Apr 27 Mon - What are the priorities in the apostolate of the Church?

 

Apr 27 Mon
What are the priorities in the apostolate of the Church?

In a recent letter, Pope Leo XIV conveyed Easter greetings to the College of Cardinals, with a little bit of business included, together with the prayerful well-wishing and gratitude for their work.

It is, in a certain sense, a program to be followed in relation to the consistory convened for June 2026. In the letter, the Pope acknowledges the importance of centering Christian life on the fundamental tenets of the Faith and promoting a pastoral and missionary conversion to give a new impulse to the evangelization. 

First, he calls for a renewal of faith at the personal level, based on prayer and coherence of life. This perspective challenges the Church at every level. 

On the personal level, Leo says, every baptized person must be aware that they are called to renew their encounter with Christ, moving from a faith merely received to a faith truly lived and experienced. This journey affects the very quality of spiritual life, expressed in the primacy of prayer, in the witness and action that precedes words, and in the coherence between one’s faith and life.

On the community level, he wrote, Now, I wish to focus in particular on what emerged from the groups regarding Evangelii Gaudium, concerning mission and the transmission of the faith.

Communities are to shift from a pastoral approach of maintenance to an attitude of mission. This requires communities to be living agents of the proclamation of the Gospel. 

Leo even gets into specifics on the point: Noting the need to foster “welcoming communities that use accessible language, attentive to the quality of relationships, and are capable of offering places for listening, accompaniment, and healing.”

Thirdly, at the diocesan level, the Pope pointed out, the responsibility of Pastors to resolutely support missionary boldness emerges clearly, ensuring that such boldness is not weighed down or stifled by organizational excesses, but is guided by a discernment that helps us to recognize what is essential.”

“From all this flows a profoundly unified understanding of mission, which is Christ-centered and kerygmatic [based on the fundamental dogmas of the Faith]. A mission that is born of an encounter with Christ that is capable of transforming lives and spreading through attraction rather than conquest.” 

At this diocesan level, there must be, Leo wrote, “an integral mission, holding in balance explicit proclamation, witness, commitment and dialogue, and yielding neither to the temptation of proselytism nor to a merely institutional mentality of preservation or expansion."

“Even when the Church finds herself in a minority,” Leo wrote, “she is called to live with confident courage, as a small flock bringing hope to all, mindful that the aim of mission is not its own survival, but the communication of the love with which God loves the world.”

In sum, there must be, 
- On the personal level, mature faith, prayer, and coherence of life

- On the community level, parishes are to be living agents of the proclamation of the Gospel.

- At the diocesan level, missionary boldness and discernment to recognize what is essential. 

Apr 26 Sun - Should I be docile to the legitimate pastors?

 

Apr 26 Sun
Should I be docile to the legitimate pastors?

Christ is the good shepherd, and we are his sheep.
In this world, there are basically two types of leaders: those who give themselves to others, and those who profit from them.

Among those who make a profit are those leaders who are downright thugs who “steal and slaughter and destroy.”

The thieves and robbers come to take away from us everything we have, including our faith. This perfectly describes the devil and applies to any human being who becomes a predator.

Sheep are docile. They follow and obey a good shepherd and so benefit from him.
Having the virtue of docility means observing, listening to, imitating, and obeying those who know better than we do.

It also means cooperating when someone justly corrects us.

The docile person is humble. He knows he does not know many things and needs a teacher and guide.

The docile person knows there may be others who know his own good better than he does himself.

This is the basic reason why we should listen to teachers, advisors, coaches, guides, and parents.

A docile person avoids the vice of credulity. Credulity means blindly believing what you are told by anyone without reflecting on it. The credulous sheep listens to anyone who passes by and claims to be a shepherd.

The properly docile sheep is prudent enough to run away from a bad shepherd, afraid of how he might harm him.

A docile person also avoids being a know-it-all. A sheep who “knows everything” and so cannot be led or taught is foolish, because in reality, he does not know it all but has cut himself off from help.

