You must be holy in the way that God asks you to be holy. God does not ask you to be a Trappist monk or a hermit. He wills that you sanctify the world and your everyday life.
-- Saint Vincent Pallotti
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Easter Sunday mass reading from the Bible March/31/2013 (Catholic church, Gospel word of God for the day)
First Reading: Acts 10: 34, 37 - 43
34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,
37 the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;
40 but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest;
41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
43 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Psalms 118: 1 - 2, 16 - 17, 22 - 23
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever!
2 Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures for ever."
16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Second Reading: Colossians 3: 1 - 4
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3 For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Gospel Reading: John 20: 1 - 9
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
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."
3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.
4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first;
5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying,
7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,
37 the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;
40 but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest;
41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
43 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Psalms 118: 1 - 2, 16 - 17, 22 - 23
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever!
2 Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures for ever."
16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Second Reading: Colossians 3: 1 - 4
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3 For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Gospel Reading: John 20: 1 - 9
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
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."
3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.
4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first;
5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying,
7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
Saint Augustine of Hippo
Whoever, then, loves his neighbor aright, ought to urge upon him that he too should love God with his whole heart, and soul, and mind. For in this way, loving his neighbor as himself, a man turns the whole current of his love both for himself and his neighbor into the channel of the love of God, which suffers no stream to be drawn off from itself by whose diversion its own volume would be diminished.
-- Saint Augustine of Hippo
Friday, March 29, 2013
-- Saint Maximus the Confessor
To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil - such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.
-- Saint Maximus the Confessor
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Good Friday reading from the Bible March/29/2013 (Catholic church, Gospel word of God for the day)
First Reading: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
13 Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
14 As many were astonished at him -- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men --
15 so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand.
1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand;
11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Psalms 31: 2, 6, 12 - 13, 15 - 17, 25
2 Incline thy ear to me, rescue me speedily! Be thou a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
6 Thou hatest those who pay regard to vain idols; but I trust in the LORD.
12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.
13 Yea, I hear the whispering of many -- terror on every side! -- as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
15 My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors!
16 Let thy face shine on thy servant; save me in thy steadfast love!
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call on thee; let the wicked be put to shame, let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear.
8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered;
9 and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,
Gospel Reading: John 18: 1 - 40
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples across the Kidron valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
3 So Judas, procuring a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?"
5 They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
6 When he said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Again he asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he; so, if you seek me, let these men go."
9 This was to fulfil the word which he had spoken, "Of those whom thou gavest me I lost not one."
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus.
11 Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?"
12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him.
13 First they led him to Annas; for he was the father-in-law of Ca'iaphas, who was high priest that year.
14 It was Ca'iaphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this disciple was known to the high priest, he entered the court of the high priest along with Jesus,
16 while Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door, and brought Peter in.
17 The maid who kept the door said to Peter, "Are not you also one of this man's disciples?" He said, "I am not."
18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves; Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together; I have said nothing secretly.
21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I said."
22 When he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?"
23 Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?"
24 Annas then sent him bound to Ca'iaphas the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, "Are not you also one of his disciples?" He denied it and said, "I am not."
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?"
27 Peter again denied it; and at once the cock crowed.
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Ca'iaphas to the praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover.
29 So Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?"
30 They answered him, "If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over."
31 Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death."
32 This was to fulfil the word which Jesus had spoken to show by what death he was to die.
33 Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
34 Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?"
35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?"
36 Jesus answered, "My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world."
37 Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice."
38 Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again, and told them, "I find no crime in him.
39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover; will you have me release for you the King of the Jews?"
40 They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barab'bas!" Now Barab'bas was a robber.
John 19: 1 - 42
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.
2 And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe;
3 they came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands.
4 Pilate went out again, and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him."
5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!"
6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him."
7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God."
8 When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid;
9 he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer.
10 Pilate therefore said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?"
11 Jesus answered him, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin."
12 Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar."
13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab'batha.
14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
15 They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."
16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
17 So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol'gotha.
18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
19 Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."
20 Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.
