BREAKING NEWS: CHRIST IS RISEN!

BREAKING NEWS

Jerusalem, about 33 A.D.

The man named Jesus is reported to have risen from the dead, and had been sighted by many of his followers, who report walking with him, talking to him, even sharing a meal with him.

Is there any truth to this? Is this a psychological disturbance not uncommon among those suffering from grief after a the tragic death of a loved one?

It is a fact that the body is no longer in the tomb. Is it possible that grave diggers have rolled away the stone and stolen the body? But then what could have been the reason that they folded the shroud so nicely, an action very uncommon among grave robbers?

Is it possible that this was a hoax, perpetrated by the disciples to save face after the death of their leader? But why go to all this trouble, when certain death awaits them for stirring up more mischief? After all, that is why their leader was put to death in the first place...

Only time will tell the truth of this matter. If this is a hoax, or a psychological disturbance, or a case of grave robbery, the myths will die out in time. But if not, then we can expect to be hearing this story for a long, long time.

Anywhere in the world, March 31, 2013

Today Christians all around the world celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story didn’t die, not even with the deaths, mostly martyrdoms, of all the witnesses to these events. The truth revealed itself in the hearts of so many people, people who went out and spread the word to the whole world. For almost 2000 years the Church has been spreading the message of redemption and God’s love, a love that triumphed over sin and death, that defies all logic and gives hope to a world in need.

Today we are reminded that good is stronger than evil, and that love truly does triumph over all things. We are reminded that even in the worst of times, a sudden, radical, change can come about, a new creation can begin.

On this day, we commemorate the Resurrection of our Lord, and we celebrate it as it happens anew in our own hearts.

Christ is risen!

Indeed, He is truly risen!

Alleluia!

The End of the Story?

A Galilean named Jesus has been executed. He had been quite popular during the past few years as a preacher and a worker of miracles. He had recently grown quite controversial though. The Jewish officials saw him as a threat to their establishment, not just for some of his statements, but also because the people were beginning to react to him in a way so as to make him king. The Romans would not like that! Pontius Pilate, the procurator, is ruthless when it comes to bloodshed!

An event like this is a journalist’s dream. There is no end to what one could talk about, and something could always be found to be said, even when one doesn’t have a clue what they are talking about!

Imagine if modern media were around to cover these events. What would they be saying? Whose side would they be on? Here is what I imagine the coverage to look like.

His arrest would have been covered as breaking news, on live tv. Even though it was supposed to be secret, there would, of course, be a leak. Every news network would be trying to question Judas, after Jesus had been taken away. Perhaps Judas would answer a few questions, but then again perhaps not. It would be all over the news the moment he was found dead...

Even though the trial before the Sanhedrin was also supposed to be secret, a “source very close to the High Priest” would leak the details.

Witnesses would be brought in and pundits on the cable news networks would be analyzing their testimony. Political analysts would be speculating on the outcome of each step taken, the trial before the Sanhedrin, before Pilate, before Herod, before Pilate again. The cameras would be bring the death sentence to the world live.

The actual execution of Jesus might not be shown, because of the graphic content of it. But plenty of eye-witnesses would be interviewed. A crowd full of former “believers” willing to go along with the tide that turned against Jesus and his followers.

Speaking of Jesus’s followers, they may have had even more trouble staying in hiding. After the betrayal of Judas, would they all become suspicious of another traitor infiltrating the group? There is no question that the media would love to interview them!

I imagine that the media would take a rather cynical view of things, perhaps even mocking by the time of this post, Saturday evening.

But now he is lieing in his grave, dead. The story will die with him. This is the end of the story.

OR IS IT????

TO BE CONTINUED

St. Francis of Assisi's Way of the Cross

The Way of the Cross

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

Preparatory Prayer

O most merciful Jesus, with a contrite heart and penitent spirit, I bow down in profound humility before Thy divine majesty. I adore Thee as my supreme Lord and Master; I believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, I love Thee above all things. I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, my Supreme and Only Good. I resolve to amend my life, and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, yet the sight of Thy holy cross, on which Thou didst die, inspires me with hope and consolation. I will, therefore, meditate on Thy sufferings, and visit the stations of Thy Passion in company with Thy sorrowful Mother and my guardian angel, with the intention of promoting Thy honor and saving my soul.

I desire to gain all the indulgences granted for this holy exercise for myself and for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. O merciful Redeemer, who has said, "And I, if I be lifted from earth, will draw all things to Myself," draw my heart and my love to Thee, that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, and that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen.

