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St. Bellarmine – Everything Hinges on the Resurection
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Holy Saturday Meditation...
The Sabbath Which Is About to End [Holy Saturday, April 2, 1994]
"Spend this day with me, my beloved children, and open your hearts to hope. My Son Jesus rests today in his new sepulchre.
It is the only day when I remained without my Son.
It is the first day of my new and universal motherhood.
It is the day which precedes the greatest feast: Easter!
On this day we commemorate the departure of the Chosen People from the long slavery spent in Egypt. It is the passage of the Angel of the Lord, who strikes the first-born of the Egyptians and spares the houses of the Hebrews, marked with the blood of the lamb.
The true Lamb of God has now been immolated on the Cross. His blood has descended upon the houses of all and has redeemed the entire human race. The Lamb immolated for you now lies in His new sepulchre.
The Mother keeps watch in sorrow and in tears, in faith and in prayer, in love and in hope. This day has been dedicated by the Church to a special veneration of your heavenly Mother, because on it the tomb is transformed into a crib, in which humanity is placed, redeemed and now born to a new divine life.
My Immaculate Heart is opened to receive here each of my new children. The tears unfold into a smile, the sorrow into joy, the hope into the greatest certitude.
Within a few hours my Son Jesus will come forth triumphant from the sepulchre, Victor over sin and death.
This is the Sabbath which prepares the radiant day of the resurrection.
This is the sorrow which leads to joy.
This is the death which opens upon life
This is the Sabbath which is about to end.
Humanity, corrupted by sin, slave to Satan, wounded by evil, oppressed under the yoke of a great slavery, still lies in its sepulchre. The hour is drawing close when Jesus, who has risen and ascended to the right hand of the Father, will return to you on the clouds of heaven, in the splendor of His divine glory, thus bringing to perfect fulfillment the work of His redemption."
Our Holy Mother also communicated this message on Good Friday, April 1, 1994--
"The bright cross, which will extend from east to west and will appear in the heavens, will be the sign of the return of Jesus in glory.
The bright cross, will be transformed from a gibbet to a throne of His triumph, because Jesus will come upon it to establish His glorious reign in the world.
The bright cross, which will appear in the heavens at the end of the purification and the great tribulation, will be the door which opens the long and dark sepulchre in which humanity is lying, to lead it into the new reign of life which Jesus will bring with His glorious return."
Mary states, "the hour is drawing close...." Let us lift our eyes to heaven and pray for that bright cross "that will extend from east to west and will appear in the heavens...the sign of the return of Jesus in glory.
--Both messages are from--To The Priests- Our Lady's Beloved Sons, MMP (2009); Interior locutions to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, MMP [1973-97]. #516, pp. 808-09; #515, p.807
"Spend this day with me, my beloved children, and open your hearts to hope. My Son Jesus rests today in his new sepulchre.
It is the only day when I remained without my Son.
It is the first day of my new and universal motherhood.
It is the day which precedes the greatest feast: Easter!
On this day we commemorate the departure of the Chosen People from the long slavery spent in Egypt. It is the passage of the Angel of the Lord, who strikes the first-born of the Egyptians and spares the houses of the Hebrews, marked with the blood of the lamb.
The true Lamb of God has now been immolated on the Cross. His blood has descended upon the houses of all and has redeemed the entire human race. The Lamb immolated for you now lies in His new sepulchre.
The Mother keeps watch in sorrow and in tears, in faith and in prayer, in love and in hope. This day has been dedicated by the Church to a special veneration of your heavenly Mother, because on it the tomb is transformed into a crib, in which humanity is placed, redeemed and now born to a new divine life.
My Immaculate Heart is opened to receive here each of my new children. The tears unfold into a smile, the sorrow into joy, the hope into the greatest certitude.
Within a few hours my Son Jesus will come forth triumphant from the sepulchre, Victor over sin and death.
This is the Sabbath which prepares the radiant day of the resurrection.
This is the sorrow which leads to joy.
This is the death which opens upon life
This is the Sabbath which is about to end.
Humanity, corrupted by sin, slave to Satan, wounded by evil, oppressed under the yoke of a great slavery, still lies in its sepulchre. The hour is drawing close when Jesus, who has risen and ascended to the right hand of the Father, will return to you on the clouds of heaven, in the splendor of His divine glory, thus bringing to perfect fulfillment the work of His redemption."
Our Holy Mother also communicated this message on Good Friday, April 1, 1994--
"The bright cross, which will extend from east to west and will appear in the heavens, will be the sign of the return of Jesus in glory.
