His Infinite Suffering
Palm Sunday 2020
Holy Week begins with Our Lord’s triumphal entrance into His city, Jerusalem. The outpouring of fervor by the pilgrims there for the Passover was increased by the recent raising of Lazarus from the dead. The city, which did not welcome Him when the Magi came and announced His birth, did so now in such a way that His foes were left feeling powerless. All would change by the end of the week and today’s liturgy shows that as well with the Passion. First Communion today is an opportunity to receive Our Lord as the children of the Hebrews did many years ago.
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Let Me Praise You, O Holy Virgin
Palm Sunday 2021
In response to a recent statement that the Virgin Mary’s title of Co-Redemptrix is “foolishness” we have this special message. It is a brief and powerful defense of our Blessed Mother’s title of Co-Redemptrix with a simple explanation of its meaning and how important it is for the Church’s prayer and life.
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Favored By God
Feast Of The Annunciation 2021
This feast celebrates the moment when salvation began with the acceptance by the Blessed Virgin Mary of her role as Mother of God and Co-Redemptrix of the human race. God became Man today and the Incarnation is the chief teaching of the Catholic Church about Jesus Christ. This also marks the anniversary of Our Lord’s ordination as a priest. All this elevates the Immaculate Virgin to the threshold of divinity by her proximity to the hypostatic union which took place in her womb. This can be considered her greatest feast. It was a privilege for some of us to have visited the Holy House of Loretto because this is the place where it started. We should not be rude in prayer by letting ourselves be distracted from speaking with God.
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O Happy Fault
Passion Sunday 2021
Today is also the feast of St. Benedict whose influence has had such an impact on western civilization. Later this week we have St. John Damascene who defended our use of images of the saints. The liturgical year is our response to Our Lord’s command at the Last Supper to “Do this in memory of Me”. Passion Sunday continues this on the road to Calvary by having us veil the statues of the saints as a penance and suffering. This unites us with the sufferings of Christ and sanctifies our own sufferings which are our means of sanctification. With this appreciation for our living in this vale of tears we can look upon Adam’s sin as something from which we can and should benefit.
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Father Of God
Feast Of St. Joseph 2021
The Incarnation and the Redemption depend also on the head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph, who was the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the father, although not the biological father, of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without St. Joseph our salvation would not have been accomplished. God the Father infused a spark of His own paternal love and care into the heart of St. Joseph so this man would love His Son on earth and raise Jesus to be the Perfect Man. Although Christ looked like His Mother, Jesus acted like St. Joseph. As he cared for Our Lady and Our Lord, St. Joseph has cared for us and all those dedicated to him. The vestments today attest to that care by St. Joseph and miracle of the Holy Stairs in Santa Fe do also. Go to Joseph because he watches over us.
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Foretaste Of The Holy Mass
Laetare Sunday – 4th Sunday In Lent 2021
The Gospel today tells about the multiplication of the loaves and fishes by Our Lord about a year before His Passion and Death. This miracle was a preparation for the first Mass and the institution of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday. The happiness that we receive from the Blessed Sacrament is what gives joy to this Sunday in the middle of Lent and is expressed in the liturgy by the beautiful rose color of the vestments today. In addition, a golden rose was customarily blessed on this day, used to decorate the altar and then given to a Catholic monarch who assisted at the Mass. The sacredness of the Holy Eucharist demands reverence in its administration as St. Thomas Aquinas said centuries ago.
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Baptism Rite Is A Mini-Lent
3rd Sunday in Lent 2021
Today is also the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas who is a model of many things including fidelity to a vocation. The Liturgy of Lent continues to prepare the catechumens and penitents for the Sacred Triduum. The daily Masses for this week are geared by the Church for this purpose. Today’s Gospel returns our attention to the enemy of our spiritual life, namely, the devil. We can draw all the defense we need against this foe from the Mass and Sacraments, especially the exorcising power of priests. We are reminded at the end of this account from St. Luke of Our Lady’s role in combating the evil one. The Blessed Mother has empowered us with the Holy Rosary which carries the mysteries of our Faith in our hands whenever we are unable to be at the altar.
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Stational Churches And Bible Types
Conference On First Friday, March 2021
Lent has a special Mass for each day and a church in Rome for its celebration. The catechumens and penitents were instructed on the faith and penance. The texts chosen taught how the Old Testament pointed the way to the Messiah and His upcoming sacrifice on the Cross. They also encouraged them to seek forgiveness for their sins from a most merciful God who only wishes good for us.
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Consolation of the Transfiguration
2nd Sunday In Lent 2021
Our Lord took the three apostles who would soon be tested during His agony in the garden and showed them a glimpse of His divinity during the theophany on Mt. Tabor so they would be strengthened by the remembrance of it at that crucial time. We too are consoled by this sight as we struggle through Lent with our eyes always fixed on the goal which is our glorification in the end with our Risen Savior.
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