STATION 1 - Jesus is condemned to Death

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Jesus, most innocent, who neither did nor could commit a sin, was condemned to death, and moreover, to the most ignominious death of the cross. To remain a friend of Caesar, Pilate delivered Him into the hands of His enemies. A fearful crime -- to condemn Innocence to death, and to offend God in order not to displease men!

Prayer

O innocent Jesus, having sinned, I am guilty of eternal death, but Thou willingly dost accept the unjust sentence of death, that I might live. For whom, then, shall I henceforth live, if not for Thee, my Lord? Should I desire to please men, I could not be Thy servant. Let me, therefore, rather displease men and all the world, than not please Thee, O Jesus.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

---

STATION 2 - Jesus is made to carry His Cross

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

When our divine Savior beheld the cross, He most willingly stretched out His bleeding arms, lovingly embraced it, and tenderly kissed it, and placing it on His bruised shoulders, He, although almost exhausted, joyfully carried it.

Prayer

O my Jesus, I cannot be Thy friend and follower, if I refuse to carry the cross. O dearly beloved cross! I embrace thee, I kiss thee, I joyfully accept thee from the hands of my God. Far be it from me to glory in anything, save in the cross of my Lord and Redeemer. By it the world shall be crucified to me and I to the world, that I may be Thine forever.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed.

---

STATION 3 - Jesus falls the First Time

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Our dear Savior, carrying the cross, was so weakened by its heavy weight as to fall exhausted to the ground. Our sins and misdeeds were the heavy burden which oppressed Him: the cross was to Him light and sweet, but our sins were galling and insupportable.

Prayer

O my Jesus, Thou didst bear my burden and the heavy weight of my sins. Should I, then, not bear in union with Thee, my easy burden of suffering and accept the sweet yoke of Thy commandments? Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden is light: I therefore willingly accept it. I will take up my cross and follow Thee.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

O, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole-begotten One!

---

STATION 4 - Jesus meets His Sorrowful Mother

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

How painful and how sad it must have been for Mary, the sorrowful Mother, to behold her beloved Son, laden with the burden of the cross! What unspeakable pangs her most tender heart experienced! How earnestly did she desire to die in place of Jesus, or at least with Him! Implore this sorrowful Mother that she assist you in the hour of your death.

Prayer

O Jesus, O Mary, I am the cause of the great and manifold pains which pierce your loving hearts! Oh, that also my heart would feel and experience at least some of your sufferings! O Mother of Sorrows, let me participate in the sufferings which thou and Thy Son endured for me, and let me experience thy sorrow, that afflicted with thee, I may enjoy thy assistance in the hour of my death.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs,
Of her dying, glorious Son.

---

STATION 5 - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His Cross

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help Jesus carry His cross, and Jesus accepted his assistance. How willingly would He also permit you to carry the cross: He calls, but you hear Him not; He invites you, but you decline. What a reproach, to bear the cross reluctantly!

Prayer

O Jesus! Whosoever does not take up his cross and follow Thee, is not worthy of Thee. Behold, I join Thee in the Way of Thy Cross; I will be Thy assistant, following Thy bloody footsteps, that I may come to Thee in eternal life. ------ Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Jesus Christ, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Is there one who would not weep
Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to Behold?

---

STATION 6 - Veronica wipes the Face of Jesus

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Veronica, impelled by devotion and compassion, presents her veil to Jesus to wipe His disfigured face. And Jesus imprints on it His holy countenance: a great recompense for so small a service. What return to you make to your Savior for His great and manifold benefits?

Prayer

Most merciful Jesus! What return shall I make for all the benefits Thou hast bestowed upon me? Behold I consecrate myself entirely to Thy service. I offer and consecrate to Thee my heart: imprint on it Thy sacred image, never again to be effaced by sin.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?

---

STATION 7 - Jesus falls the Second Time

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

The suffering Jesus, under the weight of His cross, again falls to the ground; but the cruel executioners do not permit Him to rest a moment. Pushing and striking Him, they urge Him onward. It is the frequent repetition of our sins which oppress Jesus. Witnessing this, how can I continue to sin?

Prayer

O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Offer me Thy helping hand, and aid me, that I may not fall again into my former sins. From this very moment, I will earnestly strive to reform: nevermore will I sin! Thou, O sole support of the weak, by Thy grace, without which I can do nothing, strengthen me to carry out faithfully this my resolution.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender child,
All with bloody scourges rent.

---

STATION 8 - The women of Jerusalem weep over Jesus

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

These devoted women, moved by compassion, weep over the suffering Savior. But He turns to them, saying: "Weep not for Me, Who am innocent, but weep for yourselves and for your children." Weep thou also, for there is nothing more pleasing to Our Lord and nothing more profitable for thyself, than tears shed from contrition for thy sins.

