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April 12, 2009 -  Easter Sunday     LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: "As yet they did not know the scripture, that Jesus must rise from the dead" UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): Bishop: Don't Save Solidarity for Tragedy SAINT OF THE DAY St. Teresa of Los Andes  GENERAL MARIOLOGY THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD Chapter VII -  HER CHILDHOOD YEARS  DIVINE MERCY Divine Mercy in My Soul Notebook I  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: Papal Message Sent to Earthquake Victims

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

"As yet they did not know the scripture, that Jesus must rise from the dead" Scripture: John 20:1-9  (alternate readings: Luke 24:13-35, Mark 16:1-7, and Matthew 28:1-10) 1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken  away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Meditation:  On Sunday morning the women went to the tomb to pay their last tribute to a dead body. The disciples thought that everything had finished in tragedy.  Neither were ready to see an empty tomb and hear the angel's message,  Why do you seek the living among the dead (Luke 24:5)?  Is it any small wonder that it was the women, rather than the apostles, who first witnessed the empty tomb and the resurrected Lord?  Isidore of Seville, a 7th century church father comments on this: "As a woman (Eve) was first to taste death, so a woman (Mary Magdalene) was first to taste life.  As a woman was prescient in the fall, so a woman was prescient in beholding the dawning of redemption, thus reversing the curse upon Eve."  The first to testify to the risen Lord was a woman from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons.  What is the significance of the stone being rolled away? It would have taken several people to roll away such a stone. And besides, the sealed tomb had been guarded by soldiers! This is clearly the first sign of the resurrection.  Bede, a church father from the 8th century, comments: "[The angel] rolled back the stone not to throw open a way for our Lord to come forth, but to provide evidence to people that he had already come forth. As the virgin's womb was closed, so the sepulcher was closed, yet he entered the world through her closed womb, and so he left the world through the closed sepulcher." (From Homilies on the Gospels 2,7,24) Another church father remarked: "To behold the resurrection, the stone must first be rolled away from our hearts" (Peter Chrysologus, 5th century).  Do you know the joy of the resurrection? It is significant that the disciples had to first deal with the empty tomb before they could come to grips with the fact that scripture had foretold that Jesus would die for our sins and then rise triumphant.  They disbelieved until they saw the empty tomb.  Bede explains why the Risen Lord revealed himself gradually to the disciples: "Our Lord and redeemer revealed the glory of his resurrection to his disciples gradually and over a period of time, undoubtedly because so great was the virtue of the miracle that the weak hearts of mortals could not grasp [the significance of] this all at once. Thus, he had regard for the frailty of those seeking him. To those who came first to the tomb, both the women who were aflame with love for him and the men, he showed the stone rolled back. Since his body had been carried away, he showed them the linen cloths in which it had been wrapped lying there alone. Then, to the women who were searching eagerly, who were confused in their minds about what they had found out about him, he showed a vision of angels who disclosed evidences of the fact that he had risen again. Thus, with the report of his resurrection already accomplished, going ahead of him, the Lord of hosts and the king of glory himself at length appeared and made clear with what great might he had overcome the death he had temporarily tasted." (From Homilies on the Gospels 2,9,25)  One thing is certain, if Jesus had not risen from the dead and appeared to his disciples, we would never have heard of him.  Nothing else could have changed sad and despairing men and women into people radiant with joy and courage. The reality of the resurrection is the central fact of the Christian faith. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us "eyes of faith" to know him and the power of his resurrection. The greatest joy we can have is to encounter the living Lord and to know him personally.  Do you celebrate the feast of Easter with joy and thanksgiving for the victory which Jesus has won for you over sin and death? "Lord Jesus Christ, you have triumphed over the grave and you have won new life for us. Give me the eyes of faith to see you in your glory. Help me to draw near to you and to grow in the knowledge of your great love and power." Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17,22-23 1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever! 2 Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures for ever." 16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!" 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. 23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.   www.dailyscripture.net   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

