Can You Believe It? / ¿Puedes creerlo?

Corrupt officials pay off witnesses to an important event to keep the story quiet. The truth of the event challenges their authority, so they strive to keep it under wraps. Sound familiar? Using hush money to protect power sounds like a story that could have broken today, but this story broke 2,000 years ago when Roman officials grappled with the truth of Jesus’ resurrection.

Faithful women had been the first to see the Risen Lord. They rushed to tell the Twelve, but even they doubted the story and ran to see for themselves that Jesus was no longer in the tomb.

In the meantime, the Romans plotted their cover-up. Right from the start, seeds of doubt were planted. This story was going to get out, and the authorities who had condemned Christ to a brutal death needed to get ahead of it. If Jesus rose from the dead as He had promised, then He is who He said He was, and the jig was up. So, they offered a different story — that His followers had come and taken the body and Jesus didn’t actually rise from the dead. They spread the word that it was a deep fake, and some believed the lie.

Those closest to Christ knew the truth though – Jesus was dead, and then He was alive again. Even as the world tried to hush the story, Jesus’ followers boldly proclaimed the truth of His resurrection. Imagine the courage it took to speak the truth, to push back against the lies and proclaim the Gospel to a hostile world. It took strength and grace and the Holy Spirit – because of which, 2,000 years later, we still know the truth today.

The deceit of those Roman officials robbed many of salvation, and deceit still robs today. People wonder, question, doubt. How can we really know what to believe? The answer is the same now as it was then: those closest to Christ know the truth. Jesus’ followers knew what He had taught them, and they knew what He had promised, so they saw clearly. 

Today, we too must strive to be close to Jesus. With grace and the Holy Spirit, we, too, can recognize deceit. When our hearts are close to His, we can still find the courage to call out those misguiding lies, and the voice to boldly proclaim the truth of Christ’s resurrection so that it will shine brightly for another hundred generations and beyond.

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Los funcionarios corruptos pagan a los testigos de un evento importante para mantener la historia callado. La verdad del evento reta su autoridad, por lo que se esfuerzan por mantenerlo en secreto. ¿Te suena familiar? El uso de dinero para silenciar con el fin de proteger el poder suena como una historia que podría haberse estrenado hoy, pero esta historia se pasó hace 2000 años cuando los funcionarios romanos lidiaron con la verdad de la resurrección de Jesús.

Las mujeres fieles habían sido las primeras en ver al Señor resucitado. Se apresuraron a contárselo a los Doce, pero incluso ellas dudaron de la historia y corrieron a ver por sí mismas que Jesús ya no estaba en la tumba.

Mientras tanto, los romanos tramaron su encubrimiento. Desde el principio, se sembraron semillas de duda. Esta historia iba a salir a la luz, y las autoridades que habían condenado a Cristo a una muerte brutal tenían que adelantarse. Si Jesús resucitó de entre los muertos como había prometido, entonces Él es quien dijo que era, y se acabó el juego. Entonces, ofrecieron una historia diferente: que sus seguidores habían venido y se habían llevado el cuerpo y que Jesús en realidad no había resucitado de entre los muertos. Difundieron la noticia de que era una gran farsa, y algunos creyeron la mentira.

Sin embargo, los más cercanos a Cristo sabían la verdad: Jesús estaba muerto y luego volvió a vivir. Incluso cuando el mundo trató de silenciar la historia, los seguidores de Jesús proclamaron con valentía la verdad de su resurrección. Imagina el valor que se necesitó para decir la verdad, para hacer frente a las mentiras y proclamar el Evangelio a un mundo hostil. Se requirió fuerza, gracia y el Espíritu Santo, por lo que, 2000 años después, todavía conocemos la verdad el día de hoy.

El engaño de esos funcionarios romanos privó a muchos de la salvación, y el engaño todavía priva hoy. La gente se pregunta, cuestiona, duda. ¿Cómo podemos saber realmente qué creer? La respuesta es la misma ahora que en ese entonces: los más cercanos a Cristo conocen la verdad. Los seguidores de Jesús sabían lo que Él les había enseñado y sabían lo que Él había prometido, por lo que vieron con claridad. 

Hoy, también debemos esforzarnos por estar cerca de Jesús. Con la gracia y el Espíritu Santo, nosotros también podemos reconocer el engaño. Cuando nuestro corazón está cerca del suyo, aún podemos encontrar el valor para denunciar esas mentiras engañosas y la voz para proclamar con valentía la verdad de la resurrección de Cristo, para que brille con fuerza durante otras cien generaciones y hasta más.

