"The Lessons of St. Francis" by John Michael Talbot

 Well, I just finished “The Lessons of St. Francis” by John Michael Talbot. I had just written a very long and informative review, but my computer suddenly froze and I lost everything.

I don’t have the time to write the review in such detail again, but I will say how great the book was. It talked about St. Francis’ life in a way that separated it into a chapter on a certain aspect including one on humility, creativity, chastity, community, peace, prayer, et cetera. Each chapter offered examples of Francis’ life, quotation from other individuals, and good insight from the author, who is a Franciscan in Arkansas.

My favorite chapter was the chapter on creation, where Francis shows his love of all life because everything is a creation from the Divine and deserving of respect. Francis however wouldn’t agree with Pantheists, pagan nature worshipers, or Gaia theorists because God isn’t nature and nothing is greater than God. But, Francis did love everything that came as God’s gift and refused to eat certain animals such as lambs because Christ humbly identified himself with lambs. For this reason I have amended my life and will no longer eat the meat of lambs either. During the life of St. Francis, he even negotiated with a wolf attacking a town and found peace, while the greatest memory of Francis is probably his sermon to a group of birds that listened attentively.

The book was very straight-forward with good advice after every chapter on how to incorporate the highlight of that chapter in your life. For example, the end of the chapter on joy talked about being forgiving and thankful while not worrying about tomorrow. The chapter on creation urged recycling and a renewed commitment to respect all forms of living life as a gift from God.

The first page of the book began with a quotation by Francis: “Preach always, when necessary use words.” This is very true on how this man lived his life (after his conversion) by showing God’s mercy and love showing others the faith such as when he created the first nativity scene. We, as Catholics, believe we are saved only through grace, and we believe in faith and works. Look at James 2:26: “For just as a body without a spirit is dead so if faith without deeds.” (Read more)

For, what if Christ only had faith and no works? Would there have been the cross?

I recommend the book and give it a 8.5/10.

Prayer of St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;where there is hatred, let me sow love;when there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;and where there is sadness, joy.Grant that I may not so much seekto be consoled as to console;to be understood, as to understand,to be loved as to love;for it is in giving that we receive,it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Read my post on St. Francis of Assisi

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Ten Commandments statue may be displayed on government land

"WASHINGTON - A sharply divided Supreme Court on Monday upheld the constitutionality of displaying the Ten Commandments on government land, but drew the line on displays inside courthouses, saying they violated the doctrine of separation of church and state..."

Source: Catholic.org

I firmly believe that God should be an active part of all of our decisions. He should be the ultimate center of our faith and life, and He should be available for all to see His glory and honor. After all, it is "Freedom of Religion" not "Freedom from religion".

What is your opinion on the Ten Commandments, or "under God" in the Pledge, or "In God we trust" on our currency? I'm for these active reminders of God's grace and love, and anyone can choose to ignore these reminders, but we shouldn't be forced to give them up.

Image Source: Moses Showing the Ten Commandments by Gustave Dore.

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Any faithful readers?

I just wanted to know if there are people out there that regularly come here to read my blog. If you are one of them just leave me a comment here because I want to see how many people there are. I love writing this kind of information for Catholics, but I just want to make sure someone is reading it too.

Thanks a lot everyone

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"Rise, let us be on our way" by Pope John Paul ll

Since I work at a library, I have the opportunity to read during the periods in the day when there are not many patrons. Yesterday I began, and today I finished, "Rise, Let us be on our Way" by Pope John Paul ll. This work of his was a very quick read with very important wisdom. I'd like to share some of that wisdom now from what I read.

Here is the beginning of the summary of it from the inside cover:

"When 'His hour' had come, Jesus said to those who were with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, to Peter, James, and John, his closest disciples: 'Rise let us be on our way' (Mark 14:42). Not only must He 'be on his way' to fulfill His Father's will: they too, must go with Him. That invitation, 'Rise, let us be on our way, is addressed particularly to us bishops, His chosen friends. Even if these words indicate a time of trial, great effort, and a painful cross, we must not allow ourselves to give way to fear..."

First, it is important to understand this book was about the time that Pope John Paul ll was bishop of Kracow in Poland when Communism controlled the country's life. It will be very useful to people discerning vocations. Pope John Paul ll said John 15:9-14 is at the root of every vocation in the Church:

"As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you."

