Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Easter Tuesday
ST. STANISLAUS
Psalm
33, verse 18-19
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who FEAR him, upon
those who count on his mercy, 19To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive through
famine.
You cannot receive if you do not ask. Let us ask for God’s mercy and count on it, to deliver our soul from death and keep us alive through this earthly famine for ourselves and others. In fact, one pious work we could do this week is a Novena to the Divine Mercy. In the novena Christ asks us to pray each day for certain groups of people.
1. All Sinners
2. Priests and Religious
3. Devout Souls
4. Unbelievers
5. Heretics
6. Children
7. Saints
8. Those in purgatory
9. And the Lukewarm
A good time to pray the
novena is the hour of Christ’s death. “At three o’clock, implore My mercy,
especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My
Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour
of great mercy…”
Today
if you have time would be a good day to read Saint John Paul II’s encyclical[1]
letter-Rich in Mercy
Easter Tuesday[2]
To
praise and thank God for the mystery of redemption, the Church sings at the
Introit of the Mass: He hath given them the water of wisdom to drink, alleluia.
He shall be made strong in them, and shall not be moved, alleluia. And He shall
exalt them forever, alleluia, alleluia (Ecclus. xv. 3). Give glory to the Lord,
and call upon His name, declare His deeds among the Gentiles (Ps. civ. 1).
Prayer. O God, Who dost ever multiply thy
Church by a new progeny, grant to Thy servants that they may retain in their
lives the mystery which they have received by faith.
EPISTLE. Acts xiii.
26-33.
In
those days, Paul rising up, and with his hand bespeaking silence, said: Men,
brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fear God,
to you the word of this salvation is sent. For they that inhabited Jerusalem,
and the rulers thereof, not knowing Jesus, nor the voices of the prophets,
which are read every Sabbath, judging Him have fulfilled them. And finding no
cause of death in Him, they desired of Pilate that they might kill Him. And
when they had fulfilled all things that were written of Him, taking Him down
from the tree they laid Him in a sepulcher. But God raised Him up from the dead
the third day: Who was seen for many days by them, who came up with Him from
Galilee to Jerusalem, who to this present are His witnesses to the people. And
we declare unto you that the promise, which was made to our fathers, this same
God hath fulfilled to our children, raising up Jesus Christ our Lord.
Explanation.
Like St. Peter, so St. Paul founds
the truth of his doctrine upon the resurrection of Jesus, because Christ had
given this as the special proof of the truth of His doctrine. Had He not risen
from the dead He would not have been the Son of God and could not have redeemed
mankind. The resurrection is, therefore, the foundation of our belief. On that
account He allowed His disciples for a while to doubt, and only to believe
after He had given them proofs of His resurrection by repeatedly appearing to
them; that by their doubts and cautious unbelief the wounds of unbelief in our
hearts might be healed, and we might know how true is the resurrection, and how
firmly founded our faith.
GOSPEL. Luke xxiv.
36-47.
At that time:
Jesus stood in the midst of His disciples, and saith to them: Peace be to you:
it is I, fear not. But they being troubled and frighted, supposed that they saw
a spirit. And He said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise
in your hearts?
See My hands
and feet, that it is I Myself; handle, and see for a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as you see Me to have. And when He had said this, He showed them His
hands and feet. But while they yet believed not, and wondered for joy, He said: Have you here anything to eat?
And they
offered Him a piece of a broiled fish and a honeycomb. And when He had eaten
before them, taking the remains He gave to them. And He said to them: These are
the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all things must
needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets,
and in the psalms, concerning Me. Then He opened their understanding, that they
might understand the Scriptures. And He said to them: Thus, it is written, and
thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day:
and that penance and remission of sins should be preached in His name unto all
nations.
Why does Jesus greet His disciples
with the words, “Peace be to you?”
1.
Because He came to restore to men that peace with God, with
themselves, with their neighbor, which sin had destroyed.
2.
Because peace is a mark of the children of God, as discord is of
sinners.
3.
Because peace is the greatest of all goods. Therefore, it is that
He will have His apostles, after His example, give the greeting of peace on
entering a house.
4.
Finally, Because He desired to encourage His disciples to confidence
by His friendliness.
Why did Our Savior retain the marks
of His wounds after His resurrection?
·
To show that it was the same body which had been wounded during
His passion, and to show that He was really risen from the dead.
·
To teach us that we too shall, in like manner, rise with our
bodies.
·
To make known to us the greatness of His love, through which He
has graven us, as it were, on His hands and feet, and in His heart.
·
To impart to us confidence in His endless mercy, and to encourage
us to combat against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
·
To prepare a place of refuge, and an inexhaustible fountain of
consolation for all the miserable, afflicted, and tempted.
·
To terrify the impenitent, whom, on the Day of Judgment, He will
show how much He has suffered for them, and that they have been the cause of
their own destruction. Oh, let us endeavor to think often on the wounds of
Jesus, that we may thereby be encouraged to lead pious lives acceptable to God.
Aspiration
O Jesus, grant that the precious
blood which flowed from Thy wounds for me and all sinners may not be lost.
Instruction
on what we ought to believe concerning the Holy Scriptures.