Prayer

O Jesus, Who shall give to my eyes a torrent of tears, that day and night I may weep for my sins? I beseech Thee, through Thy bitter and bloody tears, to move my heart by Thy divine grace, so that from my eyes tears may flow abundantly, and that I may weep all my days over Thy sufferings, and still more over their cause, my sins.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

For the sins of His own nation
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His Spirit forth He sent.

---

STATION 9 - Jesus falls the Third Time

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Jesus, arriving exhausted at the foot of Calvary, falls for the third time to the ground. His love for us, however, is not diminished, not extinguished. What a fearfully oppressive burden our sins must be to cause Jesus to fall so often! Had He, however, not taken them upon Himself, they would have plunged us into the abyss of Hell.

Prayer

Most merciful Jesus, I return Thee infinite tanks for not permitting me to continue in sin and to fall, as I have so often deserved, into the depths of Hell. Enkindle in me an earnest desire of amendment; let me never again relapse, but vouchsafe me the grace to persevere in penance to the end of my life.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

O thou Mother! fount of love,
Touch my spirit from above.
Make my heart with thine accord:

---

STATION 10 - Jesus is stripped of His Garments

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

When Our Savior had arrived on Calvary, He was cruelly despoiled of His garments. How painful this must have been because they adhered to His wounded and torn body, and with them parts of His bloody skin were removed! All the wounds of Jesus were renewed. Jesus was despoiled of His garments that He might die possessed of nothing; how happy will I also die after laying aside my former self with all evil desires and sinful inclinations!

Prayer

Induce me, O Jesus, to lay aside my former self and to be renewed according to Thy will and desire. i will not spare myself, however painful this should be for me: despoiled of things temporal, of my own will, I desire to die, in order to live for Thee forever.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.

---

STATION 11 - Jesus is nailed to the Cross

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Jesus, being stripped of His garments, was violently thrown upon the cross and His hands and feet nailed thereto. In such excruciating pains He remained silent, because it pleased His heavenly Father. He suffered patiently, because He suffered for me. How do I act in sufferings and in troubles? How fretful and impatient, how full of complaints I am!

Prayer

O Jesus, gracious Lamb of God, I renounce forever my impatience. Crucify, O Lord, my flesh and its concupiscences; scourge, scathe, and punish me in this world, do but spare me in the next. I commit my destiny to Thee, resigning myself to Thy holy will: may it be done in all things!

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Holy Mother, pierce me through!
In my heart, each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.

---

STATION 12 - Jesus is raised upon the Cross and Dies

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Behold Jesus crucified! Behold His wounds, received for love of you! His whole appearance betokens love: His head is bent to kiss you; His arms are extended to embrace you; His Heart is open to receive you. O superabundance of love, Jesus, the Son of God, dies upon the cross, that man may live and be delivered from everlasting death!

Prayer

O most amiable Jesus! Who will grant me that I may die for Thee! I will at least endeavor to die to the world. How must I regard the world and its vanities, when I behold Thee hanging on the cross, covered with wounds? O Jesus, receive me into Thy wounded Heart: I belong entirely to Thee; for Thee alone do I desire to live and to die.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

---

STATION 13 - Jesus is taken from the Cross and given to His Mother

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

Jesus did not descend from the cross but remained on it until He died. And when taken down from it, He in death as in life, rested on the bosom of His divine Mother. Persevere in your resolutions of reform and do not part from the cross; he who persevereth to the end shall be saved. Consider, moreover, how pure the heart should be that receives the body and blood of Christ in the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus, Thy lifeless body, mangled and lacerated, found a worthy resting-place on the bosom of Thy virgin Mother. Have I not often compelled Thee to dwell in my heart, full of sin and impurity as it was? Create in me a new heart, that I may worthily receive Thy most sacred body in Holy Communion, and that Thou mayest remain in me and I in Thee for all eternity.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.

---

STATION 14 - Jesus is laid in the Sepulcher

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Meditation

The body of Jesus is interred in a stranger's sepulchre. He who in this world had not whereupon to rest His head, would not even have a grave of His own, because He was not from this world. You, who are so attached to the world, henceforth despise it, that you may not perish with it.

Prayer

O Jesus, Thou hast set me apart from the world; what, then, shall I seek therein? Thou hast created me for Heaven; what, then, have I to do with the world? Depart from me, deceitful world, with thy vanities! Henceforth i will follow the Way of the Cross traced out for me by my Redeemer, and journey onward to my heavenly home, there to dwell forever and ever.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

Jesus Christ, crucified, have mercy on us!

Sabat Mater

By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.

