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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - March, 2013
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of March: Dedicated to St. Joseph
* Jesus' Last Words From the Cross
* Resources For Holy Week & Easter
* Liturgical Feasts in March
* 'Catholic Trivia'
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Deny That the Catholic Church is the 'Mystical Body of Christ'?
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Dear Friend,
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God." (Heb. 12:1-2)
We hope this newsletter finds you having a blessed & holy Lent. We encourage you to keep going with your worthy resolutions for the remaining days of Lent, remembering that "Only he who has shared in the combat can comprehend the victory and have part in the triumph" and that "the grand thing is to be faithful to the end, and bring to the Easter solemnity the crown of our perseverance." (Dom Gueranger)
Also, now that the period of sede vacante has begun, we hope all faithful Catholics will take a moment to pray for our next pope. A short prayer for the election of a new pope appears below. We hope you will please join us in saying this prayer for our next Holy Father. [Note: For other prayers for the Church, please see link below]
This month will also see the end of Lent as Holy Week gives way to the joy of Easter. Some important dates in March include...
3/10/13 - Fourth Sunday of Lent | Laetare Sunday (T)
3/17/13 - Fifth Sunday of Lent | Passion Sunday (T)
3/24/13 - Palm Sunday
3/25/13 - Monday in Holy Week
3/26/13 - Tuesday in Holy Week
3/27/13 - Spy Wednesday
3/28/13 - Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday)
3/29/13 - Good Friday
3/30/13 - Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)
3/31/13 - Easter Sunday
Lastly, we have been progressing on our site redesign efforts and now have a 'super advance sneak preview' page available at http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/new_design_preview.htm . Please visit this page now, but please do keep in mind that the preview page is at a VERY early stage. Please particularly note that (1) we have not yet performed all tests on & fixes to this page, (2) we are still evaluating links on the top, right, and bottom borders, and (3) this page does not yet include several items that we expect will be included on the final version (e.g. new search box & link, return of app ads at bottom of page). We REALLY want and need your feedback while we are still in the early phases of the new design. PLEASE visit the preview page at http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/new_design_preview.htm and share your thoughts & opinions with us here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/transition_feedback.htm . Also, if you experience any issues with the page, please be sure to include the name and version of your browser. Thank you in advance for your feedback!
May God grant you a blessed remainder of Lent followed by a most joyous and blessed Easter.
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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"Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him." (Jms. 1:12)
"And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem: and Jesus went before them. And they were astonished and following were afraid. And taking again the twelve, he began to tell them the things that should befall him. Saying: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes and ancients. And they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles. And they shall mock him and spit on him and scourge him and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again." (Mk. 10:32-34)
Prayer for the Election of a Pope: "O Lord, with suppliant humility we entreat Thee, that in Thy boundless mercy Thou wouldst grant the most holy Roman Church a pontiff, who, by his zeal for us, may be pleasing to Thee, and by his good government may ever be honored by Thy people for the glory of Thy name. Through our Lord." (Collect)
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MCS News & Notes
* Site Redesign Update: For current information regarding our site redesign, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/transition_info.htm . Please note that a ('super advance') preview page with the proposed new design is now available at http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/new_design_preview.htm . We welcome your comments. Please submit your feedback concerning the new design at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/transition_feedback.htm
* Catholic Fun & Activities Section Expansion Update: We received a favorable response to the possible future expansion of the Catholic Fun & Activities section that we referred to in last month's newsletter. We thank everyone for their comments. We will plan to go ahead with this expansion as time permits. In the meantime, please let us know if you'd like us to add anything in particular to this section.
