Catholic Special Day

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Leave a Comment / Catholic Special Day, Daily Saints

c. 15 BC; Patron Saint of the United States, clothmakers, clothworkers, coopers, upholsterers, the Amazon rainforest, and numerous dioceses, cities, and countries

In 1854, Pope Pius IX issued an apostolic constitution called Ineffabilis Deus by which he declared the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be a dogma of faith. This definition was a response to the longstanding devotion and theological consensus that had built up over the centuries. By declaring a dogma of faith, the Holy Father used his highest papal teaching authority, binding every Catholic to accept this teaching.

Ineffabilis Deus begins by stating that the creation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was in the mind of God from all eternity. She is the Father’s “singular delight,” and “under God, one cannot even imagine anything greater, and which, outside of God, no mind can succeed in comprehending fully.” This statement should leave us with a profound faith in the Immaculate Conception and an acknowledgment of the great and incomprehensible mystery we celebrate. Only in Heaven, as we behold the Beatific Vision, will our minds also behold the beauty and profound mystery of God’s greatest act of creation in the person of the Mother of God. Her life is not an end in itself. She is not worshiped. She is not God. She is, however, to be loved and honored in a singularly unique way, for she is God’s most glorious creation and will be honored as such forever.

The first thing we must know about our Immaculate Mother is that she needed a Savior, just as all humans do. Her Savior is her Son, just as He is our Savior. However, in her, salvation was given “by a singular grace and privilege.” We are saved by the washing away of original sin through baptism. The Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her conception. Her salvation transcended time in that the merits of salvation won by her Son Jesus’ Incarnation, death, and resurrection saved her from original sin at the very moment of her creation.

Mary’s role is first alluded to in the book of Genesis. We read about the fall of Adam and Eve, introducing Original Sin into human nature, thus requiring a Savior. Genesis 3:15 presents what many have called the Protoevangelium or “First Gospel” because, in mysterious language, it presents Christ as the New Adam and the Blessed Virgin Mary as the new Eve: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.” The “enmity” between the serpent and the “woman” reveals Mary’s complete opposition to the evil one and to sin. The “offspring” is Jesus and He will crush the head of satan, destroying sin and evil forever. This passage also reveals that Jesus invites His mother to participate in this act of salvation in a unique way. “They will strike at your head…” implying both Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary overcame sin and satan together, by the power of God, but through the motherhood of Mary, the new mother of all the living and the mother of those in the new order of grace.

The Blessed Virgin Mary has also been traditionally seen as the new Ark of the Covenant. The first Ark was a sacred vessel that contained the Ten Commandments, manna, and Aaron’s rod. The Ark was a symbol of God’s divine presence that only the High Priest could approach once a year after rigorous purification rituals. The Blessed Virgin Mary, being the new Ark of the Covenant, should also be treated with the greatest veneration, for she bore the divine within her womb and He came forth from her own body. Only the Great High Priest, Jesus her Son, could dare to approach and dwell within her.

At the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel came to the Virgin and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). This passage points to the Immaculate nature of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To be “full of grace” affirms the fact that grace so permeated Mary’s soul that sin had no place within her. Not only was she created free from sin, she also remained sinless throughout her life through the merit of her ongoing assent to God. Her prayerful response to the archangel was not only her response at that moment but was her continuous response to God throughout her life, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

From at least the seventh century, churches in the East celebrated in the liturgy Mary’s conception in Saint Anne’s womb. The Church in the West soon followed, emphasizing the immaculate nature of her conception. In the fifteenth century, Pope Sixtus IV approved a liturgical celebration for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and then extended that feast to the entire Western Church. In the centuries that followed, successive popes issued clearer teachings in support of the definition of the Immaculate Conception. Because of this ongoing and deepening definition of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Pius IX lifted this teaching to the highest level possible when he issued Ineffabilis Deus in 1854.

If we turn again to the beginning of that constitution in which the Holy Father said that “no mind can succeed in comprehending fully” the Blessed Virgin Mary, then we will realize that the little we know and understand about her remains a deep mystery that we will only fully comprehend in Heaven. Therefore, as we honor the Immaculate Conception and Mary’s immaculate nature, we also must anticipate a continual unfolding of who she is. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was not the end but the beginning. After that pronouncement, subsequent popes have continued to deepen their teaching on her. In 1904, Pope Pius X spoke of Mary as the Mediatrix of Graces. In 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven; in 1954, he established the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Vatican II spoke of Mary as Mother of the Church and the Mediatrix of Grace.

As we celebrate this great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, try to ponder the incomprehensible nature of the Mother of God. Knowing that she is an impenetrable mystery will help us honor her with the reverence and awe she deserves. The best news of all to ponder is that this perfect creation of God is not a distant icon to adore, she is our own caring mother, a mediatrix of God’s grace. Her tender care for her children will never waver, and her intercession will always bring to us all good things we need to achieve salvation.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/8-december-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary–solemnity/

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Read More »

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Catholic Special Day, Daily Saints

Last Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our liturgical year is ordered in such a way as to lead us through the entire mystery of salvation won for us in Christ. Each liturgical year begins with Advent, when we ponder the Incarnation that leads us to the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas. Following Christmas we enter into the public ministry of Christ during Ordinary Time, which begins with the feast of His Baptism. In the midst of Ordinary Time, we enter the deepest paschal mystery of Lent and Easter, culminating with the Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. The Easter Season concludes with Christ’s Ascension and Pentecost, the beginning of the Church. Finally, after the rest of Ordinary Time, we come to the great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly referred to as the Feast of Christ the King.

