Divine Mercy~by Fr. Bryan Wolf

“I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy. Even a sinner most hardened, if only once recite the Chaplet, he will obtain grace from My infinite mercy.”  The Diary of Sister Mary Faustina

The Sunday after Easter has been designated Divine Mercy Sunday, a devotion actively promoted by Pope John Paul II before his death and instituted edictally by him in 2000 when he Canonized Sister Mary Faustina a Saint.  In fact it was Pope John Paul II, when being Archbishop of Krakow in 1965 began the informative process to certify the testaments of Sister Faustina.

Born in 1905 Maria Faustina Kowalska, became a nun at the young age of 20 after relating her many visions of a suffering Christ she had through her childhood and adolescents.  So passionate were her claims that, even without much formal education, she so moved superiors to admit her to the Convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. There in 1931, after having been diagnosed the year before with tuberculosis, she records in her spiritual diary of having mystic visitations from Jesus; who she described as appearing to her as the “King of Divine Mercy.”

In her diary, Sister Faustina details how Christ delegated to her a sacred mission to have people implore His Divine Mercy. Jesus commanded her to have painted His image, as it appears in Divine Mercy representations. Jesus told her to accompany the image with the prayerful words, “Jesus, I trust in you.”  Lastly Jesus inspired Sister Faustina to compose a simple prayer that He begged people recite- The Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. When prayed in the presence of a dying person, truly I shall stand between them and My Father not as a judge, but as the Merciful Savior. Even a sinner most hardened, if only once recite the Chaplet, he will obtain grace from My infinite mercy. Truly I tell you, the greater the sin- the greater claim they have to My mercy and justice.”

This final thoughts are the ones that strike me as the most profound. No matter what transgressions, how far removed we might feel from the promise of salvation because of our own failings- through His Divine Mercy and the Chaplet to pray, Christ assures us of His infinite mercy. This is key.

Without doubt many of us- dare I say all of us, fall short in our desire to be a good Christian. We may pray, attend church and even do good works- but the road is narrow and difficult. Our tempers get the best of us. Pressed for time, our religious responsibilities become moved to “the back burner”.  We procrastinate ( I know I do, often ) and waste away time on things that seem important at the moment and then, truly are not at all.

But through Sister Faustina, Christ tells us He knows this. He understands this. “Tell them to surrender to My mercy and to call upon Me. To trust in Me and My infinite mercy.” Almost knowing there would be many who will not even find the time or ability to recite the prayerful Chaplet, Jesus inspired Sister Faustina to record the one sentence summation- “Jesus, I trust in you.”

Furthermore, I am struck by the investigation of then Archbishop Wojtyla ( Pope John Paul II ) where he considers the writings of Sister Faustina and her claims of mystical visitation. “I feel obliged to believe. For one so simple, so inwardly reflective- ( Sister Faustina ) possessed a great knowledge. She knew of the Trisagion without any formal exposure. Indeed, Our Lord has spoken to her.”  The Trisagion ( Holy Three Times ) is an introductory prayer of sorts used in the Divine Liturgies of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzatine Rite Churches. It are these words, “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One” that were written by Sister Faustina to conclude the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Archbishop Wojityla discovered that these words dismayed Sister Faustina as she found them obscure, thought this evidence that Jesus desired to unify the many Christians religions unto himself. ( We ourselves should take example from the devotion of Pope John Paul II to Sister Faustina and The Divine Mercy Chaplet, as he himself today is to be Canonized Saint by Pope Francis.)

Sister Faustina died from her illness at the young age of 33, the same age as our Savior. She left us a beautiful prayer and legacy to impart Christ’s mercy upon even the most stubborn of us. In all the hectic moments of our day- in the constant whirlwind of unimportant things that seem to demand our attention, we are offered a moment of pause and reflection. A sublime prayer that offers up the Divine Mercy of Christ himself, as King of Divine Mercy, to stand- not before us, but with us- at our hour of greatest need.

“Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” ( The basic foundation of The Divine Mercy Chaplet, though structure and recited to accord with Rosary beads. )

“Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasure of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase your mercy in us; that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to your Holy will- which is love and mercy itself. Amen.”

He Lives!!! ~ The Very Reverend Lady Sherwood, OPoc

John 20:1-18

20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 20:5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 20:7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 20:8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 20:9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

20:10 Then the disciples returned to their homes. 20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 20:12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.

20:13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).

20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”

20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Today, we celebrate the greatest day in the history of the world! Today we celebrate the Great Truth that Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified on a cross and died for each of us, arose from the dead in just three days!!  Our Lord Jesus was victorious over death and over the Grave. Our Lord rose up from the dead leaving the tomb empty. He was seen by Mary Magdelene, so that she could tell all the wonderful news!  We who are truly one with the Lord were victorious over death with His rising from death, and all of us who truly believe and follow Him, though like Him we must suffer the physical death of the body, we will be raised again to share with the Lord the Father’s eternal glory.

Where oh grave is thy victory for those who truly believe, love and follow the teachings of our Lord? There is none!! Yes, it may seem to some that when we lose loved ones to physical death, that it is the end for them, but didn’t people think exactly the same when our Lord was laid in physical death in the tomb? Of course they did!! But we who are one with our Lord know better! We know that because Our Lord Jesus died and was risen, that our bonds of eternal death were broken and have fallen from us like the cutting of shackles and has set us free. The Lord Jesus died so that each of us who truly believe will have eternal life, Such Love for us sinners that he would take on death for each of us and then turn the eternal darkness of the grave into such a wonderful victory of which we can all share!! Our Lord Lives!! He lives today together with the Father in Heaven, where all who truly believe will also live in eternal rejoicing!

 

FRIDAY

John 19:17-37 (NIV)

17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.”[a]

So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[b] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”[c] 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”[d]

Thursday

A Reading from the Gospel According to Luke

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it[a] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.[b] 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,[c] that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter[d] said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus[e] said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.[f] 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant[g] of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

Judas – Devil or Angel?

Holy Wednesday
April 16, 2014

1st Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Response: Psalm 70
2nd Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3
Gospel: John 13:21-32

Oh God, come to my assistance; Lord, make haste to help me.

My Sisters and Brothers;

Today, I think, I am going to turn things around just a little bit. I am going to dive right into the Gospel message and then end on a lighter note; in all honesty, our Gospel is fairly dark. We do, however, need to honor the journey and focus on what is happening at this moment in the Celebration of the Word.

Today we bring into our minds the account of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, but there is a very small snippet of information I feel is overlooked every time this story is told – (John 13:27) “After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” The intimation in this verse is that Judas was possessed and not in control of his own actions or deeds. The opposite, of course, could also be true – perhaps, just maybe, Judas was evil all along and Jesus was smarter than Judas thought. But aside from arguing whether or not Judas is evil and condemned for all time think about this: what if Judas had never handed Jesus over to the guards? What if, instead, Jesus lived? Think about it for a moment.

Now think about this: would you listen to a modern news report of a man who walked from town to town healing the sick and nurturing the poor, or would you instead take notice of a man who did those things, but was now being condemned and put to death for healing others? In today’s world of instant news and instant gratification we call such a thing “sensationalism,” but sadly, it works. That is just how we humans sit up and take notice. That’s how we remember important events – by the controversy surrounding said events.

Did Judas do a bad thing, or was he actually a herald who showed the world who the Christ really was? Was Judas a betrayer, or was he the betrayed? All Judas did was point (or kiss) the Divine human who was the proclaimed Son of God.

Perhaps we have this whole Judas thing wrong. Perhaps Judas was a herald announcing the new era of the Redeemer – the Son of the Almighty God – the Christ. Maybe, just maybe, Judas had no choice. Maybe he HAD to deliver the “good news” to the rest of the world through a sensational act. If Judas did NOT turn the Christ over to the soldiers would we today know about the resurrection? Would there have even been a resurrection if there hadn’t been a passing from this world?