* New Search Page: We plan to introduce a new search page as part of our site redesign efforts. At first, the new search page will be in beta form (probably throughout the entire transition). Afterwards, it may be offered as replacement for or as an alternative to the current search page. The new search page may have a number of advantages over the old page. For example, the new page may provide the ability to perform more advanced searches, it may allow the use of wildcards and negative keywords, results may contain highlighted keywords, alternate spelling/word suggestions may be provided, recommended links may be provided, related images may be displayed, more than one category may be searched, etc. For more information, please try our site transition information page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/transition_info.htm
* New Online Feedback Forms: Along with our site redesign, we are shifting to a new style of online feedback forms. These new forms are able to provide more immediate validation information to users. The new style of feedback form must first be integrated into the old page design, but will eventually be converted into the new page design. We hope you will like the new forms! [Please Note: Due to recent configuration changes on our server in connection with the site redesign, feedback forms in the old style may not presently be functional. We are working on converting remaining feedback forms to the new style.]
* Web Polls: We plan to remove all web polls from our site over the days ahead. If you'd like to vote in any poll, please submit your vote soon. Please note that this change is NOT related to the site redesign.
* For prayers for the Church, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_priests_bishops_pope_church.htm and http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_prayers.htm
* Some St. Patrick's Day resources: Breastplate of St. Patrick - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_of_saints_pp3803.htm | Shamrock Coloring Page - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_shamrock.htm
* Some Annunciation resources: Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Blessed_Virgin_Mary.htm | Annunciation / Incarnation (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections_annunciation_incarnation.htm | Annunciation Coloring Pages - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm
* Will you be traveling for Easter? Need to locate a parish or Mass time? Don't forget our 'locate a Mass' links page at www.MyCatholicSource.com/Churches (or alternately at www.MyCatholicSource.com/Masses ) [Note: These URL shortcuts both redirect to http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/lk/links-churches_masses.asp ]
* Reminder: If you pray the Divine Mercy novena, you may want to verify that your version has not been altered to eliminate "offensive" words (e.g. heretics, schismatics, "prison of Purgatory", etc.). Even though it has been alleged that the Divine Mercy novena came from Christ, some have edited out words they deem 'offensive'. For a 'more faithful' version of the novena that contains the "offensive" words - and for more information concerning the Divine Mercy devotion - please see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/divine_mercy.htm
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MyCatholicSource.com App News...
* It's not to late to get iStations! Our Stations of the Cross app is perfect for Lent. Last month iStations ranked #6 in Lifestyle on Amazon.com and was also on the Apple charts for America, England, Canada & Philippines. Why not get your copy today? Download it today at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/istations/id457131446?ls=1&mt=8 . For Android version, please download at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bfsnet.istations or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007014CYM
* Have you purchased our Catholic Bible References app? We were happy to receive the following feedback last month from a user of this app: "Hi. What a fantastic app. Very helpful. Easy to follow. Do you have any more apps? Take care. God bless." (Note: We changed some punctuation/capitalization/spelling.) Others have called it "wonderful" and a "great app". Get your copy of this 'must-have' app today at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/catholic-bible-references/id450589859?ls=1&mt=8
* If you own an iPhone, please consider purchasing our handy speed dial app, Speedy Dial! Last month we received feedback from a user of this app that reads "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I used a text button only speed dialer for over 4 years and then just this week it was updated and lost most its' text functionality in favour of pictures. I went through over 15 supposed speed dialers (and downloaded, because they looked right) before I found Speedy Dial! Congratulations on realising people can both still read and may like to identify their dialup with a type (Church Office, Coffee Shop) Add the colours for further filtering and it's a gem..." The iPhone App Review called Speedy Dial! "one of the best speed dial applications we've seen yet on the iPhone." Get your copy today at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speedy-dial!/id527029746?ls=1&mt=8
* Reviews: If you've purchased any of our apps, we encourage you to please leave a review at your place of purchase. They really help us out! To view selected reviews, please visit http://www.bfsnet.com/bfsapps/selected_reviews.htm
* For more information concerning currently available apps, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/comrc/apps.htm (shortcut: www.MyCatholicSource.com/Apps )
Note: Any prices included herein are in U.S. dollars, excluding any applicable tax.