The liturgical feast of Christ the King was added to the Church calendar in 1925, when Pope Pius XI instituted it with his encyclical Quas Primas. The eschatological event it celebrates has been in the mind and heart of the Blessed Trinity from before the beginning of time and was clearly proclaimed by Jesus in His public ministry. At the time Pope Pius XI instituted it, the world was in political and social chaos. After World War I ended in 1918, secularism began to grow worldwide, and communist and fascist ideologies emerged, leading many to question and even abandon their faith. The unity of faith and civil governance, which had been part of the make-up of Europe since the fourth century, slowly crumbled, and God’s sovereignty over the world was readily dismissed. Though the concept of the separation of the Church and State can be helpful to both the Church and the State, if God’s authority and laws are excluded from human governance, man is left to his own designs and inevitably goes astray.

Upon seeing the social and political culture of the 1920s devolve, Pope Pius XI felt that he needed to remind the Church and the world that there is only one King, and that King is not only the King of Catholics, He is the King of humanity, of the entire Universe. In his encyclical letter, Pope Pius quotes Pope Leo XIII who said in his encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Annum Sacrum, “[Christ’s] empire includes not only Catholic nations, not only baptized persons…but also all those who are outside the Christian faith; so that truly the whole of mankind is subject to the power of Jesus Christ.” Pope Pius XI goes on to say, “Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society” (Quas Primas #18).

When Jesus walked the earth, He chose not to forcibly impose His divine authority and rule upon nations, even though many of His followers wanted Him to do so. Instead, He instituted the Kingdom of God as a spiritual reality in which we are all called to voluntarily participate, for now. Those who do participate are called to work to establish Christ’s Kingdom on earth, here and now, by governing according to the mind and will of God. The modern-day concept of the separation of Church and State is helpful insofar as the Church must be free from political interference and control. However, this separation should never lead to an exclusion of the King of the Universe from human governance. Rather, human beings must give themselves over to the control and dominion of the Great King, and then govern according to His mind and will. Pope Pius XI goes on to say, “When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony. Our Lord’s regal office invests the human authority of princes and rulers with a religious significance; it ennobles the citizen’s duty of obedience” (#19).

Moving beyond the role Christ has in the governance of the Universe and humanity, this feast also reminds us that in order for Christ to truly reign as King, He must first govern each and every soul. Jesus is not only the Savior of mankind, He is also the model of Christian living. He Himself said, “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me” (John 6:38). Just as the Son of God did His Father’s will while on the earth, so must we. Christ will reign as King of our lives only when we say those words with Him, by the power of grace that He infused into human nature. We cannot do our own will, but the will of the Father in Heaven. God’s governance of our lives requires complete obedience to His commands because His commands are perfect, true, and lead us to the fulfillment of human life. Only in Christ do we find peace, unity, harmony, and true purpose.

Furthermore, the ideal society will only become a reality if every individual is governed by the will of God. The more that happens, the more society as a whole will share in the Kingdom of God. The individual’s or society’s refusal to obey God will lead only to a participation in the kingdom of satan. Hence, we should see the institution of this feast in 1925 as both an invitation to share in God’s Kingdom on earth and as a warning that the secular, communist, and fascist ideologies that were emerging were leading the world toward satan’s kingdom. The same is true of our day and age in another way, especially as we see secularism growing.

The final and most glorious aspect of today’s feast points us to the end of time when Jesus, the great King, will return in all His splendor and glory to establish His unending Kingdom on earth, when He unites Heaven and earth into the new and resurrected Kingdom yet to come. On that day, Christ “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end,” and we will all share in “the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come” (Nicene Creed). Sadly, this new and eternal Kingdom of Christ is often ignored.

As we celebrate this glorious solemnity, the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, deepen your faith in the mystery it celebrates, and strengthen your resolve to embrace the Kingship of Christ in your life, so that through you, His Kingdom will become all the more present in the world all around you.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/our-lord-jesus-christ-king-of-the-universe–solemnity/

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Read More »

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Catholic Special Day, Daily Saints

c. 15 BC; Patron Saint of chefs, cooks, distillers, drapers, fish dealers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, needlemakers, potters, restaurateurs, silkworkers, and tilemakers

On December 8, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. That solemnity highlights the singular grace bestowed upon the Blessed Virgin Mary at the moment she was conceived. The Church dogma states, “…in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful” (Pope Pius IX, 1954).

Today’s Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated exactly nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, just as Christmas is celebrated nine months after the Church remembers the Incarnation of the Son of God on the Solemnity of the Annunciation. The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of three liturgical feasts in which we celebrate a birth: Christmas, the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, and the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Only the three most consequential figures in the Bible receive the honor of a liturgical celebration to commemorate their births.

Nothing is known for certain about the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary or of her upbringing, since the Bible only introduces the Mother of God to us for the first time during the Annunciation. However, an early second-century apocryphal text called the Protoevangelium of James (The Gospel of James), paints a detailed picture of her conception, birth, early years, and betrothal to Saint Joseph. Though the account is not part of the canon of Scripture, it has been a source of reflection throughout the centuries and is the source of the traditional names of the Blessed Mother’s parents, Joachim and Anne.