Look, we spend so much time condemning that we forget the other possibilities – the ones of greatness – the proclamations. Judas was no worse than any of his fellow disciples and yet history portrays him as evil and soulless – despite that there is evidence pointing to Judas other than this betrayal story.

The other disciples rejected the Christ by claiming they had no idea who he was. Even after His resurrection, they still denied his very existence until he showed them his wounds; yet this Judas person proclaimed to the world that not only did he know him, but then showed the world who was the Man born Divine so there could be no question of His existence.

Without Judas the Gospel messages may have never been fulfilled. Why exactly is that a bad thing? Even our Christ tells him to go and do what he MUST do. Why then can’t we accept that Judas too had a role to play in the Divine script? Something else to consider: was Judas also forgiven? Didn’t the Christ suffer, die and resurrect for ALL sins?

Was Judas a devil or an angel? What is it you teach: hatred or love?

With that in mind, let’s go back to our first reading for a moment. We are teachers, preachers, healers, and lovers. We are constantly listening for the Word of God – the presence of the Christ in our midst – so that we might be able to share what we learn and participate in the celebration of life eternal. But what is it we are teaching – what we want to see or what we are called to see? Is there a difference? How can I not preach what I have experienced in my own life and how can others not do the same?

We are, each of us, called to be present to all aspects of our being, yet we readily deny those aspects of ourselves which make us uncomfortable. We cast away those parts of our being which are natural and instinctive, while at the same time trying to force others to live in the shadows of some contrived sense of perfection. One of the greatest beings of our history is made to look like a monster because he did what he was supposed to do – announce to everyone the beginning of the new world through the birth and coming resurrection of the Christ, our Messiah. Judas told the world exactly who the Christ was – and is. It was up to the people at that point to either love Him or destroy him. Judas didn’t kill Jesus – the people who professed to love Him did – and still do.

Have we really heard the real message of the Christ’s life and ministry, or are we again forcing our own perceptions and interpretations onto something which could have important implications in our lives? What do we teach through our actions? How do we show the world around us what we have discovered through the loving and FORGIVING God?

(Isaiah 50:5) “The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward.” I hear you my God, and I am here.

In the name of the Creator God, the Redeemer Son, and the Sanctifying Spirit. +Amen

Blessed Margaret of Castello

  Margaret was born blind into a poor, mountain family, who were embittered by her affliction. When she was five years old, they made a pilgrimage to the tomb of a holy Franciscan at Castello to pray for a cure. The miracle failing, they abandoned their daughter in the church of Città-di-Castello and returned to their home.

    Margaret was passed from family to family until she was adopted by a kindly peasant woman named Grigia, who had a large family of her own. Margaret’s natural sweetness and goodness soon made themselves felt, and she more than repaid the family for their kindness to her. She was an influence for good in any group of children. She stopped their quarrels, heard their catechism, told them stories, taught them Psalms and prayers. Busy neighbors were soon borrowing her to soothe a sick child or to establish peace in the house.

    Her reputation for holiness was so great that a community of sisters in the town asked for her to become one of them. Margaret went happily to join them, but, unfortunately, there was little fervor in the house. The little girl who was so prayerful and penitential was a reproach to their lax lives, so Margaret returned to Grigia, who gladly welcomed her home.

    Later, Margaret was received as a Dominican Tertiary and clothed with the religious habit. Grigia’s home became the rendezvous site of troubled souls seeking Margaret’s prayers. She said the Office of the Blessed Virgin and the entire Psalter by heart, and her prayers had the effect of restoring peace of mind to the troubled.

    Denied earthly sight, Margaret was favored with heavenly visions. “Oh, if you only knew what I have in my heart!” she often said. The mysteries of the rosary, particularly the joyful mysteries, were so vivid to her that her whole person would light up when she described the scene. She was often in ecstasy, and, despite great joys and favors in prayer, she was often called upon to suffer desolation and interior trials of frightening sorts. The devil tormented her severely at times, but she triumphed over these sufferings.

