Weekly Digest of the Regnum Christi Daily Meditations: Apr 26 – May 2, 2026
WEEKLY DIGEST OF rc
DAILY MEDITATIONS
Week April 26 - May 2, 2026
Sunday, April 26, 2026 – Baptism: Gateway to an Abundance of Life
Monday, April 27, 2026 – Interiority and Discernment
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Believing the Words of Jesus
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 – Condemnation or Salvation?
Thursday, April 30, 2026 – To Be “Good” or to Be “Great”
Friday, May 1, 2026 – The Freedom of Faith
April 26, 2026 – Baptism: Gateway to an Abundance of Life
Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10:1-10
Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them. So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my gate. You are my Shepherd. I come before you with humility and gratitude for your care over me. Thank you for the freedom I experience as a child of the heavenly Father. Thank you for giving me an abundant life and for being a dear friend along my journey to eternal life.
Encountering Christ:
- Jesus Came So That We Might Have Life: Jesus wants to give us spiritual life through baptism. “Those who enter through the gate will be saved.” The gateway to eternal life is to allow oneself to be washed clean in the waters of baptism. We are called to embrace Christ’s way of life as a son or daughter of God. Once we have entered through the gate and become one of the flock, we have the freedom of a member of the household to come and go as we please.
- Have Life More Abundantly: Jesus gives life abundantly. His life is like the vibrant vitality of a waterfall with a never-ending source of water, as opposed to the trickle of a little stream. Jesus wants us to live a life experiencing the all-encompassing providential care of a loving Father, of a Shepherd who provides abundantly for the most basic needs.
- “I Am the Gate”: This passage is allegorical and a bit abstract. The people of Jesus’ time learned through stories, as do the people of our time. Jesus is saying that any stranger who is not part of the family cannot enter the gate unannounced to enjoy the privilege of using the grounds, eating the supplies, or drinking the water. However, a fully committed person who is incorporated into the family of Christ’s Church may enter the gate and partake of the abundance of life provided by the Shepherd.
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, the grace I received in baptism is beyond the scope of my complete comprehension. Help me to realize what a gift you have given me by incorporating me into your family.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will look deeply within my heart and reflect on what it means for me to be part of your flock.
For Further Reflection: Numbers 1213-1284 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church explain the riches of the sacrament of Baptism.
Renee Pomarico, CRC, is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
April 27, 2026 – Interiority and Discernment
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
John 10:11-18
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
Opening Prayer: Lord, it fills my heart to the brim to speak with you and to experience your loving hand guiding my life. Help me to always recognize your voice within the depths of my soul and to respond with ease.
Encountering Christ:
- Who Is the Good Shepherd?: A newly ordained priest once asked a group of children, “In this story of the Good Shepherd, who do you think the sheep are?” They answered, “Us.” “And who is the Shepherd?” Little voices in unison called out, “Jesus.” The priest, a bit abashed and confused, then asked, “And so who would that make me?” After some thought, a boy raised his hand and offered, “The sheepdog, I guess.” The priest now chuckles as he shares this humbling story. Sometimes in life we realize that the expectations we have of ourselves are not the same as those that others have of us. So, too, God’s expectations of us may differ from our own. Like sheep, we must attend to the Shepherd through prayer and the Sacraments so that we’re meeting his expectations for our lives, not those of ourselves or others.
- Interiority: Christ says, “I know mine and mine know me.” Jesus is a Shepherd most especially to those who develop a relationship with him. Even though God gives us human support through others and entrusts his priests with a shepherding role, God also speaks to each one of us in our heart. “I searched for you outside myself, while all along you were within me,” says St. Augustine. The search for God is a dynamic of our interior life that leads to encounter with him. Finding God is a work and discovery of the human heart. By his grace and through our heartfelt effort in prayer, we can be sure of his constant companionship.
