Saturday, April 27, 2019

Divine Mercy Sunday - 28-April-2019






Divine Mercy Sunday originated when Our Lord appeared to Saint Faustina, a humble, Polish sister. 

Jesus told Sister Faustina of his great desire to have a Feast of Mercy established on the first Sunday after Easter.  He also instructed that the Feast be preceded by a Divine Mercy Novena that begins on Good Friday and ends the day before Divine Mercy Sunday.

During one of the visions, Jesus asked Sister Faustina to “Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the signature: Jesus, I Trust in You.  I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.

In the Divine Mercy image, Jesus is portrayed with one hand outstretched blessing the world, while his other hand rests on the side wounded by the soldier’s spear.  From the wound in his side stream blood (red rays) and water (blue rays). 

When the first image was painted, Sister Faustina cried because the image was not as beautiful as the Jesus who appeared to her.  Jesus comforted her by saying,
“Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush is the greatness of his image, but in My grace.”

Jesus told Saint Faustina that any person who goes to confession (as close as possible to Divine Mercy Sunday) and receives Holy Communion, will obtain forgiveness of ALL sins and the punishment that goes along with them.

In June 2002, Pope John Paul II granted indulgences to those who recite an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions.  It is also recommended that a prayer such as, “Jesus, I Trust in You,” be added to the usual recommended prayers.

Divine Mercy is not supposed to be reserved for Divine Mercy Sunday only.  When Our Lord appeared to Sister Faustina, he told her that 3 pm should be designated as the hour of mercy.  It is traditionally held as the hour in which Jesus died on the Cross. 

Jesus told Sister Faustina: “As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it, invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners, for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul.”

Divine Mercy Sunday is not just about God’s mercy towards us, but about the mercy we show towards others as well.  We are all in need of God’s love and mercy but then we are called to give the love and mercy we receive to others.





Credits:

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

St. Mark the Evangelist Feast Day - 25-April




Today is the feast of St. Mark, evangelist.

St. Mark, the author of the second Gospel, was the son of Mary whose house at Jerusalem referred to as "the upper room" was the meeting place of Christians.

Peter encountered Mark and took him as travel companion and interpreter.  There at the request of the faithful he wrote his Gospel about the year 50 A.D. His Gospel is a record of St. Peter's preaching about Our Lord.

The Gospel of St. Mark, the shortest of the four, is, above all, a Roman Gospel. The Gospel was written for Roman Gentile converts. It rarely quotes the Old Testament, and is careful to explain Jewish customs, rites and words. It excels in portraying the emotions and affections of both Christ and His hearers.

When Mark returned to Alexandria, the idolators of the city resented his efforts to turn the Alexandrians away from the worship of their traditional gods. In AD 68 they placed a rope around his neck and dragged him through the streets until he was dead. His relics were kept in Egypt until they were transferred to Venice where they are venerated till this day.


The Evangelist Mark is represented as a lion with wings because he begins his Gospel in the wilderness, `The voice of one crying in the desert: Make ready the way of the Lord,' or because he presents the Lord as the unconquered King.





Saturday, April 20, 2019

Resurrection Sunday, April 21, 2019

Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

Today is the Feast of Feasts in the Catholic Church! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Throughout the entire Easter Season, the Angelus prayer that is offered, when possible, at the ringing of the Angelus bells, is replaced by the joyous Regina Coeli. Because eggs symbolize new life and they are special because they were once forbidden during Lent, Christians make great use of them on this day, eating them and decorating them.

Scripture ...
Luke 24:13-40


Reflections ...
The two Emmaus disciples are walking on the road when they meet Jesus whom they do not recognize.  Jesus skillfully played along with the conversation, encouraging these men to reveal their hearts. Jesus longs for us to tell Him what is going on in our hearts. 

The report of the empty tomb by the women as well as Peter and John didn’t convince them because they were not there.  Jesus wanted to know from them what He wants to know from us today: can we believe without seeing with our own eyes?

