Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Feast of st. Mark
1 Samuel, Chapter
18, Verse 12
Saul then began to fear David because the LORD was with him but had turned away from
Saul.
To this David
writes psalm 27:
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?
When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, these my enemies and foes
themselves stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart does
not fear; though war be waged against me, even then do I trust.
One thing I ask of the LORD; this I
seek: to dwell in the LORD’s house all the days of my life, to gaze on the LORD’s
beauty, to visit his temple. For God will hide me in his shelter in time of
trouble, He will conceal me in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a
rock. Even now my head is held high above my enemies on every side! I will
offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and chant praise
to the LORD. Hear my voice, LORD, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me.
“Come,” says my heart, “seek his face”; your face, LORD, do I seek! Do not hide
your face from me; do not repel your servant in anger. You are my salvation; do
not cast me off; do not forsake me, God my savior! Even if my father and mother
forsake me, the LORD will take me in.
LORD, show me your way; lead me on a
level path because of my enemies. Do not abandon me to the desire of my foes;
malicious and lying witnesses have risen against me. I believe I shall see the
LORD’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD, take courage; be
stouthearted, wait for the LORD!
Thursday in the Octave
of Easter or Easter Thursday[1] is a day for Commemoration of the
departed which is a Slavic tradition. Thursday of the Dead is described as a
universal day for visiting tombs, engaged in most diligently by townspeople,
followed by fellaheen ("peasants"), and then Bedouins. Women
would go to the cemetery before sunrise to pray for the departed and distribute
bread cakes known as kaʿak
al-asfar
("the yellow roll") and dried fruit to the poor, to children, and to
relatives. Children would also receive painted eggs, generally yellow in color.
The sharing of this tradition between Christians and Muslims is thought to date
back to at least the 12th century when Saladin urged Muslims to adopt Christian
customs in order to promote religious tolerance in the region.
Novena for the Poor
Souls[2]
THURSDAY O Lord
God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Body and Blood of Thy divine Son
Jesus, which He Himself, on the night before His Passion, gave as meat and
drink to His beloved Apostles and bequeathed to His holy Church to be the
perpetual Sacrifice and life-giving nourishment of His faithful people, deliver
the souls in Purgatory, but most of all, that soul which was most devoted to
this Mystery of infinite love, in order that it may praise Thee therefore,
together with Thy divine Son and the Holy Spirit in Thy glory forever. Amen.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.
ON EVERY DAY OF
THE NOVENA V. O Lord, hear my prayer; R. And let my cry come unto Thee. O God,
the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant unto the souls of Thy
servants and handmaids the remission of all their sins, that through our devout
supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired, Who livest
and reignest world without end. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST.
GERTRUDE THE GREAT O Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of
Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy souls in Purgatory and for sinners everywhere— for sinners in
the Universal Church, for those in my own home and for those within my family.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE
DYING O Most Merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray Thee, by the agony of Thy
most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, to wash in
Thy Most Precious Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their
agony and who will die today. Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have mercy on the
dying! Amen.
O Mother most
merciful, pray for the souls in Purgatory!
FRIDAY O Lord
God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood which Jesus Thy divine Son
did shed this day upon the tree of the Cross, especially from His sacred hands
and feet, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and particularly that soul for whom I
am most bound to pray, in order that I may not be the cause which hinders Thee
from admitting it quickly to the possession of Thy glory, where it may praise
Thee and bless Thee for evermore. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.
SATURDAY O Lord
God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the
sacred side of Thy divine Son Jesus in the presence of and to the great sorrow
of His most holy Mother, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and among them all,
especially that soul which has been most devout to this noble Lady, that it may
come quickly into Thy glory, there to praise Thee in her, and her in Thee,
through all the ages. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be
SUNDAY O Lord
God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood which Thy divine Son Jesus
shed in the Garden, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and especially that one
which is the most forsaken of all, and bring it into Thy glory, where it may
praise and bless Thee forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.
MONDAY O Lord
God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood which Thy divine Son Jesus
shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and among them
all, especially that soul which is nearest to its entrance into Thy glory, that
it may soon begin to praise Thee and bless Thee forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail
Mary. Glory Be.
TUESDAY O Lord
God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood of Thy divine Son Jesus that
was shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the souls in Purgatory,
and among them all, particularly that soul which is in the greatest need of our
prayers, in order that it may not long be delayed in praising Thee in Thy glory
and blessing Thee forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.