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Pamela Kavanaugh is a grateful wife, mother, and grandmother who has dedicated her professional life to Catholic education. Though she has done her very best to teach her students well in the subjects of language and religion, she knows that she has learned more than she has taught. She lives, teaches, and writes in southwest suburban Chicago.

Feature Image Credit: kensamwill, pixabay.com/illustrations/jesus-empty-tomb-bible-holy-8853521/

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The post Can You Believe It? / ¿Puedes creerlo? appeared first on Diocesan.

St. Anselm


St. Anselm

Feast date: Apr 21

On April 21, the Catholic Church honors Saint Anselm, the 11th and 12th-century Benedictine monk and archbishop best known for his writings on Christ’s atonement and the existence of God.

In a general audience given on Sept. 23, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI remembered St. Anselm as “a monk with an intense spiritual life, an excellent teacher of the young, a theologian with an extraordinary capacity for speculation, a wise man of governance and an intransigent defender of the Church’s freedom.”

St. Anselm, the Pope said, stands out as “one of the eminent figures of the Middle Ages who was able to harmonize all these qualities, thanks to the profound mystical experience that always guided his thought and his action.”

Anselm was born in Aosta, part of the Piedmont region of present-day Italy, around 1033. While his father provided little in the way of moral or religious influence, his mother was a notably devout woman and chose to send Anselm to a school run by the Benedictine order.

The boy felt a profound religious calling during these years, spurred in part by a dream in which he met and conversed with God. His father, however, prevented him from becoming a monk at age 15. This disappointment was followed by a period of severe illness, as well as his mother’s early death.

Unable to join the monks, and tired of mistreatment by his father, Anselm left home and wandered throughout parts of France and Italy for three years. His life regained its direction in Normandy, where he met the Benedictine prior Lanfranc of Pavia and became his disciple.

Lanfranc recognized his pupil’s intellectual gifts and encouraged his vocation to religious life. Accepted into the order and ordained a priest at age 27, Anselm succeeded his teacher as prior in1063 when Lanfranc was called to become abbot of another monastery.

Anselm became abbot of his own monastery in1079. During the previous decade the Normans had conquered England, and they sought to bring monks from Normandy to influence the Church in the country. Lanfranc became Archbishop of Canterbury, and asked Anselm to come and assist him.

The period after Lanfranc’s death, in the late 1080s, was a difficult time for the English Church. As part of his general mistreatment of the Church, King William Rufus refused to allow the appointment of a new archbishop. Anselm had gone back to his monastery, and did not want to return to England.

In 1092, however, he was persuaded to do so. The following year, the king changed his mind and allowed Anselm to become Archbishop of Canterbury. But the monk was extremely reluctant to accept the charge, which would involve him in further struggles with the English crown in subsequent years.

For a three-year period in the early 12th century, Anselm’s insistence on the self-government of the Church – against the claims of the state to its administration and property – caused him to be exiled from England. But he was successful in his struggle, and returned to his archdiocese in 1106.

In his last years, Anselm worked to reform the Church and continued his theological investigations – following the motto of “faith seeking understanding.” After his death in 1109, his influence on the subsequent course of theology led Pope Clement XI to name him a Doctor of the Church in 1720.

Monday in the Octave of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 2:14, 22-33

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.

“You who are children of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.

My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.”

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sequence– optional Victimae paschali laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim
            Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
            Christ, who only is sinless,
            Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
            The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
            What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
            The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting,
            The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
            to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
            Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
            Amen. Alleluia.

Alleluia Psalm 118:24

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The Empty Tomb Changed the World / La tumba vacía cambió al mundo

The significance of the empty tomb cannot be overstated. It is the foundation of our faith and the source of our hope. As Catholics, our actions would be in vain if the tomb was not empty. But it was, and this is what gives our faith its purpose and our hope its substance. We are called to live out this faith and pass it on to others, just as previous generations have done for over two thousand years.

As Catholics, Easter is not a one-day event but a life-changing reality that transforms our perspective and gives us hope to be with the Lord for all eternity. Our faith is not fantasy but reality, a reality that we get to live and share with our family and those we interact with on a daily basis. The Church affirms this reality by inviting us to celebrate the Octave of Easter (8 days ending on Divine Mercy Sunday) and the Easter Season (50 days ending on Pentecost).

As we read in the Gospel, Mary Magdalene was the first to witness the empty tomb, the first to enter into it. St. Thomas Aquinas called her the “Apostle of the Apostles.” Imagine sharing the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection with His very own followers! 

