BIG C CATHOLICS

God in his deepest mystery is not a solitude but a family, since he has in himself fatherhood, sonship and the essence of the family which is love . — St. John Paul II

[ This prayer may be recited individually or as a family .] *** V/ The true God, One in Three and Three in One, come, let us adore. R/ The true God, One in Three and Three in One, come, let us adore. V/ Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, Thou hast given to Thy servants grace for professing the true faith and acknowledging the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of Thy majesty to worship the Unity; grant that by steadfastness in the same faith we may evermore be defended from all adversities. Through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen. V/ Be with us, O God, one and omnipotent, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. R/ You are our hope, our salvation, our glory, O Blessed Trinity. V/ Blessed are you, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven. R/ Praiseworthy and glorious forever. Amen. V/ Glory be to the Father and to Son and to the Holy Ghost. R/ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

As we celebrate this month dedicated to our Lady, here is an article from our archive for your consideration. [Originally published in February 2013 as "Mary is the New Burning Bush".] In Exodus 3:1-2 it is written:  "Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock beyond the wilderness, he came to the mountain of God, Horeb. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him as fire flaming out of a bush. When he looked, although the bush was on fire, it was not being consumed." The theophany of the burning bush, in which God appeared to Moses, did not immolate itself. Not so much as a leaf was singed. This is a miracle precisely because the conflagration failed to scorch, burn or otherwise disfigure the plant. Moses was rightly amazed. So too, throughout Scripture, whenever God intervenes in human affairs the people He touches are neither disrespected or compromised. Moreover, God, the source of love and li

Saint Pope John Paul the Great Karol Józef Wojtyła was born 96 years ago, on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland, the youngest of three children, to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Wojtyla, (née Kaczorowska). The future pope's father was a non-commissioned officer of the Imperial Royal Army and a Polish Army captain. His mother had a premonition about her youngest child saying, "Karol is destined to be a great man."  Young Wojtyla, c 1929  Date of birth: May 18, 1920 Date of death: April 2, 2005 Birth place: Wadowice, Poland Education: Doctorate in Philosophy, Doctorate in Sacred Theology, Jagiellonian University Feast Day: October 22 (date of papal inauguration) Apostolic Motto:   Totus Tuus (Totally yours) Notes of Interest: Upon his election in 1978, John Paul II was the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years. At 58, he was the youngest pope since the election of Pope Pius IX (age 54), in 1846. During his pontificate, he visited 129 countries, travel

By Matthew Coffin The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is May 22nd. The Divine Family that is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is the central mystery of Christian faith and life . The mystery of the Trinity is the life that dwells in us and sustains us . ___________ "God in his deepest mystery is not a solitude but a family, since he has in himself fatherhood, sonship and the essence of the family which is love." — St. John Paul II The Exchange of Persons in the Trinity The three-leaf clover used in religion classes to explain the mystery of three Divine Persons in one God does not begin to penetrate the incomparable majesty, boundless love, and total communion, which the Church in her Tradition and creeds ascribes to the Trinity. To the early Church Fathers the idea of perichoresis (the exchange of Persons in the Trinity), was indispensable to understanding God. This sublime, metaphysical concept is central to John Paul’s Theology of the

A native of Tuscany in Italy, John was elected Pope while he was still an archdeacon upon the death of Pope Hormisdas in 523. The Arian King Theodoric sent him as his ambassador to Emperor Justin in Constantinople. On John I's return, he was captured by the king, who was displeased at the outcome of the embassy, and cast him into prison at Ravenna where he died a few days later. As pope he was responsible for introducing the Alexandrian computation of the date of Easter. It would eventually be accepted throughout the West. Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians honor Pope St. John I, on the same date as the Roman Catholic Church. The death of St. John I was on or around May 18, which became his feast day in the Byzantine Catholic tradition and in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, celebrates him on May 27, the date on which his body was returned to Rome for veneration in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Life of St. John I This

What is the Fortnight for Freedom? The "Fortnight for Freedom" is 14 days of prayer, education and action for religious freedom in the United States and around the world. It will take place from June 21 to July 4, 2016. The theme of this year’s Fortnight is "Witnesses to Freedom." During this time, the Church's liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution: St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, St. John the Baptist, Sts. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. Four Ways to Celebrate the Fortnight for Freedom Pray Hold a prayer vigil for religious freedom. Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet could all be forms of intercession for our country and our first freedom. Gather Get together and celebrate religious freedom with a parish picnic or barbecue. Hand out religious freedom conversation starters as a way to spur discussion about our first,