    A number of miracles were performed by Blessed Margaret. On one occasion, while she was praying in an upper room, Grigia’s house caught fire, and she called to Margaret to come down. The blessed, however, called to her to throw her cloak on the flames. This she did, and the blaze died out. At another time, she cured a sister who was losing her eyesight.

    Beloved by her adopted family and by her neighbors and friends, Margaret died at the early age of 33. From the time of her death, her tomb in the Dominican church was a place of pilgrimage. Her body, even to this day, is incorrupt. More than 200 miracles have been credited to her intercession after her death. She was beatified in 1609. Thus the daughter that nobody wanted is one of the glories of the Church

    After her death, the fathers received permission to have her heart opened. In it were three pearls, having holy figures carved upon them. They recalled the saying so often on the lips of Margaret: “If you only knew what I have in my heart!” (Attwater2, Benedictines, Dorcy).

Born: in 1287 at Meldola, Vado, Italy

Died: April 13th, 1320 of Natural Causes (Her body is incorrupt)

Beatified: October 19th, 1609 by Pope Paul V

Patronage: Against poverty, disabled people, handicapped people, impoverishment, people rejected by religious orders, physically challenged people, poverty.

 

For the Sake of Love~ by Fr. Bryan Wolf

” Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! ”  John 12:13

The crowds had gathered for the festival.  There was even a greater excitement and anticipation among them as word spread that Jesus, the “king of Israel ” ( John 12:13 ) was himself coming into Jerusalem!  The people lined the streets. They spread their cloaks on the ground before him.  They waved palm branches and threw them at the feet of the donkey he rode upon. It was indeed a triumphant welcome, befitting a king.  Reports of his miracles had preceded Jesus, most especially and recently how he had raised Lazarus from the dead.

Who was this man, that the crowds struggled now to draw near to him? To catch a glimpse of him. The fervor built in a great hopeful crescendo. Here came the new “king of Israel ” who, like Moses before him, would free them this time from the opperssion of Rome.  Such was the celebration that day that not even Jesus’ own disciples could really understand everything that was going on that day, in the tumult of the moment ( John 12:16 )  There was more than likely bewilderment within the crowd as well, to see Jesus riding a simple donkey and not up upon a majestic war horse. How was this is inspire the overthrow of the Empire?

Yet, here was Jesus- peaceful, sublime and most certainly reflective. For in his divinity, Jesus knew- this began the week of his Passion. His arrival in Jerusalem would ultimately be climax of his ministry. So much so with the prospects of the events that lay before him that, ” [a]s he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it .” ( Luke 19:41 )  We need to reflect here, as Christ was both divine and human. Did he weep with his human heart of the knowledge of the suffering he was about to undergo, or did he shed tears as God?  In Genesis, God reflects on the Great Flood- ” I establish my covenant with you; Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood. I have set my rainbow in the clouds. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember my everlasting covenant with all living creatures of every kind on earth. ” ( Genesis 9:11-16 )

We hear in each Mass, as we recall the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord, that Jesus entered willingly into his Passion. Jesus knew the dark and difficult moments that lay before him. Jesus accepts the betrayal of one so close to him, informs Peter of how he would deny him and even endures the mockery of a trial.  Jesus willingly accepts the public ridicule of his cross and the isolation of that long walk up Calvary.  Even to the desperation of calling out- ” My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ?” ( Matthew 27:45 ) and surrendering- ” It is finished. ” ( John 19:30 )  Jesus knew in this one brief holy week, emotions would go from joy to sadness.

Why would God allow his only son to suffer these cruel indignities?  ” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…. ” ( John 3:16 )  Is this not the most valuable lesson that we must both practice and preach, everday?  ” Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ” ( John 15:13 )

There is not one among us who would not do everything within our power, to help a friend through painful suffering.  Not one parent who whispers a prayer for God to place the burden upon them and remove it from their child.

These are the two important lessons of our Lord’s Passion, to extend this sacrifice to our neighbors- even to strangers. To come to understand that Christ was not only making his ultimate sacrifice for us but to demonstrate to us that it must be within us to willingly sacrifice for others. Also, to understand there will be situations in life that- pray as we may, we will be unable to alter the circumstances. We must have the faith Christ had, to endure certain hardships with the knowledge that God will guide us and stand by us.

