PERSEVERANCE IN PAIN - One Bread, One Body, 05/09/2023

Tuesday, May 9, 2023,

Acts 14:19-28
Psalm 145:10-13, 21
John 14:27-31

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PERSEVERANCE IN PAIN
"They gave their disciples reassurances, and encouraged them to persevere in the faith." —Acts 14:22

After being beaten unconscious, dragged out of the town of Lystra, and left for dead, St. Paul regained consciousness and went back into Lystra (Acts 14:19-20). Paul was fearless, unstoppable, and persevering. After leaving Lystra, he soon returned to reassure the disciples and encourage “them to persevere in the faith” (Acts 14:22). Paul had credibility when he talked about perseverance. He had cuts, wounds, and bruises, which were the price of perseverance.

Paul proclaimed: “I put no value on my life if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24). From prison, Paul wrote: “My entire attention is on the finish line as I run toward the prize to which God calls me — life on high in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). When he spoke of his imminent death, Paul asserted: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7).

Paul and all Christians are so intent on persevering in faith, their vocations, and their commitments because Jesus persevered when He put His “hand to the plow” (see Lk 9:62) and “set His face” toward Jerusalem (Lk 9:51, RSV-CE) and toward Calvary. Jesus promised: “Whoever holds out till the end will escape death,” that is, the second death of damnation (Mt 10:22).

We have the miracle of perseverance not by our power but by the Holy Spirit, Who confirms us to persevere under the worst of circumstances. Pray and suffer in the Holy Spirit to receive the grace of perseverance.

Prayer: Father, may I never stop loving You. May I always love You more, never less.

Promise: "My peace is My gift to you." —Jn 14:27

Praise: Suffering from crippling pain, Patricia found contemplative prayer a wonderful new calling.



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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 21,, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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“SEEK, AND YOU WILL FIND” (Mt 7:7) - One Bread, One Body, 05/08/2023

Monday, May 8, 2023,

Acts 14:5-18
Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16
John 14:21-26

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"SEEK, AND YOU WILL FIND" (Mt 7:7)
"Lord, why is it that You will reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?" —John 14:22

Jesus had told His disciples the world would not accept His revelation (Jn 14:17), but He would reveal Himself to His disciples (Jn 14:21). His disciple Jude asked Jesus why He would reveal Himself to the disciples, but not to the world (Jn 14:22). This is a good question.

Jesus does reveal Himself to the world, but it doesn’t fully listen to Him. Many listen to Jesus without hearing, and look without seeing (Mt 13:14-15). Those who have received Jesus’ revelation are open to receive more of it, while those who have closed themselves to what Jesus has been trying to reveal to them will lose even the little they thought they knew of Him (Mt 13:12).

Today’s first reading shows an example of this principle. The Holy Spirit, speaking through St. Paul, tries to reveal Jesus to the people of Lystra (Acts 14:9ff). Despite God’s revelation, the townspeople won’t listen. Lystra rejects the message and the messenger, stones Paul, and leaves him for dead (Acts 14:19). The people of some other towns do listen to Paul and receive the revelation of Jesus (Acts 14:20-26).

God will reveal Himself to us even if we are misguided (see Acts 14:15) as long as we are seeking Him with a spirit of openness. Jesus even revealed Himself to Pontius Pilate (Jn 18:36ff), who at least appeared to be partially listening to Him. However, if we are closed to Jesus and are not seeking Him, as was King Herod, Jesus may have nothing to reveal to us because we are closed to His revelation (Lk 23:9). Listen to Jesus (Lk 10:39).

Prayer: Jesus, may I be good soil and "hear the word in a spirit of openness" (Lk 8:15).

Promise: "The Holy Spirit...will instruct you in everything." —Jn 14:26

Praise: Thomas spends time every day reading Scripture and listening to God.

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 21,, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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THE ONLY WAY HOME TO ABBA - One Bread, One Body, 05/07/2023

Sunday, May 7, 2023, Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 6:1-7
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
1 Peter 2:4-9
John 14:1-12
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THE ONLY WAY HOME TO ABBA
"If you really knew Me, you would know My Father also." —John 14:7

We have been created by and for God the Father. Our happiness will not be complete until we are home with our Father. Every person has a hole in his heart that only God the Father can fill.

However, all human beings have a fallen, wounded nature by which we are alienated from God the Father. This puts us in an impossible situation. We cannot relate properly to the very Person Whom we cannot live without. Consequently, we are cut off from life, love, joy, peace, hope, etc.