The actual feast we celebrate today is believed to have been first celebrated in the fifth or sixth century in the East and was tied to the dedication of a Byzantine church near the Pools of Bethesda in the Old City of Jerusalem. The church was built over what was believed to be the birthplace of Mary and the home of Joachim and Anne, just a short distance from the Temple. In the twelfth century, the current Basilica of Saint Anne was built on the same site. Beneath the basilica lie what are believed to be the caves in which the Mother of God was born and lived.

Regardless of whether the apocryphal Gospel of James presents accurate historical truths regarding the conception, birth, and early life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is not difficult to prayerfully ponder the importance of her birth and childhood. Saint Andrew of Crete beautifully relates that on this day, the “Creator of the world constructed His temple…” Mary is that temple, that Arc of the New Covenant, the tabernacle and first dwelling place of God Incarnate. Her soul was born pure, spotless, and holy. As she grew, she manifested every virtue perfectly. All who knew her as a child would have been deeply impressed by her sanctity.

Birthdays celebrate people. They are occasions to rejoice in and honor the whole life of that person. The other memorials, feasts, and solemnities of the liturgical year honor various specific aspects of Mary’s life. Today’s feast honors her whole life, her personhood, and the gift of who she was and is.

As we celebrate the birthday of the Mother of God, spend time pondering her soul. Though much of her earthly life has remained hidden from our eyes, she is the greatest saint to ever live and the holiest daughter of God this world has ever known. In Heaven, we will be in awe of her virtues and will forever rejoice in the great things God did in and through her. Begin that rejoicing today by prayerfully honoring her and pondering her, seeking her prayer for your life and for the whole world.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-8the-nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin/

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Read More »

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Catholic Special Day

Of the greatest and most valuable treasures one could obtain in this world, nothing is more precious, more sacred, and more valuable than the Most Holy Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, our Sovereign and Eucharistic Lord. Millions, billions, or even hundreds of trillions of dollars do not come close to the infinite value and transforming power of the Body and Blood of Christ. No amount of earthly wealth can buy happiness, but the Eucharist bestows it freely. No amount of money can purchase Heaven, but the Eucharist transforms you into a member of the Body of Christ Whom you consume, leading you to Heaven. At the end of our lives, when we stand before the Just Judge, we will realize the transforming power of this Gift. Those who adored Him and received Him faithfully in Communion will be forever grateful they did.

Human dignity demands that we show respect to one another, reverencing the presence of God in each person as a living tabernacle of the Lord. However, we do not bow down before God’s presence in others, nor do we kneel before them in adoration and worship. In this world, the only One Whom we worship and adore, in hidden yet physical form, is our Lord Who is fully present in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not only a fraternal meal we share with one another, it’s a communion with God Himself that unites us with Him. It is that union with God that also unites us with every other person who is united to God through the sharing of the Most Holy Eucharist.

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi originated with a mystic named Saint Juliana of Cornillon. She was born near Liège, Belgium around the year 1191. At the age of five, she and her sister were orphaned and entrusted to the care of Augustinian nuns. Within that convent, Juliana grew in her faith, participated in Eucharistic adoration, and frequented Holy Communion. She eventually joined the Augustinians and became a nun herself.

At the age of sixteen, she had a mystical vision during Eucharistic adoration in which she saw the moon with a dark stripe. By divine intuition, she understood that the moon symbolized the Church’s life on earth, and the dark stripe symbolized the absence of a feast that was specifically dedicated to the Body and Blood of Christ. In the convent, she had the same vision several more times but kept it to herself for twenty years.

Around the age of thirty-six, she shared her vision with two friends, one a local hermit and the other a fellow nun. Together, these holy women grew deep in their love of Christ in the Eucharist, especially adoring His hidden presence and receiving Him frequently in Holy Communion. After sharing her vision with the bishop, he reluctantly approved a local annual feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, and some other bishops followed. However, as word spread about Juliana’s visions, her superior and some clergy opposed her. She had to leave the convent, taking refuge in various Cistercian monasteries for ten years.

In 1258, around the age of sixty-seven, Juliana was adoring Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament in her cell when she died and was taken into the unveiled presence of God in Heaven. Prior to her death, the local Archdeacon in Lièges, Jacques Pantaléon of Troyes, had become familiar with Juliana and believed that her visions were from God and that a universal feast of Corpus Christi was God’s will. In 1261, Archdeacon Jacques Pantaléon was elected pope and took the name Pope Urban IV.

In 1263, a Eucharistic miracle took place in Bolsena, Italy, about ten miles from where Pope Urban was residing in Orvieto in the Papal States, modern-day Italy. A German priest named Father Peter of Prague stopped at the church in Bolsena to offer Mass during a pilgrimage at the tomb of Saint Christina, a fourth-century martyr. By his own admission, he was struggling to believe in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. During the consecration, the host he was holding began to bleed and flow onto his hands and the linen corporal on the altar. He immediately went to Orvieto to reveal the miracle and his lack of faith to Pope Urban. Pope Urban absolved him and then sent a delegation to investigate the miracle. They brought the corporal back to the cathedral in Orvieto with great solemnity where it remains enshrined today.

In 1264, Pope Urban instituted the universal Solemnity of Corpus Christi and asked the renowned theologian Father Thomas Aquinas to compose the liturgical texts for the feast. Among the texts the future saint and doctor of the Church composed are the revered and frequently sung hymns, “Pange Lingua,” “Tantum Ergo,” “Panis Angelicus,” and “O Salutaris Hostia.” The Thursday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity was chosen for the annual feast in honor of the day that the Eucharist was instituted.

