Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 04-07-15, SOL, Tuesday within the Octave of Easter

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 04-07-15 | Revised New American Bible

[Bigg Red]

...and about three thousand persons were added that day.

***
Our diocese welcomed about 200 converts this Eastertide.

He is risen! Hallelujah!

[annalex]

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 20
11.	But Mary stood at the sepulchre without, weeping. Now as she was weeping, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,	Maria autem stabat ad monumentum foris, plorans. Dum ergo fleret, inclinavit se, et prospexit in monumentum :	μαρια δε ειστηκει προς το μνημειον κλαιουσα εξω ως ουν εκλαιεν παρεκυψεν εις το μνημειον
12.	And she saw two angels in white, sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid.	et vidit duos angelos in albis sedentes, unum ad caput, et unum ad pedes, ubi positum fuerat corpus Jesu.	και θεωρει δυο αγγελους εν λευκοις καθεζομενους ενα προς τη κεφαλη και ενα προς τοις ποσιν οπου εκειτο το σωμα του ιησου
13.	They say to her: Woman, why weepest thou? She saith to them: Because they have taken away my Lord; and I know not where they have laid him.	Dicunt ei illi : Mulier, quid ploras ? Dicit eis : Quia tulerunt Dominum meum : et nescio ubi posuerunt eum.	και λεγουσιν αυτη εκεινοι γυναι τι κλαιεις λεγει αυτοις οτι ηραν τον κυριον μου και ουκ οιδα που εθηκαν αυτον
14.	When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing; and she knew not that it was Jesus.	Hæc cum dixisset, conversa est retrorsum, et vidit Jesum stantem : et non sciebat quia Jesus est.	και ταυτα ειπουσα εστραφη εις τα οπισω και θεωρει τον ιησουν εστωτα και ουκ ηδει οτι ιησους εστιν
15.	Jesus saith to her: Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, thinking it was the gardener, saith to him: Sir, if thou hast taken him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.	Dicit ei Jesus : Mulier, quid ploras ? quem quæris ? Illa existimans quia hortulanus esset, dicit ei : Domine, si tu sustulisti eum, dicito mihi ubi posuisti eum, et ego eum tollam.	λεγει αυτη ο ιησους γυναι τι κλαιεις τινα ζητεις εκεινη δοκουσα οτι ο κηπουρος εστιν λεγει αυτω κυριε ει συ εβαστασας αυτον ειπε μοι που εθηκας αυτον καγω αυτον αρω
16.	Jesus saith to her: Mary. She turning, saith to him: Rabboni (which is to say, Master).	Dicit ei Jesus : Maria. Conversa illa, dicit ei : Rabboni (quod dicitur Magister).	λεγει αυτη ο ιησους μαρια στραφεισα εκεινη λεγει αυτω ραββουνι ο λεγεται διδασκαλε
17.	Jesus saith to her: Do not touch me, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren, and say to them: I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.	Dicit ei Jesus : Noli me tangere, nondum enim ascendi ad Patrem meum : vade autem ad fratres meos, et dic eis : Ascendo ad Patrem meum, et Patrem vestrum, Deum meum, et Deum vestrum.	λεγει αυτη ο ιησους μη μου απτου ουπω γαρ αναβεβηκα προς τον πατερα μου πορευου δε προς τους αδελφους μου και ειπε αυτοις αναβαινω προς τον πατερα μου και πατερα υμων και θεον μου και θεον υμων
18.	Mary Magdalen cometh, and telleth the disciples: I have seen the Lord, and these things he said to me.	Venit Maria Magdalene annuntians discipulis : Quia vidi Dominum, et hæc dixit mihi.	ερχεται μαρια η μαγδαληνη απαγγελλουσα τοις μαθηταις οτι εωρακεν τον κυριον και ταυτα ειπεν αυτη

[annalex]

11. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher,
12. And sees two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13. And they say to her, Woman, why weep you? She says to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
14. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15. Jesus says to her, Woman, why weep you? whom seek you? She, supposing him to be the gardener, says to him, Sir, if you have borne him from here, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.
16. Jesus says to her, Mary. She turned herself, and says to him, Rabboni; which is to say Master.
17. Jesus says to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
18. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things to her.

GREG. Mary Magdalene, who had been the sinner in the city, and who had washed out the spots of her sins by her tears, whose soul burned with love, did not retire from the sepulcher when the others did: Then the disciples went away again to their own home.

