Rose

This Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent) is known as laetare Sunday. The introit to the Mass begins with the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Rejoice Jerusalem!" (Is 66:10-11). The vestments are "rose" instead of the penitential violet. The color signifies the joy of a promise fulfilled (like the 3rd Week of Lent).

Some commentaries say that this Sunday is a lessening of the strict Lenten practices. The day of the Lord is near. The prophet tells us to rejoice "you who have been in sorrow".

One of the concerns of Catholics is that Mass and the practice of the Faith is "too stern". Shouldn't we have fun? Shouldn't there be dancing and laughing? Sure there should be. Absolutely! However, the Church responds to life with a sense of gravity and meaning. There is a time to laugh...and a time to weep.

This Sunday is a respite which sets us up for the inevitable Passion of Christ. We who laugh and rejoice also have the capacity to crucify the Lord. Humanity's response to God's Son is no laughing matter. Lent helps us remember this.

As a priest, I am aware of my own desire to make things fun over the Church's instruction to show life's real beauty and tragedy through worship. That's why I wear violet. I admit that sometimes we people can be cause for weeping and penance. But with the help of the Church, not for long!

So, keep your eyes peeled. I'll be wearing rose vestments. Hopefully, those who are in other parishes will also see "rose". Fearfully,some of you may be in a "fun parish" and you may also be subjected to pink...

"And Jesus wept"

True happiness...

"When you are totally consumed by the Eucharistic fire, then you will be able more consciously to thank God, who has called you to become part of His family. Then you will enjoy the peace that those who are happy in this world have never experienced, because true happiness, oh young people, does not consist in the pleasures of this world, or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we only have if we are pure of heart and mind." - Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati (d. 1925)

Confession recap: Ask a Catholic

At last night's Good Cheer, the topic was the Sacrament of Reconciliation (i.e. "Confession"). We had some great discussion and even better questions. I promised to post an answer to a couple of the questions today, and I think they're pretty general, so a lot of you may find them helpful.


Q: Is Confession biblical?

A: Certainly. Here is how Catholics view what the Bible says on the subject:

We are all sinners in need of God's forgiveness.

• “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
•  “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

The Church plays a roll in reconciling sinners to God through Christ.

•  "But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Christ deputized the Apostles to forgive and retain sins in his name.

• "[Jesus said to his Apostles:] 'As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21–23)

The Apostles exercised the ministry of reconciliation faithfully.

• "Many also of those who were now believers came confessing and divulging their practices." (Acts 19:18)

Christians are specifically instructed to confess our sins.

• "Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters [i.e. priests] of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord ... If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed." (James 5:14-16)

Now, do the above texts give us a step-by-step instruction on how the confession of sins and the reconciliation of sinners is carried out. No. But in the Bible (in the verses above and others) we can easily arrive at a basic understanding of these concepts: 1) sin is bad and we are all sinners, 2) God forgives sins, 3) Christ chose to gift the leaders of his Church with the power to forgive or retain sins in his name, 4) early Christians confessed their sins to the Apostles, and 5) Christians are instructed by Scripture to summon the priest(s) and to confess their sins so that they may be healed.

These basic ideas are in complete harmony with both Sacred Scripture and with the Sacred Tradition that informs the Catholic Church's nearly 2,000-year-old practice of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Q: Why does the Church talk about mortal and venial sins? Aren't all sins the same in the eyes of God?

While all sins are certainly bad for the soul, all sins are not equal. Common sense and justice tell us that some sins are more serious and are worse than others and are more deadly for our souls. The Bible tells us the same thing, and it's pretty clear on the subject. 

• If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such thing as deadly [i.e. mortal] sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly. (1 John 5:16-17)

I hope these answers help your understanding of this awesome sacrament of God's mercy. As the parable of the Prodigal Son reminds us (Luke 15:11-32), God is overjoyed when we return to him and to his Church in the fullest possible way. He is waiting patiently to offer his loving forgiveness and reconciliation. During this season Lent, let us pray that we will not squander his offers of mercy.

Tonight at Good Cheer: Confession

There's no point in discussing it. You should definitely come.



Seriously. 7pm at The Library. Oh, and bring your friends, too.

An interview with Archbishop Dolan

I know that 60 Minutes is not exactly aimed at a young adult demographic, so I think it's a safe guess that many of our readers didn't catch this when it aired. Recently, the show did an interview with Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and it is definitely worth a look.

In many ways, Archbishop Dolan is the new face of Catholicism in the U.S. He is grounded and very personable, yet articulate and unapologetic about the Church's timeless teachings and beliefs. If you don't know much about him, here's a great chance to get to know him.

UPDATE: I tried to embed the video, but it wasn't working so well. Instead, here is a link to view it.

Does "beauty" matter?

Think of this as Extreme Makeover: Church Edition. Church renovations can be a touchy thing. We've all seen lots of well-meaning church "renovation" projects go very, very, bad and disintegrate into "wreckovations". In the 1970s, in fact, church wreckovations became a cottage industry in the U.S. and, for a while, it seemed that no pre-1970 church building was safe from being gouged of anything of worth or beauty. Thankfully, this seems to be changing and some older and historic churches have fought hard to preserve (and or to restore) their original splendor (I'm thinking especially of St. Mary's Basilica in Natchez, among others).

As someone who did not grow up Catholic, let me let you in on a little secret: many non-Catholics are disappointed when they enter a Catholic church for the first time. Yep. I'm not speaking specifically about their impressions of the Mass (that's for another post, perhaps) or the homily, but just their initial impression of the space itself. Movies have led us to think that all Catholic churches are teeming with beautiful works of art and a very classical sense of architectural dignity. People expect to see columns, arches and spires, statues and frescoes, beautiful ceilings and floors - a veritable feast for the eyes. So, needless to say, they can be quite disappointed (though they certainly won't say so out loud) to find that many parish churches have succumbed to a minimalist approach to interior design, with walls that are bland, boring and artless; ceilings and floors that would look more at home in a community center or public school than in a place of worship. In a nutshell, many of our parishes look, well, institutional, not beautiful.

But beauty does matter. When it comes to sacred spaces such as a church - it is of upmost importance because it sets the tone for our entire experience. Beauty can make an immediate impression on the newcomer. Think about it: We look for certain cues as to the importance of a place when we enter into a new building. If the new surroundings lead us to a sense of awe, wonder and sacredness, then we know we have entered a place that is to be reverenced and is worshipful in its intent. On the other hand, if we enter a new place and it feels sterile and no different from other large buildings such as an office building or a shopping mall, we immediately devalue its contents. Truth is, we owe it to God to give him our absolute best in all that we do - not the least of which includes building the houses of worship that will shelter his very Body and Blood in the tabernacle. It just makes sense. So, I am heartened by the pictures below, of the newly-renovated St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Hackberry, Louisiana (near Lake Charles).

After Hurricane Rita, the parish rebuilt, but they didn't stop there. They took the opportunity to improve upon what they had and to re-construct their church in a way that leaves no doubt about the importance that they place upon sacred worship. I think it is obvious that they gave serious to consideration to this bottom line: they had an opportunity to re-construct a house for the Lord, so they gave him their very best.

What do you think about their work? Does one communicate the sacredness of the space more than the other? Does one "speak to your soul" more than the other? Let us know in the comments! A hat tip to New Liturgical Movement, a great blog on Catholic liturgical things that features "before and after" posts such as this regularly.

Before

After

Closeup of the newly-renovated Sanctuary

Once again: the Church confirms it's catholic

The new archbishop adjusts his bishop's mitre.