Bishop: Don't Save Solidarity for Tragedy 8,000 Mourn Victims of Italy Earthquake   L'AQUILA, Italy, APRIL 10, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Solidarity isn't just for a tragic event, says the secretary of the Italian episcopal conference. Bishop Mariano Crociata, the retired bishop of Noto, said this today in L'Aquila, at the funeral held for 204 of the 289 victims of the deadly earthquake that hit the Abruzzo region. More than 8,000 turned out for the national service, presided over by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state. The bishop expressed "his personal solidarity" to Archbishop Giuseppe Molinari of L'Aquila, as well as that of Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the president of Italy's episcopal conference, and of the "entire Italian Church."   Bishop Crociata recalled the tragedy of the 1968 earthquake that hit Sicily's Belice valley: "As on this occasion, then also there was a great effort of solidarity, a widespread sense among Italians of feeling themselves brothers, as though in a large family and this is very beautiful and significant."   "From these tragedies," the bishop added, "it is important to learn to be solidary in ordinary events, without waiting for tragic events."   Forty of the victims were university students. Father Luigi Epicoco, the chaplain of the university parish of L'Aquila, said he feels "somewhat guilty for not having been able to save them. I feel strongly my spiritual fraternity with the youth of the university, and their loss is excruciating. "I am convinced that this suffering is destined to cement our church, the one not made of stone, but the living community."   "We must draw from the theological virtue of hope and start university life again immediately because L'Aquila without students will not be the same city," he added.   "Every family was hit," said Father Cesare Cardozo, the parish priest, and a native of Maracaibo, Venezuela.   "More than saying words, I am present to squeeze a hand, to offer encouragement," the priest said. "I have tried not to let the presence of the Eucharist be lacking. From the very beginning, we celebrated Mass in the open -- the first day, next to the bodies, which little by little were aligned on the grass -- together with relatives."   "Pray for us," he added, "and don't fail to express your closeness."   RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

April 12, 2009 St. Teresa of Los Andes (1900-1920)   One needn’t live a long life to leave a deep imprint. Teresa of Los Andes is proof of that. As a young girl growing up in Santiago, Chile, in the early 1900s, she read an autobiography of a French-born saint—Therese, popularly known as the Little Flower. The experience deepened her desire to serve God and clarified the path she would follow. At age 19 she became a Carmelite nun, taking the name of Teresa. The convent offered the simple lifestyle Teresa desired and the joy of living in a community of women completely devoted to God. She focused her days on prayer and sacrifice. “I am God’s, ” she wrote in her diary. “He created me and is my beginning and my end. ” Toward the end of her short life, Teresa began an apostolate of letter-writing, sharing her thoughts on the spiritual life with many people. At age 20 she contracted typhus and quickly took her final vows. She died a short time later, during Holy Week. Teresa remains popular with the estimated 100,000 pilgrims who visit her shrine in Los Andes each year. She is Chile’s first saint. http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD   BOOK TWO  Treats of the Presentation of the Princess of Heaven in the Temple, the Favors She Received at the Hand of God, the Sublime Perfection with which She Observed the Rules of the Temple, the Heavenly Excellence of Her Heroic Virtues and Visions, Her Most Holy Espousal and other Events up to the Incarnation of the Son of God   CHAPTER I   HER PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.   The three years’ time decreed by the Lord having been completed, Joachim and Anne set out from Nazareth, accompanied by a few kindred and bringing with them the true living Ark of the covenant, the most holy Mary, borne on the arms of her mother in order to be deposited in the holy temple of Jerusalem. The beautiful Child, by her fervent and loving aspirations, hastened after the ointments of her Beloved, seeking in the temple Him, whom She bore in her heart. This humble procession was scarcely noticed by earthly creatures, but it was invisibly accompanied by the angelic spirits, who, in order to celebrate this event, had hastened from heaven in greater numbers than ordinary as her bodyguard, and were singing in heavenly strains the glory and praise of the Most High. The Princess of heaven heard and saw them as She hastened her beautiful steps along in the sight of the highest and the true Solomon. Thus they pursued their journey from Nazareth to the holy city of Jerusalem, and also the parents of the holy child Mary felt in their hearts great joy and consolation of spirit. They arrived at the holy temple, and the blessed Anne on entering took her Daughter and Mistress by the hand, accompanied and assisted by saint Joachim. All three