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* Please see our Notices page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm for dates of anticipated service delays through May 2013
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The Month of March: Dedicated to St. Joseph
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"Some saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron St. Joseph has the power to assist us in all causes, in every necessity, in every undertaking." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"There is no doubt then that this Joseph to whom the mother of the Savior was espoused, was a man good and preeminently faithful. A prudent and faithful servant he was, I say, whom the Lord placed beside Mary to be her protector, the nourisher of His human body, and the single and most trusty assistant on the earth in His great design." (St. Bernard, Doctor of the Church)
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Related Resources...
* St. Joseph (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Saint_Joseph.htm
* St. Joseph (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/saints_reflections_saints_st_joseph.htm
* Prayers to St. Joseph - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_St_Joseph.htm
* 'Quamquam Pluries' (Pope Leo XIII, On Devotion to St. Joseph) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/quamquam_pluries.htm
* The Holy Family (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Holy_Family.htm
* St. Joseph (Coloring Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_saint_joseph.htm
=> Note: The Novena to St. Joseph, said daily from 3/11 through 3/19, may be found here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_novenas.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"The reasons why St. Joseph must be considered the special patron of the Church, and the Church in turn draws exceeding hope from his care and patronage, chiefly arise from his having been the husband of Mary and the presumed father of Jesus... Joseph was in his day the lawful and natural guardian, head and defender of the Holy Family... It is thus fitting and most worthy of Joseph's dignity that, in the same way that he once kept unceasing holy watch over the family of Nazareth, so now does he protect and defend with his heavenly patronage the Church of Christ." (Pope Leo XIII)
"To other Saints our Lord seems to have given power to succor us in some special necessity - but to this glorious saint, I know by experience, He has given the power to help us in all. Our Lord would have us understand that as He was subject to St. Joseph on earth - for St. Joseph, bearing the title of father and being His guardian, could command Him - so now in Heaven Our Lord grants all his petitions. I have asked others to recommend themselves to St. Joseph, and they, too, know the same thing by experience" (St. Theresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church)
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Jesus' Last Words From the Cross
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Note: These precious last phrases uttered by our Savior may make excellent passages for regular reflection, especially during Lent.
Ref.: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/jesus_last_words.htm
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=> Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." (Lk. 23:34)
Consider...
* The great depths of Jesus' love and mercy, even towards those who unjustly mock, accuse, persecute, and torture him
* "Because the Lord had said, Pray for them that persecute you, this likewise He did, when He ascended the cross, as it follows, Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, not that He was not able Himself to pardon them, but that He might teach us to pray for our persecutors, not only in word, but in deed also. But He says, Forgive them, if they should repent. For He is gracious to the penitent, if they are willing after so great wickedness to wash away their guilt by faith." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
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=> [Jesus] replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Lk. 23:43)
Consider...
* The importance of confession, repentance, and faith
* As long as one is alive, it is never too late for a penitent sinner to receive forgiveness
* "And as every king who returns victorious carries in triumph the best of his spoils, so the Lord having despoiled the devil of a portion of his plunder, carries it with Him into Paradise." (Theophylact, as quoted by St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church)
* "[T]he Lord ever gives more than He is asked for. The thief asked that He should remember him, but our Lord answers, Verily I say to you, This day shall you be with me in Paradise." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)
* "Here then might one see the Savior between the thieves weighing in the scales of justice faith, and unbelief. The devil cast Adam out of Paradise. Christ brought the thief into Paradise before the whole world, before the Apostles. By a mere word and by faith alone+ he entered into Paradise, that no one after his sins might despair of entrance. Mark the rapid change, from the cross to heaven, from condemnation to Paradise, that you may know that the Lord did it all, not with regard to the thief's good intention, but His own mercy." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church) [+ Note: Clearly his remarks were prompted by faith, but this faith coupled with his actions/comments are what led to his being saved. Notice that his comments (1) expressed fear of God, (2) were a confession of guilt, (3) showed acceptance of his punishment as just, and (4) were a public profession of his faith in Christ ("Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal...Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.")]
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=> 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. (Jn. 19:26-27)
Consider...
