[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: April 03, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Almighty ever-living God, grant us so to celebrate the mysteries of the Lord's Passion that we may merit to receive your pardon. 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

• Holy Thursday Meal Menu

ACTIVITIES

• A Jonas (Jonah) Project
• Holy Week in the Catholic Tradition
• Housecleaning for Holy Week I
• Housecleaning for Holy Week II
• Jonas and Holy Week
• Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week in the Home
• Music for Lent and Easter: St. Matthew Passion by Bach
• Open, O Hard and Sinful Heart!
• Spring Cleaning
• The Passover Meal: 1. Introduction

PRAYERS

• Prayer for Tuesday of Holy Week
• Prayer Before a Crucifix
• Prayer for Palm Sunday and Holy Week
• Way of the Cross
• To Keep A True Lent
• Family Evening Prayer for Holy Week

Lent: April 3rd

  Tuesday of Holy Week Old Calendar: Tuesday of Holy Week

"False witnesses have stood up against me, and my enemies threaten violence; Lord, do not surrender me into their power!" Our Lord calls upon His heavenly Father to shield Him against His enemies. In God's providence, however, the Cross of Christ was destined to be a sign of glory and not an emblem of shame: from that Cross came victory over Satan, from it came life, resurrection and salvation: "It behooves us to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, by whom we are saved and delivered."

On the Cross Our Lord expiated our avarice by His extreme poverty, our sensuality by His most bitter sufferings, our pride by His profound humiliations, our disobedience by His most perfect submission to the Will of God. Embracing us with His extended arms He draws us into the path which He has trod and which alone leads to life eternal. — Cathedral Daily Missal

Stational Church

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Meditation
Today, again, our Savior sets out in the morning for Jerusalem. His intention is to repair to the temple, and continue His yesterday's teachings. It is evident that His mission on earth is fast drawing to its close. He says to His disciples: "You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to be crucified."

On the road from Bethania to Jerusalem, the disciples are surprised at seeing the fig-tree, which their divine Master had yesterday cursed, now dead. Addressing himself to Jesus, Peter says: "Rabbi, behold, the fig-tree, which Thou didst curse, is withered away." In order to teach us that the whole of material nature is subservient to the will of God, Jesus replies: "Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain: Be thou removed and cast into the sea! and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done, it shall be done unto him."

Having entered the city, Jesus directs His steps towards the temple. No sooner has He entered, than the chief priests, the scribes, and the ancients of the people, accost Him with these words: "By what authority dost Thou do these things and who has given Thee this authority, that Thou shouldst do these things?" We shall find our Lord's answer given in the Gospel. Our object is to mention the leading events of the last days of our Redeemer on earth; the holy volume will supply the details.

As on the two preceding days, Jesus leaves the city towards evening: He passes over Mount Olivet, and returns to Bethania, where He finds His blessed Mother and His devoted friends.

— The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

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The Station today is at the church of St. Prisca. Saint Prisca was baptized by Saint Peter when she was thirteen. She was thrown to the lions by Claudius (41-54), but the lion only licked her feet. She was then beheaded. Her home was made into a church by Pope Saint Eutychianus (275-283), who placed her remains under the high altar. It was probably one of the first gathering places for Christians in Rome.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Isaiah 49:1-6

“I thought I had toiled in vain …” (Isaiah 49:4)

At the Last Supper, Jesus would certainly have had every reason to be disappointed. For the past three years, he had devoted his life to persuasive preaching; to giving an example of self-sacrifice and uncon­ditional love; and to bringing about dramatic victories over sickness, demonic powers, and even death. Yet no matter how hard he worked, God’s reign on earth still seemed like a distant dream.

Political leaders still dismissed him. Zealots were still relying on swords to usher in the kingdom of God. Religious leaders were jealous of his popularity and threatened by his seeming disregard for their nar­row rules. Many who once followed him enthusiastically had lost their passion or had become afraid and decided to go back home.

Then he looked around the table at his closest friends. He knew that one of them was about to betray him. Another ardently professed life­long loyalty, but Jesus saw that in just a few hours this fellow would deny ever having met him. The rest seemed to be completely unaware of all that hung in the balance. Was it all worth it?

Perhaps we too are facing disap­pointments. Our poor choices may have had devastating consequences for us and those we love. Our dream relationship may seem laden with conflict and hard work. We may feel like we’ve been derailed from the successful career path we had in mind—and through no fault of our own. Church politics seem to be more important than preaching the gospel or serving the needy. Even our own relationship with the Lord may seem weak and impure.

Take heart! Jesus didn’t give up, and neither should you. Whatever disappointment you face today pales before Jesus’ apparent failure on Holy Thursday. But as you imitate John and lean against his chest, you can sense how Jesus in turn is leaning on his Father in total trust. He knows soon enough he will win victory over all the forces of darkness. He knows that he is destined to overcome sin, Satan, and even death itself. And he’s doing it for you! So rest in his victory today, and know that he is with you.

“Jesus, thank you for your victory on the cross. Fill me with confidence and hope in you.”

Psalm 71:1-6,15,17; John 13:21-33,36-38