BIG C CATHOLICS

In an exchange that has gone viral, the conservative commentator Ben Shapiro brilliantly articulates the pro-life argument in cases of rape, and in the process, eviscerates the abortion dogma of pro-abortion advocates. LifeSiteNews reports : "During an April 3 talk at the University of Florida, a female student asked how Shapiro would advise a woman who’s been raped and has no access to abortion." Shapiro replied, "The answer is that [rape] doesn't actually change the calculus, meaning that obviously, what happened to this person is an awful, awful horrible thing. And as I said earlier, the person who raped her should be tracked down, captured, killed or castrated. So that's number one,"  "If you don't think it's a life, then you can do whatever you want with it. If you do think it's a life, then you can't do anything with it." "As far as what she does with the baby, that's up to her. It's obviously go

Jesus told St. Faustina that this Feast of Mercy would be a very special day when "all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened." (Diary 699) Our Lord made a great promise to all those souls who would go to Confession and then receive Him in Holy Communion on the Feast of Mercy, on the Sunday after Easter, which is now called Divine Mercy Sunday throughout the Catholic Church. Jesus promised, "The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment." (Diary 699) He went on to say "I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My Mercy." (Diary 1109) Take advantage of this incredible promise and the additional plenary indulgence on this feast of Mercy "Divine Mercy Sunday". We want you to benefit fully from these promises, and we encourage you to notify all of your family and friends ab

April 17, 2017 On this fourth day of the Divine Mercy Novena, we pray for the souls of all those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him. Our Lord told Saint Faustina, "Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy." The Divine Mercy novena prayers were given to Saint Faustina by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Each day features a new petition seeking God’s abundant mercy for various individuals. The message of Divine Mercy is one of conversion and forgiveness. For a complete guide to praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet go here . Novena Prayer Day 4 (Easter Monday) Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do no

By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois  The Easter season stretches from Easter Sunday to Pentecost, making up what is known as “The Great 50 Days.” This is a season in which the Church rejoices in and with the resurrected Christ. It is certainly the most festive season of the year as the Church proclaims the Easter Alleluia. Lilies abound in our churches and the baptismal font and the paschal candle are at the center of our Easter celebrations. The faithful renewed their baptismal vows on Easter Sunday and reflects upon them throughout the Easter season. The lighting of the paschal candle, which took place at the Easter Vigil Mass, is a reminder of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is lit at every Mass throughout Easter. It stands as a sentry; one light of hope in a world that is still filled with despair and sin. The readings of the season are from the Acts of the Apostles in which the Church is reminded of its earliest days and called to recommit to the same faith. This is a season i

Appearence Behind Locked Doors , Duccio di Buoninsegna, c. 1308. Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) At the Last Supper, shortly before He suffered and died on the Cross, Jesus gave us the stupendous gift of His Body and Blood, now really and truly present to us in the Eucharist. He gave us this gift at the very core of His redemptive sacrifice for us. Then, when He rose from the dead, His very first act was breathe out Holy Spirit upon His apostles and into His Church. “Peace be with you,” He said to them. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” What does that mean for us? Our Church leads us now into what we might call “The time of the handing over of the Spirit.” To examine the significance of that time let’s return to God’s first breathing forth His Holy Spirit, that life-giving creative act of God that we find in the

Easter Sunday - April 16, 2017 The Resurrection of Jesus "Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised."   At daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.” And they remembered his words. Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others. — Luke 24: 1-9 ___________________________________________

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut (Note: This homily is based on the readings for the Easter Vigil. The Old Testament readings cited are the third, fourth and seventh of those proposed in the Lectionary.) ( Click here for Sunday's readings ) Where to begin? There are so many readings to choose from, a real embarrassment of riches. A preacher can almost “pick a text, any text,” and just start talking. There are, however, certain phrases that jump out at me this year. Let’s see where they lead. In Romans, Paul declares emphatically: “Death no longer has power over Jesus.” A famous poet has expressed it even more powerfully and absolutely: “Death shall have no dominion.” That is what the women in the Gospel story found out. There they were, on their way to pay their final respects by completing the anointing of Jesus’ corpse. And then, out of the blue, an angel says, “He is not here,... he has been raised!” The message