Today is Easter The Resurrection of the Lord

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad

Alleluia

Today is Good Friday of the Lord's Passion

Stations of the Cross 14 Jesus is laid in the Sepulcher (w/audio)

Station 14 audio

Mark 15:46-­47  

46
Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.
47
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus watched where he was laid.

Stations of the Cross 13 Jesus is taken down from the Cross (w/audio)

Station 13 audio

John 19:38­-40  

38
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body.
39
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds.
40
They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.

Stations of the Cross 12 Jesus dies on the Cross (w/audio)

Station 12 audio

Luke 23:44-49

44
It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon
45
because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
46
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last.
47
The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, “This man was innocent beyond doubt.”
48
When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts;
49
but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.

Stations of the Cross 11 Jesus is nailed to the Cross (w/audio)

Station 11 audio

Luke 23:33-­43    

33  
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.  
34  
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” They divided his garments by casting lots.  
35  
The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, “He saved  others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.”  
36  
Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine  
37 
they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”  
38  
Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.”  
39  
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.”  
40  
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?  
41  
And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our  crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.”  
42  
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  
43  
He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” 

Stations of the Cross 10 Jesus is stripped of His garments (w/audio)

Station 10 audio

John 19:23­-24
  
23  
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down.  
24  
So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,”in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled [that says]:  “They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.”

Stations of the Cross 9 Jesus falls the third time (w/audio)

Station 9 audio
Luke 22:28-32

28
It is you who have stood by me in my trials;
29
and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me,
30
that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31
“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,
32
but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.”

Stations of the Cross 8 Jesus speaks to the weeping daughters of Jerusalem (w/audio)

Station 8 audio
Luke 23:27-31

27
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him.
28
Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children,
29
for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’
30
At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
31
for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?”

Stations of the Cross 7 Jesus falls a second time (w/audio)

Station 7 audio

Hebrews 4:15

15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.

Saturday is The Feast of Saint Joseph

The Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of Saint Joseph

(Note: best viewed by clicking each picture for best clarity)

Stations of the Cross 6 Veronica wipes the face of Jesus (w/audio)

Station 6 audio

Matthew 25:40

40

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

Stations of the Cross 5 Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His Cross (w/audio)

Station 5

Mark 15:21

21
They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

Stations of the Cross 4 Jesus meets His afflicted Mother (w/audio)

Station 4 audio

John 19:25-27

25
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
26
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
27
Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Stations of the Cross 3 Jesus falls the first time (w/audio)

Station 3 audio

Isaiah 53:4-7

4
Yet it was our pain that he bore,
our sufferings he endured.
We thought of him as stricken,
struck down by God and afflicted,
5
But he was pierced for our sins,
crushed for our iniquity.
He bore the punishment that makes us whole,
by his wounds we were healed.
6
We had all gone astray like sheep,
all following our own way;
But the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
7
Though harshly treated, he submitted
and did not open his mouth;
Like a lamb led to slaughter
or a sheep silent before shearers,
he did not open his mouth.

Stations of the Cross 2 Jesus carries His Cross (w/audio)

Station 2 audio

John 19:17

So they took Jesus,
17
and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.

Stations of the Cross 1 Jesus is condemned to death (w/audio)

Station 1 audio

Luke 23:18-25


18
But all together they shouted out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.”
19
(Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.)
20
Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus,
21
but they continued their shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22
Pilate addressed them a third time, “What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”
23
With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed.
24
The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted.
25
So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.

A Student's Prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas (w/audio)

A Student's Prayer audio

Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator,

true source of light and fountain of wisdom!

Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect,

dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance.

Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory,

method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend,

and abundant grace in expressing myself.

Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress,

and bring it to successful completion.

This I ask through Jesus Christ,

true God and true man,

living and reigning with You and the Father,

forever and ever.
Amen.

Anima Christi (w/audio)

Anima Christi audio

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds conceal me.
Do not permit me to be parted from you.
From the evil foe protect me.
At the hour of my death call me.
And bid me come to you,
to praise you with all your saints
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Hail, Holy Queen

Hail Holy Queen audio

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you we cry, the children of Eve;
to you we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this land of exile.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us;
lead us home at last
and show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus:
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

.

Take the Eucharist seriously

Yesterday while at Holy Mass I witnessed something that just should not happen, ever.  During communion everything was going smoothly when suddenly one of the three Fathers who was presiding stops, turns around and stops a woman who had just received communion.  He talked to her for a couple of minutes and she seemed to be arguing with him.  Finally the Father was able to continue passing out communion but it was definitely an awkward scene.

What had happened was that the woman had taken the Eucharist in hand but then started to walk away with it.  Thankfully the Father had noticed this and stopped to tell her she needed to eat the Body of Christ and not be walking with it.  I could not hear what was said but it was obvious she wanted to argue the point.  Finally though, after two or three minutes, she finally ate the Eucharist and Father was able to resume giving out communion.  It was good that there were two other Fathers giving out communion as well so that it could continue without too much interruption.

Still, this should never have happened and is a very serious matter.  Here is the thing: when they say you are taking the Body and Blood of Christ it is not a metaphor, nor is it sort of or maybe or kinda like. Christ is wholly, completely and entirely present in the Eucharist and the wine.  It IS the Body and Blood of Christ.  And not just that but in every bit, every crumb, every drop, He is wholly present.  Christ is not divided by any parts of the Eucharist but is whole in every single part. This is not a subject of debate either.  If you are Catholic, this is what must be understood and believed with your whole heart.

Now you might say that she just didn’t know and this may be true but it illustrates another fact.  Become informed.  You cannot just go to Church on Sunday, go through the motions and expect to be done.  Your relationship with God is just that, a relationship.  It's not something you just do on the surface, when you have time, to fill an obligation.  It’s not something you do with just your head but with your heart also.

With your head, make an effort to learn.  If you don’t already have one, buy the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Then be curious about your faith, even if you have been going to Holy Mass your entire life because there is always something to learn.

With your heart, take what you have learned and make it a part of your everyday existence.  Take is seriously, not just as a guideline but as your guide.  Take it all to heart.

Submit to God.  All His promises are true and you are never alone.

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. 

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. 

May God rebuke him we humbly pray; 

and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, 

by the Power of God, 

cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, 

who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.  

Amen.