* Jesus symbolically gives his mother to the faithful (and vice versa) [see Rv. 12:17]. This act also shows Jesus' honor and concern for His beloved mother. Note: This passage also testifies to the fact that Jesus didn't have biological brothers (as some non-Catholics mistakenly claim) since it would have been inappropriate for Jesus to give his mother to a non-relative if she had other children to care for her.
* "Mary the mother of our Lord stood before the cross of her Son. None of the Evangelists hath told me this except John. The others have related how that at our Lord's Passion the earth quaked, the heaven was overspread with darkness, the sun fled, the thief was taken into paradise after confession. John hath told us, what the others have not, how that from the cross whereon He hung, He called to His mother. He thought it a greater thing to show Him victorious over punishment, fulfilling the offices of piety to His mother, than giving the kingdom of heaven and eternal life to the thief. For if it was religious to give life to the thief, a much richer work of piety it is for a son to honor his mother with such affection. Behold, He says, your son; behold your mother. Christ made His Testament from the cross, and divided the offices of piety between the Mother and the disciples. Our Lord made not only a public, but also a domestic Testament. And this His Testament John sealed a witness worthy of such a Testator. A good testament it was, not of money, but of eternal life, which was not written with ink, but with the spirit of the living God: My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Mary, as became the mother of our Lord, stood before the cross, when the Apostles fled and with pitiful eyes beheld the wounds of her Son. For she looked not on the death of the Hostage, but on the salvation of the world" (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)
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=> Mt. 27:46: And about three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
=> Mk. 15:34: And at three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Consider:...
* Despite his agony, the ever-faithful Jesus doesn't doubt his Father. His cry is usually associated with Psalm 21/22, "The prayer of an innocent person": "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish? ... "
* "He uttered this word of prophecy, that He might bear witness to the very last hour to the Old Testament, and that they might see that He honors the Father, and is not against God. And therefore too, He used the Hebrew tongue, that what He said might be intelligible to them." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
* "But it must be asked, What means this, that Christ is forsaken of God? Some, unable to explain how Christ could be forsaken of God, say that this was spoken out of humility. But you will be able clearly to comprehend His meaning if you make a comparison of the glory which He had with the Father with the shame which He despised when He endured the cross." [Origen ("the greatest scholar of Christian antiquity" - although he would eventually be excommunicated and be regarded as a heretic), 3rd century A.D.]
* "God is said to have forsaken Him in death because He exposed Him to the power of His persecutors; He withdrew His protection, but did not break the union." (Early Gloss)
* "Or, The Savior said this as bearing about with Him our feelings, who when placed in dangers think ourselves forsaken by God. Human nature was forsaken by God because of its sins, and the Son of God becoming our Advocate laments the misery of those whose guilt He took upon Him; therein showing how they who sin ought to mourn, when He who never sinned did thus mourn." (Bl. Rabanus Maurus)
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=> Jn. 19:28-29: Afterwards, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: "I thirst". Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar about hyssop, put it to his mouth. [Douay-Rheims translation]
Consider...
* This quotation may be a reference to Psalm 68/69, "A Cry of Anguish in Great Distress": " Save me, God, for the waters have reached my neck... Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak; I looked for compassion, but there was none, for comforters, but found none. Instead they put gall in my food; for my thirst they gave me vinegar."
* Also consider Psalm 21/22, "The Prayer of an Innocent Person": "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish? My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief... As dry as a potsherd is my throat; my tongue sticks to my palate; you lay me in the dust of death."
* Also, consider Christ's thirst for souls and His thirst to drink the cup His Father has given him (cf. Jn. 18:11)
* "Thus the Source of living water is made to drink vinegar, the Giver of honey is fed with gall; Forgiveness is scourged, Acquittance is condemned, Majesty is mocked, Virtue ridiculed, the Bestower of showers is repaid with spitting." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
* "They were not softened at all by what they saw, but were the more enraged, and gave Him the cup to drink, as they did to criminals, i.e. with a hyssop." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
* "Vinegar is wine, which has turned sour either from neglect, or the fault of the vessel. Wine is the honor of immortality, or virtue. When this then had been turned sour in Adam, He took and drunk it at the hands of the Gentiles. It is offered to Him on a reed and a spurge; that is, He took from the bodies of the Gentiles immortality spoiled and corrupted, and transfused in Himself into a mixture of immortality that in us which was spoiled." (St. Hilary of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church)
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=> Jn. 19:30: When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, "It is finished." And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Consider...