- Discernment and Choice: As life progresses, so too does our experience and our need to make choices and accept the consequences of those choices. Often, we can feel overwhelmed by the overabundance of choices our society offers. I remember coming back to the United States after living abroad for five years and finding far too many kinds of butter in the supermarket. I spent forever making a decision! We also sometimes have to make critical and life-changing choices about who to marry, what to do after a divorce, how to cope with an illness in the family, and who to turn to for advice. Priests, spiritual guides, and good friends are there to offer support, but ultimately we are responsible for discerning the advice we receive and making a decision about what to do. Knowing that Our Lord is a Good Shepherd can give us the confidence we need to trust him when the decisions we have to make are tough.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, you know me and you love me. Give me the grace to turn to you rather than relying too heavily on human support. Grant me wisdom and spiritual discernment. Help me to discover the path that you desire me to take, and give me the courage to do so, knowing that you are all good and desire only my happiness.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray about advice I have received before making my final decision about what to do.
For Further Reflection: “Do not go outside yourself, but enter into yourself, for truth dwells in the interior self.” — St. Augustine
Renee Pomarico, CRC, is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
April 28, 2026 – Believing the Words of Jesus
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
John 10:22-30
The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the eternal Son of the Father, and I look to you for direction, salvation, and guidance in my life. I ask for a deep faith to believe all that you reveal, even when it is hard for me.
Encountering Christ:
- “I Told You and You Do Not Believe”: Why did the Jews not believe Jesus? Did Jesus preach a difficult message? Were they unwilling to give up some habit they were attached to? How willing are we to believe Jesus? I can think of a great number of converts, St. John Henry Newman among them, who suffered tremendously when converting to Catholicism. These converts lost friends, prestige, jobs; yet they gained much more and were joyful in the midst of their suffering because they had found the truth. Daring to believe implies authentic conversion, and it is rewarded by a joyful heart overflowing with God’s grace.
- “The Works I Do in My Father’s Name Testify to Me”: Jesus did not flinch at the lack of belief among the Jews. He did not back down or change his message. He called to mind the works that he had done, miracles that included raising a man from the dead, curing the blind and sick, and feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, among others. He stood by the radical mission he had been given and said that if they did not believe his words alone, then they should believe his actions. Our actions speak louder than our words. As Christians, do we live what we preach, what we say we believe? Only then will our words be trustworthy. Then we are authentic followers of the Lord.
- “My Sheep Hear My Voice; I Know Them, And They Follow Me”: Even though the Jews did not believe Jesus, many of his followers did. They gave up houses, brothers or sisters, mother or father, land or other things for the sake of Jesus and his Gospel (cf. Mk 10:29). To these, Jesus promised eternal life. Belief in Christ means living in accord with the Gospel, following him when it is hard to believe or when persecution ensues. It is all worthwhile because this life is passing. That which we do on earth is valuable when it is done for a supernatural goal: to love the Lord and his people.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, I try to do things well. With good intentions, I seek to provide for my family, to make ends meet, to enjoy time with those I love. Help me to worry less about things and more about people. Teach me to love them in your name.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will seek to set aside something I want to do for the sake of quality time with someone I love.
Renee Pomarico, CRC, is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
April 29, 2026 – Condemnation or Salvation?
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
John 12:44-50
Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”
Opening Prayer: Jesus, I come to you with hope in your mercy, gratitude for your love, and openness to be reconciled with you. Help me to believe in the depths of my heart that I am loved and embraced in spite of the sins of my past.
Encountering Christ:
- “I Came Into the World As Light”: How wonderful it is to see the light—to have clarity, to know we are seen and loved. The devil sows confusion. He covets darkness and wants to muddle the truth so that we lose clarity and follow him instead of Christ, who is the true light. But Jesus sees us. He knows our every action, and he does not reject us when we’ve done wrong. Rather, he comes looking for us, as he did Adam and Eve. After they sinned, they felt ashamed and hid, but God went looking for them. He still loved them; he made clothing for them and gave them other ways to experience his love. He is always seeking us too, so we can experience his love here and now, not just one day in heaven.
- “I Did Not Come to Condemn the World But to Save the World”: Jesus’ presence in the world is salvific. His was not a lavish display of power and glory. It was a humble gift of self for love of mankind, ministering to the sick, needy, and spiritually thirsty. As Jesus saved the woman caught in adultery, asking, “Has no one condemned you?” and then affirming, “Neither do I condemn you,” he tells each one of us that he has come not to condemn, but to save. The most horrible thing we’ve done, for which we may feel shame or guilt or that we just don’t measure up, does not push us outside the family circle. God has adopted us as his children. He will always come looking for us and clothe us with the finest garments, placing a ring on our finger and hosting a feast in our honor, just as he did for the Prodigal Son.
