee from behind a table, Augusto approached and thrust a fishmonger's knife above her collar-bone. Sinking to the ground, she cried "God protect me" several times. Patients ran for cover. Enveloped in an insane rapture while holding up her body, Augusto stabbed her 44 times shouting, "I should have done this sooner!"He then suddenly became calm, sat down on a bench, wiped the knife on his trousers, threw it on the table and exclaimed: "She did not want me." Turning to the doctor, he said, "You can call the police, I will not run away; I did what had to be done." The next day, Holy Saturday, Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, O.P., Primate of Brazil, celebrated the 39-year-old Sister's funeral and commented: "A few years were enough for Sr. Lindalva to crown her religious life with martyrdom."

St. Waldetrudis((+ c. 688))

Saint Waldetrudis(+ c. 688) St Waldetrudis was the daughter of Saints Walbert and Bertilia. Her sister was St. Aldegunus of Maubeuge. St. Waldetrudis married St. Vincent Madelgarius and became the mother of Saints Landericus, Madalberta, Adeltrudis and Dentelin. When her husband became a monk at the monastery of Hautrnont, St. Waldetrudis established a convent in Chateaulieu, around which grew up the town of Mons, Belgium.

St. Gaucherius()

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