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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - April, 2013
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of April: Dedicated to the Holy Eucharist
* God's Love For Mankind: Some Reflections For Meditation
* 25 Reflections on the Papal Office
* Liturgical Feasts in April
* 'Catholic Trivia'
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Believe That a Protestant 'Communion' Wafer is Equivalent to the Catholic Eucharist?
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Dear Friend,
Pax vobis! ("Peace be to you!") [Jesus' words to his disciples after the Resurrection (see Lk. 24:36, Jn. 20:19, etc.)]
Greetings & best wishes to you and yours at this most joyous time of year. We hope you had a blessed Easter and will continue to have a blessed Eastertide. Since our last newsletter, we have been very busy (e.g. implementing new forms, adding a new search page, and implementing various other changes to our site). And, of course, we also have a new Pope. We hope you will join us in asking God to bless and guide our new Holy Father.
Regarding the recent changes to our site, we are very excited about our newly implemented search page. The new page offers a number of advantages over the old search page (e.g. ability to perform more advanced searches, use of wildcards and negative keywords, highlighted keywords, alternate spelling/word suggestions, recommended links, inclusion of images, multiple category searches, etc.). We think visitors will be able to find information on our site much more easily using this new, improved search page. So far, we have been very pleased with the results and also with the layout, options, speed, and convenience of the new search engine. We may continue to tweak it as we discover ways to improve results and usability. We hope you will like it. To use the new page (currently in beta version), please visit...
http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/srch/search.php
Lastly, we send our thanks to all subscribers who participated in our new site design preview last month and we send a special thank you those who sent us feedback. All comments were greatly appreciated.
We thank all subscribers for their support and wish everyone God's blessings,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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"This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein." (Ps. 117:24/118:24)
"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)
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MCS News & Notes
* New Search Page: We are exited to announce that a beta version of our new search page is now available at http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/srch/search.php . The new page may offer a number of advantages over the old search page. For example, the new search 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. We have added a link to this new search page on the top of the old search page. Please try the new page today and let us know what you think! You can submit comments at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/transition_feedback.htm
* New Feedback Forms: We have changed to a new style of online feedback forms. These new forms are able to provide more immediate validation information to users. We hope you will like the new forms! Please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/quick_feedback.htm to tell us what you think. If you'd like assistance with the new forms, please visit http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_forms_assistance.htm . [Please Note: Feedback form changes are limited to feedback forms which are NOT used in connection with databased items. At this time, forms used in connection with databased items have not been changed.]
* Site Redesign Update: We have added a new search box to the site redesign preview page. With this new feature, users can enter a search query directly into the search box on any page that contains this new feature (which will eventually be the majority of the site). To use, simply enter a keyword(s) and press the submit button. You should then be taken to the search page with the search results displayed & ready for use or modification. To try this new feature, please visit http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/new_design_preview.htm . For other current information regarding our site redesign, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/transition_info.htm . To submit feedback about the transition, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/transition_feedback.htm . We welcome - and are grateful for - your feedback!
* Request For Comments Update: We send a big thank you to everyone who took the time last month to preview our new site design. Overall, the feedback was positive, but there were a couple of issues which we will consider. Thanks again for your help. We really appreciate hearing from you. If you didn't submit feedback previously, it's still not too late. Please visit the preview page at http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/new_design_preview.htm and contact us with your feedback at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/transition_feedback.htm . We look forward to hearing from you.
* Did you leave feedback last month regarding color choices? If so, could you please contact us again? You said we could contact you, but an e-mail address was not provided. Thank you.
* Prayer Requests: We would like to express our gratitude to all visitors who pray for others. We received a prayer request last month that contained the following note: "I have receive[d] lot of graces through your intercessory prayer". To request prayers or pray for others, please visit the Prayer Requests Section of our site at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/prayer_requests.htm
* Web Polls: We have switched from third party hosted polls to internally hosted polls. This change is a cost-cutting measure that is NOT related to our site transition. We have kept up our archive of old polls and have also saved some additional poll results for possible future posting. Please vote in our new polls today! [Note: Web polls currently appear on various news/news archives pages throughout our site]
* Planning some 'spring cleaning'? Rather than toss out items you can no longer use, consider offering these items to others for free (or for the cost of shipping). To offer your item(s), please visit the Give & Take Section at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/give_and_take.htm . Or, if you are in need, please feel free to stop by the Give & Take Section to request needed items for yourself.
* We will soon be preparing for our Fifth Annual Rosary Week. Please plan to join us by praying the Rosary each day of the week (from 10/21/13 through 10/27/13) for the indicated intentions. A sign up sheet should be available shortly.
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* For resources for Eastertide, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-easter.htm
* For prayers for the Pope, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_priests_bishops_pope_church.htm
* For 'Divine Mercy Sunday' information, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-divine_mercy.htm
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MyCatholicSource.com App News...
* We were happy to receive the following feedback last month from two users of our Catholic Bible References app: "Your app is quite thoughtful and innovative", and "This is a great app!! Thank you:))". Online reviewers have called the app "wonderful", "helpful", and "great". One kind soul wrote: "Thank God for this app!" If you don't already own this app, why not get your copy of this 'must-have' app today at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/catholic-bible-references/id450589859?ls=1&mt=8
* Although Lent is over, It's not to late to get iStations. Our Stations of the Cross app is also perfect for Fridays and even for daily use. 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
* A while back, Android Market changed its name to Google Play. As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, we chose not to change the name or links (or images) on our site at that time. Now, however, we will plan to go forward and make those changes sometime in the (hopefully near) future.