This Easter, may we worship, thank the Lord, celebrate, and be filled with the joy of Jesus, just like the first witnesses of His resurrection did. May the powerful truth of this greatest of Feasts pour into the ordinary moments of our lives and sanctify them. The details of how we live the faith matter, for from our heart spills out our love, belief, and faith in Jesus, which we then share with our family, friends and the greater community. 

The tomb is empty, just as He said! 

Have a blessed and joyful Easter! 

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No se puede exagerar la importancia de la tumba vacía. Es el fundamento de nuestra fe y la fuente de nuestra esperanza. Como católicos, nuestras acciones serían en vano si la tumba no estuviera vacía. Pero lo estaba, y esto es lo que da a nuestra fe su propósito y a nuestra esperanza su sustancia. Somos llamados a vivir esta fe y transmitirla a los demás, tal como lo han hecho las generaciones anteriores durante más de dos mil años.

Como católicos, la Pascua no es un evento de un solo día, sino una realidad que cambia la vida, transforma nuestra perspectiva y nos da la esperanza de estar con el Señor por toda la eternidad. La fe no es una fantasía, sino una realidad, una realidad que podemos vivir y compartir con la familia y con quienes interactuamos a diario. La Iglesia afirma esta realidad al invitarnos a celebrar la Octava de Pascua (8 días que terminan con el Domingo de la Divina Misericordia) y la Temporada de Pascua (50 días que terminan en Pentecostés).

Como leemos en el Evangelio, María Magdalena fue la primera en presenciar el sepulcro vacío, la primera en entrar en él. Santo Tomás de Aquino la llamó la “Apóstol de los Apóstoles”. ¡Imagínese compartir la Buena Nueva de la Resurrección de Jesús con sus propios seguidores!

Esta Pascua, adoremos, agradezcamos al Señor, celebremos y nos llenemos de la alegría de Jesús, tal como lo hicieron los primeros testigos de su resurrección. Que la poderosa verdad de esta gran fiesta se derrame en los momentos ordinarios de la vida y los santifique. Los detalles de cómo vivimos la fe importan, porque desde nuestro corazón se derrama el amor, la creencia y la fe en Jesús, que luego compartimos con nuestra familia, amigos y la comunidad en general.

¡El sepulcro está vacío, tal como Él dijo!

¡Que tengan una Pascua bendecida y alegre!

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Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.  She is the co-founder of www.inspirethefaith.com and the Executive Director of The Sacred Heart Enthronement Network www.WelcomeHisHeart.com. She has co-authored several Catholic books and her latest one, Secrets of the Sacred Heart: Claiming Jesus’ Twelve Promises in Your Life, came out in Oct. 2020. Emily serves on the board of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, contributes to Relevant Radio and Catholic Mom.com.

Feature Image Credit: Lexi Laginess, unsplash.com/photos/a-dark-tunnel-with-a-small-window-in-it-zfvr_8hDngc

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The post The Empty Tomb Changed the World / La tumba vacía cambió al mundo appeared first on Diocesan.

The Resurrection of the Lord

Reading 1 Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Peter proceeded to speak and said:
“You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R. (24) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.”
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Colossians 3:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.

Or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast,
so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Sequence – Victimæ paschali laudes <a href="https://bible.usccb.orgroute? “>

Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.

Alleluia cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed;
let us then feast with joy in the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 20:1-9

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

St. Agnes of Montepulciano


St. Agnes of Montepulciano

Feast date: Apr 20

St. Agnes of Montepulciano was born in 13th-century Tuscany. At the age of six, Agnes began trying to convince her parents to allow her to join a convent. She was finally admitted to the Dominican convent at Montepulciano at age nine despite it generally being against Church law to allow a child so young to join.

Agnes’ reputation for holiness attracted other sisters, and she became an abbess at the unheard of age of 15. She insisted on greater austerities in the abbey. She lived on bread and water for 15 years, slept on the ground and used a stone for a pillow.

It was said that she had visions of the Virgin Mary and that in her visions angels gave her Communion. She also had a vision in which she was holding the infant Jesus. When she awoke from her trance, she she was holding the small gold crucifix the infant Jesus was wearing.

She died in 1317. Miracles have been reported at her tomb. When her body was moved to a church years after her death, it was found incorrupt.

She was canonized in 1726.

St. Anastasius of Sinai


St. Anastasius of Sinai

Feast date: Apr 20

On April 20, Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine tradition honor Saint Anastasius of Sinai, a seventh-century monk and priest known for his scriptural commentaries and defenses of Church teaching.

