Traditional Mass Propers: 8th Sunday after Pentecost

INTROIT
Ps. 47:10-11 We have received Your kindness, O God, within Your temple. As Your name, O God, is known to the ends of the earth, so also shall Your praise be voiced to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is just in all things. Ps. 47:2. Great is the Lord, and worthy of all praise in the city of our god, upon His holy mountain. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT - O Lord, we cannot exist without You. Inspire us to think and act rightly, that we may always live as You would have us live. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE
Rom. 8:12-17
Brethren: We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.

GRADUAL
Be a God of protection to me, a place of shelter to give me safety. V. I have placed my trust in You, O God; let me never be put to shame.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 47:2 Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise in the city of our God, upon His holy mountain. Alleluia!

GOSPEL
Luke 16: 1-9
At that time, Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: "There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, 'What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward.' "And the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, 'How much owest thou unto my lord?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said unto him, 'Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then said he to another, 'And how much owest thou?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He saith unto him, 'Take thy bond, and write fourscore.' "And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles."

OFFERTORY
Ps. 17:28, 32
You will save the humble, O Lord, but the eyes of the proud You will bring low, for who is God except You, O Lord?

SECRET Accept these gifts, which Your bounty makes it possible for us to offer You, O Lord. May the grace of this sacred rite sanctify our lives on earth and bring us to eternal happiness. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION
Ps. 33:9
Taste and see how good is the Lord; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.


POST COMMUNION - May this heavenly Sacrament bring us health of soul and body, O Lord, and make us feel the power of the sacred rite we have celebrated. Through our Lord . . .

REFLECTION -

The theme of the Eighth Sunday is to account for your stewardship before God and then man. In the Epistle we are reminded of our divine filiation, and Our Lord tells us in a parable in today's Gospel of the duties thereby entailed. We are the children of God, since we may say in all truth: Our Father (Epistle). God has given us life, "wherefore we must life according to His will" (Collect).

Just as this rich landowner who, before giving his son his share of the heritage, wishes to test his administrative capability, by entrusting to him things of little value, God, before making us His heirs in Heaven, has wished to test our fidelity by giving us the management on earth of both temporal and spiritual goods. But, like the steward mentioned by Jesus, we have been unfaithful, dissipating by sin the riches and talents which God entrusted to us.

Therefore, vying in zeal with the children of the world, the sons of light imitate the foresight of the steward who, by means of his father's riches, prepared friends unto himself. Turning to profitable use what God has given to us, let us do good, and especially by almsgiving let us secure the testimony which the poor will bear their benefactors at the moment when all will have to give an account of their stewardship to the divine Judge.

Sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the Marian Missal , 1945

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Solemn Pontifical High Mass of the Extraordinary Form with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone

P: In the name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. I will go in to the altar of God. R: To God, Who giveth joy to my youth. Psalm 42 The priest and server say alternately: P: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. R: For Thou art, God, my strength; why hast Thou cast me off? and why do I go sorrowful whilst the enemy afflicteth me? P: Send forth Thy light and Thy truth: they have conducted me and brought me unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy tabernacles. R: And I will go in to the altar of God: to God Who giveth joy to my youth. P: To Thee, O God, my God, I will give praise upon the harp: why art thou sad, O my soul, and why dost thou disquiet me? R: Hope in God, for I will still give praise to Him, the salvation of my countenance and my God. P: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. P: I will go in to the altar of God. R: To God, Who giveth joy to my youth. P: Our help + is in the name of the Lord. R: Who made heaven and earth.

P: In nomine Patris, + et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. Introibo ad altare Dei. R: Ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. P: Judica me Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me. R: Quia tu es Deus fortitudo mea: quare me repulisti, et quare tristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus? P: Emitte lucem tuam, et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt, et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua. R: Et introibo ad altare Dei: ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. P: Confitebor tibi in cithara Deus, Deus meus: quare tristis es anima mea, et quare conturbas me? R: Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salutare vultus mei, et Deus meus. P: Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritu Sancto. R: Sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. P: Introibo ad altare Dei. R: Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. P: Adjutorium nostrum + in nomine Domini. R: Qui fecit coelum et terram.