A docile person maintains a legitimate doubt about his own biases on debatable matters, especially when those new ideas appear to conflict with Christian values.

We should be docile to our good shepherds, especially the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

Always go to our priest brothers. We should do so especially when something in our soul makes us feel ashamed. “You will open wide your heart - a rotten heart, if it is rotten! - sincerely, with a deep desire to be healed. If not, that rottenness would never be cured. If we went to a person who could only treat our wound superficially, it would be because we were cowards. We were not good sheep, because we wanted to hide the truth, to our own harm.” 

“Don't be ashamed of being wretched, if sometimes you are. Don't panic because you find the bad leaven of sin in your heart. Don't be afraid of anything. Be truly faithful! Sincere! Be sincere! Let's have the common sense and the supernatural spirit. In exchange, you will experience greater effectiveness in your life, in the work of your sanctification and the sanctification of so many souls, and the Church."

Now is the time for us to ask ourselves, in the intimacy of our own hearts: Do I go to sacramental Confession punctually? Do I accept this means of personal sanctification with gratitude and in the desire to make good use of it? 

Apr 25 Sat - For a Christian to be an apostle, what does it involve?

 

Apr 25 Sat
For a Christian to be an apostle, what does it involve?

Saint Mark did not belong to the group of the Apostles, but he was a disciple of the first hour. Our Lord places in his apostles’ hearts a pure and generous desire to serve, a true zeal that makes them willing to undertake any sacrifice, working quietly for the Church without seeking any earthly compensation.

Apostles are Christians who know that they are grafted onto Christ, identified with Christ, through Baptism; enabled to fight for Christ, through Confirmation; called to serve God with their activity in the world, to guide others to God, to teach them the truth of the Gospel, and to co-redeem them through their prayer and their expiation.

“It's not a matter of doing our own thing, of fulfilling our personal ambitions. Rather, it's a matter of being useful to Christ, so that He may act; and also, being useful to others, because Christ came not to be served but to serve."

“We have to ask God our Lord to increase our hunger to serve."

Once and for all, we need to get rid of whatever separates us from, or even slightly hinders, our way as apostles. We can never forget that only when apostles are ready to sacrifice their own lives, through continuous self-denial in the service of others for God, will they be truly united to Jesus' work of redemption. Only then can their apostolate be fruitful.

“Far from discouraging us, the difficulties we meet have to spur us on to mature as Christians. We must take his advice to heart: If any man has a mind to come my way, let him renounce self, and take up his cross, and follow me."

“Take a nail, for instance. If you meet no resistance when you hammer it into a wall, what can you expect to hang on it? Likewise, if we do not let God toughen us through sacrifice, we will never become our Lord's instruments. On the other hand, if we decide to accept difficulties gladly and make use of them for the love of God, then in the face of what is difficult and unpleasant, when things are hard and uncomfortable, we will be able to exclaim with the Apostles James and John: Yes, we can!"

Jesus had announced that in the world his followers would have tribulation. And they overcame all kinds of difficulties and dangers to carry out the mission entrusted to them by our Lord.

Without personal sacrifice, there will be no fruit. “The Cross is present in everything, and it comes when one least expects it. But don't forget that normally, the Cross comes when you start to be effective."

Even though we are of the earth, we must allow Jesus to raise us to the level of divine life. Then, we shall have a divine way of thinking: our Faith, and a divine way of loving: our Charity. Let us allow him to transform us, while we correspond to his grace. 

“Let us serve, then, because apostolate consists of nothing else. Through our own efforts, we cannot achieve anything in the supernatural realm; but by allowing ourselves to become God's instruments, we can do everything." 

Apr 24 Fri - How many times is “The Lord be with you” repeated in the Mass?

 

Apr 24 Fri
How many times is “The Lord be with you” repeated in the Mass?

