He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high…..
Pope Francis Excommunicates the Mafia
^ read at the link
Tag: Catholic
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Veni, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium: et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.
V. Emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur.
R. Et renovabis faciem terrae.Oremus. Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere; et de eius semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Amen.
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If you have issues with Pope Francis praying with Muslims and Jews and Orthodox, don’t point fingers at him and find fault, look in the mirror and fix what is wrong with yourself. Prayer is NEVER a bad thing. There is only ONE God, ours. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Might I suggest to thoes who find fault to re read this…
Vatican Council And Papal Statements On Islam
Along with this….
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I have had a VERY remarkable morning in regards to trying to get to Holy Mass. I had today off of work, and being that it is First Friday, I wanted to get to Holy Mass and be with our Lord. I wanted just to spend some time with Him, knowing that today was going to be slightly busy.
My girls started school at 8 AM and I already had an appointment after the * AM Mass with someone who needed to show me things in the Sacristy that were needed. As I met with them after the 8 AM Mass, keep in mind I have known them for some time, they began to tell me a story about someone who was truly not pleasant to hear. It was information that I really did not need to hear and upon hearing what they were telling me, I knew it was quickly going to turn into gossip VERY quickly. I stopped the conversation DEAD and told my friends, I no longer wanted to hear about it, but I would pray. It set the tone for the rest of the morning. I wasn’t to thrilled to be included in this story, and quickly looked forward to attending the 9 AM Mass with my daughters school.
As I looked forward to the next Holy Mass, and hopped it would be a pleasurable experience with my daughters, as this would officially be our last mass in this Church and School. We are moving into another school next year and it would have been nice to be able to say good-bye, as we had spent many years here. I found out moments later, the 9 AM Holy Mass was moved to 10 AM. I returned back home.
As I spoke with my husband, I learned that the 10 AM Mass was for the 8th Grade Graduation, on top of being the School Mass. I sighed a heavy sigh because I KNEW this was going to be crowded. I left my home and made it back to the Church and began to see right away, it was going to be anything BUT pleasurable this morning. People were already packing into the church in scantily clad outfits beholding their Starbucks Coffees in hand…
As is the way it is at this Church with ANY School celebration where people come for the “Party” and not the Holy Mass. There were not many spots available and the school children had not been let into the church yet. I seen one of my daughters who was going to be singing in the choir and told her that it was the Graduation Mass and that there may not be enough room for me. She was fine and we agreed that next Friday, we may attend Holy Mass together before I go to work, for the final Mass. I was not happy leaving unable to spend this time with her and my other daughter with our Lord. But I left, wondering about the next Holy Mass I may be able to make today.
I returned back home and my husband advised me to go to the girls NEW school and get squared away with the Summer School information and when they would be attending. I left again, this time heading for the NEW Church and School. I entered the parking lot and quickly remembered they had Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on First Friday. I was trilled and told myself I waned to spend sometime, if only a few moments, in front of our Lord today. I entered the School Office, took care of all I had to do and left, heading to the Chapel. As I walked out, the Pastor was leaving along with many school children. I asked them if Exposition was over and they said yes. I crinkled my nose at the thought and got into my truck.
There was no doubt today that someone did not want me to attend Holy Mass at my normal places of Worship. I would have gone to Mission San Diego tonight at 5:30, but my husband was working late tonight and struggling to get the girls to come with me, after they had attended Holy Mass today, was not something I wanted to do today.
I headed to St. Joseph Cathedral. I had spent many years attending 12:05 Holy Mass there. As I got close to the Cathedral, I noticed all the parking spots were taken. I knew spot on, it was going to be the parking lot across the street. I don’t like parking there because its expensive and Mass is less than an hour. Your charged for Four hours in the lot. I pulled in the lot anyway, and walked down to go pay.
As I was heading to pay, out of the corner of my eye, there was a group of men. I wasn’t paying much attention to them as the language was not the greatest and I just wanted to do what I needed to do and go spend time with our Lord. I got to the machine to pay and inserted my debit card to pay. With that, one of the men in the group I had seen, was standing directly next to me and asked me if I had used a card or cash. EVERYTHING told me, this man only wanted to know because he was about to rob me. I grabbed the paid ticket and told him “Card”. With that, another man approached me and it was the Parking attendant. The man who asked me, became VERY suspicious and told the attendant my card wasn’t working and began to make up a story about it. I looked at the Attendant as said its WORKING FINE! I showed him my ticket and began to walk to our Lord.
