The words of the Easter Exultet

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God's throne! Jesus Christ, our King is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, radiant in the brightness of your King! Christ has conquered! Glory fills you! Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory! The risen Savior shines upon you! Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

My dearest friends, standing with me in this holy light, join me in asking God for mercy, that he may give his unworthy minister grace to sing his Easter praises.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father, and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood, and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast, When Christ, the true Lamb, is slain, whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night, when first you saved our fathers: you freed the people of Israel from their slav'ry, and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night, when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin.

This is night, when Christians ev'rywhere, washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement, are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night, when Jesus broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us, had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us! How boundless your merciful love! To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights, chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says: "The night will be as clear as day: it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy; it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed, when heaven is wedded to earth and we are reconciled to God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night, receive our evening sacrifice of praise, your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed, a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven and continue bravely burning to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets find this flame still burning: Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead, and shed his peaceful light on all mankind, your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever Amen.

What the Pope: his Easter vigil homily

Pope Francis’ homily at the Easter Vigil

April 19, 2014 by Salt and Light Media

  

  

     

19 April 2014  -  The Gospel of the resurrection of Jesus Christ begins with the journey of the women to the tomb at dawn on the day after the Sabbath.  They go to the tomb to honour the body of the Lord, but they find it open and empty.  A mighty angel says to them: “Do not be afraid!” (Mt 28:5) and orders them to go and tell the disciples: “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee” (v. 7).  The women quickly depart and on the way Jesus himself meets them and says: “Do not fear; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (v. 10).

After the death of the Master, the disciples had scattered; their faith had been utterly shaken, everything seemed over, all their certainties had crumbled and their hopes had died.  But now that message of the women, incredible as it was, came to them like a ray of light in the darkness.  The news spread: Jesus is risen as he said.  And then there was his command to go to Galilee; the women had heard it twice, first from the angel and then from Jesus himself: “Let them go to Galilee; there they will see me”.

Galilee is the place where they were first called, where everything began!  To return there, to return to the place where they were originally called.  Jesus had walked along the shores of the lake as the fishermen were casting their nets.  He had called them, and they left everything and followed him (cf. Mt 4:18-22).

To return to Galilee means to re-read everything on the basis of the cross and its victory.  To re-read everything – Jesus’ preaching, his miracles, the new community, the excitement and the defections, even the betrayal – to re-read everything starting from the end, which is a new beginning, from this supreme act of love.

For each of us, too, there is a “Galilee” at the origin of our journey with Jesus.  “To go to Galilee” means something beautiful, it means rediscovering our baptism as a living fountainhead, drawing new energy from the sources of our faith and our Christian experience.  To return to Galilee means above all to return to that blazing light with which God’s grace touched me at the start of the journey.  From that flame I can light a fire for today and every day, and bring heat and light to my brothers and sisters.  That flame ignites a humble joy, a joy which sorrow and distress cannot dismay, a good, gentle joy.

In the life of every Christian, after baptism there is also a more existential “Galilee”: the experience of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ who called me to follow him and to share in his mission.  In this sense, returning to Galilee means treasuring in my heart the living memory of that call, when Jesus passed my way, gazed at me with mercy and asked me to follow him.  It means reviving the memory of that moment when his eyes met mine, the moment when he made me realize that he loved me.

Today, tonight, each of us can ask: What is my Galilee?  Where is my Galilee?  Do I remember it?  Have I forgotten it?  Have I gone off on roads and paths which made me forget it?  Lord, help me: tell me what my Galilee is; for you know that I want to return there to encounter you and to let myself be embraced by your mercy.

The Gospel of Easter is very clear: we need to go back there, to see Jesus risen, and to become witnesses of his resurrection.  This is not to go back in time; it is not a kind of nostalgia.  It is returning to our first love, in order to receive the fire which Jesus has kindled in the world and to bring that fire to all people, to the very ends of the earth.

“Galilee of the Gentiles” (Mt 4:15; Is 8:23)!  Horizon of the Risen Lord, horizon of the Church; intense desire of encounter…  Let us be on our way!