After the death of Pope Urban IV, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi was removed from the universal calendar for about fifty-three years until Pope John XXII added it back in 1317. Since that time, the solemnity has grown and become an important annual celebration that often includes Eucharistic processions, adoration, and Mass. In many locations where it is not a holy day of obligation, the solemnity is moved to the following Sunday so as to extend the celebration to the entire people of God. In 1869, Pope Pius IX canonized Saint Juliana of Lièges, adding even greater credence to her miraculous visions and solidifying the importance of this holy solemnity.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, spend time pondering the profound mystery of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As we kneel before Him, we truly kneel before His throne in Heaven, despite the reality being veiled from our eyes. As we consume the Blessed Sacrament, we truly consume Christ Himself—Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity—and receive Him into our souls. Though we might not feel Him with our bodily senses, we must allow our spiritual sense of faith to grow so that our love for Him in this Most Precious Gift exponentially increases. Let’s conclude with the “Tantum Ergo,” which is taken from the last two verses of the beautiful hymn of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the “Pange Lingua:”

Down in adoration falling, Lo! the sacred Host we hail; Lo! o’er ancient forms departing, newer rites of grace prevail; faith for all defects supplying, where the feeble senses fail. To the everlasting Father, and the Son who reigns on high, with the Holy Ghost proceeding forth from Each eternally, be salvation, honor, blessing, might and endless majesty. Amen. Alleluia.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/corpus-christi—body-and-blood-of-christ–solemnity/

Solemnity of Corpus Christi Read More »

The Most Holy Trinity

Catholic Special Day

One of the most fiercely debated dogmas of our faith in the early centuries of the Church was on the nature of the Most Holy Trinity. Today’s solemnity did not enter the General Roman Calendar until the fourteenth century, partly because we are called to honor and worship the Most Holy Trinity every day and in every liturgy. But designating one Sunday on which we ponder the inner life of the Most Holy Trinity is an opportunity to renew and deepen our honor and worship.

The Trinity is first and foremost a mystery. As The Divine Mystery above all mysteries, we must begin by humbly acknowledging that we will never, not even in Heaven, have a complete understanding of God’s essence, His inner reality. Only God knows Himself fully. Not even the Blessed Virgin Mary or the highest choirs of angels see Him and know Him as He sees and knows Himself. Nonetheless, every creature, whether angel or human, is called to probe the mysteries of God to the fullest extent possible. In that probing, contemplating, and understanding, we discover the purpose of our lives and experience the fullness of beatitude to which we are called. God and God alone satisfies the hungry, weary, and seeking soul.

This might come as a surprise, but God is perfectly simple. Saint Thomas Aquinas, one of the Church’s greatest teachers, explains that angels, the physical world, and humans are made up of different material and immaterial parts that can change over time, making us a complex reality capable of internal and external disunity. God, however, is incapable of change, since He is Perfection. He is exactly Who He is, always has been, and will always be. This results in a divine simplicity and harmonious unity that is infinitely beyond His creation. God doesn’t need anything to exist because it is His very nature to exist as the unchanging, transcendent God.

Within this divine simplicity and perfect unity we can distinguish various attributes of God, noting that each attribute is perfectly united with the others in the most simple and complete way. God alone is all-powerful and has supreme authority over all creation. He alone perceives all potentiality within creation and within Himself. He is perfectly wise, just, and merciful. He is both completely beyond creation (transcendent) and intimately involved with every aspect of creation (immanent). God is the perfection of holiness and morality. He is the only standard of goodness and truth. He is present everywhere at all times—unchanging and eternal. God is Love.

This philosophically rich language attempts to describe God in His oneness—He is One God, not three Gods. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each share perfectly in the one divine nature, and all share the same divine attributes. To understand the profound mystery of the Trinity, we must start with the above oneness of God and then move into His threefold Personhood.

How can something be one and three at the same time? We know that God is one-in-three solely because this is the way the Scriptures reveal God to us. The Old Testament alluded to the threefold personhood of God, and Jesus explicitly identified the three persons as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Without this revelation from our Lord, human reason alone could never arrive at the realization that God is One in Three.

In Sacred Scripture and Church teaching, God’s attributes and existence can be summed up as Love. “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love cannot exist without a giver, a receiver, and the love that unites them. Hence, it is the very nature of God to love perfectly, to receive love perfectly, and to be love itself.

In the Trinity, the Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father, and this mutual love is personified in the Holy Spirit. This “love” in God is defined by the Church as an “eternal begetting” and as an “eternal procession,” which are fundamentally different from an act of creation. The words “begetting” and “proceeding” are used to point to the relational origin of love. The Father eternally begets the Son, reflecting an eternal exchange of love. The Holy Spirit, then, proceeds from both the Father and the Son, emanating from their mutual love. These profound mysteries are articulated in the Nicene Creed:

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made…I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

The formulation of the Trinitarian relationship in the Creed reveals the profound depth of God’s nature: God is of one essence, yet three distinct Persons. Each Person is involved in an eternal, loving relationship with the others. The mystery within this formulation requires contemplation, as it reveals a God Who is deeply relational and Whose very nature is to exist in a state of perfect, self-giving love.

