BIG C CATHOLICS

April 1st, is the feast of Saint Hugh of Grenoble (1053 – 1132), the 12th century French bishop who faithfully carried out the Gregorian reform preserving the sanctity of the clergy and fidelity to doctrine. He stanchly defended the Church against incursions by the state. He is remembered for his great personal piety, allegiance to the papacy and dedication to monasticism. St. Hugh is also noted for mentoring Saint Bruno, and encouraging him to found the Carthusian Order. He was born in southeastern France at Châteauneuf-sur-Isère, near Grenoble in the foothills of the Alps. From his devout parents, he learned the truths of the Faith, developing an abiding devotion to God and the Church. He excelled in his studies, winning a reputation for brilliance. Such was his holiness and theological knowledge that, at the age of 27, he was named Bishop of Grenoble, despite not yet being ordained. Pope Gregory VII consecrated him in Rome and charged him with implementing the Gregorian reform ...

Icon of the 21 Coptic Christian Martyrs of Egypt officially recognized as Saints by the Coptic Church. Later in his life, Saint Stephen of Mar Saba is believed to have suffered at the hands of the Umayyad and Abbasid Islamic dynasties, to whom many of his fellow monks lost their lives. His poem "Art thou weary, art thou languid?", demonstrates his courageous fortitude, singular devotion and trust in God. Art thou weary, art thou languid, Art thou sore distressed? “Come to Me,” saith One, “and coming, Be at rest.” Hath He marks to lead me to Him, If He be my Guide? In His feet and hands are wound prints And His side. Hath He diadem, as monarch, That His brow adorns? Yes, a crown in very surety, But of thorns. If I find Him, if I follow, What His guerdon here? Many a sorrow, many a labor, Many a tear. If I still hold closely to Him, What hath He at last? Sorrow vanquished, labour ended, Jordan passed. If I ask Him to receive me, Will He say me ...

The example of this 8th century saint should reassure anyone who thinks that great or grandiose deeds are necessary for a sanctified life. Saint Stephen of Mar Saba (725-794), whose feast day is March 31st, lived a quiet, unassuming and prayerful existence, but his service to others through contemplation and works led to him being an exemplar of holiness and peace. He ministered for half a century within the community of Mar Saba, a monastery established by Saint Sabas in the 5th century. His witness of heroic virtue and selfless love illustrates the extraordinary power of God’s grace to transform and ennoble ordinary life. A nephew of Saint John Damascene, one of the most learned men of his time, young Stephen was introduced to monastic life at the age of ten. From then until he reached the age of 24, he received instruction from his uncle, upon whom's death he became both a monk and an ordained priest. Stephen’s spiritual insight was especially evident in the charitable guid...

God does not require that we be successful only that we be faithful. — St. Teresa of Calcutta Saint Teresa of Avila, after participating in the sacrament of reconciliation, would wait for her fellow sisters to finish their individual confessions. As the sisters came out, she would greet each one saying, “Begin again… begin again!” We are now more than halfway through Lent. You may have observed in full the Lenten observances below. To those who have done so imperfectly or half-heartedly, you can always renew your Lenten sacrifice. Abstaining from meat on Fridays is an easy act of self-denial (and commendable outside of Lent.), as is forgoing enjoyable foods, activities, television, etc., in honor of Christ’s Passion. LENTEN SACRIFICE ABSTINENCE No meat can be taken by those 14 and older on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays. FASTING A limit of one full meatless meal by those aged 18-59 on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. SELF-DENIAL Voluntary acts of self-denial are...

"What good would it have done Lazarus when he came out of the tomb, if it had not been said, ‘Unbind him and let him go’? He came forth bound; not on his own feet, therefore, but by some power leading him. Let this be in the heart of the penitent: when you hear a man confessing his sins, he has already come to life again; when you hear a man lay his bare conscious in confessing, he has already come forth from the sepulcher; but he is not yet unbound. When is he unbound? By whom is he unbound? 'Whatever you loose on earth,’ he says, ‘shall be loosed in heaven.’ Rightly is the loosing of sins able to be given by the Church, but the dead man cannot be raised to life again except by the Lord’s calling him interiorly for this latter is done by God in a more interior way."  — St. Augustine of Hippo ____________________________________________________ Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer You are the resurrection and the life. No one else can give et...