AUG. i.e. To the place where they were lodging, and from which they had ran to the sepulcher. But though the men returned, the stronger love of the woman fixed her to the spot. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping.

AUG. i.e. Outside of the place where the stone sepulcher was, but yet within the garden.

CHRYS. Be not astonished that Mary wept for love at the sepulcher, and Peter did not; for the female sex is naturally tender, and inclined to weep.

AUG. The eyes then which had sought our Lord, and found Him not, now wept without interruption; more for grief that our Lord had been removed, than for His death upon the cross. For now even all memorial of Him was taken away.

AUG. She then saw, with the other women, the Angel sitting on the right, on the stone which had been rolled away from the sepulcher, at whose words it was that she looked into the sepulcher.

CHRYS. The sight of the sepulcher itself was some consolation. Nay, behold her, to console herself still more, stooping down, to see the very place where the body lay: And as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher.

GREG. For to have looked once is not enough for love. Love makes one desire to look over and over again.

AUG. In her too great grief she could believe neither her own eyes, nor the disciples. Or was it a divine impulse which caused her to look in?

GREG. She sought the body, and found it not; she persevered in seeking; and so it came to pass that she found. Her longings growing the stronger, the more they were disappointed, at last found and laid hold on their object. For holy longings ever gain strength by delay, did they not, they would not be longings. Mary so loved, that not content with seeing the sepulcher, she stooped down and looked in: let us see the fruit which came of this persevering love: And sees two Angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain,

CHRYS. As her understanding was not so raised as to be able to gather from the napkins the fact of the resurrection, she is given the sight of Angels in bright apparel, who soothe her sorrow

AUG. But why did one sit at the head, the other at the feet? To signify that the glad tidings of Christ's Gospel was to be delivered from the head to the feet, from the beginning to the end. The Greek word Angel means one who delivers news.

GREG. The Angel sits at the head when the Apostles preach that in the beginning was the Word: he sits, as it were, at the feet, when it is said, The Word was made flesh. By the two Angels too we may understand the two testaments; both of which proclaim alike the incarnation, death, and resurrection of our Lord. The Old seems to sit at the head, the New at the feet.

CHRYS. The Angels who appear say nothing about the resurrection; but by degrees the subject is entered on. First of all they address her compassionately, to prevent her from being overpowered by a spectacle of such extraordinary brightness: And they say to her, Woman, why weep you? The Angels forbade tears, and announced, as it were, the joy that was at hand: Why weep you? As if to say, Weep not.

GREG. The very declarations of Scripture which excite our tears of love, wipe away those very tears, by promising us the sight of our Redeemer again.

AUG. But she, thinking that they wanted to know why she wept, tells them the reason: She says to them, Because they have taken away my Lord. The lifeless body of her Lord, she calls her Lord, putting the part for the whole; just as we confess that Jesus Christ the Son of God was buried, when only His flesh was buried. And I know not where here they hare placed Him: it was a still greater grief, that she did not know where to go to console her grief.

CHRYS. As yet she knew nothing of the resurrection, but thought the body had been taken away.

AUG. Here the Angels must be understood to rise up, for Luke describes them as seen standing.

AUG. The hour was now come, which the Angels announced, when sorrow should be succeeded by joy: And when she had thus said, she turned herself back.

CHRYS. But why, when she is talking to the Angels, and before she has heard any thing from them, does she turn back? It seems to me that while she was speaking, Christ appeared behind her, and that the Angels by their posture, look, and motion, showed that they saw our Lord, and that thus it was that she turned back.

GREG. We must observe that Mary, who as yet doubted our Lord's resurrection, turned back to see Jesus. By her doubting she turned her back, as it were, upon our Lord. Yet inasmuch as she loved, she saw Him. She loved and doubted: she saw, and did not recognize Him: And saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

CHRYS. To the Angels He appeared as their Lord but not so to c the woman, for the sight coming upon her all at once, would have stupefied her. She was not to be lifted suddenly, but gradually to high things.

GREG. Jesus says to her, Woman, why do you weep? He asks the cause of her grief, to set her longing still more. For the mere mentioning His name whom she sought would inflame her love for Him.

CHRYS. Because He appeared as a common person, she c thought Him the gardener: She, supposing Him to be the gardener, says to Him, Sir, if you have borne Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and 1 will take Him away. i.e. If you have taken Him away from fear of the Jews, tell me, and I will take Him again.