Yep. Just as I suspected. The Church is definitely catholic. A couple of weeks ago, we noted here that the Maronite Catholic Church (one of the so-called Eastern Catholic Churches) elected a new leader, or patriarch. These past few days have seen yet another leader elected to an Eastern Catholic Church. This time, it is the Ukrainian Catholic Church which, with over 6 million members, is the largest eastern Church in union with the pope. Last Friday, the Ukrainian Catholic Church recently elected their newest leader, Sviatoslav Shevchuk who is only 40 years old (!) - the third-youngest Catholic bishop in the world. His election was confirmed by Pope Benedict and he was installed as Major-Archbishop in a special ceremony on Sunday in Kiev, Ukraine.

Why does this matter to us here in our little ol' Mississippi diocese? Well, it's always important to remember that the Church is indeed catholic (universal). She is much bigger than what we see around us. In fact, she is staggeringly large. And in God's good providence, she is also much more diverse than we sometimes remember. If you want confirmation of that fact, take a look at this video of the new archbishop's installation liturgy in Kiev on Sunday. Beside the obvious difference in language, take note of other differences in the vestments and the liturgy: the priests and bishop's vestments, the difference in the bishops' mitres, among other differences. Blessed be God for the beauty and breadth of his Church!


Інтронізація новообраного Глави УГКЦ from Yuriy Bihanskyy on Vimeo.

On Benedictines, the Medal of St. Benedict, etc.

I came across a story online today about a group of Benedictine nuns in the UK who have started a new website, The Digitalnun Daily, with the sisters' take on news, entertainment, art, etc. If you like to add new Catholic content to your daily regimen of internet reading, you should check them out. Their new site looks promising.

These sisters are, as I said before, Benedictine nuns, which means they follow the Rule of St. Benedict. Which led me to start thinking about the Medal of St. Benedict. Ever heard of it? It's a very old and important sacramental of the Church which is making a comeback. I've seen the medal around quite a bit and you probably have, too. I just did not know much about it. So, I decided to do a little research. Let's learn a little bit about sacramentals and the Medal of St. Benedict. Let's start with Benedict himself.

Who was St. Benedict?

St. Benedict of Nursia (d. 547)  is widely considered to be the "father of Western monasticism" because he is credited with being the first person in Europe to write and adopt a specifically Christian "way of life" which was both practical and widely effective. According to St. Benedict's "rule", monks would live together in a monastic community (the monastery) with the times of their day mapped out and divided between work, prayer, rest and worship. Benedict's Rule soon became the model for Christian monasticism throughout Europe and spread like wildfire throughout the continent during the Middle Ages. It led to the development of very organized (yet autonomous) monasteries throughout Europe which played an important role of cohesion between rural, warring European societies throughout the centuries and which preserved much ancient European learning and culture. This is the reason that St. Benedict is considered to be the first patron saint of Europe. Benedict was a very holy and devout Christian. The motto of his monastery was "pax" which is Latin for "peace" because he believed that in living out the rule in harmony and holy obedience, inner and eternal Christian peace would result.

What is a Sacramental?

A sacramental is an object (such as a rosary or a crucifix), a prayer (such as the Hail Mary, or the Glory Be) or a gesture (such as making the Sign of the Cross) which helps a person to remain open to God's grace and which fosters Christian devotion. The most popular types of sacramentals among American Catholics are probably candles, holy water, the rosary, holy cards and religious medals. The Medal of St. Benedict, in its modern form, was first struck in the year 1880 to celebrate the 1400th anniversary of St. Benedict's birth.


The Medal of St. Benedict

Many Catholics carry or wear a medal of their patron saint. And while St. Benedict was certainly an important figure in the historical Church, the Medal of St. Benedict is a little different than a regular saint's medal, because as much as it honors St. Benedict, it truly seeks to glorify and invokes the power of Christ's cross. The medal is two-sided: one side displays St. Benedict while the other displays a simple cross with letters that symbolize ancient invocations against Satan and evil. Maybe it's just a guy thing, but I think that the symbolism is super cool. Here is what you'll find on a St. Benedict Medal:

On one side of the medal, St. Benedict is pictured, holding a cross in his right hand and holding a copy of his Rule in the other. Just behind the saint, there is a table upon which are a cracked chalice and a raven. The cracked chalice and the raven symbolize a legend about the saint which says that once, a group of jealous and hostile monks attempted to poison his food and drink, but when Benedict made the sign of the cross over the poisoned bread and chalice of wine before consuming them (as was his custom), the chalice shattered, the poison slithered out of the cup in the form of a serpent, and a raven carried away the poisoned loaf of bread, protecting him from consuming the poison. The story remind us that there is real spiritual power over evil in the cross of Christ. Above these symbols are the Latin words Crux S. Patris Benedicti ("the cross of our holy father Benedict"). Around the edge of this front image are the Latin words "Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur", which mean "may we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death." According to pious legend, St. Benedict died just after receiving Holy Communion, with his arms outstretched in prayer, so he has long been considered a patron of a happy death.

This side of the medal dates back to 1880 and underneath the image of the saint are inscribed the following: "Ex S M Casino MDCCCLXXX" which mean, "From holy Monte Casino, 1880". Monte Casino is the name of St. Benedict's first hilltop monastery, originally founded in the year 529, which can still be found about 80 miles outside of Rome.

On the other side of the medal, the dominant feature is the cross itself. This side of the image is the more ancient one. The cross is labeled in its angles with the initials C S P B, which stand for "Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti" ("The cross of our holy father Benedict"). On the arms of the cross, the letters symbolize a poetic Latin prayer: "Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Nunquam draco sit mihi dux!" ("May the holy cross ever be my light! May the dragon never be my guide!"). Above the cross is the Latin word "pax" ("peace") and the initials of a final poetic Latin prayer against Satan and evil: "Vade retro satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas!" The translation of this prayer is "Begone, Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!"

This final prayer, known as the "Vade Retro Satana" (because we Catholics are always unoriginal in naming things, ha ha) has a unique story of its own. It was a popular prayer against evil, taking as its inspiration the words of Christ spoke to St. Peter in Mark 8:33 in the Latin Vulgate Bible: "Vade retro me, satana!", or "Get behind me, Satan!" But over the centuries, the words of the prayer, which were often painted in conjunction with the cross and only in the form of initials, were forgotten and their meaning became a mystery. A woman who professed to be a witch testified during her 1647 trial that she had had been unable to wield Satan's power against places where the cross was displayed and, in particular, she had been unsuccessful against a monastery called St. Michael's Abbey in Metten, Germany. The self-professed witch did not know why she was particularly repulsed by that place. A search of the monastery revealed that many of the interior walls contained the symbol of the cross along with the initials of the Vade Retro Satana prayer, but the meaning of the initials were still unknown. Further searching turned up a manuscript in the monastery's library which had an illustration of St. Benedict (right) with the Vade Retro Satana prayer written in full, finally solving the centuries-old mystery of the meaning behind the initials.


The Place for Sacramentals Today

Are sacramentals such as the Medal of St. Benedict outdated? Are they a form of pious superstition? Have they been officially tossed? In a way, you might think so. After all, there is an entire generation of Catholic adults who look upon sacramentals as But you'd be wrong. The Church encourages today, as much as ever, the use of sacramentals such as the Medal of St. Benedict. In fact, we may very well be living in an age in which sacramentals are more important than ever. They are constant and tangible reminders of our holy Faith. They are powerful reminders of Christ's final dominion over all. They should help us to realize Christ conquers all and that in him (and only in him), we can overcome the worst that Satan tries to throw our way.