21 The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, "Do not write, `The King of the Jews,' but, `This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"
22 Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom;
24 so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfil the scripture, "They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
25 So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Mag'dalene.
26 When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"
27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
28 After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst."
29 A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth.
30 When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him;
33 but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
35 He who saw it has borne witness -- his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth -- that you also may believe.
36 For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken."
37 And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced."
38 After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body.
39 Nicode'mus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight.
40 They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid.
42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Good Friday Way of the Cross (Stations of the Cross)
Roman Catholic Church - Stations of the Cross (Our Lord's Passion) on Good Friday 03/29/2013
Preparatory Prayer
O most merciful Jesus, with a contrite heart and penitent spirit, I bow down in profound humility before Thy divine majesty. I adore Thee, I hope in Thee, I love Thee above all things. I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, my Supreme and Only God. I resolve to amend my life, and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, yet the sight of Thy cross, on which Thou didst die, inspires me with hope and consolation. I will, therefore, meditate on Thy Passion in company with Thy sorrowful Mother and my guardian angel, with the intention of promoting Thy honor and saving my soul.
I desire to gain all the indulgences granted for for this holy exercise for myself and for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. O merciful Redeemer, who has said, "And I, if I be lifted from the earth, will draw all things to Myself", draw my heart and my love to Thee, that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, and that I may live and die in union with Thee.
Amen.
First Station
Jesus Is Condemned To Death
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Jesus, most innocent, who neither did nor could commit a sin, was condemned to death, and morever, to the most ignominious death of the cross. To remain a friend of Caesar, Pilate delivered Him into the hands of His enemies. A fearful crime-to condemn Innocence to death, and to offend God in order not to displease men!
O innocent Jesus, having sinned, I am guilty of eternal death, but Thou willingly dost accept the unjust sentence of death, that I might live. For whom, then, shall I henceforth live, if not for Thee my Lord? Should I desire to please men, I could not be Thy servant. Let me, therefore, rather displease men and all the world, than not please Thee, O Jesus.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Second Station
Jesus Is Made To Carry His Cross
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
When our divine Savior beheld the cross, He most willingly stretched out His bleeding arms, lovingly embraced it, and tenderly kissed it, and placing it on His bruised shoulders, He, although almost exhausted, joyfully carried it.
O my Jesus, I cannot be Thy friend and follower, if I refuse to carry the cross. O dearly beloved cross! I embrace thee, I kiss thee, I joyfully accept thee from the hands of my God. Far be it from me to glory in anything, save in the cross of my Lord and Redeemer. By it the world shall be crucified to me and I to the world, that I may be Thine forever.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed.
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed.
Third Station
Jesus Falls The First Time
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Our dear Savior, carrying the cross, was so weakened by its heavy weight as to fall exhausted to the ground. Our sins and misdeeds were the heavy burden which oppressed Him; the cross was to Him light and sweet, but our sins were galling and insupportable.
O my Jesus, Thou didst bear my burden and the heavy weight of my sins. Should I, then, not bear in union with Thee, my easy burden of suffering and accept the sweet yoke of Thy commandments? I therefore willingly accept it. I will take up my cross and follow Thee.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
O, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole-begotten One!
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole-begotten One!
Fourth Station
Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
How painful and how sad it must have been for Mary, the sorrowful Mother, to behold her beloved Son, laden with the burden of the cross! What unspeakable pangs her most tender heart experienced! How earnestly did she desire to die in place of Jesus, or at least with Him! Implore this sorrowful Mother that she assists you in the hour of your death.
O Jesus, O Mary, I am the cause of the great and manifold pains which pierce your loving hearts! Oh, that also my heart would feel and experience at least some of your sufferings! O Mother of Sorrows, let me participate in the sufferings which thou and Thy Son endured for me, and let me experience thy sorrow, that afflicted with thee, I may enjoy thy assistance in the hour of my death.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs,
Of her dying, glorious Son.
She beneath beholds the pangs,
Of her dying, glorious Son.
Fifth Station
Simon Of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help Jesus carry His own cross, and Jesus accepted his assistance. How willingly would He also permit you to carry the cross: He calls, but you hear Him not; He invites you, but you decline. What a reproach, to bear the cross reluctantly!
