Catholic Special Day

Easter Sunday

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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/

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Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

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Perhaps one of the most surprising practices on Good Friday is that the Mass is not celebrated. Instead, Jesus’ saving Sacrifice is commemorated by the full reading of the Passion account, the veneration of the Cross, and the distribution of Holy Communion that was consecrated the day before. Why wouldn’t we celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass on Good Friday? Saint Thomas Aquinas gives a profound answer to this question in his masterful work, Summa Theologica (See III.83). In part, he says the following:

Reply to Objection 2. The figure ceases on the advent of the reality. But this sacrament is a figure and a representation of our Lord’s Passion, as stated above. And therefore on the day on which our Lord’s Passion is recalled as it was really accomplished, this sacrament is not consecrated.

A careful reading of that passage, as well as the rest of that article, tells us that there is great power in the Liturgical Year, and in our annual Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday. We celebrate Mass daily throughout the year, except on Good Friday, so that we can receive the fruit of the Passion every day. The Church teaches that Mass is an efficacious sign, meaning that the Mass both signifies Christ’s sacrifice and actually makes it present. But on Good Friday, we celebrate our Lord’s Passion in the reality of time. Therefore, in terms of grace, nothing is lost by the absence of Mass on Good Friday. Instead, we must understand that the day of Good Friday itself becomes a powerful instrument of grace. Our liturgical Commemoration of our Lord’s Passion on Good Friday enables us to share in His saving act of redemption, just as the Mass does every other day of the year.

Setting aside the profound depth of theology present in this teaching, what does this mean, practically, for those who participate in the Good Friday Liturgy today? Here are a few thoughts for pondering.

As you prayerfully participate in the Liturgical Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion, know that this day itself is endowed with grace and power. The grace does not come through the sacramental “Memorial” of the Lord’s Passion but from the reality encountered in this once-a-year Commemoration. This day itself is a real and sanctifying participation in the fruit of Jesus’ saving Sacrifice.

To better understand this, look into your own soul and consider any ways that you have experienced God’s grace powerfully and uniquely on Good Friday. Perhaps, in years past, you entered into the Triduum in a prayerful and recollected way. Call that experience to mind, and understand that this deep encounter with our Lord was especially made possible because those days are holy.

Today, as you celebrate Good Friday, understand that the floodgates of Heaven are opened to you in a way unlike any other day of the year. Seize this moment in time. Seize this once-a-year opportunity to enter into our Lord’s suffering and death. Do so prayerfully, meditatively, truly, and intentionally. Especially honor the hours between noon and three o’clock. Try to set that time aside for nothing other than prayer and recollection. This day is sanctified. Time is sanctified. By entering into prayer during these hours of sanctified time, you will discover that God is especially present to you.

Read the Passion. Pray the Stations of the Cross. Recite the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Gaze at a crucifix. Fast, keep vigil, be attentive, and be open to the abundance of grace our Lord wishes to bestow upon you this Good Friday, especially by participating in the liturgical Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion during the sacred hours when our Lord hung on the Cross. Today, “the figure ceases on the advent of the reality.” Today, the reality is here, captured in time, made present to you. Stand before His sacred Cross, and allow His mercy to pour forth upon you from His wounded side.

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

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Holy Thursday

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Holy Thursday is also called Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, which is translated “mandate.” It is on this night that our Lord gave the mandate to “do this in remembrance of me.” That mandate was the command to celebrate the Most Holy Eucharist until the end of time, a mandate that the faithful continue to keep.