WEDNESDAY O
Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood of Thy divine Son Jesus
that was shed in the streets of Jerusalem, whilst He carried on His sacred
shoulders the heavy burden of the Cross, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and
especially that one which is richest in merits in Thy sight, so that, having
soon attained the high place in glory to which it is destined, it may praise
Thee triumphantly and bless Thee forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory
Be.
Shallow minds are easily scandalized at
the thought that, despite Christ Jesus' divine mission and His heroic
earnestness in fulfilling it, despite the limitless possibilities of the
Sacrifice of Calvary glorified in the power of the Resurrection, even now so many
human souls are still sick and diseased, even dead in sin and seemingly lost in
impenitence. But think for a moment of some definite astounding force in
nature, as for instance lightning, or even better, of so simple a force as the
stroke of a hammer or the approach of a lighted match; notice the vast
difference in the effects produced on a block of granite, on a cake of ice, and
on a keg of powder. Even so, the definite effect of the same graces upon
different individual souls depends on the receptivity of each. Yet never doubt,
the doors of the treasury of the merits and fruits of Calvary are wide open;
the fountains of the Savior are pouring out heavenly waters to purify and cure
and refresh souls; the invitation goes out to all:
"Come, eat My bread, and drink the wine which
I have mingled for you. All you that thirst come to the waters, and you that
have no money, make haste, buy, and eat: come ye, buy wine and milk without
money! Come! to experience the virtue of the waters, and of the food, and of the
medicine, and of the fire. Come and drink lest you die of thirst! Come and eat
lest your soul hunger and starve! Come, approach the fire of My charity, to be
stirred out of your spiritual coldness and numbness!"
The Apostles must have been
astonished at their power to heal the bodies of the faithful while on the road
when Christ sent them out before His death. Yet, the greatest power was to come
after His death and resurrection. Jesus made it perfectly clear that the power
to forgive sins is far greater than the power to heal. (Mk. 2:9) Jesus healed
people of every disease as a sign of the greater work of forgiveness of sins.
For in the gospel he states, “That you
may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sin.” (Mk
2:10) The physical signs were there for the sake of a spiritual reality. “Is anyone among you sick?
He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him
and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the
prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If
he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.” (Jas. 5:14-15) This is the
sacrament we know as the Anointing of the Sick. It must be noted that grave physical suffering is often
accompanied by a great spiritual trial. Sacramental anointing gives us the
grace we need to face our trials. Oils have been used for millennia to convey
the grace and health of God. Anointing helps us transform physical suffering
into something more deeply curative, something truly releasing. Don’t wait! At
the first sign of serious ailment seek the aid of Christ through this
sacrament.
All Christian life is a preparation for death. We
cannot predict the moment of our passing but we should be prepared for it both
remotely and near term when our death is imminent. It is best to prepare far in
advance by making a lifetime habit of confession and reception of the Holy
Eucharist. However, if seriously ill do not wait to take action. Confession
must be made while we are still thinking clearly and have the energy for the
task and we should make arrangements to receive sacramental anointing. Do not
rely on others to do this for you. It is important for you, if you are able, to
contact the hospital chaplain or priest. Remember there is more after our death
for the church teaches us that after our death there is judgment, heaven and
hell. Do not be a nilly willy and avoid thinking about death and we should
remind ourselves that death is a normal part of life and we should have a sense
of humor and it is not a license to make others miserable. We should try to get
our affairs in order so to make it easier on others. We should choose a
Catholic cemetery for the burial of our mortal remains, as a sign of our belief
in the resurrection of the body. Our flesh has been divinized in baptism, made
one the flesh of Jesus in Holy Communion, and so its repose is a matter of some
consequence. We should keep in mind that at our death as said by Cardinal
Newman, “Life is changed, not ended” and “All who ever lived still live.”