Considering our innate desire for God the Father and yet our alienation from Him, we are shocked and filled with joy to hear the words of Jesus: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (Jn 14:6). Jesus is the Way to the Father, because He “is the Reflection of the Father's glory, the exact Representation of the Father’s being” (Heb 1:3). In fact, Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him (Jn 14:11). Therefore, to see Jesus is to see the Father (Jn 14:9).

Jesus is the Way to overcome our alienation from the Father. He is our Savior. In Jesus, we are not separated from the Father but baptized into Him (see Mt 28:19). Jesus is our Hope, our Life, our only Way to the Father.

Prayer: Abba, I live in You and for You.

Promise: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and faith in Me." —Jn 14:1

Praise: Praise the risen Jesus, Who died for His enemies and loves them with an everlasting love. Hosanna to the King of Love!



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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 21,, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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PRAYING IN HIS NAME - One Bread, One Body, 05/06/2023

Saturday, May 6, 2023,

Acts 13:44-52
Psalm 98:1-4
John 14:7-14

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PRAYING IN HIS NAME
"Anything you ask Me in My name I will do." —John 14:14

If we believe in Jesus, we will do greater works than He did because of the power of prayer which He has given us (Jn 14:12-13). Jesus promised: “Whatever you ask in My name I will do, so as to glorify the Father in the Son. Anything you ask Me in My name I will do” (Jn 14:13-14). If we pray in Jesus’ name, and our prayer aligns with God’s will, we can have confidence His response is the perfect answer. If we seek first the kingdom of God, everything will be given us besides (Mt 6:33).

If we pray to be healed from cancer, will Jesus say yes to this prayer and will we be healed? Although the Lord usually wants us to be healed, and was even wounded so that we may be healed (1 Pt 2:24), physical healing is not the Lord’s highest priority. Therefore, the Lord may or may not say yes to our prayer to be healed from cancer. However, if we prayed to have the health necessary to witness for Him and to build His kingdom, then the Lord would say yes to that prayer. We may then be healed, or we would be able to do what the Lord wants us to do, even if we’re not healed. When we pray for Jesus’ prayers to be answered, then that prayer is answered. Pray in Jesus’ name.

Prayer: Father, teach me to pray (see Lk 11:1) by giving me the heart and mind of Jesus (see 1 Cor 2:16).

Promise: "Thus the word of the Lord was carried throughout that area." —Acts 13:49

Praise: As Clarence was on his deathbed, his children and grandchildren, who had not been practicing their faith, gathered to pray the rosary together.

(To revitalize your prayer life view, download or order our booklet, Conversion-Conversations. This booklet features one short prayer conversation daily for forty weeks and helps you grow into a strong personal relationship with the Lord.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 21,, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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AN IDENTIFICATION PAPER - One Bread, One Body, 05/05/2023

For a limited time, we have many extra Spanish OBOB books (for this April/May) available to share with others in your parishes, laundry-mats, or nursing homes.
For getting extra OBOB books in Spanish, please call (513) 296-1380 or email jerrycappel@fuse.net with your request.
Please include the number of books you want along with the name and address for sending.
May God bless your efforts to evangelize!

Friday, May 5, 2023,

Acts 13:26-33
Psalm 2:6-11
John 14:1-6

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AN IDENTIFICATION PAPER
"We ourselves announce to you the good news that what God promised our fathers He has fulfilled for us, their children, in raising up Jesus, according to what is written in the second psalm, 'You are My Son; this day I have begotten You.' " —Acts 13:32-33

St. Paul preached that Jesus’ Resurrection was referred to in “the second psalm, ‘You are My Son; this day I have begotten You’ ” (Acts 13:33; see Ps 2:7). Paul implied that Jesus’ Resurrection was a new birth in which Jesus was designated as the eternal Son of God (see Rm 1:4). This shows why the Church has connected the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection with the new birth of Baptism and with renewal of the baptismal promises. If we fully accept God’s grace in this Easter season, the Spirit will cry out in our hearts “Abba” (“Father”) (Gal 4:6; Rm 8:15). We will be confirmed as baptized sons and daughters of God the Father.

As we become increasingly aware of our identity as God’s children “begotten from above” (Jn 3:3), we dare to pray with and in Jesus that our Father give us “the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth” for our possession (Ps 2:8). We then claim our inheritance by making “disciples of all the nations” (Mt 28:19). We become witnesses for the risen Jesus (Acts 1:8), the uniquely begotten Son of God (see Jn 3:16).

Sons and daughters of God, keep renewing and living your new birth and new life to give birth to a new world (see Ps 104:30).

Prayer: Father, may I know who I am in Christ and act accordingly.

Promise: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and faith in Me." —Jn 14:1

Praise: The quiet time Joyce spends listening in adoration has been the most enjoyable time in her otherwise busy life.

