John Paul II's 2005 Easter Message: "Jesus, Crucified and Risen, Stay With Us!"

Code: ZE05032701

Date: 2005-03-27

John Paul II's 2005 Easter Message

"Jesus, Crucified and Risen, Stay With Us!"

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 27, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the message John Paul II wrote for this Easter, which was read on his behalf by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state, at the end of Easter Sunday Mass. The Mass was celebrated in St. Peter's Square.

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1. "Mane nobiscum, Domine!" Stay with us, Lord! (cf. Luke 24:29). With these words, the disciples on the road to Emmaus invited the mysterious Wayfarer to stay with them, as the sun was setting on that first day of the week when the incredible had occurred. According to his promise, Christ had risen; but they did not yet know this. Nevertheless, the words spoken by the Wayfarer along the road made their hearts burn within them. So they said to him: "Stay with us." Seated around the supper table, they recognized him in the "breaking of bread" -- and suddenly he vanished. There remained in front of them the broken bread. There echoed in their hearts the gentle sound of his words.

2. Dear brothers and sisters, the Word and the Bread of the Eucharist, the mystery and the gift of Easter, remain down the centuries as a constant memorial of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ! On this Easter Day, together with all Christians throughout the world, we too repeat those words: Jesus, crucified and risen, stay with us! Stay with us, faithful friend and sure support for humanity on its journey through history! Living Word of the Father, give hope and trust to all who are searching for the true meaning of their lives. Bread of eternal life, nourish those who hunger for truth, freedom, justice and peace.

3. Stay with us, Living Word of the Father, and teach us words and deeds of peace: peace for our world consecrated by your blood and drenched in the blood of so many innocent victims: peace for the countries of the Middle East and Africa, where so much blood continues to be shed; peace for all of humanity, still threatened by fratricidal wars. Stay with us, Bread of eternal life, broken and distributed to those at table: give also to us the strength to show generous solidarity towards the multitudes who are even today suffering and dying from poverty and hunger, decimated by fatal epidemics or devastated by immense natural disasters. By the power of your Resurrection, may they too become sharers in new life.

4. We, the men and women of the third millennium, we too need you, Risen Lord! Stay with us now, and until the end of time. Grant that the material progress of peoples may never obscure the spiritual values which are the soul of their civilization. Sustain us, we pray, on our journey. In you do we believe, in you do we hope, for you alone have the words of eternal life (cf. John 6:68). "Mane nobiscum, Domine!" Alleluia!

[Original text: Italian]

[Translation issued by the Holy See]

Update day 10 of Terri's murder in progress from sunny Pinellas Park:

Here is another drive by update. Once again if I do not respond to all posts, it is because of highly limited time available online, and it robs from what help we can give others at the crime scene.

Brother Paul talked to us a while earlier this morning about Terri's plight, but things happen so fast this may well be usurped by a later development. Terri is in bad condition, that is fact, despite felos de se saying how beautiful she looks now. He likes death so that figures. I would not wish to build false hopes, but today Brother Paul still holds out some hope. Yes, she is probably beyond the point of no return. She has been put on morphine and although that relieves the pain she is not supposed to have, it can be an accelerant. The killers have a problem. For Terri is one strong human being and has a powerful desire to live. That is why Brother Paul's comments for the record are significant today. It dispells all the loud lies that she wants to die, nay to want to starve and dehydrate to death in the most cruel way I can imagine. By her persistence she is stating she is wanting to live.

Yestereday, as Monsignor emerged from Terri's bedside, he told us how he administered the sacraments. This was the first time in nine days she was able to have moisture touch her parched tongue. It was the first nourishment in the form of communion host to touch her swollen tongue. She was alert and aware of what was happening. He asked her if she could say Jesus and she struggled to utter the word as best she could muster three times. As he emerged, we were joined by Bobby and Suzanne, Terri's brother and sister. Whatever you all heard on the media, we freepers are unanimous in witnessing the calm courage of this wonderful family. It was they who were comforting the distraught, as their sister lay suffering execution mere yards away. It was they who stood bravely and unblinkingly consoling us weaker folk. Monsignor made an impassioned speach telling it the way it is and laying the blame where it belonged. No punches are pulled. Yet, as he pointed out this happened on the day Jesus arose and Satan was defeated. That was yesterday and miraculously she was still strong and alert. Under the circumstances it is miraculous. As of right now, a courageous hero could still rush in and save Terri although she would now be physically damaged. Whe I arrived she was in the peak of health!! Uhhhh, no heart problem very obviously.

But today she is still strong, fighting the cruel treatment. Yes it is as cruel as they are able to do. They are intentionally obviating all the religious wishes of the family and granted the rites only under pressure. They have no mercy whatsoever, and emit a sadistic glee.

While all this evil dances about, some wonderful events are emerging. As people from all faiths come together, we share a commonality so perfectly it is as if we know each other from way back. It just happens, no explanation. Deep friendships are forming across lines and boundaries formerly insurmountable. As a traditional Catholic, I have developed close ties with Protestant ministers, and leaders, with Christians and non-Christians, and Novus Ordo Catholics. The divisions we held before arriving on this sacred ground evaporate. We help each other as needed and support each other when tired. This morning Randall Terry made sign of the cross in the Catholic fashion and many protestants came to join the Catholics. We in turn joined them and supported them as they supported us.

The super righteous can sit at home and congratulate themselves that they would never mix like that, but simply, we here know better. The holy aspect of these grounds is that profound.

On the political front, we have all parties represented, but the same thing is happening, with a huge disappointment in the courage of our own Republican and Democrat representatives. We have seen a tin pot corrupt judge tell the governor and the President when they can go to the bathroom. The judge rules here, makes his own laws, and is above all corruption, with even the most powerful of our real representatives lacking the courage to face him down.

Arriving here, we had two adversaries, the press and the black uniform police heavies, or so we thought. Today, we talk warmly with the police who sometimes fill their eyes with tears at what they see before them. Yesterday, tired and relaxing a moment, I sat by myself out of sight to refresh. As I sat there, a photographer for a major unnamed network approached me and offered me a small gift of Easter nourishment. It was just what I needed to pep up. That is what is happening to our media people, too, the ones we defiled and accused days ago. Many of them show open sympathy at Terri's plight and outrage at how it is handled. They can only gather the news, and then much of it is trimmed and shaped to meet typical media bias someplace far away, I can only guess. Local people cheer us on.

The media is now claiming the crowds are frustrated and hostile. Yes, some who seek their fifteen moments of fame make spectacles of themselves and some spout out in righteous anger, but we have some elements flowing through the crowds calming those troubled waters. Bobby Schindler emerges and explains the anger does Terri no good.

We stand vigil until Terri is safe, either in the arms of her real family or in the arms of Our Lord.

8mm

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