In the Roman Rite, the priest says “The Lord be with you” (Dominus vobiscum) five times:

1. At the start of Mass (Introductory Rites), the priest greets the entire Church with “The Lord be with you.”

The priest declares to us that the Lord is present.
This greeting expresses the mystery of the gathered Church, which is present even when we are just a few persons in the room. We are going to participate and offer to God the Father the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, present here in a real, sacramental manner. 

“When I celebrate Mass with just one person to help me, the people are present also. I feel that there with me are all Catholics, all believers, and also those who do not believe. All God’s creatures are there—the earth and the sea and the sky, and the animals and plants—the whole of creation giving glory to the Lord." Saint Josemaría. 

In this greeting, the ministerial priest’s special relationship with the Holy Spirit is acknowledged by the faithful, “And with your spirit.” 

2. Before the Gospel, the priest (or deacon) uses the same greeting.
By faith we know that when the Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself is speaking to his people, and Christ, present in his own word, is proclaiming the Gospel. 
Besides his Eucharistic presence, “in another very genuine way, Christ is also present in the Church as she preaches. For the Gospel which she proclaims is the word of God, and it is only in the name of Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, and only by his authority and with his help that it is preached, so that there might be ‘one flock resting secure in one shepherd.’

3. Before the Eucharistic Prayer, in the introduction to the Preface, the priest says, “The Lord be with you.” The Church proclaims that Christ is truly present and acting among the people gathered for worship. The greeting is not like casual small talk; it is a liturgical recognition of a real, spiritual “nearness”—Jesus gathers and stays with those who are assembled in his name, and are about to participate in His sacrifice.

4. Before distributing communion, at the breaking of the Bread, the priest says, “The Peace of the Lord be with you always.” It reminds us of the same greeting the Risen Lord gave to the disciples in the Upper Room. Peace is an essential requirement to live our Christian life, and it is our duty as Christians to be sowers of God’s peace in the world.

5. Before the final blessing, the greeting is now made real in its highest sense: The Lord is with us, especially with those who have received Communion. 
The Mass is finished, we are encouraged to return to our ordinary occupations to love and serve the Lord. We serve the Lord while fulfilling our usual norms of piety, resting, or working in the presence of God. In this way, we constantly keep alive those dispositions we had during the Mass. 

Apr 23 Thu - Why do we pray for peace in the Church?

 

Apr 23 Thu
Why do we pray for peace in the Church?
In the Mass, before we share the same spiritual food, we implore peace and unity for the Church and for the whole human family and offer some sign of our love for one another.

Communion is getting closer, and the liturgy becomes ever more intimate. While all the preceding prayers of the Mass were directed to God the Father, now for the first time, the priest addresses himself directly to Jesus Christ. With his hands extended, he prays for peace: 

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles, Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity, in accordance with your will.

When we pronounce our Amen, we must realize that we are asking not only for our personal peace but also for peace for the whole Church. We know that “every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin; and a household divided against itself collapses.”
What a good moment now to rectify, lest the Lord find us at war with one another under the flimsy excuse of serving him better! 

This is a good moment to exert effort and begin to understand the reasons and attitudes of others, no matter how different they may be from ours; to love pluralism in the non-dogmatic issues; to respect the diverse viewpoints in debatable matters. How often do we try to proffer our personal solution, passing it as the Gospel message, but being really just that: one more private opinion? Here is a reminder from the Second Vatican Council: 

People must remember that no one is allowed to appropriate the Church’s authority for their own opinion in these situations. 

With these good dispositions, we receive the priest’s greeting:
The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Then, if the opportunity warrants it, the priest may add:
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

The priest may give the sign of peace to the ministers but always remains within the sanctuary, so as not to disturb the celebration. The celebrant need not make the sign of peace toward the faithful because he has already done so earlier with the words “The peace of the Lord be with you always.”

The priest gives us the greeting of peace while extending and then joining his hands. 
And also with you, we respond.

“Here is a thought that brings peace and that the Holy Spirit provides ready made for those who seek the will of God: ‘The Lord rules me, and I shall want nothing.’
What can upset a soul who sincerely repeats these words?"