In her didactic treatise, The Seven Spiritual Weapons , Saint Catherine offers deep insight into combating Satan’s lies and fighting temptation for the salvation of souls. Pope Benedict XVI called the seven spiritual weapons she identified as useful to the faithful, "A splendid program of spiritual life… for each one of us!" "1. Always to be careful and diligently strive to do good; 2. to believe that alone we will never be able to do something truly good; 3. to trust in God and, for love of him, never to fear in the battle against evil, either in the world or within ourselves; 4. to meditate often on the events and words of the life of Jesus, and especially on his Passion and his death; 5. to remember that we must die; 6. to focus our minds firmly on memory of the goods of Heaven; 7. to be familiar with Sacred Scripture, always cherishing it in our hearts so that it may give direction to all our thoughts and all our actions." ________________________________...

March 28th, is the optional memorial of Saint Catherine of Bologna (1413-1463), the 15th century sister, virgin, mystic, miracle worker and patron saint of artists and those facing temptation. Little is known of her formative years. She was born in Bologna, and served as the maid of honor to the Marquis of Ferrara's daughter. (Catherine’s father was an adviser to the Marquis.) Catherine took residence in the palace, and became friends with her mistress, Margaret. When Margaret became engaged, she asked Catherine to remain. Catherine instead perused her religious vocation. At age 14, she dedicated her life to God and entered the Third Order of the Franciscans where she lived as part of a semi-monastic community. Four years later, the community of women in Ferrara to which Catherine belonged joined the Order of the Poor Clares. Catherine continued in prayerful poverty and obedience, joyfully serving the Lord. She held numerous positions, working as a laundress, dressmaker, bread...

Dear Saint Lazarus, friend of Christ Incarnate and patron of the poor and the sick. I request your intercession, with the aid of the Holy Spirit; May the Lord, Who prefigured His Resurrection through your own miraculous rising, always guide me in my earthly pilgrimage and protect me in sickness and in health. Together with Saint Martha and Saint Mary, you welcomed the Savior into your home. May I do the same by welcoming Jesus into my heart and serving Him faithfully in my brothers and sisters. Help me to imitate Christ more perfectly. Holy St. Lazarus give me the strength to overcome all temptation and difficulty. May your witness inspire me to have faith and hope in Jesus, especially amid great trial. Pray that I will display heroic virtue and persevere in love so as to merit to be received by God into the halls of heaven. I ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who lives and reigns with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever. Amen. Sain...

The Fifth Sunday of Lent (A) April 2, 2017 By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45 "Untie him and let him go."  (John 11: 44)  Nearing the end of the season of Lent, the Church this Sunday is knocking at the door of Holy Week (which begins next Sunday, April 9, with Palm Sunday), seeking entrance to the events that together form the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the annual reminder of God’s love for His people! During Holy Week, the faithful will visit the Upper Room during the Passover. At this meal, Jesus takes bread and wine and declares it to be His body and blood, which will be poured out for the many. Good Friday is the next stop on the journey. Kneeling at the foot of the cross, the people of God will adore that wood on which their Savior died. The story does not end there! At the Easter Vigil Mass, the people will stand in awe and wonder at the empty tomb. Jesus is risen! Alle...

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) All of us, I am sure, have read recent accounts about the decline of interest in religion among Americans. A recent survey reports that 20% of Americans have no religious affiliations at all and feel no need of God or belief in God. It seems they feel that they are self-sufficient; God is not necessary. So why are we here? Our motives are many and mixed. Some are here in their need seeking God’s help. Some are here seeking God’s forgiveness, others out of love of God, others out of thanksgiving for all that God has done for them. Some are here simply out of a sense of duty and others out of mere habit. All of us are looking forward to everlasting life with God in heaven. In the opening prayer of today’s Mass, we heard the words: “Help us to embrace the world that you have given us, that we may transform the darkness of its pain into the life and joy of Easter.” In the first read...

Please remember the Holy Father Pope Francis' intentions in prayer throughout the month of April: Young People  That young people may respond generously to their vocations and seriously consider offering themselves to God in the priesthood or consecrated life. Urgent Intention - Landslide Victims/Peace  Victims of the landslide in Colombia and peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, and Paraguay.