O Jesus! Whosoever does not take up his cross and follow Thee, is not worthy of Thee. Behold, I join Thee in the Way of Thy Cross; I will be Thy assistant, following Thy bloody footsteps, that I may come to Thee in eternal life.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Is there one who would not weep
Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to Behold?
Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to Behold?
Sixth Station
Veronica Wipes The Face Of Jesus
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Veronica, impelled by devotion and compassion, presents her veil to Jesus to wipe His disfigured face. And Jesus imprints on it His holy countenance: a great recompense for so small a service. What return do you make to your Savior for His great and manifold benefits?
Most merciful Jesus! What return shall I make for all the benefits Thou hast bestowed upon me? Behold, I consecrate myself entirely to Thy service. I offer and consecrate to Thee my heart: imprint on it Thy sacred image, never again to be effaced by sin.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?
Seventh Station
Jesus Falls The Second Time
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy cross Thou has redeemed the world.
The suffering Jesus, under the weight of His cross, again falls to the ground; but the cruel executioners do not permit Him to rest a moment. Pushing and striking Him, they urge Him onward. It is the frequent repetition of our sins which oppress Jesus. Witnessing this, how can I continue to sin?
O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Offer me Thy helping hand, and aid me, that I may not fall again into my former sins. From this very moment, I will earnestly strive to reform: nevermore will I sin! Thou, O sole support for the weak, by Thy grace, without which I can do nothing, strengthen me to carry out faithfully this my resolution.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
She beheld her tender child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
Eighth Station
The Women Of Jerusalem Weep Over Jesus
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
These devoted women, moved by compassion, weep over the suffering Savior. But He turns to them, saying: "Weep not for Me, Who am innocent, but weep for yourselves and for you children." Weep thou also, for there is nothing more pleasing to Our Lord and nothing more profitable for thyself, than tears shed from contrition for thy sins.
O Jesus, Who shall give to my eyes a torrent of tears, that day and night I may weep for my sins? I beseech Thee, through Thy bitter and bloody tears, to move my heart by Thy divine grace, so that from my eyes tears may flow abundantly, and that I may weep all my days over Thy sufferings, and still more over their cause, my sins.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
For the sins of His own nation
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His Spirit forth He sent.
Ninth Station
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His Spirit forth He sent.
Ninth Station
Jesus Falls The Third Time
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Jesus, arriving exhausted at the foot of Calvary, falls for the third time to the ground. His love for us, however, is not diminished, not extinguished. What a fearfully oppressive burden our sins must be to cause Jesus to fall so often! Had He, however, not taken them upon Himself, they would have plunged us into the abyss of Hell.
Most merciful Jesus, I return Thee infinite thanks for not permitting me to continue in sin and to fall, as I have so often deserved, into the depths of Hell. Enkindle in me an earnest desire of amendment; let me never again relapse, but vouchsafe me the grace to persevere in penance to the end of my life.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
O thou Mother! fount of love,
Touch my spirit from above.
Make my heart with thine accord
Touch my spirit from above.
Make my heart with thine accord
Tenth Station
Jesus Is Stripped Of His Garments
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
When our Savior had arrived on Calvary, He was cruelly despoiled of His garments. How painful this must have been because they adhered to His wounded and torn body, and with them parts of His bloody skin were removed! All the wounds of Jesus are renewed. Jesus was despoiled of His garments that He might die possessed of nothing; how happy will I also die after laying aside my former self with all evil desires and sinful inclinations!
Induce me, O Jesus, to lay aside my former self and to be renewed according to Thy will and desire. I will not spare myself, however painful this should be for me: despoiled of things temporal, of my own will, I desire to die, in order to live for Thee forever.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
Eleventh Station
Jesus Is Nailed To The Cross
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Jesus, being stripped of His garments, was violently thrown upon the cross and His hands and feet nailed thereto. In such excruciating pains He remained silent, because it pleased His heavenly Father. He suffered patiently, because He suffered for me. How do I act in sufferings and in troubles? How fretful and impatient, how full of complaints I am!
O Jesus, gracious Lamb of God, I renounce forever my impatience. Crucify, O Lord, my flesh and its concupiscences; scourge, scathe, and punish me in this world, do but spare me in the next. I commit my destiny to Thee, resigning myself to Thy holy will: may it be done in all things!