As I began to get further away the spooky man began to yell things at me. I’m not sure what he was saying,I know they were not nice, but I just kept walking to our Lord’s house. Ignoring everything he was saying. As I got to my truck, I placed the ticket in the window. I noticed a homeless man in a wheelchair. I walked up to him and asked him his name. He told me his name was Joe. I told Joe I was heading to Holy Mass, and would pray for him. I reached into my pocket and pulled out all the change I had and handed it to him and began again to walk to our Lord.
I don’t normally enter the main entrance of St. Joseph, but today and the circumstances that arose, gave me room to do just that. As I entered from the back of Church, my eyes directly were focused on the Monstrance, containing our Lord in Exposition. In that split second, seeing Him, nothing mattered but Him. I was at total peace. Nothing in this world has ever given me this peace, but Him.
I was in prayer, and then Benediction, and Holy Mass. It was then over and time to enter the world again. I left out the side door, that I normally would use to enter. Immediately my eyes were drawn to the “Gate”. A gate that since my moving to San Diego, discovering St. Joseph and attending Holy Mass, I have NEVER seen open, nor left open but only locked.. In that split second, I heard words from the Divine Mercy prayer.
“For Jesus is our Hope: Through His merciful Heart as through an open gate we pass through to heaven.”
It was as if our Lord was telling me, you did it.There is a lot more to this story, but no way for me to write about it without His grace to do so.
Glory to God..
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Yup!
From NCR
A prominent U.S. archbishop has warned that the divisive nature of the nation’s politics — particularly the separation of people into disparate ideological camps — may be seeping into the American Catholic church, leading to a “balkanization” of the faithful.
Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph Tobin also warned against a trend in the U.S. church to “oversimplify what are really complicated questions in the hope of discovering who to blame.”“At the present moment, this behavior helps to contribute to the balkanization of American Catholics into so-called right wing and left wing, or progressive and traditionalist, factions, who point fingers at each other,” Tobin said Friday, speaking at a theological convention.
“In my opinion, finger pointing does a great harm to religious life because it makes us defensive,” Tobin continued. Under such finger pointing, he said, “we feel constantly compelled to defend ourselves against other parties in the church.”
“Such self protection will make us less likely to humbly examine the distance between our ideals and the present moment, which is the point of departure for a life of continuing conversion,” said the archbishop.
Please continue reading at the above link…
Do I agree? You bet I do! Did our Lord cling to the left or the right? Neither.. He stayed directly in the center of the cross….
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Dear Heavenly Father,
With a sober heart we come before You this Memorial Day. We pause for a moment and call to mind all the men and women who have died in the service of our nation since 1776.
Dear God, please look with mercy on our brave and selfless brothers and sisters, who did not shirk from their task but gave themselves completely to the cause of defending and protecting us all. Bless all who have given their lives for the sake of liberty, and grant them eternal rest with You.
We remember also our brave men and women now serving in our Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. Dear God, send out Your angels to protect them all. Help them discharge their duties honorably and well. Please bring them safely home to their families and loved ones. Please bring Your peace and mercy to our troubled world.
We ask this, Father, in the name of Jesus, Your Son, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
(Taken from The Roman Catholic Parish of Saint Charles Borromeo | Peoria AZ)
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The state of the Catholic School System has been in need of a revamp since the 70’s. There are good schools & not so good schools. The problem I see all arround: When a farmer plants seeds, he does not just throw them anyplace on the ground & hope for the best. And that has been what is taking place in the Catholic Schools for some time.
When Religion Class is placed with Art & Gym on the Report Card, it shows the same way in the school and because everything else is more important, reading, writing, math, etc, Religion is placed on the back burner and in some Catholic Schools, only taught once a week. If we are called to place God First, why are we teaching our Children to place Him last? If the Catholic Schools are to be teaching the next generation of Soldiers for Christ, you have to ask yourself, what kind of boot camp only trains its soldiers once a week?