The bright cross, will be transformed from a gibbet to a throne of His triumph, because Jesus will come upon it to establish His glorious reign in the world.
The bright cross, which will appear in the heavens at the end of the purification and the great tribulation, will be the door which opens the long and dark sepulchre in which humanity is lying, to lead it into the new reign of life which Jesus will bring with His glorious return."
Mary states, "the hour is drawing close...." Let us lift our eyes to heaven and pray for that bright cross "that will extend from east to west and will appear in the heavens...the sign of the return of Jesus in glory.
--Both messages are from--To The Priests- Our Lady's Beloved Sons, MMP (2009); Interior locutions to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, MMP [1973-97]. #516, pp. 808-09; #515, p.807
Monday, April 18, 2011
Felix culpa...
"In Lent, the liturgy recalls the effect of Adam's sin in the life of man. Adam did not want to be a good son of God; he rebelled. But we also hear the echoing chant of that felix culpa: o happy fault, which the whole Church will joyfully intone at the Easter vigil.
Let us be happy. I am happy. I shouldn't be, looking at my life, making that personal examination of conscience which Lent requires. But I do feel happy, for I see that the Lord is seeking me again, that the Lord is still my Father. I know that you and I will surely see, with the light and help of grace, what things must be burned and we will burn them; what things must be uprooted and we will uproot them; what things have to be given up and we will give them up.
It's not easy. But we have a clear guide, which we should not and cannot do without. We are loved by God, and we will let the Holy Spirit act in us and purify us, so that we can embrace the Son of God on the cross, and rise with him, because the joy of the resurrection is rooted in the cross.
Mary, our Mother, "help of Christians, refuge of sinners": intercede with your Son to send us the Holy Spirit, to awaken in our hearts the decision to go ahead confidently, making us hear deep in our soul the call which filled with peace the martyrdom of one of the first Christians: "Come, return to your Father," he is awaiting you" [St. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistola ad Romanos, 7, 2 (pg. 5, 694):Veni ad Patrem.
--St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, Christ is Passing By, Homilies (1982), Four Courts Press Limited, Dublin, Ireland; The Conversion of the Children of God, [Homily given the first Sunday of Lent, March 2, 1952] pg. 94-95.
Let us be happy. I am happy. I shouldn't be, looking at my life, making that personal examination of conscience which Lent requires. But I do feel happy, for I see that the Lord is seeking me again, that the Lord is still my Father. I know that you and I will surely see, with the light and help of grace, what things must be burned and we will burn them; what things must be uprooted and we will uproot them; what things have to be given up and we will give them up.
It's not easy. But we have a clear guide, which we should not and cannot do without. We are loved by God, and we will let the Holy Spirit act in us and purify us, so that we can embrace the Son of God on the cross, and rise with him, because the joy of the resurrection is rooted in the cross.
Mary, our Mother, "help of Christians, refuge of sinners": intercede with your Son to send us the Holy Spirit, to awaken in our hearts the decision to go ahead confidently, making us hear deep in our soul the call which filled with peace the martyrdom of one of the first Christians: "Come, return to your Father," he is awaiting you" [St. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistola ad Romanos, 7, 2 (pg. 5, 694):Veni ad Patrem.
--St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, Christ is Passing By, Homilies (1982), Four Courts Press Limited, Dublin, Ireland; The Conversion of the Children of God, [Homily given the first Sunday of Lent, March 2, 1952] pg. 94-95.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Great Amen....
As we begin the Holy Week of Christ's Passion and death...let us hope in Him who is All in All....
YouTube - Jesus - Mary Did You Know Video - The Passion - Jesus video - Fanpop
YouTube - Jesus - Mary Did You Know Video - The Passion - Jesus video - Fanpop
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Our Lady of La Salette
There is a seamless thread uniting the apparitions from La Salette, through those of more recent times--Fatima, Lourdes, Akita, Medjugorge, San Nicolas, Fr. Stefano Gobbi (MMP). All concern the need for repentance, fasting, daily prayer [in particular, the Holy Rosary], and each more urgent in content. During this season of Lent, I hope that a reading and meditation on this particular apparition may bring more to an understanding of what is needed for conversion. I would also add that it would be beneficial for those seeking daily conversion of heart and a deeper relationship with the Mother of Mercy to read and reflect on the subsequent apparitional messages. You will gain a keen awareness and understanding of the times in which we are now living--from heaven's perspective. And, she will bring you to an ever deeper love for her Divine Son--He Who is Mercy Itself,and His Church...God bless you!