(Do you have a zeal to serve the Lord? Attend our retreat Additional Life in the Spirit offered May 19-21 and experience the power of God. For it is "Not by might, not by power, but my My Spirit, says the Lord" (Zec 4:6). Call 513-373-2397 or e-mail retreats@presentationministries.com to register or for questions.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 21,, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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SAY “I DO” TO I AM - One Bread, One Body, 05/04/2023

For a limited time, we have many extra Spanish OBOB books (for this April/May) available to share with others in your parishes, laundry-mats, or nursing homes.
For getting extra OBOB books in Spanish, please call (513) 296-1380 or email jerrycappel@fuse.net with your request.
Please include the number of books you want along with the name and address for sending.
May God bless your efforts to evangelize!

Thursday, May 4, 2023,

Acts 13:13-25
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27
John 13:16-20

View Readings

SAY "I DO" TO I AM
"When it takes place you may believe that I AM." —John 13:19

Jesus foretold that one of His apostles would betray Him so that, when it took place, the apostles would believe that Jesus was the I AM, that is, God (see Ex 3:14). Even in front of a hostile crowd, Jesus said: “I solemnly declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM” (Jn 8:58). Jesus also promised that, after He was lifted up on the cross, many would realize that He was the I AM (Jn 8:28). Those who do not believe this will surely die in their sins (Jn 8:24). When hundreds of soldiers came to arrest Jesus, they said they were seeking Jesus the Nazorean. Jesus said in response “I AM” (see Jn 18:5, 6, 8). At this, “they retreated slightly and fell to the ground” (Jn 18:6).

Jesus repeatedly made it clear that He is the I AM, that is, God. Therefore, we must do more than talk to Him. We must worship Him. Serving Him is not enough. Only our total commitment is the appropriate response to the great I AM. When we believe Jesus is the great I AM, we know that giving Him all of our money, possessions, energy, and time is the least we can do. Say “I do” to I AM.

Prayer: Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All! (see Jn 20:28)

Promise: "The favors of the Lord I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim Your faithfulness." —Ps 89:2

Praise: John, a new worker at a funeral home, attended his first Catholic Mass as a part of his job. He was captivated by the beauty of the Mass, and converted to the Catholic Faith. Now he joyfully serves the Lord as a Catholic priest.

(To help you read the Bible, listen to, download or order Overview of the Bible on CD 10A-1, CD 10A-3, CD 10B-1, CD 10B-3, CD 10C-1 and CD 10C-3 or DVD 10A, DVD 10B and DVD 10C on our website.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 21,, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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LISTEN TO THE CHOSEN ONES - One Bread, One Body, 05/03/2023

For a limited time, we have many extra Spanish OBOB books (for this April/May) available to share with others in your parishes, laundry-mats, or nursing homes.
For getting extra OBOB books in Spanish, please call (513) 296-1380 or email jerrycappel@fuse.net with your request.
Please include the number of books you want along with the name and address for sending.
May God bless your efforts to evangelize!

Wednesday, May 3, 2023, Sts. Philip & James

1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Psalm 19:2-5
John 14:6-14

View Readings

LISTEN TO THE CHOSEN ONES
"He was seen by James; then by all the apostles." —1 Corinthians 15:7

Jesus selected James, Philip, and the other apostles at the start of His public ministry (Mk 3:13ff). Jesus also selected the apostles to see Him after He had risen from the dead (1 Cor 15:5, 7). No one can ever replace the witness of the apostles as “the chosen witnesses of the Lord’s Resurrection” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 860).

Jesus told His apostles: “He who hears you, hears Me. He who rejects you, rejects Me” (Lk 10:16). Thus, we must pay close attention to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42), which continues in the Catholic Church through the Pope and bishops (Catechism, 863). If we refuse to listen to the Church, we risk rejecting Jesus Himself (see Mk 16:11, 14).

For example, some couples refuse to listen to the Church about refraining from the use of artificial birth control. They decide to form their own opinion on the subject. They expect Jesus to tell them Himself if it is against His will. Now, Jesus does reveal His truth to individuals some of the time. However, Jesus has already spoken through His witnesses, the Pope and the magisterium of the Church, about the deposit of faith. To refuse to listen to the Church is to refuse to listen to Jesus (Lk 10:16) and to risk damnation (see Jn 5:25, 28-29).

Repent of refusing to listen to Jesus through His apostolic Church! Listen to Jesus; don’t risk rejecting Him.

Prayer: Father, help me never to think I know more than do the Pope and the Bishops.

Promise: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." —Jn 14:6

Praise: Because of his faithfulness, St. James was one of the first blessed to encounter the risen Jesus.

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 21,, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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