Religion, and GOD, need to be brought back INTO the First Light. Meaning the faith should be taught DAILY, Altar Servers prep class should be mandatory and an since we have the CCC, like public schools, it should be MANDATORY to have to pass a test on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the Constitution of the Church, in order to graduate, like public schools require children to pass the constitution test. Or used to, in order to graduate.
Back to the Farmer at the beginning of this that I mentioned: When a “Farmer” plants “Seeds”, he checks them daily as they are growing. He makes sure they have enough “water” and “food” for the journey to become “Adult” plants to produce a BUMPER CROP! If he does not do this, the farmer starves as not name plants grow to see adulthood and end up as food for the “animals”. If a Roman Catholic School is only teaching children about God Once a Week, what makes the school any different than a Public School where children can attend RCIA once a week? Come on!
“You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain.” Isaiah 17:12-11
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17 May 1925, Canonization of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux…
This is the second time I have seen this quote from Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and it hit me. The “second” name of my blog is “Painting a Picture of Christ”. I find it funny that such a saint as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, if you have read her book, could pull me so close to our Lord. In more ways than I could ever describe that anyone could comprehend.. Last Friday, I received the call from Mama Mary, that I would be received into the Third Order of Carmel, July 12th, 2014, on the feast day of St. Veronica.
There is no greater Sister a sinner in this world could have in this beautiful Saint of our Lord’s, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.
Thank you my sister, for all the wonders you have shared with me, for all the intercession and for all of your prayers for me.
The other day, my children were asked to bring a flower to the School Mass, for May Crowning for Mama Mary. After dinner Monday night, I gathered my girls together and went outside to head out to purchase a few flowers, so they wouldn’t go empty-handed. As I got to the bottom step of my front porch, I noticed my rose-bush had two beautiful rose buds, just ready to open.
Please keep in mind, most of my garden, since my illness, including some fruit trees, have died and most everything is in need of being ripped out, with the exception of this rose-bush, that I had not watered in some time, it was beautiful. This particular rose-bush is called “Chocolate Rose” or “Hot Cocoa Rose”. Which I now call the “Carmelite Rose”. Its natural color is a deep beautiful reddish deep brown. I don’t have a camera, so I got online to look for pictures of this rose and I found this one:
As I started looking for a good photo to post of them, Our Lady of Mount Carmel came to mind with the Carmelites because of the color of the Rose. It screamed Carmelites Habit. Keep in mind, this is not my rose-bush, but a Chocolate Rose Bush. There was ZERO doubt this was from. They, the flowers from the living rose-bush were presented to Mama, as I know they were intended for her.
This particular rose (photo) was seen last year in Kent England. It is IMPORTED from (drum roll) France: (From the photo Credit) “By the way, I saw a brown rose last year in Kent. It was wonderfully exotic. The color was that of milk chocolate. But, that is not my rose. The flower seller told me it was from another country and I found out it was France and she was importing flowers. The French developed this rose. Some of her flowers were sent from far away. Flower sellers have interesting information on types and countries of roses, btw.
St Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us. Thank you for your intercession. Lord Jesus Christ, I love You!
What did she mean by her “Shower of Roses”
Experience has shown that St. Therese’s “shower of roses” is both figurative and actual. As she was dying in the convent infirmary, Therese could look out and see the rose bushes blossoming. She loved roses. She had thrown rose petals as a Child before the Blessed Sacrament. As she reflected on her quiet, hidden, and gentle life ending, she believed in faith that God had great things in store for her. She believed that her mission was only beginning as she entered the fullness of life with God. She explained: “After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I will raise up a mighty host of little saints. My mission is to make God loved…”
Shortly after her death, the rain of roses began. Sometimes roses literally appeared, and sometimes just the fragrance of them. Cures of painful and fatal diseases and many other miraculous experiences were attributed to her intercession. Sometimes people found inner peace and regained an inner warmth of spirit and confidence, by appealing to St. Therese. Many miracles and actions of St. Therese do not involve roses. More often than not, marvelous things happen in people’s lives as they ask for her heavenly intercession. The miracles, healings and inner peace come from the trust one places in God, not from any manifestation of roses. St. Therese lived in the dark night of the senses and spirit, with little consolation. Thus, the friends and followers of St. Therese expect no consolation of sighted roses that their prayers are being answered. Her “little way” is about child-like trust and gentle love. She is the great apostle of faith in God’s love, not simple reliance on physical signs. Jesus warned us, and Therese experienced that the desire for signs is a sign of weak faith. It is always important to remember that St. Therese did not experience extra-ordinary phenomena in her life. Her faith was refined and strengthened by God.
Roses are Therese’s signature. It is her way of whispering to those who need a sign that she has heard, and God is responding. Thousands of people have given witness to the way Therese responds to their petitions and prayers with grace and roses. The grace is more important than the roses. So many miracles have happened through the intercession of St. Therese without any roses appearing – usually the deep inner peace of accepting God’s will and seeing His loving plan and presence is the “rose” experienced. Sometimes the lack of a physical “rose signature” is an affirmation of a strong faith.
One does not pray for roses. Therese’s message is about simplicity and love in the ordinary events of life. Trust in Therese is important, and when she wills, roses or their fragrance may appear. The stories are remarkable how roses have shown up in the lives and experiences of people, especially in the darkest times. The ordinary and constant way these roses and graces have shown up in people’s experience is extraordinary. It is important to always maintain the rose of confidence that our All-Loving God hears and responds to our needs, according to the mysterious ways of His Love.
Glory to God!
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You don’t have to show me a soul who loves God, as God shows you that soul Himself. St. Florian, please help to put out the fires of hell, in souls who do not understand how hurtful the sins they commit are to our Lord. Help repentant sinners to put out the fires of sinfulness, as you have helped me, in which were started through my own fault. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
There is no distance nor amount of time that could stand in the way, of getting my Lord a glass of water.. Please read here
In 1930, on this date My Great Uncle Mikulas was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest. 56 years ago, my “God Mother”, my oldest sister, received the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. On this date in 1975, My Great Uncle Mikulas celebrated Holy Mass for the 50th Anniversary of my Grandparents, which at that time, I received the sacrament of First Communion One year ago today, my husband & I were married in the Roman Catholic Church. My “God Mother” was Matron of Honor.
Today is the day the Lord has made Let us rejoice and be glad Glory to God
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Something very profound took place as I was laying the hospital ER, on a stretcher last week that I know in my heart our Lord needs me to share.
It was before they understood what was taking place with my heart and in all honesty, they thought it was nothing and wanted once again to send me home. It was our Lord in my heart, telling me to tell them, I needed to stay. SO they kept me overnight.
As I was laying on the stretcher, they had given me a painkiller, to numb the chest pains I was having at the time. Nothing extreme like morphine or anything like that. It was just to dull the pain to get my breathing rate to come back to almost normal.
The nurse left the room, my husband had left me to attend his class and I relaxed as much as I could. I knew our Lord was with me as He had made it so blatant that He was with me. I began to feel all the water from all places in my body pull away and I became so thirsty. My lips began to chafe and my tongue became dry. “I Thirst” rang out all through me as I knew our Lord was allowing me to see His pain. His “Thirst”. For a very long time, I sat and thought of nothing but Him on the cross. Gazing only on Him in His pain. I felt a wave of all the water that had been pulled away wash over me, so gently that the moisture returned and watered my very soul.This took place many times that day in the ER and I am sure our Lord needs to have you hear.. “I Thirst”.
Yesterday, the couple who bring me our Lord in the Eucharist, brought me blessed salt and Holy Water for drinking. The entire experience rang out to me, and when I received our Lord, after my deep prayers with Him, I grabbed a glass, poured that Blessed Holy Water, tasted it, and handed the rest to my husband…..
I ponder that there is no amount of time to separate me, no amount of suffering, no amount of loss or gain, that can stop me from quenching my Lord and my God’s thirst…
I love Him. I’m in love with Him.
Glory to God
EDIT TO ADD:
Passion Week (Holy Week): Good Friday
I Thirst. – The Fifth Word from the Cross
by Most Rev. Fulton J. Sheen
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Jesus knew how to cook, says Italian theologian
I don’t even have to read this to know its true! I was released from the hospital with Congestive Heart Failure last week. Its best that I stay away from salt and my pantry was close to empty! I still had to make dinner for my family. Our LORD told me what to do with Pasta, Shrimp, Celery Seed, Charvel, Olive Oil, Lime & a little butter & Black Pepper along with of ALL things, a HARP Beer LOL
He told me what to do and how to do it and what to use! It was FANTASTIC! Than I found out how healthy all those ingredients truly are! Never touched the salt shaker, didn’t need to! It was wonderful!