And so, we abandon ourselves completely in God’s will:

An act of complete correspondence to the will of God: Is that what you want, Lord?... Then it’s what I want also!

A determined resolution to fulfill the will of God in the smallest things is the only way we can be truly happy. The relative happiness we can achieve here on earth shall be made complete in heaven. 

Apr 22 Wed - Is it true that Jesus resurrected?

 

Apr 22 Wed
Is it true that Jesus resurrected?
In St. Luke’s Gospel, the evangelist describes how the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. Upon reaching the tomb, they found the stone rolled away. The women were greeted by two men in dazzling garments who spoke to them and informed them that Jesus had been raised.

They then brought word of this to the eleven and the others. After giving us the names of the women—Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James—the evangelist reports that their story seemed like nonsense, and thus were the women not believed. Their story was ignored by all but Peter, who got up and ran to the tomb.

We believe in the Resurrection not because it is a nice, happy ending to the story of Jesus. And neither do we believe in the Risen Lord because we have sympathy for Him. Something much more profound is at issue concerning the reason for the Paschal Mystery.

Jesus did not go to the Cross because He lied. He went to the Cross because of the truth. “I came into the world to testify to the truth.” Jesus made this known to Pilate, right before the crucifixion. Still, it would be a great underestimation on our part if all we did was acknowledge the truth of the death of the Son of Man. It’s in the Resurrection that there is truth, too!  

Saint John Paul II wrote: “The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the supreme exaltation of the fruitfulness and saving power of a freedom lived out in truth.” Pope Benedict XVI writes that it’s not just truth but freedom that is at issue. “Jesus is the lodestar of human freedom. Without him, freedom loses its focus, for without the knowledge of truth, freedom becomes debased, alienated, and reduced to empty caprice. With him, freedom finds itself.”

It is clear from the Gospels that the very first thing the disciples did upon hearing about the Lord’s Resurrection was to tell others that it’s true. For instance, Mary Magdalene went to the brothers right away at Jesus’ behest, after her own encounter with the Risen Christ. Alas, this was just the beginning. Eventually, all the “telling” gave way to Pentecost and a much wider evangelization.

In the course of that evangelization, and as a result of it, men and women have chosen to die rather than compromise the Faith they embraced in their Baptism. We call these men and women martyrs for the Faith. What in the world would ever inspire the martyrs to risk it all—their hopes and aspirations, their reputations, their very lives? In a word, it is the truth.

And, specifically, in what does that truth consist? Well, how about the truth of the sacredness of human life from the moment of conception until natural death? How about the truth of marriage according to the order of creation? And how about the truth of the Catholic Faith itself amid the pluralism of religions in societies today?

Excerpts from Msgr. Robert Batule 

Apr 21 Tue - How can I live the beatitudes?

 

Apr 21 Tue
How can I live the beatitudes?

St. Teresa of Calcutta gives us tips to live them in the midst of our ordinary occupations.

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

When you have nothing left but God, you have more than enough to start over. The spiritual poverty of the Western world is far greater than the physical poverty of our people.

2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

When pain and suffering enter your life, remember that pain, sadness, and suffering are nothing more than Jesus' kiss, a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.

3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Humility is the mother of all virtues: purity, charity, and obedience. When we try to be humble, our love becomes real, devoted, and ardent. If you are humble, nothing will disturb you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. If you are blamed, you will not be discouraged. If they call you a saint, you will not put yourself on a pedestal.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

If you judge people, you don't have time to love them, and I'd prefer that you make mistakes with kindness than work miracles without kindness.

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

People are often irrational and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. 
If you're kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 
If you're honest, people can fool you. Be honest anyway. 
If you find happiness, people might get jealous. Be happy anyway. 
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. 
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 
You see? In the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

In this life, we can't do great things. We can only do small things with great love.

7. Blessed are those who labor for peace, for they shall be called sons of God.

Peace begins with a smile.