A well-worn scapular.

And, they are ours. They are gifts of faith generations past, our religious inheritance. It seems to many that we, as a Church, are just now waking up from a forty-year lull in our exercise of many aspects of the Faith. Over the past few decades, devotions such as praying the rosary, wearing religious medals and scapulars were almost lost in popular practice. But in God's providence, they are making a remarkable comeback in the faith lives of many young Catholics. The rosary, medals, scapulars, etc. - these are our patrimony, the spiritual gifts to which we are entitled. We need the graces which God imparts through their use! We need the inspiration they provide! As my generation and yours takes hold of the Church, let's be open to all that God has to offer and bring everything good with us, leaving nothing behind. Let's wipe the dust off - when needed - and put back into practice the small gestures of our Catholic faith that are beautiful, inspiring and holy. They sustained Catholics for generations and generations. God willing, they will sustain us.

Go ahead. Pray your rosary regularly! Light a candle! Wear a scapular! And display the Medal of St. Benedict. Remember - you're goal in life is to become a saint (yes, you!). We need all the help we can get!

Te Absolvo

Tonight...

"And I want a pony...and a robot...and firecrackers..and a etch-a-sketch..and a.."
"Son, I think you have me confused with someone else."

St. John's Church. Confessions at 5:30pm until 7:00pm.
Examination of Conscience here.

Be there.

Why there's a new translation coming...

Once again, more proof that a new translation to our Roman Missal was waaaaaayyyy overdue. Yesterday at Mass, on the 3rd Sunday of Lent, one of the Gospels' most powerful and enduring stories, Jesus and the woman at the well, took a central place in our Lenten season, as it does each year at this time. The dialogue between Christ and the woman and the plea for "living water" are wonderful allusions to our relationship with the Lord which, during these days and with God's assistance, we are trying to improve.

And in the midst of this symbolic and literary beauty, on this 3rd Sunday of Lent, we heard this prayer after communion:

"Lord, in sharing this sacrament, may we receive your forgiveness and be brought together in unity and peace."

Now, compare this rather anemic prayer with the same prayer from the new translation of the Roman Missal, which we'll begin using at Advent this year(!):

"As we receive the pledge of things yet hidden in heaven and are nourished while still on earth with the Bread that comes from on high, we humbly entreat you, O Lord, that what is being brought about in us in mystery, may come to true completion."

Wow. Stunning. What a poverty of words we've gotten used to over the last forty years in our worship! And to think, there are actually people who are actually unhappy with the fact that this change is coming. Wow. Just, wow.

Not that there's anything wrong with that....

A recent study by the Public Religions Research Institute shows that Catholics are more accepting of gay unions than any other Christian body in the United States. The summary is here.

Have we lost ground? Is the Church imploding? Before we gather up the sackcloth and proclaim a fast, we have to understand that homosexuality is a rather novel social movement. We've always had homosexuality, for sure. But in a country that is obsessed with civil rights and fairness, the sexual identities and freedoms of people is now more pronounced. Think about divorce (not too much, though). Catholics oppose that as well. There are very sinful ramifications to marrying a divorced person. Mortal sin. But, most U.S. Catholics also have experienced divorce either personally or have a family member who's divorced (myself included). Does this mean the Church failed? No. It means that somehow divorce became a right and a very facile one to obtain. Thus making it popular but by no means "good".

For the American mind, rights and goods are synonymous. For the Church, there are distinctions. You may have a right to scream in an elevator. It's just not good.

Ok, so that's Americans but what about our saving hope? What about the new immigrants?? The Hispanics are rising in the population!One of the hopes of our bishop and many Catholic leaders is that the influx of immigrants from Mexico will infuse our culture with a broader Catholic presence. But the study shows that Latino Catholics are 45% in favor of gay marriage which is the highest percentage of any racial or religious group polled.

Ok, maybe this is not the same kind of gay acceptance among Latinos.

Like divorce, adultery, abortion, and other issues related to human life, there may be an easy agreement and support for such things among Americans. But as Catholics,no matter if it's popular or peaceable, there is always a fight for life to the life. And, to paraphrase St. Teresa d'Avila, that's probably why there's so few of them.

St.Teresa is noted as saying after an unpleasant and grueling trip across a river, "God, if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them."

Oh...and for a lark, read carefully. The surveyors of the Public Religion Research Institute are listed here.

It's a Friday in Lent.... have a hamburger!

Today is a Friday in Lent. But, more importantly, today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation - one of the Church's most important (and most ancient) feast days. This day honors the Incarnation of Christ - the day on which the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and she gave her "fiat" (or assent) and accepted her role as the mother of our Savior (See Luke 1:26-38). Because the Annunciation is a solemnity (the highest rank for a feast day on the Church's calendar), Catholics are not bound to observe the traditional abstinence from meat today. In other words, today is such an important day, we should not neglect to truly celebrate it, even in what we eat!

Some still plan to refrain from eating meat today - and that's certainly okay, too. And don't worry: the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry will still be held from 5:30 until 7:00 at the St. John's Parish Hall. All are welcome!

Have You Seen the Abortion Van?

The "Abortion Van" from a visit to Illinois

  I was talking to a young lady yesterday and she asked me just before I hung up, "Oh, hey, have you seen the abortion van?"
"The what?"
"The abortion van. There's a van riding around town that has pictures of what abortions are really like. I'm all for that dude. Good for him."
"Yeah...yeah. I thought you meant...something else. It's graphic alright but y'know, it takes what it takes. I saw those same pictures and the movie "The Silent Scream" when I was a kid. Can't forget it."

The "abortion van" is in town and has been on campus promoting the "Personhood Amendment". The organizer is nationally known anti-abortion activist, Dan Holman.

The DM captured photos of the audience and Dan Holman yesterday

The DMonline has more here and here. (Props to Catholic Trent Nichols in the big manga cat shirt!)

Haven't we all felt like this?

I know I have. Sometimes, when we've done wrong, we just feel like a dog. Thank goodness for Confession. And speaking of Confession, you've got a great opportunity to go this upcoming Monday (March 28th) at St. John's. Father Joe and three guest priests will be hearing confessions at the church from 5:30 until 7:00pm.

My Soul Proclaims The Greatness of the Lord...

On the traditional Church calendar, today is one of nine days dedicated to Mary under the title "Our Lady of Victory." This particular one commemorates the victory of Catholic forces over the invading Ottoman Turks in present-day Peterwardein, Hungary in the year 1716. The victory was stragetically important and led to the eventual re-conquest of Hungary from the Turks. The prayerful intersession of Mary to God was credited for the success and this day was dedicated to her honor.

So, what is it about Mary? Why are we Catholics so keen to honor her? Do other Christians do the same? Why or why not? Well, here's a hint: "From Mary we learn to surrender to God's will in all things. From Mary, we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary, we learn to love Christ her son and the Son of God!" (Ven. Pope John Paul II).
-------------------------------------------------------
Good Cheer Tonight (7pm at The Library off the Square)- Fr. Joe will offer a Lenten reflection on "The Magnificat" (Lk 1:46-55). Do a little homework and look it up. Read it. Think about it. Ponder it. Live it. And then grab a frosty beverage tonight and discuss it! Bring a friend. Especially those who are always asking, "What's up with y'all Catholics worshiping Mary?" Bring that person.

"But the Church's teachings aren't popular..."

