Confirmations and the Power of Prayer

Yesterday I had the great honor of sharing the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation with 50 children of our parish and their families and friends. The celebration with His Grace Archbishop Daniel and our own Father Antony was wonderful and very exciting! But this post isn't so much about the celebration. Its about something I noticed this morning, with all of the preparations and celebrating behind me, as I worked at getting the last vestiges of our Saturday morning pre-confirmation retreat out of the Hall, packed up and put away for another year. The focus of the retreat was on prayer, that single act of God's...

Read more »

Happy Easter From Christ The King - Christ Is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Resurrection Mural - Ron DiCianni On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches. Christians believe, according to Scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after his death on the cross. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter. Through his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus....

Read more »

Holy Week - Holy Saturday: "I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld!"

The Harrowing Of Hades - Satan is Bound, Adam and Eve Free At Last Holy Saturday is the final day of Lent, of Holy Week, and of the Easter Triduum, the three days (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday) immediately preceding Easter, during which Christians commemorate the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ and prepare for His Resurrection. In the early Church, Christians gathered on the afternoon of Holy Saturday to pray and to confer the Sacrament of Baptism on catechumens—converts to Christianity who had spent Lent preparing to be received into the Church. (As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, in the early Church, "Holy Saturday...

Read more »

Holy Week - Good Friday: ‘There came out from his side water and blood.’

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, commemorates the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. No Mass is celebrated on Good Friday; instead, the Church celebrates a special liturgy in which the account of the Passion according to the Gospel of John is read, a series of intercessory prayers (prayers for special intentions) are offered, and the faithful venerate the Cross by coming forward and kissing it. Fasting and Abstinence: Good Friday is a day of strict fasting and abstinence. Catholics who are over the age of 18 and under the age of 60 are required to fast, which means that they can eat only one complete meal and...

Read more »

40 Days Of Prayer And Reflection - The Way Of The Cross: Station 14 Jesus Is Buried In The Tomb

On this solemn celebration of the Holy Triduum, Good Friday, we welcome you to join us in praying the Way of The Cross.  Each Day, for the last two weeks, we have featured one station for your prayer and reflection. If you are just joining now or would like to spend time with one of the previous stations, you may do so using this link: The Way Of The Cross 2012 Station 14 Jesus Is Buried In The Tomb We adore You O Christ And We Praise You... For By Your Holy Cross, You have Redeemed The World. Christ Speaks To Me: Thus my mortal life ends. Yet, even now, new life is beginning. Like the seed buried beneath...

Read more »

Holy Week - Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday: "The prophets announced many wonderful things about the Passover mystery which is Christ!"

Holy Thursday is the day that Christ celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples, four days after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Only hours after the Last Supper, Judas would betray Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, setting the stage for Christ's Crucifixion on Good Friday. This feast, however, is more than just the lead-in to Good Friday; it is, in fact, the oldest of the celebrations of Holy Week. And with good reason: Holy Thursday is the day that Catholics commemorate the institution of three pillars of the Catholic Faith: the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priesthood, and the Mass. During the Last Supper, Christ...

Read more »

40 Days Of Prayer And Reflection - The Way Of The Cross: Station 13 Jesus Is Taken From The Cross

We welcome you to join us from now until Good Friday, in praying the Way of The Cross. Each Day, save for Sundays, we will feature one station for your prayer and reflection. If you are just joining now or would like to spend time with one of the previous stations, you may do so using this link: The Way Of The Cross 2012 Station 13 - Jesus Is Taken Down From The Cross We adore You O Christ And We Praise You... For By Your Holy Cross, You have Redeemed The World. Luke 23:50-52 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph...This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Christ Speaks To Me: The final cup has been...

Read more »

40 Days Of Prayer And Reflection - The Way Of The Cross: Station 12 Jesus Dies On The Cross

We welcome you to join us from now until Good Friday, in praying the Way of The Cross. Each Day, save for Sundays, we will feature one station for your prayer and reflection. If you are just joining now or would like to spend time with one of the previous stations, you may do so using this link: The Way Of The Cross 2012 Station 12 - Jesus Dies On The Cross We adore You O Christ And We Praise You... For By Your Holy Cross, You have Redeemed The World. Luke 23:34,44-46 "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!" Christ Speaks To Me: My Cross becomes my final pulpit - Seven times I speak, fighting for each breath, willing myself...

Read more »

40 Days Of Prayer And Reflection - The Way Of The Cross Station 11: Jesus Is Crucified

We welcome you to join us from now until Good Friday, in praying the Way of The Cross. Each Day, save for Sundays, we will feature one station for your prayer and reflection. If you are just joining now or would like to spend time with one of the previous stations, you may do so using this link: The Way Of The Cross 2012 Station 11 - Jesus Is Crucified We adore You O Christ And We Praise You... For By Your Holy Cross, You have Redeemed The World. John 19:18-19 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Christ Speaks To Me: Enter my death... Executioners stretch out my arms; hand...

Read more »

40 Days Of Prayer And Reflection - The Way Of The Cross Station 10: Jesus Is Stripped

We welcome you to join us from now until Good Friday, in praying the Way of The Cross. Each Day, save for Sundays, we will feature one station for your prayer and reflection. If you are just joining now or would like to spend time with one of the previous stations, you may do so using this link: The Way Of The Cross 2012 Station 10 - Jesus Is Stripped We adore You O Christ And We Praise You... For By Your Holy Cross, You have Redeemed The World. John 19:23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. Christ Speaks To Me: Behold - the poorest king who ever lived....

Read more »

Holy Week - Palm Sunday: "Let us run to accompany him as he hastens toward his passion!"

Jesus Triumphant Entry - He Qi Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entrance of Christ into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-9), when palm branches were placed in His path, before His arrest on Holy Thursday and His Crucifixion on Good Friday. It thus marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent, and the week in which Christians celebrate the mystery of their salvation through Christ's Death and His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. The faithful have traditionally decorated their houses with the palms from Palm Sunday, and, in many countries, a custom developed of weaving the palms into crosses that were placed on home altars or other...

Read more »

40 Days of Prayer and Reflection - Lenten Prayer Holy Week

Lenten Prayers - Holy Week Palm Sunday Hosannah! Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord! (see Mark 11:9-10) Monday You, Lord, have called me for the victory of justice. You have grasped me by the hand. (see Isaiah 42:5) Tuesday The Lord chose me and gave me a name before I was born. (see Isaiah 49:1) Wednesday “I didn’t turn aside when they insulted me and spit in my face.” (Isaiah 50:6) Holy Thursday Lord, help me to understand what you have done for me. (see John 13:1-15) Good Friday Father, I put my life in your hands. (see Psalm 31) Holy Saturday And God saw that it was good. (see Genesis 1) Easter...

Read more »

40 Days of Prayer and Reflection - Table Prayers For Lent

Blessing for the Family Meal Bless us, Lord, and the food we are about to eat. May our love for one another, and the food we share, strengthen us to share your love with others. Amen. Holy Week—Lord of Faithfulness Blessed are you, Lord of Faithfulness. Through your relationship to the Father you show Us what it means to be faithful to our commitments And our relationships. Help us to be faithful to our values and beliefs, And to reach out to you in the forgotten and downtrodden. All: Lord, hear us and keep us in your lov...

Read more »