- “So What I Say, I Say as the Father Told Me”: The message of salvation comes from God, the heavenly Father. The person we may think of with a big white beard, sitting on his lofty throne, casting judgment and condemnation at the slightest infraction of the law, is a loving Father wanting us to experience his forgiveness and care. So he sent Jesus that we might believe in his love. The words of the Gospel are the words of God, the Creator and Redeemer.
Conversing with Christ: How I relish the experience of your strength and protection, living under the gaze of your solicitous care. Give me the grace to break through any barrier that keeps me from accepting and embracing your love.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will set aside a time for reconciliation by means of a personal prayer or through the grace of sacramental confession.
Renee Pomarico, CRC, is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
April 30, 2026 – To Be “Good” or to Be “Great”
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter
John 13:16-20
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, I long for a personal experience of your love that fills my heart with joy and gives meaning to my spiritual life. I approach you today with the desire to know what is in your heart and to please you.
Encountering Christ:
- “The One Who Ate My Food Has Raised His Heel Against Me”: Jesus speaks about the betrayal of one of his closest friends, Judas, who belonged to his intimate circle of Apostles. Any of us who have been betrayed by a friend knows the pain of such an experience. Jesus had made himself vulnerable to Judas; he had personally shared his deepest thoughts and desires. He is willing to do the same with us. No matter how close we may feel to the Lord, we should be aware that the possibility of our betrayal is real and ask for the grace to remain faithful.
- To Be a Good Person or a Holy Person: Many people say, “I’m a good person” and conclude that is enough. To be a holy person, they say, is boring or stuffy. On the contrary, a holy person is a joy-filled person, one whose company everyone enjoys, who has found meaning that moves them beyond being “good” to being “great.” The world needs these holy souls—people who live according to Gospel standards, who have embraced Christ’s teachings in their hearts and show true unconditional love to all those they encounter.
- Going Beyond What Is Required: Embracing Christ’s message from the heart is essential from moving beyond a merely external participation in Sunday Mass, or keeping the commandments, to a more profound way of living. True love wants to please the other, to do what they enjoy, to make the other happy. Likewise, being a great lover of God implies going beyond fulfilling the commandments to pleasing the Lord in all that he asks of us, grateful for the love he gives.
Conversing with Christ: May I renew my love for you, Lord, in a special way today, so it does not grow stale and so it moves me outside my comfort zone, from goodness to greatness (holiness).
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a sacrifice as an offering to you.
For Further Reflection: Take a moment to reflect on the Ten Commandments from the perspective of a loving father rather than that of a strict judge.
Renee Pomarico, CRC, is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
May 1, 2026 – The Freedom of Faith
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
John 14:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, I hope to encounter you in my prayer today. I ask for the grace of recollection, to center myself in you, silencing for a moment all the distractions around me. Grant me a discerning spirit to recognize your voice and embrace your guidance.
Encountering Christ:
- “Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled”: These are consoling words from the Lord. How many things trouble us? Things weigh on our hearts, from little misunderstandings to great tribulations: a sickness, an accident, a suffering loved one, or a friend in need. Jesus tells us not to worry because this life is passing and everything in it is a preparation for the next life, where sufferings will be no more. Jesus was speaking to the Apostles, who were troubled that he was leaving them. His words reassured them that he would always be with them through faith. He wants us to know the same—he never leaves us. He knows all that we suffer and go through, and he cares.
- “I Will Come Back Again and Take You to Myself”: Jesus prepares a place for us, for where he is going, there are many dwelling places. That is quite a promise from Our Lord, who assures us we will have a personal place, particularly prepared for us. What a predilection of love! It is quite a feeling to arrive at a place where someone has prepared special details, knowing that you would enjoy them. That is how the Lord loves each of us.
- “How Can We Know the Way?”: St. Thomas asked a big question, which provides us with the answer from the mouth of the Lord himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” This clear answer from Our Lord serves as a guiding principle for people in every age. When we are lost, he is the way. When we are in darkness, he is the light. When we are confused, he reveals the truth. So, let us take everything that is weighing on our hearts or troubling us and bring it to the Lord to find light, truth, and guidance.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, grant me a deep and abiding faith, which moves me to turn to you in the troubling circumstances of my life. Help me to find the peace that perfect abandonment to your will brings.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make acts of faith throughout the day, in the hope that you will strengthen my faith. Whenever I remember, I will say a silent prayer, “Lord, I believe in you.”
