BIG C CATHOLICS

There are several plenary indulgences that may be obtained during the Easter Triduum — from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. An indulgence may be either partial or plenary. It is partial if it removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin, or plenary if it removes all punishment. A plenary indulgence may only be obtained once per day. The following prayers/professions will merit a plenary indulgence — provided the conditions for a plenary indulgence are met. (See below.) Plenary Indulgence Opportunities During the Easter Triduum ◗ Every Friday of Lent: Recitation of O Good and Sweetest Jesus after reception of the Eucharist before an image of the crucified Christ . ◗ Holy Thursday: Praying the Tantum Ergo after the Mass of the Last Supper. ◗ Good Friday: Participating in the Veneration of the Cross. ◗ Holy Saturday: Renewing your baptismal vows at the Easter Vigil Mass (renewing your baptismal vows on the anniversary of your baptism may a

The Divine Mercy Novena begins on Good Friday, April 14th, 2017, and continues until the second Sunday of Easter — the feast of Divine Mercy. The Divine Mercy novena prayers were given to Saint Faustina by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Each day features a new petition seeking God’s abundant mercy for various individuals. The message of Divine Mercy is one of conversion and forgiveness. For a step by step guide showing how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet go here . Novena Prayer for Sinners (Day 1)  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 Compassionat

In the first centuries of the Church, the week preceding the solemnity of Easter was called the “Great Week.” Then as now, Holy Week is the commemoration of the successful conclusion of the work of salvation accomplished by our Lord, starting with Christ’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, and culminating with His glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Below is a brief summation of events. Palm Sunday Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion recalls Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem where He was hailed as the Son of David; who comes in the name of the Lord. The liturgy begins with the blessing of palms and the reading of the Gospel of the Passion. The Church offers an apt instruction at the beginning of the procession on Palm Sunday that is applicable throughout Holy Week: “Therefore, with all faith and devotion, let us commemorate the Lord’s entry into the city of our salvation, following in his footsteps, so that, being made by his grace partakers of the Cross, we may have a share also

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, April 9, 2017 By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois 'Therefore, with all faith and devotion, let us commemorate the Lord’s entry into the city of our salvation, following in his footsteps, so that, being made by his grace partakers of the Cross, we may have a share also in his Resurrection and in his life.' These words come from the opening prayer of the Liturgy of Palm Sunday, which is the solemn entrance into Holy Week. Throughout Lent, the faithful have been preparing for the great mystery of Easter. Today they stand at its doorstep, ready to enter the most sacred moment of Jesus’ life. The Church wants its people to do more than “celebrate” these sacred days. Rather, the faithful “follow” in his footsteps, “partake” of the Cross, and “share” in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the prayer above states. Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday and includes Holy Thursday and Good Friday, concluding with Easter Sunday, is more than

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 rec

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

Why do we say that there are 40 days of Lent? When you count all the days from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday, there are 46. A. It might be more accurate to say that there is the "40-day fast within Lent." Historically, Lent has varied from a week to three weeks to the present configuration of 46days. The 40-day fast, however, has been more stable. The Sundays of Lent are certainly part of the Time of Lent, but they are not prescribed days of fast and abstinence. Does that mean that when we give something up for Lent, such as candy, we can have it on Sundays? A. Apart from the prescribed days of fast and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and the days of abstinence every Friday of Lent, Catholics have traditionally chosen additional penitential practices for the whole Time of Lent.  These practices are disciplinary in nature and often more effective if they are continuous, i.e., kept on Sundays as well. That being said, such practices are not regulated

From its earliest days, the Church has urged the baptized and catechumens to observe the threefold discipline of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer as a preparation for the celebration of Easter. Failure to observe individual days of penance is not considered serious, but failure to observe penitential days (Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent) must be considered serious. The penitential season of Lent begins this year on Ash Wednesday, March 1st. The sixth Sunday of Lent, April 9th, marks the beginning of Holy Week and is known as Passion (or Palm) Sunday. Lenten Regulations are summarized as follows: Abstinence: Abstinence from meat is to be observed on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent by all Catholics 14 years of age and older. It should be noted also that “the Fridays of the year outside of Lent remain days of penance, but each individual may substitute for the traditional abstinence from meat some other practice of voluntary self-denial

Robert Gidley This article is disturbing; there is nothing pleasant about crucifixion. However, having an understanding of crucifixion helps us understand what Jesus went through on the day of his death. This article is based on various articles written by medical doctors, including a study by the Mayo Clinic published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1989. Crucifixion probably started first with the Persians (what is modern day Iran). Initially, the victim was suspended to keep their feet from touching holy ground. The Phoenicians, traders to many lands, seem to have also acquired the practice and probably spread it to other cultures, including the Greeks. Alexander the Great (a Greek) introduced the practice to Carthage, where it was picked up by the Romans. The Romans started using it around the time Jesus was born. The Romans perfected crucifixion as a punishment designed to maximize pain and suffering. It wasn't about killing somebody — it was a