In a few chapters, Pope John Paul ll described parts in the consecration of a bishop. I wanted to share some of those points in this post:

• As in all ordinations (deacons, priests, and bishops), the man would prostrate himself while the Litany of the Saints is sung.
• The celebrant lays his hands on the head of the man who is to be a bishop and the co-celebrants do the same. Then the prayer of consecration is said.
• The Book of the Gospels is placed on the bishop's shoulders to remind him of the burden in proclaiming the Gospel. His head is anointed with oil too. Unlike a priestly ordination where just the hands are anointed, the bishop's head is anointed with Chrism oil.
• For the consecration to take place, there needs to be proper matter and form like with all Sacraments. In this case, the celebrant must not only speak the words of consecration by lay his hands on the soon-to-be bishop's head (Lumen Genium n. 21)
• Following consecration, the Book of the Gospels is presented to the bishop. The Bishop is to be a teacher and a "Servant of the Word", who must satisfy his flock for their hunger for the Word.
• The bishop receives the miter on his head as a reminder to let the light of holiness shine and to prove worthy "to receive the unfading crown of glory" at Christ's Coming (1 Peter 5:4)
• The final part of the ceremony, before the start of the Mass where the new bishop takes part in, is that the Bishop receives the croiser. It is a reminder for him to guard Christ's flock that has been entrusted to him for the present time.
• The bishop also receives a ring. He is told: "Take this ring, the sign of your fidelity. In integrity of faith and purity of life, protect the holy Church, bride of Christ." It is a sign of a bond to the Church.

Pope John Paul ll called the greatest responsibilities of a bishop is administering the Sacraments. We see the excellent job that Pope John Paul ll did in his long pontificate by all the souls he brought joy to in so many ways. The first bishops were the apostles, and the bishops of today are also called to live holy lives as Christ did. The bishops of today are the successors of the apostles.

We remember the image of Christ as the Good Shepard, and the bishop is also called to tend to his sheep in such a loving way as Christ did. The cardinals also are called to great holiness and wear red, the color of martyrs, to show they would die for their faith.

One part of the book that remains in my memory are the three images of the Good Shepard that Pope John Paul ll points out: 1. He carries lost sheep back on his shoulders, 2. He leads his flock to green pastures, and 3. He guards his flock with a staff to death if needed.

John Paul ll did an exceptional job at this following in Christ's footsteps with his love for the people. He traveled far more than any pope in history and canonized more people as well, proving that holiness is possible to all peoples no matter if their vocation is to the priesthood or married life or other.

Pope John Paul ll called being a bishop a "spiritual fatherhood", which should be modeled after the step-father of Christ, St. Joseph. The Pope also acknowledged that only God the Father is the perfect father, but we are also called to fatherly love, especially bishops. The Pope continued by saying the greatest ally of the enemies is fear especially fear by the apostles. Scripture mentioned to go forth with nothing because if you have nothing you will not fear to lose anything other than God's love (Matthew 10:9-10). Many dictators control with fear, and if we have fear of losing our possessions, we may just lose our treasure in Heaven. "Where your treasure is, there also your heart shall be," and Pope John Paul ll's heart appeared firmly in the love of going forth to serve (Matthew 6:21). Pope John Paul ll cited Cardinal Wyszynski: "Lack of courage in a bishop is the beginning of disaster."

Yet, the Pope made it clear not to enter the priesthood for power or honor. He said that bishops must, "...Serve by ruling and rule by serving." John Paul ll said that part of the Cross is in the bishop, and we must all pick up our crosses throughout life to go to the Resurrection, so wouldn't it be harder for a bishop to carry his cross than us? Rejoice, as our Heavenly Father shall never ask more of us than what we can give. But, be glad at the what the Lord has offered you and offer up your sufferings so as to only grow closer to the One God, whose divine image we were created in.

I greatly enjoy certain parts, and it was a very easy read. I highly recommend this book. I'm not a good at rating books, but I'll give this one 8.0/10, well worth your time.

Excerpt:

"Truly, there can be no turning one's back upon the truth, ceasing to proclaim it, hiding it, even if it is a hard truth that can only be revealed at the cost of great suffering. 'If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free' (John 8:31b-32): this is our duty and our source of strength! Here there is no room for compromise nor for an opportunistic recourse to human diplomacy. We have to bear witness to the truth, even at the cost of persecutions, even to the shedding of our blood, like Christ himself..." (190 - 191)

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The Church in Latin America

A recent survey found that 71 percent of South Americans consider themselves Catholic, down from 80 percent in 1995. Protestants or evangelicals increased from 3 to 13 percent in that same period.

Yet, the Church still has high credibility in the eyes of 73 % of Latin Americans.

Latin America has some of the greatest Catholic countries in the world with Latin America now following Europe in the number of cardinals. Europe has 52% of cardinals with Latin America at 17%. In addition, there are 1.12 billion Roman Catholics in the world with only 25% in Europe compared to 43% in Latin America (statistics here are from the February 28, 2005 issue of Newsweek).

Source: Catholic Online

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The Eucharist

The Catechism of St. Pius X summarizes the doctrine of the Eucharist well: “The Eucharist is a sacrament in which, by the marvelous conversion of the whole substance of bread into the Body of Jesus Christ, and that of wine into His precious Blood, is contained truly, really, and substantially, the Body, the Blood, the Soul and Divinity of the same Lord Jesus Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine as our spiritual food.”  Plainly stated, the Most Holy Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ under the mere appearance of bread and wine.