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Mother Teresa was admired by many, but she was also persecuted and constantly criticized for doing her work of evangelization. She was also accused of not doing enough to change things.

She said, " Every abortion is the refusal to receive Jesus. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill each other? Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love each other, but to use any kind of violence to get what they want."

We must speak boldly, without seeking praise and without fear of backlash and persecution, but to tell the truth. 

Apr 20 Mon - Pharisee Asks If It's Normal For Temple Curtain To Suddenly Rip In Half

 

Apr 20 Mon
Pharisee Asks If It's Normal For Temple Curtain To Suddenly Rip In Half

JERUSALEM — A Pharisee by the name of Ahaziah asked his fellow scribes if it was normal for the temple curtain to suddenly and spontaneously rip in half from top to bottom.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of the day of preparation for the Passover, which just so happened to coincide with the execution of a trio of condemned criminals just outside the city.

"Is it, uh, supposed to do that?" asked Ahaziah, staring at the split halves of the massive curtain believed to separate mankind from God's presence. "I haven't been a Pharisee very long, but I sort of had the idea the curtain was supposed to stay put. I'm not sure if four-inch-thick, 60-foot-tall curtains are supposed to just violently split like that. It seems a little strange, is all."

Ahaziah further queried whether anyone knew if earthquakes were common in the region, or if people coming up out of their graves to walk around the city was something that happened frequently.

"Is this out of the ordinary, people getting up out of their own graves?" Ahaziah asked an elder Pharisee, his legs still shaking from the earthquake. "Do they usually do that when we execute a guy for blasphemy? It feels different, at least to me."

At publishing time, Ahaziah had asked if it was typical for three-thousand-pound stones to suddenly move away from a tomb opening.

The above “imaginary” news tells us that, if a person is aware that God has revealed something, he needs some evidence to confirm that it is God who reveals a truth.  

Therefore, we have to know in some way that God is the one speaking. It cannot be known from the content of the revealed truth, since it is not self-evident for us; if it were, it would not be a matter of faith. 

We need some external testimony, similar to the way external signs vouch for the authenticity of a document: a seal, or the signatures of a notary public and some witnesses, even if it can also be confirmed by its content.

It is reasonable to accept a revelation when it meets certain criteria that identify it as such, that is, as something said by God. This is what the First Vatican Council teaches:

For the submission of our faith to be consonant with reason, God has willed that external proofs of his Revelation, namely divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies, should be added to the internal aids given by the Holy Spirit. 

Since these proofs so excellently display God’s omnipotence and limitless knowledge, they constitute the surest signs of divine Revelation, signs that are suitable to everyone’s understanding. Therefore, not only Moses and the prophets but also and preeminently Christ our Lord performed many evident miracles and made clear-cut prophecies. 

Moreover, we read of the Apostles: “But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the preaching by the signs that followed.” 

Apr 19 Sun - What does Kerygma mean?

 

Apr 19 Sun
What does Kerygma mean?

In Acts, Peter says to the Jews in Jerusalem, “Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs.” Saint Luke reports that the two disciples on the road to Emmaus say, “Jesus the Nazarene… was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.” Jesus publicly proved he was a great prophet by his sublime teachings and by his miracles.

But prophets can die: in fact, they are usually executed.

Jesus himself teaches the disappointed disciples that He is the one who has redeemed Israel and that doing so was God’s “set plan” from the beginning. It was necessary “that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory.” This plan was foretold in the Jewish scriptures. Now Jesus shows them what was there that they had never seen.

The Greek word kerygma, or preaching, refers to the most fundamental proclamation of the Gospel. It tells us who Jesus Christ is, what He has done for us, and how we should respond.

It is essential and answers the question of why we are followers of Christ.

We have heard the glad tidings that God the Father out of love sent God the Son to become man; and that through his life, death, and resurrection the Son Jesus Christ has redeemed us from sin and death; and that God the Holy Spirit is pouring out graces on us so we can repent and live transformed lives until we enjoy eternal life with the Blessed Trinity and all the saved forever.