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Marcel: A Poetic Tribute to a Catholic Bishop

In Her mantle, kept to dwell, Our dear Lady blessed Marcel

The Queen lamenting, warned about; a time of scourges deserved

Perversions abound, Faith in doubt, Our Lord Jesus Christ not served

Alas, in sweetness, She points out, The Prelate of priesthood preserved

Forming men, loyal and devout; with venerable ways conserved.

The Lord’s precepts he kept well, was His faithful son, Marcel

The Holy Virgin in tears foretold; scarcely could one have conceived

Apostasy set forth so bold, that even Rome be deceived

But made in Athanasius mold; A Prelate who keeps Faith received

For all Tradition to uphold; confirming all Truth believed.

A Prince who the Church will tell, a good Pastor was Marcel

The Mother spoke in secret lock; in children’s ear was given

Ministers neglect Christ’s stock; from the path of Life are riven

One Shepherd who from harm does block; this Prelate leads sheep to Heaven

Generously he feeds the flock; by his staff are gently driven.

Source

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Conciliar Canonization of John XXIII and John Paul II?

The following is taken from Traditional Catholic Remnant.

So it has been recently confirmed that two of the revolutionary Vatican II popes – John XXIII and John Paul II – will be “canonized” by Francis I this December. This news, especially the “canonization” of JPII, comes as no surprise, given the “saint factory” the conciliar church is. Of course two of the worst men to sit in the Chair of Peter are going to be given an honorary “seal of approval” by their modernist successors.

John XXIII reigned from 1958 to 1963. The first of the revolutionary popes, John XXIII was the one who called for a Second Vatican Council, which began in 1962. He died before its completion. There are rumors that he shouted on his deathbed “Stop the Council! Stop the Council!”. This theory leads some Traditionalists to believe that he wasn’t all that bad compared to his successors. However, while I would certainly hope that John XXIII repented of his wicked ways, this claim has never been proven. Thus, our opinion of him should remain that he was a horrible leader for the Church, and was likely a Masonic infiltrator. His successor, Paul VI (who is expected to be “beatified” by the conciliar church soon), who was even more diabolical than his predecessor, was likely an infiltrator as well.

John Paul II reigned from 1978 to 2005, making his reigns one of the longest in Church history. It was also one of the worst, and perhaps THE worst behind only Paul VI. His papacy included a covering up of a plethora of sex abuse cases, two blasphemous inter-religious meetings at Assisi, a phony so-called “third secret” of Fatima released in 2000, and of course, the “excommunication” of Archbishop Lefebvre and the SSPX. Despite his shameful reign, he’s on the way to “sainthood” nevertheless.

Given that Francis is simply another John XXIII or JPII himself, it’s not surprising that he’s cleared these two liberals to be “canonized”. And Paul VI will likely be next. These modernists need to be excommunicated, not “canonized”! How about Canonizing Archbishop Lefebvre instead? But no, instead he’s considered “excommunicated” while these conciliarists are on the way to so-called “sainthood”.

And while these two are on the way to “sainthood”, Popes who are TRULY worthy of Canonization – such as Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIII – are ignored. Of course, these Popes had the true Catholic Faith, their Doctrine was undeniably Catholic and contrary to what these conciliarists teach. So to Canonize them would be contrary to their own beliefs, thus why they’re likely being snubbed.

What did Archbishop Lefebvre have to say about these conciliar Popes?

“We must not be afraid to affirm that the current Roman authorities, since John XXIII and Paul VI, have made themselves active collaborators of international Jewish Freemasonry and of world socialism. John Paul II is above all a communist-loving politician at the service of a world communism retaining a hint of religion. He openly attacks all of the anti-communist governments and does not bring, by his travels, any Catholic revival.” (Archbishop Lefebvre, “Marcel Lefebvre: The Biography” by Bishop Tissier, pp. 602-603)

The Archbishop’s words, as usual, are spot-on. Let us not be deceived by these conciliar popes, who are simply wolves in sheep’s clothing. I will conclude with the words of a Pope who was truly worthy of Canonization, the great Pope St. Pius X:

“They [modernists] want to be treated with oil, soap and caresses. But they should be beaten with fists. In a duel, you don’t count or measure the blows, you strike as you can.”