The Institution of the Eucharist

Our Redeemer instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood on the night before His Passion and death. That the Eucharist was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself at the Last Supper is affirmed by the Catechism of the Council of Trent:

“That its institution was as follows, is clearly inferred from the Evangelist. Our Lord, having loved his own, loved them to the end. As a divine and admirable pledge of this love, knowing that the hour had now come that He should pass from the world to the Father, that He might not ever at any period be absent from His own, He accomplished with inexplicable wisdom that which surpasses all the order and condition of nature. For having kept the supper of the Paschal lamb with His disciples, that the figure might yield to the reality, the shadow to the substance, He took bread, and giving thanks unto God, He blessed, and brake, and gave to the disciples, and said: "Take ye and eat, this is My body which shall be delivered for you; this do for a commemoration of Me." In like manner also, He took the chalice after He had supped, saying: "This chalice is the new testament in My blood; this do, as often as you shall drink it, in commemoration of Me"

Bread & Wine

The Sacramental matter for the Holy Eucharist is two-fold: wheat bread and wine. Turning to the Catechism of the Council of Trent (also known as the Roman Catechism) we read: 

“There are, however, various sorts of bread, either because they consist of different materials, such as wheat, barley, pulse and other products of the earth; or because they possess different qualities, some being leavened, others altogether without leaven. It is to be observed that, with regard to the former kinds, the words of the Savior show that the bread should be wheaten; for, according to common usage, when we simply say bread, we are sufficiently understood to mean wheaten bread. This is also declared by a figure in the Old Testament, because the Lord commanded that the loaves of proposition, which signified this Sacrament, should be made of fine flour.” 

An interesting question arises on whether the Sacrament must be confected from unleavened or if leavened wheat bread is equally valid. On this point, the Catechism makes clear that the Eucharist “was consecrated and instituted by Him on the first day of unleavened bread, on which it was not lawful for the Jews to have anything leavened in their house.” However, the sacred authors continue, “This quality of the bread, however, is not to be deemed so essential that, if it be wanting, the Sacrament cannot exist.” 

Thus, we see a difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Rites of the Church in the character of the bread since the Latin Rite uses unleavened bread whereas the Eastern Rites use leavened bread. Despite such a difference, all else being equal, the matter is valid in both instances, though it would be illicit – but not invalid – for a Roman Catholic priest to consecrate leavened bread at Mass.

Along with wheaten bread, wine constitutes the other required component for the matter of the Sacrament. The wine is not optional and may not be replaced by any other liquid, for any reason, in virtue of our Lord’s own command:

“That in the institution of this Sacrament our Lord and Savior made use of wine has been at all times the doctrine of the Catholic Church, for He Himself said: ‘I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day’. On this passage Chrysostom observes: He says, ‘Of the fruit of the vine,’ which certainly produced wine not water; as if he had it in view, even at so early a period, to uproot the heresy which asserted that in these mysteries water alone is to be used.” 

During Mass, the priest will add a drop of water into the chalice along with the wine. Why? The Roman Catechism explains: “First, because Christ the Lord did so, as is proved by the authority of Councils and the testimony of St. Cyprian; next, because by this mixture is renewed the recollection of the blood and water that issued from His side.” But the Catechism appropriately clarifies: “But although there are reasons so grave for mingling water with the wine that it cannot be omitted without incurring the guilt of mortal sin, yet its omission does not render the Sacrament null.”  

Therefore, wine along with wheaten bread constitutes the matter for the Sacrament as summarized by the Catechism: “These, then, are the only two elements of this Sacrament; and with reason has it been enacted by many decrees that, although there have been those who were not afraid to do so, it is unlawful to offer anything but bread and wine.” The gifts of bread and wine are presented to Almighty God during the offertory of the Mass and from that moment forward may only be offered in divine worship. They may not be used for any other purpose aside from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Words of Consecration

“Hoc Est Enimen Corpus Meum” (This is My Body) are the exact words required for the consecration of the bread into our Blessed Lord. The words “Take and eat” immediately before “This is My Body” should by “all means to be pronounced by the priest… But they are not necessary to the validity of the Sacrament.”

“We are then taught by the holy Evangelists, Matthew and Luke, and also by the Apostle, that the form consists of these words: ‘This is My body;’ for it is written: Whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to His disciples, and said: ‘Take and eat, This is My body.’” 

On the consecration of the wine, the Catechism similarly explains: 

“We are then firmly to believe that it consists in the following words: ‘This is the chalice of my blood, of the new and eternal testament, the mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you and for many, to the remission of sins.’ Of these words the greater part are taken from Scripture; but some have been preserved in the Church from Apostolic tradition.” 

The double consecration of both the bread and wine must occur at Mass. Should a priest die after the Consecration of the bread but before the Consecration of the wine, a different priest must, as soon as possible, resume the Holy Sacrifice. Canon 927 in the Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1983 affirms that it is absolutely forbidden, even in cases of necessity, for a priest to consecrate only one of the two necessary species. The Sacrifice, once it has begun, must be accomplished.

