Fourth Sunday after Easter
Feast of St. Mark
Joshua, Chapter 24, Verse 14
“Now, therefore, FEAR the Lord and serve him completely
and sincerely. Cast out the gods your ancestors served beyond the River and in
Egypt, and serve the Lord.
Joshua
was telling the Israelites that it was a day for decision-making, a day for
clarifying what they worship and to what they will give their ultimate
allegiance.
In a sermon by Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas she states:
“Put away the gods that your
ancestors served...” Joshua declares. Doing that requires an act of
self-examination.
·
What
are the gods that I serve?
·
What
does my bank statement or my credit card statement say about my values?
·
What
does the way I spend my free time say about what matters most to me?
·
How
does the way that I treat family-members and co-workers, neighbors and friends
show which gods I serve?
·
To
what do I give my best, most focused attention and care?
·
What
do I Really care about?
·
What
motives really drive me?
·
What
goals really draw me forward?
·
Are
there compulsive patterns of thought or behavior to which I am excessively
attached?
You and I can go to church and
say very sincerely that we worship God, but in the hurly-burly of daily life
there are all kinds of lesser gods that tug at us and clamor for our attention
and our devotion.[1]
Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:3)
ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[2]
CHAPTER II
DIES CHRISTI
The Day of the Risen Lord
and of the Gift
of the Holy Spirit
The day of the new creation
25. In effect, Sunday is the day
above all other days which summons Christians to remember the salvation which
was given to them in baptism, and which has made them new in Christ. "You
were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through
faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col
2:12; cf. Rom 6:4-6). The liturgy underscores this baptismal dimension
of Sunday, both in calling for the celebration of baptisms — as well as at the
Easter Vigil — on the day of the week "when the Church commemorates the
Lord's Resurrection", and in suggesting as an appropriate penitential rite
at the start of Mass the sprinkling of holy water, which recalls the moment of
Baptism in which all Christian life is born.
Fourth Sunday after Easter[3] A description of
the meekness and patience of Christ's flock and an explanation of the necessity
of the Ascension.
THE
Introit of the Mass of to-day is a song of praise and thanksgiving.
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle,
alleluia, for the Lord hath done wonderful things, alleluia. He hath revealed
His justice in the sight of the gentiles, alleluia, alleluia. His right hand
hath wrought for Him salvation, and His arm is holy.
Prayer. O God, Who dost unite the
hearts of the faithful in one will, grant to Thy people to love what Thou
commandest, and to desire what Thou dost promise, that among the changes of
this world our hearts may be fixed on that place where true joys reside.
EPISTLE. James i. 17-21.
Dearly
Beloved: Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down
from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no change, nor shadow of
alteration. For of His own will hath He begotten us by the word of truth, that
we might be some beginning of His creatures. You know, my dearest brethren. And
let every man be swift to hear but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the
anger of man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore casting away all
uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the engrafted
word, which is able to save your souls.
Practice.
In
this epistle the Church teaches us that every good gift comes from God. But the
most precious gift is, that He of His grace through the doctrines and
institutions of Christianity, has made us new men, children of God, and heirs
of the kingdom of heaven. The Church admonishes us, further, to walk worthy of
this grace; to love God as our Father, to listen to His word willingly, without
complaining when He chastises us, and to shun all impurity, anger, and
multiplicity of words, in which “there shall not want sin” (Prov. x. 19).
Aspiration. Help me, O God, to preserve the
grace received in baptism; give me, therefore, a great love for Thy word.
Deliver me from all inordinate passions, that I may walk worthy of Thee, purely
and with patience.
GOSPEL. John xvi. 5-14.
At that time Jesus said to His
disciples: I go to Him that sent Me; and none of you asketh Me: Whither goest Thou?
But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
But I tell you the truth: it is expedient to you that I go: for if I go not,
the Paraclete will not come to you: but if I go, I will send Him to you. And
when He is come, He will convince the world of sin, and of justice, and of
judgment; of sin: because they believed not in Me. And of justice: because I go
to the Father: and you shall see Me no longer. And of judgment: because the
prince of this world is already judged. I have yet many things to say to you:
but you cannot bear them now. But when He the Spirit of truth is come, He will
teach you all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but what things soever
He shall hear, He shall speak, and the things that are to come He shall show
you. He shall glorify Me because He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it to
you.
Why
did Jesus say, “I go to My Father”?
To reprove His disciples for giving way to excessive sorrow over His departure,
which was to be the means of purifying and strengthening their virtue, and of
perfecting the work of redemption, for them and for all the world. Learn from
this, not to give way to too much sorrow in adversity.
How
has the Holy Ghost convinced the world of sin, of justice, and of judgment? He has convinced the world:
1.
of
sin, by making the Jews know and lament the monstrous crime which they
committed against Christ, and this He effected particularly at Pentecost.