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Traditional Pontifical Mass by Msgr Grzegorz Balcerek

Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form of The Roman Rite celebreted by Msgr Grzegorz Balcerek, auxiliary bishop of Poznan (Poland), Church of St. Anthony of Padua, June 14, A.D. 2009

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Vatican Consecrated to Archangel Michael, the Defender of Tradition

The statue was commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI prior to his resignation 

In the recent consecration of the Vatican to the Archangel Michael, Pope Francis declares:

"Michael struggles to restore divine justice and defends the People of God from his enemies, above all from the enemy par excellence, the devil. And St. Michael wins because in him, there is God who acts. Though the devil always tries to disfigure the face of the Archangel and that of humanity, God is stronger. It is His victory and His salvation that is offered to all men. We are not alone on the journey or in the trials of life. We are accompanied and supported by the angels of God, who offer, so to speak, their wings to help us overcome so many dangers, in order to fly high compared to those realities that can weigh down our lives or drag us down. 

 "In consecrating Vatican City State to St. Michael the Archangel, I ask him to defend us from the evil one and banish him."

The following is written by David Martin on the occasion of this event:

The understanding of course is that Michael will win our battles only if we invoke him. Clearly Francis and Benedict realize that the Church is under siege and have invoked the special protection of this heavenly warrior during this "final battle between the Church and the anti-church." It seems that Benedict may have prompted this action, being in the know about the satanic infiltration of the Vatican, and no doubt he briefed Francis about the infernal state of affairs in Rome and conferred with him on the Third Secret of Fatima which prophesied this very blight to the Church. Hopefully the consecration to Michael is step-one to universally bringing back the St. Michael prayer after Mass.

 

If the restoration of the Holy Roman Catholic Church has failed to materialize as expected, it's because St. Michael has not been given his place of honor as the guardian of the Faith. For Michael is the highest guardian of Heaven whose mission is to lead the armies of God in their fight against satan, therefore the evil one was intent on reaching in and inscribing those infamous words in the 1964 Vatican II document, Inter Oecumenici, which ordered that the traditional prayer to St. Michael be "suppressed." (article 48) 

This was to prove fatal for the Church. For it was through the restraining force of this great Archangel that the influence of the devil was formerly held back through the ages and kept out of the Church (2 Thess. 2:6, 7). But by removing Michael from the liturgy, this opened the door to infiltration and gave the enemy easy access to enter. The devil wanted the lock off the gate so he could get in there and remodel the fort without interference from his archrival, Michael.  

And the rest is history. The Church since Vatican II has been without spiritual protection which is why it stands "half in ruins" today. Sacred chant has given way to strumming, prayer has given way to clapping, and the sacrosanct order of God has given way to the new liturgical merry-go-round that caters to the whims of the people.

But this latest move to restore St. Michael offers fighting help for the wearied bands and lays the groundwork for a true and lasting restoration. We may very well be witnessing the dawning of a great and glorious renewal for the Church as foretold in Holy Scripture: "At that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people: and a time shall come, such as never was from the time that nations began, even until that time. And at that time shall thy people be saved, every one that shall be found written in the book." (Daniel 12:1)

The consecration of the Vatican to St. Michael truly constitutes a major building block towards restoration. But let us build on this. This is the time to fan the good flame and to start blowing away the smoke of satan that Pope Paul said had "entered into the temple of God." (June 29, 1972)

We pray that the cause of St. Michael continue to flourish and that traditional discipline be restored so that the Church Militant can again be girt with that brilliance and armor "wherewith it may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one."  (Ephesians 6:16)

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Traditional Mass Propers: 7th Sunday after Pentecost

INTROIT
Psalms 46: 2 Clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy. -- (Ps. 46. 3). For the Lord is most high, He is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth. V.: Glory be to the Father -- Clap your hands, all ye nations . . .