"Christ said, 'I am the Truth'; he did not say 'I am the custom.'"
- St. Toribio de Mogrovejo (d. 1606)

Culture changes. Fads come and go. And with the winds of societal change, the faith of some is blown here and there. Their perceptions of truth change with the society and are not constant.

Today is the feast day of St. Toribio de Mogrovejo. Toribio began his adult life as a lawyer in Spain. Though a layman, his reputation for fairness led to his appointment as the archbishop of Lima in modern-day Peru. After unsuccessfully trying to covince Church officials that he was not qualified, he reluctantly accepting the appointment. He was quickly ordained a deacon and priest, then consecrated bishop and sent to Lima. As archbishop there, he took a keen interest in exercising justice and defended the rights of the poor and of natives who were suffering under Spanish rule in Peru. He founded hospitals and schools to serve both Spanish and Indians there.

In his day and in his culture, he was not popular with the secular rulers. Many Spanish colonists allowed their perceptions to be marred by the popular view of their day that the Indians around them should not be treated as fellow-humans. They could not understand Toribio's insistence that Truth was not dictated by current thought, but instead, was unchanging and from above. But he persevered in his service to all: Indians and Spanish alike. He was canonized by the Church in 1726.

Truth is constant. Christ is unchanging. Our Faith is foundational. Let us build our house upon its timeless security.

Sant' Egidio meets tonight

If you want to put your spirituality in gear with your social conscience, then Sant' Egidio may have some answers.

For one hour, 7pm until 8pm, you are invited to read Scripture, reflect on it's meaning and discuss how to put the Gospel to work in your life.

For a glimpse into some of the works Sant' Egidio encourages, click here.

Meeting in the Church office (416 S. 5th Street).

What are you doing around 7:15 tonight?

Have you thought about dropping by the church for Adoration?

7:15-8:30pm tonight. You're invited. He's there.

What was the first Lent like?

We spend these forty days in fasting and prayer in imitation of Jesus who spent forty days in the wilderness praying and fasting before the start of his public ministry.

I came across this online and it begs the unanswerable question: What was his Lent like?

For your Friday...

Here's a cute baby video for you. For no reason at all. Happy Friday.

St. Joseph's Day (March 19th)

Tomorrow (March 19) is St. Joseph's Day. He is an immensely popular saint (one of my personal favorites), and with good reason: he is the patron of fathers, workers, the universal Church and a happy death; he was Mary's husband and Jesus' foster father, the protector of the Holy Family. From sacred Scripture, we also know that he was "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18). He was (and is) a pretty big deal.

What can we learn from St. Joseph's example? Well, he teaches us a few important things as Christians:

1) St. Joseph teaches us to be a good and hard worker. He was was a carpenter by trade, a hard-working man who was not wealthy. When he took the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised and for Mary to be purified, Joseph offered two turtledoves for sacrifice - the sacrifice of a family who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

2) St. Joseph teaches us to be humble. He was of royal lineage (a descendant of the great King David according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke), but Joseph never shied away from doing menial labor to provide for his family.

3) St. Joseph teaches us to be caring and compassionate. When Joseph discovered that his fiancee Mary was pregnant, he knew that he was not the father but, at that time, did not know that she was carrying the Son of God. But instead of publicly accusing her of adultery and risking that she be stoned to death, he decided to divorce her quietly according to the law to protect Mary (Matthew 1:19-25).

4) St. Joseph teaches us to be faithful and obedient to God. When an angel sent by God revealed to Joseph that Mary was carrying the Son of God, Joseph unhesitatingly took her into his home, despite the risk of scandal and reproach from others. After Jesus' birth, Joseph again followed God's warnings that the Infant was in danger and led his family away from their home into Egypt until the danger passed (Matthew 2:13-23). He also made sure that Jesus was raised in the fullness of their Jewish faith, making sure the family was present at the Temple in Jerusalem each year to celebrate Passover - a feat that could not have been easy for a working man.

5) St. Joseph teaches us to love Jesus and Mary. Over and over again, Joseph showed his love for Jesus and for Mary. He did whatever was needed to protect them from danger and, upon returning from Egypt, moved the family to a small, obscure village (Nazareth) to raise Jesus in safety. Joseph accepted and raised Jesus as his own son and made sure that he and his mother were provided for. When Jesus stayed behind in the Temple on one of the family's trips to Jerusalem, Joseph joined Mary in her genuine distress as they searched diligently for the child for three days (Luke 2:48).

St. Joseph is a role model to all of us, but especially to Catholic men. Many saints throughout the centuries have had a strong devotion to him. He has been honored by the Church with two feast days on the Church calendar: March 19th and May 1st as "St. Joseph the Worker". Pope John XXIII (d. 1963) even added St. Joseph's name to the Roman Canon (the first Eucharistic prayer).

It should also be noted that we here at St. John's in Oxford have three good reasons to pray for our Church leaders on this day: St. Joseph is the name saint for our pastor (Joseph Tonos), our bishop (Joseph Latino) and our pope (whose baptismal name is Joseph Ratzinger). Won't you say an extra prayer for all three men tomorrow?


The St. Joseph's Altar

A typical St. Joseph Altar.

In Italy (and especially in Sicily), St. Joseph is especially revered as a patron and protector. According to an ancient story, there was a severe drought in Sicily during the Middle Ages and the people of Sicily asked St. Joseph to pray to God for rain. If the rains came, they promised to have a large feast in his honor and to invite the poor. The rains did come, and the people were saved from starvation by a bumper crop of fava beans. And the people of Sicily followed through with their promise to honor God through St. Joseph with a massive banquet to which all in the area were invited.

In New Orleans, a port city which attracted many Sicilian immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, St. Joseph's altars became a tradition each year. The "altar" usually consists of a large table upon which are prepared floral arrangements and baskets of food - especially fruits and vegetables, breads, pastries and wines. These usually surround an image of St. Joseph. Quite often, fava beans are passed out in homage to the legume which saved the population of Sicily at St. Joseph's intersession. After a community meal, the altars are dismantled and the remaining food is donated to the poor. There's even a cool "virtual St. Joseph Altar" you can check out online.

The tradition of the St. Joseph Altar has spread throughout the Deep South to many families and Catholic parishes in the region. St. John's will host a St. Joseph's Day meal (featuring our annual St. Joseph Altar) tomorrow evening, at 5:00pm in the parish hall. Free will donations will be collected for the Clayton Stevens Fund, which goes directly to help the poor in Oxford and Lafayette County. All are welcome to attend and take part in this wonderful tradition!

It's Friday, y'all...

Not the goods of the world, but God. Not riches, but God. Not honors, but God. Not distinction, but God. Not dignities, but God. Not advancement, but God. God always and in everything.

- St. Vincent Pallotti (d. 1850)



For your Friday in Lent:

Mass - 12:10pm at St. John's
Stations of the Cross and Benediction - 5:15pm at St. John's
Knights of Columbus Fish Fry - 5:30-7:00pm at the Parish Hall

Catholic Mythbusters: St. Patrick's Day edition

On this day, everyone suddenly becomes Irish and everyone becomes an expert on St. Patrick. You can amaze your friends with the top five myths about St. Patrick's Day.

Truth is, Patrick had an amazing story and we are fortunate that he recorded some of the details in his own biographical writings. What is no myth is the fact that Patrick's missionary activity in Ireland during the fifth century led to the conversion of nearly the entire island to Christianity and so, he is deserving of our honor on this day. But there are also some "facts" circulating about St. Patrick that just aren't so. Here they are:


Myth #1: St. Patrick was Irish.

