Podcast appearances and mentions of Saint Gabriel

Delivered by Gladys from the Parish of Saint Gabriel in the Diocese of Bandung, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 9: 1-20; Rs psalm 117: 1.2; John 6: 52-59.SPIRITUAL FOOD AND DRINK The title of our meditation today is:Spiritual Food and Drink. When the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time explainedthat His body and blood must be consumed as the food by those who believed inHim, one question that we can ask would be as the following: for all who hadlistened to it, who was the first to understand then eated meat and drank bloodof Jesus? This question really evoked emotionsof Jesus' listeners at that time. The Jews felt amused and embarrassed. Thedisciples were divided into those who accepted and rejected this teaching. Thecontents of this teaching were really hard to people's mind. If someone wanted,let him alone come to eat body and drink blood of Jesus. How can there be asacred teaching to become a cannibal, a human eater? But this teaching is actuallyspiritual in its nature. Jesus wants to make Himself spiritual food and drink,in order to produce the spiritual growth of His followers, and finally bringthem arrive at a spiritual achievement, namely a communion with God. Thespiritual food and drink are the words of the Father, the teachings of JesusChrist, and the sacrifice the Lord Jesus must endure. We consume Jesus means weunderstand, believe, imitate, and live with Him. Our reading today from the Acts of theApostles describes a person who took the path to consume spiritual food anddrink was Saul. Even though he was a Jew with duty to destroy the Church whichhad begun to develop, God had chosen him to be His instrument. But before meetingall the goals he had intended to, God rebuked him. He then realized the evil thathe was doing and finally he repented. His life totally changed. Then he musteat the body and drink the blood of Christ, namely the words and life of Jesus.The Spirit of God entered into him and led him to the baptism and making him acompletely new person. His name now changed to be Paul and later became a verycharismatic and courageous apostle. These spiritual food and drink thenbecame the meal for many others later throughout the world. To become followersof Christ of today both as the body of the Church or the community of God'speople and as a personal testimony of Christian life, we need to acknowledgecontinously that the body and blood of Christ is the One who nourishes andsustains us. Just imagine, when you have not met the word of God for some time inthe celebration of the eucharist, you must have experienced a great loss andemptiness. This is a sign that the bread of life of Jesus Christ sustains andnourishes our faith.Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O God Almighty, we give thanks to you for You are the real bread oflife for our spiritual growth and unity with You. May Your Spirit alwayssanctify us. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. In thename of the Father ...

Delivered by Joana from the Parish of Saint Gabriel in the Diocese of Bandung - West Jawa, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 3: 11-26; Rs psalm 8: 2a.5.6-7.8-9; Luke 24: 35-48PEACEOF EASTER Thetitle of our meditation today is: Peace of Easter. We can consider that aseries of apparition of the risen Christ is an Easter gift to us. Encountersafter the resurrection in various occasions that are presented in the scriptures,give us stories and their messages. If we may say one among all these messagesthat is the most central and particular, it is the message of peace. Whenthe eleven apostles gathered to share stories from each one's experience andperspective about their encounter with the risen Christ, then added to them wasthe two disciples who had just returned from Emmaus, a community of followersof Christ whose hearts filled with the spirit of the risen Jesus, was thenturned into a different community. The community was filled with a mixedatmosphere between stories, believing, confuse, questions, and of courseamazement. In this context of a new face of the community, Jesus once againappeared in their midst by giving a gift: Peace be with you! Themessage of peace was the main point in the Apostle Peter's sermon in the midstof the crowd, after he performed a healing miracle to a paralytic person. Themiracle also brought about a mixed atmosphere of admiration, wonder, suspicion,lack of trust, and trust. So, Peter resolved the situation by proclaiming thetruth from the risen Lord that created peace and serenity. The result was thatmany people got inspired and came to believe in Jesus Christ.  Thepeaceful message of the risen Jesus to the apostles who were confused, afraid,suspicious, and lacking in faith aims to make them believe in the Lord. Peacecan eliminate all negative feelings and thoughts. Peace brings a calmness,comfort and positive condition in every individual and its relationship withothers, so that eventually one can decide what is right that leads to action. Butsometimes the message of peace tends to be considered simply as a theory orjust a conviction. As a consequence, a peaceful life is not a reality, it's somethingjust to be thought of or discussed. There is no example and effort to createit. On the contrary, it is not enough that people only talk, teach, convince,and describe the ways of having a life in peace. We must live in peace bothwithin ourselves and with others. At least we give concrete examples ofcreating a peaceful life. Oneexample made by the risen Jesus was to be honest about himself, involved, andunited with the apostles and his disciples. This really eliminated fear anddoubt that haunted them days and nights after the day of the resurrection.Because when there is doubt, fear, suspicion, lack of trust that continue tooccupy ourselves and our communities, peace is hopeless to exist.Let's pray. In thename of the Father ... O Father almighty, may Your Spirit fill us with peacefrom You that makes us always rejoice in sharing the divine gifts in our lives.Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of the Father ...

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 344The Saint of the day is Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of SorrowsSaint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows' Story Born in Italy into a large family and baptized Francis, Saint Gabriel lost his mother when he was only four years old. He was educated by the Jesuits and, having been cured twice of serious illnesses, came to believe that God was calling him to the religious life. Young Francis wished to join the Jesuits but was turned down, probably because of his age, not yet 17. Following the death of a sister to cholera, his resolve to enter religious life became even stronger and he was accepted by the Passionists. Upon entering the novitiate he was given the name Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. Ever popular and cheerful, Gabriel quickly was successful in his effort to be faithful in little things. His spirit of prayer, love for the poor, consideration of the feelings of others, exact observance of the Passionist Rule as well as his bodily penances—always subject to the will of his wise superiors— made a deep impression on everyone. His superiors had great expectations of Gabriel as he prepared for the priesthood, but after only four years of religious life symptoms of tuberculosis appeared. Ever obedient, he patiently bore the painful effects of the disease and the restrictions it required, seeking no special notice. He died peacefully on February 27, 1862, at age 24, having been an example to both young and old. Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was canonized in 1920. Reflection When we think of achieving great holiness by doing little things with love and grace, Therese of Lisieux comes first to mind. Like her, Gabriel died painfully from tuberculosis. Together they urge us to tend to the small details of daily life, to be considerate of others' feelings every day. Our path to sanctity, like theirs, probably lies not in heroic doings but in performing small acts of kindness every day. Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows is a Patron Saint of: ClergyStudentsYoung People A Prayer for Saints in the Making! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media