• Saint of the Day

x

May 19

Saint Yves Hélory of Kermartin

• Today's Gospel

x

May 19th

The Holy Gospel according to Saint John. (Jn 20.19-23)


It was evening on the day Jesus rose from the dead, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."


Used by permission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

• Daily Reflection

x

May 19th

Hope for the hopeless

At times, I am overcome by the state of the world. I cringe when I hear the latest news of conflict, war, terrorist attacks and misguided judgment. How can we extricate ourselves from the mess we're in? How can we learn to love one another? We seem to be past the point of no return - with our zero tolerance, our prejudices and our inability to listen to one another.

When I feel this way, I remind myself that humans do not have the last word. God does: "More powerful than all armies is he; he rules supreme." These words give me hope. And although I can't see my way clear through the various wars and injustices, I take comfort in the knowledge that God can.

Lord, help me hold on to hope when conflict surrounds me.

©2012 Novalis Publishing Inc., www.novalis.ca. Reprinted with permission.