"Saint Joseph adored our Lord in a spirit of compassion. By faith he saw and joined the self-immolation of Christ on Calvary and on the altar. To perfect his love Jesus gave him a preview of the Passion, for a love that does not suffer is a childlike love. You will never equal Joseph in compassionate love, but unite with him in adoring the Sacred Victim on the altar; let your faith be food and light for your adoration. Have faith and you will see, for faith is the eye of a pure soul."
The blogsphere has been filled with news on the recent A&E production: "God or the Girl". Since I am also contemplating the priesthood, I was really interested in seeing the show. And, after seeing the first episode I'm really hoping that some of them will answer the call we need priests so much. That is why I want to follow Our Lord. I'm finding it a very interesting show, but I'm really interested in how it will all turn out.
Next Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, and I will be meeting with my diocese's vocations director concerning the priesthood. This is really important to get the process started. Please keep me in your prayers during this time.
As we celebrate the joy of Easter Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI is also celebrating his 79th birthday. Let us please pray one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for his health and intentions.
Pope Benedict XVI has gave his traditional Urbi et Orbi address after the Easter Sunday Mass attended by thousands.
Pope Benedict XVI arrives at St. Peter's Basilica to celebrate Easter Sunday Mass.
Here is part of his Urbi et Orbi address:
May the risen Lord grant that the strength of his life, peace and freedom be experienced everywhere. Today the words with which the Angel reassured the frightened hearts of the women on Easter morning are addressed to all: "Do not be afraid! ... He is not here; he is risen" (Matthew 28:5-6). Jesus is risen, and he gives us peace; he himself is peace. For this reason the Church repeats insistently: "Christ is risen -- 'Christós anésti.'"
Let the people of the third millennium not be afraid to open their hearts to him. His Gospel totally quenches the thirst for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart. Christ is now alive and he walks with us. What an immense mystery of love! "Christus resurrexit, quia Deus caritas est!" Alleluia!
V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia:
R. For he whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray. O God, who by the Resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant, we beg you, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Roman Breviary)
A partial indulgence is obtained through the saying of this prayer, but if one does not know the words to this prayer, they may still receive it if they just pray 5 Hail Marys.
It was on this night that Our Savior, lying in tomb because of our sins, rose again and broke the firm chains of sin and death forever. Christ defeated satan and the powers of darkness at the Cross, and this night, He rose again as victor over death. By rising, we proclaim that He "restored our life". Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead! And, now we too may one day hope to rise again in splendor with a new Heaven and a new Earth with Christ as the Light of the World.
But, in our world we still see people living in the darkness of sin. They embrace hared, bigotry, indecency, and other attacks on God's laws. We, my brothers and sister, must be mirrors of Christ's light. We must bring this light into others' hearts. Do nothing other than observe the Commandments of Christ and His Church so as to bring others into His light. This is the most important thing we can do. For in baptism we were buried in Christ so that after our death we might hope to share in the Resurrection. Tonight I had the privilege to see around 14 people enter the Catholic faith. It was a beautiful sight. We must continue to pray that others will enter the fullness of the truth.
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you. (Mk 16:1-7)
In the celebrations tonight thousands of people entered our faith of Jesus Christ included many fellow bloggers. Please welcome them. I just read about a married Lutheran minister that also just entered the Church as a Catholic priest. President Arroyo of the Philippines, a Catholic, has also promised to stop executing prisoners as part of her Easter message. Jesus Christ's light is shinning in the world and we must continue to bring this light. We must be carries of His light as we were reminded tonight.
If you did not attend the Vigil, I at least ask you to listen to the beautiful Easter Proclamation:
And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. (Matthew 28:18-20).
May all who sleep in Christ rise again to eternal life. Amen.
Let us make Easter, the holiest day in the year, and the Octave that follows, some of the holiest days of our lives. Our entire observance of Lent was for this day - to honor the Risen King! Come, let us worship Him!
In just a few hours I will attend the Vigil Mass of Easter and see several people received into the Church. If you are not attending the a Vigil Mass, I encourage you to listen to the Easter Proclamation over the computer. I love this prayer - it is so beautiful when we proclaim the triumphant Resurrection of Our Savior.
Please keep praying for everyone that will enter the Church tonight.
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.
"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.
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."
"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.)
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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Matthew is a Third Order Dominican from Chicago and an expert on Catholicism, with an emphasis on Traditional Fasting. He has written for "A Catholic Life" since 2005. Matthew is a Certified Catechist and is a speaker available to address your next parish or Catholic conference gathering. Matthew spends his leisure time traveling, teaching, writing, and enjoying Catholic culture. He is also a writer for "Catholic Family News" and "The Fatima Center." Please contact Matthew directly regarding advertising requests for A Catholic Life or in regard to speaking engagements.
"Saint Joseph adored our Lord in a spirit of compassion. By faith he saw and joined the self-immolation of Christ on Calvary and on the altar. To perfect his love Jesus gave him a preview of the Passion, for a love that does not suffer is a childlike love. You will never equal Joseph in compassionate love, but unite with him in adoring the Sacred Victim on the altar; let your faith be food and light for your adoration. Have faith and you will see, for faith is the eye of a pure soul."