If these definitions of God seem beyond your grasp, you are correct. They are. By God’s grace, these basic definitions of the Most Holy Trinity took shape, beginning with Church councils in the fourth and fifth centuries. Later, theologians such as Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas deepened our understanding. However, even if you were to spend years studying the best theology on the Trinity, you would still only be able to comprehend a slight image of Who God is.

The best way to grow in a deeper understanding of God and all of reality is through the deepest forms of contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer is not something you can simply turn on. It is an infused prayer that only God can bestow as He invites you to enter into His divine presence. Contemplative prayer begins with a profound purification process by which all sin is purged from one’s life, as well as all attachment to sin, and then all conceptual knowledge of God is eliminated so that the mind can gaze upon God through infused knowledge. This mystical prayer is well taught by the greatest saints of the Church, especially Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Ávila. Being drawn into the mystery of God’s inner life sometimes includes periods of mystical ecstasy, raptures, intellectual visions, and other mystical phenomena. Though few reach that height of prayer in this life, it’s helpful to know it is possible and to know that directly infused knowledge of God through mystical prayer is the only way to achieve some comprehension of the Most Holy Trinity.

As you strive to deepen your own prayer life, offer your praise to God the best you can. Profess your unwavering belief in the Creed, despite not fully understanding it. Most importantly, open your heart to God, Who is Love, and love Him in return with every power of your soul. By doing so, you will be on the slow and steady road to a mystical union of love with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/first-sunday-after-pentecost-holy-trinity–solemnity/

The Most Holy Trinity Read More »

Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

Catholic Special Day

Little is said about the most glorious Mother of God in the Scriptures. In many ways, she lived a quiet and hidden life. Since her Assumption into Heaven, the Church has prayerfully pondered her life and role in the mystery of salvation. Little by little, saint after saint and pope after pope have shed greater light upon her singularly unique and glorious role in the Father’s eternal plan. As the Church’s understanding of the Blessed Mother has deepened, new titles and new dogmas have been proclaimed about Mary. In 2018, a new liturgical memorial honored her with the title “Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.”

To understand the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role as Mother of the Church, we need to begin with Scripture. As Jesus hung on the Cross, John’s Gospel records that the mother of Jesus and two other women stood before Him, alongside John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. From the Cross, Jesus entrusted His mother to John’s care. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (John 19:26–27).

In 1895, in his encyclical on the rosary, Pope Leo XIII wrote about that Gospel passage:

Now in John, as the Church has constantly taught, Christ designated the whole human race, and in the first rank are they who are joined with Him by faith…She was, in very truth, the Mother of the Church, the Teacher and Queen of the Apostles, to whom, besides, she confided no small part of the divine mysteries which she kept in her heart” (Adiutricem #6).

In 1964, Pope Saint Paul VI promulgated the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church). After presenting a complete picture of the mystery of the Church, the final chapter of that constitution presents “The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God in the Mystery of Christ and the Church.” That chapter highlights her singularly unique and maternal role within the Church. Lumen Gentium did not go so far as to ascribe the title “Mother of the Church” to the Blessed Mother, but it did go into great detail about her maternal role within the Church. Four years later, in a motu proprio letter, Pope Paul VI referenced Lumen Gentium and took it a step further by bestowing upon the Mother of God the title “Mother of the Church.”

…we believe that the Blessed Mother of God, the New Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven her maternal role with regard to Christ’s members, cooperating with the birth and growth of divine life in the souls of the redeemed (Solemni Hac Liturgia #15).

Since that time, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis have continually referred to the Mother of God as the Mother of the Church. What does the title “Mother of the Church” mean? On September 17, 1997, Pope John Paul II defined it this way in a Wednesday catechesis:

The title “Mother of the Church” thus reflects the deep conviction of the Christian faithful, who see in Mary not only the mother of the person of Christ, but also of the faithful. She who is recognized as mother of salvation, life and grace, mother of the saved and mother of the living, is rightly proclaimed Mother of the Church. (#5).

On March 3, 2018, Pope Francis announced that a new memorial would be added to the General Roman Calendar and celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday, entitled “The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.”

In the decree instituting this memorial, Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, said:

This celebration will help us to remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored to the Mystery of the Cross, to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed, the Virgin who makes her offering to God.

It is significant that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, was entrusted to the Church in the person of Saint John the Apostle at the foot of the Cross. From the Cross, the Church was conceived by the outpouring of grace that flowed from Jesus’ Sacred Heart. At Pentecost, our Blessed Mother was present as the Church was born.

Today, the Mother of the Church reigns in Heaven next to her Son; from there, she continues to nurture the Church as a loving mother. She not only intercedes for us but also mediates her Son’s saving grace, making her the ongoing instrument of grace and mother of all.

Because our understanding of the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary has continually unfolded over the centuries, it is fair to say that we do not yet fully understand her glorious role in the Father’s plan of salvation. Some have proposed that she be given the dogmatic titles “Mediatrix of All Grace” and “Co-Redemptrix.” Regardless of what comes next in our ever deepening understanding of the role of the Blessed Mother, we can be certain that those who one day gaze upon the essence of God Himself as he reveals all truth will immediately become aware of the most profound mysteries of Mary’s hidden life.