He is Lord. He knows how to do everything.
Edit to add: I heard in my heart, to add this, no women priests.
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A 2 by 4.
Building…
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Its been very interesting, to say the least, this Easter Week. I have once again been struggling with health issues and have finally been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure.
A year ago, when it was time for me to step aside from all my duties at my old parish, I had told my pastor at that time, our Lord was calling me to go home. Our Lord was telling me to spend time with my children and family. I struggled so hard with that message. Now I feel He is telling me why. He has made Himself very visible in the last few weeks, although He has made Himself very visible in all aspects of my entire life, this time, it is as if He is tying everything together and everything I do, say, see and hear, I see He is there.
For close to 17 years, He has shown me through His grace, all that I had done to Him. Now, He is showing me all the things I have done for Him.
In my diagnosis, from Tuesday, I went from a diagnosis from having pneumonia and a possible Pulmonary Embolism, to entering into the ER and finding out about the fluid surrounding my heart and a little damage to the left side, although I had not had a heart attack. Thus I was given the diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure. Not having a Pulmonary Embolism or pneumonia at all. I actually laugh at how they did not know. How they try to shove you into some mold that everyone should fit, because of such & such. Don’t get me wrong, I forgive them, and I know my Lord is my true Doctor, and no two are ever carbon copies but what He created us to be.
What I need to say today is complete consolation from our Lord. Through this beautiful conversion of heart, with my Lord’s grace, I am pondering, relishing and digging into a vast well of joy. I am coming to grips with how He has used me and changed me, has forgiven me and truly loves me. Just as He loves each of us. I am surrounded by His arms.
I called my old pastor and he came to my home and anointed me and another good friend came and brought me our Lord in the Eucharist. Both visits, had nothing to do with me. Nor will anything else. It’s about everyone else. It’s about Him. It’s about time and we do not have much of it, and it all belongs to Him. Everything is His.
When my visitors left, I was looking around talking to our Lord. My eyes came to one wall in my living room. Immediately, I knew what He was telling me. That entire sinful world I created, I lived and turned away from, was completely contained while what He has done is now my freedom to fully enjoy. How did I see this? The picture above is that wall. It’s not was is on the wall, it’s what is now contained and no longer free. That cage on the table, contains a snake. A snake that my cat dragged in (sparking, Lion of Judah) that I tossed into a cage and sealed up. (It’s a long story and she was hurt) Symbolism people, don’t call anyone about animal cruelty. hahah
When I see the symbolism of the “snake” (my old sins and tormentor) and I see it now totally contained, no longer free, unable to escape and hurt me and I see the pictures of all that I love, free and everywhere, and I hear the words of our Lord in my heart, there is no more doubt, there is no more anxiety, there is no more questioning, there is only a major consolation from our Lord telling me, yes you did capture and get rid of what I needed you to get rid of. This is the heart of repenting. I don’t expect anyone to understand this because He is sharing this with me and to understand it, you would have to know every second of my life.. It truly has been Him and I hear Him saying, You did it! I say back to my Lord, You did it Lord.
Now on to this Last Mission. Nothing is about me. He told me to spend the rest of my time with my family, that is the mission I am on now. I love them so much and it is a matter of teaching them now, be not afraid. Live the faith, not the world. This is what Divine Mercy is all about. Not looking at the consolations our Lord is giving to us as mine, but to see them in yourself, to give to others.
Pax Domini
All glory and honor to God -
Blessed Pope John XXIII, Pray for us
Blessed Pope John Paul II, Pray for us
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us all
Amen
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Look at it this way… You’re NOT in it. You can cross over it…There is a Bridge, His name is Jesus Christ. The only Way.
Thank you Lord for being the ONLY “Bridge”.
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He has risen as He said…
The Resurrection of Jesus.
But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.” And they remembered his words. Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others.The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home amazed at what had happened.
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The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”…
BE NOT AFRAID!
My Lord and my God!
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My husband and I were discussing the fact that since the fall of man from grace, not one soul was allowed into heaven. In all the souls who had passed since then, not one was worthy, other than our Lord to open the gate and allow the souls to enter.