According to Sacred Scripture, Holy Thursday was a power-packed day and night. It began with Jesus sending Peter and John ahead to prepare the Upper Room for the celebration of the Passover meal. That meal would become the beginning of the New Passover. During the meal, Jesus gave a witness of selfless, sacrificial service by fulfilling the role of a servant and washing the feet of the disciples. After that, Jesus transformed the bread and wine into His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity for the very first time, and the disciples received Holy Communion. By commanding them to “do this in remembrance of me,” Jesus instituted the new sacramental priesthood. He also predicted that one of those priests would betray Him and another would deny Him, a sign that His chosen priests then and now are also sinners. In John’s Gospel, Jesus gave a lengthy sermon and then went out to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray in agony as He awaited His arrest. Peter, James, and John went with Him but fell asleep, abandoning our Lord in His last agony. Jesus was arrested, endured the scrutiny of the High Priests Annas and Caiaphas, and then was imprisoned so that He could be sent for judgment by Pilate. During the interrogations, the disciples fled, and Peter, the future leader of the Church, denied he knew Jesus three times.

Was this truly a “holy” night? Indeed. True holiness is not a matter of having everything in your life be easy. It’s not about having the most entertaining and comfortable life possible. It’s not about avoiding every obstacle and difficulty that might befall you. Holiness is about fidelity to the fulfillment of the will of the Father in Heaven. Jesus fulfilled the Father’s will that night flawlessly. He set the stage for the coming of the Holy Spirit, instituted the Sacraments, and prepared to empower those Sacraments with His very life, which would be sacrificed the following day.

During the evening of Holy Thursday, after the conclusion of the Mass, the faithful accompany Jesus on a procession from the church to an altar of repose where our Lord’s sacred Body is placed until midnight. Whether you are able to kneel before that altar tonight or not, be with our Lord in prayer. Keep vigil with Him. Hear our Lord say to you, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). If you struggle with accompanying our Lord in prayer, then hear Him say to you what He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40–41). If you bring burdens with you tonight, say with our Lord, “My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!” (Matthew 26:42). With a concerted effort, remain recollected throughout this night, tomorrow, and Saturday. It all begins tonight but culminates with Easter joy on Sunday. Enter Jesus’ suffering and death so that you can also share in His Resurrection!

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

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Ash Wednesday

Catholic Special Day, Daily Saints

It was a common practice within the early Church that those who were found guilty of grave public sin needed to do public penance before they were admitted back into communion with the Church and admitted to the Most Holy Eucharist. The public sinners came forward in sackcloth forty days before Easter and were sprinkled with ashes, in keeping with many Old Testament examples of public penance. They fasted and prayed for forty days and then, on Easter, were readmitted into full communion with the Church. Eventually, prior to the end of the first millennium, this practice was extended to the entire Church as a way of highlighting everyone’s need for penance. One of the earliest mentions of this practice becoming universal comes from an English Benedictine monk who wrote:

We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast.

Today, as a sign of our ongoing need to repent of our sins and do penance, the faithful are invited to come forward to be marked with ashes as a sign of their commitment to the penitential season of Lent, so as to celebrate with great joy the Solemnity of Easter. Lent is forty-six days long. Forty of those days are penitential days, and six of them are Sundays. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes with the Easter Vigil. The forty penitential days are an imitation of Jesus’ forty days in the desert.

As we come forward to receive ashes, the minister traditionally says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This line is taken from the Book of Genesis when God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. He told Eve that she would suffer the pains of childbirth and be subjected to her husband. God told Adam that he would labor for his food through sweat and toil. To both of them, God said this curse would last “Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Thus, the final curse of original sin is death: “…to dust you shall return.”

As we come forward to receive ashes, we should hear God saying to us, as He said to Adam and Eve, that we also suffer the consequences of original sin and will die. But that curse must be seen in the light of God’s final plan of salvation. Today, we acknowledge that the curse of death will endure but also hold onto the hope of resurrection made possible through Christ. Lent is a time of repentance for our sin and hope in redemption. Ash Wednesday is our liturgical and public statement that we have chosen both repentance and redemption.

