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By Douglas Cramer In 1945, a Paschal Liturgy like no other was performed. Just days after their liberation by the US military on April 29, 1945, hundreds of Orthodox Christian prisoners at the Dachau concentration camp gathered to celebrate the Resurrection service and to give thanks. The Dachau concentration camp was opened in 1933 in a former gunpowder factory. The first prisoners interred there were political opponents of Adolf Hitler, who had become German chancellor that same year. During the twelve years of the camp's existence, over 200,000 prisoners were brought there. The majority of prisoners at Dachau were Christians,...

The list is rather long: refugees and immigrants, those affected by violence, the economic crisis, unemployment, exploitation. They're just a few of topics the Pope will reflect on during the Way of the Cross on Good Friday, at Rome's Colosseum. The author of the meditations is the archbishop of Campobasso-Boiano, Giancarlo Bregantini. For the 14 meditations along the procession, the archbishop sought to highlight some of gravest sins and injustices that humanity carries out in the 21st Century. This list also includes topics like torture, or a justice system "drowning in a sea of bureaucracy.” But Archbishop Bregantini also addressed...

Victory over Sin and Death Today's Scripture “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57, NLT) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria This coming weekend, we celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So much happened at Calvary’s cross over two thousand years ago; but ultimately, Jesus overcame sin and death so that we could have abundant life. Because of Jesus, we have victory over anything that would try to hold us back! No matter what bondage, fear, stronghold, sin or addiction has held...

The Failure To Pay Close Attention " The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days —2 Chronicles 15:17 " Asa was not completely obedient in the outward, visible areas of his life. He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right. Beware of ever thinking, “Oh, that thing in my life doesn’t matter much.” The fact that it doesn’t matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by...

I can't cut and paste from my phone, but the story from barbwire.com says that Christian publisher Multnomah will soon publish a pro-homosexual book, "God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-sex Relationships," by Matthew Vines. This will be done under Multnomah's liberal subsidiary, Convergent. The report also says the publisher's employees have been told to keep quiet about it. Barbwire also carries the story that Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth, I believe, was recently arrested In Canada for speaking out on what the Bible says about homosexuality.

The final week of Jesus' life, a chronology Father Ryan Erlenbush Mach 2012  As the Church prepares to enter into Holy Week, we do well to consider the final week of Jesus’ life, from Friday to Friday. In a later post, we will look at the last twenty-four hours (from the Last Supper to the death of Jesus on the Cross) in greater detail.It will be helpful to review the Gospel accounts given by Sts. Mark and John, the two who offer the most explicit chronology of Holy Week. See Mark 11:1 – 15:37 and also John 11:54 –...

A lot of times when people are in hard times they focus on their problem, but the issue is not the problem. The issue is what God said about your problem. Like in 2Kings 4:38-44 when there was a famine in the land and the sons of the prophets were sitting before Elisha to be served food. And a man came with 20 loaves of barley, and full ears of corn. And Elisha told the servitor, "Give unto the people that they may eat." But, there was a problem or was it, there was not enough food because the servitor...

U.S. President Barack Obama. Washington D.C., Apr 15, 2014 / 12:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Speaking at the 2014 Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama reflected on his recent meeting with Pope Francis, whom he described as an inspiration. “I’ll tell you, I felt this spirit when I had the great honor of meeting His Holiness, Pope Francis,” the president said, recalling his March 27 meeting with the Holy Father at the Vatican. “I think it’s fair to say that those of us of the Christian faith, regardless of our denomination, have been touched and moved...

An aerial view of the Old City of Jerusalem. An organization of Israeli temples is preparing priests for the the reconstruction of the city's historic third temple. On April 10, at 5 p.m., hundreds of Jews will gather at the Maimonides rabbinical institution plaza in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood in Jerusalem and start learning the Jewish laws of Passover. Rabbis and experts, including Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the head of the Temple Institute in the Old City of Jerusalem, the leading body preparing for the establishment of the third temple, will teach the audience the laws of the Passover sacrifice. Alongside Ariel, the ritual...

When President Obama needed a preacher to fulfill the closing prayer duties at the annual White House Easter Prayer Breakfast, he turned to none other than the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop — who said he was as shocked as anyone at the appointment. The Right Rev. Gene Robinson said in a tweet, accompanied by a photo of Mr. Obama behind a podium at the event: “POTUS ‘preaches’ at the Easter prayer breakfast. Then, out of the blue, asks ME to close with prayer. OMG!” Newsmax said he also emphasized that the words he chose to close the breakfast...

orn in Sahuayo, Michoacan, 28 March 1913, son of Macario and Maria Sanchez del Rio, Jose Luis was murdered on 10 February 1928, during Mexico's religious persecution known as The Cristero War.The Cristeros were a large group Mexican Catholics leveled against the oppression of the regime of Plutarco Elías Calles. A year before his martyrdom, José Luis had joined the forces' Cristero »General Prudencio Mendoza, nestled in the town of Cotija, Michoacan. The martyrdom was witnessed by two children, one of seven years and the other nine, who later became founders of religious congregations. One of them is the Rev....

Proverb 15 (NKJV) A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath 01 A soft answer turns away wrath, 00 But a harsh word stirs up anger. 02 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, 00 But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 03 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, 00 Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 04 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, 00 But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 05 A fool despises his father's instruction, 00 But he who receives correction is prudent. 06 In the house of the...

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.(Isaiah 52:13-15)The fourth Servant song is composed of three sections. First of all, we have this introduction in Isaiah 52:13-15. Secondly we have the great and...

Featured Term (selected at random:NIMBUS A circle or ornamented disk depicted around the head of a saint. In pre-Christian times it represented power and majesty. The Church adopted the custom and made the nimbus symbolic of virtue. The square nimbus was once used with portraits of the living as emblems of human greatness, round circles reserved for saints as a symbol of grace bestowed on them by God. Related to nimbus are the halo and aureole. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

A British Catholic journalist has said she was astonished when major world news outlets mistook an Vatican April Fool’s report she wrote for a genuine news story. The Guardian, which this week won a Pulitzer Prize for its reporting of Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency leaks, was one of the organisations that reported the hoax story that the Vatican employed a hawk called Sylvia to protect the doves periodically released by the Pope. Other outlets to reproduce the story include Agence France-Presse and the Washington Times.

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem The Trees of The Bible Judges 9 Jotham's Parable New International Version (NIV) 9 Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, 2 “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.” 3 When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” 4 They gave...

O man greatly beloved, fear not. Peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong. Daniel 10:9

Continuing to look at some of the text from the Passion according to St. Matthew, we come to the trial of Jesus before Caiaphas the high priest.Having heard false and conflicting testimony from various witnesses, Caiaphas turns to Jesus, and here is what we pick up the text: The high priest rose and addressed him, “Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?” But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Christ the son of God.” Jesus said...

April 15, 2014Tuesday of Holy Week    Reading 1 Is 49:1-6 Hear me, O islands,listen, O distant peoples.The LORD called me from birth,from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.He made of me a sharp-edged swordand concealed me in the shadow of his arm.He made me a polished arrow,in his quiver he hid me.You are my servant, he said to me,Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain,and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,Yet my reward is with the LORD,my recompense is with my God.For now the LORD has spokenwho formed...

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider…(Isaiah 52:13-15)Before we look closely at the Evangelical jewel known as the 4th Servant Song of Isaiah, consisting of the above three verses in chapter 52,...