Beautiful Easter Vigil already celebrated by Pope Francis as he baptises 10 new Catholics

Pope Francis celebrates Easter vigil, seeks to bring faith to 'ends of the Earth'

Published April 19, 2014

Associated Press

                          

Apr. 19, 2014: Pope Francis baptizes 10-year-hold Giorgio Capezzuoli during the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the VaticanAP

VATICAN CITY –  Pope Francis baptized 10 people Saturday and urged them to bring their faith "to the ends of the Earth" as he presided over an Easter Vigil in St. Peter's Basilica.
The vigil is among the Vatican's most solemn services. Francis entered the darkened basilica with a lone candle, which he then shared with others to slowly illuminate the church. The symbolic service commemorates the darkness of the faithful over the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and their joy and light at his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Francis urged the priests, bishops, cardinals and ordinary Catholics gathered for the late night service to remember when they first found their faith. "Do I remember it? Have I forgotten it? Look for it. You'll find it. The Lord is waiting."
Trying to remember isn't an act of nostalgia but rather a way to bring the "fire" of faith "to all people, to the very ends of the Earth," he said.
After his homily, Francis proceeded to baptize each of the 10, starting with Italian brothers Giorgio and Jacopo Capezzuoli, aged 8 and 10. "Do you want to be baptized?" he asked each one as he smiled.
He asked the same of the adult converts, who hailed from Vietnam, Belarus, Senegal, Lebanon, Italy and France.
It was the second late night for Francis after the long Good Friday Way of the Cross procession at Rome's Colosseum. Francis, 77, will get a few hours of rest before celebrating Easter Sunday Mass in the flower-strewn St. Peter's Square.
He then has a week to prepare for the other major celebration of this year's Easter season: the April 27 canonizations of Pope John XXIII and John Paul II. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend.

From the Diocese of Baton Rouge: a family of nine are being Baptized at tonight's Easter Vigil! Welcome Home!!

Family of nine to be baptized

Posted April 19, 2014 at 12:00 am

By Barbara Chenevert
The Catholic Commentator
For 16-year-old Brett, the Catholic Church feels like home.
The nine members of the Todd Ross family being baptized at the Easter Vigil at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs are, from left, dad, Todd, holding Joseph; mom, Samantha; LeAnne; Hayden; Blake; Hunter; Logan; and Brett. Photo by Barbara Chenevert | The Catholic Commentator

Fourteen-year-old LeAnne said simply, “I was meant to be here.”
And 13-year-old Hunter can’t wait to be baptized so he “can go into the water like Jesus did.”
Nine members of the Todd and Samantha Ross family of Walker – ranging in age from 40-year-old Todd to 10-month-old Joseph – will be baptized together at the Easter Vigil at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. It is the largest family to be baptized at one time at Immaculate Conception.
“I never really went to church with my parents,” said dad Todd Ross. “When I got old enough to make a decision, I started looking around. I was exposed to non-Catholic viewpoints, but they didn’t make sense. When I explored Catholicism, it all made sense.
“I had been indecisive, but the kids were getting older and if I didn’t commit they would bounce around and be confused.” As a father, I have a responsibility for their spiritual upbringing,” he continued.
A prolific reader, Ross said he began reading everything he could about the Catholic faith. He called Father Jason Palermo, a friend of his aunt, to ask some questions and talked to him for more than an hour before deciding definitely to begin RCIA classes at Immaculate Conception.
Mom Samantha said she had been to Pentecostal and Baptist churches in the past, but decided to follow the lead of her husband into the Catholic Church and found, “It was the right choice.”
The Rosses and their seven children, ages 16 years to 10 months, attend Mass together every Sunday. “I love to see their faces. We sit right up in the front so they can see everything,” Todd said. All but the three youngest – Joseph, Hayden and Logan – are enrolled in RCIA or RCIC classes.
“They are a really neat family,” said Immaculate Conception RCIA coordinator Judy Graphia. “To get seven kids ready for 9 a.m. Mass every Sunday is a big commitment. But they are always there,” she said. “Todd has been diligent about getting the family into the program here.”
LeAnne, the only girl among the seven siblings, said, “I think the Catholic Church is much prettier. When I first walk in and see the stained glass, it feels like a church. It feels like I was meant to be here. It feels right.” A cheerleader and straight A student at Walker Freshman School, LeAnne said the Catholic Church is “different in a good way. Everything seems to flow better.”
Blake, 11, said the Catholic Church was “funner” than the Baptist Church he attended with a friend, because it does things that “relate to Jesus. When we go into church we genuflect, put down the kneeler and pray. I never did that before.”
Brett, a sophomore at Walker High School, said the Catholic faith was different from what he had expected. “I never went to church until I came here. I like it better.”
Learning about the faith has prompted the family to bring religious articles into the home, including an Advent wreath that Blake described as “Cool. We stood as a family around the table and lit the wreath every Sunday and said the prayers together as a family,” he said.
And dad brought home a prayer to say before meals, he added.
Samantha said studying the Catholic faith has made the family more positive, although both Todd and Samantha agree that they have always tried to instill goodness and principles as they reared their children. “I didn’t know until later that what I was teaching them was the Catholic teachings,” Todd said.
“The Catholic Church is the last bastion for families. Everything else is falling like dominoes. I hope the church never backs down from its moral standards,” he added.
Instruction in the Catholic faith has opened doors of friendship for them also. “People would always ask us if we were Catholic, especially at the ballpark, I guess because we were a large family. Now we can say ‘yes.’ ” Samantha said. And several of the children said they now talk about their faith with other Catholics, now that they have gained knowledge.
Hunter added, “I meet people now that I didn’t know were Catholics. I didn’t know anything about being Catholic. I didn’t even know what it meant.”
And Blake likes to “wear his faith on his sleeve,” his dad said. “He loves to tell everybody” about his new found religion.”
The wonderful parishioners of Immaculate Conception and Father Frank Uter have “flung open the doors for us with their support and encouragement,” Todd said.
Ross, a digital control technician, said after the Newtown Connecticut school shootings he started reading a Bible that his son, Hunter, had given him. “I had never read the Bible. I read it all. You cannot read the Bible without it pointing to Catholicism.”
He said he used to joke around about having 10 kids but he never really intended it. As for Samantha she wanted a boy and a girl. “But I love them all. Anytime one or two are out of the house you want them back in,” she said.
LeAnne observed that they all seem happier since discovering Jesus in the Catholic faith, but they are still the typical family. “We still have our arguments, just not as bad as it used to be,” she said.