Jesus bravely embraced all the pain and sin of the world. He did that for us, for the sake of the love God has for us. Can we not too, return that love by being ready to sacrifice ourselves for the needs and wants of others? God rose Jesus to eternal glory even after that was done to him here on earth. Keeping God in our hearts, living for others to demonstrate the compassion and mercy of Christ- will God not fulfill for us His promise of eternal life? God will, as God us done for us before. For the sake of love.

Almighty God, as today you entered Jerusalem to reveal to the world your true love for us- let us not withdraw from those difficult moments that will present themselves to us. Let us be ready to offer our own sacrifice for the benefit of others. As we enter this most holy of weeks, give us your grace to keep watch and maintain our Easter vigil. Let us remember and reflect on your sacrifice, so that we may indeed be worthy of your promise of eternal life. Pray that, like Jesus we have the strength and faith to live as Christ lived. To be and do for others and for you. For the sake of Love!   Amen.

 

Choices! Choices! Choices! ~ The Very Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPoc

Romans 8:6-118:6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  8:7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law– indeed it cannot, 8:8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 8:9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.  8:10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Do you like watching television? Perhaps you have digital TV, or cable in your home.  Maybe you like to watch soaps, or a funny comedy, or even a weepy movie. There are so many different things we can choose to watch these days isn’t there? Or maybe you might like to have a pizza for a snack or meal. Which one out of all the varieties do you choose and set you mind upon having? Cheese and tomato perhaps, or hot and spicy, or ham, or pineapple, or even some other type? Choices, choices, choices!!

In our own lives, we also have a choice to make. This choice is to set our minds on flesh, or to set our minds on Spirit. Which do we choose? Is it the Flesh, which does not serve God, and  does not have true peace or eternal salvation from death?  Or do we choose to be in Spirit? Being in Spirit means we accept God into our whole selves, loving and following his teachings in all thoughts, words and actions, literally being one with God through the Holy Spirit in all things. If we are in flesh, then flesh alone is all we are and all we ever will be. Death for those in the flesh is simply that, the death of the flesh, meaning the final end. If we are in Spirit, then Spirit is what we are, the spirit of God. Yes even we who are in spirit have to suffer death of our flesh bodies, but as we are in the Spirit, our Spirit lives on with God our heavenly Father and creator in peace and joy for all eternity, and our physical death is merely a transition, the doorway to our true home with God.

When choosing which digital TV or cable programme we want to watch, we need to decide carefully that it is suitable to watch, as for example there may be children to consider or a person may be of a sensitive nature. With setting our minds to having a pizza, issues to consider could be things like food allergies for example. Likewise and even more vitally important is the choice of being in flesh or being in Spirit, as this choice we make determines whether we truly die or whether we eternally live on. I personally like various programmes and most types of pizza so on these much lesser decisions, I can vary depending on the situation at the time, however, In this vital choice of being in the flesh or in the Spirit, I have definitely chosen to be in the Spirit forever and this is my decision in which I truly rejoice! So what do you choose, Flesh equaling death, or Spirit equaling eternal life? Choices!  Choices!  Choices!  The choice of course is yours, so choose wisely!!!

St. Vincent Ferrer

Miguel, Saint Vincent’s career of miracle-working began early. Prodigies attended his birth and baptism on the same day at Valencia, and, at age 5, he cured a neighbor child of a serious illness. These gifts and his natural beauty of person and character made him the center of attention very early in life. 

    His parents instilled into Vincent an intense devotion to our Lord and His Mother and a great love of the poor. He fasted regularly each Wednesday and Friday on bread and water from early childhood, abstained from meat, and learned to deny himself extravagances in order to provide alms for necessities. When his parents saw that Vincent looked upon the poor as the members of Christ and that he treated them with the greatest affection and charity, they made him the dispenser of their bountiful alms. They gave him for his portion a third part of their possessions, all of which he distributed among the poor in four days.