For Further Reflection: Numbers 1812-1829 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the theological virtues provide rich food for thought.
Renee Pomarico, CRC, is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
May 2, 2026 – Intimacy with God
Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
John 14:7-14
Jesus said to his disciples: “If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
Opening Prayer: Lord, I desire that you open my eyes to see as you see, my mind to think as you think, and my heart to love as you love. I approach you today, Lord, as I would a dear friend. May this time of prayer lead to a more profound relationship with you.
Encountering Christ:
- To Know the Father: Philip wanted to see the Father and asked Jesus to show him the Father. The petition came, most certainly, after having heard Jesus speak so frequently and so highly of his Father. It is hard to grasp what we don’t see. Jesus’ answer was probably surprising to Philip: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” The answer Jesus gave may not have satisfied Philip’s curiosity, but invited him to believe, to lean on his experience of the Lord and to trust that Jesus is the revelation of the Father, even if Philip didn’t understand it.
- Confidence: “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” Our Lord made this promise, yet how many times have we heard someone say that God did not answer their prayers? Jesus stipulated that we ask in his name, implying that we know his mind and heart. Getting to know the mind and heart of Jesus, so that we can align our prayer with his will, is a process that takes place over time; it is the fruit of daily mental prayer—time spent seeking intimacy with Our Lord.
- Spending Time With the Lord in Prayer: Intentionality is the key that opens the door to a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus. The devil knows how to distract us with a thousand other things that will take our mind away from a few quiet moments with the Lord. Let’s decide, as often as is necessary, to spend time with Jesus in prayer.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, fill my heart with your light. Through getting to know you, may I get to know myself and see more clearly what is in my heart—what should stay and what should go. Give me the grace of this deep and intimate relationship with you.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will take a moment to evaluate my relationship with you to see if we have enough time together and to see if you are inviting me to make any adjustments to my spiritual itinerary.
Renee Pomarico, CRC, is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
May 3, 2026 – Focusing on the Essential
Fifth Sunday of Easter
John 14:1-12
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
Opening Prayer: Lord, fill me with your Spirit. Fill the Church with the Spirit of truth. Guide us with your wisdom and lead us with your word.
Encountering Christ:
- Filled With the Spirit and Wisdom: The men that the Apostles wanted to appoint as deacons had to be filled with the Spirit and with wisdom. This implies detachment of one’s own will and attentiveness to what the Spirit wants. Our deacons today are also called to serve in God’s name and seek to do his will rather than their own. Wisdom is a virtue that begins with fear of the Lord. We’re not called to be afraid of him, but to be in awe of him, aware of his power and might. Wisdom is defined as “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.” These virtues are not exclusive to deacons. We can all pray for them so that we can be better witnesses and contribute to the evangelizing mission of Christ and the Church.
- Devotion to Prayer and Ministry of the Word: The Apostles considered their primary task to be that of prayer and ministry of the word. They knew that any action, however well-intended, is less effective when not flowing from prayer as its source than when it comes from the very source of life and truth. The Apostles could not leave aside the essential element of prayer, no matter how many other seemingly good and important things arose. Rather than allow the demands of the apostolate to infringe upon their wellspring of apostolic action, the Apostles wisely trusted others to collaborate in the mission. How is their example applicable in our lives?
- The Word of God Continued to Spread: The Apostles were faithful to God’s invitation to do what was required of them—prayer and ministry of the word—and the number of followers increased. God blessed their efforts, and they rejoiced over the fruits of their labor. God is eager to act through us when we can remain docile and in tune with his will. When we become aware that our efforts, in conjunction with God’s grace, have extended the Kingdom here in our midst, our hearts can also rejoice.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, you are the source of all grace. When I feel overwhelmed and not sure how to balance everything, show me the way in prayer to resolve things according to the Spirit.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will take a quiet moment of prayer to ask you what essential thing you want me to dedicate myself to and what steps I must take to achieve that.
Renee Pomarico, CRC, is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
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