* "Then as there was nothing left Him to do before He died, it follows, And He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost, only dying when He had nothing more to do, like Him who had to lay down His life, and to take it up again." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
* "For whoever had such power to sleep when he wished, as our Lord had to die when He wished? What power must He have, for our good or evil, Who had such power dying?" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
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=> Lk. 23:46: Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last.
Consider...
* Christ's abandonment to His Heavenly Father
* Note that Christ begins his last utterance from the Cross with the same word He began his first, namely "Father"
* "But crying with a loud voice He gives up the ghost, because He had in Himself the power of laying down His life and taking it up again." (Theophylact, as quoted by St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church)
* "Also for this reason He cried out with a loud voice to show that this is done by His own power. For by crying out with a loud voice when dying, He showed incontestably that He was the true God; because a man in dying can scarcely utter even a feeble sound." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
* "The flesh dies that the Spirit may rise again. The Spirit is commended to the Father, that heavenly things also may be loosed from the chain of iniquity, and peace be made in heaven, which earthly things should follow." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)
* Also consider: "Free me from the net they have set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, LORD, faithful God." (Psalm 30/31:5-6)
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Resources For Holy Week & Easter
+ + + Resources For Holy Week + + +
* Good Friday (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Good_Friday.htm
* Lenten Prayers (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-lenten_prayers.htm
* Stations of the Cross / Way of the Cross - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/stations_of_the_cross.htm
* The Passion of Jesus (from the Gospels) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/pcst/topical_scripture_J.htm
Note: Scroll down page to view (about 1/3 way down page...contains selections on the Passion from all four Gospel accounts)
* Jesus' Last Words From The Cross - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/jesus_last_words.htm
* Trials & Sorrows of Jesus - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/sorrows_of_jesus.htm
* The Passion / Cross Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/catholic_basics_reflections_The_Passion.htm
* Holy Week / Indulgence Information - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/indulgences.htm
* Stabat Mater (Sequence) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_hymns_sequences.htm
* Prayers to Jesus (Prayer in Honor of the Five Wounds, Prayer in Honor of the Precious Blood, etc.) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Jesus.htm
* Fulfilled Prophecies in Scripture: Abandonment & Betrayal of Jesus - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/biblical_prophecies_betrayal.htm
* Fulfilled Prophecies in Scripture: Jesus' Passion, Death, & Resurrection - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/biblical_prophecies_passion_death_resurrection.htm
* Definitions (e.g. for terms such as Passiontide, Spy Wednesday, Triduum / Easter Triduum, etc.) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_definitions.htm
* Coloring Page: Jesus Washing Apostle's Feet - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_jesus_washing_feet.htm
* Coloring Page: Last Supper - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_last_supper.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"My divine Savior, what didst Thou become, when for love of souls Thou didst suffer Thyself to be bound to the pillar? Ah! How truly then was fulfilled the word of the Prophet, saying of Thee that from head to foot Thou shouldst be all one wound, so as to be no longer recognizable!" (Lenten Prayer)
"O Jesus, most glorious in your magnificence: I praise and bless your incomprehensible omnipotence, weak and helpless for us in the Passion. I adore and glorify your unsearchable wisdom, accounted foolishness for us. I praise and magnify your unutterable love, which submitted to hatred of all people for the sake of your elect. I praise and extol your meek and gentle mercy, sentenced to so fearful a death for humankind. I praise and I adore your ravishing sweetness, embittered for us by your most bitter death. Amen." (St. Mechtilde)