COLLECT - O God, whose providence faileth not in its designs, we humbly entreat Thee, to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us all things which be profitable for us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity . . .

EPISTLE
Romans 6: 19-23
Brethren, I speak a human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh; for as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanliness and iniquity for iniquity, so now yield your members to serve justice unto sanctification. For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from justice. What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting. For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, is life everlasting; in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GRADUAL
Come, children, hearken to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. V.: Come ye to Him and be enlightened; and your faces shall not be confounded.

Alleluia, alleluia. V.(Ps. 46. 2). O clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Matthew 7: 15-21
At that time: Jesus said to His disciples, Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the eveil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. Not everyone that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in heaven, he shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

OFFERTORY
Daniel 3: 40
As in holocausts of rams and bullocks, and as in thousands of fat lambs; so let our sacrifice be made in Thy sight this day, that it may please Thee: for there is no confusion to them that trust in Thee, O Lord.

SECRET O God, who hast justified the variety of sacrifices of the Law by the perfection of this one Sacrifice: accept the Sacrifice of Thy servants who are dedicated to Thee, and sanctify it with a blessing like to that which Thou didst bestow upon the gifts of Abel, that what each one of us has offered to the honor of Thy Majesty, may profit us all unto salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost . . .

COMMUNION
Psalm 30: 3
Bow down Thine ear, make haste to deliver me.


POST COMMUNION - May Thy healing work, O Lord, both mercifully free us from our perversities, and lead us to those things which are right. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost . . .

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First Saturday Devotion for July

First Saturdays Devotion

On Saturdays, Catholics traditionally have taken part in the "First Saturdays Devotion" which entails going to Mass and receiving Communion for the first Saturday of the month for 5 consecutive months in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  This devotion is not to be confused with the First Friday's Devotion, which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On July 1, 1905, Pope Pius X approved and granted indulgences for the practice of the First Saturdays of twelve consecutive months in honor of the Immaculate Conception. The First Saturday Devotion did not originate as part of the apparitions of our Blessed Lady in Fatima, but the devotion did quickly spread further following our Lady's series of appearances to the three shepherd children in 1917.

Our Blessed Lady's words to Sr. Lucia at Fatima:

Look, my daughter, at my Heart encircled by these thorns with which men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, strive to console me, and so I announce: I promise to assist at the hour of death with the grace necessary for salvation all those who, with the intention of making reparation to me, will, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the beads, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.

The First Saturday Devotion consists of offering the First Saturday of the month for five consecutive months in reparation for the many and grievous sins committed in our world. A further explanation of our Lady's request is below:

• You must go to the Sacrament of Confession.  Your reception of the Sacrament may be 8 days before the Saturday as long as you stay in a state of grace.
• You must receive the Holy Eucharist and as always, it must be in the state of grace or risk the most grievous sin of sacrilege
• You must pray 5 decades of the Holy Rosary of our Lady, including the Fatima Prayer.  
• Finally, the last requirement consist of "keeping Mary company" for 15 minutes while meditating on all of the Mysteries of the Rosary with the intention of making reparation to her. This can be done by reading Scripture or other writings relevant to the Mysteries, meditating on pictures of the Mysteries, or simple meditation. Materials for meditation and education on each of the Rosary mysteries is available online.

Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

While the laity is not bound to pray the Divine Office, they are still encouraged to pray the Divine Office (also known as the Liturgy of the Hours).  To pray the Divine Office, I would highly encourage you to pray the 1962 Breviary or even the 1955 version as opposed to the modern version which I find lacking in the spiritual depth present in the earlier editions.