THEOPHYL. She was afraid that the Jews might vent their rage even on the lifeless body, and therefore wished to remove it to some secret place.

GREG. Perhaps, however, the woman was right, in believing Jesus to be the gardener. Was not He the spiritual Gardener, who by the power of His love had sown strong seeds of virtue in her breast? But how is it that, as soon as she sees the gardener, as she supposes Him to be, she says without having told Him who it was she was seeking, Sir, if you have borne Him from here? It arises from her love; when one loves a person, one never thinks that any one else can be ignorant of him.

Our Lord, after calling her by the common name of her sex, and not being recognized, calls her by her own name: Jesus says to her, Mary; as if to say, Recognize Him, who recognizes you. Mary, being called by name, recognizes Him; that it was He whom she sought externally, and He who taught her internally to seek. She turned herself, and says to Him, Rabooni; which its to say, Master.

CHRYS. Just as He was sometimes in the midst of the Jews, and they did not know Him till He pleased to make Himself known. But why does she turn herself; when she had turned herself before? It seems to me that when she said, Where you have laid Him, she turned to the Angels, to ask why they were astonished. Then Christ, calling her, discovered Himself by His voice, and made her turn to Him again.

AUG. Or she first turned her body, but thought Him what He was not; now she was turned in heart, and knew who He was. Let no one however blame her, because she called the gardener, Lord, and Jesus, Master. The one was a title of courtesy to a person from whom she was asking a favor; the other of respect to a Teacher from whom she was used to learn to distinguish the divine from the human. The word Lord is used in different senses, when she says, They have taken away my Lord, and when she says, Lord, if you have borne Him away.

GREG The Evangelist does not add what she did upon recognizing Him, but we know from what our Lord said to her: Jesus says to her, Touch Me not. Mary then had tried to embrace His feet, but was not allowed. Why not? The reason follows: For I am not yet ascended to My Father.

AUG. But if standing upon the earth, He is not touched, how shall He be touched sitting in heaven? And did He not before His ascension offer Himself to the touch of the disciples: Handle Me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones? Who can be so absurd as to suppose that He was willing that disciples should touch Him before He ascended to His Father, and unwilling that women should till after Nay, we read of women after the resurrection, and before He ascended to His Father, touching Him, one of whom was Mary Magdalene herself, according to Matthew. Either then Mary here is a type of the Gentile Church, which did not believe in Christ till after His ascension: or the meaning is that Jesus is to be believed in, i.e. spiritually touched, in no other way, but as being one with the Father. He ascends to the Father mystically, as it were, in the mind of him who has so far advanced as to acknowledge that He is equal to the Father. But how could Mary believe in Him otherwise than carnally, when she wept for Him as a man?

AUG. Touch is as it were the end of knowledge and He was unwilling that a soul intent upon Him should have its end, in thinking Him only what He seemed to be.

CHRYS. Mary wished to be as familiar with Christ now, as she was before His Passion; forgetting, in her joy, that His body was made much more holy by its resurrection. So, Touch Me not, He says, to remind her of this, and make her feel awe in talking with Him. For which reason too He no longer keeps company with His disciples, viz. that they might look upon Him with the greater awe. Again, by saying I have not yet ascended, He shows that He is hastening there. And He who was going to depart and live no more with men, ought not to be regarded with the same feeling that He was before: But go to My brethren, and say to them, I ascend to My Father, and you Father; and to My God, and your God.

HILARY. Heretics, among their other impieties, misinterpret these words of our Lord's, and say, that if His Father is their Father, His God their God, He cannot be God Himself. But though He remained in the form of God, He took upon Him the form of a servant; and Christ says this in the form of a servant to men. And we cannot doubt that in so far as He is man, the Father is His Father in the same sense in which He is of other men, and God His God in like manner. Indeed He begins with saying, Go to My brethren, But God can only have brethren according to the flesh; the Only-Begotten God, being Only-Begotten, is without brethren.

AUG. He does not say, Our Father, but, My Father and your Father: Mine therefore and yours in a different sense; Mine by nature, yours by grace. Nor does He say, Our God, but My God - under Him I am man - and your God; between you and Him I am Mediator.

