BIG C CATHOLICS

Good Friday commemorates the Passion of the Lord, the day of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Nowhere in the world is Mass offered on this day. Reception of the Most Holy Eucharist is possible because hosts were consecrated the evening before at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The veneration of the cross, the instrument of Christ’s death that brought about our redemption, is a powerful reminder that each of us were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured (Council of Trent, I, 5, 11). Jesus was executed on the charge of being King of the Jews. The idea that Jesus was a king was brutally mocked. Roman soldiers dressed Him in a robe of royal purple and placed a crown of thorns on His head. Jesus was made to walk to his execution, carrying his own cross. His destination was a place outside of the city called Golgotha or "place of the skull". Crucifixion was the most horrific form of death the Romans devised

The Last Supper, Juan de Juanes, 1562, Museo del Prado, Madrid. April 18, 2019 On Holy Thursday, the Mass of Chrism is celebrated by the diocesan Bishop with his priests as concelebrants. Together they renew their priestly vows, manifesting the communion and unity of faith between the priests and their prelate. Thursday evening, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is offered, which duly celebrates the Last Supper of Jesus and His apostles on the night He was betrayed. At the Mass, the priest washes the feet of twelve individuals, just as Jesus did to give the apostles an example of priestly service. Holy Thursday is indeed an inextricable part of the salvific event of worship that is the Triduum as Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois explains: "Holy Thursday is sometimes lost among the more popular feasts of Good Friday and of course Easter itself. The Sacred Triduum begins with the Mass of Holy Thursday evening. The opening procession, much like any Sunday opening procession, include

This is the tenth lesson in the Saint Paul Center for Catholic Biblical Theology 's Lenten Scripture study, Genesis to Jesus. Follow along, and by the end of Lent, you'll understand the importance of Easter in light of God's plan for our salvation and his deep and unfathomable love for us, his adopted children through Christ. _________________________________________________ In our last lesson we learned how David became the king of Israel. And we began to show some parallels demonstrating how the Davidic Covenant is the prototype of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. Now we will look a little more closely at this covenant with David. Specifically, we are going to identify the seven primary and three secondary characteristics of this covenant. We will conclude by showing how Christ fulfills the Davidic Covenant, as well as the prophesies of kingdom restoration through the Church. We begin this lesson by identifying the seven primary and three secondary characteristi

April 14, 2019 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 share in His Resurrection and in His life. Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, 'The master has need of them.' Then he will send them at once."  This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: Say to daughter Zion, "Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."  The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. Th

A plenary indulgence may be obtained on each Friday of Lent by the faithful, who after worthily receiving Communion, piously recite the following prayer before an image of Christ crucified – provided the conditions for a plenary indulgence are met (see below after prayer). A plenary indulgence remits all temporal punishment due to personal sins. Prayer Before a Crucifix/Prayer to Christ Crucified. Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul, pray and beseech thee that thou wouldst impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, with true contrition for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment; while with deep affection and grief of soul I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate thy five wounds, having before my eyes the words which David the prophet put on thy lips concerning thee: “My hands and my feet they have pierced, they have numbered all my bones" (Ps 21, 17-18).

This is the ninth lesson in the Saint Paul Center for Catholic Biblical Theology 's Lenten Scripture study, Genesis to Jesus. Follow along, and by the end of Lent, you'll understand the importance of Easter in light of God's plan for our salvation. Sign up to receive new video lessons [ here ] and buy related study materials. ___________________________________________________ In our last lesson, we concluded our discussion of God’s covenant with Moses. We learned about all the amazing parallels between the life of Moses and that of Jesus Christ. Our consideration took us to the end of the Book of Exodus, and through Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In this lesson, we will spend most of our time in 1st and 2nd Samuel, focusing on the rise and fall of Israel’s first king, Saul. And how Israel becomes a great kingdom under the leadership of David. This Davidic Kingdom is more than just a political reality. It is actually the means by which God includes other nation

Here is the eighth lesson in the Saint Paul Center for Catholic Biblical Theology 's Lenten Scripture study, Genesis to Jesus. Follow along, and by the end of Lent, you'll understand the importance of Easter in light of God's plan for our salvation. Sign up to receive new video lessons [ here ] and buy related study materials. ___________________________________________________ Our last lesson ended on a sour note. After being freed from centuries of slavery to the Egyptians, the Israelites are led by Moses to the foot of Mt. Sinai. There, he leads them in swearing a covenant oath declaring themselves to God’s people. Seeing that he has cared for them so miraculously, they swear to do all he commands. Unfortunately, they’re not the most faithful people. Thinking that Moses has died up on top of Mt. Sinai, they have his brother Aaron make a golden calf – an image of the Egyptian bull god, Apis. Then they offer sacrifice, and as Exodus 32 describes, they “rose up to