Transubstantiation - The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

The changing of the bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ is known as Transubstantiation. The substance of bread and the substance of wine give way to the substance of our Lord Himself when the words of consecration are said.

At the moment of this divine act accomplished through the words of a validly ordained priest, each participle of bread and each particle of wine become the entire Christ. The former wine is not only the blood of Christ, and likewise, the former bread is not only the Body of the Lord. Each particle of the Eucharist is the fullness of the God-Man. On this point, the Baltimore Catechism teaches:

“Jesus Christ is whole and entire both under the form of bread and under the form of wine. After the substance of the bread and wine had been changed into the substance of the body and blood of our Lord there remained only the appearances of bread and wine. By the appearances of bread and wine I mean the figure, the color, the taste, and whatever appears to the senses. This change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of our Lord is called Transubstantiation.” 

The Fathers of the Council of Trent affirm in Canon III in the Thirteenth Session: “If any one denieth, that, in the venerable sacrament of the Eucharist, the whole Christ is contained under each species, and under every part of each species, when separated; let him be anathema.” And the Roman Catechism likewise teaches: “This conversion, then, is so effected that the whole substance of the bread is changed by the power of God into the whole substance of the body of Christ, and the whole substance of the wine into the whole substance of His blood, and this, without any change in our Lord Himself. He is neither begotten, nor changed, not increased, but remains entire in His substance.” 

Likewise, in this Sacrament the fullness of Christ, including His Divinity, is present. The Eucharist does not only contain the admirable flesh and blood of the Savior. Jesus Christ, the God-Man, who possesses both a complete human nature and a complete divine nature, can never be separated from His Divinity. Consequently, the Catechism admonishes: “hence it would be impious, to suppose that the body of Christ, which is contained in the Sacrament, is separated from His Divinity.” As a result, in Holy Communion, when we receive the Sacred Host that was consecrated on the altar, we receive not only the sacred humanity of our Redeemer but also His Soul and His Divinity. We receive God.

The Lord plainly said to His disciples: “Take ye and eat. This is My body” (Matthew 26:26).  St. Cyril of Jerusalem succinctly remarks on these words: “Since Christ Himself has said, ‘This is My Body’ who shall dare to doubt that It is His Body?” St. Augustine likewise declares: "Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored It.” 

St. Ignatius of Antioch, who lived during the time of the Apostles, remarks, "The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ which suffered for our sins, which the Father raised up by His goodness." That the Eucharist is God is attested to by the Scripture, the Apostles, and the entire Early Church. To claim the contrary is to believe in a complete fabrication that has no basis in Early Christianity.

The Accidents

After the consecration, the only elements of bread and wine remaining are the accidents. While the bread and wine cease to exist, we refer to the species of bread or the species of wine remaining. On the term “species”, Fr. John Hardon’s Catholic Dictionary defines them as: “Appearances, especially those of bread and wine, after the Eucharistic consecration.” Father Hardon continues, “The term ‘species’ is used by the Council of Trent to identify the accidents, i.e., the size, weight, color, resistance, taste, and odor of bread, which remain exactly the same after transubstantiation. They are not mere appearances as though these physical properties were unreal. But they are appearances because after the consecration they lack any substance that underlies them or in which they inhere.” 

To summarize, when a validly ordained priest speaks the proper words of Consecration and uses proper matter, transubstantiation occurs. Bread and wine become our Blessed Lord and remain as such as long as the species of bread and wine remain. The only properties of bread and wine remaining are the accidental properties (i.e. the species) perceivable by our senses.  Thus, when we affirm our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we truly affirm in the words of the Roman Catechism: “that the true body of Christ the Lord, the same that was born of the Virgin, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, is contained in this Sacrament.”

Several times in history the accidents themselves have vanished and the appearance of the Eucharist has become the flesh and blood of God. These Eucharistic miracles have been studied by science which continues to find them unexplainable, in further divine proof that the Eucharist is truly God.

Consubstantiation Condemned

Transubstantiation is not to be confused with the Lutheran teaching of consubstantiation, a belief that the bread and wine continue to also exist alongside the Lord’s Body and Blood. The Roman Catechism states: “The substance of the bread and wine does not continue to exist in the Sacrament after consecration.”

Lutherans and Anglicans, unlike most other protestant denominations, generally believe in the presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar. Other sects tend to view the Eucharist as only a symbol and neither a Sacrament nor Christ’s Body and Blood, directly contrary to two millennia of doctrine. However, both Lutherans and Anglicans do not have valid holy orders and thus do not have valid priests. As a result, they can not confect the Holy Eucharist so the Sacrament that they propose to their followers does not actually contain Christ’s presence. It remains only bread and wine. However, as to their theology, they believe it to be both Christ’s Presence in addition to remaining bread and wine. Such a view is called consubstantiation, which is in direct contradiction to transubstantiation and of which the Council of Trent unwaveringly condemned:

“If any one saith, that, in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denieth that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood-the species Only of the bread and wine remaining-which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation; let him be anathema.” 