AUG. She then went away from. the sepulcher, i.e. from that part of the garden before the rock which had been hollowed out, and with her the other women. But these, according to Mark, were seized with trembling and amazement, and said nothing to any man: Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

GREG. So the sin of mankind is buried in the very place whence it came forth. For whereas in Paradise the woman gave the man the deadly fruit, a woman from the sepulcher announced life to men; a woman delivers the message of Him who raises us from the dead, as a woman had delivered the words of the serpent who slew us.

AUG. While she was going with the other women, according to Matthew, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. So we gather that there were two visions of Angels ; and that our Lord too was seen twice once when Mary took Him for the gardener, and again, when He met them by the way, and by this repeating His presence confirmed their faith. And so Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples, not alone, but with the other women whom Luke mentions.

BEDE. Mystically, Mary, which name signifies, mistress, enlightened, enlightener, star of the sea, stands for the Church, which is also Magdalene, i.e. towered, (Magdalene being Greek for tower) as we read in the Psalms, you have been a strong tower for me. In that she announced Christ's resurrection to the disciples, all, especially those to whom the office of preaching is committed are admonished to be zealous in setting forth to others whatever is revealed from above.

Catena Aurea John 20

[annalex]

Appearence to Mary Magdalene (Noli me tangere)

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 51 x 57 cm
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena

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Crucifixion with Saints and Noli Me Tangere

around 1350
Tempera and gold on wood, 56 x 38 cm
Pinacoteca, Vatican

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Noli Me Tangere

Fra Angelico

1440-42
Fresco, 166 x 125 cm
Convento di San Marco, Florence

[Salvation]

Saint John Baptist de la Salle, Priest

Saint John Baptist de la Salle, Priest
Memorial
April 7th


Rome, the chapel of the Generalate: the relics of Saint John Baptist DE LA SALLE. After 187 years at Rouen and 31 years at Lembecq-lez-Hal (Belgium), these relics were transferred to Rome in 1937, arriving on January 24. The following day, they were received into the present chapel with great solemnity.

Saint John Baptist de la Salle was born in Rheims, France, known as the Father of Modern Pedagogy. He opened free schools for poor children, introducing new teaching methods. He organized the congregation called the Brothers of the Christian Schools which made great contributions to popular education.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

Collect:
O God, who chose Saint John Baptist de la Salle
to educate young Christians,
raise up, we pray, teachers in your Church
ready to devote themselves wholeheartedly
to the human and Christian formation of the young,
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: 2 Timothy 1:13-14 - 2:1-3
Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

"Whoever receives one such child in my name receives Me."

[Salvation]

John Baptist de La Salle 1651 - 1719 [Feast day: April 7th]

[Salvation]

Information: St. John Baptist de la Salle

Feast Day: April 7

Born: 1651 at Rheims, France

Died: 1719 at Rouen, France

Canonized: 24 May 1900 by Pope Leo XIII

Major Shrine: Sanctuary of John Baptist de La Salle, Casa Generalizia, Rome, Italy.

Patron of: educators, school principals, teachers

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. John Baptist De La Salle

Feast Day: April 07
Born: 1651 :: Died: 1719

 

This Benedictine monk had once been a sickly child. He had a very noticeable speech impediment all his life. Notker was determined not to let it get in his way. This made him even more likable than he already was.

He and two other friends, Tutilo and Radpert, were very happy monks. They encouraged each other in their vocations at the monastery of Saint Gall in Germany. Their common love for God and for music made them lifelong friends. You can read about St. Tutilo on March 28.

King Charles visited the great monastery from time to time. He highly respected Notker and asked him for advice. Unfortunately, he didn't usually follow the advice. One time King Charles sent his messenger to ask to see the monk. Notker was taking care of his garden. He sent this message: "Take care of your garden as I am taking care of mine." King Charles understood that he should be taking better care of his own soul and of his kingdom.

The king's personal chaplain was educated but very conceited. He was upset because the king valued Notker's opinion so much. In front of everybody at court one day, he asked Notker, "Since you are so intelligent, tell me what God is doing right now." The priest smiled at the monk, thinking he would never have an answer. Instead, Notker responded quickly, "God is doing now what he has always done. He is pushing down those who are proud and is raising up the lowly." The people started laughing as the chaplain quickly left the room.

St. John Baptist De La Salle spent the rest of his life in his chosen vocation. He did many little extra things to make monastery life pleasant for the monks. With his friends, Tutilo and Radpert, he created beautiful music for the worship of God.