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) What did the man born blind do once he could see? He went back. Where? We don’t know. Why? Well, where else? John tells us nothing about his reaction to his new situation. He is totally unlike the lame man healed in Acts 3:8, “walking and jumping and praising God.” He was not even looking for Jesus, as far as we can tell. It almost makes sense. He is the only blind person in the Gospels whose story does not include Jesus’ being asked to let him see. Maybe he was just stunned, confused at this totally unexpected turn of events. Add to that all the fuss going on around him! Why did the bystanders even feel it necessary to bring him to the Pharisees? This is an element typical of John’s Gospel, heightening the drama and propelling the dialogue forward to its climax. With such an interesting story, it is easy to miss the brief prolog...

March's blog of note is The Veil of Chastity . The site is written for single Catholic young women, but the information provided, focusing expressly on living chastely in both the single and married vocations — is applicable to all. Although currently inactive, the blog’s author, a Catholic Mom and full-time professional, faithful to the teaching of the Church and to the Magisterium, is finalizing a book discussing the wisdom behind the virtue of chastity. The work of Saint John Paul II, Pope Paul VI, Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand, and Saint Thomas Aquinas are thoughtfully considered vis–à–vis Humanae Vitae and the Theology of the Body. The blog's about page explains its mission: "The United States alone has 27 million single Catholics. This site is dedicated to those singles and those around the world who are looking for wisdom and hope. This is a place to share and learn about the virtue of chastity, the truth behind the virtue and why it leads to our happines...

March 25, 2017 The Solemnity of the Annunciation is the celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that she would become the Theotokos . Despite being a virgin, Mary would miraculously conceive the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her son Jesus, meaning “God delivers”. The Solemnity of the Annunciation comes nine months before Christmas. According to the Gospel of Luke, the Annunciation occurred in “the sixth month” of her cousin Elizabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist. the precursor or forerunner of the Lord. Mary Mother of God, help us to be faithful to God's will in all things as you were. ____________________________________________________ Solemnity of the Annunciation Collect Prayer O God, who willed that your Word should take on human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, that we, who confess our Redeemer to be God and man, may merit to become partakers even in his divine nature. Who lives and ...

There is very little known about Dismas apart from the account of the crucifixion chronicled in the Gospel of Luke. Traditionally given the title of the “Good Thief” for rebuking the criminal who mocked Jesus, Dismas, who was also under the sentence of crucifixion, asked to be remembered by Jesus “when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus then replied, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23: 42-43). The Christian community took seriously Jesus’ words that the good thief was saved, and honors him as a saint. Dismas’ response to Jesus is an articulation of the steps in conversion away from sin: he came to an honest awareness of his sin and renounced it, seeking Jesus as the source of eternal life. The words of our Savior to Dismas, assuring him of heaven is understood by the Church as the first granting of a plenary indulgence. A legend arose in the Middle Ages that Dismas and Jesus had met one time prior to the events at Calvary. According to the story...

No soldier is obliged to obey an order counter to the law of God. No one has to comply with an immoral law. It is the time now that you recover your conscience and obey its dictates rather than the command of sin…. Therefore, in the name of God, and in the name of this long-suffering people, whose laments rise to heaven every day more tumultuous, I beseech you, I beg you, I command you! In the name of God: ‘Cease the repression!’  — Blessed Oscar Romero  ____________________________________________________ Almighty ever-living God,, who gave Blessed Oscar Romero the courage to give up his life for justice, grant, through his intercession, that, renouncing our life for Christ in this world, we may find it in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

March 24th, is the optional memorial of Blessed Oscar Romero. When Monsignor Romero was installed as Archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador in February 1977, he was thrust into a tumultuous situation. A military coup in October 1979 led to a gruesome, twelve-year civil war. These events were precipitated by the great disparity between a small number of powerful, wealthy families – who were backed by local politicians and the military, and the rest of El Salvador’s citizens. Many people suffered extreme poverty. Laborers worked for minimal pay for wealthy landowners, yet they could not hope to obtain land for themselves. The military terrorized the people in order to ensure that the families of affluence held on to their land and wealth, so as to maintain their powerful political influence. The Catholic Church became a target when some clergy began to defend the poor. In response to these injustices, some Salvadorans took up arms and fought against the military. While some Latin A...

