BIG C CATHOLICS

Fr. Michael J. Woolley The Lord is Risen, Alleluia! This is the Church’s message to our troubled world tonight (this Day) and for the next 50 days: He is truly Risen! He is Risen, despite the treacherous greed of Judas which stripped Him of all He had, He is Risen, despite the cowardice of His Apostles who in the hour of darkness found themselves powerless to aid Him, He is Risen, despite the blindness of His own people who preferred the sham Barabbas to the true Messiah, He is truly Risen, in spite of the excessive beating the Romans gave Him, He is truly Risen, in spite of the four sharp nails that were driven into His Sacred Flesh, He is truly Risen, in spite of the death He truly underwent as a man, in spite of the three days His cold and lifeless Body spent in the tomb. No, not greed, nor cowardice, nor rejection, nor beating, nor crucifixion, nor death itself could overcome Jesus Christ. He has overcome them all, He has trampled them underHis pierced Feet. The T...

He is Truly Risen Fr. Rene Butler Have you ever noticed how repetitious the Psalms sometimes are? For example, Psalm 117 is only two verses long and the first verse says the same thing twice, in different words: "Praise the LORD, all you nations! Give glory, all you peoples!" Here is another example from Psalm 27: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom am I afraid?" This same kind of repetition occurs often in the Prophets. The reason is simple: this is poetry, and one of the most important aspects of poetry in any language is the imaginative use of language to say the same things in many different ways. Here are some examples from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: "She doth teach the torches to burn bright!","What light from yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." Shakespeare gives Romeo numerous opportunities to say, "Ain't s...

The U.S. Conference of Bishops will lead thousands of people in prayer today as they march toward the Supreme Court to promote marriage as a union between a man and a woman. They are congregating in Washington as the justices hear arguments on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative that effectively banned same-sex marriage in the state. Tomorrow, the court will hear arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prohibits gay married couples from getting the federal benefits that heterosexual couples can obtain. For more go here .

The incredible moment when Pope Francis left his Popemobile to bless a disabled man before his Inaugural Mass

Heavenly Father, You lifted your dear Son from the grave and made Him a beacon of hope for all mortals. By overcoming sin and death and hell, may He take us by the hand and lead us into the land of bliss and glory where we shall enjoy forever the company of the whole heavenly host. May we trust with all our hearts in His glorious wounds by which He ransomed us for everlasting life. Blessed be the name of Jesus, now and forever.   Amen.

Today's Collect: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that by Saint Joseph's intercession you Church may constantly watch over the unfolding of the mysteries of salvation, whose beginnings you entrusted to his faithful care. And in this day and age when the free exercise of our faith is under attack in our land, the intercessions of good St. Joseph, protector of Mary and Jesus, patron of the Church, is especially needed.

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH ( Click here for today’s readings ) We are so used to the story of the Passion of Jesus that we forget that each of the four Gospel accounts contains material not found in the other three. Unique to Matthew is the scene where Judas brings the money back to the chief priests and then hangs himself, and the chief priests buy the potter’s field. Likewise, there is the moment when Pilate’s wife sends him a message to have nothing to do with Jesus. Most troubling is the verse which reads: “The whole people said: ‘His blood be upon us and upon our children.’” It is troubling for two reasons: First, because it was a terrible thing to say. Second, and most important, this verse has historically been used – abused – to justify hatred and persecution of Jews over the centuries. We forgot what Jesus said in Luke’s Gospel, as he was being crucified: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are d...

Can you tell your aspergillum from your alb? Your cassock from your chasuble? Take this quiz on all things Roman Catholic to test your knowledge of one of the world's oldest, largest, and most powerful institutions. Go here for quiz.

Lord Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd, Always providing for our needs and leading us to eternal life. We thank you for Pope Francis I, Your Vicar on earth, The Servant of the Servants of God. Give him holiness and strength to carry out his mission, And may he be for the world A sign of your love And a clear voice for truth, justice, And the sanctity of human life. May all he says and does Lead us closer to you, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen!

Jorge Mario Bergoglio ; December 17, 1936) is pope of the Catholic Church, elected on March 14, 2013, and taking the regnal name of Francis , after St. Francis of Assisi. He is the first Pope born in the Americas. Prior to his election, he served as an Argentine cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He has served as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires since 1998. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2001. Jorge Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, one of the five children of an Italian railway worker and his wife. After studying at the seminary in Villa Devoto, he entered the Society of Jesus on March 11, 1958. Bergoglio obtained a licentiate in philosophy from the Colegio Máximo San José in San Miguel, and then taught literature and psychology at the Colegio de la Inmaculada in Santa Fe, and the Colegio del Salvador in Buenos Aires. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 13, 1969, by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano. He attended the Philosophical and Theologic...