Reflection: "God is doing now what he has always done. He is pushing down those who are proud and is raising up the lowly."-St. John Baptist De La Salle

[Salvation]

Day 97 - Healings at Simon's House // Jesus Preaches and Heals throughout Galilee

 

Today's Reading: Mark 1:29-39

29 And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them. 32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together about the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him followed him, 37 and they found him and said to him, "Every one is searching for you." 38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Today's Commentary:

That evening: i.e., after sunset on the Sabbath (Saturday). Bringing the sick and demon-possessed to Jesus was laborious and thus unlawful before the Sabbath day ended. See note on Mk 1:21.

in the morning: Following Mark's chronology, Jesus prayed early Sunday morning following the Sabbath. His practice anticipates the liturgical prayer of the Church early on the first day of the week (CCC 2174). Jesus also practices what he preaches on the propriety of solitary prayer (Mt 6:5-6; CCC 2602). See note on Mk 1:32.

[Salvation]

Catholic Spiritual Direction.com

Jesus is Asking You… (Part II of IV)

April 7, 2015 by Carmelite Sisters  

Jesus Is Asking You… (Part II of IV)
Either He Rose From the Dead…Or He Didn’t
Excerpts from the Weekend Retreat Talks of Father Stash Dailey

Editor’s Note: In Part I, we looked at the question that Jesus is asking, where Jesus meets us and the fact that He comes to us every day at every moment. In today’s post, we will look at Christ’s question today and the impact of the Resurrection.

The Question Today and the Resurrection

Now something is drastically different from the first time this question is posed to now, when it is posed to each one of us. When the Lord Jesus Christ poses this question to Peter and to the other Apostles, He has not yet died on the cross. He has not yet risen from the dead. But He is asking us now, 2000 years later, post-Resurrection. Whether the question is asked through the proclamation of the Gospel, or by our loved ones who call us onto the carpet for being hypocrites saying “you practice your faith and yet you don’t fully live it out,” or whether it is asked of us in the silence of our prayers when the Lord whispers within the confines of our own heart, “Who do you say that I am?”, the Resurrection has to shape the way we answer the question.

There is a plague afflicting Holy Mother the Church, a disease eating away at the Mystical Body of Christ. That is the ignorance of Resurrection. Too many Catholic Christians, too many Christians at large, too many individuals live their lives in the ignorance of the Resurrection. That is an abomination. You see, either Jesus came back from the dead or He didn’t. One or the other. There is no middle ground. Either He rose from the dead or He didn’t.

Our Holy Father Pope Francis has really shaken everything up a bit. Not within the Church, but in the world. If you actually read what he writes, and listen to what he says, he hasn’t changed anything within Holy Mother the Church. What he has changed is the message we have been proclaiming, he has altered the words adding a bit of severity. He has called the world to task reminding us of the truth that either Jesus came back from the dead or He didn’t. And for those who proclaim the name of the living God, the holy name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we had better know deep within us the reality of the Resurrection.

Impact of the Resurrection

The Resurrection is the nucleus of our faith. If He did come back from the dead, everything has been changed. Everything. We too have been affected by His Resurrection. And once we encounter Jesus Christ come back from the dead we can never be the same. In every encounter we have with the Lord, in every prayer we offer, in every Mass we attend, in every conversation we have with our loved ones who are also Christians we can never be left the same. Some element of who we are whether it is minute in size or great, some element of who we are has to be changed, has to be converted over to the Lord. The way we think, the way we pray, the way we live, the way we enter into silence, the way we use our words, the way we pray through every moment of the day. Some dimension of who we are has to be changed as a result of our encounter with Jesus Christ risen from the dead.

Once we have had that encounter with Jesus, then we start to tap into the source of everlasting life. We start to see that there is a meaning to everything. Our own identity becomes absolutely overwhelmed by the love that God has for us. Even something as difficult as the death of a spouse becomes an invitation to no longer view death as the world views it but rather as Christ defines it. When we have an encounter with Jesus Christ risen from the dead, the moment, the event, the action of the Resurrection completely redefines all of reality and that which is normal. Jesus redefines normal and we gain a perspective on life that no one else has.