As you come forward to receive the ashes today, don’t just go through the motions. Make this act a prayer and one of deep interior devotion. Call to mind your sins and the sins of your whole life, as best you can. Acknowledge the just punishment of eternal death that you deserve for your sins. But then call to mind the infinite and unmerited mercy of God. Remember that even though you are an undeserving sinner, God has reached down from Heaven to offer you the gift of eternal salvation. He has invited you to receive this gift through your repentance and humility. Humble yourself today in “sackcloth and ashes,” and as with those public sinners of old, God will use this Lent to more fully unite your soul with His through His glorious death and resurrection.

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

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Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Catholic Special Day, Daily Saints

Holy Day of Obligation

Only a mother could begin to understand the great mystery and beauty of motherhood. But only one mother could begin to understand the unfathomable beauty of being the mother of the Son of God. After the birth of Jesus, the shepherds came to adore her Child and recounted how a multitude of heavenly hosts appeared to them, revealing that Mary’s Child was the Messiah. As Mary heard those words, she pondered them, reflected upon them, and kept them in her heart. This was but the first time we are told of Mary’s pondering heart after the birth of her Son, but we can be certain that she pondered Him over and over, entering ever more deeply into the mystery of her motherhood of the Son of God.

As the Mother of God, Mary’s prayerful pondering was beyond our comprehension. The bond she shared with her divine Son far surpassed a mere human bond. Jesus was not only her Son, He was also her Savior. Therefore, she adored Him as a mother loves her child, but also as a servant worships her God. The relationship between this unique mother and Son is infinitely awe-inspiring.

Our Blessed Mother is given the unique title of “Mother of God” first and foremost to express our faith in the divinity of Jesus. Jesus was both human and divine, but in Him these two natures were perfectly united. Therefore, one cannot say that Mary was only the mother of the humanity of Jesus, she was the mother of the Person. And that one Person was, at the same time, God and man.

Recall that once Jesus began His public ministry and was teaching, there was a woman in the crowd who cried out, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” Jesus corrected her by saying, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:27). At first read, one could conclude that Jesus was downplaying the role of His own mother, but He was actually doing the opposite. Jesus was actually highlighting the most unifying aspect of His relationship with His mother. Mary was not His mother only in a biological sense. She wasn’t blessed only because she bore Him in her womb. Rather, her deepest union with her divine Son came from her spiritual union with His will and that of the Father in Heaven. She said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). She heard the word of God and observed it perfectly. She did that at the Annunciation, she continued to do so as she raised her Child, and she did it most perfectly as she stood before the Cross, offering her dying Son to the Father for the salvation of the world. Mary’s motherhood was one that encompassed her whole being. It was one that united her to her Son in ways we will never fully comprehend.

Mary is the Mother of God and, therefore, is the mother of all of God’s children, including you. Honor and love your heavenly mother today and rejoice as you reflect upon this glorious queen and holy mother. As we celebrate this greatest saint in the history of the world, ponder the ponderer. Ponder her love for her Son. Ponder her obedience to His divine will. Ponder Him as her Savior. Ponder every human and divine aspect of their loving relationship.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/january-1—octave-day-of-christmas-solemnity-of-mary-mother-of-god/

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Nativity of the Lord

Catholic Special Day, Daily Saints

Christmas Day is among the most celebrated feasts in the world. Everything else in life stops while the Christian world, in particular, celebrates the birth of the Savior of the World that took place over 2,000 years ago in the small town of Bethlehem. The first Christmas was celebrated by Mary and Joseph, but a multitude of angels saw to it that poor shepherds from the nearby fields joined the celebration as representatives of the entire Christian world to come. Though the Incarnation took place nine months prior when the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive a Child, that Child exited her sacred womb and breathed His first breath of air on that holy night.