Since you are not bound under ecclesial law to pray the Office, you can and should start by praying the English version of the Breviary.  You can find various breviaries available for sale that will fulfill this purpose.  For centuries Catholics prayed most commonly not with personal prayers and devotion as such individual prayers originated from protestant individualism.  Instead, Catholics prayed the Liturgical texts of the Church (e.g. the Prayers of the Holy Mass, the Rosary, etc) daily and many were saved.  In our world we see the majority of mankind entrenched in sin and debauchery.  Let us pray for a return to our praying the Liturgical prayers of the Holy Church.  Pray the Daily Rosary as Mary has asked of us!

However, please also consider, in addition or instead of the standard Divine Office, the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary for your daily prayers!

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a shorter form of the Divine Office in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has long been the Church’s daily liturgical prayer to Our Lady, and these hours of praise have been used by Priests, religious and the laity throughout the centuries. Lay people used to flock to the great Cathedrals to publicly recite The Little Office during the Middle Ages, and during the great persecution, when the practice of the Catholic Faith was illegal in Great Britain, Bishop Challoner commended The Little Office to his flock.

Through its psalms, antiphons, readings, responsorials, and prayers the Little Office stresses the role Our Lady played in salvation history, and how through her fiat the divine Word took flesh in her womb and achieved salvation for us all; and how Our Lord granted her the first fruits of the general resurrection in her holy and glorious assumption.

All Catholics are called to a consistent prayer life. For those who do not feel called to recite the Divine Office, but still wish to participate in the liturgical prayer of the Church, or for those who have a particular devotion to the holy Mother of God, there is no finer form of prayer than the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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SSPX 2013 Winona Priestly Ordinations

Fulfilling the mission of the Society of St. Pius X - to form holy priests - 11 new priests were added to its company on Friday, June 21st, along with one Dominican for the Avrille (France) community.

These young deacons were ordained to the Priesthood of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta during a beautiful 4-hour long ceremony that included the solemn Pontifical Mass. In attendance were 82 priests, many religious, and over 1,500 faithful, who travelled from all parts of the United States (and beyond) to witness this wonderful event for the Catholic Church, as well as to pray for the increased holiness of the ordinands.

Also, not to be forgotten on that day, was the ordination of 6 subdeacons to the diaconate, though they are not shown in the image gallery below.

Source: SSPX

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How Could Christ Descend into Hell?

Excerpted from: Got Questions?: Bible Questions Answered—Answers to the Questions People Are Really Asking by Michael Houdmann

This notion of Jesus descending into hell causes confusion for a lot of Catholics. This confusion arises over the fact that most Catholics understand Hell to be a place of eternal punishment for unrepentant sinners. They rightfully reason that since Jesus was sinless, there could be no point of his going to Hell for himself, and since the punishment for others was eternal, there would be no point in his going there for others.

The problem is of course with the word Hell itself. 

This concept comes primarily from the Apostles' Creed, which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few Scripture lines which, depending on how they are translated, describe Jesus as  going to “Hell.” In studying this issue, it is important to first understand what the Bible teaches about the realm of the dead.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. It simply means the “place of the dead” or the “place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek word that is used for Hell is “hades,” which also refers to “the place of the dead.” Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicate that sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 gives a clear distinction between the two. Hell (the lake of fire) is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades is a temporary place.

Sheol/hades is a realm with two divisions (Matthew 11:23, 16:18; Luke 10:15, 16:23; Acts 2:27-31), the abodes of the saved and the lost. The abode of the saved was called “paradise” and “Abraham's bosom.” The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great chasm” (Luke 16:26). When Jesus ascended to heaven, He took the occupants of paradise (believers) with Him (Ephesians 4:8-10). The lost side of sheol/hades has remained unchanged.

Jesus said to the thief beside Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to the “paradise” side of sheol/hades. He then removed all the righteous dead from paradise and took them with Him to heaven. Unfortunately, in many translations of the Bible, translators are not consistent in how they translate the Hebrew and Greek words for “sheol,” “hades,” and “Hell.”

