On the Immeasurable Divine Mercy & St. Thomas

The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Caravaggio

TODAY, we celebrate the Octave of Pascha also known as Low Sunday. The Gospel for today speaks of the doubting of St. Thomas regarding the appearance of the Risen Lord. To prove His Resurrection, Our Lord asks St. Thomas to place his fingers on the wounds in His hands and side.

Also on this day, we commemorate the Feast of the Divine Mercy. When the time came to check if Christ was already dead, a centurion pierces His side with a lance and blood and water flows out. Theologians see this incident as a symbol of the flowing out of the Sacraments, sources of graces from birth to death of the faithful.

We see this same imagery in the icon of the Divine Mercy. Rays of red and white streaming from the heart of the Divine Mercy symbol of the immeasurable mercy he gives to all who believes in Him.

On this Octave of Easter let us always remember that Our Lord truly is the fountain of immeasurable Divine Mercy. His mercy endures forever. Even if we doubt it, he will always treat us as if we are St. Thomas. He will always ask us to approach and place our hearts on the vessel of His mercy, His Eucharistic Heart that we always receive in Holy Communion.

Jesus, King of Mercy, I trust in You!

Carry the Cross

On the eve of the feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, before sleeping, I was reading Cum Petro (The Periodical of the Confraternity of St. Peter) and stumbled upon an article. It was about the Meditation of St. Jose Maria Escriva on the 4th Sorrowful Mystery. What caught my attention were these lines: "Love the Cross. When you really love it, your Cross will be... A Cross without a Cross."

After reading this, certain thoughts came to my mind. Am I loving my "Cross"? In asking this question, I realized that perhaps I am not loving it that much. I still feel its weight. It sometimes crushes me to the ground.

Then, I opened my 1954 Marian Missal and flipped the pages to Thursday of Passion Week. After reading the Collect and the Gospel, which was about the anointing of Jesus' feet by a sinful woman, I came across the Daily Thought. The reflection came from the Following of Christ.

The Thought had a similar message with the Meditation albeit different in wordings. "If thou will carry the cross willingly, it will carry thee, and bring thee to thy desired end...."

Again, thoughts passed by my mind again. Am I carrying it willingly? Have I reached my ends? Or, have I begun with my journey?

Certainly, God works in a mysterious way. He tells me twice to carry my cross. There was a time when I just wanted to stop and leave it lying flat on the floor. A time when all I did was complain, complain unceasingly. A time when I broke down and shed tears, tears of dismay. A time when my faith in myself was lost and my Faith became far more stronger than before.

But God always says go, pick it up, stand firm, carry it and continue with your journey, you have not been a yard away from where you started.

As the Meditation ends, "And surely you will find Mary on the way, just as Jesus did."

On the 6th Anniversary of the Confraternity of St. Peter

Ad annos multos!

Today is the anniversary of the foundation of the Confraternity of St. Peter. I would like to greet all members of the Confraternity a Blessed Anniversary! May God grant our causes!

The Christmas Pledge

 My Christmas Pledge

1. To make my Christmas a holy day with Christ... not a holiday without Him.
2. To observe Christmas as the birthday of Christ... not a day to give and receive material gifts.
3. To remember that the real symbols of Christmas are the Star, the Stable and the Crib... not Santa Claus and his reindeer.
4. To teach my children that "Santa Claus" is the nickname of St. Nicholas... who gave to the poor in honor of Christ.
5. To help one poor family... in honor of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family of Bethlehem.
6. To send Christmas cards remindful of Him, the Infant Savior... not decorated only with candy canes, dogs, ribbons and wreaths.
7. To make room in my home for Him... with a Christmas Crib to remind me that He was born in the stable.
8. During the Christmas season, in a special way, to honor Mary, His mother... who kept the first Christmas vigil beside the manger.
9. To begin Christmas by leading my family to His Altar... to receive the Bread of Life.
10. Today and every day, to give "Glory to God in the highest"... to work and pray for "Peace on earth to men of good will."

Nihil Obstat: Joseph A. M. Quigley, Censor Librorum

Source:

• Confraternity of St. Peter. (2011, September). My Christmas Pledge. Cum Petro.

On the First Sunday of Advent

ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 

Today, our Holy Mother Church begins afresh in her ecclesiastical year. Thus, today is not just the beginning of Advent but also the commencement of a "new" ecclesiastical year.

Collect

Stir up Thy power, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come: that from the threatening dangers of our sins we may deserve to be rescued by Thy protection, and to be saved by Thy deliverance: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost God, world without end. Amen.

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (xxi, 25-33)

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved. And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift your heads, because your redemption is at hand. And He spoke to them a similitude: See the fig tree and all the trees: when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen, I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away.

Excerpts from Goffine's Ecclesiastical Year (my comments in brackets)

What is the meaning of Advent, and what do we understand by the term? The word Advent signifies coming, and by it is understood the visible coming of the Son of God into this world, at two different times.