2.
Of
justice, by teaching the innocence and holiness of Jesus, on account of which
God gave Him a kingdom, and required men to worship Him as the true God.
3.
Of
judgment, by everywhere overcoming the prince of darkness, destroying his
kingdom, casting down the temples of idolatry, and in their place, by seemingly
weak means, establishing the kingdom of truth and virtue.
How
does the Holy Ghost teach all truths?
By preserving the pastors and teachers of the Church from all errors, in their
teaching of faith and morals, and by instructing each, member of the Church in
the truths of salvation.
Aspiration. Whither am I going? Will my life
bring me to God? O my God and my Lord direct my feet in the way of Thy
commandments, and keep my heart free from sin, that the Holy Ghost, finding
nothing in me worthy of punishment, may teach me all truth, and bring me safely
to Thee, Who art the eternal truth. Amen.
Feast of St. Mark[4]
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.
Feast of St. Mark, the Patron Saint of Venice[5]
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
The celebration is also
known as the "Festival of the Blooming Rose,” and it is tradition for men
to give the woman they love a "bocolo," a red rose bud to symbolize
their love. The legend surrounding the tradition of the rosebud centers on two
star-crossed lovers, Maria Partecipazio, the Doge’s daughter, and Tancredi the
troubadour. Maria was a beautiful noblewoman, whose father forbid her romance
with Tancredi because of his lower social class. Tancredi enrolls in the army,
seeking fame and glory through battle that would elevate his social status,
making him able to return home worthy of Maria. He fought valiantly, but was
ultimately killed in battle in Spain. Tancredi fell mortally wounded onto a
rosebush, and with the last of his strength picked a rosebud and asked his
friend Orlando the Paladin to take it back to Maria. Orlando returned to Venice
on April 24th, and true to his word gave Maria the rosebud, still stained with
Tancredi’s blood. The next day, on April 25th, Maria was found dead with the
rose over her broken heart. So, while flowers are always a welcome gesture, if
you’re in Venice for April 25th, be sure to symbolize your eternal love with a
red rosebud!
Last week, sadly, the annual live Oscar was a husk of its former glamorous self. The tired, soap-opera essence of the Academy’ s annual celebration of mediocrity lies in the predictable moral preening of its amoral participants. What used to be a shimmering celebration of widely accepted great films and great stars has degenerated into a cesspool of dirt, sleaze and depravity, made worse by its obvious contempt for the average American. The only mystery and excitement that remains is guessing which Hollywood one-percenters will seize the microphone to dish out some PC political rant, complete with a righteous torrent four-letter words. Worse, this alleged celebration of film entertainment has become all about politics all the time. Each year it reminds those of us still aware of world history that the Long March of Marxism continues to infect every American institution it invades. Hollywood fell to the leftists’ long march a long time ago. More recently, NFL football and the just-concluded Winter Olympics joined the lefty crowd by marching in lockstep to the same seductive tune. Every time this happens in the entertainment industry (which now includes sports), it’s box office death. (Just look at the annually declining numbers.) But the one-percenters who run these entertainment entities apparently don’t care, even as the flow of red ink increases.
Cultural leftism is inevitably cultural suicide. Most viewers who actually watched the phony Hollywood posturing and insincere moralistic bloviating, switched off the TV before the major awards were announced and headed for bed. After all the morning after the gala was a workday for actual Americans, so why watch the tired, predictable crap put on by filthy rich movie stars who actually hate at least half their fans? After Hollywood insults a majority of the night’s dwindling viewership – again – even more of them will solemnly vow never to watch the Academy Awards show ever again.
Best Catholic Films[7]
1.Carl Theodore von
Dreyer, The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928.
2.Cecil B. DeMille, King of Kings, 1927.
3.Frank Capra, Lady for a Day, 1933.
4.John Ford, The Informer, 1935.
5.Frank Borzage, Strange Cargo, 1940
6.Henry King, The Song of Bernadette, 1943.
7.John M. Stahl, The Keys of the Kingdom, 1944.
8.Leo McCarey, Going My Way, 1944.
9.Leo McCarey, The Bells of St. Mary's, 1945.
10.Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, 1946.
11.Robert Bresson, Au Hasard Balthasar, 1966.
12.Michael Powell, Black Narcissus, 1947.
13.John Ford, The Fugitive, 1947.
14.John Ford, Three Godfathers, 1948.
15.Leo McCarey, Make Way for Tomorrow, 1947.
16.Vittorio De Sica, The Bicycle Thieves, 1948.
17.Roberto Rossellini, Stromboli, 1950.
18.Roberto Rossellini, The Flowers of St. Francis, 1950.
19.Gordon Douglas, Come Fill the Cup, 1951.
20.Robert Bresson, The Dairy of a Country Priest, 1951.