    Vincent began his classical studies at the age of 8, philosophy at 12, and his theological studies at age 14. As everyone expected, he entered the Dominican priory of Valencia and received the habit on February 5, 1367. So angelic was his appearance and so holy his actions, that no other course seemed possible to him than to dedicate his life to God.

    No sooner had he made his choice of vocation than the devil attacked him with the most dreadful temptations. Even his parents, who had encouraged his vocation, pleaded with him to leave the monastery and become a secular priest. By prayer and faith, especially prayer to Our Lady and his guardian angel, Vincent triumphed over his difficulties and finished his novitiate.

    He was sent to Barcelona to study and was appointed reader in philosophy at Lerida, the most famous university in Catalonia, before he was 21. While there he published two treatises (Dialectic suppositions was one) that were well received.

    In 1373, he was sent to Barcelona to preach, despite the fact that he held only deacon’s orders. The city, laid low by a famine, was desperately awaiting overdue shipments of corn. Vincent foretold in a sermon that the ships would come before night, and although he was rebuked by his superior for making such a prediction, the ships arrived that day. The joyful people rushed to the priory to acclaim Vincent a prophet. The prior, however, thought it would be wise to transfer him away from such adulation.

    Another story tells us that some street urchins drew his attention to one of their gang who was stretched out in the dust, pretending to be dead, near the port of Grao: “He’s dead, bring him back to life!” they cried.

    “Ah,” replied Vincent, “he was playing dead but the, look, he did die.” This is how one definitely nails a lie: by regarding it as a truth. And it turned out to be true, the boy was quite dead. Everyone was gripped with fear. They implored Vincent to do something. God did. He raised him up.

    In 1376, Vincent was transferred to Toulouse for a year, and continued his education. Having made a particular study of Scripture and Hebrew, Vincent was well-equipped to preach to the Jews. He was ordained a priest at Barcelona in 1379, and became a member of Pedro (Peter) Cardinal de Luna’s court–the beginning of a long friendship that was to end in grief for both of them. (Cardinal de Luna had voted for Pope Urban VI in 1378, but convinced that the election had been invalid, joined a group of cardinals who elected Robert of Geneva as Pope Clement VII later in the same year; thus, creating a schism and the line of Avignon popes.)

    After being recalled to his own country, Vincent preached very successfully at the cathedral in Valencia from 1385-1390, and became famed for his eloquence and effectiveness at converting Jews–Rabbi Paul of Burgos, the future bishop of Cartagena was one of Vincent’s 30,000 Jewish and Moorish converts–and reviving the faith of those who had lapsed. His numerous miracles, the strength and beauty of his voice, the purity and clarity of his doctrine, combined to make his preaching effective, based as it was on a firm foundation of prayer.

    Of course, Vincent’s success as a preacher drew the envy of others and earned him slander and calumny. His colleagues believed that they could make amends for the calumny by making him prior of their monastery in Valencia. He did withdraw for a time into obscurity. But he was recalled to preach the Lenten sermons of 1381 in Valencia, and he could not refuse to employ the gift of speech which drew to him the good and simple people as well as the captious pastors, the canons, and the skeptical savants of the Church.

    Peter de Luna, a stubborn and ambitious cardinal, made Vincent part of his baggage, so to speak; because from 1390 on, Vincent preached wherever Peter de Luna happened to be, including the court of Avignon, where Vincent enjoyed the advantage of being confessor to the pope, when Peter de Luna became the antipope Benedict XIII in 1394.

    Two evils cried out for remedy in Saint Vincent’s day: the moral laxity left by the great plague, and the scandal of the papal schism. In regard to the first, he preached tirelessly against the evils of the time. That he espoused the cause of the wrong man in the papal disagreement is no argument against Vincent’s sanctity; at the time, and in the midst of such confusion, it was almost impossible to tell who was right and who was wrong. The memorable thing is that he labored, with all the strength he could muster, to bring order out of chaos. Eventually, Vincent came to believe that his friend’s claims were false and urged de Luna to reconcile himself to Urban VI.