John Mark, later known simply as Mark, was a Jew by birth. He was the son of that Mary who was proprietress of the Cenacle or "upper room" which served as the meeting place for the first Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). He was still a youth at the time of the Savior's death. In his description of the young man who was present when Jesus was seized and who fled from the rabble leaving behind his "linen cloth," the second Evangelist might possibly have stamped the mark of his own identity. During the years that followed, the rapidly maturing youth witnessed the growth of the infant Church in his mother's Upper Room and became acquainted with its traditions. This knowledge he put to excellent use when compiling his Gospel. Later, we find Mark acting as a companion to his cousin Barnabas and Saul on their return journey to Antioch and on their first missionary journey. But Mark was too immature for the hardships of this type of work and therefore left them at Perge in Pamphylia to return home. As the two apostles were preparing for their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take his cousin with him. Paul, however, objected. Thereupon the two cousins undertook a missionary journey to Cyprus. Time healed the strained relations between Paul and Mark, and during the former's first Roman captivity (61-63), Mark rendered Paul valuable service (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24), and the Apostle learned to appreciate him. When in chains the second time Paul requested Mark's presence (2 Tim. 4:11). An intimate friendship existed between Mark and Peter; he played the role of Peter's companion, disciple, and interpreter. According to the common patristic opinion, Mark was present at Peter's preaching in Rome and wrote his Gospel under the influence of the prince of the apostles. This explains why incidents which involve Peter are described with telling detail (e.g., the great day at Capharnaum, 1:14f)). Little is known of Mark's later life. It is certain that he died a martyr's death as bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. His relics were transferred from Alexandria to Venice, where a worthy tomb was erected in St. Mark's Cathedral. The Gospel of St. Mark, the shortest of the four, is, above all, a Roman Gospel. It originated in Rome and is addressed to Roman, or shall we say, to Western Christianity. Another high merit is its chronological presentation of the life of Christ. For we should be deeply interested in the historical sequence of the events in our blessed Savior's life. Furthermore, Mark was a skilled painter of word pictures. With one stroke he frequently enhances a familiar scene, shedding upon it new light. His Gospel is the "Gospel of Peter," for he wrote it under the direction and with the aid of the prince of the apostles. "The Evangelist Mark is represented as a lion because he begins his Gospel in the wilderness, `The voice of one crying in the desert: Make ready the way of the Lord,' or because he presents the Lord as the unconquered King."
Patron: Against impenitence; attorneys; barristers; captives; Egypt; glaziers; imprisoned people; insect bites; lions; notaries; prisoners; scrofulous diseases; stained glass workers; struma; Diocese of Venice, Florida; Venice, Italy.
Symbols: Winged lion; fig tree; pen; book and scroll; club; barren fig tree; scroll with words Pax Tibi; winged and nimbed lion; lion.
Often Pictured as: Man writing or holding his gospel; man with a halter around his neck; lion in the desert; man with a book or scroll accompanied by a winged lion; holding a palm and book; holding a book with pax tibi Marce written on it; bishop on a throne decorated with lions; helping Venetian sailors; rescuing Christian slaves from Saracens.
In Italy April 25th is
Liberation Day, a national holiday commemorating the end of World War II in
1945 and the Nazi occupation of Italy. But for Venetians April 25th is an even
older holiday, Festa di San Marco, or The Feast of St Mark. April 25th is the anniversary
of St Mark’s death in 68 A.D. and in Venice is a lively celebration. Mass is
held in the morning at Saint Mark’s Basilica, and there is music, dancing,
concerts and carnivals throughout the day. Of course it wouldn’t be a festival
in Venice without a Gondola Race! The "Regata di Traghetti" starts at
the island of Sant’Elena and ends at the Punta della Dogana, at the entrance of
the Grand Canal. One look at Saint Mark’s Square with Saint Mark’s Basilica is
proof enough that the city is anything but subtle about their pride in their
patron saint. The winged lion, which represents St Mark and is the famous
symbol of the city of Venice, can also be found in Piazza San Marco, and all
over Venice for that matter. Saint Mark may be a ubiquitous symbol in Venice
today, but before the year 828 Saint Mark's remains were in Alexandria. Being
an important maritime power, Venice needed equally important relics, a status
symbol at the time. Venetian merchants Buono da Malamocco and Rustico da
Torcello were up for the job, and smuggled Saint Mark’s remains from Alexandria
into Venice. They accomplished the difficult task by hiding the relics in
shipments of pork meat, which were understandably off-putting to the Islamic
inspectors. Perhaps it’s because of the great effort taken to
"import" Saint Mark’s remains that Venetians have always been so
proud of their patron saint.
Festival of the Blooming Rose
Seventh Day - Today Bring Me The Souls Who Especially Venerate and
Glorify My Mercy.
Most Merciful
Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most
Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the
greatness of Your Mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God
Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward,
confident in Your Mercy. These souls are united to Jesus and carry all mankind
on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy
will embrace them as they depart from this life.
Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest
attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most
Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are
full of deeds of mercy and their spirit, overflowing with joy, sings a canticle
of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according
to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in
them the promise of Jesus, who said to them, "I Myself will defend as My
own glory, during their lifetime, and especially at the hour of their death,
those souls who will venerate My fathomless mercy."
Daily Devotions
[2]Schouppe
S.J., Rev. Fr. F. X.. Purgatory Explained
[3]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-04-05
[4] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic
Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 22. Anointing of the Sick.
[5] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic
Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 39. Preparation for Death.
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