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The Month of April: Dedicated to the Holy Eucharist
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"There is nothing more to be added when we have said 'The Eucharist', since It is Jesus Christ." (St. Peter Julian Eymard)
"When they see the Blood of the Lord, demons flee while angels gather." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"[The Eucharist is] a medicine of immortality, an antidote to death" (St. Ignatius of Antioch, c. 110 A.D.)
"[T]he Eucharist is, in itself, the greatest of the sacraments" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"No tongue can express the greatness of the love which Jesus Christ bears to our souls. He did not wish that between Him and His servants there should be any other pledge than Himself, to keep alive the remembrance of Him." (St. Peter of Alcantara)
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Related Resources...
* Holy Communion / Holy Eucharist (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Holy_Communion.htm
* Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_mass.htm
* Holy Eucharist / Mass (General Info.) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/Holy_Eucharist.htm
* Catechism of the Council of Trent on the Holy Eucharist - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/catechism_of_the_council_of_trent_Holy_Eucharist.htm
* Holy Communion (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/sacraments_reflections_Holy_Eucharist_Mass__Holy_Communion.htm
* Holy Eucharist / Mass (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/sacraments_reflections_Holy_Eucharist.htm
* Mass / Holy Eucharist (Prayers) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Mass_Holy_Eucharist.htm
* Mirae Caritatis (On The Holy Eucharist, Pope Leo XIII) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/mirae_caritatis.htm
* Holy Eucharist / Mass (Apologetics) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Eucharist_Mass.htm
* Holy Eucharist (Word Search) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/word_search_Holy_Eucharist.htm
* Holy Eucharist (Crossword Puzzle) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/crossword_puzzle_Holy_Eucharist.html
* Communion in the Hand: Why Not? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/communion_in_the_hand__why_not.htm
* Communion Under Both Species: Is it Required? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/communion_under_both_species__is_it_required.htm
* Lay 'Eucharistic Ministers': Why Not? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/lay_ministers__why_not.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"Eternal Wisdom, on the one hand, wished to prove his love for man by dying in his place in order to save him, but on the other hand, he could not bear the thought of leaving him. So he devised a marvelous way of dying and living at the same time, and of abiding with man until the end of time. So, in order to fully satisfy his love, he instituted the sacrament of Holy Eucharist and went to the extent of changing and overturning nature itself." (St. Louis de Montfort)
"This Sacrament, whether as the theme of devout meditation, or as the object of public adoration, or best of all as a food to be received in the utmost purity of conscience, is to be regarded as the center towards which the spiritual life of a Christian in all its ambit gravitates; for all other forms of devotion, whatsoever they may be, lead up to it, and in it find their point of rest." (Pope Leo XIII, "Mirae Caritatis", 1902 A.D.)
"He who communicates (i.e. worthily receives Holy Communion) most frequently will be freest from sin, and will make farthest progress in Divine Love." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
"History bears witness that the virtues of the Christian life have flourished best wherever and whenever the frequent reception of the Eucharist has most prevailed. And on the other hand it is no less certain that in days when men have ceased to care for this heavenly bread, and have lost their appetite for it, the practice of Christian religion has gradually lost its force and vigor." (Pope Leo XIII, "Mirae Caritatis", 1902 A.D.)
"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, And giving thanks, broke and said [to the Apostles]: Take ye and eat: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you: and many sleep [that is, die]." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 11:23-30)
"The august sacrifice of the altar, then is no mere empty commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, but a true and proper act of sacrifice, whereby the High Priest by an unbloody immolation offers Himself a most acceptable victim to the Eternal Father, as He did upon the cross. 'It is one and the same victim; the same person now offers it by the ministry of His priests, who then offered Himself on the cross, the manner of offering alone being different. The priest is the same, Jesus Christ, whose sacred Person His minister represents." (Pope Pius XII, "Mediator Dei")
"We are bound to receive Holy Communion, under pain of mortal sin, during Easter time and when in danger of death." (Baltimore Catechism) [Note: Of course, those receiving Holy Communion must be properly disposed and in the state of grace. Any who have committed a mortal sin must first make a sacramental Confession and receive absolution prior to receiving Holy Communion. Remember that "He who receives Communion in mortal sin receives the Body and Blood of Christ, but does not receive His grace, and he commits a great sacrilege." (Baltimore Catechism)]
"Can. 915 Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Can. 731 § 2 It is forbidden that the Sacraments of the Church be ministered to heretics and schismatics, even if they ask for them and are in good faith, unless beforehand, rejecting their errors, they are reconciled with the Church." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"If any one saith that in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denieth that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood - the species only of the bread and wine remaining - which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls transubstantiation; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)
"If any one denieth that in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist are contained truly, really, and substantially, the Body and Blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ; but saith that He is only therein as a sign, or in a figure, or virtue; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)
"No one who has a mortal sin on his conscience shall dare receive the Holy Eucharist before making a sacramental confession, regardless of how contrite he may think he is. This holy council declares that this custom is to be kept forever" (Council of Trent)
"Certainly, then, the more a Christian is aware of the holiness and the divinity of this heavenly Sacrament [of the Eucharist], the more careful he should be not to receive it without great reverence and sanctity, especially since we read in the Apostle the fearful words: 'He who eats and drinks unworthily, without distinguishing the body of the Lord, eats and drinks judgment to himself' (1 Cor. 11:29)" (Council of Trent)
"A soul can do nothing that is more pleasing to God than to communicate (receive Holy Communion) in a state of grace." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
"[T]o the Holy Eucharist we owe the future resurrection of our bodies. Our Savior himself teaches us this, where he says: 'Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the Bread which cometh down from heaven, that if any man eat of it, he may not die... He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the last day (Jn. 5:49,50,55).'" (Dom Gueranger)
"Every Communion is a new gift which Jesus Christ makes of Himself." (St. Ignatius Loyola)
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God's Love For Mankind: Some Reflections For Meditation
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Note: The following reflections on God's love may make excellent points for meditation.