 Editor’s Note: In Part III, we will look at seeing and living with Resurrected eyes, the reality of the Resurrection for everyone and what it is that makes us Christian.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

 

Daily Readings for:April 07, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who have bestowed on us paschal remedies, endow your people with heavenly gifts, so that, possessed of perfect freedom, they may rejoice in heaven over what gladdens them now on earth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o    Cold Glazed Baked Ham

o    Fruit Tapioca Parfait

ACTIVITIES

o    Easter Breakfast Picnic

o    Liturgy of Easter Sunday and the Octave of Easter

o    Slovakian Easter Custom

PRAYERS

o    Easter Week Table Blessing

o    Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter Season (2nd Plan)

o    Easter Tuesday Prayers

o    Easter Prayers (for the Octave of Easter)

o    Divine Mercy Novena

o    Annunciation Novena

o    Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter Week (1st Plan)

o    Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter (1st Plan)

o    Novena for the Annunciation

o    Victimae Paschali: The Easter Sequence

·         Easter: April 7th

·         Easter Tuesday

 

Old Calendar: Easter Tuesday

The first eight days of the Easter season form the Easter octave and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord. Each day is another little Easter. The Alleluia verse is repeated throughout the octave: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Alleluia!"

Stational Church

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The Easter sequence (Victimae paschali) can also be said or sung during the week.

The Gospel continues to relate the story of Christ's resurrection — how Mary Magdalene and the other Mary meet Jesus. Jesus tells them "Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

During the Easter Season, first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. Today is Acts 2:36-41. Peter is preaching on the day of Pentecost to the Jews: "The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ....You must repent and....be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." They repented, and 3000 were baptized that day.

Our Easter joy should be overflowing. A wonderful Ukrainian (and Polish and Slovakian) custom is the greeting of one another with the words: Khrystos Voskres (Christ is risen). The answer to this greeting is Voistynu Voskres (He is risen, indeed or He is truly risen). Let us adopt this custom to our English language and show our Easter joy to all.

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At Rome, the Station for today is in the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. The church is impatient to lead her white-robed newly baptized to the Apostle of the Gentiles. Though he is not the foundation of the Church, he is the companion of Peter's labors in Rome, his fellow-martyr, and the preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 20:11-18

Tuesday within the Octave of Easter

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. (John 20:11)

Place a straw in a clear glass of water. Doesn’t it look a bit distorted in its new place? Or try looking out your window during a rainstorm. Doesn’t the water on the windowpane blur your view? This is called refraction, the same process by which eyeglasses can help correct a person’s vision.

Sometimes our spiritual vision gets distorted too, and we need help to correct it. This is one way of looking at what happened to Mary Magdalene in today’s Gospel reading. She was so distraught at Jesus’ empty tomb that all she could see was a conspiracy to remove his dead body. Her vision was so skewed that even when Jesus stood before her, all she could see was a gardener. But then, as Pope Francis put it, “rather than feel like she had failed again, she simply cries. Sometimes in our lives tears are the lenses we need to see Jesus.”

It’s ironic, but Mary’s tears corrected her vision. As she unburdened herself of all her grief and loss, she could finally see Jesus as her beloved “Rabbouni” (John 20:16). In a way, she fulfilled the words of the psalmist: “Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy” (Psalm 126:5). Pope Francis went on to say, “Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace of tears—it’s a beautiful grace—and ask for the grace to be able to say with our lives, ‘I have seen the Lord, not because he appeared to me, but because I saw him with my heart.’ ”

When was the last time you felt overwhelmed and couldn’t find a way through your confusion, bitterness, or grief? Jesus loves to meet us in situations like these. He doesn’t look down on us for losing our hope or faith. Quite the contrary! As he did for Mary Magdalene, he rushes to our side to comfort us and give us new insight and new direction. So keep your eyes open. Be like Mary, and look again. And again. And again. Look until you can find the Lord.

May our hearts always be open to the surprising presence of the Lord!

“Risen Lord, help me soften my heart so that I can see you ever before me!”

Acts 2:36-41; Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22

[Salvation]

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for April 7, 2015:

Many married couples’ lives are hectic. Take a rest break today. Yes, you may have responsibilities, but if you can’t find time to rest today, commit to doing it some day this week. Rest in each other’s arms for a moment, or an hour.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

From Tears of Sorrow to Tears of Joy

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

April 7, 2015. Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

John 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don´t know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding onto me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ´I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.´" Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are the source of all life because you are life itself. Your resurrection gives me the hope of being raised from the dead to rejoice with you in heaven forever. I need to reflect more often on the good you have done for us and on your promises to those who put their trust in you. Thank you, Jesus, for taking up your life again and leading the way home to heaven. I love you, and I want to follow after you with all my heart. I want to cooperate more fully with you in bringing many others there with me.