Fact: Probably not. St. Patrick (or, Patricius), was probably born in Roman Britain around the year 387. Theories differ on exactly where he was born, but either modern-day Wales or Scotland seem the most likely places. At age 16, he was captured by a group of marauders and taken to Ireland where he was sold as a slave to an Irish chieftain named Milchu. He lived as a slave for six years in Dalriada, located in modern-day County Antrim but he escaped and fled to Gaul (modern-day France). Only years later, as an adult and a newly-consecrated Catholic bishop, did Patrick return to Ireland as a missionary.

Myth #2: St. Patrick was the first Christian missionary to Ireland.

Fact: No. Ireland had already been visited by Christian missionaries prior to St. Patrick. There is some evidence of Christian missionary activity in Ireland as early as the fourth century but those unnamed missionaries had little success. In 431, Pope Celestine sent a missionary bishop named Palladius who became the first bishop sent to Ireland. It seems that he ministered in the modern area of Leinster and did not enjoy much success, either. Patrick did not arrive back in Ireland as a missionary bishop until 433.

Myth #3: St. Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to teach the doctrine of the Trinity.

Fact: Unprovable. We have writings by Patrick himself and in them, he does not mention the shamrock. The tradition of its use by St. Patrick can be dated no earlier than the 18th century. The truth is, we just don't know whether St. Patrick used the shamrock or not. What we do know is that it is a pretty cool notion, though, and that the shamrock is in no danger of losing its status as an important national symbol for Ireland.

Myth #4: St. Patrick drove all of the snakes out of Ireland.

Fact: While it's true that there are no snakes in Ireland (while neighboring England is full of them), we can't give St. Patrick the credit. According to geologists, the island of Ireland separated from the continent of Europe well before the end of the last Ice Age and hasn't had snakes since.

Myth #5: You should pinch people who don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day.

Fact: It's called assault. I wouldn't recommend it.

Leprechaun in Mobile

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, one of my favorite viral videos.... evah! From the intrepid news team at Mobile, Alabama's NBC 15 news:



Golden quote: "It could be a crackhead that got hold to the wrong stuff..."

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An appropriate prayer to start your day:

"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me."

-St. Patrick

Preparing to celebrate Blessed John Paul II

For many Catholics my age, memories of Pope John Paul II are part and parcel of our Catholic identity. He was, after all, the third-longest serving pope in Church history and served in that role for two and half decades (from 1978 until 2005).

John Paul II was pope when I was born. To me, growing up as a non-Catholic, he was the face of Catholicism. My impressions of him as an outsider, were that he was kind, very holy and very funny. No matter his age, he had an uncanny ability to connect with young people (perhaps that is why so many Catholics of my generation revere him so). He once made light of this fact, saying "I am a young person aged 83 -- speaking to youths."

He was in the news a lot, because he traveled so much. "The pope cannot remain a prisoner of the Vatican," he explained. He visited his flock on nearly every continent and the news media could not get enough of him. And as he grew older and the ravages of Parkinson's disease began to take over his body, I saw in him something very familiar because he reminded me very much of my grandfather -- a kind, holy and funny man who worked into old age until the devastating effects of Parkinson's forced him from his beloved job. Like John Paul II, the disease took him away very slowly, in an increasingly-debilitating way which took its toll on all of us who knew and loved him.

John Paul II was also pope when my wife and I were received into the Catholic Church in 2002 and when our first-born son was baptized a few months later. Needless to say, he holds a very special place in my heart and I credit his example and his influence as ones that made it much easier to follow the spiritual path that God set before me; one that would finally lead me, a descendant of first-generation French Huguenots, to be the first in eleven generations of my family to return to the Catholic Church. As with any difficult decision, I agonized over following my informed conscience to embrace the fullness of truth preserved in the Church that Christ founded. John Paul's words provide solace to difficult decisions, too:

What really matters in life is that we are loved by Christ and that we love him in return. In comparison to the love of Jesus, everything else is secondary. And, without the love of Jesus, everything is useless.

Pope John Paul II is set to be beatified on May 1 of this year. In preparation for his beatification, the Vatican has set up two new websites celebrating his life and his legacy. One is on Youtube  and the other is on Facebook. You'd do well to check them out.

A New Patriarch for Lebanon

Newly-elected Maronite Patriarch Bashara Rai

Bishop Beshara Rai was elected as the 77th patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church today. He takes over after the retirement of 91-year-old Nasrallah Sfeir, who had served as the Maronite patriarch for 25 years. A patriarch is the highest-ranking bishop in a particular Church. Maronites were once the most important political bloc in Lebanon but since the 1960s, high emigration rates have reduced the community's size in the country. They still make up more than 20% of the Lebanese population and, according to an agreement enshrined in the country's constitution, the president of Lebanon must always be a Maronite.

This news brings up an important consideration for we Catholics who are so used to thinking only in terms of "Roman" Catholicism. We don't often think about it, but the Catholic Church really is big. Within her, there are actually 23 autonomous "Churches" throughout the world, all in union with the Pope -- the successor of St. Peter and the living sign of visible Christian unity. Besides the Latin Church (the one most of us think of when we think of "Roman Catholics"), there are 22 Eastern Catholic Churches that are also part of the universal Catholic Church. One of these autonomous Churches is the Maronite Church of Lebanon.



Who are the Maronites?

Maronite icon of St. Maron in prayer

Christianity's history in Lebanon really is fascinating. Like most of the Middle East, Lebanon was once solidly Christian in a time when all Christians were in union with the Pope. Up until the fifth century, Christians there considered themselves a part of the Church of Antioch, an ancient city which was an important center of early Christianity. The Lebanese Christians revered St. Maron (d. 410) as their founder. He was a monk who moved from Antioch to a mountain in Syria to be a missionary and to lead a life of asceticism. St. Maron's disciples moved into present-day Lebanon in the early fifth century and spread the Gospel throughout the region. Christians in Lebanon, then, were referred to as Maronites.

After the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the patriarch of Antioch rejected the Council's decisions on the nature of Christ while the monks and faithful in Lebanon were strong supporters of the Council. The Church of Antioch then separated from the Catholic Church (the birth of "Oriental Orthodoxy" - the first large-scale schism in Church history) and the Maronite Catholics in Lebanon were persecuted for adhering to the decisions of the council and they suffered hardships at the hands of anti-Chalcedon Christians. During the Muslim conquest of Syria in the first half of the seventh century, most Maronite Catholics fled to the mountains of Lebanon. Under Muslim rule over the next 400 years, the Maronites in Lebanon existed in a precarious state: they were largely cut-off from the rest of the Christian world -- so much so that the Roman Catholic Church did not even know that they still existed. During those years, starting in the year 637, the Maronites established their own line of patriarchs to lead their Church. The Maronite Church remained isolated for over four hundred years.

During the 12th century Crusades, Christian soldiers passing through Lebanon were shocked to be greeted by a local, indigenous Christian community: the Maronites. During the Crusades, the Maronite Church assisted the Crusaders and affirmed their loyalty and union with the Pope, the Successor of St. Peter. In fact, the Maronite Church is one of only three Eastern Churches that have never in their history been outside of communion with the Bishop of Rome. (The other two are the Italo-Albanian Church in southern Italy and Sicily, and the Syro-Malabar Church in southwestern India - a community which traces its roots all the way back to the first century missionary activity of the Apostle Thomas!)

St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church in Birmingham, Ala.