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"God is love" (John 4:16)
"Thou lovest all things that are, and hatest none of the things which Thou hast made." (Wisdom 11:24)
"[T]o the mind of [St.] Augustine the history of human society is nothing else than a portrayal of the uninterrupted outpouring of God's love upon us." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Salutem", 1930 A.D.)
"His love never knows rest." (St. Peter Julian Eymard)
"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
"With the confidence of a son, rest in the care and love that divine Providence has for you in all your needs. Look upon Providence as a child does its mother who loves him tenderly. You can be sure that God loves you incomparably more." (St. Jane Frances de Chantal)
"Entrust yourself entirely to God. He is a Father and a most loving Father at that, who would rather let heaven and earth collapse than to abandon anyone who trusted in Him." (St. Paul of the Cross)
"At the very moment Mary consented to become the Mother of God, several miraculous events took place. The Holy Spirit formed from the most pure blood of Mary's heart a little body which he fashioned into a perfect living being: God created the most perfect soul that ever could be created. Eternal Wisdom, the Son of God, drew the body and soul into union with that person. Here we have the great wonder of heaven and earth, the prodigious excess of the love of God" (St. Louis de Montfort)
"God loves us more than the best of fathers and more tenderly than the most devoted of mothers." (St. John Vianney)
"Even though all human hearts were inflamed with the burning love of the Seraphim and were to beat with love for God until the End of Time, what would He gain thereby? His happiness and perfection are and remain infinite; they can be neither augmented nor lessened, neither creatures honor or dishonor, love or hate Him. Thus, God's love for man is the purest, the most disinterested love, a love excluding all selfishness and all self-interest. Jesus has indeed given to men unspeakable proofs of His love, but what does He receive in return? Alas, from the greater number, only ingratitude; from a few, a true, sincere love!" (Fr. Etlin)
"Among men there is no love more ardent, no greater or more intimate tie, than that of those who are united by marriage. Hence when God frequently compares Himself to a spouse or husband and calls Himself a jealous God, He shows the excess of His love towards us." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"God loves us so tenderly, that he not only desires, but is solicitous about our welfare... Let us, then always throw ourselves into the hands of God, who so ardently desires and so anxiously watches of our eternal salvation. 'Casting all our care upon him; for he hath care of you" (1 Pt. 5:7). He who, during life, casts himself into the hands of God, shall lead a happy life and shall die a holy death." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
"Though from the time of our first parents and from the moment of our first sin down to this very day we have offended Him by countless sins and crimes, yet He still retains His love for us and never renounces His singular solicitude for our welfare." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"When did God's love for you begin? When He began to be God. When did He begin to be God? Never, for He has always been without beginning and without end, and so He has always loved you from eternity." (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)
"Before you had a being, God loved you. Before your father or mother was born, God loved you: yes, even before the creation of the world, he loved you. And how long before the creation has God loved you? Perhaps for a thousand years, or for a thousand ages. It is needless to count years or ages; God loved you from eternity." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
"Your love for me was already there, even when I had no existence, and precisely because you loved me, O good God, you called me from nothingness to existence!" (St. Maximilian Kolbe)
"God loves us, such as we shall be by His gift, not such as we are by our own merit" (St. Prosper)
"How much You have loved us, good Father, You that spared not Your only Son, but delivered Him up for the sake of impious men! How You loved us! For us, he decided not to cling to His equality with You, but was made obedient even to death on the cross" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, circa 400 A.D.)
"The cross is a sure sign that he loves you." (St. Louis de Montfort)
"Look at His adorable Face. Look at His glazed and sunken eyes. Look at His wounds. Look Jesus in the Face. There, you will see how He loves us." (St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church)
"We love a thing in proportion to what it has cost us. You may judge by that of our Lord's love for our soul, which has cost him his Blood." (St. John Vianney)
"Thus the love of Jesus Christ the Son of God, by the sacrifice of Golgotha, cast a flood of light on the meaning of the love of God Himself: 'In this we know the charity of God, because He hath laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.' And in truth it was more by love than by the violence of the executioners that our divine Redeemer was fixed to the Cross; and His voluntary total offering is the supreme gift which He gave to each man, according to that terse saying of the Apostles, 'He loved me, and delivered Himself for me.'" (Pope Pius XII, "Haurietis Aquas", 1956 A.D.)