Petition: Lord, grant me a faith that is alive, operative and fruitful.

1. Blinded by Love, Mary Stayed Weeping: St. John observes that “they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:9). Because the reality of the Resurrection had not yet entered into the mind, and much less the heart, Mary stayed weeping outside Christ’s tomb. Take this moment to contemplate this moving scene which shows Mary’s deep love for Our Lord. Even angels could not persuade her with their questioning: “Why are you weeping?” Admire her love; imitate her love; want what she wanted – to be with her Lord, always! May our love for Our Lord give us the same fortitude in love that Mary showed at the tomb.

2. They Had Taken Her Love Away: Poor Mary! The sorrows of her life were so mean and pitiful. One sad day, desperation had led her into a life of prostitution. With her dignity gone, her empty soul seemed suited only to be a haven for roaming devils (cf. Luke 8:3; Mark 16:9). The world, the flesh and the devil saw her only with contempt and selfish opportunity. But Our Lord had seen her differently and loved her differently. The love that he had restored to her life, however, was now trampled upon as she contemplated his empty tomb. See her heart, already heavy with grief and horror as she had witnessed her Lord mistreated, beaten and crucified. All these thoughts welled up in her mind and caused her to conclude, “They have taken my Lord.” Feel the depths of her helplessness as she finished her thought: “And I don´t know where they laid him.”

3. “Why Are You Weeping?” Mary’s love was at the right time, in the right place and for the right person. Her tears were for her Lord. Jesus, moved by Mary’s expression of love, would not let her remain in such a state. It is now Christ who asks her, “Why are you weeping?” In effect, Jesus is saying, “The sins of your past will no longer have power over you. Nor will those cruel men, or the devil. I am here and I am the Resurrection, the Way, the Truth and the Life! Sin, evil men, the devil, and death itself might stake their claim on you, but they cannot have you, for you are mine! I have bought you with the price of my own blood; I have laid down my life for you, my friend!” Our Lord sums up this great truth with but a simple, tender utterance of her name: “Mary”. Yes, Jesus knows us personally and loves us in a personal way. We must come to our senses and believe in the truth of the Resurrection. We must believe in Jesus.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you lead me to life everlasting. Let me draw ever closer to you, trusting always in your ways and never fearing the cross. May I love you from the little cross of my life, whatever its form or character may be.

Resolution: I will seek out a friend I may have alienated by my bad example or lack of self-control, and I will strive to be reconciled through a generous act of charity and understanding.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 3

<< Tuesday, April 7, 2015 >>

Easter Week

Acts 2:36-41
View Readings

Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22

John 20:11-18
Similar Reflections

"THEY DO RUN, RUN, RUN"

"Rather, go to My brothers and tell them." —John 20:17

Jesus is risen, and we are His witnesses! After you renewed your baptismal promises on Easter, did you explode from the starting blocks, run into the whole world, and proclaim joy, freedom, and victory in the risen Christ? If so, you are like Mary Magdalene on resurrection day. Keep on running for Jesus (see 2 Tm 4:7).

If, however, on this third day of the Easter octave beginning the Easter season, you are not running with the gospel, but are dawdling at the starting line, then repent, renew your baptismal promises again, and be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). "Save yourselves from this generation which has gone astray" (Acts 2:40).

If we don't reject Satan, we refuse to let the love of Christ impel us to proclaim the good news of the risen Christ (see 2 Cor 5:14). We don't reject Satan if we have love for the world (1 Jn 2:15) and if we don't crucify our flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:24). We don't reject Satan if we don't believe in and love the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (see Lk 10:27).

Therefore, let the risen Christ burn and purify your heart through His Word (see Lk 24:32). Then speak from the abundance of your heart (Lk 6:45), and renew your baptismal promises again. Then bolt from the blocks with the good news of the risen Christ.

Prayer: Father, make me a sprinter, miler, and marathon runner for love of You.

Promise: "Those who accepted his message were baptized; some three thousand were added that day." —Acts 2:41

Praise: Alleluia! Praise Jesus, raised from the dead by the Father and in the power of the Spirit! Praise Jesus, "the Resurrection and the Life"! (Jn 11:25) Alleluia!

[Salvation]