Our Lady of La Salette
Our Lady of La Salette
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Hear My Call...a meditation
October 16, 1987
"My heart rejoices on seeing the children, who, after lying listlessly, awake to the voice of the Mother. Awaken my dears, because one day the Lord with His justice will arrive. Amen. Amen. Read: Is. 56:1."
*The Blessed Mother often asked in her messages for Gladys Quiroga de Motta to read and meditate on a particular part of Holy Scripture to encourage this humble, uneducated woman to knowledge of God and His Divine Revelation, so that she would have a clearer understanding of the messages.
--Messages of Our Lady at San Nicolas, Faith Publishing Company (1990).
"My heart rejoices on seeing the children, who, after lying listlessly, awake to the voice of the Mother. Awaken my dears, because one day the Lord with His justice will arrive. Amen. Amen. Read: Is. 56:1."
*The Blessed Mother often asked in her messages for Gladys Quiroga de Motta to read and meditate on a particular part of Holy Scripture to encourage this humble, uneducated woman to knowledge of God and His Divine Revelation, so that she would have a clearer understanding of the messages.
--Messages of Our Lady at San Nicolas, Faith Publishing Company (1990).
Monday, April 11, 2011
Victory over Physical Death....
VATICAN CITY, April 10 (CNA/EWTN News) - The resurrection of Lazarus showed Christ’s victory over physical death, but Jesus' crucifixion defeated the “spiritual death” of sin, said Pope Benedict XVI at the Sunday Angelus.
Death, the Pope said, is like "a wall" that impedes man from seeing what lies beyond. "Our heart pushes out beyond this wall, and even if we cannot know what it hides, we still think about it, we imagine it, expressing ... our desire for eternity."
Christ, in his resurrection, destroyed this "wall of death," the Pope told those gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Sunday's Gospel reading from St. John recounted Jesus’ words to Martha in the moments before he raised her brother Lazarus from the dead.
Pope Benedict explained that Jesus proposed a complete "novelty" when he proclaimed himself "the resurrection and the life" and said "whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live."
This new conception of the resurrection "breaks down and goes beyond every barrier."
"Christ destroys the wall of death. In him dwells all the fullness of God, who is life, eternal life," the Pope said.
Christ had thus conquered physical death and Lazarus' resurrection was "a sign of his full dominion over (it)."
The "spiritual death" of sin, however, posed "the toughest fight" for Christ, who paid "the price of the cross" to defeat it.
"To conquer this death, Christ died, and his resurrection is not the return to the former life, but the opening to a new reality, a 'new earth,' finally joined together again with the heaven of God."
The Pope cited the words of St. Paul to the Romans, "If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you."
Each person, said the Pope, aspires to this "personal resurrection" made possible through Christ's death.
Although faith in the resurrection and eternal life may be accompanied by doubt and confusion, even from Christians, "it is always about a reality that goes beyond the limits of our reason, and requires an act of faith," he said.
Pope Benedict concluded his Angelus address with a call for everyone to turn to the Virgin Mary in prayer that she might assist them in discovering salvation in Christ.
*Bold italics added by blog author.
Death, the Pope said, is like "a wall" that impedes man from seeing what lies beyond. "Our heart pushes out beyond this wall, and even if we cannot know what it hides, we still think about it, we imagine it, expressing ... our desire for eternity."
Christ, in his resurrection, destroyed this "wall of death," the Pope told those gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Sunday's Gospel reading from St. John recounted Jesus’ words to Martha in the moments before he raised her brother Lazarus from the dead.
Pope Benedict explained that Jesus proposed a complete "novelty" when he proclaimed himself "the resurrection and the life" and said "whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live."
This new conception of the resurrection "breaks down and goes beyond every barrier."
"Christ destroys the wall of death. In him dwells all the fullness of God, who is life, eternal life," the Pope said.
Christ had thus conquered physical death and Lazarus' resurrection was "a sign of his full dominion over (it)."
The "spiritual death" of sin, however, posed "the toughest fight" for Christ, who paid "the price of the cross" to defeat it.
"To conquer this death, Christ died, and his resurrection is not the return to the former life, but the opening to a new reality, a 'new earth,' finally joined together again with the heaven of God."
The Pope cited the words of St. Paul to the Romans, "If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you."
Each person, said the Pope, aspires to this "personal resurrection" made possible through Christ's death.
Although faith in the resurrection and eternal life may be accompanied by doubt and confusion, even from Christians, "it is always about a reality that goes beyond the limits of our reason, and requires an act of faith," he said.
Pope Benedict concluded his Angelus address with a call for everyone to turn to the Virgin Mary in prayer that she might assist them in discovering salvation in Christ.
*Bold italics added by blog author.
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