    He acted as confessor to Queen Yolanda of Aragon from 1391 to 1395. He was accused to the Inquisition of heresy because he taught that Judas had performed penance, but the charge was dismissed by the antipope Benedict XIII, who burned the Inquisition’s dossier on Vincent and made him his confessor.

Benedict offered Vincent a bishopric, but refused it. Distressed by the great schism and by Benedict’s unyielding position, he advised him to confer with his Roman rival. Benedict refused. Reluctantly, Vincent was obliged to abandon de Luna in 1398. The strain of this conflict between friendship and truth caused Vincent to become dangerously ill in 1398. During his illness, he experienced a vision in which Christ and Saints Dominic and Francis instructed him to preach penance whenever and wherever he was needed, and he was miraculously cured.

    After recovering, he pleaded to be allowed to devote himself to missionary work. He preached in Carpetras, Arles, Aix, and Marseilles, with huge crowds in attendance. Between 1401 and 1403, the saint was preaching in the Dauphiné, in Savoy, and in the Alpine valleys: he continued on to Lucerne, Lausanne, Tarentaise, Grenoble, and Turin. He was such an effective speaker that, although he spoke only Spanish, he was thought by many to be multilingual (the gift of tongues?). His brother Boniface was the prior of the Grande Chartreuse, and as a result of Vincent’s preaching, several notable subjects entered the monastery.

    Miracles were attributed to him. In 1405, Vincent was in Genoa and preached against the fantastic head-dresses worn by the Ligurian ladies, and they were modified–“the greatest of all his marvelous deeds, reports one of his biographers. From Genoa, he caught a ship to Flanders. Later, in the Netherlands, an hour each day was scheduled for his cures. In Catalonia, his prayer restored the withered limbs of a crippled boy, deemed incurable by his physicians, named John Soler, who later became the bishop of Barcelona. In Salamanca in 1412, he raised a dead man to life. Perhaps the greatest miracle occurred in the Dauphiné, in an area called Vaupute, or Valley of Corruption. The natives there were so savage that no minister would visit them. Vincent, ever ready to suffer all things to gain souls, joyfully risked his life among these abandoned wretches, converted them all from their errors and vices. Thereafter, the name of the valley was changed to Valpure, or Valley of Purity, a name that it has retained.

    He preached indefatigably, supplementing his natural gifts with the supernatural power of God, obtained through his fasting, prayers, and penance. Such was the fame of Vincent’s missions, that King Henry IV of England sent a courtier to him with a letter entreating him to preach in his dominions. The king sent one of his own ships to fetch him from the coast of France, and received him with the greatest honors. The saint having employed some time in giving the king wholesome advice both for himself and his subjects, preached in the chief towns of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Returning to France, he did the same, from Gascony to Picardy.

    The preaching of Saint Vincent became a strange but marvelously effective process. He attracted to himself hundreds of people–at one time, more than 10,000–who followed him from place to place in the garb of pilgrims. The priests of the company sang Mass daily, chanted the Divine Office, and dispensed the sacraments to those converted by Vincent’s preaching. Men and women travelled in separate companies, chanting litanies and prayers as they went barefoot along the road from city to city. They taught catechism where needed, founded hospitals, and revived a faith that had all but perished in the time of the plague.

    The message of his preaching was penance, the Last Judgment, and eternity. Like another John the Baptist–who was also likened to an angel, as Saint Vincent is in popular art–he went through the wilderness crying out to the people to make straight the paths of the Lord. Fearing the judgment, if for no other reason, sinners listened to his startling sermons, and the most obstinate were led by him to cast off sin and love God. He worked countless miracles, some of which are remembered today in the proverbs of Spain. Among his converts were Saint Bernardine of Siena and Margaret of Savoy.

    He returned to Spain in 1407. Despite the fact that Granada was under Moorish rule, he preached successfully, and thousands of Jews and Moors were said to have been converted and requested baptism. His sermons were often held in the open air because the churches were too small for all those who wished to hear him.