The Eucharist is a Sacrifice

After the Consecration, the priest who acts in persona Christi offers to the Eternal Father the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. During the Canon of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus Christ acting through the priest offers Himself present on the altar to His Father in Heaven. The Mass is therefore the very same Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross which is made present again on the altar. Our Lord is not sacrificed again before us; rather, we are mystically present before the one and selfsame Sacrifice. This all holy reality is beautifully expressed in the words of the Roman Catechism:

“We therefore confess that the Sacrifice of the Mass is and ought to be considered one and the same Sacrifice as that of the cross, for the victim is one and the same, namely, Christ our Lord, who offered Himself, once only, a bloody Sacrifice on the altar of the cross. The bloody and unbloody victim are not two, but one victim only, whose Sacrifice is daily renewed in the Eucharist, in obedience to the command of our Lord: Do this for a commemoration of me. 

“The priest is also one and the same, Christ the Lord; for the ministers who offer Sacrifice, consecrate the holy mysteries, not in their own person, but in that of Christ, as the words of consecration itself show, for the priest does not say: This is the body of Christ, but, This is my body; and thus, acting in the Person of Christ the Lord, he changes the substance of the bread and wine into the true substance of His body and blood.” 

Holy Communion at Mass

To those Catholics who are in the state and who have observed the Eucharistic Fast, they may approach the Holy Altar to partake of the Sacrifice and receive our Lord in Holy Communion. But the point of Mass is not Communion. It is the worship of God in the manner He established for His worship. We are present before that Sacrifice. And the partaking of this Sacrifice can only be shared by those who are Catholics. If we are Catholics and in the state of grace, we are thus in Communion with both our Lord and each other in the Mystical Body of Christ. It is for this reason that the Holy Eucharist is often called "Holy Communion."

To the Most Holy Eucharist be all honor and glory world without end. Amen!

Common Questions:

1. What are the parts of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?
2. Why did Jesus institute the Holy Eucharist?
3. What are the conditions on receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion?
4. What is Holy Communion?
5. Does the Sacred Host also contain Christ's Blood?
6. What are Eucharistic Miracles?
7. Can Holy Communion ever be denied?
8. How many times a day can we receive Communion?
9. What is Intinction?
10. What is the Eucharistic fast and how long is it?
11. How often is one required to receive the Eucharist?
12. What is a Eucharistic Procession?
13. What is Eucharistic Adoration?

Related Websites/Encyclicals:

1. New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia
2. Real Presence Association
3. Mirae Caritatis, Encyclical of Leo XII on May 28, 1902

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The Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross is a devotion consisting of 14 different parts - called stations - of Christ's passion and death. The devotion holds many great rewards attached to it including a plenary indulgence. In the Stations of the Cross, we commemorate and remember how much our Savior loved us - to the very end. As we profess at Mass, His dying destroyed our death, and His Rising Again restored our life.

Advice from St. Alphonsus Liguori: "The pious exercise of the Way of the Cross represents the sorrowful journey that Jesus Christ made with the cross on His shoulders, to die on Calvary for the love of us. We should, therefore, practice this devotion with the greatest possible fervor, placing ourselves in spirit beside our Savior as He walked this sorrowful way, uniting our tears with His, and offering to Him both our compassion and our gratitude."

Before each station, pray "We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you [genuflect] because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world."

The Stations of the Cross: 

1. Jesus is condemned to death 
2. Jesus is made to carry the Cross
3. Jesus falls the first time 
4. Jesus meets His Mother Mary 
5. St. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross 
6. St. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus 
7. Jesus falls the second time 
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem 
9. Jesus falls the third time 
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments 
11. Jesus is nailed to the Cross 
12. Jesus is raised on the Cross and dies 
13. Jesus' body is taken down and laid in His Mother's arms
14. Jesus' body is placed in the tomb

A History of the Stations of the Cross by Fr. Haynes:

The Stations of the Cross originated in pilgrimage to Jerusalem and a desire to reproduce the Via Dolorosa. Imitating holy places was not a new concept. For example, the religious complex of Santo Stefano in Bologna, Italy, replicated the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other religious sites, including Mount of Olives and Valley of Josaphat.

After the siege of 1187, Jerusalem fell to the forces of Saladin, the first sultan of Egypt and Syria. Forty years later Franciscans were allowed back into the Holy Land. Their founder, Saint Francis of Assisi, held the Passion of Christ in special veneration and is said to have been the first person to receive stigmata. In 1217, St. Francis also founded the Custody of the Holy Land to guard and promote the devotion to holy places. Their efforts were recognized when Franciscans were officially proclaimed custodians of holy places by Pope Clement VI in 1342.

Although several travelers who visited the Holy Land during the 12–14th centuries (e.g. Riccoldo da Monte di Croce, Burchard of Mount Sion, James of Verona), mention a "Via Sacra", i.e. a settled route that pilgrims followed, there is nothing in their accounts to identify this with the Way of the Cross, as we understand it.