"The Crib of Bethlehem, even had there never been the Sacrifice of Calvary, would of itself be sufficient to convince us of [the Love of God]. God comes down from heaven for the sake of his creature, man; he himself becomes Man, nay, a Child, and is laid in a manger! Such miracles of love would have sufficed to save the guilty world; how then shall they not have power to prompt men to give their whole heart to their loving God?" (Gueranger)
"The knowledge and love of our Divine Redeemer, of which we were the object from the first moment of his Incarnation, exceed all the human intellect can hope to grasp." (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943 A.D.)
"No tongue can express the greatness of the love which Jesus Christ bears to our souls. He did not wish that between Him and His servants there should be any other pledge than Himself [in the Holy Eucharist], to keep alive the remembrance of Him." (St. Peter of Alcantara)
"Residing continually in our Tabernacles, Jesus Christ is deserted, misunderstood by ungrateful men; and yet he continues to love us; to serve us in the Sacrament of the Altar." (St. John Vianney)
"To show the love He has for us, He has made it possible for those who desire it not merely to look upon Him, but even to touch Him and to consume Him and to fix their teeth in His flesh and to be commingled with Him - in short, to fulfill all their love." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"It was to pay honor to this divine charity which, overflowing from the Heart of the Incarnate Word, is poured out by the aid of the Holy Spirit into the souls of all believers that the Apostle of the Gentiles uttered this hymn of triumph which proclaims the victory of Christ the Head, and of the members of His Mystical Body, over all which might in any way impede the establishment of the kingdom of love among men: 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword?...But in all these things we overcome because of Him that hath loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'" (Pope Pius XII, "Haurietis Aquas", 1956 A.D.)
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For more try...
* Our Father's Love (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/our_fathers_love_reflections.htm
* Love / Charity (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-love_charity.htm
* Love (Topical Scripture) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/pcst/topical_scripture_L7a.htm
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25 Reflections on the Papal Office
1. "When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter said in reply, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' Jesus said to him in reply, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'" (Mt. 16:13-19)
2. "The Pope has the plenitude of power in the Church" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and 'greatest theologian in the history of the Church)
3. "When God gave to Blessed Peter the princely power of binding and loosing in heaven and on earth, He made no exception, and withdrew nothing from his power." (Pope Gregory VII, 1081 A.D.)
4. "The privileges of this [Roman] See are perpetual: they were planted and rooted in by God Himself. They may be beaten against, but not changed; they may be attacked, but not destroyed." (Pope St. Nicholas I, 863 A.D.)
5. "He who abandons the See of Peter on which the Church was founded, falsely believes himself to be a part of the Church." (St. Cyprian)
6. "To be subject to the Roman Pontiff is necessary for salvation." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
7. "Anyone who dares to secede from Peter's solid rock may understand that he has not part or lot in the divine mystery." (Pope St. Leo I the Great, Doctor of the Church, 445 A.D.)
8. "Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff." (Pope Boniface VIII, "Unam Sanctam", 1302 A.D.)
9. "He who resides on high, to Whom is given all power in Heaven and on earth, has entrusted His holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, outside of which there is no salvation, to one person alone on earthly, namely to Peter the Prince of the Apostles, and to Peter's successor, the Roman Pontiff." (Pope St. Pius V)
10. "The true Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Roman: unique, the Chair founded on Peter. Outside her fold is to be found neither the true faith nor eternal salvation; for it is impossible to have God for a Father if one has not the Church for a Mother, and it is vain that one flatters himself on belonging to the Church if separated from the Chair of Peter on which the Church is founded." (Pope Pius IX)
11. "The Church has but one ruler and one governor, the invisible one, Christ, whom the eternal Father hath made head over all the Church, which is his body; the visible one, the Pope, who as the legitimate successor of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, fills the Apostolic chair. It is the unanimous teaching of the Fathers that this visible head is necessary to establish and preserve unity in the Church." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
12. "[Our] first safety is to guard the rule of the right faith and to deviate in no wise from the ordinances of the Fathers; because we cannot pass over the statement of our Lord Jesus Christ who said: 'Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church' ... [Matt. 16:18]." (Pope St. Hormisdas, 517 A.D.)
13. Error CONDEMNED by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus of Errors: "The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization." (Pope Pius IX, This proposition was condemned in the Syllabus of Errors, Dec. 8, 1864 A.D.)
14. "The pope possesses such a plenitude of power within the Church that he can dispense from purely ecclesiastical regulations, which are ordinances which belong to positive law, that is, human law. But he can give no dispensation from the precepts of the divine law and the natural law; their force comes from divine decree." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and 'greatest theologian in the history of the Church')
15. "As more serious ills threaten the Catholic Church from the heinous contrivances of its enemies, the popes who have been placed in the See of St. Peter should be so much the quicker in taking action to repel them." (Pope Gregory XVI, "Quo Graviora", 1833 A.D.)
