|
|
| |
 |
| |
Easter
Sunday
A Reflection on John 3:16 |
|
For God so loved the world that he gave
his only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him might not perish but might
have eternal life.
|
|
|
Concisely John gives us four truths and the
declaration central to and in fact the
heart of Christian teaching.
John writes that God exists and that he
has a Son.
John also writes that God loved the world
unconditionally that he gave his only Son.
The last part of the passage tells us that
although God loved the world He also set a
condition for salvation.
This is where some people have difficulty.
Some confuse love as leading to
salvation. In that concept just the
mere fact that God loves us is reason
enough that we are saved.
Not so. John 3:16 states that God's love
is unconditional but salvation
is: One
must believe to be saved.
There is no better time to reflect on this
than in this the Easter Triduum.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Life
in Christ is a call
to ‘heroic, self-sacrificing
love’
|
|
Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
|
|
Archbishop of
Denver, Colorado USA |
|
|
|
Cardinal Augustine Meyer once wrote that, “Nothing
great is ever achieved without suffering.”
His words come back to me every year during Holy
Week. They remind us that discipleship always has
a cost. No Christian ever lives the Gospel without
eventually encountering the cross. During the
Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy
Saturday — the Church invites us to remember that
sin is real and that only blood can redeem it . .
. but also that God loves us so deeply that He
sent His only son to offer Himself for our
deliverance.
In giving His life for us, Jesus asks us to live
our lives for others. He asks us to share in His
work of redemption. That’s why the Gospel is never
merely a call to be “nice” to others. There’s
nothing sweet about Golgotha. Life in Jesus Christ
is a call to heroic and self-sacrificing love. If
we want to rise with Jesus on Easter, we also have
to share His work of salvation on Good Friday.
C.S. Lewis captured this
basic Christian understanding very clearly when he
wrote that, “Christianity is a thing of
unspeakable joy. But it begins not in joy, but in
wretchedness, and it does no good to try to get to
the joy by bypassing the wretchedness.”
Of course, the nature of everyday America in 2008
is that we all live our lives in routines —
routines that tend to dull us into self-absorption
at work, at play, in our families, and also in our
religious faith. Even the broken body of Christ on
the cross can become a standard piety, an object
of devotion that doesn’t really touch our hearts.
That’s why these days of Holy Week are so vital.
Holy Week is the most sacred time of the year.
It’s a time to wake up from our routines and shake
off the distractions of daily life — and to
concentrate on the One in whom we anchor our hope.
This year, listen to the Word of God with new
ears. Make some personal room for silence this
week. Read and pray over the Gospel accounts of
the crucifixion. Venerate the cross. Remember the
price paid for your redemption. Understand how
zealously God loves you . . . and when you do,
you’ll begin to understand the meaning of the
Gospel and the urgency of your own vocation to
bring the fruit of God’s love — new life in Jesus
Christ — to others.
Good Friday is an end: an end to death; an end to
our old selves and our old selfishness. Easter
Sunday is a beginning, the beginning of a new and
“unspeakable joy”: for each of us and all of us.
The sorrow of Holy Week is the doorway to
something infinitely more beautiful.
So may God grant you and your
family, and all of us, a blessed Holy Week — and a
holy and joy-filled Easter!
Your brother in Christ,
+Archbishop of Denver Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
References:
Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series)
- Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author)
Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves (Author)
Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the Journey) ,
2004, by Thomas McKenna (Author)
Seasons in Spirituality: Reflections on Vincentian Spirituality in Today's World ,
1997, by Robert P. Maloney
Deep Down Things: Selected Writing,
1995, by Richard McCullen
Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities, Year A, 2008 ,
by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann Zimmerman (Author), Thomas A.
Greisen (Author), S.N.D. de N. Kathleen Harmon
(Author), M.S. Thomas L. Leclerc (Author)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Easter Sunday
The Resurrection
of the Lord
|
|
March 23,
2008
|
First Reading |
|
Acts 10:34a, 37-43 |
|
|
|
|
Peter proceeded to speak and said:
“You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John
preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and power.
He
went about doing good and healing all those
oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
We
are witnesses of all that he did both in the
country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They
put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This
man God raised on the third day and granted that
he be visible, not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate
and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He
commissioned us to preach to the people and
testify that he is the one appointed by God as
judge of the living and the dead.
To
him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone
who believes in him will receive forgiveness of
sins through his name.” |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
|
|
Ps 118:1-2, 16-17,
22-23 |
|
|
|
|
|
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us
rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give
thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us
rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“The
right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.”