“He opened their understanding, that they might
understand the Scriptures.” Luke xxiv. 45.
Is it free to everyone to read and
explain Holy Scripture according to his own opinion?
No; that must be done with submission and conformity
to the teaching of the Church. Questions of faith cannot be settled by
appealing to the Holy Scriptures alone, since they themselves are liable to be
misunderstood. For this reason, the Church has done wisely in making the
printing, reading, and explaining of Holy Scripture depend upon the permission
of lawful spiritual superiors.
What, therefore, must one do who
desires to read the Holy Scriptures?
§
He must read them, only with the permission of the ecclesiastical
superiors.
§
With the subjection of his own opinion to the decisions of the
Church, and the interpretation of the holy fathers.
§
With suitable preparation, by prayer and fasting, as St. Thomas of
Aquinas did, and with devotion and care.
After 40 days of
Fasting-Easter marks 50 Days of Feasting[3]
Easter week is the week of the
baptized. They have passed from death to life, from the darkness of sin to the
life of grace in the light of Christ. They are governed by the principle
enunciated by St. Paul that, risen with Christ, the Christian must raise his
desires to heaven, detach himself from earthly pleasures in order to love those
of heaven. The Fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost are celebrated in
joyful exultation as one feast day, or better as one "great Sunday."
The Sundays of this season rank as the
paschal Sundays and, after Easter Sunday itself, are called the Second, Third,
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Sundays of Easter. The period of fifty sacred
days ends on Pentecost Sunday. The first eight days of the Easter Season make
up the octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord.
On the fortieth day after Easter the
Ascension is celebrated, except in places where, not being a holy day of
obligation, it has been transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter. This
solemnity directs our attention to Christ, who ascended into heaven before the
eyes of his disciples, who is now seated at the right hand of the Father,
invested with royal power, who is there to prepare a place for us in the
kingdom of heaven; and who is destined to come again at the end of time.
The weekdays after the Ascension until
the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the
Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Divine Mercy Novena[4]
Fifth Day - Today Bring to Me the Souls of
Heretics and Schismatics.
Most
Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it
of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of
heretics and schismatics. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church,
and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but
bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.
Eternal
Father turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of heretics, and schismatics, who
have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces obstinately persisting
in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your Own
Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they,
too, are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Bring it about that
they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Novena for the Poor
Souls[5]
O Mother most
merciful, pray for the souls in Purgatory!
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.
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.
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.
St. Stanislaus[6]
I shall
content myself with relating the history of St. Stanislaus, Bishop of Cracow,
Poland, who restored to life a man who had been dead for three years, attended
by such singular circumstances, and in so public a manner, that the thing is
beyond the severest criticism.... This incident was known by countless persons
and by all the court of King Boleslaus II (reigned 1058-1080) St. Stanislaus,
bought from a man named Piotr [Peter] an estate situated on the banks of the
Vistula in the territory of Lublin for the use of his church at Cracow. The
Prelate gave the full price of it to the seller. This was done in the presence
of witnesses, and with the solemnities required in that country, but without
written deeds, for written accounts of transactions of this kind were seldom
made in Poland at that time. They contented themselves with having witnesses.
Stanislaus took possession of this estate, and his church enjoyed it peaceably
for about three years. In the interim, Piotr, who had sold it, happened to die.
The King of Poland, Boleslaus, had conceived an implacable hatred against the
holy Bishop because he had frequently reproved him for his excesses. Therefore,
seeking to cause him trouble, the King excited the three sons of Piotr, his
heirs, against their father and told them to claim the estate which their
father had sold, on the pretense that it had not been paid for. He promised to
support their demand, and to cause the estate to be restored to them. Thus,
these three men had the Bishop cited to appear before the King, who was then at
Solec, occupied in rendering justice under some tents in the country, according
to the ancient custom of the land, in the general assembly of the nation. The
Bishop was cited before the King and maintained that he had bought and paid for
the estate in question. The day was beginning to close, and the Bishop ran
great risk of being condemned by the King and his counselors. Suddenly, as if
inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Bishop promised the King to bring before him
in three days Piotr, the deceased man who had sold it to him. The condition was
accepted mockingly, as a thing impossible to be executed. The holy Bishop
retired to his Church a distance away, where
he prayed and fasted with his household for three days. On the third day,
he went in his pontifical robes, accompanied by his clergy and a multitude of
people, ordered the gravestone to be raised, and made them dig until they found
the corpse of the defunct, all fleshless and corrupted. Then St. Stanislaus
commanded him to come forth and bear witness to the truth before the King's
tribunal. The Bishop touched the bones with his crosier, and they filled out
with flesh. The dead Piotr rose; they covered him with a cloak. The Saint took
him by the hand and led him alive to the feet of the King. No one had the
boldness to interrogate him. But Piotr himself spoke out freely and declared
that he had in good faith sold the estate to the Prelate and that he had
received the value of it. After stating this, he severely reprimanded his sons,
who had so maliciously accused the holy Bishop. Stanislaus asked Piotr if he
wished to remain alive to do penance. Piotr thanked him and said he would not
expose himself anew to the danger of sinning. Stanislaus re-conducted him to
his tomb, where he again fell asleep in the Lord. It may be supposed that such
a scene had numerous witnesses, and that all Poland was quickly informed of it.