16. "[B]lessed Peter who confessed Christ with a true faith and was attached to Him with a true love, received in a special way the keys of the kingdom of heaven and the primacy of judicial power, so that all the believers throughout the world might understand that those who separate themselves from the unity of his faith and society cannot be absolved from the chains of sin, nor enter the door of the heavenly kingdom." (St. Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church)
17. "We likewise define that the holy Apostolic See, and the Roman Pontiff, hold the primacy throughout the entire world; and that the Roman Pontiff himself is the successor of blessed Peter, the chief of the Apostles, and the true vicar of Christ, and that he is the head of the entire Church, and the father and teacher of all Christians; and that full power was given to him in blessed Peter by our Lord Jesus Christ, to feed, rule, and govern the universal Church; just as is contained in the acts of the ecumenical Councils and in the sacred canons." (Council of Florence, 1439 A.D.)
18. "Using the words of St. Leo the Great; 'Among the holy apostles there was a similarity of honor but a distinction of power: while the election of all was equal, it was given only to one to have preeminence among the others ... because the Lord wanted the sacrament of evangelical duty to belong to the office of the apostles; thus He placed it principally in St. Peter, the head of all the apostles.' He granted this to Peter alone out of all the apostles when He promised him the keys of the kingdom of heaven and entrusted to him the obligation of feeding the Lord's sheep and lambs and the duty of strengthening his brothers. He wanted this to extend to Peter's successors whom He placed over the Church with equal right. This has always been the firm and united opinion of all Catholics. It is Church dogma that the pope, the successor of St. Peter, possesses not only primacy of honor but also primacy of authority and jurisdiction over the whole Church. Accordingly the bishops are subject to him." (Pope Gregory XVI, "Commissum Divinitus", 1835 A.D.)
19. "He invested [Peter], therefore, with the needful authority; since the right to rule is absolutely required by him who has to guard human society really and effectively... The Church is typified not only as an edifice but as a Kingdom, and every one knows that the keys constitute the usual sign of governing authority. Wherefore when Christ promised to give to Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, he promised to give him power and authority over the Church. 'The Son committed to Peter the office of spreading the knowledge of His Father and Himself over the whole world. He who increased the Church in all the earth, and proclaimed it to be stronger than the heavens, gave to a mortal man all power in Heaven when He handed him the Keys' (S. Johannes Chrysostomus, Hom. liv., in Matt. v., 2). In this same sense He says: 'Whatsoever thou shall bind upon earth it shall be bound also in Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth it shall be loosed also in Heaven.' This metaphorical expression of binding and loosing indicates the power of making laws, of judging and of punishing; and the power is said to be of such amplitude and force that God will ratify whatever is decreed by it. Thus it is supreme and absolutely independent, so that, having no other power on earth as its superior, it embraces the whole Church and all things committed to the Church. The promise is carried out when Christ the Lord after His Resurrection, having thrice asked Peter whether he loved Him more than the rest, lays on him the injunction: 'Feed my lambs-feed my sheep.' That is He confides to him, without exception, all those who were to belong to His fold. 'The Lord does not hesitate." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum", 1896 A.D.)
20. "We teach and declare that, according to the gospel evidence, a primacy of jurisdiction over the whole church of God was immediately and directly promised to the blessed apostle Peter and conferred on him by Christ the Lord. It was to Simon alone, to whom he had already said You shall be called Cephas, that the Lord, after his confession, You are the Christ, the son of the living God, spoke these words: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the underworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And it was to Peter alone that Jesus, after his resurrection, confided the jurisdiction of supreme pastor and ruler of his whole fold, saying: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep. To this absolutely manifest teaching of the sacred scriptures, as it has always been understood by the Catholic Church, are clearly opposed the distorted opinions of those who misrepresent the form of government which Christ the Lord established in his Church and deny that Peter, in preference to the rest of the apostles, taken singly or collectively, was endowed by Christ with a true and proper primacy of jurisdiction. The same may be said of those who assert that this primacy was not conferred immediately and directly on blessed Peter himself, but rather on the Church, and that it was through the Church that it was transmitted to him in his capacity as her minister. Therefore, if anyone says that blessed Peter the apostle was not appointed by Christ the Lord as prince of all the apostles and visible head of the whole Church militant; or that it was a primacy of honor only and not one of true and proper jurisdiction that he directly and immediately received from our Lord Jesus Christ himself: let him be anathema." (First Vatican Council)
21. "It is a misrepresentation often repeated that Catholics imagine the supreme pontiff to be free from all liability to moral transgression, as though they believed that no action performed by him could be sinful. It can hardly be necessary for me to deny so gross and absurd an imputation." (Wiseman)
22. "But since in this very age, in which the salutary efficacy of the apostolic duty is especially required, not a few are found who disparage its authority, We deem it most necessary to assert solemnly the prerogative which the Only-begotten Son of God deigned to enjoin with the highest pastoral office. And so We, adhering faithfully to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, to the glory of God, our Savior, the elevation of the Catholic religion and the salvation of Christian peoples, with the approbation of the sacred Council, teach and explain that the dogma has been divinely revealed: that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when carrying out the office of pastor and teacher of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, through the divine assistance promised him in blessed Peter, possesses that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed that His Church be endowed for defining doctrine regarding faith and morals; and so such definitions of the Roman Pontiff of themselves, and not from the consensus of the Church, are irreformable. But if anyone presumes to contradict this definition of Ours, which may God forbid: let him be anathema." (Vatican Council I, 1870 A.D.)