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us
rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The
stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us
rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Reading from the First Letter to the
Colossians |
|
Col 3:1-4
|
| |
|
| |
Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is
above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of
God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with
Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears, then you too will
appear with him in glory. |
| |
|
|
or |
|
| |
I Cor 5:6b-8 |
| |
|
| |
Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all
the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a
fresh batch of dough inasmuch as you are
unleavened.
For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with
the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reading From
the Gospel of John:
|
|
Jn 20:1-9 |
| |
|
| |
|
On
the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to
the tomb early in the morning, while it was still
dark and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So
she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other
disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So
Peter and the other disciple went out and came to
the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster
than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent
down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not
go in.
When
Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the
tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the
cloth that had covered his head, not with the
burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then
the other disciple also went in, the one who had
arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and
believed.
For
they did not yet understand the Scripture that he
had to rise from the dead. |
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
References |
|
 |
Happiness Is a Serious Problem: A Human Nature
Repair Manual
by Dennis Prager.
In this unique blend of self-help and moral
philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager
asserts that we're actually obligated to be
happy, because it makes us better people. |
|
|
|
 |
Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series)
- Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) |
|
|
|
 |
Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves
(Author) |
|
|
|
 |
Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the
Journey)
2004, by Thomas McKenna
|
|
|
|
 |
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force ....
.... (Paperback)
by
Rodney Stark (Author)
From the Publisher
"... this account of Christianity's remarkable
growth within the Roman Empire |
|
is
already the subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who
has puzzled over Christianity's rise to
dominance... must read it," ...
Read
the first page. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and
Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities, Year A, 2008 (Paperback) by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann
Zimmerman (Author), Thomas A. Greisen (Author),
S.N.D. de N. Kathleen Harmon (Author), M.S.
Thomas L. Leclerc (Author) |
|
"Perfect for home use or to prepare for weekly
liturgy . . . It includes help for the
celebration, ideas for catechesis on the
particular event, and ways to understand the
readings more deeply. Finally, it includes
sample questions from which priests, deacons,
lay groups, ministers and others can jump off
into deeper discussion." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Straight Answers, Answers to 100 Questions about
the Catholic Faith
by Ph.D Rev. William P.
Saunders (Author)
Review by:
Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of Charlotte
Straight Answers offers Catholics a simple and
direct response to the many questions concerning
the Catholic Church. It spells out profound
truths in very |
|
simple language for all who seek a better
understanding of their Faith. I highly recommend
it for Catholics, both young and old. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
From Amazon:
After years of spiritual study and reflection,
inspirational speaker and |
|
bestselling
author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed
teacher. His current message about tapping into
the power of intention may sound like good old
positive thinking: just stay focused on what you
want, rather than focusing on the lack of having
what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper
than just controlling thoughts (although he does
acknowledge that thought control is a
surprisingly challenging and significant
endeavor).
This book might
help readers land a better job, but it's more
relevant for those who are ready to detach from
an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of
happiness and step into a more authentic,
joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life. His
core teachings speak to tapping into a universal
source of energy that can also be called the
"power of intention." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as it walks you through a pivotal period in
Israel’s history, and illustrative maps will
give you a better picture of the physical
geography of this ancient land. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Read more about the Liturgical Year |
| |
|
 |
The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo
Books)
by Thomas J. Talley (Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
by John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides
those who not only fill the pulpits across
this country but also all interested in
the cultural world in which Jesus lived
with a lot of pertinent information that
sheds light on a lot of areas that have
been "muddled" in the past. Yes, I highly
recommend this book. - James Mauldin |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Learn more and read the Old Testament. |
 |
Preaching from the Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
David A. Baer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Navarre Bible: Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and faithfully
Catholic commentaries. Like other volumes
in the world-renowned Navarre Bible
series, these commentaries draw on Church
documents, the exegesis of Fathers
|
|
and Doctors of the Church, and the works of contemporary
spiritual writers — particularly St. Josemaría
Escrivá, who initiated the Navarre Bible
project. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Comments and
Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any
comments or contributions, please
use the form in this link.
|
|
|
| |
| |
Comments and Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any comments or contributions,
please
use the form in this link.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Our Engine |
| |
 |
This newsletter
and the website is powered by Site Build It!
It really is a "Genie In A Box."
Don't forget to check out the Quick Tour Slide Show!
|
|
| |
Want to try to win a free copy of the "Genie In A Box?"
Click right here!
|
|
|
|
This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided by the New English
Bible itself, but these are further subdivided for the purposes of the
commentary, which is printed in short sections following the relevant portion of
the text.