[Here Goffine refers to the first coming of Christ in Bethlehem and the second coming of Christ at the Last Judgement, nowadays Advent is also a time for preparing for the coming of Christ in our hearts, thus Advent is a preparation for the triple coming of Christ, yesterday, today and tomorrow].

Why does the Church cause the gospel of the Last Judgment to be read on this day? To move us to penance, and to induce us to prepare our souls for the coming of Christ, by placing the Last Judgment before our minds. Should not the thought of this terrible judgment, when all good and all evil will be revealed, and accordingly be rewarded or punished in the presence of the whole world-should not this thought strengthen us in virtue!

[I still hear people being terrified of the coming 21st of December 2012 believed to the end of days according to the Mayan calendar. Mayans were pagans why should we Christians believe in them? Also, why are we so concerned in predicting the time of the end of the world? As the Scripture puts it, only God knows the time of the Second Coming. Our Lord wants us to prepare for His coming not to be awe-stricken by the events of the Last Judgement.]

Source:

• The Roman Missal (1962) published by the Baronius Press (2004)
• The Ecclesiastical Year (51st ed) by Rev. Leonard Goffine (1880)

Advent Novena

 ADVENT NOVENA

This is traditionally recited fifteen times a day starting on St. Andrew’s Day (November 30) until Christmas.

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe,
I beseech Thee, O my God,
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
(here mention your request)
through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ,
and of His Blessed Mother.
Amen.

The Call of Beauty

 

The Call of Beauty

Raymond Cardinal Burke on the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962).

On the Third Sunday of Lent

Today our Holy Mother Church, in her latin extraordinary form, celebrates the THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT. It is otherwise known as Oculi Mei Sunday from the first words of the Introit of the Mass. The Byzantine Church calls this Sunday the Veneration of the Cross Sunday.


Collect

Humbling ourselves before Thee, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, favorably to regard the desires of our heart: and in our defense to stretch forth the right hand of Thy Majesty. Through our Lord.

Epistle (Ephesians 5:1-9)

Brethren : Be ye followers of God, as most dear children : and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness. But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints: or obscenity, or foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose : but rather giving of thanks. For know you this, and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean or covetous person, which is a serving of idols, hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words : for because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness: but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light : for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth.

Gospel (Luke 11:14-28)

At that time Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb. And when He had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration at it. But some of them said : "He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils." And others, tempting, asked of Him a sign from Heaven. But He, seeing their thoughts, said to them :"Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall. And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall this kingdom stand? Because you say that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now If I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But if I by the finger of God cast out devils : doubtless of the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth. But if a stronger than he come upon him and overcome him, he will take away all his armor wherein he trusted, and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with Me is against Me : and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest : and not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out. And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked then himself, and entering in they dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: "Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck." But He said: "Yes, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it." 

 

On the Second Sunday of Lent

O God, who seest that we are wholly destitute of strength, keep us within and without: that we may be defended in body from all adversity: and cleansed in mind from evil thoughts. Through our Lord...

Today is the SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT in the Roman Rite. In the Greek Rite, this Sunday is

The Epistle today, from 1 Thessalonians 4,1-7, talks about us being called by God unto sanctification in Christ and not by uncleanness (sinfulness). The Gospel, Matthew 17,1-9, speaks about the Transfiguration of Christ.

Thus, this Sunday's liturgy speaks of us being called to sanctification or spiritual cleanliness (Epistle) in Christ who is the perfect example of cleanliness as seen in His face "shine as the sun" and His garments as "white as snow" (Gospel) and that we should ask Him to cleanse our minds from evil thoughts (Collect).

On the First Sunday of Lent

O God, who dost purify Thy Church by the yearly observance of Lent: grant to Thy household, that what we strive to obtain from Thee by abstinence, we may achieve by good works. Through our Lord.

Today our Holy Mother Church commemorates the FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT or Quadragesima Sunday (Quadragesima, Latin for fortieth). In the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, it is also known as Invocabit Sunday from the first word of the introit. Our Orthodox and Oriental brethren commemorates the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

The Gospel is taken from Matthew 4,1-11 and gives an account of the Temptation of Jesus in the mountain. After forty days and forty nights of fasting, being led by the Spirit, in the desert, the devil came and tempted him. The devil thought that since Christ is weak from fasting it would be easier for him to tempt Him. But he was wrong! As explained by Fr. Joe Zerrudo, of the Sense of the Sacred blog,  Christ triumphed from this temptation because (1) he was the Son of God and (2) he fasted. The spirit is stronger when the flesh is weaker.

Our Holy Mother Church imitates the forty day fast of Christ by observing the great discipline of Lent. We fast not only from food but from vices, luxuries and bad attitudes. This we do in preparation for the joyous season of Easter. Unless you fast first or abstain first, it would be a very difficult feat to control your other bad attitudes. It is a step-by-step process. Even in psychology, it speaks about personality as not changeable over night. It takes time.