The King was only the more irritated against the Saint. Sometime after [on May
8, 1079], he killed the Bishop with his own hands as he was coming from the
altar in Wawel Castle outside the walls of Cracow. He then ordered that the
Prelate’s body be hacked into 72 pieces so that they might never be collected
together to be paid the honor due to them as the body of a martyr for the truth
and for pastoral liberty. St. Stanislaus was canonized in 1253 by Pope Innocent
IV. He is the patron of Poland and of the city and Diocese of Cracow and is
invoked in battle.
Things to Do:[7]
·
Sometimes evil has to be confronted boldly, whatever
the consequences. Brave men like St. Stanislaus of Cracow risked death in
facing evil. There is little chance today that we will ever be in that danger,
but we must always be willing to defend the truth, and it should be very clear,
in the face of genuine evil, where we stand. Christ our Lord can expect no less
from us. Say an extra prayer today for the gift of fortitude.
·
Learn a little more about the city of Kracow where both St.
Stanislaus and Pope John Paul II came from.
·
For those who are extremely interested in
knowing more about Polish history this online book, Polish
Americans and Their Communities of Cleveland may prove to be a good
source of information.
·
The final work of Franz Liszt is the unfinished
oratorio St. Stanislaus, for which he left two scenes (one and four) and two
polonaises. Learn more about this oratorio here
and if you are able find a copy and listen.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE-PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHAPTER THREE-THE LIFE OF PRAYER
Article 1-EXPRESSIONS OF PRAYER
IN BRIEF
2720 The Church invites the faithful to regular prayer: daily
prayers, the Liturgy of the Hours, Sunday Eucharist, the feasts of the liturgical
year.
2721 The Christian tradition comprises three major expressions
of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. They
have in common the recollection of the heart.
2722 Vocal prayer, founded on the union of body and soul in
human nature, associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart,
following Christ's example of praying to his Father and teaching the Our Father
to his disciples.
2723 Meditation is a prayerful quest engaging thought,
imagination, emotion, and desire. Its goal is to make our own in faith the
subject considered, by confronting it with the reality of our own life.
2724 Contemplative prayer is the simple expression of the
mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an attentiveness to
the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of
Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
How
to Baptize in case of an Emergency[8]
When an individual is on
their deathbed, anyone can baptize them into the Christian faith.
Baptism
is a beautiful sacrament, one that opens the doorway to God’s grace into a
person’s soul, initiating them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
As
the Catechism
of the Catholic Church explains,
“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway
to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which
gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and
reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the
Church and made sharers in her mission: Baptism is the sacrament of
regeneration through water in the word” (CCC 1213).
In normal circumstances, a bishop, priest or deacon is the
ordinary minister of the sacrament. However, in an emergency, anyone
can baptize a person who wants to be baptized.
In
case of necessity, anyone, even a non-baptized person, with
the required intention, can baptize, by using the Trinitarian baptismal formula. The intention required is to will
to do what the Church does when she baptizes. The Church finds the reason for
this possibility in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for
salvation.
(CCC 1256)
Most
often this is seen in birthing centers, where newborn infants are quickly
baptized by a nurse or doctor, when death appears imminent. In this particular
case, the parents request this to be done (usually beforehand) and those
administering baptism do so with the right intention. Sometimes a baby will
recover, in which case the parish priest will perform additional rites
surrounding the sacrament of baptism, as it is not possible to be baptized
twice.
At
the other end of the spectrum, adults who are dying can
also be baptized if they request it, by anyone who is present. Fr. Paul de
Ladurantaye explains in the Arlington
Catholic Herald
exactly how this is done.
In
the case of
necessity (e.g., the danger of death), the person who baptizes pours water three times over the candidate’s head, or
immerses the candidate three times in water, while simultaneously pronouncing
the baptismal
formula:
“N., I baptize you in the name of the Father (the minster pours water or
immerses the first time), and of the Son (the minister pours water or immerses
a second time), and of the Holy Spirit (the minister pours water or immerses a
third time).” A lay person who administers an emergency baptism must at least
have the intention to do what the Church does when baptizing. It is also
desirable that, as far as possible, one or two witnesses to the baptism be
present.
It
must be kept in mind that this type of baptism performed by laypeople should
only be administered to people in an emergency situation. If the person
recovers and returns to full health, then that person should present
themselves to the nearest parish and explain their situation so that they can
be fully welcomed into the Catholic Church.
If
a priest or deacon is available and able to come to the bedside of someone
dying, then that option should be pursued first. However, if that is not an
option and time does not allow an extensive search for an ordained minister, a
layperson should step in.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: End
Sex Trafficking, Slavery
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 6 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Make reparations to the Holy Face
·
30
Days with St. Joseph Day 23
[1]http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30111980_dives-in-misericordia.html
[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1032
[5]Schouppe S.J., Rev. Fr. F. X..
Purgatory Explained
[7]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-04-11
[8] https://aleteia.org/2020/03/30/how-laypeople-can-baptize-in-an-emergency/
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