I’m sitting here imagining and pondering our Lord and His passion,on the “Outside”. Not able to fully comprehend the vast amount of souls waiting for Him to come to their rescue.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
ARTICLE 5
“HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN”631 Jesus “descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens.”476 The Apostles’ Creed confesses in the same article Christ’s descent into hell and his Resurrection from the dead on the third day, because in his Passover it was precisely out of the depths of death that he made life spring forth:
Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead, and shed his peaceful light on all mankind, your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.477
Paragraph 1. Christ Descended into Hell632 The frequent New Testament affirmations that Jesus was “raised from the dead” presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead prior to his resurrection.478 This was the first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ’s descent into hell: that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead. But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there.479
633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” – Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.480 Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”:481 “It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.”482 Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.483
634 “The gospel was preached even to the dead.”484 The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfilment. This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
635 Christ went down into the depths of death so that “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”485 Jesus, “the Author of life”, by dying destroyed “him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.”486 Henceforth the risen Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades”, so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”487
Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him – He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . “I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.”488
IN BRIEF636 By the expression “He descended into hell”, the Apostles’ Creed confesses that Jesus did really die and through his death for us conquered death and the devil “who has the power of death” (Heb 2:14).
637 In his human soul united to his divine person, the dead Christ went down to the realm of the dead. He opened heaven’s gates for the just who had gone before him.
EDIT TO ADD:
From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday
The Lord descends into hell
Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.
For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity. -
“So when he had washed their feet [and] put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, ‘Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do,’” (John 13: 12-15)
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Nikolai Ge’s 1891 painting Conscience, Judas
Not sure where I found this painting or the words:
Nikolai Ge’s 1891 painting Conscience, Judas shows us a more layered Judas, here grasping his cloak tight around him, the darkness closing him, the light of Jesus being led away shrinking in the distance, the weight of his betrayal sinking in. Treachery has left its mark on all involved. The betrayed as well as the betrayer. Jesus as well as Judas. Here, alone in the dark, Judas finds himself — as I so often find myself — betraying that which he was meant to love. We, as Christians go with Jesus to the cross. Yet, we as Christians, too, stay with Judas in the garden as the dark closes in, mourning our betrayals.
For as long as I could remember, before my conversion began, I used to think of Judas as just a misunderstood soul, trapped for some reason, in the “Bad Guy” role for what he had to do to our Lord. Until I came to hear and ponder this scripture:
“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,”Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” John 12:4-6
With the imagery of Judas, being a thief while he was with our Lord and the Apostles, stealing from them, I can’t help but ponder now, the Good Thief and the Bad Thief, crucified alongside our Lord. The Good Thief being the Apostles who did repent and turn back to our Lord, and Judas, having the time and being given everything he could to turn back to our Lord, being the bad thief and not changing, not taking advantage of the grace he was given to repent in the presence of our Lord.
For someone to hang himself for what he had done, I do know he was a troubled soul with a conscience that would not allow him to rest, who was unable to face life anymore, who was unable to go to the Apostles to seek forgiveness from his brothers because of one simple thing. Pride. The rest of the Apostles were just as guilty of other sins, but did not take their own lives. They repented. They held their ground and asked for forgiveness.
I don’t like to think about Judas as I am sure not many do like to think about him. We all hate to come to the realization that we all have a little Judas in us at some time, that truly needs to be purged and replaced with grace and mercy.
Lord Jesus, you were betrayed by the kiss of a friend:
be with those who are betrayed and slandered and falsely accused.
You knew the experience of having your love
thrown back in your face for mere silver
be with families which are torn apart by mistrust or temptation.
To you, Jesus, who offered your face to your betrayer,
be honor and glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen. -
Daily Prayer For Priests
O Jesus,
I pray for your faithful and fervent priests;
For your unfaithful and tepid priests;
For your priests laboring at home or
abroad in distant mission fields.
For your tempted priests;
For your lonely and desolate priests;
For your young priests;
For your dying priests;
For the souls of your priests in Purgatory.
But above all, I recommend to you
the priests dearest to me:
The priest who baptized me;
The priests who absolved me from my sins;
The priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me
Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion;
The priests who taught and instructed me;
All the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way
(especially).
O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart,
And bless them abundantly in time and in Eternity.