The Roman Catholic Church has traditionally celebrated St. Anastasius on the following day, April 21, though this memorial is not widely celebrated in modern times. The Eastern Orthodox churches, meanwhile, commemorate him on the same date as their Eastern Catholic counterparts.

Even within the Eastern Christian tradition, St. Anastasius’ legacy has been somewhat obscured by the renown of other authors. In his own era, however, the Sianite’s writings were acclaimed as the work of a “new Moses.” At least one of his works, the “Hodegos” (or “Guide”), remained in use within the Greek Church for many centuries.

No extensive biography of Anastasius exists, and it is unclear whether he was born in Egypt (as some traditional accounts relate) or in Cyprus. His date of birth is also unknown.

In his own writings, Anastasius speaks of being captivated by the proclamation of the Gospel during church services, and being awestruck by Christ’s Eucharistic presence as a young man. He eventually made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and took up residence as a monk on Mount Sinai in Egypt around the middle of the seventh century. He eventually became the abbot of St. Catherine’s Monastery.

Anastasius’ life was outwardly uneventful in most respects, though he did leave his monastic cell to defend the Church’s teachings against heresy and error. He met or learned about many holy men in the course of his travels, and described their lives in writings that survive to this day.

Among Anastasius’ doctrinal opponents were the monophysites, who were in error regarding Jesus’ divine and human natures; and the monothelites, who professed a related error regarding Christ’s human and divine wills. Though he was not the most important opponent of either heresy, Anastasius’ contributions earned him a place among the Church Fathers in the Eastern tradition.

The monk of Sinai also defended the Christian faith against Jewish objections. In one of his major works, the “Commentary on the Six Days of Creation” (or “Hexaemeron”), he explained how the first three chapters of Genesis predicted and prefigured the coming of Jesus Christ. Other surviving writings by the saint include his homilies, and a series of “Questions and Answers” addressing pastoral matters.

St. Anastasius is said to have lived to an old age, and attained to great holiness through prayer and asceticism, by the time of his death sometime after the year 700.

Some confusion has resulted from the conjunction of his Eastern feast day, April 20, with that of another saint who was also named Anastasius and associated with Mount Sinai. But this other St. Anastasius, though celebrated on the same date, lived earlier and led the Church of Antioch.

Easter Sunday


Easter Sunday

Feast date: Apr 20

Easter is the principal feast of the ecclesiastical year. Leo I (Sermo xlvii in Exodum) calls it the greatest feast (festum festorum), and says that Christmas is celebrated only in preparation for Easter. It is the centre of the greater part of the ecclesiastical year.

To have a correct idea of the Easter celebration and its Masses, we must remember that it was intimately connected with the solemn rite of baptism. The preparatory liturgical acts commenced on the eve and were continued during the night. When the number of persons to be baptized was great, the sacramental ceremonies and the Easter celebration were united. This connection was severed at a time when, the discipline having changed, even the recollection of the old traditions was lost. The greater part of the ceremonies was transferred to the morning hours of Holy Saturday.

Commemorating the slaying of the true Lamb of God and the Resurrection of Christ, the corner-stone upon which faith is built, it is also the oldest feast of the Christian Church, as old as Christianity, the connecting link between the Old and New Testaments.

The connection between the Jewish Passover and the Christian feast of Easter is real and ideal. Real, since Christ died on the first Jewish Easter Day; ideal, like the relation between type and reality, because Christ’s death and Resurrection had its figures and types in the Old Law, particularly in the paschal lamb, which was eaten towards evening of the 14th of Nisan. In fact, the Jewish feast was taken over into the Christian Easter celebration; the liturgy (Exsultet) sings of the passing of Israel through the Red Sea, the paschal lamb, the column of fire, etc.

The connection between the Jewish and the Christian Pasch explains the movable character of this feast. Easter has no fixed date, like Christmas, because the 15th of Nisan of the Semitic calendar was shifting from date to date on the Julian calendar. Since Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, had been slain on the very day when the Jews, in celebration of their Passover, immolated the figurative lamb, the Jewish Christians in the Orient followed the Jewish method, and commemorated the death of Christ on the 15th of Nisan and His Resurrection on the 17th of Nisan, no matter on what day of the week they fell. For this observance they claimed the authority of St. John and St. Philip. 

He is Not Here! He Has Risen! / ¡No está aquí, ha resucitado!