Dear Disciple of Christ, I hope you love Lent as much as I do. Between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Lent puts us in touch with the truth about ourselves and God. Lent reminds us that flesh and blood are still but dust and ashes. We must die. We are all sinners. We need to surrender to the mercy of God. We give him all our weaknesses, failures, and sins, asking not just forgiveness, but cleansing. We pray for our conversion to a life in which we trust and love God as Jesus did. We show our repentance by self-denial. We break bad habits and replace them with good. We strip life down to its bare essentials. We fast. We give alms. We are honest with God, letting him know that we seek him first and desire to walk in his grace. During Lent, our daily offering becomes more real for us than ever. With the love of Christ within us, we pray for others. We find new ways to serve those in need and to be at peace with those we find difficult. We are more keenly aware that we offer ourselv...

Here is the translation of the homily delivered by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, during the “Missa Pro Eligendo Romano Pontefice” today in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. Dear Concelebrants, Distinct Authorities, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “Forever I will sing the mercies of the Lord” is the hymn that resounds once again near the tomb of the Apostle Peter in this important hour of the history of the Holy Church of Christ. These are the words of Psalm 88 that have flowed from our lips to adore, give thanks and beg the Father who is in heaven. “Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo”: is the beautiful Latin text that has introduced us into contemplation of the One who always watches over his Church with love, sustaining her on her journey down through the ages, and giving her life through his Holy Spirit. Such an interior attitude is ours today as we wish to offer ourselves with Christ to the Father who is in heaven, to thank him for the loving assi...

As the papal conclave begins in Rome, wrapped in mystery and secrecy, there is no indication that the 115 cardinals will be deciding between just a couple of front-runners in choosing a successor to Pope Benedict XVI. Milan's Cardinal Angelo Scola and Brazil's Cardinal Odilo Scherer are names that keep cropping up on the lists of papabili, but NBC News Vatican analyst George Weigel says no fewer than 20 men could get votes when balloting starts Tuesday in the Sistine Chapel. They come from the traditional bastions of Italy, from growth areas like sub-Saharan Africa, even from the United States. Only time — and a puff of white smoke — will reveal which one will emerge as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. Here, in alphabetical order, are the princes of the church who Weigel says could be considered for the top job:     Angelo Bagnasco : The archbishop of Genoa, he also heads the influential conference of Italian bishops. Considered an intellect...

Birth control and abortion have always been about Population Control. Any simple read of history proves this. The President of the deeply racist American Eugenics Society, Frederick Osborn, declared: "Birth Control and Abortion are turning out to be great eugenic advances of our time." Overt acts of racism against black Americans is nothing new. And now that precious black babies are aborted up to 6 times more than precious white babies (as in NYC), the eugenics movement continues its population control efforts. Learn more at  http://www.toomanyaborted.com

Check it out HERE .

Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, says there will be an announcement shortly after 1 p.m. today Eastern time of the date of the conclave. He said that he thought the date was likely to be next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday — which means there will almost certainly be a new pope by next Friday. (Over the past century, three- or four-day conclaves have been unusual. It’s usually wrapped up by the end of the second full day of voting.)

Cardinal Electors from the United States: A View from Inside the Conclave:

Our Lord sometimes makes you feel the weight of the cross. This weight seems unbearable but you carry it because in His love and mercy, the Lord helps you and gives you strength. - St. Pio (Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)

The Catholic Church offers an easy plenary indulgence (with the usual conditions) to the faithful who recite the following prayer before a crucifix after having received Communion on any Friday in Lent. A plenary indulgence, you'll remember, remits all the temporal punishment due to personal sins - eternal punishment is remitted in baptism and sacramental confession. You may pray the prayer in either Latin or your vernacular: En ego, o bone et dulcissime Jesu, ante conspectum tuum genibus me provolvo, ac maximo animi ardore te oro atque obtestor, ut meum in cor vividos fidei, spei et caritatis sensus, atque veram peccatorum meorum paenitentiam, eaque emendandi firmissimam voluntatem velis imprimere; dum magno animi affectu et dolore tua quinque vulnera mecum ipse considero, ac mente contemplor, illud prae oculis habens, quod iam in ore ponebat tuo David Propheta de te, o bone Iesu: "Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos; dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea." (Grant 8 § 1, 2º in...

"May the Child Jesus be the star that guides you through the desert of your present life." - St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)

( Spanish ) Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Good Shepherd, And you never leave your flock untended. You gave your life that we may live, And you appoint shepherds after your own heart To lead your people by word and example To likewise give themselves away in love. We thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI, And for his service to the Church and the world. We ask that you now give him a fruitful period Of rest and prayer, of gratitude and praise. We ask you, Lord Jesus, with the Father, To send the Holy Spirit on the Church once again. In particular, guide the Cardinals who will shortly exercise The obligation and privilege of electing a new Pope. Guide their deliberations and decisions With divine wisdom and insight. Even no...