Saturday, April 15, 2006
The Coming Easter Vigil

It was on this night that He passed from death to life!

Tonight at the Easter Vigil, thousand will enter the Catholic Church as we recall the Resurrection of Our Crucified Savior. By this action, He freed us all from the certainty of hell so that we might enter Heaven. The rest is up to how we live our own lives.

Tonight please keep Lise in your prayers as she was just reconciled with the Church after leaving for many years. She needs your prayers. Please also keep these people in your prayers because they will enter the Church this year: New Catholics for 2006.
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Important Prayer Request for Fr. Jim McKenna

I received this request for prayers in my inbox:

"I solemnly ask for the gift of your prayers for the spiritual repose of my husband's sister, Gladys, who expired in her sleep on Holy Thursday morning after just having celebrated her 95th birthday. She experienced a joyful Christian life with rare illness and kept her mental faculties right up until the end. She was driving and tending to all her own needs until her death. She died unexpectedly, but in a very peaceful manner.

"I also ask for your continued prayers for Father Jim McKenna, who is now hospitalized and not doing so well. The radiation damaged his eyesight and hisbrain is swelling.

"Many thanks and Happy Easter to all.

"Bernadette"

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Friday, April 14, 2006
Good Friday

Priests prostrate themselves at the foot of the altar on Good Friday in March 1953 in Poughkeepsie, NY

"And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him... And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour" (Mark 15:25, 33)

The hour has come when we remember how Our Master, after having instituted the Sacrament of Love - the Eucharist - was betrayed and handed over to sinners to be whipped, beaten, and crucified. The entire life of Our Savior existed for this moment - the moment when His death redeemed the entire Human race.

In love unutterable for us, in torments, He died.

Today has always been and still remains, a day of mandatory Fasting and Abstinence. Also worth noting, upon entering our pews today, we are to genuflect to the Crucifix, not the tabernacle because the Eucharist is not present today in our churches.

Remember His love for you especially between 9 AM and 3 PM, the time of His agony. Between 12 Noon and 3 PM specifically, pray because that is the time when He hung on the cross. Pray! Join me in the Litany of the Passion and the Sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary. Pray the Stations of the Cross today at your parish or at home around 3 PM. Likewise, meditate on Our Lady of Sorrows today as well.

There is no Mass anywhere in the world on Good Friday in the Roman Rite, but there is a service, the Liturgy of the Presanctified, to commemorate Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross. And there is a plenary indulgence available: "A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful, who in the solemn liturgical action of Good Friday devoutly assist at the adoration of the Cross and kiss it."

Click here for the prayer and readings for the traditional Liturgy of the Presanctified.

St. Patrick's Seminary in 1967

The Good Friday Novena Prayer:

"O, my Lord Jesus, I hereby beg of Thee, by the merits of Thy Precious Blood, by Thy Divine Heart, and by the intercession of Thy Most Holy Death to assist me in this pressing necessity."

(To be said 33 times for each intention. It must be said between the hours of 12 noon and 3 PM on Good Friday)
I adore you, O glorious Cross, which was adorned with the Heart and Body of my Savior Jesus Christ, stained and covered with Blood. I adore you, O Holy Cross, out of love for Him, Jesus, who is my Savior and my God.

(Pope Pius IX declared that by reciting this above prayer 5 times on Friday, we release 5 souls from Purgatory and we release 33 souls from Purgatory by reciting it on Good Friday. This prayer should be recited before a Crucifix, with a contrite heart and praying a few moments for the Pope.)
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Good Friday Indulged Prayer to the Cross


I adore You, O glorious Cross, which was adorned with the Heart and Body of my Savior Jesus Christ, stained and covered with blood. I adore You, O Holy Cross, out of love for Him, Jesus, who is my Savior and my God.

(Pope Pius IX declared that reciting this prayer five times on Friday will free five souls from Purgatory and 33 souls by reciting it on Good Friday. This prayer should be recited before a crucifix with a contrite heart and praying a few minutes for the Pope).
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Begin the Novena to the Divine Mercy Today

Jesus asked St. Faustina that a Feast of the Divine Mercy be instituted, and this feast is celebrated the Sunday after Easter. Beginning today, we will begin an extremely important Novena of Chaplets to the Divine Mercy. Say one chaplet each day following the novena intention. In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:

"On each day of the novena you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls. By this novena I will grant every possible grace to souls." (Diary 1209, 796)

First Day:

"Today bring to Me All Mankind, especially all sinners and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges me."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins, but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

Chaplet:

(To be said on regular Rosary)

1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, one Our Father, one Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.

2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

(Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).

4. Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
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Good News for Colorado Against the Morning After Pill

With today being Good Friday, I will not be posting much at all, but I wanted to let you know that our prayers worked. Gov. Owens of Colorado has vetoed a bill that would allow the purchase of the morning after pill without a prescription. He was concerned that teenagers would purchase them. I posted about this back in March, and I'm so glad to hear this news.

This is excellent news. Today we remember the horrible death of our Savior on the Cross for our sins, please thank Him today in your prayers for everything.
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Thursday, April 13, 2006
The Washing of the Feet

Tonight I will be taking part in the washing of the feet for the first time. It is such an interesting tradition, although I did feel like St. Peter at times: "Lord, you will not wash my feet." It is rather humbling especially since I'm not one to let others wash my feet. But, I know this humility is required of me: "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me."

Read of the washing of the feet in the Gospel of John

Image Source: In the Public Domain, Image by Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893)
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Prayers for Ed from "To Jesus Through Mary"

Today Ed from To Jesus Through Mary will be meeting with His bishop concerning His vocation to the priesthood. I understand how important of a meeting this is. Please pray for him today.
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Holy Thursday: Plenary Indulgence

Institution of the Eucharist by José Teófilo de Jesus

A plenary indulgence is granted under the normal conditions for those who recite the hymn Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling).

English Version:

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail,
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
And the Son Who reigns on high
With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor blessing,
Might and endless majesty. Amen.

R. Thou hast given them bread from heaven.
V. Having within it all sweetness.

Let us pray: O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament left us a memorial of Thy Passion: grant, we implore Thee, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, as always to be conscious of the fruit of Thy Redemption. Thou who livest and reignest forever and ever.

R. Amen.

Latin Version:

Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.

Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio.
Amen.

V. Panem de caelis praestitisti eis.
R. Omne delectamentum in se habentem.

Oremus: Deus, qui nobis sub sacramento mirabili, passionis tuae memoriam reliquisti: tribue, quaesumus, ita nos corporis et sanguinis tui sacramysteria venerari, ut redemptionis tuae fructum in nobis iugiter sentiamus. Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.

R. Amen.
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Proudly Entered the Catholic Church 2006

On April 15, 2006, at the Holy Easter Vigil, thousands of people will be received into the Catholic Church including several of our fellow Catholic bloggers. Many will receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation for the first time. I was there two years ago, so I ask everyone to please pray for and welcome these new Catholics. They have been journeying at least since last year all for this day - when they will be welcomed into the Church of Jesus Christ.

Some of these people I have known for quite a while. Others I have recently found their blogs, and yet others I have just found out about. Here are some of our new brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church.

New Catholics: Please save the above image on your computer and feel free display it on your blogs or websites. This is my present to all of you. Also, be sure to thank Owen for designing this image for all of you. He is also a convert that entered the Church in January of this year.
I'm sure there are more people, so I apologize if I forgot to add you to the list. Please feel free to display that image though and display it on your blogs. If your name is not listed above and you will enter the Church this Saturday, please let me know.
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