The earliest use of the word "stations", as applied to the accustomed halting-places in the Via Sacra at Jerusalem, occurs in the narrative of an English pilgrim, William Wey, who visited the Holy Land in the mid-15th century, and described pilgrims following the footsteps of Christ to Golgotha. In 1521, a book called Geystlich Strass (German: "spiritual road") was printed with illustrations of the stations in the Holy Land.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Franciscans began to build a series of outdoor shrines in Europe to duplicate their counterparts in the Holy Land. The number of stations varied between seven and thirty; seven was common. These were usually placed, often in small buildings, along the approach to a church, as in a set of 1490 by Adam Kraft, leading to the Johanniskirche in Nuremberg.

A number of rural examples were established as attractions in their own right, usually on attractive wooded hills. These include the Sacro Monte di Domodossola (1657) and Sacro Monte di Belmonte (1712), and form part of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy World Heritage Site, together with other examples on different devotional themes. In these, the sculptures are often approaching life-size and very elaborate. Remnants of these are often referred to as calvary hills.

In 1686, in answer to their petition, Pope Innocent XI granted to the Franciscans the right to erect stations within their churches. In 1731, Pope Clement XII extended to all churches the right to have the stations, provided that a Franciscan father erected them, with the consent of the local bishop. At the same time the number was fixed at fourteen. In 1857, the bishops of England were allowed to erect the stations by themselves, without the intervention of a Franciscan priest, and in 1862 this right was extended to bishops throughout the church.

Indulgences for the Stations of the Cross:

As a preface to all of the following, indulgences may only be earned by Catholics in the state of grace. Those unfamiliar with indulgences should consult: Indulgences - The Basics

• A plenary indulgence every time the devotion is completed.  [A plenary indulgence is the removal of all punishment due to sin. Even though you are forgiven in Confession, the punishment remains unless an indulgence is granted]
• An additional plenary indulgence if one receives Holy Communion on the day.
• Also an additional plenary indulgence if one performs the devotion ten times and receives Holy Communion within a month after so doing.
• A partial indulgence of ten years for every Station made if one was not able to finish the Stations.

The Conditions for Gaining This Indulgence:

• Walking from Station to Station when making the Way of the Cross privately; when making it publicly, it suffices for the priest with the altar boys to do so.
• Meditate at each Station on the sufferings of our Lord.
• These two conditions are essential. No oral prayers are prescribed; yet they are profitable.

A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful for making the Stations of the Cross under the normal conditions:

• One is free from all attachment from sin
• One receives the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist (Within 7 days before or after completing this devotion but if you are in the state of mortal sin, you can not complete this devotion and gain the indulgence. You must be in the state of grace while saying the stations, even if you satisfy this requirement of Confession after)
• One prays for the intentions of the Pope

While there are many benefits, including indulgences, from praying the Stations of the Cross in a Church, it is not always possible to travel to a Church for this. Normally, these prayers must be said in a church building, but those legitimately impeded from doing so may also gain the indulgence by holding a specially blessed crucifix and piously meditating on the Passion of Our Lord while reciting:

• One Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for each Station
• Five Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory Bes in memory of the Holy Wounds of Our Lord
• One Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be "for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff" (="the exaltation of Mother Church, the propagation of the Faith, the uprooting of heresy, the conversion of sinners, peace and concord among Christian nations, and the other needs of the Church.")
• If the prayers are said in common (as in a family) it is sufficient that only one person holds the crucifix.

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Don't support UNICEF or the March of Dimes

As Catholics we should always be cautious of what work our donations contribute towards, and I strongly recommend again the March of Dimes and UNICEF because these organizations support abortion, which is equal to the murder of another human being. Technically, the March of Dimes is neutral on abortion but they support destroying embryos with genetic abnormalities (1).

I'd like to point out that I recently read that UNICEF's work involves promoting abortion (2).

Note: Some other charities give to Planned Parenthood, the leading abortion provider in the US. See the list.

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The Doctrine of the Atonement of Sins

All Catholics must believe fully in all parts of the Nicene Creed and all articles of the Faith, Dogmas, and Canons proclaimed in the history of the Holy Catholic Church.

First of all, we believe that Jesus Christ was God-made-man and both fully human and fully Divine. We saw His divinity at the Transfiguration for example while His human nature was seen especially in the Garden of Gethsemane where He feared death as all humans do. Our Lord suffered hunger, pain, cold, and many other pains except sin proving He was fully human.

Well, since Jesus Christ is God every action of His, whether in a divine or human nature, is an act of infinite value because it was done by God Himself. When we go back to the sin of Adam we see the first sin that destroyed the human race and was passed down to us as descendants of Adam. Some people claim that is entirely unfair, but in truth, no one on earth except Mary and Christ didn't commit actual sin anyway. So, even if that sin wasn't passed to us we still would be committing sins as everyone still does after their Baptism when original sin is washed away.