offered a devout and fervent prayer to the Lord; the parents offering to God their Daughter, and the most holy Child, in profound humility, adoration and worship, offering up Herself. She alone perceived that the Most High received and accepted Her, and, amid divine splendor which filled the temple, She heard a voice saying to Her: "Come, my Beloved, my Spouse, come to my temple, where I wish to hear thy voice of praise and worship." Having offered their prayers, they rose and betook themselves to the priest. The parents consigned their Child into his hands and he gave them his blessing. Together they conducted Her to the portion of the temple buildings, where many young girls lived to be brought up in retirement and in virtuous habits, until old enough to assume the state of matrimony. It was a place of retirement especially selected for the first-born daughters of the royal tribe of Juda and the sacerdotal tribe of Levi. Fifteen stairs led up to the entrance of these apartments. Other priests came down these stairs in order to welcome the blessed child Mary. The one that had received them, being according to the law one of a minor order, placed Her on the first step. Mary, with his permission, turned and kneeling down before Joachim and Anne, asked their blessing and kissed their hands, recommending herself to their prayers before God. The holy parents in tenderest tears gave Her their blessing; whereupon She ascended the fifteen stairs without any assistance. She hastened upward with incomparable fervor and joy, neither turning back, nor shedding tears, nor showing any childish regret at parting from her parents. To see Her, in so tender an age, so full of strange majesty and firmness of mind, excited the admiration of all those present. The priests received Her among the rest of the maidens, and saint Simeon consigned Her to the teachers, one of whom was the prophetess Anne. This holy matron had been prepared by the Lord by especial grace and enlightenment, so that She joyfully took charge of this Child of Joachim and Anne. She considered the charge a special favor of divine Providence and merited by her holiness and virtue to have Her as a disciple, who was to be the Mother of God and Mistress of all the creatures. Sorrowfully her parents Joachim and Anne retraced their journey to Nazareth, now poor as deprived of the rich Treasure of their house. But the Most High consoled and comforted them in their affliction. The holy priest Simeon, although he did not at this time know of the mystery enshrined in the child Mary, obtained great light as to her sanctity and her special selection by the Lord; also the other priests looked upon Her with great reverence and esteem. In ascending the fifteen stairs the Child brought to fulfillment, that, which Jacob saw happening in sleep; for here too were angels ascending and descending: the ones accompanying, the others meeting their Queen as She hastened up; whereas at the top God was waiting in order to welcome Her as his Daughter and Spouse. She also felt by the effects of the overflowing love, that this truly was the house of God and the portal of heaven.    RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Divine Mercy In my soul   Notebook I (continued) One day, I saw interiorly how much my confessor would have to suffer: friends will desert you while everyone will rise up against you and your physical strength will diminish. I saw you as a bunch of grapes chosen by the Lord and thrown into the press of suffering. Your soul, Father, will at times will be filled with doubts about this work and about me. I saw that God himself seemed to be opposing (him), and I asked the Lord why He was acting in this way toward him, as though He were placing obstacles in the way of doing what He himself had asked him to do. And the Lord said, "I am acting thus with him to give testimony that this work is Mine. Tell him not to fear anything; My gaze is on him day and night. There will be as many crowns to form his crown as there will be souls saved by this work. It is not for a success of a work, but for the suffering that I give reward." O my Jesus, You alone know what persecutions I suffer, and this only because I am being faithful to You and following Your orders. You are my strength; sustain me that I may always carry out what You ask of me. Of myself I can do nothing, but when You sustain me, all difficulties are nothing for me. O my Lord, I can see very well that from the time when my soul first received the capacity to know You, my life has been a continual struggle which has become increasingly intense. Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day's struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of the Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me - it is the Eucharist. O my Jesus, the misunderstandings are so great; sometimes if it were not for the Eucharist, I would not have the courage to go any further along the way You have marked out for me. Humiliation is my daily food. I understand that the bride must herself share in everything that is the groom's; and so His cloak of mockery must cover me, too. At those times when I suffer much, I try to remain silent, as I do not trust my tongue which at such moments, is inclined to talk for itself, while its duty is to help praise God for all the blessings and gifts which he has given me. When I receive Jesus in Holy Communion, I ask Him fervently to deign to heal my tongue so that I would offend neither God nor neighbor by it. I want my tongue to praise God without cease. Great are the faults committed by the tongue. The soul will not attain sanctity if it does not keep watch over its tongue. A Short Version of the Catechism of the Vows. Q. What is a vow? A. A vow is a voluntary promise made to God, to carry out a more perfect act. Q. Is a vow binding in a matter which is the object of a commandment? A. Yes. The carrying out of an act which is the object of a commandment has a double value and merit; and the neglect of such an act is a double transgression and evil, because by breaking such a vow we add to the sin against the commandment, the sin of sacrilege. Q. Why do religious vows have such value? A. Because they are the foundation of the religious life approved by the Church, in which the members bound together in a religious community undertake to strive always for perfection by means of the three religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, observed according to the rules Q. What is the meaning of the words "strive for perfection?" A. To strive for perfection means that the religious life does not in itself demand that perfection be already attained, but obliges, under the pain of sin, that we work daily to attain it. Therefore a religious who does not want to become perfect neglects his principle duty of state. Q. What are "solemn" religious vows? A. "Solemn" religious vows are so absolute that, in extraordinary cases, only the Holy Father can dispense from them. Q. What are simple religious vows? A. These are vows which are less absolute - the Holy See dispenses from perpetual and annual vows. Q. What is the difference between a vow and a virtue? A. A vow pertains only to that which is commanded under the pain of sin; the virtue goes beyond this and helps is the carrying out of the vow; on the other hand, by breaking the vow we fail in the virtue and do it damage. Q. To what do the religious vows oblige us? A. The religious vows oblige us to strive to acquire the virtues and to submit ourselves completely to our Superiors and to the Rules which are in force; thus the religious gives his own person to the Community, renouncing every right over himself and his actions, which he sacrifices to the service of God. The Vow of Poverty The vow of poverty is the voluntary renunciation of the right over the property or to the use of such property with the purpose of pleasing God. Q.What objects does the vow of poverty concern? A. All those goods and those objects which appertain to the Community. We have no longer any right over anything that has been given to us, once it has been accepted, whether an article or money. All these donations and presents, which may have been given us out of gratitude or in any other way, belong by right to the Community. We cannot make use, without violating the vow, or any wages we may receive for work or even any annuity. Q. When do we break or violate to vow in a matter which entails the seventh commandment? A. We break or violate it when, without permission, we take for ourselves anything that belongs to the house; when, without permission, we retain something in order to appropriate it; and when without authorization, we sell or exchange something that belongs to the Community. When we make use of an object for some other purpose than that intended by the Superior. When we give to, or accept from another, anything whatsoever without permission. When by negligence we destroy or damage something. When, in going from one house to another, we take something with us without permission. In a situation where the vow is broken, the religious is bound to restitution to the Community. The Virtue of Poverty This is an evangelical virtue which impels the heart to detach itself from temporal things; the religious, in virtue of his profession, is strictly obliged to it. Q. When do we sin against the virtue of poverty? A. When we desire something, contrary to this virtue. When we become attached to something, and when we make use of superfluous things. Q. How many degrees of poverty are there and what are they? A. There are, in practice, four degrees of poverty for one who is a professed religious: to dispose of nothing without the consent of the Superiors (the strict matter of the vow); to avoid the superfluities and be content with necessities (this pertains to the virtue); to readily content oneself with things of inferior quality in what concerns one's cell, clothing, nourishment, eat., and to experience this contentment interiorly; to rejoice in extreme poverty. The Vow of Chastity. Q. To what does this vow oblige us? A. To renounce marriage and to avoid everything that is forbidden by the sixth and ninth commandments. Q. Is a fault against the virtue a violation of the vow? A. Every fault against the virtue is at the same time a violation of the vow, because here there is no difference, as in the case of poverty and obedience, between the vow and the virtue. Q. Is every bad thought a sin? A. No, every bad thought is not a sin; it becomes so only when the acquiescence