As we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, know that she is your spiritual mother insofar as you are a member of Christ’s Body, the Church. By giving birth to the Head, she gives birth to the members. As members of that Body, it is essential that we seek spiritual nourishment from the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is our mother and queen. From her, we are born into God’s grace. She is the chosen instrument and mediatrix of grace. Rely upon her motherly intercession and mediation, and entrust yourself more fully to her care.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/mary-mother-of-the-church-memorial/

Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church Read More »

Pentecost

Catholic Special Day

Today, we celebrate the most glorious Solemnity of Pentecost, the promised Gift of the Father and the Son to Jesus’ disciples. After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared to His disciples for forty days. During those appearances, He offered them proof of His resurrection, continued to teach them, and reminded them of all He had revealed to them about His death and Resurrection, preparing them for the next step of their mission. “While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for ‘the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit’” (Acts 1:4–5).

During the ten days after Jesus’ Ascension, the eleven Apostles gathered together in the upper room with the mother of Jesus and many other disciples, totaling 120 in all. The gathering place was most likely the same place that the Apostles ate the Passover meal, the first Eucharist, with Jesus. As they met, the first order of business was to choose a successor to Judas. They cast lots, and Matthias was chosen to be one of the Twelve.

On the fiftieth day after Jesus’ Resurrection, ten days after His Ascension, the 120 disciples were once again gathered in the upper room when they experienced something beyond their imagination. From the sky came a noise like a strong driving wind. It filled the room they were in. Tongues, as of fire, fell upon all gathered, and they were given the gift of tongues, which enabled them to speak in different languages—by the power of the Holy Spirit—to the diverse groups of people in Jerusalem. This is what Jesus had promised them, and suddenly they understood as they received the Gift of God.

After receiving the Holy Spirit, the disciples went out into the community of Jerusalem and began to boldly proclaim the Gospel to all. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were shocked and confused. Some accused the disciples of being drunk and scoffed at them. Some, however, quickly believed. Peter then stood up and gave a stirring and powerful sermon that presented the whole mystery of salvation. He spoke of Jesus as the Savior and the need to repent and be baptized. “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day” (Acts 2:41). The new followers then devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the celebration of the Eucharist. A strong Christian community was formed in Jerusalem.

As the community continued to grow, learn the teachings of the Apostles, and receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, miracles took place. Peter and John cured a blind man. Soon, there were 5,000 converts to Christ who were filled with the Holy Spirit. More miracles took place at the hands of all of the Apostles, people from the surrounding villages came and were converted, and the new believers lived as one, sharing their food and resources with others.

Soon the members of the Sanhedrin became concerned. They thought they had stopped Jesus, but they saw that the Apostles were converting thousands. The Apostles were arrested and jailed, but an angel let them out in the night, and they appeared in the Temple the next day, continuing to preach and heal. The bewildered Sanhedrin members did not know what to do. They hoped that the new excitement would soon subside and everything would go back to normal—but it didn’t.

Recognizing the need to better care for the poor with the money and provisions the thousands of disciples held in common, the Apostles appointed seven men to be deacons for the task, so that the Apostles could continue to preach, heal, and offer the sacraments. Shortly afterward, blood was shed. Stephen, one of the newly ordained deacons, was martyred. “On that day, there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1).

The above illustrates the role of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was the birthday of the Church. The Holy Spirit’s mission was to form the Church and empower each baptized member of Christ’s body to fulfill his or her specific duty. Some were to preach, some cared for the poor, some shed their blood for their faith, and others were to be sent to other towns and villages. The scattering of the community of the believers in Jerusalem was clearly permitted by the Holy Spirit as a way of expanding the Church beyond Jerusalem. The newly converted and empowered disciples traveled far and wide to expand the newborn Church that grew at a rapid pace as the new Body of Christ matured and fulfilled its mission.

In the years and centuries ahead, the Holy Spirit continued to form the Church. The Apostles were inspired to write what is today the New Testament so that future believers would have firsthand accounts of the Gospel. From there, the successors to the Apostles, in union with the successor of Saint Peter, helped to form the Sacred Tradition, which is the ongoing deepening revelation of the Word of God to address new questions that arose. Jesus’ promise to Peter and his successors that He would give to him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, so that he and his successors could bind and loose on earth as it is in Heaven, evolved and helped the Church to mature. The Holy Spirit enabled the growing communities to continue to take nourishment through the Sacraments. The believers were empowered to pray and to enter into a personal relationship with Him Who rose and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Other believers were filled with charisms needed to build up the Church. The Gospel continued to be preached to the ends of the earth, and the people of God were drawn into lives of profound holiness and union with God. This is all effected by the Gift of the Holy Spirit first given at Pentecost and continually given today.

In addition to building up the Church and enabling it to fulfill its divine mission, the Holy Spirit also sanctifies every individual believer, especially through the bestowal of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord…They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations” (#1831). Additionally, the Holy Spirit instills twelve fruits: “The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: ‘charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity’” (#1832). These graces are first given in Baptism and perfected in Confirmation. Each baptized and confirmed member of Christ has the potential to fully realize these graces so as to grow in holiness and fulfill their divine mission.

As we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost, call on the Holy Spirit in your life. Too often we receive Baptism and Confirmation with a closed mind and heart. We fail to allow the Holy Spirit to become fully active in our lives. Pray to the Holy Spirit today, and open yourself more fully to all that God wishes to bestow upon you so that you will become holy and a more active member of His Body, the Church.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/pentecost/

Pentecost Read More »

The Ascension of the Lord

Catholic Special Day

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord commemorates the fortieth day after the Resurrection when Jesus ascended body and soul into Heaven and took His seat at the right hand of His Father. Traditionally, the location of the Ascension is believed to be less than a mile east of the Old City of Jerusalem, and that spot is marked by the Chapel of the Ascension, which is said to contain a miraculous imprint of the footprints of Christ before He ascended. The event of the Ascension is found in the Gospels and Acts (Mark 16:19–20; Luke 24:50–53; Acts 1:6–12). It is also alluded to in various other passages (John 6:62; Ephesians 4:7–10; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 3:21–22).

