30 Apr – Memorial for St Pius V, Pope Antonio Ghislieri (1504-1572) was born to impoverished Italian nobility, the son of Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria. He worked as a shepherd as a boy, and received an excellent education in piety and holiness, including a scholastic education from a Dominican friar. He joined the Order [...]
29 Apr – Memorial for St Catherine of Siena, Virgin, Doctor of the Church Catherine (1347-1380) was the youngest child in a large family. At the age of six, she had a vision in which Jesus appeared and blessed her. Her parents wanted her to marry, but she became a Dominican tertiary. She was a [...]
28 Apr – Memorial for St Peter Chanel, Priest, Martyr; Memorial for St Louis M. Grignion de Montfort, Priest Peter Chanel (1803-1841) was born to a peasant family and was a shepherd as a boy. He was an excellent student and was ordained at 24. He was assigned to Crozet, a parish in decline; he [...]
27 Apr _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 11:19-26 Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching [...]
26 Apr _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 11:1-18 The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply [...]
25 Apr – Fourth Sunday of Easter; Vocation Sunday The Lamb Will Be Our Shepherd We offer in sacrifice the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. He who was slain is now our Shepherd. He will lead to springs of living water all who do not reject Him. – The Sunday Missal [...]
24 Apr _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 9:31-42 The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit. Peter visited one place after another and eventually came to the saints living down in Lydda. [...]
23 Apr _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 9:1-20 Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples. He had gone to the high priest and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he [...]
22 Apr _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 8:26-40 The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to [...]
21 Apr _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 8:1-8 That day a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled to the country districts of Judaea and Samaria. There were some devout people, however, who buried Stephen and made great mourning for him. Saul then worked for the total destruction [...]