When Jesus cried upon the cross, “Oh Father, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), it was then that He was separated from the Father because of the sin poured out upon Him. As He gave up His spirit, He said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). His suffering in our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to the paradise side of hades. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension.

The point of this word construction in the Creed is to make us realize and recognize that Jesus, a man like us in all things except sin, died a man's death. Jesus was in exactly the same condition that any man finds himself in when he is certifiably dead. There was a real separation between the physical body and the spiritual soul.

The fact that His body and soul did not reunite for three days is taken as further proof that He was not simply in a coma and not really dead, but that He was really and truly dead as all men die. It was not a case of Jesus' needing three days to clean out the paradise side of Hades. Rather we needed proof that He actually died, and almost everybody is willing to accept the fact that, even had He been buried alive, no man could survive three days without oxygen.

The Creed continues with the statement that on the third day He rose from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead in the same body He died in. In John 2:19-20, Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews therefore said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of his body." Jesus prophesied that He would rise from the dead in the very body in which He died. Right now, in heaven, Jesus has that same physical body. After His resurrection He appeared to Thomas. "Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing." Notice that Jesus still retained the hole in His side where He was pierced. "but one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water" (John 19:34).

Though He was raised physically, His body was a glorified body. It was the same body, but it was different. 1 Cor. 15:42-44 says, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."

We do not know exactly what a resurrected body is capable of accomplishing, but Jesus did appear in rooms unannounced. Perhaps we might have the same ability at our resurrection.

The physical resurrection of Jesus is a very important doctrine. 1 Cor. 15:14 says, "and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain." The reason it is so important is because Jesus' physical resurrection is the proof that death has been conquered and that we too will be physically resurrected. To say that Jesus did not rise from the dead is to say that death had victory over Him. If that were so, we would be without hope and sin would still have its power.

Catholics make themselves present to the mystery of the resurrection when they pray the first glorious mystery of the most holy Rosary. As is the case with all the decades of the Rosary, Catholics are not merely engaging in an imaginative memory exercise. They are actually inserting themselves as participants in the ongoing and timeless event which the holy Gospel records for us in words.

If we accept the event of the Ascension then we must embrace the words Jesus spoke on the occasion of that event. Those words are given to us in the form of a command. Let's read aloud the words of that Gospel passage which proclaims the Ascension of Christ: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
 

The first thing we noticed about this passage is that although the words are meant for everyone in the church, they are first addressed to the apostles, the first bishops of the church that Jesus Christ founded. Jesus is commissioning them (and us, by way of our submission to them) to make converts of everybody in the world. This voluntary conversion is not to be done at the point of the sword but through the water of baptism. Everyone in the world is to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. These are Jesus his last words to us. They are His last will and testament. We inherit what He was given by the Father, that is, “all power in heaven and on earth.”

He specifies what we are to do with our inheritance. Under the leadership of His bishops we are to convert the world. There is a codicil to this last will and testament and it is this: Under the leadership of His bishops we are to teach the whole world to observe not just some of, but all of that which He has commanded. Put in the simplest and briefest of terms, Jesus wants His bishops to tell everyone to: obey the pope, honor and venerate His mother, be baptized, receive holy Communion, go to Confession, get married and according to church law, perpetuate His Holy Thursday activity by Ordaining bishops and priests to say Mass, and Anoint the sick, and to be Confirmed and strengthened in the faith, and to love your neighbor as He has loved us.

As Jesus returns to His Father through the Ascension, He invites us to become a new creation. As He has shared in our humanity, He invites us to share in His Divinity. Because of what Christ has done, we are no longer only or merely human. We share in His divine life in, with, and through the Church He founded on the rock called Peter. Jesus assures us that He alone is the way, the truth, and the life. He promises us that no one comes to the Father except through him. He is the way. There is no other. Unless we observe all that He commanded, with heavy emphasis on the word all, we are not going to the Father.

The Creed’s statement that Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father is simply an affirmation that all that He did to save us was acceptable to, and accepted by His father who is now our Father.  Abba Father!

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