Only Jesus and His Blessed Mother have entered into the glories of Heaven, body and soul. Jesus’ Ascension implies that He did so by His own authority and power. The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Assumption implies that she entered Heaven, body and soul, by God’s power, and not her own.

The Ascension marks the completion of Jesus’ earthly mission. He first united His divine nature with human nature through the Incarnation at the moment of the Annunciation. Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that from that moment on, Jesus, the Son of God, experienced three types of knowledge. First, being God, He had beatific knowledge, that is, a direct knowledge of His essence, the Father’s essence, and the Holy Spirit’s essence. Second, He had the perfection of infused knowledge, that is, a bestowal of all truths given to the angels in Heaven, especially those truths necessary for the completion of His divine mission. Third, He began to acquire learned knowledge, or experiential knowledge. This was the form of knowledge attained through His human nature from the senses and His human reason.

As Jesus fulfilled His mission through life, His learned knowledge continued to grow until it was perfected in human form. It was never imperfect in the sense of sin, but only in the sense of growth through human experience and human love. He experienced all things, allowed the perfection of His beatific and infused knowledge to guide His human experiences and brought those human experiences and knowledge to perfection. His free embrace of the Cross manifested the perfection of divine love in human form, and His Resurrection brought that perfect unity of human and divine love to a new and transformed resurrected state of human existence. But that was not all. Today we commemorate the fact that Jesus took His perfected human nature into the Beatific Vision, enabling humanity itself to follow. The Blessed Virgin Mary was the first to do so given her sinless state.

The final stage of the salvation of humanity will take place when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. At that time, every human body will rise, will endure the final purification and transformation, and will share in the new and resurrected state in which the faithful will be able to stand, body and soul, before the Most Holy Trinity and experience the fullness of the Beatific Vision forever. What Jesus has already accomplished in His human form is what we look forward to in hope at the end of time.

The Feast of the Ascension was celebrated annually from as early as apostolic times. Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, and Saint Augustine all attest to this fact. When the Council of Nicaea set the date for the celebration of the Resurrection in 325, it chose to keep Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox in spring. This decision also set the day for the Ascension being forty days after Easter, on a Thursday. Today, many ecclesiastical provinces transfer the Thursday celebration to the following Sunday to provide for a wider celebration.

Though every aspect of Christ’s life is shrouded in mysteries which will only be fully understood by the faithful when they stand before Him and behold the Beatific Vision, today we especially ponder this beautiful and profound mystery of our faith. As we celebrate the Ascension, try to prayerfully meditate upon the perfect unity of Jesus’ human and divine natures. Ponder further the truth that because the Son of God is both God and man, and He beholds His Father and the Holy Spirit as both God and man, He invites each of us to begin to share in that glorious vision. Only after we fully die in and with Him and rise to new life in and with Him will we be able to know Him clearly and share in His glorious resurrected and ascended life. Until that moment comes, it’s important to ponder that which is incomprehensible. We must know that we do not know, believe what is beyond belief, hope in that which is more than we can understand. God is a mystery; the Ascension is a mystery—but they are mysteries that must be penetrated by prayer. Do so today as we commemorate this holy culmination of the earthly life and mission of Christ.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/the-ascension-of-the-lord/

The Ascension of the Lord Read More »

Easter Sunday

Catholic Special Day

Today’s glorious solemnity is the ultimate cause of all joy, fulfillment, happiness, and glory. If Jesus only died on the Cross, destroying death, something would be missing—the restoration of life into a transformed and glorified living. Easter is not only about the forgiveness of sins, it’s about the temporal and eternal glorification of every human soul who dies and rises with Christ. When we focus upon the Gospel and consider the many lessons Jesus taught and the example He set, the Cross is often considered the difficult message and Easter the easy message. But is it?

The message of the Cross, as presented to us through both Jesus’ teachings and His lived example, is certainly challenging. Each one of us is called to the same depth of selfless surrender of our lives to the Father’s will. We must each die completely to ourselves, be purified from every sin and every attachment to sin, from every bad habit and every worldly thought, and from everything that is not God and God alone. When our calling to die with Christ and to embrace His Cross is clearly understood, as it has been by the saints, it is likely that Christians become overwhelmed at the seemingly daunting and impossible task of dying in and with Christ.

When it comes to the Resurrection, one might be tempted to say that it is easy to accept the message it presents. New life in Christ, the fullness of joy, complete transformation, and eternal beatitude in Heaven—these initially appear easy to embrace. However, the challenge that the profound reality of Easter presents to us is that we can be certain that our current understanding of what it means to share in the Resurrection of Christ is but the faintest shadow of the reality. In truth, very few people in this life have come close to understanding the glory to which we are called on account of the Resurrection. Saints Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Sienna, John of the Cross, Thérèse of Lisieux, to name a few, are among those who penetrated the mystery of Easter while still here on earth. They achieved this spiritual knowledge only by fully dying with Christ through a life of profound prayer, penance, and charity that completely united their souls to the Most Holy Trinity.

