BIG C CATHOLICS

No one knows exactly when Christ’s resurrection took place only that it was sometime between his burial late on Friday and the discovery of the empty tomb early Sunday morning. There were no eyewitnesses to describe the Resurrection itself. Instead, there are descriptions of appearances of the Risen Lord after the Resurrection. The account of the Passion is one continuous narrative, very similar in all four Gospels. Not so with the narratives of the Resurrection appearances. These are isolated scenes and, while there are some similarities, each Gospel has its own stories to tell. Luke’s Gospel account can be divided into five episodes, all taking place on Easter Sunday: 1) the finding of the empty tomb at dawn, 2) the appearance of the Risen Christ to two disciples walking to Emmaus, 3) the appearance to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem, 4) the commissioning of these disciples to witness and preach in his name, 5) the end of the visible appearances as Christ is carried

Judas is neither a master of evil nor the figure of a demoniacal power of darkness but rather a sycophant who bows down before the anonymous power of changing moods and current fashion. But it is precisely this anonymous power that crucified Jesus, for it was anonymous voices that cried, "Away with him! Crucify him!" -- Pope Benedict XVI

Heavenly Father, You lifted your dear Son from the grave and made Him a beacon of hope for all mortals. By overcoming sin and death and hell, may He take us by the hand and lead us into the land of bliss and glory where we shall enjoy forever the company of the whole heavenly host. May we trust with all our hearts in His glorious wounds by which He ransomed us for everlasting life. Blessed be the name of Jesus, now and forever. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Author of Life, Who died and now lives forevermore. May we who work and pray That children in the womb may be protected Always draw strength, confidence, and joy From Your victory over death, For you are Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Father Rene Butler We are so used to the story of the Passion of Jesus that we forget that each of the four Gospel accounts contains material not found in the other three. Unique to Matthew is the scene where Judas brings the money back to the chief priests and then hangs himself, and the chief priests buy the potter’s field. Likewise, there is the moment when Pilate’s wife sends him a message to have nothing to do with Jesus. Most troubling is the verse which reads: “The whole people said: ‘His blood be upon us and upon our children.’” It is troubling for two reasons: First, because it was a terrible thing to say. Second, and most important, this verse has historically been used – abused – to justify hatred and persecution of Jews over the centuries. We forgot what Jesus said in Luke’s Gospel, as he was being crucified: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” In the Old Testament, we have the image of the saving blood of the paschal lamb, the blood wh

Wow! is all I can say H/T Big Blue Wave

Lord of Life and Truth, Your Providence guides the course of history. You have conquered death And have made us the People of Life. You call us to fight the evil of abortion And the forces that promote it. We therefore ask you to grant wisdom and mercy to our nation. Give our government leaders the courage To put an end to the funding Of the largest abortion business in the world. Give all of us the courage to insist That public funding only be used For the protection and promotion of life Rather than for its destruction. Give us hopeful hearts and joyful spirits As we continue to proclaim, celebrate, and serve The Gospel of Life. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Courtesy Priests For Life