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Holy Mother, pierce me through!
In my heart, each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
In my heart, each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
The Twelfth Station
Jesus Is Raised Upon The Cross And Dies
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Behold Jesus crucified! Behold His wounds, received for love of you! His whole appearance betokens love: His head is bent to kiss you; His arms are extended to embrace you; His Heart is open to receive you. O superabundance of love, Jesus, the Son of God, dies upon the cross, that man may live and be delivered from everlasting death!
O most amiable Jesus! Who will grant me that I may die for Thee! I will at least endeavor to die to the world. How must I regard the world and its vanities, when I behold Thee hanging on the cross, covered with wounds? O Jesus, receive me into Thy wounded Heart: I belong entirely to Thee, for Thee alone do I desire to live and to die.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
The Thirteenth Station
Jesus Is Taken Down From The Cross
And Placed In The Arms Of His Mother
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Jesus did not descend from the cross but remained on it until He died. And when taken from it, He in death as in life, rested on the bosom of His divine Mother. Persevere in your resolutions of reform and do not part from the cross; he who perservereth to the end shall be saved. Consider moreover, how pure the heart should be that receives the body and blood of Christ in the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar.
O Lord Jesus, Thy lifeless body, mangled and lacerated, found a worthy resting-place on the bosom of Thy virgin mother. Have I not often compelled Thee to dwell in my heart, full of sin and impurity as it was? Create in me a new heart, that I may worthily receive Thy most sacred body in Holy Communion, and that Thou mayest remain in me and I in Thee for all eternity.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
The Fourteenth Station
Jesus Is Laid In The Sepulcher
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,
All (genuflect): Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
The body of Jesus is interred in a stranger's sepulcher. He who in this world had not whereupon to rest His head, would not even have a grave if His own, because He was not from this world. You, who are so attached to the world, henceforth despise it, that you may not perish with it.
O Jesus, Thou hast set me apart from the world; what, then, shall I seek therein? Thou hast created me for Heaven; what, then, have I to do with the world? Depart from me deceitful world, with thy vanities! Henceforth I will follow the Way of the Cross traced out for me by my Redeemer, and journey onward to my heavenly home, there to dwell forever and ever.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Lord Jesus, crucified, Have mercy on us!
STABAT MATER
By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Almighty and eternal God, merciful Father, who hast given to the human race Thy beloved Son as an example of humility, obedience, and patience, to precede us on the way of life, bearing the cross: Graciously grant us that we, inflamed by His infinite love, may take up the sweet yoke of His Gospel together the mortification of the cross, following Him as His true disciples, so that we shall one day gloriously rise with Him and joyfully hear the final sentence: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, and possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning," where Thou reignest with the Son and the Holy Ghost, and where we hope to reign with Thee, world without end. AMEN.
Christha prabhalaya, Jayanagar Easter, good friday, maundy thursday mass timings, schedule, Epiphany Church Bangalore
Christha Prabhalaya, Epiphany Church - Paschal Triduum
Jaya nagar 4th Block, Bangalore
Maundy Thursday Mass (March/28/2013)
Kannada: 5:15 PM
English: 6:30 PM
Tamil: 7:45 PM
Adoration
Tamil: 9:00 PM
Kan: 10:00 PM
Eng: 11:00 PM
Good Friday (March/29/2013)
Way of the cross
Kokani: 8:00 AM
Kannada: 9:00 AM
English: 10:00 AM
Tamil: 11:00 AM
Malayalam: 12:30 PM
Cross Veneration
Kannada: 3:00 PM
English: 5:00 PM
Tamil: 7:00 PM
Easter Vigil (March/30/2013)
Kannada: 7:30 PM
English: 9:30 PM
Tamil: 11:30 PM
Easter Sunday (March/31/2013)
Kannada: 7:00 AM
English: 8:30 AM
Tamil: 10:45 AM
No evening Mass on Sunday
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Maundy Thursday Homily mass readings March/28/2013 (Catholic church, Gospel word of God for the day)
Maundy Thursday
My brothers and sisters in Christ, in order to prepare ourselves to commemorate the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Day, today, we are celebrating Holy Thursday. This Feast solemnly commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist. During the history of the Holy Catholic Church, this special Feast has been associated with the baptism of new converts, the reconciliation of penitents, the consecration of the holy oils, the washing of the feet and the commemoration of the Blessed Eucharist. As such, this Feast has received many different names that all represent Holy Thursday.
