Easter Sunday

JMJ

Blessed Resurrection Sunday!

H E   I S   R I S E N ! ! !

A L L E L U I A !   A L L E L U I A !   A L L E L U I A !

Readings:
Acts 10: 34, 37-43 (St. Peter proclaims Jesus’ death and resurrection)
Psalm 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad”
Colossians 3:1-4 (set your heart on things above)
OR I Corinthians 5:6-8 (celebrate, not with corruption, but with sincerity and truth)

Sequence
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems: Christ,
Who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, Who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, Who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
Bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen”
To Galilee He goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.

+John 20:1-9 (At Mary Magdalene’s word, Peter and John run to the empty tomb)

The Hand of the Lord
has struck
with power!
Jesus is ALIVE!

Do I live to declare the works of the Lord?

Holy Saturday Vigil

JMJ

Blessed Holy Saturday!

Easter Vigil

The Light
that shines in darkness
has returned!

You can find the Exsultet here.

Readings:
Genesis 1:1-2:2 (Creation)
Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35 “Lord, send out Your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth”
or Psalm 33:4-7, 12-13, 20-22 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord”
Genesis 22:1-18 (Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac–foreshadowing of Jesus’ crucifixion)
Psalm 16:5, 8-11 “Keep me safe O God; You are my hope”
Exodus 14:15-15:1 (the parting of the Red Sea–foreshadowing of Baptism)
Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18 “Let us sing to the Lord; He has covered Himself in glory”
Isaiah 54:5-14 (God, our Bridegroom, will take us back, and love us)
Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 “I will praise You, Lord, for You have rescued me”
Isaiah 55:1-11 (God offers us food and drink without cost from His abundance)
Isaiah 12:2-6 “You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation”
Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 (we are in need because we have forsaken God, the Source of everything)
Psalm 19:8-11 “Lord, You have the words of everlasting life”
Ezekiel 36:16-28 (God will forgive and renew us for His own sake)
Psalm 42:3, 5; 43:3, 4 “Like a deer that long for running streams, my soul longs for You, my God”
or Is 12:2-6 “You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation”
or Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19 “Create a clean heart in me, O God”
Romans 6:3-11 (because we have been baptized into Jesus’ death, death has no more power over us)
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 “Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
+Luke 24:1-12 (Why do you seek the living among the dead?)

We’ve heard enough
about God’s Heart
to know
it all ends well!

Do I rejoice in the good that God is bringing out of evil?
Have I followed Him out of the tomb?

Note: a plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who,
at the celebration of the Easter Vigil
(or on the anniversary of their own Baptism)
renew their baptismal vows in any legitimately approved formula,
with the usual conditions of Confession, Communion,
prayer for the Pope’s intentions
and no attachment to sin.

Holy Saturday Morning

JMJ

Blessed Holy Saturday!

Today

the Church is, as it were, at the Lord’s tomb,
meditating on His Passion and death,
and on His descent into hell,
and awaiting His Resurrection with prayer and fasting
~Paschalis Solemnitatis, paragraph 73

“What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth,
a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps;
the earth was in terror and was still,
because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages…
(the rest can be found here)

Jesus in the Tomb

“… in the saying, “God rested on the seventh day,” [Exodus 20:11]
he signified by a great mystery the Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ Himself,
who spoke and said, “My Father is at work until now, and I am at work as well” [John 5:17].
For the Lord Jesus is, of course, God.
For He is the Word of God, and you have heard that
“in the beginning was the Word” [John 1:1]; and not any word whatsoever,
but “the Word was God, and all things were made by Him” [John 1:3].
He was perhaps signified as about to rest on the seventh day from all His works.
For, read the Gospel, and see what great works Jesus wrought.
He wrought our salvation on the cross,
that all things foretold by the prophets might be fulfilled in Him.
He was crowned with thorns; He hung on the tree; said, “I thirst” [John 19:28]
received vinegar on a sponge, that it might be fulfilled which was said,
“And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”(Psalm 69:22)
And when all His works were completed, on the sixth day of the week,
He bowed His head and gave up the ghost,
and on the Sabbath-day He rested in the tomb from all His works.”
-St. Augustine, “Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John”, Tractate 17, 15

As we approach the glorious
EIGHT DAY celebration of the SOLEMNITY of EASTER
and 50 DAY SEASON of EASTER
here are some ways to bring home the joy!

Good Friday

JMJ

Blessed Good Friday,

Prayer Before a Crucifix
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus,
while before Your Face I humbly kneel;
and with burning soul, pray and beseech You to fix deep in my heart
lively sentiments of Faith, Hope and Charity,
true contrition for all my sins and a firm purpose of amendment;
while I contemplate with great love and tender pity Your five wounds,
calling to mind the words which David, Your prophet, said of You, my Jesus:
“They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all My bones!”
Amen.

Today begins the novena of Divine Mercy.

Also, there is a plenary indulgence available for the asking
for devoutly assisting at the adoration of the Cross in today’s solemn liturgical action,
with the usual conditions of Confession, Communion, prayer for the pope’s intentions
and no attachment to sin.

We pick up where we left off last night…

Readings:
Isaiah 52:13- 53:12 (He Himself was wounded for our sins)
Psalm 31:2,6,12-13,15-17, 25 “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit”
Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9 (our High Priest sympathizes with our weakness)
+John 18:1-19:42 (the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ)

My King
has gone to battle
to deliver me
from sin

Will I follow Him in preferring death to sin?
Do I use Jesus’ weapons of self-sacrificial love, obedience and courage as I join Him in the battle against my own sin?

Holy Thursday

JMJ

Blessed Holy Thursday!