Today, Maronite Catholics are still the largest Christian group in Lebanon, making up about 22% of the country's total population. This is, by far, the largest concentration of Christians in the Middle East. There are approximately 200,000 Maronite Catholics in the U.S., but most American Maronites assimilated into Roman Catholic parishes through the years because there were not very many Maronite Catholic parishes and priests in the U.S. There are currently two Maronite eparchies (the equivalent to dioceses) in the U.S.

New Book for Book Group

Our next book.

The CCM Book Group finished Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis last Thursday. Our next book will be The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. If you'd like to join us on Thursday afternoons at 2pm at Highpoint Coffee (on North Lamar), please do so! If you can't join us but would like to read the book along with us, send us an email and we'll create a Book Group email list to keep you up-to-date and on schedule with our reading progress and our discussions each week.

There are many translations of the Christian classic, but we recommend the Ronald Knox translation and the Ignatius Press edition. This is the translation most of us will be reading. You can order it directly from Ignatius here, or from Amazon  here.

Also, the Book Group will not meet this Thursday (March 17th) due to Spring Break. Hope you'll join us next week!

Interesting but not recommended: Beer Fast

For those of you who are of age, here is a story I came across about an interesting ancient (though isolated) monastic practice during Lent: a beer-only diet. Yes, seriously.

An American blogger has pledged to live only off beer during Lent.

Following the ancient tradition of Bavarian monks who brewed stronger beer during the Lenten fast in order to subsist on an almost entirely liquid diet, J Wilson will spend the 46 days of the Lenten period drinking only beer. The young man, who writes about beer on the internet and claims never to have done a Lenten fast in his life, will drink bockbier, which was originally brewed by the Paulaner monks in Munich.

The beer is a strong, dark, malty lager and is known as liquid bread. Traditionally, it was brewed by the monks for the periods of fasting in Lent and Advent. Mr Wilson has brewed his own bock-bier for the project.

He wrote: “I have a genuine love for beer, and am very drawn to the rich history it carries. Forty-six days is a long time without food. But if the the Paulaner brothers could do it under the guidance of God, I should be able to as well. A spiritual journey of this nature is no laughing matter, and I very much look forward to sharing it with you.”

Hmmm.... "The beer is a strong, dark, malty lager and is known as liquid bread." Wow. Intense. I've heard of people giving up beer for Lent, but this? This is nuts. I'm gonna chock this up to "interesting, but not recommended."

There is actually still a German brewing company called "Paulaner," and it has as its roots, the Minims, a religious order founded by St. Francis of Paola in 1436. The Minim friars in Munich, Germany established a brewery in the 17th century and, on holidays, sold their product to those outside the friary. It became very popular. In 1799, the Munich friary was closed but the friary's brewery was bought by a businessman and continued to produce beer. This company continues as the modern-day Paulaner brand in Germany. The brand derives its name from Francis of Paola and the company's logo (above) still features the image of a Minim friar.

Changes are a comin'

The collect (i.e. opening prayer) that we heard at yesterday's Mass (1st Sunday in Lent) was:

"Father, through our observance of Lent, 
help us to understand the meaning 
of your Son's death and resurrection, 
and teach us to reflect it in our lives."

Meh.... okay. Definitely bland compared to the new, more accurate (and much more rich) translation of the collect that we'll pray on the 1st Sunday of Lent starting next year:

"Grant, almighty God,
through the yearly observance of holy Lent,
that we may grow in understanding
of the riches hidden in Christ
and by worthy conduct pursue their effects."

Coming Advent 2011!

Prayers up...

Please pray for Japan. As you offer your Lenten penances, please remember all of those who have died today in that country and those who remain and suffer.

Stations of the Cross: Spiritual Food for Fisheaters

Today is the first Friday of Lent (remember - no meat today!). Each Friday during Lent, St. John's hosts Stations of the Cross at 5:15pm in the church. After that, the Knights of Columbus have their annual Lenten Friday Fish Fry downstairs in the parish hall. Fried catfish and all the fixin's cost $7 per plate. All proceeds go to the St. John's Building Fund. Everyone is invited!

Also, this Friday, United Blood Services is hosting a blood drive at St. John's, starting at 2:00pm.  Everyone who donates blood will receive a free catfish dinner from the Knights!

For those of you who can't make it to the church for Stations of the Cross, remember that you can visit the church at any time on Fridays and walk them on your own, as a private devotion. Or, you can even do them at home. Below, you'll find the "Meditations of the Stations of the Cross" written by John Henry Newman. He was a convert to the Catholic Church from the Church of England and he is the namesake of the "Newman Clubs" - the traditional name for Catholic ministries on college campuses in the U.S. Just last year, on September 19, he was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in a ceremony in England. (You can read more about Bl. John Henry Newman on an earlier post here).

Feel free to print out these meditations and use them on the Fridays of Lent.


Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
by Bl. John Henry Newman (d. 1890)

Begin with an Act of Contrition:


O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

The First Station

Jesus Is Condemned to Death


V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


LEAVING the House of Caiphas, and dragged before Pilate and Herod, mocked, beaten, and spit upon, His back torn with scourges, His head crowned with thorns, Jesus, who on the last day will judge the world, is Himself condemned by unjust judges to a death of ignominy and torture.


Jesus is condemned to death. His death-warrant is signed, and who signed it but I, when I committed my first mortal sins? My first mortal sins, when I fell away from the state of grace into which Thou didst place me by baptism; these it was that were Thy death-warrant, O Lord. The Innocent suffered for the guilty. Those sins of mine were the voices which cried out, "Let Him be crucified." That willingness and delight of heart with which I committed them was the consent which Pilate gave to this clamorous multitude. And the hardness of heart which followed upon them, my disgust, my despair, my proud impatience, my obstinate resolve to sin on, the love of sin which took possession of me—what were these contrary and impetuous feelings but the blows and the blasphemies with which the fierce soldiers and the populace received Thee, thus carrying out the sentence which Pilate had pronounced?


Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...
V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

The Second Station

Jesus receives His Cross



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


A STRONG, and therefore heavy Cross, for it is strong enough to bear Him on it when He arrives at Calvary, is placed upon His torn shoulders. He receives it gently and meekly, nay, with gladness of heart, for it is to be the salvation of mankind.


True; but recollect, that heavy Cross is the weight of our sins. As it fell upon His neck and shoulders, it came down with a shock. Alas! what a sudden, heavy weight have I laid upon Thee, O Jesus. And, though in the calm and clear foresight of Thy mind—for Thou seest all things—Thou wast fully prepared for it, yet Thy feeble frame tottered under it when it dropped down upon Thee. Ah! how great a misery is it that I have lifted up my hand against my God. How could I ever fancy He would forgive me! unless He had Himself told us that He underwent His bitter passion in order that He might forgive us. I acknowledge, O Jesus, in the anguish and agony of my heart, that my sins it was that struck Thee on the face, that bruised Thy sacred arms, that tore Thy flesh with iron rods, that nailed Thee to the Cross, and let Thee slowly die upon it.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

The Third Station

Jesus falls the first time beneath the Cross


V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


JESUS, bowed down under the weight and the length of the unwieldy Cross, which trailed after Him, slowly sets forth on His way, amid the mockeries and insults of the crowd. His agony in the Garden itself was sufficient to exhaust Him; but it was only the first of a multitude of sufferings. He sets off with His whole heart, but His limbs fail Him, and He falls.