+ + + Resources For Easter + + +
* Easter (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-easter.htm
* Prayers for Easter - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_for_certain_occasions_times.htm
* Easter Duty - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_precepts_of_the_church.htm
* Definitions (e.g. for terms such as Easter, Easter Duty, Resurrection, etc.) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_definitions.htm
* Fulfilled Prophecies in Scripture: Jesus' Passion, Death, & Resurrection - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/biblical_prophecies_passion_death_resurrection.htm
* Easter Date - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_councils.htm
* The Resurrection Coloring Page - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_the_resurrection.htm
* Happy Easter Coloring Page - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_happy_easter.htm
* Alleluia Coloring Page - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_alleluia.htm
* He is Risen Coloring Page - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_He_is_risen.htm
* Word Search Puzzle (Easter) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/word_search_easter.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"In thy resurrection, O Christ, alleluia. Let heaven and earth rejoice, alleluia." (Liturgical Year)
"O sing, my tongue, the victory of the glorious combat! Tell how was won the noble triumph on the trophy of the cross, and how the world's Redeemer, when immolated, conquered." (From 6th century hymn)
"Now let the heavens be joyful, let earth her song begin; Let the round world keep triumph, and all that is therein! Let all things seen and unseen their notes of gladness blend, For Christ the Lord hath risen, our Joy that hath no end!" (St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church)
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Liturgical Feasts in March
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for March as they appear at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/feasts.htm
Note: (T) = Traditional, (N) = New (Novus Ordo)
Reminder: Feasts may be superseded / transferred / etc.
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March 4 - St. Casimir of Lithuania (T)
March 4 - St. Lucius I, pope (T)
March 4 - St. Casimir (N)
March 6 - Sts. Perpetua & Felicitas (T)
March 7 - St. Thomas Aquinas (T)
March 7 - Sts. Perpetua & Felicity (N)
March 8 - St. John of God (T)
March 8 - St. John of God (N)
March 9 - St. Frances of Rome (T)
March 9 - St. Frances of Rome (N)
March 10 - Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (T)
March 12 - St. Gregory the Great, pope (T)
March 17 - St. Patrick of Ireland (T)
March 17 - St. Patrick of Ireland (N)
March 18 - St. Cyril of Jerusalem (T)
March 18 - St. Cyril of Jerusalem (N)
March 19 - St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
March 19 - St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)
March 21 - St. Benedict (T)
March 22 - St. Catharine Flisca Adorna (T)
March 22 - St. Isidore the Farmer (T)
March 23 - St. Turibius de Mongrovejo (N)
March 24 - St. Gabriel the Archangel (T)
March 25 - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
March 25 - Annunciation of the Lord (N)
March 27 - St. John Damascene (T)
March 28 - St. John Capistran (T)
Please Note: Above may exclude moveable feasts. For moveable feasts, see below and try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_liturgical_calendar.htm . For other feasts, try the MCS Daily Digest each day at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
Also...
3/10/13 - Fourth Sunday of Lent | Laetare Sunday (T)
3/17/13 - Fifth Sunday of Lent | Passion Sunday (T)
3/24/13 - Palm Sunday
3/25/13 - Monday in Holy Week
3/26/13 - Tuesday in Holy Week
3/27/13 - Spy Wednesday
3/28/13 - Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday)
3/29/13 - Good Friday
3/30/13 - Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)
3/31/13 - Easter Sunday
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'Catholic Trivia'
1. 'The Women of Jerusalem Mourn for Our Lord' is which Station of the traditional Stations of the Cross?
2. Who helped Jesus carry his cross?
3. What is St. Joseph's father's name? His grandfather's name? His great-grandfather's name?
4. Who was the first pope to abdicate, and why did he do so?
5. Who was the last pope (besides Pope Benedict XVI) to abdicate, and why did he do so?
6. Which pope wrote the encyclical 'Quamquam Pluries'?
7. Where were the 'thirty pieces of silver' prophesied in the Old Testament?
8. According to Tradition, the soldier who pierced the side of the crucified Jesus and then recognized Him as the Son of God is named what?