23. "The Holy Ghost, who has guaranteed the infallible purity of the doctrine taught officially from the apostolic Chair, has not pledged himself to protect in a like degree from all failure either the virtue, or the private judgement, or even the administrative acts of the Sovereign Pontiff." (Liturgical Year)
24. "Contrary to Modernist belief, the Church is not a democracy in which the Pope derives his mandate from the people, or has the duty to proclaim as Catholic teaching whatever a majority of them cares to believe." (Davies)
25. "For the teaching authority of the Church, which in the divine wisdom was constituted on earth in order that revealed doctrines might remain intact forever, and that they might be brought with ease and security to the knowledge of men, and which is daily exercised through the Roman Pontiff and the Bishops who are in communion with him, has also the office of defining, when it sees fit, any truth with solemn rites and decrees, whenever this is necessary either to oppose the errors or the attacks of heretics, or more clearly and in greater detail to stamp the minds of the faithful with the articles of sacred doctrine which have been explained. But in the use of this extraordinary teaching authority no newly invented matter is brought in, nor is anything new added to the number of those truths which are at least implicitly contained in the deposit of Revelation, divinely handed down to the Church: only those which are made clear which perhaps may still seem obscure to some, or that which some have previously called into question is declared to be of faith." (Pope Pius XI, "Mortalium Animos", 1928 A.D.)
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For more try...
* Vatican View (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/vatican_view_reflections.htm
* The Pope (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-pope.htm
* Pope (Topical Scripture) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/pcst/topical_scripture_P9.htm
"Pray.. Pray a great deal for the Holy Father." (Bl. Jacinta, Fatima Seer)
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Liturgical Feasts in April
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for April 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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April 2 - St. Francis of Paula (Paola) (T)
April 2 - St. Francis of Paola (N)
April 4 - St. Isidore of Seville (T)
April 4 - St. Isidore of Seville (N)
April 5 - St. Vincent Ferrer (T)
April 5 - St. Vincent Ferrer (N)
April 6 - St. Juliana of Cornillon (T)
April 7 - St. John Baptist de la Salle (N)
April 8 - St. Julia Billiart (T)
April 11 - St. Leo the Great, pope (T)
April 11 - St. Stanislaus (N)
April 13 - St. Hermenegild (T)
April 13 - St. Martin I, pope (N)
April 14 - St. Justin (T)
April 14 - Sts. Tiburtius, Valerian & Maximus (T)
April 17 - St. Anicetus, pope (T)
April 21 - St. Anselm of Canterbury (T)
April 21 - St. Anselm (N)
April 22 - Sts. Soter & Caius, popes (T)
April 23 - St. George (T)
April 23 - St. Adalbert (N)
April 23 - St. George (N)
April 24 - St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (T)
April 24 - St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (N)
April 25 - St. Mark the Evangelist (T)
April 25 - St. Mark the Evangelist (N)
April 26 - Our Lady of Good Counsel (T)
April 26 - Sts. Cletus & Marcellinus, popes (T)
April 27 - St. Peter Canisius (T)
April 27 - St. Thuribius of Mogrobejo (T)
April 28 - St. Paul of the Cross (T)
April 28 - St. Vitalis (T)
April 28 - St. Louis Marie de Montfort (N)
April 28 - St. Peter Chanel (N)
April 29 - St. Peter of Verona (T)
April 29 - St. Catherine of Siena (N)
April 30 - St. Catherine of Siena (T)
April 30 - St. Pius V, pope (N)
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...
4/1/13 - Easter Monday
4/2/13 - Easter Tuesday
4/3/13 - Easter Wednesday
4/4/13 - Easter Thursday
4/5/13 - Easter Friday
4/6/13 - Easter Saturday
4/7/13 - Low Sunday (Quasimodo Sunday) (T) | Divine Mercy Sunday (N)
4/14/13 - Second Sunday after Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday) (T) | Third Sunday of Easter (N) [Reminder: Plenary Indulgence May Be Available. For indulgence information, please go to http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/indulgences.htm . For information on the Divine Mercy devotion, please go to http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/divine_mercy.htm ]
4/21/13 - Third Sunday after Easter (T) | Fourth Sunday of Easter (N)
4/28/13 - Fourth Sunday after Easter (Cantate Sunday) (T) | Fifth Sunday of Easter (N)
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'Catholic Trivia'
1. Is it acceptable to say that inspiration of Holy Scripture is narrowed to certain parts of the Bible or regards only things of faith and morals?