We begin at noon, at the cathedral, as our bishop, our successor to the apostles,
gathers his brother priests to celebrate the Chrism Mass.
At this Mass, chrism, the perfumed oil
which is used to signify the indelible gift of the Holy Spirit
in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders,
will be consecrated.
As Christ (literally, “the anointed one”) was anointed priest, prophet and king
(see Exodus 29: 1-9, I Kings 19:16, Samuel 10:1 & 16:1-13, Acts 10:38),
so are Christians–with chrism.
The Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick will be blessed at this Mass,
and priests will renew their commitment to the ordained priesthood
which Christ instituted on this day when He commanded His first bishops,

Do this in remembrance of Me
~Luke 22:19

Chrism Mass

Readings for the Mid-day Chrism Mass:
Isaiah 61:1-9 (The Lord anointed me to bring glad tidings to the lowly)
Psalm 89:21-22, 25-27 “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord”
Revelation 1:5-8 (Christ has made us into a Kingdom, priests for His God and Father)
+Luke 4:16-21 (The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me)

Anointed
to anoint,
our priests
make prophets,
priests and kings
of us!

What use am I making of the graces God has given me through His priests?

The Sacred Triduum

Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

At long last we enter the Sacred Triduum, literally “three days”
that form a single celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We see, hear, we smell, we taste, we touch–we are immersed–
in the mysteries of our salvation.
There are significant intermissions in this one celebration,
so that we can go home and rest,
but the celebration we begin tonight will not end until Easter Sunday.
This is the culmination, the highest point, of the entire year.
Come, let us worship…

Readings:
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 (the first Passover)
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18 “Our blessing-cup is a communion with the blood of Christ”
I Corinthians 11:23-26 (the institution of the Eucharist)
+John 13:1-15 (Jesus washes His disciples’ feet)

As He has done,
so I must do,
by laying down
my life
for you

How readily do I humble myself to meet another’s need?
How receptive am I to letting Jesus serve me,
through another person,
in my vulnerability?

Note:
There is a plenary indulgence available for the asking
for praying the “Tantum Ergo” (Down in Adoration Falling)
during reposition after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper tonight,
with the usual conditions of Confession, Communion, prayer for the pope’s intentions
and no attachment to sin.

Wednesday of Holy Week (Spy Wednesday)

JMJ

Blessed Spy Wednesday!

Spy Wednesday is a popular term, not a liturgical one,
yet it describes Judas’ new position among the disciples.
Today he becomes a spy among the Twelve, an informer for the enemy,
waiting for the opportune moment to hand over his Lord to condemnation and death.

Readings:
Isaiah 50:4-9 (My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting)
Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34 “Lord, in Your great love, answer me.”
+Matthew 26:14-25 (Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed)

I’ve sold my soul
My Savior knows
It does not change
His Love for me

Will I love the Lord Who would rather die than live without me?
Will I accept the forgiveness He won for me?

Tuesday of Holy Week

JMJ

Blessed Holy Tuesday!

Readings:
Isaiah 49:1-6 (God has prepared His servant for a mission to the whole world)
Psalm 71:1-6, 17 “I will sing of Your salvation”
+John 13: 21-33, 36-38 (Jesus predicts Judas’ betrayal & Peter’s denial)

His glory
is His Passion
to deliver us
through death.

What is my passion?
How readily do I follow Jesus through death?

Monday of Holy Week

JMJ

Blessed Holy Monday!

Readings:
Isaiah 42:1-7 (the Messiah comes to rescue, not destroy)
Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation”
+John 12:1-11 (Mary anoints Jesus’ feet)

He’s not
the kind of messiah
who kills,
but One
Who takes the blow.

Do I try to overcome evil with evil?
Do I believe that Love has an effective weapon against the ills of the age?

Palm Sunday

JMJ

Blessed Palm Sunday!

Jesus Enters Jerusalem on a Donkey Matthew 21:7-9

We are entering into the most holy days of the Church year,
intensifying our preparation to unite ourselves with Jesus in His Passion and death
as He leads us through tragedy into triumph.
You will notice that we do not celebrate any saints this week or next.
Nothing may interrupt these high holy days.

The palms we receive today are blessed–
they’re sacramentals (sources of grace)
that are intended to remind us of Jesus’ victory over sin and death
(palms have long been symbols of victory).
That means they must be treated with *reverence*.
One common practise is to make crosses of them
and tuck these crosses behind holy pictures or crucifixes hanging in your home.
Instructions for making simple palm crosses can be found here.
If you need to dispose of old palms (or scraps from making palm crosses),
they should be reverently burned or buried in a place that will not be disturbed–
not thrown away (this is true of all blessed items of devotion).

Readings:
+Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16 (Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem)
Isaiah 50:4-7 (God’s noble servant is not deterred by suffering and insult)
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24 “My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?”
Philippians 2:6-11 (because Jesus emptied Himself, God has exalted Him)
+Mark 14:1-15:47 (Jesus’ Passion and death)

Parading in humility,
He comes to take
His Throne
upon the Cross,
with thorny crown.

Do I see Jesus’ triumph in His suffering?
How far will I follow this thorn-crowned King?

First Saturday of Passiontide (St. Turibius of Mogrovejo)

JMJ

Blessed St. Turibius of Mogrovejo’s Day!

You can find his story here.

Readings:
Ezekiel 37:21-28 (God will unite His people in holiness)
Jeremiah 31:10-13 (The Lord will guard us, like a shepherd guarding his flock)
+John 11:45-57 (it is better for one man to die for the people)

The God-Man died,
the only Son,
to gather us
and make us one
in Him.

Do follow Jesus’ example of dying to myself for the sake of unity?
Am I willing to let Jesus gather me in unity with people I find aggravating?