Holy Thursday is the night on which our Lord Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples. What went through the mind of the disciples on that night, we will never know. We can only imagine. What we do know is that Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from the world and to go to the Father. While Jesus had been preparing His disciples for some time, hinting to them that He was about to be betrayed and crucified, the disciples did not appear to perceive what Jesus was telling them.
After all, the disciples were human beings just like all of us. Most likely, they were more impressed with the miracles of Jesus, His infinite wisdom as a Teacher and Rabbi, and His endless knowledge of the mysteries of God. While some of the disciples affirmed that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah, their actions at the time of the arrest of Jesus clearly tell us that they were very weak in human nature.
During today's First Reading from the Book of Exodus, [Exo. 12:1-8, 11-14] God the Father alluded to Moses and His people that the day of the New Covenant of grace was coming.
In that reading, God the Father gave at least eight different pictures of things to come. In the institution of the Passover to commemorate the day when His people were freed from slavery, God indicated that that month would mark for the people the beginning of months. For new converts to the Catholic Church who are receiving the Sacrament of Baptism during the Easter season, this month marks for them the beginning of the liturgical year that is to follow.
God the Father spoke of taking a lamb without blemish. As we know, Jesus was the Lamb of God without defect or blemish. [Jn. 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:19] "For our sake God made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." [2 Cor. 5:21]
God the Father commanded Moses and His people to eat the lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Bread of Life. [Jn. 6:35, 48-50] By eating the Bread of Life, the Holy Eucharist, we freely receive the life of Christ that leads to our salvation.
To clarify this, it is necessary to understand the progressive order of the Church Sacraments. Through faith in Jesus and the Sacrament of Baptism, we receive gifts from God. We receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And we receive our new creation of the godly seed, the promised new heart and new spirit. And finally, through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are made righteous in the eyes of God, receiving forgiveness for the original sin that stained our souls and the "sins that we previously committed." [Rom. 3:25]
When we sin after having received the Sacrament of Baptism, we need the Sacrament of Reconciliation to once more reinstate the righteousness of the Lord God that we previously enjoyed through Christ.
Now being in a state of grace through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, to receive our salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of God, we need the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
During the First Reading, God the Father also spoke of the firstborn. Again, this is a picture of Jesus. Jesus is "the firstborn within a large family." [Rom. 8:29] He is the first fruits of those who have died. [1 Cor 15:20] He is the firstfruit of all creation. [Col. 1:15] As the King of kings, He was the first to resurrect and to enter the Kingdom of God.
The blood of the lamb is a picture of the Blood of Christ. Through the Blood of Christ, we are justified. [Rom. 5:9] To pass over those where the blood of the lamb is seen means that there will be no judgment against those who are made righteous before the eyes of God by the Lamb of God. Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life." [Jn. 5:24]
When God the Father said that He would pass over Egypt, He was giving us a picture of passing over the darkness of the world. In those days, the Egyptians, as gentiles, worshipped different idols. They were not part of God's people and promises. So when God shall pass His judgment over the world, He shall pass over those who have received their righteousness through the Blood of Christ.