Yes, it is as I feared. Jesus, the strong and mighty Lord, has found for the moment our sins stronger than Himself. He falls—yet He bore the load for a while; He tottered, but He bore up and walked onwards. What, then, made Him give way? I say, I repeat, it is an intimation and a memory to thee, O my soul, of thy falling back into mortal sin. I repented of the sins of my youth, and went on well for a time; but at length a new temptation came, when I was off my guard, and I suddenly fell away. Then all my good habits seemed to go at once; they were like a garment which is stripped off, so quickly and utterly did grace depart from me. And at that moment I looked at my Lord, and lo! He had fallen down, and I covered my face with my hands and remained in a state of great confusion.


Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...
V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

The Fourth Station

Jesus meets His Mother



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


JESUS rises, though wounded by His fall, journeys on, with His Cross still on His shoulders. He is bent down; but at one place, looking up, He sees His Mother. For an instant they just see each other, and He goes forward.


Mary would rather have had all His sufferings herself, could that have been, than not have known what they were by ceasing to be near Him. He, too, gained a refreshment, as from some soothing and grateful breath of air, to see her sad smile amid the sights and the noises which were about Him. She had known Him beautiful and glorious, with the freshness of Divine Innocence and peace upon His countenance; now she saw Him so changed and deformed that she could scarce have recognised Him, save for the piercing, thrilling, peace-inspiring look He gave her. Still, He was now carrying the load of the world's sins, and, all-holy though He was, He carried the image of them on His very face. He looked like some outcast or outlaw who had frightful guilt upon Him. He had been made sin for us, who knew no sin; not a feature, not a limb, but spoke of guilt, of a curse, of punishment, of agony.


Oh, what a meeting of Son and Mother! Yet there was a mutual comfort, for there was a mutual sympathy. Jesus and Mary—do they forget that Passion-tide through all eternity?



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Fifth Station

Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


AT length His strength fails utterly, and He is unable to proceed. The executioners stand perplexed. What are they to do? How is He to get to Calvary? Soon they see a stranger who seems strong and active—Simon of Cyrene. They seize on him, and compel him to carry the Cross with Jesus. The sight of the Sufferer pierces the man s heart. Oh, what a privilege! O happy soul, elect of God! he takes the part assigned to him with joy.


This came of Mary's intercession. He prayed, not for Himself, except that He might drink the full chalice of suffering and do His Father's will; but she showed herself a mother by following Him with her prayers, since she could help Him in no other way. She then sent this stranger to help Him. It was she who led the soldiers to see that they might be too fierce with Him. Sweet Mother, even do the like to us. Pray for us ever, Holy Mother of God, pray for us, whatever be our cross, as we pass along on our way. Pray for us, and we shall rise again, though we have fallen. Pray for us when sorrow, anxiety, or sickness comes upon us. Pray for us when we are prostrate under the power of temptation, and send {136} some faithful servant of thine to succour us. And in the world to come, if found worthy to expiate our sins in the fiery prison, send some good Angel to give us a season of refreshment. Pray for us, Holy Mother of God.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Sixth Station


Jesus and Veronica



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


AS Jesus toils along up the hill, covered with the sweat of death, a woman makes her way through the crowd, and wipes His face with a napkin. In reward of her piety the cloth retains the impression of the Sacred Countenance upon it.


The relief which a Mother's tenderness secured is not yet all she did. Her prayers sent Veronica as well as Simon—Simon to do a man's work, Veronica to do the part of a woman. The devout servant of Jesus did what she could. As Magdalen had poured the ointment at the Feast, so Veronica now offered Him this napkin in His passion. "Ah," she said, "would I could do more! Why have I not the strength of Simon, to take part in the burden of the Cross? But men only can serve the Great High Priest, now that He is celebrating the solemn act of sacrifice." O Jesus! let us one and all minister to Thee according to our places and powers. And as Thou didst accept from Thy followers refreshment in Thy hour of trial, so give to us the support of Thy grace when we are hard pressed by our Foe. I feel I cannot bear up against temptations, weariness, despondency, and sin. I say to myself, what is the good of being religious? {138} I shall fall, O my dear Saviour, I shall certainly fall, unless Thou dost renew for me my vigour like the eagle's, and breathe life into me by the soothing application and the touch of the Holy Sacraments which Thou hast appointed.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

The Seventh Station

Jesus falls a second time



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


THE pain of His wounds and the loss of blood increasing at every step of His way, again His limbs fail Him, and He falls on the ground.


What has He done to deserve all this? This is the reward received by the long-expected Messias from the Chosen People, the Children of Israel. I know what to answer. He falls because I have fallen. I have fallen again. I know well that without Thy grace, O Lord, I could not stand; and I fancied that I had kept closely to Thy Sacraments; yet in spite of my going to Mass and to my duties, I am out of grace again. Why is it but because I have lost my devotional spirit, and have come to Thy holy ordinances in a cold, formal way, without inward affection. I became lukewarm, tepid. I thought the battle of life was over, and became secure. I had no lively faith, no sight of spiritual things. I came to church from habit, and because I thought others would observe it. I ought to be a new creature, I ought to live by faith, hope, and charity; but I thought more of this world than of the world to come—and at last I forgot that I was a servant of God, and followed the broad way that leadeth to destruction, not the narrow way which leadeth to life. And thus I fell from Thee.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Eighth Station

Jesus comforts the Women of Jerusalem



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


AT the sight of the sufferings of Jesus the Holy Women are so pierced with grief that they cry out and bewail Him, careless what happens to them by so doing. Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."


Ah! can it be, O Lord, that I shall prove one of those sinful children for whom Thou biddest their mothers to weep. "Weep not for Me," He said, "for I am the Lamb of God, and am making atonement at My own will for the sins of the world. I am suffering now, but I shall triumph; and, when I triumph, those souls, for whom I am dying, will either be my dearest friends or my deadliest enemies." Is it possible? O my Lord, can I grasp the terrible thought that Thou really didst weep for me—weep for me, as Thou didst weep over Jerusalem? Is it possible that I am one of the reprobate? possible that I shall lose by Thy passion and death, not gain by it? Oh, withdraw not from me. I am in a very bad way. I have so much evil in me. I have so little of an earnest, brave spirit to set against that evil. O Lord, what will become of me? It is so difficult for me to drive away the Evil Spirit from my heart. Thou alone canst effectually cast him out.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Ninth Station

Again, a third time, Jesus falls



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


JESUS had now reached almost to the top of Calvary; but, before He had gained the very spot where He was to be crucified, again He fell, and is again dragged up and goaded onwards by the brutal soldiery.


We are told in Holy Scripture of three falls of Satan, the Evil Spirit. The first was in the beginning; the second, when the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven were preached to the world; the third will be at the end of all things. The first is told us by St. John the Evangelist. He says: "There was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his angels. And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan." The second fall, at the time of the Gospel, is spoken of by our Lord when He says, "I saw Satan, like lightning, falling from heaven." And the third by the same St. John: "There came down fire from God out of heaven, … and the devil … was cast into the pool of fire and brimstone."


These three falls—the past, the present, and the future—the Evil Spirit had in mind when he moved Judas to betray our Lord. This was just his hour. Our Lord, when He was seized, said to His enemies, "This is your hour and the power of darkness." Satan knew his time was short, and thought he might use it to good effect. But little dreaming that he would be acting in behalf of the world's redemption, which our Lord's passion and death were to work out, in revenge, and, as he thought, in triumph, he smote Him once, he smote Him twice, he smote Him thrice, each successive time a heavier blow. The weight of the Cross, the barbarity of the soldiers and the crowd, were but his instruments. O Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, the Word Incarnate, we praise, adore, and love Thee for Thy ineffable condescension, even to allow Thyself thus for a time to fall into the hands, and under the power of the Enemy of God and man, in order thereby to save us from being his servants and companions for eternity.