---

Concluding Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, merciful Father, who hast given to the human race Thy beloved Son as an example of humility, obedience, and patience, to precede us on the way of life, bearing the cross: Graciously grant us that we, inflamed by His infinite love, may take up the sweet yoke of His Gospel together with the mortification of the cross, following Him as His true disciples, so that we shall one day gloriously rise with Him and joyfully hear the final sentence: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, and possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning," where Thou reignest with the Son and the Holy Ghost, and where we hope to reign with Thee, world without end. Amen.

-Saint Francis of Assisi

---

The Eucharist

The Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life. On this night, the Catholic Church celebrates a very special Eucharistic liturgy, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. We commemorate the institution of the sacrament and the last meal Jesus shared with his Apostles before He died.

Today I would like to share with you quotes of various saints about the Eucharist.

"If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion." - St. Maximilian Kolbe

"When you look at the Crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now," - Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

"The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life," - St. Thomas Aquinas

AT THE FEET OF CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST

From the writings of Saint Faustina

O Jesus, Divine Prisoner of Love, when I consider Your love and how You emptied Yourself for me, my senses deaden. You hide Your inconceivable majesty and lower Yourself to miserable me. O king of Glory, though You hide Your beauty, yet the eye of my soul rends the veil. I see the angelic choirs giving You honor without cease, and all the heavenly Powers praising You without cease, and without cease they are saying: Holy, Holy, Holy.

Oh, who will comprehend Your love and Your unfathomable mercy toward us! O Prisoner of Love, I love up my poor heart in this tabernacle that it may adore You without cease night and day. I know of no obstacle in this adoration: and even though I be physically distant, my heart is always with You. Nothing can put a stop to my love for You. No obstacles exist for me...

O Holy Trinity, One and Indivisible God, may You be blessed for this great gift and testament of mercy. Amen.

I adore You, Lord and Creator, hidden in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I adore You for all the works of Your hands, that reveal to me so much wisdom, goodness and mercy, O Lord. You have spread so much beauty over the earth and it tells me about Your beauty, even though these beautiful things are but a faint reflection of You, incomprehensible Beauty. And although You have hidden Yourself and concealed your beauty, my eye, enlightened by faith, reaches You and my souls recognizes its Creator, its Highest Good, and my heart is completely immersed in prayer of adoration.

My Lord and Creator, Your goodness encourages me to converse with You. Your mercy abolishes the chasm which separates the Creator from the creature. To converse with You, O Lord, is the delight of my heart. In You I find everything that my heart could desire. Here Your light illumines my mind, enabling it to know You more and more deeply. Here streams of grace flow down upon my heart. Here my soul draws eternal life. O my Lord and Creator, You alone, beyond all these gifts, give Your own self to me and unite Yourself intimately with Your miserable creature.

O Christ, let my greatest delight be to see You loved and Your praise and glory proclaimed, especially the honor of Your mercy. O Christ, let me glorify Your goodness and mercy to the last moment of my life, with every drop of my blood and every beat of my heart. Would that I be transformed into a hymn of adoration of You. When I find myself on my deathbed, may the last beat of my heart be a loving hymn glorifying Your unfathomable mercy. Amen.

"Do grant, oh my God, that when my lips approach Yours to kiss You, I may taste the gall that was given to You; when my shoulders lean against Yours, make me feel Your scourging; when my flesh is united with Yours, in the Holy Eucharist, make me feel Your passion; when my head comes near Yours, make me feel Your thorns; when my heart is close to Yours, make me feel Your spear."

- St. Gemma Galgani

The Suffering Servant

Yesterday marked the beginning of the Jewish feast of Passover, which recalls the how God led the Israelite people out of slavery in the land of Egypt. A full account of this can be found in the book of Exodus, and as it is a familiar enough story, I won’t get into the details of it.

The reason I mention it today, is because it prefigures the sacrifice of Jesus that Christians will be commemorating this weekend. It is no coincidence that it was during the feast of Passover that Jesus died. Jesus Himself is the ultimate Passover lamb.

Besides the Passover lamb, however, there are many other symbols used in the Old Testament to prefigure and foreshadow the death of Christ. My personal favorite, and the one I want to talk about today, is found in Isaiah. It is the image of the Suffering Servant.

The most poignant of the four oracles of the Servant of the Lord is the fourth and final, found in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. It describes how the Servant will be greatly exalted, but only after a great deal of suffering and pain. His appearance will be marred beyond recognition, and he will even be put to death. However, this servant will submit to all this without complaint. This servant will be taking on the sins of everyone else.The image of the lamb is also evoked in this passage, as it says, “Like a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep before the shearers he was silent and opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53: 7). Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy.

I leave you now, with the passage itself, for you to read over, pray over, and think about as we go through these next few days of contemplating the events of the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Christ.