Finally, in the days of Moses, God commanded that the Feast of the Passover be remembered. It should be celebrated as a festival to the Lord, throughout every generations as a perpetual ordinance. This command is a picture of the feast of Holy Thursday that is being celebrated today. It is a picture of the Last Supper that is celebrated daily throughout the world in remembrance of the words of Jesus and the institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
During today's Second Reading, [1 Cor. 11:23-26] St. Paul affirmed to us what he personally received from the Lord Jesus. Jesus commanded us to celebrate the Holy Mass and the Holy Eucharist in remembrance of Him. St. Paul tells us that this is the New Covenant of grace through the Blood of Jesus. Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we are to proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
So sacred is the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that in the next three verses that followed during today's Second Reading, St. Paul gave us a guideline as to how we should receive this Sacrament. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves." [1 Cor. 11:27- 6]
To avoid the judgment of the Lord, we should receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace, after having received the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
What does it mean to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace? It means that those who are living in a common- law relationships or same sex relationships do not qualify to receive Holy Communion. It means that without the Sacrament of Confession, those who commit adultery disqualify themselves from the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It means that those who have been involved in abortions in any way, until such time as their excommunication has been lifted by the proper ecclesiastical authority, they cannot receive Holy Communion. It means that those who are in a state of mortal sin, until such time as they have sincerely repented and confessed their sins, they cannot approach the Sacred Table to receive the Bread of Life.
Today's Reading from the Gospel of John told us that during the Last Supper, Jesus did something very unusual. He got on His knees and washed the feet of His disciples. What tremendous humility we see in this act of Divine love. The greatest Teacher of all times, our Lord God Himself, humbled Himself as a servant of His children. Loving His children of the world until the end, He wanted to do something special by which He would be remembered. He wanted to leave them an example to live by.
When Peter protested against Jesus washing his feet, Jesus told him, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." And when Jesus had finished washing the feet of the disciples, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and lord - and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.'"
My brothers and sisters in Christ, today's readings have two spiritual messages for us that cannot be separated. First of all, the Feast of Holy Thursday is in remembrance of the institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. From this Sacrament, the Bread of Life, comes the inheritance of salvation and eternal life in the beatific vision of God in His Kingdom.
The second message is that we are to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in a worthy manner. To be pleasing to the eyes of God as shining spirits in Christ, we must humble ourselves as Jesus humbled Himself. In our living faith in Christ, we must be prepared to serve others. Through such actions, by our shining in the light and love of Christ, we are granted a worthy state of grace through which we can partake in the Holy Mass in order to receive the Lord Jesus in our hearts through the Holy Eucharist.
Through such actions, we shall gloriously enter the eternal Kingdom of God.
Holy Thursday is the night on which our Lord Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples. What went through the mind of the disciples on that night, we will never know. We can only imagine. What we do know is that Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from the world and to go to the Father. While Jesus had been preparing His disciples for some time, hinting to them that He was about to be betrayed and crucified, the disciples did not appear to perceive what Jesus was telling them.
After all, the disciples were human beings just like all of us. Most likely, they were more impressed with the miracles of Jesus, His infinite wisdom as a Teacher and Rabbi, and His endless knowledge of the mysteries of God. While some of the disciples affirmed that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah, their actions at the time of the arrest of Jesus clearly tell us that they were very weak in human nature.
During today's First Reading from the Book of Exodus, [Exo. 12:1-8, 11-14] God the Father alluded to Moses and His people that the day of the New Covenant of grace was coming.
In that reading, God the Father gave at least eight different pictures of things to come. In the institution of the Passover to commemorate the day when His people were freed from slavery, God indicated that that month would mark for the people the beginning of months. For new converts to the Catholic Church who are receiving the Sacrament of Baptism during the Easter season, this month marks for them the beginning of the liturgical year that is to follow.
God the Father spoke of taking a lamb without blemish. As we know, Jesus was the Lamb of God without defect or blemish. [Jn. 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:19] "For our sake God made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." [2 Cor. 5:21]
God the Father commanded Moses and His people to eat the lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Bread of Life. [Jn. 6:35, 48-50] By eating the Bread of Life, the Holy Eucharist, we freely receive the life of Christ that leads to our salvation.
To clarify this, it is necessary to understand the progressive order of the Church Sacraments. Through faith in Jesus and the Sacrament of Baptism, we receive gifts from God. We receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And we receive our new creation of the godly seed, the promised new heart and new spirit. And finally, through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are made righteous in the eyes of God, receiving forgiveness for the original sin that stained our souls and the "sins that we previously committed." [Rom. 3:25]
When we sin after having received the Sacrament of Baptism, we need the Sacrament of Reconciliation to once more reinstate the righteousness of the Lord God that we previously enjoyed through Christ.