As we celebrate Easter, it is important to know that we do not yet know all that is promised to us by the Resurrection of Christ. If we can at least know that, then our spiritual appetites will make us hungry to know. Too often, Christians go through life satisfied with the most basic understanding of the Gospel. We know that God became man, lived His life, gathered followers, taught and performed miracles, died on the Cross, rose again, ascended into Heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we have hope in His promise that if we remain in His grace, then we will share in Heaven after we die. But this is an exceptionally incomplete view of the full reality that has been comprehended in this life by the saints. It is their understanding we must seek with every power of our souls.

What does it mean to share in the new life of Christ? What does it mean to share in the glory of the Resurrection? What will Heaven be like for those who enter into the highest realms of glory in this life compared to those who only do the basics? What will the New Heavens and the New Earth be like when Jesus returns in all His glory for the Final Judgment? If these are questions you have never deeply pondered and probed, then know that the answers that await you are more glorious than you could ever imagine. In other words, if you were to sit quietly and spend all day trying to imagine the best and most glorious life, trying to use your mind to draw a picture of the happiness and full joy of Heaven, you can be certain that you could never even come close to imagining the reality. That humble fact ought not discourage you; it should fill your conscience with a desire to know what you do not know. That is the first step.

A deep and vast spiritual comprehension of the joy of sharing fully in the Resurrection of Christ can only be given to us by a direct infusion of grace by God Himself. When a soul receives this infused knowledge, they become so overwhelmed with wonder and awe that they realize that committing even the smallest sin is absolute foolishness and is the path to the loss of everything. They realize that if they were to gain everything this world has to offer—every comfort, wealth, power, and prestige—they would be absolutely miserable compared to the person who shares fully in the Resurrection. They realize that the only thing worth anything is the complete abandonment of one’s life to the will of God, a willingness to suffer anything and everything for Christ, to serve and not be served, to forgive everyone completely, to love with every fiber of their being, and to continuously remain in a state of prayerful recollection with God.

If living such a life seems impossible, it’s not. It only seems that way when we fail to grasp the prize that awaits those who strive for the perfection of divine union. The Easter message and mystery is not just about being good and happy. It’s not just about trusting in the hope of Heaven after we die. The fullness of the message and mystery of Easter can only be understood if we begin the long and difficult journey toward divine union. Only those who begin it in haste have a chance of completing it. Begin it today by acknowledging that there is so much that you do not know. There is so much that God is calling you to and wants to bestow upon you. There is more joy in the Resurrection of Christ than anything else in life. Don’t aim for the lowly and passing things of life—aim for the highest heights of glory. Seek to understand the Resurrection this Easter so that you will be able to share more fully in the higher grades of glory that God wants to bestow upon you.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/easter-sunday/

Easter Sunday Read More »

Holy Saturday with Mother Mary

Catholic Special Day

The Savior of the World died a cruel death upon the Cross. His broken body was laid in the tomb. His disciples scattered and were fearful that they would be next. But our Blessed Mother kept vigil in the perfect hope that her Son would soon rise.

Traditionally, Saturdays within the Church year are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ancient tradition developed in part due to the belief that, as others were filled with fear and confusion, Mother Mary kept vigil on Holy Saturday in prayerful anticipation of Jesus’ resurrection. She knew her Son would rise. She had hope beyond hope. Her faith was certain. Her love kept her vigilant as she awaited the return of her Son.

For many centuries, it has been suggested that the first person to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection was His own mother. Pope Saint John Paul II believed this. Saint Ignatius of Loyola believed it. And many others throughout the centuries shared this belief.

For these reasons, Holy Saturday is an ideal day to ponder the pondering heart of our Blessed Mother. There are several times in Sacred Scripture where we are told that Mother Mary pondered the mysteries of her Son’s life in her heart. She was one of the few who stood by Him in His agony and death. She stood before the Cross and prayerfully pondered His perfect sacrifice. The Blessed Mother held His dead body in her arms and pondered where His spirit had gone. And today she keeps vigil, pondering His imminent return to her.

Ponder her pondering heart. Try to unite your own heart with hers. Try to understand what she was thinking and hoping. Try to feel what she felt this sorrowful day. Try to experience her faith, her trust and her joyful expectation.

So many people in this world walk in despair and confusion. So many have lost hope in the new life that awaits them. So many have their own form of interior death without allowing God to draw them into His Resurrection. So many people today need the hope that was so alive in the heart of our Blessed Mother that first Holy Saturday.

Ponder the reality of Holy Saturday in silence this day and allow the glorious heart of our Blessed Mother to inspire you and draw you more deeply into her life of faith, hope and love.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/04/07/holy-saturday-with-mother-mary-2/

Holy Saturday with Mother Mary Read More »

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

c. 15 BC; Patron Saint of the United States, clothmakers, clothworkers, coopers, upholsterers, the Amazon rainforest, and numerous dioceses, cities, and countries

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Last Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

c. 15 BC; Patron Saint of chefs, cooks, distillers, drapers, fish dealers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, needlemakers, potters, restaurateurs, silkworkers, and tilemakers

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

The Most Holy Trinity

Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

Pentecost

The Ascension of the Lord

Easter Sunday

Holy Saturday with Mother Mary

Ways to Donate

Paypal

Using Zelle

Mail a Check

Quick Links

Contact us

Location:

Contact #

Email:

Quick Links

Contact us

Location:

Contact #

Email:

Ways to Donate

Using Zelle

Mail a Check

Paypal