Saturday of the Third week of Easter

Acts of the Apostles

The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.
As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed." He got up at once.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated means Dorcas). She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.
Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid (her) out in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay."
So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.
This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord.

Psalms

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant; the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

St. Jozef Damian De Veuster(Priest (1840-1889))

Saint Jozef Damien De VeusterPriest (1840-1889) St. Jozef Damien De Veuster, ss.cc, was born in Tremelo, Belgium, on January 3, 1840. He began his novitiate with the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary ("Picpus Fathers") at the beginning of 1859. He took the name Damien and prayed daily before a picture of St. Francis Xavier to be sent on a mission. In 1863, his brother, who was leaving for a mission in the Hawaiian Islands, fell ill. Preparations for the voyage had already been made, so Damien obtained permission from the Superior General to take his brother's place. He landed in Honolulu on March 19, 1864. The following May 21, he was ordained a Catholic priest. At the time, the Hawaiian Government quarantined everyone infected with leprosy in the neighboring island of Molokai. The missionaries were concerned about the abandoned lepers, so Bishop Louis Maigret, a Picpus father, decided to send priests. He did not want to send anyone in the name of obedience because the assignment was a potential death sentence. Of the four brothers who volunteered, Damien was the first to leave for Kalaupapa on May 10, 1873. At his own request and that of the lepers, Damien remained on Molokai. After serving for sixteen years, he contracted leprosy and passed away on April 15, 1889, at 49 years old. He was buried at the local cemetery under the same Pandanus tree where he had first slept upon arriving in Molokai. His remains were exhumed in 1936, at the request of the Belgian Government, and translated to a crypt of the Church of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in Louvain. Damien respected the religious convictions of others, accepted them as persons and joyfully received their collaboration. Among his best friends were Meyer, a Lutheran, the superintendent of the leper colony, Clifford, an Anglican, Moritz, a painter and free-thinker who was the doctor on Molokai, and Dr. Masanao Goto, a Japanese buddhist and leprologist. In his parish ministry or in his works of charity, he found a place for everyone. Though his prayers and intercession, St. Damien continues inspiring believers and non-believers. Many who emulate him discover the source of his heroism.Pope John Paul II beatified Damien de Veuster in Brussels on June 4, 1995. He was canonized by and Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009, in Rome.

Bl. Ivan Merz((1896-1928))

BLESSED IVAN MERZ (1896-1928) Ivan Merz was born in Banja Luka, Bosnia, on December 16, 1896. He was baptized on February 2, 1897. He attended elementary and middle school in Banja Luka before attending the military academy of Wiener Noustadt. In 1915, he enrolled at the University of Vienna with the dream of teaching young Bosnians. He emulated his professor, Ljubomir Marakovic, who helped him discover the Catholic faith. In March 1916, Ivan enlisted and was sent to the Italian battle front. He experienced two years of war-related horrors beginning 1917. The war marked a turning point in his life as an impetus for spiritual growth. He abandoned himself in God's hands and strove with all his heart and mind for Christian perfection. On February 5, 1918, he wrote in his diary: "Never forget God! Always desire to be united with Him. Begin each day in the first place with meditation and prayer, possibly close to the Blessed Sacrament or during Mass. During this time, plans for the day are made, one's defects are put under examination and grace is implored for the strength to overcome all weakness. It would be something terrible if this war had no meaning for me!... I must begin a life regenerated in the spirit of this new understanding of Catholicism. The Lord alone can help me, as man can do nothing on his own." Around 1918, Ivan made a private vow of perpetual chastity. After the war, he continued studies in Vienna (1919-20) and Paris (1920-22). He received a degree in philosophy in 1923. His thesis was titled, "The Influence of the Liturgy on the French Authors." He became a professor of language and French literature and was exemplary as a mentor and a teacher. In his spare time, he studied philosophy, theology, and the publications of the Magisterium of the Church. Ivan was especially interested in young people's growth in faith and holiness. He shared spiritual writings and organized gatherings. He started the League of Young Croatian Catholics and the Croatian League of Eagles as part of the country's Catholic Action Movement. Their motto was: "Sacrifice, Eucharist, Apostolate." Using the natural light of reason, he taught many to pray for and to honor the Vicar of Christ. He also promoted liturgical renewal. In the face of any misunderstandings and difficulties, Ivan was always patient and calm: the fruit of his continual union with God in prayer. Those who knew him well described him as a person who had his "mind and heart immersed in the supernatural." He embraced the Cross of Jesus Christ to save souls. He offered to God all his physical and moral sufferings, particularly for the intention of his apostolic endeavors. Shortly before his death, he offered his life for the youth of Croatia. In short, the young man believed that his vocation was very simply "the Catholic faith."Ivan Merz passed away on May 10, 1928, in Zagreb. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Banja Luka on June 22, 2003.

St. Comgall()

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