9. What is a synonym for Eastertide?
10. What is "the greatest of Christ's miracles"?
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Answers:
1. Eighth
2. Simon of Cyrene
3. "Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah." (Mt. 1:15-16)
4. Pope St. Pontian, who abdicated due to exile
5. Pope Gregory XII abdicated in 1415 to end the Great Schism of the West
6. The encyclical 'Quamquam Pluries', On Devotion to St. Joseph, was written by Pope Leo XIII
7. Zechariah 11:12-13: "I said to them, 'If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, let it go.' And they counted out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. But the LORD said to me, 'Throw it in the treasury, the handsome price at which they valued me.' So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury in the house of the LORD."
8. St. Longinus
9. Paschaltide
10. "The Resurrection is the greatest of Christ's miracles because all He taught and did is confirmed by it and depends upon it. He promised to rise from the dead and without this fulfillment of that promise we could not believe in Him." (Baltimore Catechism)
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For more information concerning the topics above, try our General A-Z Index at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
Like trivia? You might enjoy our crossword puzzles located at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_crossword_puzzles.htm
You might also be interested in the Q & A and historical information which may be found each day on the MCS Daily Digest at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Deny That the Catholic Church is the 'Mystical Body of Christ'?
It is good for Catholics to be able to defend their faith against attacks (or even simple questions) from those outside the Church. We therefore hope you may find the following "apologetics brief" helpful.
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Note: Text below is taken from http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__The_Catholic_Church.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Deny That the Catholic Church is the 'Mystical Body of Christ'? [Note: Topic is directed at Protestants]
Consider:
* How can one deny the truth of the 'Mystical Body of Christ' in light of Scripture's many references to it? For example, consider...
"For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another." (Rom. 12:4-5)
"As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:12-13)
"Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it." (Cor. 12:27)
"And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way." (Eph. 1:22-23)
"Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church." (Eph. 5:22-32)
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church." (Col. 1:15-18)
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church" (Col. 1:24)
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"He said [to Saul], 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest' (Acts ix, 5), clearly signifying that when persecutions are stirred up against the Church, the Divine Head of the Church is Himself attacked and troubled. Rightly, therefore, does Christ, still suffering in His mystical body, desire to have us partakers of His expiation, and this is also demanded by our intimate union with Him, for since we are 'the body of Christ and members of member' (1 Corinthians xii, 27), whatever the head suffers, all the members must suffer with it (Cf. 1 Corinthians xii, 26)." (Pope Pius XI, "Miserentissimus Redemptor", 1928 A.D.)
"The Church is not something dead: it is the body of Christ endowed with supernatural life. As Christ, the Head and Exemplar, is not wholly in His visible human nature, which Photinians and Nestorians assert, nor wholly in the invisible divine nature, as the Monophysites hold, but is one, from and in both natures, visible and invisible; so the mystical body of Christ is the true Church, only because its visible parts draw life and power from the supernatural gifts and other things whence spring their very nature and essence." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum", 1896 A.D.)
"For since the Mystical Body of Christ, like His physical body, is one (1 Cor. 12:12), compacted and fitly joined together (Eph. 4:16), it were foolish to say that the Mystical Body is composed of disjointed and scattered members. Whosoever therefore is not united with the body is no member thereof, neither is he in communion with Christ its Head. Furthermore, in this one Church of Christ no man can be or remain who does not accept, recognize and obey the authority and supremacy of Peter and his legitimate successors." (Pope Pius XI, "Mortalium Animos")
"Actually only those are to be included as members of the Church who have been baptized and profess the true faith, and who have not been so unfortunate as to separate themselves from the unity of the Body, or been excluded by legitimate authority for grave faults committed. 'For in one spirit' says the Apostle, 'were we all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free.' As therefore in the true Christian community there is only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one Baptism, so there can be only one faith. And therefore, if a man refuse to hear the Church, let him be considered - so the Lord commands - as a heathen and a publican (Mt. 18:17). It follows that those who are divided in faith or government cannot be living in the unity of such a Body, nor can they be living the life of its one Divine Spirit." (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943 A.D.)