Jesus can be walking right beside you today but your eyes may be restrained from seeing Him.  Let us pray that God will open our eyes and witness Jesus spending his time with us. Burning our hearts with his spiritual words.

Jesus then appears to the remaining disciples too and says, “Peace to you!” But the disciples are gripped with fear. He immediately invites them to touch His flesh and bones so they can be convinced He is no ghost or spirit. He adds visual proof by eating a piece of broiled fish.

The disciples were completely convinced that Jesus rose from the dead, but they had a hard time accepting it because it seemed too good to be true.  These are the true witnesses He sent out into the world. Through these weeks of Lent we have read their eyewitness testimony. May Christ’s forgiveness, peace and eternal joy be yours until we see Him with our own eyes and touch Him with our own hands in Paradise.

Prayer ...
Jesus thank you for your disciples and for their testimonies.  Strengthen our faith through their words.  Help me to be Your witness through my good deeds and actions that I may also be able to profess your faith. Amen.

Hymn...






Credits:
Thanks to various sites for the ideas .  I have tailored the materials accordingly to suit my needs.
Reflections and prayer – https://www.lhm.org/

Conclusion - Thank you



I hope you enjoyed journeying through the Biblical road through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ which has helped to make your Easter a joyful one. Congratulations on completing this Lenten journey with me.

Feel free to “Add a Comment” at the bottom of the blog giving me your feedback on this experience.

Happy Easter and A Big God Bless !!!

Yours truly,

Sabrina Demelo





Friday, April 19, 2019

Holy Saturday, April 20, 2019

Life: the time God gives you to determine how you spend eternity.



On Holy Saturday the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. The altar is left bare, and the sacrifice of the Mass is not celebrated. Only after the solemn vigil during the night, held in anticipation of the resurrection, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that overflows into the following period of fifty days. Although we are still in mourning, there is much preparation during this day to prepare for Easter. Out of the kitchen comes the smells of Easter pastries and bread, the lamb or hams and of course, the Easter eggs. It is during the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday that the Easter Vigil is celebrated.

Scripture ...
Luke 23:48-56



Reflections ...
The crowd returns, some of them awed by the majesty of that awful death. Jesus’ faithful followers stand at a distance, with aching hearts and tears. Jesus’ body will soon be cast into a common grave along with the two criminals. They stand helpless to stop it, clueless what to do.

Then an amazing sight meets their eyes. One of the prominent rulers of the Jewish high court steps up to the centurion in charge of the crucifixions. He carries orders from Pilate giving him custody of Jesus’ body. As the women follow, Joseph removes Him from the cross, wraps His body in a linen shroud with spices, and lays Him in a new tomb.

This Joseph is a prominent member of the Jewish high court, a good and righteous man who had not consented to their plan to condemn and crucify Jesus. Formerly, he had been a secret disciple of Jesus; now he takes courage to openly display his loyalty.

Oh, the tender care of our loving Heavenly Father! At Jesus’ birth, God the Father provided a Joseph to wrap His infant body in swaddling bands and lay Him in a manger. In His death God provides another Joseph to wrap His body in linen and lay it to rest in a new tomb.

The women follow behind so they can note where Jesus is laid. Then they return home to prepare spices and ointments to give the body a more proper burial after the Sabbath ends.

Prayer ...
Lord Jesus, thank You for the faithful men and women who came forward at Your crucifixion and death—the repentant criminal, the centurion, Joseph, and the believing women. Give me courage and loyalty to come forward and honor You through the days of my life, until I rest in Your Paradise. Amen.

Lenten Challenge for today …
Today let us share our condolences with the Mother of Christ by offering her an extra prayer during your free time.



Hymn ...

Quiz ...
1. Click the correct option.
2. Click Submit
3. Scroll up and click View Accuracy to see your result.
4. Have fun while you learn your faith.


Credits:
Thanks to various sites for the ideas .  I have tailored the materials accordingly to suit my needs.
Countdown calendar - https://www.timeanddate.com/clocks/freecountdown.html
Reflections and prayer – https://www.lhm.org/

September 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows