BIG C CATHOLICS

Christ in the House of Simon the Pharisee , Philippe de Champaigne, c.1656. Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) A favorite technique I use to discern what God is telling us in Sacred Scripture is to give attention to the themes found in the Bible. The one that strikes me today is that of Endings and Beginnings. Springtime is a time of endings and beginnings. Graduations, weddings, anniversaries, and so forth are upon us during this time of the year. As in nature and so also in the Bible things are ending and other things are beginning. Baptism is one such event. Getting married is another. Certainly graduation is a celebration of ending and beginning. When a son or daughter marries mom and dad have to let go of their child. When a son or daughter graduates there is a letting go that involves the parental loss of their school community, the families of classmates, along with the diminished presence of their now grown up son

With threats to religious liberty increasing, at home around the world, this novena is dedicated to the struggle for religious freedom. We will pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church’s history. – St. John Paul II In all ages, the Church is persecuted and hated. We pray, O' Lord, through your holy Saints, that we may be blessed with the freedom to worship and adore you at all times! We pray that you bless your Church throughout the world and me personally with your grace to persevere with love in the face of persecution just as You did on the Cross.  This novena was written to be a prayer to all Saints and particularly to Martyrs. Go here to get these novena prayers delivered daily to your inbox and to join the community of prayer.

Christ has no body now, but yours. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ looks compassion into the world. Yours are the feet With which Christ walks to do good. Yours are the hands With which Christ blesses the world. — St. Teresa of Avila

All we know of Barnabas comes from the New Testament. A Jew from Cyprus, Barnabas was chosen by the Holy Spirit to share in the mission of the Apostles. So much so, that the Church honors him as one of them. He played an essential role in the spread of Christianity beyond the Jewish world. Barnabas was closely affiliated with St. Paul (he introduced Paul to Peter and the other apostles) and was a mediator between Paul and the still suspicious Jewish Christian community. He was Paul's traveling companion on the latter’s first missionary journey. With Paul he brought Antioch's donation to the Jerusalem Christians during a famine, and returned to Antioch with John Mark, his cousin. The three went on to Cyprus, where they were violently persecuted. Barnabas is mentioned as one of the most selfless members of the new, extremely poor Church in Jerusalem: "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but the

Pope Benedict XVI noted that Saint Ephrem of Syria, poet, monastic, and theologian, through his hymns and writings, praised God "in an unparalleled way" and "with rare skill." On this his feast day, here is St. Ephrem's letter to a disciple on living the monastic life. I was born in the way of truth: though my childhood was unaware of the greatness of the benefit, I knew it when trial came.  — St. Ephrem ANOTHER EPISTLE WHICH APA EPHRAIM WROTE TO A BELOVED DISCIPLE My beloved in the Lord, before every other thing set humility in thy mouth when thou art ready to make answer, for, forgive me, thou knowest that by humility all the power of the Enemy is brought to naught. And thou knowest the goodness of thy Master, Whom they blasphemed, and how He became humble, and obedient, even unto death. And do thou thyself, my son, set thy humility in thy mouth, and in thy heart, and in thy neck, for there is a commandment which inculcateth humility. Consider Da

Saint Ephrem the Syrian, called "the Harp of the Holy Spirit," was a prolific hymnographer and theologian of the 4th century. He was born into a Christian family about 306 AD in Nusaybin, Turkey. As deacon at Edessa, he opposed the heresies of his day. To that end, Ephrem composed hundreds of hymns and poems on the mysteries of God, the Incarnation, the Blessed Virgin and the saints. His spiritual insights and counsel were sought after. Ephrem was especially devoted to Our Lady. As a Scripture scholar, he gave the Church a wealth of commentaries and sermons which were translated into various Eastern languages as well as Greek and Latin. His works are esteemed by Christians throughout the world, and both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches venerate him as a saint. Ephrem died in 373. Pope Benedict XV named him a Doctor of the Church in 1920. He is the patron saint of spiritual directors. Read Benedict XV's Encyclical on St. Ephrem, Principi Apostolorum Petro . The L

Given the rise in popularity of the occult and satanic worship, the following is intended as a cautionary illustration of the inherent danger in opening a pathway for evil to enter the world. The individuals mentioned are not responsible for the actions of the Third Reich. Kristallnacht, the Holocaust and World War II had numerous antecedents. Nonetheless, did a séance the day of Kristallnacht make Nazi atrocities even worse? In the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation we renounce Satan and all his works, and profess our faith in Christ and in the Church. Sacred Scripture speaks of God’s protection and power over Satan. The first letter of John testifies that as children of God, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, the evil one cannot touch us. But it also states that "the whole world is under the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:18-20). Chapter 12 in the Book of Revelation tells how the angel Lucifer rebelled against God. In the ensuing battle, one third of the angels in