2. What is the difference between "angel" with a small 'a' and "Angel" with a capital 'A'?
3. Is it an act of mercy to give comfort to the wicked?
4. St. Anthony Abbot was followed by what?
5. Can there be martyrs outside the Church?
6. Is it acceptable that those who attend a particular Mass request to receive hosts consecrated during that Mass?
7. Of the sins opposed to religion, which are most grievous?
8. Who does St. Athanasius say is not a Christian and should no longer be called a Christian?
9. Does the obligation of receiving Holy Communion apply to mentally handicapped persons?
10. Complete the passage: "But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person. For why should I be judging outsiders? Is it not your business to judge those within? God will judge those outside. '___the evil person from your midst.'" (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 5:11-13)
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Answers:
1. No. As Pope Leo XIII has stated, "But it is absolutely wrong and forbidden, either to narrow inspiration to certain parts only of Holy Scripture, or to admit that the sacred writer has erred. For the system of those who, in order to rid themselves of these difficulties, do not hesitate to concede that divine inspiration regards the things of faith and morals, and nothing beyond, because (as they wrongly think) in a question of the truth or falsehood of a passage, we should consider not so much what God has said as the reason and purpose which He had in mind in saying it - this system cannot be tolerated. For all the books which the Church receives as sacred and canonical, are written wholly and entirely, with all their parts, at the dictation of the Holy Ghost; and so far is it from being possible that any error can co-exist with inspiration, that inspiration not only is essentially incompatible with error, but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself, the supreme Truth, can utter that which is not true. This is the ancient and unchanging faith of the Church, solemnly defined in the Councils of Florence and of Trent, and finally confirmed and more expressly formulated by the [First] Council of the Vatican." (Pope Leo XIII, "Providentissimus Deus", 1893 A.D.)
2. Whereas "angel" with a small 'a' refers generically to all nine choirs of angels, "Angel" with a capital 'A' generally refers to the first choir of angels (the lowest choir).
3. "No good comes to him who gives comfort to the wicked, nor is it an act of mercy that he does." (Sirach 12:3)
4. St. Anthony Abbot was followed by a pig after the saint cured the pig of a serious disease.
5. No. As St. Cyprian states, "There can be no such thing as a martyr out of the Church... Though [heretics and schismatics] be thrown into the fire, or be exposed to the fury of wild beasts, such a death will never be esteemed a crown of their faith and constancy, but rather a punishment of their perfidy. Such a man may be put to death, but cannot be crowned."
6. Yes, it is acceptable that those who attend a particular Mass request to receive hosts consecrated during that Mass. As Pope Pius XII states, "Benedict XIV, wishing to emphasize and throw fuller light upon the truth that the faithful by receiving the Holy Eucharist become partakers of the divine [Eucharistic] Sacrifice itself, praises the devotion of those who, when attending Mass, not only elicit a desire to receive Holy Communion but also want to be nourished by hosts consecrated during the Mass, even though, as he himself states, they really and truly take part in the [Eucharistic] Sacrifice should they receive a host which has been duly consecrated at a previous Mass. He writes as follows: 'And although in addition to those to whom the celebrant gives a portion of the Victim [that is, Christ] he himself has offered in the Mass, they also participate in the same [Eucharistic] Sacrifice to whom a priest distributes the Blessed Sacrament that has been reserved; however, the Church has not for this reason ever forbidden, nor does she now forbid, a celebrant to satisfy the piety and just request of those who, when present at Mass, want to become partakers of the same [Eucharistic] Sacrifice, because they likewise offer it after their own manner, nay more, she approves of it and desires that it should not be omitted and would reprehend those priests through whose fault and negligence this participation would be denied to the faithful.'… Now it is very fitting, as the liturgy otherwise lays down, that the people receive Holy Communion after the priest has partaken of the divine repast upon the altar; and, as we have written above, they should be commended who, when present at Mass, receive hosts consecrated at the same Mass, so that it is actually verified, 'that as many of us, as, at this altar, shall partake of and receive the most holy Body and Blood of thy Son, may be filled with every heavenly blessing and grace.'" (Pope Pius XII, "Mediator Dei", 1947 A.D.)
7. "Among sins opposed to religion, the more grievous is that which is the more opposed to the reverence due to God." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
8. "The very tradition, teaching, and faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached by the apostles and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded, and if anyone departs from this, he neither is, nor any longer ought to be called, a Christian." (St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church)
9. No. The obligation of receiving Holy Communion does not extend to mentally handicapped persons who are incapable of distinguishing the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. As the Catechism of the Council of Trent states, "Communion must not be given to persons who are insane and incapable of devotion. However, according to the decree of the Council of Carthage, it may be administered to them at the close of life, provided they have shown, before losing their minds, a pious and religious disposition, and no danger, arising from the state of the stomach or other inconvenience or disrespect, is likely."
10. "But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person. For why should I be judging outsiders? Is it not your business to judge those within? God will judge those outside. 'Purge the evil person from your midst.'" (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 5:11-13)
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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 Believe That a Protestant 'Communion' Wafer is Equivalent to the Catholic Eucharist?
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__Eucharist_Mass.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Believe That a Protestant 'Communion' Wafer is Equivalent to the Catholic Eucharist? [Note: Topic is directed at Protestants]
Consider:
* The difference between a Protestant communion wafer and the Catholic Eucharist, despite any similarity in appearance, is so great that it may be compared to the difference between God and man. In fact, the Protestant communion wafer is mere bread, while the Catholic Eucharist is literally the body of Christ.
* The priestly power conferred by Christ is necessary to confect the Eucharist. Protestants who have not retained valid priestly orders (including Anglicans) cannot have a valid consecration, which means their bread wafers can never contain Christ. To adore such a bread wafer - to consider it to be Christ - would be idolatry. Only those who have maintained apostolic succession and use the proper form can retain the power to effect the consecration. And, only in the Catholic Church is such power licitly used. As St. John Chrysostom has said, "For it is not man who makes the sacrificial gifts become the Body and Blood of Christ, but He that was crucified for us, Christ Himself. The priest stands there carrying out the action, but the power and the grace is of God. 'This is My Body', he says. This statement transforms the gifts." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, c. 4th century A.D.)