Welcome new Catholics; in America alone, tonight, approximately 100,000 join the true faith

Thousands of New Catholics Prepare to Receive the Sacraments this Easter

 

April 10, 2014

Archdiocese of Washington reports record numbers entering the Church
Galveston-Houston welcomes over 2,000 people
Easter Vigil rites will be held in English, Chinese, other languages in some communities
WASHINGTON–A widower honoring his late wife and a Chinese graduate student are among the thousands of new Catholics joining the Catholic Church in the United States at Easter. All have participated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), a process of conversion and study in the Catholic faith for catechumens and candidates coming into full communion with the Church.

Catechumens, who have never been baptized, will receive baptism, confirmation and first Communion at the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil. Candidates, who have already been baptized in another Christian tradition whose baptism is recognized by the Catholic Church, will enter the Church through a profession of faith and reception of confirmation and Eucharist.

David Cupp, a candidate from the Archdiocese of Detroit who admits he had not “practiced much of anything for years,” came to the Catholic Church after the sudden death of his wife of 40 years, who was a devoted Catholic. He is grateful for his new journey in the Catholic Church despite his circumstances. “What keeps you sane is that you have to believe that there is a true God,” Cupp says. He is one of 520 catechumens and 660 candidates in the archdiocese who will receive the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.

Only a few months ago, an online video of the Ave Maria moved Jian Wang, a civil engineering student at Rutgers University, to become Catholic. He is a native of China who is no stranger to hardship and poverty. At age 2, his mother left the home and while in college, he lost his father. A simple Google search got him in touch with the university’s Catholic Center where his journey to become Catholic began.

Wang is among 114 catechumens and 156 candidates from the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey, looking forward to receiving the sacraments. As in many communities around the country, a growth in cultural diversity is reflected in the diocese, where some of the catechumens and candidates come from different countries. Some churches are preparing celebrations and initiations that will include languages such as Chinese, Korean and Spanish.

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will welcome about 2,300 catechumens and candidates. The Archdiocese of Washington will welcome 1,306 new Catholics, the largest number of candidates and catechumens in its history. Also welcoming large numbers of converts this year
are the Archdiocese of Atlanta, with 1,913 new Catholics; the Archdiocese of Los Angeles with 1,666; the Archdiocese of New York with 1,350; the Diocese of Raleigh with 1,200; the Archdiocese of Newark with 1,075; the Archdiocese of Seattle with 1,045; the Archdiocese of Chicago with 950; and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati with 946.