The Greek word Didache, or teaching (or catechesis or formation), is the ongoing total formation we need to deepen our understanding of the Gospel and to live it more faithfully.

How do kerygma and catechesis (or Didache) relate? Pope Francis explains: “All Christian formation consists of entering more deeply into the kerygma, which is reflected in and constantly illumines, the work of catechesis.”

This ever-deeper formation is doctrinal (knowing the faith better), scriptural (knowing what God has spoken in his Word), moral (living according to Christian morality and the virtues), sacramental (the basic means by which we receive grace), ascetical (having a personal relationship with Christ through prayer), and communitarian (we are a people, not a collection of individuals).

In sum, we need Christian formation.

It is impossible to do everything at once, but we can begin to do one thing at a time for ourselves and others in our family, parish, or diocese. Here are some ways to become better formed:

- Deepen our knowledge of the doctrine of the faith by attending some classes.
- Read the New Testament a few minutes daily.
- Struggle to obey the moral law as the Church teaches it.
- Work on acquiring a particular virtue, especially the one you need most.
- Frequent the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and regular confession.
- Spend time in prayer each day, talking with Our Lord.
- Be involved with other people in acts of service. 

Apr 18 Sat - Am I obliged to do apostolate?

 

Apr 18 Sat
Am I obliged to do apostolate?
The Lord has risen from the dead, as He foretold. Let there be happiness and rejoicing for He is our King forever. Now that we are filled with Easter joy, the Church wants us to realize that this joy has to be passed on to others.

The Gospel describes how the women left the tomb quickly, filled with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. The risen Christ Himself meets them and confirms their mission: 'Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.'

Each Christian also must be an apostle who has found Christ and who feels the urgency to spread the kingdom of his love everywhere. “St Paul gave a motto to the Christians at Ephesus: to fill everything with the spirit of Jesus, placing Christ at the center of everything. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself. Through his Incarnation, through his work at Nazareth and his preaching and miracles in the land of Judea and Galilee, through his Death on the Cross, and through his Resurrection, Christ is the center of the universe, the firstborn and Lord of all creation."

“Our task as Christians is to proclaim this kingship of Christ, announcing it through what we say and do. Our Lord wants men and women of his own in all walks of life. Some [the religious] He calls away from society, asking them to give up involvement in the world, so that they remind the rest of us by their example that God exists. To others [the priests], He entrusts the priestly ministry. But He wants the vast majority [the laity] to stay right where they are, in all the earthly occupations in which they work: the factory, the laboratory, the farm, the trades, the streets of the big cities, and the trails of the mountains."

If you are cold and lazy, and are only concerned with yourself and live content with that, and even say in your heart, "What are the others to me? I have enough with my own soul; I only hope to keep it intact for God." Come now! Do you not remember the servant who hid the talent and did not want to trade with it? Was he condemned for losing it, or was it not rather because he did not want to trade with it? Think of this, my brethren, and never rest satisfied.

All our activity must have an apostolic value.
“We must always have a lively desire to give others the joy the Lord puts into our lives. Thus, none of God's children can be at ease if they do not continually feel the hunger for winning new apostles, like their own heartbeat."

Each of us should be like a burning coal, continually setting fire to everything it touches or, at least, raising the spiritual temperature of those around them, leading them to lead a more intense Christian life. We must set all earthly paths aflame with the fire of Christ. 

Apr 17 Fri - Should I care for others?

 

Apr 17 Fri
Should I care for others?
St John relates how the soldiers on Calvary saw that Jesus was already dead; they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers opened his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 

He did not say that the soldier "wounded" or "struck" his side or some similar expression, but rather "opened". Thus, he makes us understand that there the door to life was opened, and from that door poured forth the sacraments of the Church, without which no one enters into true Life.

In the Mass we live again “the drama of Calvary, which I would dare to describe as the first, the original Mass, celebrated by Jesus Christ." 