* It has always been a condemned practice to receive the Eucharist - even if it is truly valid - outside the Catholic Church. Some relevant quotations follow:
"Let that Eucharist be valid which is offered by the bishop [of the Catholic Church] or by one to whom the bishop has committed this charge." (St. Ignatius of Antioch, 2nd century A.D.)
"Take care, then to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: for there is one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the union of His Blood; one altar, as there is one bishop with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons." (St. Ignatius of Antioch, c. 110 A.D.)
"I follow no leader but Christ and join in communion with none but Your Blessedness, that is, with the chair of Peter. I know that this is the rock on which the church has been built. Whoever eats [Christ the Lamb of God] outside this house is profane. Anyone who is not in the ark of Noah will perish when the flood prevails." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church, c. 374 A.D.)
"And the Lord too, in the Gospel, when the disciples abandoned Him while He was speaking, turned to the twelve and said, 'And do you too wish to go away?' Peter answered Him, saying, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life: and we believe and know that you are the Son of the Living God.' There speaks Peter, upon whom the Church would be built, teaching in the name of the Church and showing that even if a stubborn and proud multitude withdraws because it does not wish to obey, yet the Church does not withdraw from Christ. The people joined to the priest and the flock clinging to their shepherd are the Church. You ought to know, then, that the bishop is in the Church and the Church in the bishop; and if someone is not with the bishop, he is not in the Church. They vainly flatter themselves who creep up, not having peace with the priests of God, believing that they are secretly in communion with certain individuals. For the Church, which is One and Catholic, is not split or divided, but is indeed united and joined by the cement of priests who adhere to one another [that is, under the bishop and in communion with the pope]." (St. Cyprian of Carthage, 254 A.D.)
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"For not all bread, but only that which receives the blessing of Christ [through his priests], becomes Christ's body." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 5th century A.D.)
"The bread again is at first common bread; but when the mystery sanctifies it, it is called and actually becomes the body of Christ. So too the mystical oil, so too the wine; if they are things of little worth before the blessing, after their sanctification by the Spirit each of them has its own superior operation. This same power of the word also makes the priest venerable and honorable, separated from the generality of men by the new blessing bestowed upon him." (St. Gregory of Nyssa, 4th century A.D.)
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For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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In Closing...
"In thy resurrection, O Christ, alleluia. Let heaven and earth rejoice, alleluia." (Liturgical Year)
"Away with mourning, tears and grief! The conqueror of death is risen!" (Hymn, Office of Lauds)
"'Eat My Flesh,' He says, 'and drink My Blood.' The Lord supplies us with these intimate nutriments. He delivers over His Flesh, and pours out His Blood; and nothing is lacking for the growth of His children." (St. Clement of Alexandria, circa 3rd century A.D.)
"To the unbloody gift of Himself under the appearance of bread and wine our Savior Jesus Christ wished to join, as the chief proof of His deep and infinite love, the bloody sacrifice of the Cross. By this manner of acting He gave an example of His supreme charity, which He had proposed to His disciples as the highest point of love in these words: 'Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'" (Pope Pius XII, "Haurietis Aquas", 1956 A.D.)
"Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist - 1) To unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His Body and Blood, 2) To increase sanctifying grace and all virtues in our soul, 3) To lessen our evil inclinations, 4) To be a pledge of everlasting life, 5) To fit our bodies for a glorious resurrection, and 6) To continue the sacrifice of the Cross in His Church." (Baltimore Catechism)
"At the [Easter] season, which commemorates the triumph of Christ, our souls are filled with deep interior joy: we, accordingly, should also consider that we must rise, in union with the Redeemer, from our cold and slothful life to one of greater fervor and holiness by giving ourselves completely and generously to God, and by forgetting this wretched world in order to aspire only to the things of heaven: 'If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above...mind the things that are above.' (Col. 3:1-2)" (Pope Pius XII)
"See how we were bought: Christ hangs upon the cross, see at what a price He makes His purchase... He sheds His blood, He buys with His blood, He buys with the blood of [Christ], He buys with the blood of God's only Son. He who buys is Christ; the price is His blood; the possession bought is the world.' (St. Augustine) This purchase, however, does not immediately have its full effect; since Christ, after redeeming the world at the lavish cost of His own blood, still must come into complete possession of the souls of men. Wherefore, that the redemption and salvation of each person and of future generations unto the end of time may be effectively accomplished, and be acceptable to God, it is necessary that men should individually come into vital contact with the Sacrifice of the Cross, so that the merits, which flow from it, should be imparted to them. In a certain sense it can be said that on Calvary Christ built a font of purification and salvation which He filled with the blood He shed; but if men do not bathe in it and there wash away the stains of their iniquities, they can never be purified and saved." (Pope Pius XII, "Mediator Dei", 1947 A.D.)
"We belong not to ourselves now, since Christ has bought us 'at a great price' [His blood] (1 Cor. 6:20)" (Pope Pius XI)
"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)
"For what is there that can equal these good tidings? God on earth, man in heaven; that long war ceased, reconciliation is made between God and our nature, the devil overthrown, death abolished, paradise opened. These things so far beyond our merits, are given us with all fullness; not for our own toil or labor, but because we are beloved of God." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
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