Amen By St. Therese of LisieuxPray for Priests and Vocations
“Now we ask you to respect those who work hard
among you. Hold them in the highest regard in love
because of their work.” (1 Thess. 5:12, 13, NIV) -
You show me this, I tell you, Yes.
You show me this,
And I see this…No matter how an artist draws our Lord, or an actor portrays our Lord, we must see our Lord as He said. In the Body of Christ.
A conversation between myself and my daughter this morning..
Chloe: “Mom? Is that a picture of Jesus in real life?”
Me: “No Chloe. The Eucharist, The Body of Christ is the real Jesus”
Chloe: “AMEN Mommy”.
Peg Pondering Again began with a second title, Trying to paint A Picture of Christ. I truly believe the painting is complete..
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The apple never falls far from the tree….
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Here is the thing.. There will come a time when he can’t do this anymore and he will need someone else to do this. To often we look and say, boy that was great when SO & SO used to do this or that.I miss that. I miss them..
The reality is we miss the message to pick up where he or she left off, and do it where we are, right now.
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Its Saturday and now two days after my surgery. I want to thank all my readers for your prayers for me. Its been a wonderful couple of days spent in total prayer, while all this has been taking place.
I’ll share with you a bit…
I had planned on attending Holy Mass before my surgery on Thursday as it was scheduled for 11:00 AM. My plans did not pan out. I wanted to attend Mass, get anointed and receive our Lord only then to be shuttled away to the hospital for my surgery.
It seems our Lord had different plans. My doctor’s office called on Monday to inform me that the time had changed and I needed to be at the hospital by 5:30 AM on Thursday morning. So I made a point of getting to Holy Mass on Wednesday morning, received our Lord and was anointed before going in for all my preliminary tests. I had planned on receiving the sacrament of Confession Wednesday night and was still able to do so. I do understand that receiving the Anointing of the Sick wipes away all my sins and at that moment I was covered, but seeing that the Sacrament of Confession was available, and I knew there were things I felt I needed to say, I went.
I arrived at the church and as I began to walk into the hall, I could smell incense. I smiled as I walked in not expecting to see what I was seeing. It was our Lord in Exposition! Keep in mind, this particular church had suffered a fire at the hands of an arsonist in October and was not able to use the Sacristy. Our Lord was in Exposition on what used to be the Schools stage. As I write this now, I understand our Lord speaking to me and telling me that He is not pretending. He was never “acting” when he said “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”. What He is doing to me and others is not pretend. Its not an act as the world would assume it to be, but an act of God.
The Sacrament of Confession was still offered and two Priests were available. It was as if I had seen the Holy Trinity of Healing in the presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, in the Priests hearing confessions and in His words not only of Absolution of sins but in every single word He had said.
This truly is Him. In all the years I had been chasing after what I wanted to see Him to be, what I wanted Him to be, this is truly who He is. Simplicity.
I was able to spend time with Him that night before my surgery and it was beautiful. I have been in prayer ever since. When I woke up in recovery, the surgical team asked me if I needed anything and the first thing off my lips was yes! I need a Catholic Priest to bring me my Lord. I’m sure I threw them for a loop because the look on their faces was somewhat puzzled. I knew that our Lord was there with us, but I couldn’t control my tongue. Someone needed to hear what I had said..
I can’t tell you how beautiful this past few days have been. Thursday night as I lay in bed, my pain medication began to wear off and the bedroom door was closed. I couldn’t yell because the pain was rather high. I asked our Lord to please send my husband to bring me pain meds and not five seconds later, I heard my husband walking down the hall, and he entered my room to ask me if I needed anything. I knew in an instant, that was our Lord answering prayer, very quickly.
Glory to God! One more thing before I go back to resting that I need to say, and this goes for the body and soul, you never realize how sick you are until you begin to heal. When the soul can see even the slightest change for the better, the soul makes every effort to pull closer to God. When the body sees how sick it is, it makes every attempt to become healed…
Until later, God bless you all and thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming and I continue to pray for all of you! I love you!
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From last night, on my Facebook page:
Spent some time with our Lord in Exposition. Strange thing took place, like always LOL. A thought of how wonderful it was to finally be back home (In the Catholic Church) after being separated for so long came, as I knelt in front of our Lord and as always I thanked Him for His grace and love..