of the will and consent are joined to the consideration of the mind. Q. Is there anything, over and above sins against chastity, which is detrimental to the virtue? A. Lack of custody of the senses, of the imagination, of the feelings; familiarity and sentimental friendships are detrimental to the virtue. Q.What are the means by which this virtue may be preserved? A. To conquer interior temptations with the thought of the presence of God, and moreover to fight without fear. And for exterior temptations, to avoid occasions. There are, in all, seven principal means: to guard the senses, to avoid occasions. There are, in all, seven principle means: to guard the senses, to avoid occasions, to avoid idleness, to remove temptations promptly, to remove oneself from all - and especially particular friendships, the spirit of mortification, and to reveal all these temptations to one's confessor. Besides this, there are also five means of preserving this virtue; humility, the spirit of prayer, modesty of the eyes, fidelity to the rule, a sincere devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.   (Note Book 1- to be continued) RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

Papal Message Sent to Earthquake Victims Says in Wake of Tragedy, Faith Remains as Source of Hope   L'AQUILA, Italy, APRIL 10, 2009 (Zenit.org).- As the city of L'Aquila gathered to mourn the loss of hundreds of its citizens, victims of a deadly earthquake, Benedict XVI sent a message of solidarity and hope. The Holy Father sent a letter today to the national funeral of the victims of the earthquake that hit the capital of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. Friday was declared a day of national mourning and a moment of silence was observed nationwide. Monsignor Georg Gänswein, the Pontiff's private secretary, read the Papal message at the beginning of the funeral Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state. The Vatican granted a special dispensation to hold a Mass on Good Friday, the only day of the year on which Mass is not normally said. The coffins of 205 of the 289 confirmed victims -- many families chose to hold private ceremonies -- were aligned in four long lines, each one with a white sheet of paper indicating the name of the deceased. Twenty of the coffins were white, indicating children victims.   "In these dramatic hours," the Pope wrote in his message, "in which an immense tragedy has hit this land, I feel spiritually present among you to share your anguish, implore God for the eternal repose of the dead, the speedy recovery of the injured, and for all the ability to continue with hope, without yielding to discouragement." "In moments such as these, faith remains as a source of light and hope, which is exactly what the suffering of the Son of God tells us in these days, who made himself man for us," the Holy Father continued. "May his passion, death and resurrection be for all a source of consolation, and may it open the heart of each one to the contemplation of that life in which 'death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.'"   Benedict XVI said he was pleased to see "a growing wave of solidarity" with the victims: "The Holy See intends to do its part, together with the parishes, religious institutes and lay groups. This is the moment of commitment, in harmony with the agencies of the government, which are already operating admirably." "Only solidarity can succeed in overcoming such painful trials," concluded the message.   Mystery of death During the funeral Mass, Cardinal Bertone said that the mystery of death "brings us together, makes us kneel before God, makes us adore his will, immerses us in his eternal love, because in God is the source of life, the meaning and the value of our life."   "Before this mystery, which frightens us, grieves us, we feel, however, that not everything has ended," he said. "So we are here to pray to the author of life, sustained by the certainty, as the word of God affirms, that the souls of the just are in the hands of the good and merciful God."   The cardinal said that a tragedy such as the one that hit L'Aquila is a "valuable occasion to understand the value and true meaning of life. "In a second, everything can cease -- dreams, plans, hopes. Everything ends; love alone remains. God alone remains who is Love," he added.   Cardinal Bertone said that "in this hour of sorrow and of profound loss, it is the Word of God that sustains our faith, that comforts us and assures us that nothing can conquer the force of love."   "God might seem absent," he said. "Sorrow might seem a cruel force without meaning, the darkness of eyes full of tears seem to extinguish even the most timid rays of sun and springtime. "Nevertheless, it is precisely while the provocative question is posed: 'Where is your God' (Psalm 42:4) that we feel emerge from our innermost being the certainty of God's loving intervention."   The cardinal urged the faithful to start afresh "bearing together the sorrow of the incommensurable absence of the deceased, with a more assiduous, fraternal and friendly presence near their families, now become more genuinely our families, in the great family of the children of God."   RETURN TO TOP

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