The eternal price of sin is death. "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned" (Romans 5:12).

Therefore, Jesus Christ took our place on that Cross at Calvary and died for our sins and His death was of infinite value, so He died for everyone past, present, and future. Jesus Christ descended unto the dead and broke the chains of death because even death is lower than God. And, finally, Jesus Christ rose from the grave and our sins' debt has totally been paid by Him dying our deaths. Heaven is now open, and we all shall also rise from death as Our Lord did if we follow Him and His Church on earth.

In the Old Testament, priests of the Old Testament would frequently offer an animal sacrifice to God in atonement for sins as was prescribed by the law of Moses. However, as children of the New Testament, we offer to God the only true Sacrifice - Jesus Christ – which is offered in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by priests of the New Testament. Jesus is the Lamb of God because He was the sacrifice that paid the price for all our sins.

For more information please research St. Anselm's doctrine of Atonement.

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Devotion to the Most Holy Rosary

St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote: "The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother."

How to pray the Rosary:

The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a prayer given to St. Dominic in 1214 by Mary, and today this is said by saying certain prayers typically kept track by using Rosary beads. Here is how to say the Rosary:

STEP 1: Make the sign of the Cross:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

STEP 2: Say the Apostles' Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, He rose again. He ascended into heaven And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Amen.

STEP 3: Say 1 "Our Father":

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

STEP 4: Say 3 "Hail Mary's":

(For the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity)

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.

Amen.

STEP 5: Say 1 "Glory Be":

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

[Note: This prayer may be omitted during Passiontide, which consists of the two weeks leading up to Easter]

STEP 6: Say 1 "Our Father":

And announce the first mystery that we are praying for today.

STEP 7: Say 10 "Aves":

Say 10 Hail Marys while reflecting on the mystery

STEP 8: Conclude the Decade:

Say a Glory Be and a Fatima Prayer.

Fatima Prayer: O My Jesus, forgive our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven especially those that most need your divine mercy.

STEP 9: Continue the Rosary:

To continue the Rosary, announce the next mystery and repeat steps 6-8 for all the mysteries of that given day. 

STEP 10: Conclude the Rosary:

Conclude the Rosary with the Hail Holy Queen and the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel (shorter form).

Why pray the Rosary? 

First, the Rosary is a devotion that allows us to contemplate on the life of Christ and Mary and join in a more mystical union with God through prayer. Why the Rosary? Because the Rosary is everything: It praises God through the Our Father, contemplates the life of Jesus and Mary, and seeks Mary's motherly intercession and guidance. Through the Rosary meditations, we grow closer to Jesus.

Above all, the Holy Trinity is the Lord alone; He is the One and Only God. We as Catholics don't worship Mary at all but ask her to pray for us as I would ask a friend to pray for me. We honor saints as holy people, but we never adore them as Christ alone is to be adored. Devotion to Mary and the saints is very important. See Why Pray to Mary and the Saints? for the answer to the fundamental issue in this question.

Also, it's important to understand that the Rosary is not a set of repetitive prayers said vainly at all. It is our tool for effective mental prayer. Learn how to pray the Rosary as a form of mental prayer.

Virtues Corresponding to Each Mystery:

When we pray the Rosary, we can keep in mind the various virtues that correspond to each mystery. As we pray and meditate on the Rosary mysteries, we also pray for the corresponding virtue.

Fatima Requests:

In a series of apparitions that have been proven as authentic, Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima. These three shepherd children were given messages and a miracle was even performed there that was witnessed by thousands. In the miracle on Oct 13, 1917, the sun danced, changed colors, and was hurled toward earth as if to destroy it. The sun then rose again in its original position. This event was witnessed by 70,000 thousands of people! It's been called the Miracle of the Sun.

Before this, on May 13, 1917, Our Lady told the 3 children (Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco): "Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war." In an apparition on July 13, she requested devotion to her Immaculate Heart and Communions of Reparation on the first Saturday of each month. In a September 13th apparition, she stressed the importance of the daily Rosary, and in her final apparition, she said, "I am the Lady of the Rosary."

Rosary Miracles:

Pope St. Pius V issued the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices on September 17, 1569, which described the essence of the rosary's present configuration. The Pope made it clear that there are two essential elements of the Rosary: vocal prayer and mental prayer. He also made it clear that the Rosary is composed of 150 Hail Marys, in connection with the 150 Psalms. The papal bull referred to the Dominican roots of the Rosary and the fact that as a young friar, St. Pius V had been a member of the Dominican Order:

And so Dominic looked to that simple way of praying and beseeching God, accessible to all and wholly pious, which is called the Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which the same most Blessed Virgin is venerated by the angelic greeting repeated one hundred and fifty times, that is, according to the number of the Davidic Psalter, and by the Lord's Prayer with each decade. Interposed with these prayers are certain meditations showing forth the entire life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, thus completing the method of prayer devised by the Fathers of the Holy Roman Church. 