I remembered something personal, about how the bells would ring out for a returning repentant sinner. LMBO as I got in my car on the way home, the radio station decided to play a Block of Bell songs. It was songs all about bells on my way home and the last one to play was If Only You Knew by Patti Labelle… You tell me.
As I got ready to go to bed, I opened Divine Office and began to pray. Part of the prayers for the night included:
1 Corinthians 2:7-10a
What we utter is God’s wisdom: a mysterious, a hidden wisdom. God planned it before all ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age knew the mystery; if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. Of this wisdom it is written:
“Eye has not seen, ear has not heard
nor has it so much as dawned on man
what God has prepared for those who love him.”Yet God has revealed this wisdom to us through the Spirit.
Glory to God!
LMBO! After posting this story on this blog, I tried to share it on Stumble. LMBO It wouldn’t let me. I couldn’t STUMBLE! LMBO Glory to God (Not making this up)
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Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner…
Hello my wonderful readers (Brothers & Sisters in Christ). I have a personal prayer request. We all need prayers and I am no different. I am asking for your prayers for me, as I am going in for gallbladder surgery in the next few days. I have had some other health issues including a partially collapsed lung and some nodules found on my thyroid along with a hiatal hernia that is producing an over abundance of acid so much so that it is finding its way into my lungs. Yup! I’m a mess but I have for many years been offering up all my suffering to our Lord. If it is Gods will that this is my time, let it be known that I join all my suffering to His, including my death. In that case, please pray for my soul. I trust in our Lord as He is the spouse of my soul. The foundation of my faith has always been rooted in the fact, He said so. No matter how frightening things have been or can be the simple fact our Lord has said and done everything already, is consolation enough for me to understand, His will be done, not mine. I have received Anointing of the Sick and if any of my readers are in the same health way as I am, please go and be anointed before any medical procedure like surgery.. Its best to be prepared.
Please pray for my healing and for my children and husband to pull closer to our Lord during this time . God bless you and thank you. I love you.
EDIT TO ADD: I received my Surgery date and it seems its going to be held off until March 13th, 2014 at 11:00 AM. Glory to God.
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I came across the story while walking through my family’s past, reminiscing about my Great Uncle in Slovakia who survived the Nazis and the Communists. Some days I am just overwhelmed by not being able to stop thinking about what took place in that time. How so many souls went to their death in Nazi Camps. How souls living near the camps allowed it as if it was nothing. Because they just didn’t care and it didn’t affect them. I would be willing to bet the justifications by so many today FOR Abortion, and pro Choice are exactly the same as the justifications by those who did NOTHING to stop the slaughter of millions back then. Today, truly is no different. With great understanding, nothing has changed.
While the Nazis nurtured the illusion of limitless technological and social progress and a racially purified utopian worker/agricultural paradise…they created the archetypal “culture of death”
The Germans murdered over a million Jewish children. Like the sick and the old, they were viewed as useless mouths to feed and often among the first killed. Some were used in medical experiments, but newborns were typically murdered at birth. – Sound familiar today? Tell me what has changed? Nothing. Evil always hides behind a name. Nazi was that name in the 30’s & 40’s. But the evil is still here. Hiding behind another name. The key is not to stamp out the name, but the evil itself. As long as we continue to feed the “culture of death”, by way of complicity, lackadaisical caring, or just not giving a damn, we are doomed to repeat the past. And we are repeating it today. How many children today are murdered daily through Abortion because we view them as less than human? How about post birth abortion? Aborted children used in stem cell research? How can they be less then human when we ourselves we that little once. They are no less human than you or I.This is not just the “culture of death” mentality but evil itself. The pro death (Pro Abortion) argument today is no different than the pro Nazi argument of the past. Its LEGAL. Just because man creates a law that goes against what is right, does not make it okay.
This story here needs to be read: The Dachau Seven: The Nameless Pro Life Hero who Saved Seven Pregnant Concentration Camp Prisoners
This one also:
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Can you all see what is going on today? Can you see the facts? Can you see how evil has exposed itself for what it truly is? Its time to get back to God boys & girls…
This isn’t a joke…This isn’t a game. This isn’t a drill. This is evil exposed. This is your chance to escape. Return to your first Love. Repent…
Peg Pondering Again 