See, my servant shall prosper,

he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.

Even as many were amazed at him—

so marred was his look beyond human semblance

and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man—

so shall he startle many nations,

because of him kings shall stand speechless;

for those who have not been told shall see,

those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Who would believe what we have heard?

To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

He grew up like a sapling before him,

like a shoot from the parched earth;

there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,

nor appearance that would attract us to him.

He was spurned and avoided by people,

a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,

one of those from whom people hide their faces,

spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,

our sufferings that he endured,

while we thought of him as stricken,

as one smitten by God and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our offenses,

crushed for our sins;

upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,

by his stripes we were healed.

We had all gone astray like sheep,

each following his own way;

but the LORD laid upon him

the guilt of us all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted

and opened not his mouth;

like a lamb led to the slaughter

or a sheep before the shearers,

he was silent and opened not his mouth.

Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,

and who would have thought any more of his destiny?

When he was cut off from the land of the living,

and smitten for the sin of his people,

a grave was assigned him among the wicked

and a burial place with evildoers,

though he had done no wrong

nor spoken any falsehood.

But the LORD was pleased

to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,

he shall see his descendants in a long life,

and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction

he shall see the light in fullness of days;

through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,

and their guilt he shall bear.

Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,

and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,

because he surrendered himself to death

and was counted among the wicked;

and he shall take away the sins of many,

and win pardon for their offenses.

Holy Week

Yesterday marked the beginning of Holy Week, the week where Christians celebrate the passion, death, and Resurrection of Christ.

The main days of the week are Palm Sunday, which we celebrated yesterday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and then Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night, and Easter Sunday itself. The Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, make up the liturgical season called the Triduum.

It is always fascinating to look at the liturgy for these days, and later on in the week I will tell you a little about the beautiful liturgies the Catholic Church will be celebrating. But for now I would like to tell you a little bit about what it means to me personally.

This week, I see Jesus at His most human. He experiences the cheers of the crowd at a time when it seems nothing can possibly go wrong, but we also see Him at His lowest, rejected, abandoned, murdered. In our own lives, we face situations where we experience comparable emotions. We feel like we are on the top of the world, everything is going right. And then things crash. We wonder where it all went wrong, why this is happening to us. It may seem that everyone has abandoned us, or worse, totally turned against us. We may even feel that this is the end. In some situations, people may even wonder what they have left to live for.

Jesus experienced all of this during the first Holy Week. He rode in triumph into Jerusalem, the people waving palm branches and cheering for Him, believing Him to be the Messiah, long-awaited by the Jewish people. However, by the end of the week, the cheers of “Hosannah” turn to shouts and jeers of “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The closest friends of Jesus, His Apostles, are nowhere to be found. He is forced to face His death completely alone. Where did it all go wrong? What did He do to deserve this? One moment He is at dinner with his disciples, and it seems like, the next moment, He is dying on a cross.

We can follow each moment of this week, and take the pain in our life, and we can unite it with His sufferings. The good news of all of this, as we know, is that the story did not end with His death. A far greater moment is yet to come. And we can pray and believe that it will come in our own lives, too. But we must travel with Jesus through all the pain to get there.

Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Francis and Benedict XVI meet at the helicopter pad at Castel Gandolfo,
 the papal summer  residence.

Yesterday Pope Francis met with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for around two hours. This meeting was very historic. Benedict was the first pope to retire in six centuries; normally, a new pope would never have the opportunity to meet his retired predecessor, as his predecessor would have passed away.

Francis also brought a gift to Benedict, an icon known as the “Madonna of Humility.” Immediately upon Francis’s arrival at Castel Gandolfo, the two went to pray together in a small chapel.

Together in prayer

Benedict at first offered Francis a special kneeler traditionally used by the pope, but Francis insisted that they pray together in the same pew. He is quoted as saying “We are brothers.”

The two had a private meeting that lasted about forty-five minutes, and Benedict renewed his vows of obedience and reverence to his successor, while Francis thanked Benedict for his service to the Church and his humility. The two are said to have abstained from formal titles and addressed each other familiarly.

Truly this is a good sign for the smooth passage of succession in this very strange and historic time for the papacy and the Church as whole! Many people want Francis to do many things in the coming months, and there are many problems that he has to address. After a few months, Benedict will return from Castel Gandolfo to the Vatican and reside in a monastery in the Vatican gardens. He will be a short walk away from St. Peter’s Basilica.

How to Get from Peter to Francis: a SHORT History of Papal Elections

A few days ago I told you about the biblical basis for the papacy. Now let’s look at how we got from St. Peter to Pope Francis.