It is amazing that God chose such a humble birth. He came into the world while His parents were about seventy miles away from their home and family in Nazareth after journeying to Bethlehem, the City of David, so they could fulfill the requirements of the census promulgated by the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. The census required all who lived within the Roman Empire to enroll in their hometown, in large part for taxation reasons. Joseph was from the house and lineage of King David, so he was required to go to David’s ancestral home, Bethlehem, to register with Mary, his betrothed wife. The fact that the Savior of the World permitted Himself to become subject to the rulers of the pagan Roman Empire reveals His profound humility. The Son of God’s perfection of humility is also revealed by the immediate circumstances of His birth. It took place not in a royal palace, not even in a nice home, but in a cave where animals dwelt.

The presence of the poor shepherds extends the Son of God’s humility even further and also reveals the intrinsic dignity of every person. In God’s eyes, every person is equal in dignity, and His life was for all people. From God’s perspective, poor shepherds offered Him just as much praise and honor as if the Roman emperor himself came to adore Him after His birth. The same remains true today. Every person is capable of offering honor and glory to God that do not depend upon social rank, wealth, or natural gifts. They depend upon that love and adoration that were found in the shepherds.

Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem was also a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy found in Micah 5:1(2): “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah least among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.” In God’s perfect foreknowledge and providence, He revealed the location of the birth of the Ruler of Israel through Micah, several centuries before.

The reason we celebrate the Solemnity of Christmas on December 25 is uncertain, but it might have been chosen in relation to the Solemnity of the Annunciation. One tradition states that the dating of the Annunciation on March 25 was chosen because early Christians believed Jesus died on that date. Some believe that Jewish thought at that time suggested that the greatest prophets died on the same day of the year they were created. Some have further suggested that March 25 was the date of the creation of Adam, the fall of Adam, the fall of the angels, the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, and the passing of the Israelites through the Red Sea. Whether this was the belief in the early Church and is the reason for choosing March 25 for the Annunciation (and Incarnation), making Jesus’ birth nine months later on December 25, is unable to be verified historically, but it is an inspiring thought to ponder from a symbolic perspective.

Others have suggested that December 25 was chosen because it closely aligned with the winter solstice, the day of the year with the least amount of sunlight in the northern hemisphere. It was during that darkest time of the year that the New Light came into the world to permeate the darkness. This symbolic view draws creation itself into the praise and glory of God.

A final hypothesis regarding the date of Christmas comes from the fourth century. Some records indicate Pope Julius I declared December 25 to be the date in 350, once the Roman Empire was becoming more Christianized and pagan practices were dwindling. The pagan festival Saturnalia, which was a three-day celebration of the winter solstice, was celebrated each year with great solemnity, and the pagan festival of Sol Invictus has been celebrated on December 25 since 274. It’s possible that Pope Julius wanted to offer an alternative Christian feast to replace these popular pagan ones.

Regardless of the actual historical reason that December 25 was chosen, it is now cemented within our Christian tradition. It’s also important to remember that the Church celebrates the greatest Solemnities for eight straight days, an octave. Thus, Christmas Day is December 25 through January 1. Jesus’ birth being the first day of the year is symbolically significant. Our calendar system is based on the date of Christ’s birth: Anno Domini (A.D.), meaning, “in the year of our Lord.”

As we celebrate this annual Solemnity, the historical accuracy of the date must give way to the liturgical calendar. God, in His perfection of humility, molds His grace around the structures that His Church has been inspired to create. For that reason, we can be confident that the December 25 liturgical Solemnity is a day in which an abundance of grace is poured forth upon those who believe and honor His birth. Commit yourself, this year and every year, to a celebration of Christmas that goes beyond mere gifts, good food, and gatherings. Choose to celebrate Christmas Day for eight straight days. Don’t pack away the decorations and nativity scene. Keep pondering the Christmas story. Prayerfully give thanks to God for His Incarnation and Birth. Make this Christmas celebration one that is permeated with faith, so that the Light of the World can permeate the darkness of the world in which you live.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/25-december-nativity-of-the-lord–solemnity/

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Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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/

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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/

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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/

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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/

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Easter Sunday

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

Holy Thursday

Ash Wednesday

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Holy Day of Obligation

Nativity of the Lord

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

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