"If we would define and describe this true Church of Jesus Christ - which is the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church - we shall find nothing more noble, more sublime, or more divine than the expression 'the Mystical Body of Christ' - an expression which springs from and is, as it were, the fair flowering of the repeated teaching of the Sacred Scriptures and the Holy Fathers. That the Church is a body is frequently asserted in the Sacred Scriptures. 'Christ,' says the Apostle, 'is the Head of the Body of the Church.' If the Church is a body, it must be an unbroken unity, according to those words of Paul: 'Though many we are one body in Christ.' But it is not enough that the Body of the Church should be an unbroken unity; it must also be something definite and perceptible to the senses as Our predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, in his Encyclical Satis Cognitum asserts: 'the Church is visible because she is a body. Hence they err in a matter of divine truth, who imagine the Church to be invisible, intangible, a something merely 'pneumatological' as they say, by which many Christian communities, though they differ from each other in their profession of faith, are united by an invisible bond." (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943 A.D.)
"Furthermore, the Son of God decreed that the Church should be His mystical body, with which He should be united as the Head, after the manner of the human body which He assumed, to which the natural head is physiologically united. As He took to Himself a mortal body, which He gave to suffering and death in order to pay the price of man's redemption, so also He has one mystical body in which and through which He renders men partakers of holiness and of eternal salvation. God 'hath made Him (Christ) head over all the Church, which is His body' (Eph. i., 22-23). Scattered and separated members cannot possibly cohere with the head so as to make one body. But St. Paul says: 'All members of the body, whereas they are many, yet are one body, so also is Christ' (I Cor. xii., 12). Wherefore this mystical body, he declares, is 'compacted and fitly jointed together. The head, Christ: from whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly jointed together, by what every joint supplieth according to the operation in the measure of every part' (Eph. iv., 15-16). And so dispersed members, separated one from the other, cannot be united with one and the same head." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum", 1896 A.D.)
"For it is she alone who even demands in the spiritual sphere a complete and entire abnegation of self. From every other Christian body comes the cry, Save your soul, assert your individuality, follow your conscience, form your opinions; while she, and she alone, demands from her children the sacrifice of their intellect, the submitting of their judgment, the informing of their conscience by hers, and the obedience of their will to her lightest command. For she, and she alone, is conscious of possessing that Divinity, in complete submission to which lies the salvation of Humanity. For she, as the coherent and organic mystical Body of Christ, calls upon those who look to her to become, not merely her children, but her very members; not to obey her as soldiers obey a leader of citizens a government, but as the hands and eyes and feet obey a brain. Once, therefore, I understand this, I understand too how it is that by being lost in her I save myself; that I lose only that which hinders my activity, not that which fosters it. For when is my hand most itself? When separated form the body, by paralysis or amputation? Or when, in vital union with the brain, with every fiber alert and every nerve alive, it obeys in every gesture and receives in every sensation a life infinitely vaster and higher than any which it might, temporarily, enjoy its independence. It is true that its capacity for pain is the greater when it is so united, and that it would cease to suffer if once its separation were accomplished; yet, simultaneously, it would lose all that for which God made it and, saving itself, would be lost indeed." (Benson)
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For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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In Closing...
"Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 9:24)
"It is also true that we should practice mortification in many things to make reparation for our sins. There is no doubt that the person who lives without mortifying himself is someone who will never succeed in saving his soul." (St. John Vianney)
"Though thou hast recourse to many saints as thine intercessors, go especially to St. Joseph, for he has great power with God." (St. Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church)
"O God, who by sin art offended and by penance appeased, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy suppliant people, and turn away the scourges of Thy wrath, which we deserve for our sins. Through our Lord." (Collect)
"Cross, my certain salvation, Cross, whom I ever adore, Cross of the Lord be with me, Cross, my refuge, forever more." (St. Thomas Aquinas)
"O Holy Spirit, Creator, mercifully assist Thy Catholic Church, and by Thy heavenly power strengthen and establish her against the assaults of all her enemies; and by Thy love and grace renew the spirit of Thy servants whom Thou hast anointed, that in Thee they may glorify the Father and His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (Raccolta)
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