 

The first major Rosary miracle and one of the most impressive is the one that occurred at the Battle of Lepanto shortly after his papal bull was issued. In 1571 the Christian army, after intense devotion with the Rosary, succeeded in one of the greatest naval victories in the Battle of Lepanto against the powerful Turks. The sixty-five thousand men prayed the Rosary for three hours. Finally, after these devotions, the men were given absolution (cf. forgiveness of their sins). The Turks had nearly three times more troops. The winds were against the Christians, and the conditions were poor, but after the devotions ended, the winds, at the very start of the battle, aided the Christians to a colossal victory against the Turks. This was one of the greatest naval upsets in history. From this, the Turks never fully recovered, and their threat in the Mediterranean Sea ended. Following this victory, Pope St. Pius V established the Feast of Our Lady of Victories on October 7th. The name was later changed to its present form - the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

There are many other miracles, including one attributed to Hiroshima. Read the inspiring story of how Jesuits were saved from the atomic bomb by the Rosary.

The reason why the Russians pulled out of Austria in 1948 is also attributed to the Rosary Campaign there, where 1/10 of the population prayed the Rosary daily for the withdrawal; it came on May 13, 1955, the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, when the Russians signed the accord to leave Austria, and no one was injured at all. Read about this miracle on America Needs Fatima's website.

And there is, of course, the series of miracles in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. The last of these miracles was the Miracle of the Sun, which was witnessed by 70,000 people!

15 Promises of the Rosary:

Mary has promised 15 specific promises for those devoted to the Rosary that she told St. Dominic when she gave us the Rosary to lead us closer to God.

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Rosary Encyclicals:

Supremi Apostolatus Officio:

It has always been the habit of Catholics in danger and in troublous times to fly for refuge to Mary, and to seek for peace in her maternal goodness; showing that the Catholic Church has always, and with justice, put all her hope and trust in the Mother of God. And truly the Immaculate Virgin, chosen to be the Mother of God and thereby associated with Him in the work of man's salvation, has a favor and power with her Son greater than any human or angelic creature has ever obtained, or ever can gain. And, as it is her greatest pleasure to grant her help and comfort to those who seek her, it cannot be doubted that she would deign, and even be anxious, to receive the aspirations of the universal Church.

Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 1, 1883

Octobri Mense:

At the coming of the month of October, dedicated and consecrated as it is to the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, we recall with satisfaction the instant exhortations which in preceding years We addressed to you, venerable brethren, desiring, as We did, that the faithful, urged by your authority and by your zeal, should redouble their piety towards the august Mother of God, the mighty helper of Christians, and should pray to her throughout the month, invoking her by that most holy rite of the Rosary which the Church, especially in the passage of difficult times, has ever used for the accomplishment of all desires. This year once again do We publish Our wishes, once again do We encourage you by the same exhortations. We are persuaded to this in love for the Church, whose sufferings, far from mitigating, increase daily in number and in gravity. Universal and well-known are the evils we deplore: war made upon the sacred dogmas which the Church holds and transmits; derision cast upon the integrity of that Christian morality which she has in keeping; enmity declared, with the impudence of audacity and with criminal malice, against the very Christ, as though the Divine work of Redemption itself were to be destroyed from its foundation -- that work which, indeed, no adverse power shall ever utterly abolish or destroy.

Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 22, 1891.

Laetitiae Sanctae:

For We are convinced that the Rosary, if devoutly used, is bound to benefit not only the individual but society at large.

Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 8, 1893.

IUCUNDA SEMPER EXPECTATIONE:

It is always with joyful expectation and inspired hope that We look forward to the return of the month of October. At Our exhortation and by Our express order this month has been consecrated to the Blessed Virgin, during which for some years now the devotion of her Rosary has been practiced by Catholic nations throughout the world with sedulous earnestness. Our reasons for making this exhortation We have made known more than once. For as the disastrous condition of the Church and of Society proved to Us the extreme necessity for signal aid from God, it was manifest to Us that that aid should be sought through the intercession of His Mother, and by the express means of the Rosary, which Christians have ever found to be of marvelous avail. This indeed has been well proved since the very institution of the devotion, both in the vindication of Holy Faith against the furious attacks of heresy, and in restoring to honor the virtues, which by reason of the Age's corruption, required to be rekindled and sustained.

Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 8, 1894.

Adiutricem:

The mightiest helper of the Christian people, and the most merciful, is the Virgin Mother of God. How fitting it is to accord her honors ever increasing in splendor, and call upon her aid with a confidence daily growing more ardent. The abundant blessings, infinitely varied and constantly multiplying, which flow from her all over the whole world for the common benefit of mankind, add fresh motives for invoking and honoring her.

Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 5, 1895

FIDENTEM PIUMQUE ANIMUM:

We have already had the opportunity on several occasions during Our Pontificate of bearing public testimony to that confidence and devotion towards the Blessed Virgin which We imbibed in Our tenderest years, and have endeavoured to cherish and develop all our life long. 

Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 20, 1896

The Rosary Story As Told in Video:

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