The process of choosing a pope has changed drastically over the years to fit the needs of an ever-growing Church. Back in the days of Peter, the Church quickly centralized in Rome, as the seat of the Roman Empire. Rome remains, to this day, the seat of the Church.

In the early Church, which was under constant persecution, the popes were mainly obscure figures who were able to do what it takes to keep the underground Church going. Eventually the Roman Empire came to accept Christianity, but unfortunately that also meant that secular authorities influenced, if not completely controlled, papal elections.

In 1059, Pope Nicholas II limited participation in papal elections to the College of Cardinals. While this did not entirely end external influence, it did make it a bit harder for rulers to directly influence the outcome of a papal election. It was the first step towards the system that the Church has in place today.

In the year 1274, the Second Council of Lyons was convened in order to regulate the papal election process. The major decree issued by the council was that all electors must meet within ten days of the pope’s death, and that they had to stay secluded until a new pope was chosen. The major driver behind this change was a three year vacancy after Pope Clement IV’s death in 1268. During that sede vacante, the Latin term for the interregnum period between papacies, the faithful Catholics had to take desperate measures to pressure the cardinal electors into actually choosing a pope. First they locked them all in, where only those cum clave, or with a key, could come in or out (this is the root of the word conclave), and then began rationing their food. When those methods failed, the faithful actually tore the roof off of the chapel they were sequestered in, exposing the cardinals to the elements. Finally, they had a pope. The strict time limit would later be slightly relaxed later in church history.

The Western Schism between 1378 and 1417 saw a very complicated situation emerge. Multiple anti-popes challenged papal authority in Rome, and were installed simultaneously in Avignon, France.

By this time, the papal election process largely resembled the modern process. Until 1621, many votes for the papal election were done by acclamation; that is, voice votes. However, 1621 was the last time that this occurred. Pope John Paul II formally abolished vote by acclamation, and all elections since then and henceforth will be by a full vote by ballot of the College of Cardinals.

And that is how we get from Pope Peter to Pope Francis!

"Go to the Foot of the Cross"

A priest I knew when I was a child always used to say, “On Fridays, go to the foot of the cross.” He would repeat this literally every Friday.

It was really a quite profound thing to think about. We all have crosses in our own lives that we need to carry. Every week it is important to take some time to think about Him whose example we are called to follow in bearing those crosses.

The mysteries of the passion and death of Christ are at the center of our faith as Christians. There is no escaping the cross, for without it there would be no point to Christianity. You can’t have Christ without the cross.

In the last days and hours of Jesus, He experienced many of the emotions that we are faced with at various times in our life. He was betrayed, and He felt abandoned, totally alone in the world. He knew sorrow, loneliness, pain, all those things we experience and find so hard to bear.

I just want to ask you today, to take some time to reflect on that. Think about your own life, what situations you are facing there. Then take that situation, and go to the foot of the cross.

Pope Francis's first Angelus address

This is the text of Pope Francis’s Angelus address from Sunday, March 17, 2013:

“Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! After our first meeting last Wednesday, today I again give my greetings to you all! And I am happy to do it on Sunday, the Lord's Day! This is beautiful and important for us Christians: to meet on Sunday, to greet one another, to talk as we are doing now, in the square. This square that, thanks to the media, takes on worldly dimensions.

In this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Gospel presents us with the story of the adulterous woman whom Jesus saves from being condemned to death. It captures Jesus' attitude: we do not hear words of contempt, we do not hear words of condemnation, but only words of love, of mercy, that invite us to conversion. 'Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more!' Well, brothers and sisters! God's face is that of a merciful father who is always patient. Have you thought about God's patience, the patience that He has with each of us? That is His mercy. He always has patience, is always patient with us, understanding us, awaiting us, never tiring of forgiving us if we know how to return to him with a contrite heart. 'Great is the Lord's mercy', says the Psalm.

