BIG C CATHOLICS

[This prayer may be recited individually or as a family before an image of Christ crucified on Palm Sunday and throughout Holy Week. It is taken from the words of Pope Pius XII On the Sacred Liturgy .] "Dearly beloved, in Holy Week, when the most bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ are put before us by the liturgy, the Church invites us to come to Calvary and follow in the blood-stained footsteps of the Divine Redeemer, to carry the Cross willingly with Him, to reproduce in our hearts His spirit of expiation and atonement, and to die together with Him." V/ We ought to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ R/ in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection. V/ Let us pray. All-powerful, eternal God, You have chosen to give mankind a model of humility; our Savior took on our flesh, and subjected Himself to the Cross. Grant us the grace to preserve faithfully the lessons He has given us in his Passion and to have a share in His Resurrection. This we ask of You

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America (Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25) Every time we recite the Lord’s Prayer, we say, "Hallowed be thy name". This is raised as a concern by Our Lady of La Salette, in two distinct contexts. First, she expresses her sadness at the abuse of her Son’s name. Later, she encourages the children to say at least an Our Father and a Hail Mary in their night and morning prayers. This is also her way of reminding us of the Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. Interestingly, the notion of “hallow” occurs in the next commandment: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Our Lady reminds us of this commandment as well. ‘Hallow’ and ‘holy’ are what linguists call cognate words. Like ‘strengthen’ and ‘strong,’ one is a verb and the other an adjective to express the same idea. In the Gospel, Jesus was angry that the Temple, his Father’s house, was being turned

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) Back in Jesus’ time everyone knew about shepherds, their sheep, and how they interacted with each other. The dynamics between them were well known. Not so today. Few of us have watched shepherds tending their sheep. So to understand the full impact of the imagery that Jesus used we need to take a look at a few points. During nights back then shepherds kept their sheep in sheepfolds that were large circles of stones that both penned in the sheep while at the same time protecting them from predatory animals such as wolves. There was a narrow opening to let the sheep in and out. At night the shepherd would spread his bedroll across the base of the opening and would sleep there. Predatory animals could enter the sheepfold only by crossing over the body of the shepherd and so of course they would not. Additionally there were times when the sheep belonging to differing shepherds would g

By Msgr. Bernard W. Bourgeois Dear Heavenly Father: We come before you today as a people of faith imploring your intercession. Our society, our schools, our churches, and much of our work has come to a standstill in light of an unseen enemy known as the coronavirus. Dear Lord, to begin with and most importantly, we pray for those who contracted this hideous disease, most especially those who are physically most vulnerable; the aged, the sick, nursing home patients, and any with compromised immune systems. We offer up to you all those on the front lines of fighting this disease, most especially those in the medical profession, public health officers, scientists and government officials who are working day and night to find ways to beat this disease. Inspire them, O Lord, with minds filled with knowledge and hearts filled with love as they work to protect the rest of us. We also pray for those who are supplying us with food, gas, medical supplies and oil for our home

The Second Sunday of Lent (A), March 8, 2020 By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 33; 2 Timothy 1:8b-10; Matthew 17:1-9 "He saved us and called us to a holy life." (2 Tim1:9)  The annual retreat of Lent is upon us once again. It is an intense period of prayer in which we unite our hearts, minds, and souls with Christ as He walks His final days on earth, remembering who we are and to what we’re called. Holiness is the key to Lent. A holy life is one that is united with Christ. Through works of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the hallmarks of Lent, the disciple will focus her attention on the person of Jesus Christ, and His passion, death, and resurrection. In the journey toward holiness, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving will help the person understand the centrality of faith. One can become holier through fasting. It is an ancient practice in which the person usually sets aside some portion of food for a greater cause. However, one can fast f

Saint Jerome and the Angel , Simon Vouet, c. 1622/1625. Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. — St. Jerome September 30th, is the feast day of Saint Jerome, one of the four original doctors of the Latin Church, who is best known for translating the Bible from Greek (the Septuagint) into Latin (the Vulgate). He is widely regarded as the most learned of the Latin Fathers. A remarkable scholar and a sometimes prickly man, St. Jerome nevertheless believed deeply in the mercy of Christ. ____________________________________ One of the greatest Biblical scholars of Christendom, Saint Jerome was born of Christian parents at Stridon in Dalmatia around the year 345. Educated at the local school, he then studied rhetoric in Rome for eight years, before returning to Aquilea to set up a community of ascetics. When that community broke up after three years Jerome went to the east. He met an old hermit named Malchus, who inspired the saint to live in a bare cell, dressed in sack