Or this:


This is the worst fall of the three. His strength has for a while utterly failed Him, and it is some time before the barbarous soldiers can bring Him to. Ah! it was His anticipation of what was to happen to me. I get worse and worse. He sees the end from the beginning. He was thinking of me all the time He dragged Himself along, up the Hill of Calvary. He saw that I should fall again in spite of all former warnings and former assistance. He saw that I should become secure and self-confident, and that my enemy would then assail me with some new temptation, to which I never thought I should be exposed. I thought my weakness lay all on one particular side which I knew. I had not a dream that I was not strong on the other. And so Satan came down on my unguarded side, and got the better of me from my self-trust and self-satisfaction. I was wanting in humility. I thought no harm would come on me, I thought I had outlived the danger of sinning; I thought it was an easy thing to get to heaven, and I was not watchful. It was my pride, and so I fell a third time.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Tenth Station


Jesus is stripped, and drenched with gall



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


AT length He has arrived at the place of sacrifice, and they begin to prepare Him for the Cross. His garments are torn from His bleeding body, and He, the Holy of Holiest, stands exposed to the gaze of the coarse and scoffing multitude.


O Thou who in Thy Passion wast stripped of all Thy clothes, and held up to the curiosity and mockery of the rabble, strip me of myself here and now, that in the Last Day I come not to shame before men and Angels. Thou didst endure the shame on Calvary that I might be spared the shame at the Judgment. Thou hadst nothing to be ashamed of personally, and the shame which Thou didst feel was because Thou hadst taken on Thee man's nature. When they took from Thee Thy garments, those innocent limbs of Thine were but objects of humble and loving adoration to the highest Seraphim. They stood around in speechless awe, wondering at Thy beauty, and they trembled at Thy infinite self-abasement. But I, O Lord, how shall I appear if Thou shalt hold me up hereafter to be gazed upon, stripped of that robe of grace which is Thine, and seen in my own personal life and nature? O how hideous I am in myself, even in my best estate. Even when I am cleansed from my mortal sins, what disease and corruption is seen even in my venial sins. How shall I be fit for the society of Angels, how for Thy presence, until Thou burnest this foul leprosy away in the fire of Purgatory?



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Eleventh Station

Jesus is nailed to the Cross



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


THE Cross is laid on the ground, and Jesus stretched upon it, and then, swaying heavily to and fro, it is, after much exertion, jerked into the hole ready to receive it. Or, as others think, it is set upright, and Jesus is raised up and fastened to it. As the savage executioners drive in the huge nails, He offers Himself to the Eternal Father, as a ransom for the world. The blows are struck—the blood gushes forth.


Yes, they set up the Cross on high, and they placed a ladder against it, and, having stripped Him of His garments, made Him mount. With His hands feebly grasping its sides and cross-woods, and His feet slowly, uncertainly, with much effort, with many slips, mounting up, the soldiers propped Him on each side, or He would have fallen. When He reached the projection where His sacred feet were to be, He turned round with sweet modesty and gentleness towards the fierce rabble, stretching out His arms, as if He would embrace them. Then He lovingly placed the backs of His hands close against the transverse beam, waiting for the executioners to come with their sharp nails and heavy hammers to dig into the palms of His hands, and to fasten them securely to the wood. There He hung, a perplexity to the multitude, a terror to evil spirits, the wonder, the awe, yet the joy, the adoration of the Holy Angels.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Twelfth Station

Jesus dies upon the Cross



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


JESUS hung for three hours. During this time He prayed for His murderers, promised Paradise to the penitent robber, and committed His Blessed Mother to the guardianship of St. John. Then all was finished, and He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit.


The worst is over. The Holiest is dead and departed. The most tender, the most affectionate, the holiest of the sons of men is gone. Jesus is dead, and with His death my sin shall die. I protest once for all, before men and Angels, that sin shall no more have dominion over me. This Lent I make myself God's own for ever. The salvation of my soul shall be my first concern. With the aid of His grace I will create in me a deep hatred and sorrow for my past sins. I will try hard to detest sin, as much as I have ever loved it. Into God's hands I put myself, not by halves, but unreservedly. I promise Thee, O Lord, with the help of Thy grace, to keep out of the way of temptation, to avoid all occasions of sin, to turn at once from the voice of the Evil One, to be regular in my prayers, so to die to sin that Thou mayest not have died for me on the Cross in vain.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Thirteenth Station

Jesus is taken from the Cross, and laid in Mary's Bosom


V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


THE multitude have gone home. Calvary is left solitary and still, except that St. John and the holy women are there. Then come Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, and take down from the Cross the body of Jesus, and place it in the arms of Mary.


O Mary, at last thou hast possession of thy Son. Now, when His enemies can do no more, they leave Him in contempt to thee. As His unexpected friends perform their difficult work, thou lookest on with unspeakable thoughts. Thy heart is pierced with the sword of which Simeon spoke. O Mother most sorrowful; yet in thy sorrow there is a still greater joy. The joy in prospect nerved thee to stand by Him as He hung upon the Cross; much more now, without swooning, without trembling, thou dost receive Him to thy arms and on thy lap. Now thou art supremely happy as having Him, though He comes to thee not as He went from thee. He went from thy home, O Mother of God, in the strength and beauty of His manhood, and He comes back to thee dislocated, torn to pieces, mangled, dead. Yet, O Blessed Mary, thou art happier in this hour {150} of woe than on the day of the marriage feast, for then He was leaving thee, and now in the future, as a Risen Saviour, He will be separated from thee no more.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



The Fourteenth Station

Jesus is laid in the Tomb



V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.


BUT for a short three days, for a day and a half—Mary then must give Him up. He is not yet risen. His friends and servants take Him from thee, and place Him in an honourable tomb. They close it safely, till the hour comes for His resurrection.


Lie down and sleep in peace in the calm grave for a little while, dear Lord, and then wake up for an everlasting reign. We, like the faithful women, will watch around Thee, for all our treasure, all our life, is lodged with Thee. And, when our turn comes to die, grant, sweet Lord, that we may sleep calmly too, the sleep of the just. Let us sleep peacefully for the brief interval between death and the general resurrection. Guard us from the enemy; save us from the pit. Let our friends remember us and pray for us, O dear Lord. Let Masses be said for us, so that the pains of Purgatory, so much deserved by us, and therefore so truly welcomed by us, may be over with little delay. Give us seasons of refreshment there; wrap us round with holy dreams and soothing contemplations, while we gather strength to ascend the heavens. And then let our faithful guardian Angels help us up the glorious ladder, reaching from earth to heaven, which Jacob saw in vision. And when we reach the everlasting gates, let them open upon us with the music of Angels; and let St. Peter receive us, and our Lady, the glorious Queen of Saints, embrace us, and bring us to Thee, and to Thy Eternal Father, and to Thy Co-equal Spirit, Three Persons, One God, to reign with Them for ever and ever.



Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory Be to the Father...

V. Have mercy on us, Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.


LET US PRAY:


God, Who by the Precious Blood of Thy only-begotten Son didst sanctify the Standard of the Cross, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who rejoice in the glory of the same Holy Cross may at all times and places rejoice in Thy protection, Through the same Christ, our Lord.


End with one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be, for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.