Other dioceses reporting hundreds of catechumens and candidates include: Oklahoma City (283 catechumens, 485 candidates); Austin, Texas (374 catechumens, 416 candidates); Baltimore (238 catechumens, 462 candidates); Columbus, Ohio (239 catechumens, 331 candidates); Philadelphia (309 catechumens, 386 candidates); Lansing, Michigan (295 catechumens, 351 candidates) Boston (650 new members); Milwaukee (642 new members) St. Augustine, Florida (592 new members); Grand Rapids, Michigan (506 new members) Mobile, Alabama (482 new members); Omaha, Nebraska (168 catechumens, 312 candidates); Lafayette, Indiana (158 catechumens, 225 candidates).

These numbers are based on participation in the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion, the final phase of the RCIA process celebrated at the beginning of Lent.

Not included are infant baptisms that according to the 2013 Official Catholic Directory (OCD) totaled 763,208 for the year 2012. The OCD also reported that there were 41,918 adult baptisms and 71,582 people received into full communion during the same year, the latest with complete statistical data.

Divine Mercy Novena began on Good Friday; Day 1 and Day 2

The Divine Mercy Novena
		Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday.  He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said: "These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy." In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her: "On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls." The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are: DAY 1 (Good Friday)  - All mankind, especially sinners DAY  2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious DAY 3 (Easter Sunday)  - All devout and faithful souls DAY 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him DAY  5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren DAY  6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children DAY  7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy DAY  8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory;  DAY  9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm. During the Solemn Novena leading to Divine Mercy Sunday, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy should be offered each day for the day's intentions. First Day"Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners,and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me." Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen. Second Day "Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious,and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind." Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen. * In the original text, Saint Faustina uses the pronoun "us" since she was offering this prayer as a consecrated religious sister. The wording adapted here is intended to make the prayer suitable for universal use.

An ancient homily for Holy Saturday

From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday

The Lord descends into hell


Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.
For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

A Powerful Holy Week indeed

After participating in all 3 Masses last Sunday for the Palm Sunday liturgy, including reading the part of the narrator for the proclamation of the Passion, I went home exhausted but fulfilled and prepared for a busy Holy Week.  Indeed, it has been a busy four days, all filled with many spiritual events, some unexpected for sure.


Tuesday evening was reconciliation day in these parts.  Both my home parish of St. Jane and my assigned parish of Most Holy Trinity were offering confessions this evening.  I thought it may be easier for me personally to go by St. Jane's on the way home from work.  To my surprise and my delight, as I entered the beautiful church in Abita Springs, I was greeted by quite a long line of folks with the same idea as my own.  I realized that only one Priest was hearing confessions this night so I just spent a quiet hour in the pews preparing for a good confession and the Holy Week activity to come.  Leaving St. Jane's I arrived at Most Holy Trinity to watch in amazement as dozens upon dozens of people arrived for reconciliation.  A total of five Priests were on hand to hear confessions.  I was able to make a good confession and was so moved by the turnout I remained in the church for another hour just soaking up the beauty of watching so many folks availing themselves of this Sacrament that all too often is under utilized.  It was an incredibly beautiful evening!


Wednesday night I met the volunteers from Mary Queen of Peace Parish at Rayburn Prison.  Every year, during Holy Week, the volunteers conduct a Seder Meal for the inmates with all the usual Seder foods and traditions.  The inmates themselves take the roles in reading the parts of the Passover.  When the Seder is concluded, the men receive Jesus in Holy Communion and I was able to wish each of them both a good Holy Week and an anticipated Easter blessing.  Again, this Wednesday night proved to be so spiritually moving and incredibly fulfilling.  As I drove home in the Wednesday night darkness on the mainly rural roads from the prison back to my home, I had a beautiful hour alone to reflect on the wonderful evening spent with the inmates and the significance of this Holy Week.