May 27, 2019 "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life  for one’s friends." (John 15:13) In Memory of the Fallen Heavenly Father, On this Memorial Day, we pray for those who courageously laid down their lives for the cause of freedom. May the examples of their sacrifice inspire in us the selfless love of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Bless the families of our fallen troops. Fill their homes and their lives with Your strength and peace. In union with people of goodwill of every nation, embolden us to answer the call to work for peace and justice, and thus, seek an end to violence and conflict around the globe. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God of power and mercy, you detest war and the hubris of earthly pride. Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears, that we may all deserve to be called your sons and daughters. Keep in your mercy those men and women who have died in the cause of fre

As we look forward to the season of repentance and renewal that is Lent, may we live in full the words Saint Ephraim beautifully expressed in his Lenten prayer. O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to your servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sin and not to judge my brother, for You are blessed from all ages to all ages. Amen. Pour into our hearts O Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit, at whose prompting the Deacon Saint Ephrem exulted in singing of your mysteries and from whom he received the strength and fortitude to serve you and you alone. We ask this in trustful humility through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

March 6, 2019  " Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return ."  On Ash Wednesday, Catholics receive ashes in the shape of a cross traced on the forehead. The rite evokes Saint Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians: "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15: 21 - 22) Adam’s sin condemned man to sin and death. But the instrument of our salvation, the cross, reminds us that in Christ, man is redeemed and the gates of heaven are opened. The original injunction conferring ashes: "Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return," contrasts with the words of the Nicene Creed concerning the Incarnation: "For us men and for our salvation, he [Jesus] came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man." In becoming man, Christ assumed our iniquities: off

By Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America (Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25) Every time we recite the Lord’s Prayer, we say, "Hallowed be thy name". This is raised as a concern by Our Lady of La Salette, in two distinct contexts. First, she expresses her sadness at the abuse of her Son’s name. Later, she encourages the children to say at least an Our Father and a Hail Mary in their night and morning prayers. This is also her way of reminding us of the Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. Interestingly, the notion of “hallow” occurs in the next commandment: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Our Lady reminds us of this commandment as well. ‘Hallow’ and ‘holy’ are what linguists call cognate words. Like ‘strengthen’ and ‘strong,’ one is a verb and the other an adjective to express the same idea. In the Gospel, Jesus was angry that the Temple, his Father’

• The time of Lent is to be observed by Catholics as a special season of prayer, penance and works of charity. • Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, in particular, are the most important penitential days of the liturgical year. They are days of both fast and abstinence. All Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence. • The rule of fasting states that only one full meal a day can be taken. Two small meals, “sufficient to maintain strength,” are allowed, but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals breaks the fast, but drinking liquids does not. The rule of fasting obliges all Catholics from 18 to 59. • Abstinence refers to the eating of meat. The common estimation of the community is used to determine what falls under the category of meat. The rule of abstinence binds all Catholics 14 years or older. • The substantial observance of the laws of fast and abstinence is a serious obligation. • Self-imposed fasting on the other weekdays of Lent is recommende

Prayer for Lent Heavenly Father, we give You thanks and praise for the gift of this time of solemn purification and of preparation. We ask, Lord, that You would allow us to look at our lives with honesty and with courage, so that we may live more fully the resurrected life that Your Son, Jesus Christ, came to bring us. We ask Your blessing upon us today, in the name of our most holy Lord and Savior. Amen. Reflection Thank You Lord, that You have renewed us, You have refreshed us, You have shown us what we have been made for, so that we may now live this resurrected life in You. The covenant begins again. The covenant is embarking on this new relationship. The covenant that we’ve received so many times in our life, through baptism, through confirmation, through Holy Eucharist, and we renew that covenant every time that we go to confessional as well, we renew our baptismal graces. Now in this Easter season, we remember that covenant that Jesus made for us in His body and His

February 14, 2018  " Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return ."  On Ash Wednesday, Catholics receive ashes in the shape of a cross traced on the forehead. The rite evokes Saint Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians: "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15: 21 - 22) Adam’s sin condemned man to sin and death. But the instrument of our salvation, the cross, reminds us that in Christ, man is redeemed and the gates of heaven are opened. The original injunction conferring ashes: "Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return," contrasts with the words of the Nicene Creed concerning the Incarnation: "For us men and for our salvation, he [Jesus] came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man." In becoming man, Christ assumed our iniquities:

During the solemn penitential season of Lent, we prepare ourselves physically and spiritually to walk through the desert with Jesus Christ. The use of purple vestments, and the absence of the Gloria and the Alleluia at Mass and in the Divine Office, are sober reminders of Holy Week and the great feast of Easter to follow. We should examine in earnest our sins and detachments. This period of atonement, prayer and fasting calls us to greater holiness in imitation of Christ. Lent is a time to strengthen our prayer lives — to pray more, and to pray better. Pray More Novenas  has a Lenten retreat starting Ash Wednesday, February 14 . The retreat features inspiring talks to deepen your prayer life and love of God. This online offering features sixteen talks on prayer . Each comes with a study guide of questions, prompts and reflections. You may download the talks as an audio recording should you wish to listen to them later. (See complete list below.) List of Retreat Speakers

The theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is "Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power." (Exodus 15:6). The octave of prayer for the promotion of Christian unity takes its impetus from Exodus 15:1-21, the words of Moses: Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power— your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble. At t

◗ Pray more ◗ Read Scripture ◗ Keep holy the Sabbath ◗ Sin less ◗ Go to confession frequently ◗ Attend Eucharistic adoration ◗ Eat less ◗ Honor your father and mother ◗ Spend less ◗ Spend more time with family ◗ Read a Psalm a day ◗ Live more simply ◗ Find a patron saint ◗ Go on a spiritual retreat ◗ Find a good Catholic smartphone app [and use it] ◗ Add a new devotion to your prayer routine [Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Novenas, etc.] A New Year's Prayer Almighty God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal life, grant, we pray, that we may experience the intercession of her, through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, be especially blesses in this new year. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Deceased Lord, God of holiness and light, You do not allow any shadow of darkness or evil in Your sight, and so in Your mercy You grant to those who have left this world burdened with sin, a time of purification, applying to them the spiritual treasurers of Your holy Church. Hear my prayer, and through the merits of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin, the saints, and all Your faithful people bring to an end this time of waiting for our beloved dead, especially _____. In Your providence You have chosen Saint Nicholas as a special intercessor on behalf of the departed. Hear also his fervent prayer for those whom I recommend to You through his intercession. Amen. Prayer for the Deceased #2 Lord Jesus, our Redeemer, You willingly gave Yourself up to death so that all people might be saved and pass from death into a new life. Listen to our prayers; look with love on Your people who mourn and pray for their dead brother/sister. Lord Jesus, You alone are holy and

From the Divinum Officium site : "This web site and these programs were developed, managed, and maintained by Laszlo Kiss, as his own work, until his death in 2011. It is now maintained by The Divinum Officium Project It represents no official order, nor the view or opinion of any group. Laszlo wrote: I tried to follow my sources, but naturally the more I work on this project the more mistakes I make. Such a project can be done only by teamwork. I keep doing this in the hope that a team will pick up the idea, and will use the computers in their entirety to worship God. Since August 2011, The Divinum Officium Project continues Laszlo Kiss's work and keeps his hope alive." Words of caution: Those who are obliged to recite the office should do so from canonically approved books (Can 276.2.3). According to the motu proprio Summorum Pontificium Cura of Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007), the 1962 books are accepted as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The Pro

The final prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi lived during the Persian period, the time of the return to Zion from the Babylonian captivity. Here Malachi urges God's priests to be faithful: "A great King am I, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse. You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; you have made void the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts. I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, since you do not keep my ways…" (Malachi 1:14B-2:2B, 8-10) _________________________________ A Prayer for Priests Lord Jesus, we pray to You for our priests. You have gifted them to us for our salvation. You have made them priests in the liken

Memorial - October 7th Originally known as "Our Lady of Victory," the feast recalls the Battle of Lepanto, a 16th century naval action in which Christian forces (the Holy League) repelled a massive Turkish invasion. Pope Saint Pius V attributed the victory to the divine intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary after urging Europe's Christians to pray the Rosary for our Lady's intercession. Some accounts contend St. Pius V was granted a miraculous vision of the Holy League's victory. In 1573, St. Pius V established the feast. Clement XI extended it to the universal Church in 1716. A Brief History of the Rosary According to tradition, in the 12th century, the Rosary was given to Saint Dominic by Mary herself. But the devotion spread by Dominic did not resemble the Rosary we pray today. Originally, the Rosary had 150 beads, representing the number of psalms in the Bible. Religious orders recited the 150 Psalms daily as a way to mark the hours. Those wh