The essence of evil is not robbing, stealing, murdering; it is the crucifixion of Goodness, the elimination of the Moral Principle of life, so that one may sin without remorse and with impunity.  — Venerable Fulton Sheen ____________________________________________________ Prayer for the Canonization of Venerable Fulton Sheen Heavenly Father, source of all holiness, You raise up within the Church in every age men and women who serve with heroic love and dedication. You have blessed Your Church through the life and ministry of Your faithful servant, Archbishop Fulton J Sheen. He has written and spoken well of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and was a true instrument of the Holy Spirit in touching the hearts of countless people. If it be according to Your Will, for the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the salvation of souls, we ask You to move the Church to proclaim him a saint. We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

March 23rd, is the optional memorial of St. Toribio of Mogrovejo (1538 – 1606), the 16th century bishop, reformer and missionary who, by his tireless zeal and boundless love, renewed the Church in Peru. Though he began life as a law professor at the prestigious University of Salamanca, it would be as a poor missionary in the New World, not as a high Spanish government official, that St. Toribio of Mogrovejo would discover what God wanted him to do with his life. Toribio was born into Spanish nobility in 1538. His father was Don Louis Alfonso, mayor of Mayorga, and his mother was Anna de Roblès y Moran y Villaquexida. It was Toribios’ great learning and reputation for virtue that attracted the attention of King Philip II of Spain; this subsequently led to his appointment as chief judge of the Inquisition at Granada. Some argued that he succeeded too well in that position; whether or not that is true, the strength of character he displayed made him a natural choice to be appoint...

The Catechism was not written to please you. It will not make life easy for you, because it demands of you a new life. — Pope Benedict XVI ____________________________________________________ A Prayer For Discernment All highest, glorious God, cast your light into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity and profound humility with wisdom and perception, O Lord, so that I may do what is truly Your holy will. Amen.

On March 30th, 2017, canon lawyers, theologians and scholars will attend a first of its kind colloquium titled: " The Pope's Deposition, Theological Sites - Canonical Models - Constitutional Issues ". The two day gathering at the University of Paris will discuss a subject that has never been the topic of a Catholic conference previously, how to depose a heretical pontiff. The colloquium seeks to examine "the mechanisms that are built into the Catholic Church for dealing with a pope who openly teaches falsehood." LifeSiteNews has more on the upcoming event : The conference includes 15 speakers who will be giving a range of talks on the subject matter with titles such as "Conciliarism and the Deposition of a Pope Through the Prism of Gallicanism," "The Downfall of the Pope: Between Renunciation and Deposition," and "The Deposition of John XXII and Benedict XIII at Constance..." Those speaking at the conference include,"Prof...

This pro-life poster illustrates the truth that abortion is the taking of innocent human life. World wide, about 115,00 unborn children are aborted each day. In the above image, an expectant mother thinks to herself, "My mom is going to kill me." Meanwhile, her unborn child, griped by an equal foreboding worries, "My mom is going to kill me." May all expectant mothers have courage to act in love. Almighty God, grant us, we pray that all unborn children will be loved and kept safe until the joyous day of their birth. May the Lord, who rescues the life of the poor and the weak from the power of the wicked, send an angel to guard and protect all unborn children and expectant mothers. We pray to the Lord. Amen.

On the 4th Sunday of Lent, we read in John’s Gospel about Christ healing a man blind from birth. We identify with the man who came to see and believe in Jesus as the Son of God. The Lord has anointed our eyes with His own divine hands and washed them with the waters of our baptism. Jesus used mud made with his own saliva, and told the man to wash in the waters of Siloam. Jesus did this because it was the Sabbath, the day, when it was strictly forbidden to make mud, spit, and wash. By breaking these Jewish ritual laws, Jesus proved that He is indeed the Lord of the Sabbath. As such, He is co-equal to God the Father, the One who works even on the Sabbath, the holiest of days, directing the world He created. The scandal totally transcends the fact that Jesus has healed the blind man, who is expelled from the synagogue because of his faith in Christ. The whole Church follows this man in his destiny, knowing that the truly blind are those who do not recognize Jesus as the Lord and pers...