In these days, I have been able to read a book by a cardinal—Cardinal Kasper, a talented theologian, a good theologian—on mercy. And it did me such good, that book, but don't think that I'm publicizing the books of my cardinals. That is not the case! But it did me such good, so much good... Cardinal Kasper said that hearing the word mercy changes everything. It is the best thing that we can hear: it changes the world. A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just. We need to understand God's mercy well, this merciful Father who has such patience... Think of the prophet Isaiah who asserts that even if our sins were scarlet red, God's love would make them white as snow. That is beautiful, [this aspect of mercy]. I remember when, just after I was made bishop, in 1992, the Madonna of Fatima came to Buenos Aires and a large Mass for the sick was celebrated. I went to hear confessions at that Mass. Near the end of the Mass I got up because I had to administer a confirmation. An over 80-year-old woman came up to me, humbly, very humbly. I asked her: “Nonna,” [grandmother]—because that's how we address our elderly—“Nonna, you want to confess?” “Yes,” she told me. “But if you haven't sinned...” And she said to me: “We have all sinned...” “But perhaps the Lord will not forgive you...” “The Lord forgives everyone,” she told me, with certainly. “But how do you know that, ma'am?” “If the Lord didn't forgive everyone, the world would not exist.” I wanted to ask her: “Tell me, have you studied at the Gregorian [Pontifical University]?”, because that is the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives: the inner wisdom of God's mercy. Let us not forget this word: God never tires of forgiving us, never! 'So, Father, what is the problem?' Well, the problem is that we get tired, we don't want to, we get tired of asking forgiveness. Let us never get tired. Let us never get tired. He is the loving Father who always forgives, who has that heart of mercy for all of us. And let us also learn to be merciful with everyone. Let us call upon the intercession of the Madonna who has held in her arms the Mercy of God made human.”

The Role of the Papacy

As I have mentioned and made a few posts about previously, the Catholic Church has a new Holy Father. This raises some important questions about the role of the papacy, the basis for it, and how it applies to the lives of Catholics throughout the world.

First of all it is important to look at the basis for why we have a pope. We here the pope spoken of as the “successor of St. Peter.” But what does that really mean? How did Peter come to be the first pope, and how is Pope Francis, the current pope, his successor?

The answer to the first of these questions is found in Scripture. In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asks the Apostles, “Who do men say that I am?” The disciples answered that some said He was John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other great prophets of the Jewish tradition, returned from the dead. Jesus then asks them, “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” (Italics added for emphasis). Now, none of the Gospel accounts of this exchange actually say this, but I imagine that the Apostles all stopped and probably looked around at each other nervously. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, even though these men all lived with Jesus, travelled with Him, were with Him constantly, they never truly understood all that He was saying. It took the fulfillment of His earthly mission, through His death and Resurrection, for them to fully grasp the answer to this question of who Jesus really was. So it must have been a difficult moment, being put on the spot like that. Finally, one man, Simon, spoke up and said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This is why keys are a major symbol of the papacy. In this passage, Jesus appoints Peter as the head of His church, vesting him with the responsibility to be the earthly leader of all of Christ’s followers.

Other passages of Scripture serve to further explain the role of the pope in the Church. The first instance of this is actually when Jesus calls Simon Peter to follow Him. He says, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).  Peter had, of course, been a fisherman by trade before he was called to be a follower of Christ. The pope, as head of the Church, must always be looking for new ways to spread the Gospel message. This is the call of all members of the Church, but the Holy Father hears this call in a special way. It is his example that the rest of the Church follows.

One other passage I would like to speak about comes in John’s Gospel, 21:1-19. It is one of the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus. Seven of the disciples, among them Peter, went fishing. They were out all night, but caught nothing. At dawn, Jesus came to them on the seashore, and asked if they had caught anything. He then ordered them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, and upon doing so, they caught a multitude of fish. Peter then realized that it was Jesus who was speaking to them, and he then jumped into the sea and swam to the shore, so great was his joy at seeing Jesus again. The disciples then cooked breakfast out of the fish they caught. After breakfast, Jesus takes Peter aside, and asks him three times, “Do you love me?” Peter, of course, answers yes. It was a greatly troubling question for Peter, as it reminded him of how, on the night Jesus was arrested, Peter had three times denied even knowing Jesus. However, each time Peter answered that he loved Jesus, Jesus gave him an order. “Feed my lambs.” “Feed my sheep.” This command reaffirmed for Peter that he was to be the spiritual leader of all the followers of Christ, that he would be the one looked to for guidance and spiritual nourishment. To this day, Catholics continue to listen closely to the words of the Holy Father, as his teaching helps us to understand all that Christ taught us, and helps us to apply that message to our daily life.

In a future post, I will talk more about how we got from Peter, our first pope, to Pope Francis, our current Holy Father. But until then, please remember to say a prayer for our Holy Father, as he has repeatedly asked.

Feast of St. Joseph

Today is the Feast of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin, foster-father of Jesus, and the Protector of the Universal Church. The Gospels do not record any of his words, but he is very prominently featured in the infancy narrative of St. Matthew’s Gospel. In fact, he plays a pivotal role. Three times in that Gospel, an angel comes to him in a dream, and his obedience to the messenger of God secures the safety of his family.