    In 1414 the Council of Constance attempted the end the Great Schism, which had grown since 1409 with three claimants to the papal throne. The council deposed John XXIII, and demanded the resignation of Benedict XIII and Gregory XII so that a new election could be held. Gregory was willing, but Benedict was stubborn. Again, Vincent tried to persuade Benedict to abdicate. Again, he failed. But Vincent, who acted as a judge in the Compromise of Caspe to resolve the royal succession, influenced the election of Ferdinand as king of Castile. Still a friend of Benedict (Peter de Luna), King Ferdinand, basing his actions on Vincent’s opinion on the issue, engineered Benedict’s deposition in 1416, which ended the Western Schism.

    (It is interesting to note that the edicts of the Council of Constance were thrown out by the succeeding pope. The council had mandated councils every ten years and claimed that such convocations had precedence over the pope.)

    His book, Treatise on the Spiritual Life is still of value to earnest souls. In it he writes: “Do you desire to study to your advantage? Let devotion accompany all your studies, and study less to make yourself learned than to become a saint. Consult God more than your books, and ask him, with humility, to make you understand what you read. Study fatigues and drains the mind and heart. Go from time to time to refresh them at the feet of Jesus Christ under his cross. Some moments of repose in his sacred wounds give fresh vigor and new lights. Interrupt your application by short, but fervent and ejaculatory prayers: never begin or end your study but by prayer. Science is a gift of the Father of lights; do not therefore consider it as barely the work of your own mind or industry.”

    It seems that Vincent practiced what he preached. He always composed his sermons at the foot of a crucifix, both to beg light from Christ crucified, and to draw from that object sentiments with which to animate his listeners to penance and the love of God.

    Saint Vincent also preached to Saint Colette and her nuns, and it was she who told him that he would die in France. Indeed, Vincent spent his last three years in France, mainly in Normandy and Brittany, and he died on the Wednesday of Holy Week in Vannes, Brittany, after returning from a preaching trip to Nantes. The day of his burial was a great popular feast with a procession, music, sermons, songs, miracles, and even minor brawls (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Dorcy, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Gheon, Husenbeth, Walsh, White).

Born: 1350 at Valencia, Spain

Died: April 5th in 1419 at Vannes, Brittany , France

Canonized: 1458

Patronage: brick makers; builders; Calamonaci, Italy; construction workers; pavement workers; plumbers; tile makers

Representation: cardinal’s hat; Dominican preacher with a flame on his hand; Dominican preacher with a flame on his head; Dominican holding an open book while preaching; Dominican with a cardinal’s hat; Dominican with a crucifix; Dominican with wings; flame; pulpit; trumpet

All Ya Need Is Love ~ Br. Carl Pappalardo, Postulant

Eph.5-2 Walk in love as Christ loved us, is one of my favorite Bible verses. This is true altruism without judgment.  I relate this with the love I found myself to have first felt with my children. I didn’t realize I was capable of unconditional love, until about 25 years ago, at the birth of my oldest daughter.  I had known the love of my parents and that of a spouse, but truly had no idea the love one feels for one’s child, or should have.   Over the years it has amazed me at how strong, non-judgmental and unconditional this love is.  This love has held through the calls in the middle of the night, sometimes from the police, through ousting boyfriends and even through being told how horrible I was and how much my kids hated me.  None of that seemed to matter that much, although it did hurt a bit at times. I just had to love them.

We are given the greatest example of this from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as he loved us during his time on earth. True Altruism to all.  He showed us as stated in 1 Sam. 16-7.  The Lord looks not on the outward appearance but looks at ones heart.  This, too, took quite some time for me to grasp  I had to learn to listen to people’s hearts.  Our goal should be to take this love I described of my children and apply it to all and without being judgmental.  Our goal is to  walk in love as Christ loved us,  and not walk in love as Christ loved us unless they are a felon, or have been divorced or are gay etc.

Living the way Christ loves is truly proclaiming the gospel and preaching its real essence:  Love!   If one truly put this all together, the concept of non-judgmental, unconditional and unending love, then we will find ourselves living in a real state of Godliness here on earth.  Amen.