March 20, 2017 Saint Joseph, a "good and upright man," heard God’s wishes by listening to his dreams. Common advice would have told him to divorce Mary, as he planned to do, but he was willing to do what was disapproved of by other people because he trusted God’s plan more than his own. When practicality would have said, "Stay in Bethlehem; Egypt is no place for a poor carpenter and his family," he also declined to rely on his own will, and thereby saved the life of Mary’s infant Son. St. Joseph, Pray that we might be faithful to God's will in all things as you were. ____________________________________________________ Prayer for St. Joseph's Intercession  Grant, we pray, almighty God and Father, that by the intercession of your devoted servant Saint Joseph your Church may constantly watch over the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation, whose beginnings you entrusted to his unfailing care. We humbly ask this through our Lord Jesus Chr...

One of the Church’s most beloved saints is also one about whom we know relatively little. St. Joseph, whose feast day we celebrate on March 19, is mentioned only in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and even there his story goes no further than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12. However, that story is a remarkable one, full of great faith and love for both God and the Holy Family who were commended to his care. We do know a few important things about him. For instance, although he was a humble carpenter, he was nonetheless a descendant of the kingly “house and lineage” of David. We know, too, that he was a “righteous (or just) man,” a designation in Scripture which indicates his total openness to God and God’s will. And though certainly obedient to the law — we see this in his decision to divorce Mary because she was carrying a child he knew was not his — he was also a man of great compassion, because he also decided to do so quietly. To understand the true significance o...

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) We have all heard the phrase “Seeing is believing.” The idea comes, I suppose, from skeptical people who won’t believe anything is real or anything is true unless and until they see it for themselves. In today’s Gospel account the phrase “Seeing is believing” is paradoxically both proved and disproved. It is proved by the blind man eventually seeing Jesus and acknowledging that indeed Jesus is “from God.” The blind man recognized Jesus for who He is. The Pharisees, on the other hand, men who were sighted, did not or would not see Jesus for who He is. The blind man could see, the sighted Pharisees were blind. Seeing, they would not believe. In this Gospel account Jesus gives us some additional clues as to who He really is. You will recall that in the Book of Genesis we find God creating us from “the slime of the earth.” Here we find slimy mud formed from Jesus’ saliva bringing lig...

The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, March 19, 2017 By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Psalm 89; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22;  Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary  your wife into your home." (Mt 1:20) Try for a moment to see the situation through Joseph’s eyes. The woman he loved and was engaged to tells him she is pregnant. He knows he is not the father of this child. Already Mary has shared enough information to hurt Joseph. Wait! There is more. Mary claims an angel has visited her. The visitor informed her that she was to conceive through the Holy Spirit. Thus, the child will be the Son of God. If it was found out that Mary was pregnant outside of marriage she could be in grave trouble with the authorities. It is no wonder Joseph had decided to send her away quietly. The Gospel chosen for today’s feast is the dream in which Joseph is told not to fear and to bring her into his home. Her story is true...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) One of my favorite Scripture quotations is, “As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” (Proverbs 25:25) Today, however, I feel I should quote Samuel Taylor Coleridge: “Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink.” The first half of the quotation seems apt for today’s readings. Water, water everywhere! In their wanderings in the desert, the Lord led his people to an area where, as we read: “There was no water for the people to drink.” The dramatic scene depicted in the first reading follows immediately. Here water is obviously meant in the strictly literal sense. Water is even more prevalent in today’s Gospel. The word occurs eight times in Jesus’ conversation with the woman of Samaria. But here, as often happens in John, the literal sense is soon eclipsed by a deeper symbolic sense. As we read, it b...

March 19, 2017 The Blessed Virgin Mary helped Saint Joseph become the great leader and protector of his family that he was. He needed her prayers, love and support. Today, let us pray for all mothers, wives, and future wives, that they will love, respect, support and pray for their husbands or future spouses. Finally, let us pray that all families grow in holiness. May they know and reflect God's love forever like the Holy Family in emulation of the Trinity. Day 9 – St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Novena Saint Joseph, you are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I come to you as an example for holiness, for you are especially close with God. Therefore, I humbly commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my ...