As He did on the Cross, Christ offers himself to God in the Holy Mass, being both Priest and Victim. One and the same is the Victim, and He who now offers himself through the ministry of the priests is the same who at that time offered himself on the Cross. Only the manner of offering himself is different. On the Cross, Jesus suffered death, with the real shedding of his blood; on the altar, because of the glorified state of his human nature, "death no longer has dominion over him", and so the shedding of Blood is impossible.

As we meditate on the fact that Jesus Christ is immolated for us every day in the Mass, we see very clearly the need to be well prepared to attend this Holy Sacrifice. We should ask for “a living faith in these moments, because we are drawing near to the mystery of Faith, to the Holy Eucharist; because we are about to participate in our Lord's Pasch, which sums up and brings about the mercies of God among men."

The best way to respond to Christ's sacrifice can be summarized in one phrase: “We must give our life for others. That is the only way to live the life of Jesus Christ and to become one and the same thing with him." 

We will share in his life to the degree that we have “a big heart to love God and love others." We should never forget how much God had to suffer for us.

We will learn to love other people by imitating the self-giving of Christ, who loved me and gave himself up for me, “Feel in your souls this blessed fraternity, which comes down to really loving each other, because we are all children of God, washed and purified in his blood and called with an identical Christian vocation."

We must make life pleasanter for others, sacrificing our own legitimate preferences if there is even a chance others might find them slightly off-putting. “When I preach that we have to make ourselves into a soft carpet for the others to walk on, I am not simply being poetic: it has to be a reality! It's hard, as sanctity is hard: but it's also easy, because, I insist, sanctity is within everyone's reach." 

Apr 16 Thu - What do we ask in the Lord’s Prayer?

 

Apr 16 Thu
What do we ask in the Lord’s Prayer?
The Lord wished us to repeat this prayer in God’s sight, to call Him our Father and, as Christ is God’s Son, be called in turn sons of God. None of us would ever have dared to utter this name unless He himself had allowed us to pray in this way, to become members of the big family of the children of God, gathered in Christ by the Holy Spirit. 

“The Lord uses us as torches to make that light shine out. Much depends on us; if we respond, many people will remain in darkness no longer, but will walk instead along paths that lead to eternal life.” 

During the day, we can ponder each of the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. These will give us abundant material for our prayer and meditation. 

Hallowed be Thy name. We ask God that his Name may be made holy in us. We desire to obtain the highest degree of sanctity for all, to give glory to God, and that all may love Him. 

Thy kingdom come. We desire that God may reign in everybody’s will. We ask that we all may happily reach our destination in his kingdom. We, who formerly were slaves in this world, will reign from now on under the dominion of Christ, in accordance with his promise: “Come, O blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray that all men serve and obey God on earth as He is served by the angels in heaven, carrying out his will.

Give us this day our daily bread. We ask for whatever is necessary for nourishment, clothing, and other temporal needs; for our daily food, which, for a Christian, is, principally, the body of Christ. Thus, we can understand this petition in a spiritual and a literal sense. For in the divine plan, both senses may help toward our salvation. With Christ’s help, we, who live and abide in him, will never be separated from his body and his grace. 

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive ... We ask God pardon for our sins. No one should complacently think himself innocent, lest his pride may lead to further sin. 

We cannot obtain what we ask unless we do the same for those who trespass against us. We make an act of contrition and of sincere love towards our enemies and all who have caused us any harm. We wholeheartedly love them in the Lord. 

Lead us not into temptation. We ask God to keep us from falling into temptations, for we should not trust our own strength alone. 

Deliver us from evil. We ask for deliverance from the evils that afflict us and may set us away from his fatherly love. We ask to be liberated from the guilt and punishment of sin, from all snares that the devil and the world set up against us. 

To finish, the priest alone develops the last petition of the Lord’s Prayer in the Embolism. He begs, on behalf of all of us, for deliverance from the power of evil: Deliver us, Lord, from every evil…