The first time, he is told to take Mary as his wife. He had been about to divorce her quietly, because she had been found to be with child. He was a righteous man, he did not want her put to death, but as an observant Jew, he did not want to be living in an immoral situation. An angel came to him, telling him, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus -- because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

The second time the angel comes to Joseph in a dream is after the birth of Jesus. The Holy Family is in Bethlehem, and up in Jerusalem, King Herod the Great has just learned that he has been deceived by the three wise men from the East who had come to the land of Judea, following a star that they believed foretold the birth of the Messiah, one that will lead God’s chosen people into a new kingdom. Herod had hoped that these wise men could lead him directly to that child, so he could destroy that child. However, an angel had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. Upon realizing that there was now no way to know which individual child was the fulfillment of the prophecy that was made concerning this Messiah, he ordered the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding area two years of age and younger. Once again an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, warning him of this, and telling him to take his family into Egypt, where they will be safe. At once, Joseph got up, woke up his family, and off they went into Egypt.

Eventually King Herod died. One final time, an angel came to Joseph, this time, to tell him that it was safe to return to Israel. Once more, Joseph obeyed immediately.

Joseph is mentioned one final time in the Gospels, this time, in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus is twelve years old, and the family had gone up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. On the way back, as was customary, Mary and Joseph were travelling in separate groups, Joseph with the men, and Mary, with the women and children. Jesus could have been with either group, and both assumed he was with the other. Eventually they realized he was with neither, so they back-tracked all the way to Jerusalem. Eventually they found Jesus in the temple, speaking with many learned men. The Blessed Mother asked, “‘Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.’ He answered them, ‘Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’” (Luke 2:48-49). There is more than meets the eye to this apparent snub to the parenthood of St. Joseph, for the Gospel goes on to say that he “went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them” (Luke 2:51). Nothing more is mentioned of his childhood, but it is believed that Joseph taught Jesus his trade, carpentry.

St. Joseph, pray for us!

Religious Movies

Growing up, my mom and I had a tradition each Lent of watching a specific religious movie every Sunday.

The first week would be the 1965 movie “The Greatest Story Ever Told”.

On the second week we would watch “King of Kings”, from 1961.

I didn’t like these first two movies very much, so I would watch somewhat impatiently, awaiting the other weeks, when we watched some of my favorite movies of all time.

The movie for the third Sunday was “The Robe”, a 1953 film starring Richard Burton as the tribune Marcellus, who was in charge of the crucifixion of Christ. He won the robe that Christ wore when the soldiers cast lots for the garments of the men they executed. Upon touching it, a change came over him, and he believed himself cursed. He was then commissioned by the Emperor to find the robe and destroy it, and find all the followers of Jesus, as well, under the belief that sorcery was involved. However, when Marcellus finally does encounter the robe again, he undergoes a profound conversion experience and becomes quite literally the first Roman Catholic, even to the point of martyrdom. I always enjoyed that movie because it provided a unique view of the early Church in a fairly believable way.

The fourth Sunday featured the classic movie, “Ben Hur”, made in 1959, and starring Charlton Heston in the title role. The movie is perhaps most famous for its chariot scene, and the soundtrack is wonderful, but one must not overlook the themes of conversion, and of a search for peace that only Christ can satisfy.

The fifth movie also starred Charlton Heston and also is considered a classic, “The Ten Commandments” (1956). The special effects are pretty awesome, given the time when it was made. It is a fairly accurate portrayal of the events of the first Passover, and a great way to lead up to the events that the Church would be commemorating the week after, as Christ became the Passover lamb. It is always important to remember that link between the Old and New Testament, and so watching that movie at that time served, in my mind, to make that connection.

Starting on Palm Sunday, and continuing through Holy Week, we would watch my absolute favorite movie of all time, “Jesus of Nazareth”. It aired as an NBC miniseries during Holy Week in 1977. Again it has an AMAZING soundtrack, and an all-star cast, under the direction of the great Franco Zeffirelli. The portrayals of all the characters are thought-provoking and believable. Astonishingly enough, the portrayal of Jesus easily communicated both the divine and the human natures of Jesus, which is something that I have rarely seen in any film about Jesus. It served as a great basis for meditation as we celebrated the Triduum and Easter.

Another movie of note that I saw the year it came out is Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” (2004). It was an extremely graphic and vivid portrayal of the sufferings of Christ. There are images from that that I will never forget.

The reason I mention all of this today is because this month, on Sunday nights, History Channel has been presenting a miniseries entitled “The Bible.” It has led me at several points to actually go back to Scriptures and look up the stories they portrayed, to see the accuracy of it.

So I wanted to ask you, what is your opinion of the movies I mentioned above? Do you have any others to add? Have you been watching “The Bible” on History Channel and what are your thoughts on that?

Please leave any questions or comments you may have, I would love to discuss this with you! But remember, any hateful comments will be deleted!