The Stational Church: April 4, 2006

Today's Stational Church is at the Church of St. Cyriacus

The Sacred Texts, which like a garland, surround the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Divine Office must not only be understood in their literal and historical sense, but above all in their liturgical one. This is always the case, but especially during Passiontide.

The Divine Head, who nineteen centuries ago underwent the great Passion is now undergoing it in His Body, the Church. An attack on the Church is an attack on Christ. Whenever the Church suffers, her Divine head suffers. But all these sufferings lead to victory. "They have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. The disciple is not greater than the Master." Persecutions and sufferings purify the Church. They remove what is not of God. They cast forth all that comes from Satan—the arch-enemy, and that comes from the fatal act in Paradise—the arch-sin.

May the holy Deacon Cyriacus obtain for us "God's light and truth and conduct us and bring us to His holy hill, to the altar, to Calvary, to Easter, to the immortal Christ at the right-hand of the Father.

Let us pray: O Lord, deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. Send forth Thy Light and Thy Truth. They shall lead me on. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Source: St. John Cantius Parish

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Pope Benedict Calls for Fasting April 3-4, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI has called for us to fast yesterday and today (April 3rd and 4th) for peace throughout the world but especially in Iraq. He specifically called the Iraqi Christians to pray while "entrusting this intention to the intercession of Mary most holy, Queen of Peace."

Let us fast and pray for them today:

O God, Who bringest wars to nought and shieldest by Thy power all who hope in Thee, overthrowing those that assail them: help Thy servants who implore Thy mercy, so that the fierce might of their enermies may be brought low, and we may never cease to praise and thank thee. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal, Votive Mass in Time of War

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Words of Inspiration: April 4, 2006

"Never let anything so fill you with pain or sorrow so as to make you forget the joy of Christ Risen."

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Today's Meditation on the Eucharist

"Who does not see that the hidden life of Nazareth is continued in the divine Host of the tabernacle, and that the Passion of the Man-God on Calvary is renewed in the Holy Sacrifice at every moment of the day and night and all over the world? Is not our Lord as meek and humble in His Sacrament as during His mortal life? Is He not always the Good Shepherd, the divine Consoler, our bosom Friend?"

(St. Peter Julian Eymard)

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Stational Church for April 3, 2006

Today's Stational Church is at the Church of St. Chrysogonus

We are branches of Christ, the Vine. As such, we share in His life, share in His joys, and must share also in His sufferings, and thus—as the Apostle so boldly put it—make up in our own body what is yet wanting in the sufferings of Christ, the Head. This we shall do gladly in these holy Passion days. Our mortifications, our self-discipline, our temptations, our trials from within and from without, all our sufferings, we will unite with Christ's Blessed Passion. They will then be lifted out of their own smallness and will share in the greatness and efficacy of His sufferings. He will suffer in us and we in Him.

We humbly ask St. Chrysogonus, in whose Roman home we observe today's mysteries of redemption, that he would accompany us to "the Lord of Hosts, the King of Glory."

Let us pray: O God, hear my prayer. Give ear to the words of my mouth. Save me, O Lord, by Thy name and in Thy power deliver me. Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.

Source: St. John Cantius Parish

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John 11:25-26

With Lent approaching I wanted to start posting scripture here relating to Christ's death and our salvation.

Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live:And every one that liveth, and believeth in me, shall not die for ever. Believest thou this? John 11:25-26

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Philippines Update

Update: Keep praying!

In mid-January I posted about a bill in the Philippines (HB 3773) that would create a law similar to China requiring a "two child per family limit." The bill is highly opposed by the majority of the country and the Catholic Church; the Philippines is 87% Catholic.

Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo just announced that she will veto any legislation approved by lawmakers that would legalize abortion in the Philippines. She called this her "best birthday gift" to Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, the chairman of the Philippines Catholic Bishops Conference.

President Arroyo of the Philippines said that bill "pave[s] the way for the kind of human rights nightmare that is already in China, with its coercive sterilization and contraception practices."

I commend Arroyo, a practicing Catholic, for standing up for the truth - that human life is worthy of dignity. Thanks be to God for this great news.

Visit The Filipino Family Fund for more information and a petition against this dangerous bill

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An Offering of the Precious Blood for Souls

O my God, I beg of Thee, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, through the merits of the Precious Blood offered to Thee in every Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, to grant that, this day, one sinner may be converted, one mortal sin be averted, one soul in doubt be converted to truth, one soul about to die in sin receive the grace of repentance and a happy death, and the deliverance of that soul in Purgatory which is nearest Heaven. I wish, by this offering, to console the Heart of Jesus in Agony for souls lost through the teaching of error against the true Church of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer excerpted from Schouppe, Father F.X., Purgatory: Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints. Rockford: TAN, 1991. "Appendix 3: Prayers for the Poor Souls", pp. 413-427. Imprimatur, Nihil Obstat.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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The Pope's April Prayer Intentions

Please join me in praying for Pope Benedict XVI's prayer intentions for April:

General: That the individual, social and political rights of women may be respected in every nation.

Missionary: That the Church in China may carry out its evangelizing mission serenely and in full freedom.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Stational Church for April 1, 2006

Today's Stational church is St. Nicholas in Carcere

This Station is at a church built on the ruins of three pagan temples and consecrated to St. Nicholas. It is called in carcere because in ancient times it had been a dungeon—a prison devoid of light.

Water, food and light are indispensable for the maintenance and up-building of our natural life. Sacred Water, Sacred Food and Sacred Light are indispensable for the maintenance and up-building of our supernatural life.

1. "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he can not enter into the Kingdom of heaven."
2. "Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you."
3. "I am the Light of the world. He that follows Me walks not in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Catechumens and Faithful both were deeply impressed while listening to the Gospel of "The Light of the World" read in today's stational church, which is over a dark dungeon. There criminals were held in confinement, deprived of light, liberty and the joys of life. A man in mortal sin walks in darkness. The light of Christ is not in Him. He sits in darkness and in the shadow of death. With God's help, we must free ourselves during the remaining days from all darkness.

St. Nicholas—lead us today to Him, who by Sacred Water has made us His living branches, to Christ Jesus, our Divine Food and Holy Light.

Let us pray: Mercifully compel our rebellious wills and make them subject to Thee, O Lord. We ask this Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Source: St. John Cantius Parish

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