Now being in a state of grace through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, to receive our salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of God, we need the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
During the First Reading, God the Father also spoke of the firstborn. Again, this is a picture of Jesus. Jesus is "the firstborn within a large family." [Rom. 8:29] He is the first fruits of those who have died. [1 Cor 15:20] He is the firstfruit of all creation. [Col. 1:15] As the King of kings, He was the first to resurrect and to enter the Kingdom of God.
The blood of the lamb is a picture of the Blood of Christ. Through the Blood of Christ, we are justified. [Rom. 5:9] To pass over those where the blood of the lamb is seen means that there will be no judgment against those who are made righteous before the eyes of God by the Lamb of God. Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life." [Jn. 5:24]
When God the Father said that He would pass over Egypt, He was giving us a picture of passing over the darkness of the world. In those days, the Egyptians, as gentiles, worshipped different idols. They were not part of God's people and promises. So when God shall pass His judgment over the world, He shall pass over those who have received their righteousness through the Blood of Christ.
Finally, in the days of Moses, God commanded that the Feast of the Passover be remembered. It should be celebrated as a festival to the Lord, throughout every generations as a perpetual ordinance. This command is a picture of the feast of Holy Thursday that is being celebrated today. It is a picture of the Last Supper that is celebrated daily throughout the world in remembrance of the words of Jesus and the institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
During today's Second Reading, [1 Cor. 11:23-26] St. Paul affirmed to us what he personally received from the Lord Jesus. Jesus commanded us to celebrate the Holy Mass and the Holy Eucharist in remembrance of Him. St. Paul tells us that this is the New Covenant of grace through the Blood of Jesus. Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we are to proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
So sacred is the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that in the next three verses that followed during today's Second Reading, St. Paul gave us a guideline as to how we should receive this Sacrament. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves." [1 Cor. 11:27- 6]
To avoid the judgment of the Lord, we should receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace, after having received the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
What does it mean to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace? It means that those who are living in a common- law relationships or same sex relationships do not qualify to receive Holy Communion. It means that without the Sacrament of Confession, those who commit adultery disqualify themselves from the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It means that those who have been involved in abortions in any way, until such time as their excommunication has been lifted by the proper ecclesiastical authority, they cannot receive Holy Communion. It means that those who are in a state of mortal sin, until such time as they have sincerely repented and confessed their sins, they cannot approach the Sacred Table to receive the Bread of Life.
Today's Reading from the Gospel of John told us that during the Last Supper, Jesus did something very unusual. He got on His knees and washed the feet of His disciples. What tremendous humility we see in this act of Divine love. The greatest Teacher of all times, our Lord God Himself, humbled Himself as a servant of His children. Loving His children of the world until the end, He wanted to do something special by which He would be remembered. He wanted to leave them an example to live by.
When Peter protested against Jesus washing his feet, Jesus told him, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." And when Jesus had finished washing the feet of the disciples, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and lord - and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.'"
My brothers and sisters in Christ, today's readings have two spiritual messages for us that cannot be separated. First of all, the Feast of Holy Thursday is in remembrance of the institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. From this Sacrament, the Bread of Life, comes the inheritance of salvation and eternal life in the beatific vision of God in His Kingdom.
The second message is that we are to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in a worthy manner. To be pleasing to the eyes of God as shining spirits in Christ, we must humble ourselves as Jesus humbled Himself. In our living faith in Christ, we must be prepared to serve others. Through such actions, by our shining in the light and love of Christ, we are granted a worthy state of grace through which we can partake in the Holy Mass in order to receive the Lord Jesus in our hearts through the Holy Eucharist.
Through such actions, we shall gloriously enter the eternal Kingdom of God.
First Reading: Exodus 12: 1 - 8, 11 - 14
1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
2 "This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.
3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household;
4 and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats;
6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.
7 Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them.
8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
11 In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
13 The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 "This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever.
Psalms 116: 12 - 13, 15 - 18
12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Gospel Reading: John 13: 1 - 15
1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,
4 rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel.
5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.
6 He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"
7 Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand."
8 Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me."
9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"
10 Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you."
11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "You are not all clean."
12 When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?
13 You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.
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