As we prepare to celebrate the highest feast of the liturgical year during this evening’s Easter Vigil, we joyfully proclaim: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55)

It is said that death is a terrible enemy, and it wounds all of us in one way or another. Christ was also afflicted by death, but through it demonstrates the necessity of offering everything to our Father in Heaven at all times. We must pray for the grace to also surrender our crosses to God. Such trials are not intended to weaken us, but rather bring us closer to our loving family in Heaven.

There are many examples of the inherent goodness in suffering and, paradoxically, sorrow. It often takes time and patience to recognize the connection. For example, when we have lost a loved one or are going through other difficult times (physical, financial or emotional struggles), they remind us just how much we rely on God. When bearing witness to the suffering of others, we can and should reach out to help them during their difficult times. These are the opportunities to act as God’s messengers of the Good News.

We can be confident that Christ has already done the heavy lifting for us. He has removed the stone guarding the entrance to the tomb. We should not be surprised or “puzzl[ed]” as the women at the empty tomb were. He will take care of our concerns. The tomb is empty and Jesus has been raised, just as He said. 

Christ, help us to love and believe in You at all times, both in our lowest of lows and highest of highs. May we always bask in the joy of that moment when You appeared in your risen glory and displayed to us eternal life!

Happy Easter!

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Al prepararnos para celebrar la fiesta más importante del año litúrgico durante la Vigilia Pascual de esta tarde, proclamamos con alegría: “¿Dónde está, oh muerte, tu victoria? ¿Dónde está, oh muerte, tu aguijón?” (1 Cor 15,55)

Se dice que la muerte es un enemigo terrible, y nos hiere a todos de una manera u otra. Cristo también fue afligido por la muerte, pero a través de ella demuestra la necesidad de ofrecer todo a nuestro Padre Celestial en todo momento. Debemos orar por la gracia de entregar también nuestras cruces a Dios. Tales pruebas no tienen la intención de debilitarnos, sino más bien acercarnos a nuestra amada familia en el Cielo.

Hay muchos ejemplos de la bondad inherente del sufrimiento y, paradójicamente, de la tristeza. A menudo se necesita tiempo y paciencia para reconocer la conexión. Por ejemplo, cuando hemos perdido a un ser querido o estamos atravesando otros momentos difíciles (batallas físicas, financieras o emocionales), nos recuerdan cuánto dependemos de Dios. Al ser testigos del sufrimiento de los demás, podemos y debemos ayudarlos en sus momentos difíciles. Son oportunidades para actuar como mensajeros de la Buena Nueva de Dios.

Podemos estar seguros de que Cristo ya ha hecho el trabajo pesado por nosotros. Ha quitado la piedra que guardaba la entrada de la tumba. No debemos sorprendernos ni estar “desconcertad[os]” como las mujeres ante la tumba vacía. Jesucristo se ocupará de nuestras preocupaciones. La tumba está vacía y ha resucitado, tal como dijo.

Cristo, ayúdanos a amarte y creer en Ti en todo momento, tanto en nuestros momentos más bajos como en los más altos. ¡Que siempre podamos disfrutar de la alegría de ese momento en el que apareciste en tu gloria resucitada y nos mostraste la vida eterna!

¡Felices Pascuas!

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Dr. Alexis Dallara-Marsh is a board-certified neurologist who practices in Bergen County, NJ. She is a wife to her best friend, Akeem, and a mother of four little ones on Earth and two others in heaven above.

Feature Image Credit: Ch Photography, unsplash.com/photos/a-wooden-cross-on-top-of-a-wooden-stand–VpbHOgx1q4

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The post He is Not Here! He Has Risen! / ¡No está aquí, ha resucitado! appeared first on Diocesan.

Blessed James Oldo


Blessed James Oldo

Feast date: Apr 19

James Oldo experienced a radical conversion that led him to become a Franciscan tertiary, and later a priest.

He was born in 1364 into a rich family in Lodi, Italy. He married at a young age, and he and his wife both led a very self-indulgent lifesyle. One day, a traveling reproduction of the Holy Sepulchre came to thier town. As a joke, James lay down on it to compare his height to Christ’s.

As soon as he laid down on it, he was instantly converted, and became a tertiary soon after.

At first, his mother and wife were opposed to the change they saw in him, but soon they grew attracted to his new ways and became tertiaries as well. The family turned their mansion into a chapel and worked with the sick and with prisoners.

When James’ wife died, he became a priest. His acts of penance were so severe that his bishop had to order him to eat at least three times a week. He was a celebrated preacher, who inspired many to enter the religious life. He also prophesied wars and his own death. He died at the age of 40 in 1404. When his body was moved seven years after his death, it was found incorrupt.