We arrive at the Triduum; the day we call Holy Thursday.  On this day the church has no mass during the day and at evening time celebrates the Mass of the Lord's Supper.  I, along with my two brother deacons from the parish, assisted at the Mass.  I was able to proclaim the beautiful Gospel of the model Jesus gave us all to follow, we must wash one another's feet.  At Most Holy Trinity Parish we have a tradition of doing just that.  After the Pastor and the other Priest washes the feet of a few parishioners, each parishioner, in turn, washes the feet of another.  I have never seen the washing of the feet done this way before but it is incredibly moving.  It is hard to put into words the feelings as I watch young and old stoop to wash the feet of another.  It is particularly moving to see a child wash the feet of their parents, or parents their children's feet.  It too is very moving to see the elderly who often times need help getting back up after washing feet, but do so without a complaint.  After the washing of the feet and distribution of Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament is removed from the tabernacle and processed to an altar of repose. The procession is very moving as all kneel while Jesus moves throughout the church.  The Church remains open until midnight for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, now relocated to the altar of repose.  Incredibly, many of the congregation remain, some for an hour, others all the way to midnight.  At midnight, the Blessed Sacrament is removed from the Church and all leave quietly, Good Friday begins.


Good Friday brings many unique traditions in the New Orleans area.  Many businesses close because of the long time influence of Catholicism here.  Others, who have lost the true meaning of the day hosts lavish seafood parties and crawfish boils.  Yet the Church beckons us to Stations of the Cross and at 3 PM, the hour of the death of Christ, we gather to remember his Passion and Crucifixion.  This service is not a Mass, for Good Friday is the only day on the church calendar without a Mass.  We read the Passion from the Gospel of John, we venerate the Cross, we receive Communion from the many hosts consecrated the night before and we all leave in silence.  The Church is quiet, the Blessed Sacrament remains away from the tabernacle.  At Most Holy Trinity our evening Stations of the Cross are presented as Living Stations by our youth group.  Masterfully done, the event proves to be spiritually moving and often times evokes cries from those of us watching.  Both the scene of Jesus' death, the 12th station and the burial of Jesus, the 14th station are particularly haunting.  In the presentation, the young man who portrays Jesus is literally carried from the church on the arms and backs of 4 adults and is very moving.  Good Friday concludes.


And now, as I write this, it is early on the morning of Holy Saturday.  Yes, we are about to transition to Easter, yet we must remain with the empty tomb.  We must continue to prepare for Easter with contemplation on the Crucifixion.  We must continue to reflect interiorly on the sacrifice of Jesus, His public ministry, his passion, death and resurrection! 


For me, this has been a most powerful Holy Week indeed!  The events of this week are preparing me for a most generous response to tonight's Resurrection joy and Easter alleluias!

Good Friday; why do we call it good?

Why Is Good Friday Good?

By Scott P. Richert, About.com Guide

 

The Cross in the Woods in Indian River, Michigan, is the world's largest crucifix. Completed in August 1959, it was declared a national shrine by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on September 15, 2006.

(Photo by Scott P. Richert)

 

 

Question: Why Is Good Friday Good?

If Good Friday is the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified, why is Good Friday called good?

Answer: Why is Good Friday "good"? That question puzzles not only children but many adults as well. After all, it isn't obvious that we should call Good Friday good, since it is the day on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. How can Good Friday be good when it commemorates the day on which the sins of mankind brought about the death of our Savior?The Baltimore Catechism declares that Good Friday is called good because Christ, by His Death, "showed His great love for man, and purchased for him every blessing." Good, in this sense, means "holy," and indeed Good Friday is known as Holy and Great Friday among Eastern Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox. Good Friday is also known as Holy Friday in the Romance languages.
Thus the answer given by the Baltimore Catechism seems a good explanation, except for the fact that Good Friday is called good only in English. In its entry on Good Friday, the Catholic Encyclopedia notes that:

The origin of the term Good is not clear. Some say it is from "God's Friday" (Gottes Freitag); others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag, and not specially English. Sometimes, too, the day was called Long Friday by the Anglo-Saxons; so today in Denmark.

If Good Friday were called good because English adopted the German phrase, then we would expect Gute Freitag to be the common German name for Good Friday, but it is not. Instead, Germans refer to Good Friday as Karfreitag—that is, Sorrowful or Suffering Friday—in German.
So, in the end, the historical origins of why Good Friday is called Good Friday remain unclear, but the theological reason is very likely the one expressed by the Baltimore Catechism: Good Friday is good because the death of Christ, as terrible as it was, led to the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, which brought new life to those who believe.