21.Akira Kurosawa, Ikiru, 1952.
22.Vittorio De Sica, Umberto D, 1952.
23.Alfred Hitchcock, I Confess, 1953.
24.Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront, 1954.
25.Raffaello Matarazzo, The White Angel, 1955.
26.Carl Theodore von Dreyer, Ordet, 1955.
27.Alfred Hitchcock, The Wrong Man, 1956.
28.Luis Bunuel, Nazarin, 1959.
29.Fred Zinnemann, The Nun's Story, 1959.
30.William Wyler, Ben Hur, 1959.
31.Robert Bresson, Pickpocket, 1959.
32.Mervyn LeRoy, The Devil of 4 O'Clock, 1961.
33.Richard Fleischer, Barabbas, 1961.
34.Nicholas Ray, King of Kings, 1961.
35.Otto Preminger, The Cardinal, 1963.
36.Peter Glenville, Becket, 1964.
37.Pier Paolo Pasolini, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, 1964.
38.Carol Reed, The Agony and the Ecstasy, 1965.
39.Luis Bunuel, Simon of the Desert, 1965.
40.Fred Zinnemann, A Man for All Seasons, 1966.
41.Robert Bresson, Mouchette, 1967.
42.Michael Anderson, The Shoes of the Fisherman, 1968.
43.Franco Zefferelli, Brother Sun, Sister Moon, 1972.
44.William Friedkin, The Exorcist, 1973.
45.Anthony Harvey, The Abdication, 1974.
46.Joseph Hardy, The Lady's Not for Burning, 1974.
47.Franco Zefferelli, Jesus of Nazareth, 1977.
48.Robert Bresson, The Devil Probably, 1977.
49.Ermanno Olmi, Tree of the Wooden Clogs, 1978.
50.John Huston, Wise Blood, 1979.
51.Francesco Rosi, Christ Stopped at Eboli, 1979.
52.Hugh Hudson, Chariots of Fire, 1981.
53.Charles Sturridge & Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Brideshead Revisited, 1981.
54.Ulu Grosbard, True Confessions, 1981.
55.Martin Scorcese, The Age of Innocence, 1982.
56.Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, Night of the Shooting Stars, 1982.
57.Jerry London, The Scarlet and the Black, 1983.
58.Robert Bresson, L'argent, 1983.
59.Norman Stone, Shadowlands, 1885.
60.Alain Cavalier, Therese, 1986.
61.Roland Jaffe, The Mission, 1986.
62.Wim Wenders, Wings of Desire, 1987.
63.Gabriel Axel, Babette's Feast, 1987.
64.Rodney Bennett, Monsignor Quixote, 1987.
65.Maurice Pialat, Under the Star of Satan, 1987.
66.John Huston, The Dead, 1987.
67.Krzysztof Kieslowski, The Decalogue, 1988.
68.Krzysztof Kieslowski, A Short Film About Love, 1988.
69.Ermanno Olmi, Legend of the Holy Drinker, 1988.
70.John Duigan, Romero, 1989.
71.Denys Arcand, Jesus of Montreal, 1989.
72.Bruce Beresford, Black Robe, 1991.
73.Stijn Coninx, Daens, 1992.
74.Nancy Savoca, Household Saints, 1993.
75.Mel Gibson, Braveheart, 1995.
76.Liv Ullmann, Kristin Lavransdatter, 1995.
77.Lee David Slotoff, Spitfire Grill, 1996.
78.Marta Meszaros, The Seventh Room, 1996.
79. M. Knight Shyamalan, Wide Awake, 1998.
80.Joe Johnston, October Sky, 1999.
81.David Lynch, The Straight Story, 1999.
82.Agnieszka Holland, The Third Miracle, 1999.
83.Patrice Leconte, The Widow of Saint-Pierre, 2000.
84.Jim Sheridan, In America, 2002.
85.Alexander Payne, About Schmidt, 2002.
86.Bruce Beresford, Evelyn, 2002.
87.Denys Arcand, Barbarian Invasions, 2003.
88.Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ, 2004.
89.Tommy Lee Jones, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, 2005.
90.Christian Carion, Joyeux Noel, 2005.
91.Pavel Lungin, The Island, 2006
92.Alejandro Monteverde, Bella, 2006.
93.Jean-Pierre Dardenne, L'enfant, 2006.
94.Martin Provost, Seraphine, 2008.
95.Mark Pellington, Henry Poole is Here, 2008.
96.John Patrick Shanley, Doubt, 2008.
97.Klaus Haro, Letters to Father Jaakob, 2009.
98.Xavier Beauvois, Of Gods and Men, 2010.
99.Philip Groning, Into the Great Silence, 2007.
100. Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life, 2011.
Daily Devotions
·
Today in honor of the
Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no
shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 27
·
Manhood of
the Master-week 10 day 5
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Rosary
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