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Countdown to the Cross 39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat...

The Hastings College Choir, under the direction of Dr. Fritz Mountford, performs our realization of a simple canon, or round, by the early America singing master, William Billings.

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.(Isaiah 53:12)The last verse of this fourth Servant Song has always struck me as anti-climatic. But this is because I believe the King James version confuses the meaning somewhat, for it reads as though the Servant takes his place among other great and strong ones. But the according to evangelical scholar Alec Motyer,...

Any visitor to a Roman Catholic church today will undoubtedly notice the starkness of the place. After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the church was stripped of various “signs of life” so as to prepare for the continuation of the Sacred Triduum. All the usual pomp found in Catholic churches – candles, statues, icons, and various other adornments – have been either removed or veiled. On this day, Good Friday, the Latin Church prepares to celebrate her second liturgy of this single Triduum: the Liturgy of the Presanctified. In these holy rites, we will mystically...

April 3, 2015Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion    Reading 1 Is 52:13—53:12 See, my servant shall prosper,he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.Even as many were amazed at him—so marred was his look beyond human semblanceand his appearance beyond that of the sons of man—so shall he startle many nations,because of him kings shall stand speechless;for those who have not been told shall see,those who have not heard shall ponder it. Who would believe what we have heard?To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?He grew up like a sapling before him,like a shoot from...

Our paschal lamb The Passover 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep...

Mere signs For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26). There are liturgical churches that put great stock in the real presence. If you don’t believe in the real presence, you are said to reduce the sacraments to “mere signs” or “nude signs.” Let’s talk about signs for a moment. The camera is a wildly popular invention. It’s become even more popular in the age of digital cameras, cellphone cameras, and Facebook. Why do people like to take pictures? Well, there are different reasons....

The Divine Mercy Novena begins on Good Friday and goes until Divine Mercy Saturday. You can join thousands of people in praying the novena this year! This year there are already more than 99,000 people praying! Will you join us for the Divine Mercy Novena?The Divine Mercy novena prayers were given to St. Faustina through an apparition of our Lord Jesus. Each day has a new petition that seeks GodÂ’s mercy for different purposes.The message of Divine Mercy is a powerful and moving way to come closer to Christ.His Mercy is central to our lives and we must continually...

Introduction: On December 2, 1981 Saint Pope John Paul -2 began Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration with the Blessed Sacrament exposed in a Chapel at Saint Peter's in Rome and appealed to all Parishes to do the same. He exhorted us to fill our Churches outside the timetable of Masses with hours of adoration and prolonged periods of Exposition as an expression of our personal commitment to our Eucharistic Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ himself points to the ways, the means, and the source of renewal when he says "Come to Me" for "I will refresh you" (Matthew 11:28). And again, "See...

April 2, 2015Holy Thursday - Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper    Reading 1 Ex 12:1-8, 11-14 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year.Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your familiesmust procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb...

April 2, 2015Holy Thursday - Chrism Mass    Reading 1 Is 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,because the LORD has anointed me;He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captivesand release to the prisoners,To announce a year of favor from the LORDand a day of vindication by our God,to comfort all who mourn;To place on those who mourn in Ziona diadem instead of ashes,To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit. You yourselves shall...

God of our fathers, enthroned in light, how rich, how musical is the tongue of England! Yet when we attempt to speak forth Thy wonders, our words how poor they seem and our speech how unmelodious. When we consider the fearful mystery of Thy Triune Godhead we lay our hand upon our mouth. Before that burning bush we ask not to understand, but only that we may fitly adore Thee, One God in Persons Three. Amen. To meditate on the three Persons of the Godhead is to walk in thought through the garden eastward in Eden and to tread on...

ONCE MARY AND JOSEPH, with a number of friends and relatives, were traveling back home from Jerusalem and, supposing the young Jesus to be in the company, went a whole day's journey before discovering that He had been left behind. Their fault was that they assumed that what they wanted to believe was so in fact. They took too much for granted. A simple check at the start of the journey would have saved them a harrowing experience of fear and uncertainty and two days' unnecessary travel. Theirs was a pardonable fault and one that we ourselves are in great...

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto...

Interpreting The Bible And Later Sources On The Eucharist I want to make a couple of points that aren't often emphasized, or even mentioned at all, in discussions about John 6 and the eucharist. - When John 6 is discussed in relation to the eucharist, the discussion often begins with the comments on the bread of Heaven in verse 31, verse 35, or somewhere else later in the passage. But we should keep the earlier context in mind. Given the contrast that Jesus sets up in John 6:26-29, in which resting in faith in Him is contrasted with the...

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.(Proverbs 1:20-23)To those who have ears to hear, the situation with the Indiana Religious Freedom Act and the Demagoguery that surrounds it is an ominous omen. It...

April 1, 2015Wednesday of Holy Week    Reading 1 Is 50:4-9a The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue,That I might know how to speak to the wearya word that will rouse them.Morning after morninghe opens my ear that I may hear;And I have not rebelled,have not turned back.I gave my back to those who beat me,my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;My face I did not shieldfrom buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help,therefore I am not disgraced;I have set my face like flint,knowing that I shall not be put to shame.He is near...

The veiling and covering of statues during the last part of Lent is something that Strikes many people the first time that they see it. It is something that definitely struck me as well when I first saw this liturgical practice. Lately many people have been asking me about the practice, such as where did it originate, is it a traditional practice, what is the significance and many other things.It is my understanding that the Bishops’ Conference decides whether this practice will be used as the norm or not. Here in the United States it is my understanding that it...

If priests indeed have the exclusive power to change finite bread and wine into the body and blood of the infinite Christ, and, if indeed, consuming His body and blood is necessary for salvation, then the whole world must become Catholic to escape the wrath of God. On the other hand, if Jesus was speaking in figurative language, then this teaching becomes the most blasphemous and deceptive hoax any religion could impose on its people. There is no middle ground. (Eat My Flesh and Drink My Blood. by Mike Gendron)“There is no indication in the biblical accounts of the Last...

Morning and Evening Charles H. Spurgeon March 31, 2015 Morning Reading With His stripes we are healed. —Isaiah 53:5 Pilate delivered our Lord to the lictors to be scourged. The Roman scourge was a most dreadful instrument of torture. It was made of the sinews of oxen, and sharp bones were inter-twisted every here and there among the sinews; so that every time the lash came down these pieces of bone inflicted fearful laceration, and tore off the flesh from the bone. The Saviour was, no doubt, bound to the column, and thus beaten. He had been beaten before; but...