Easter Vigil & Easter Sunday

April 3-4, 2021- Easter Vigil - Easter Sunday  

The Easter Vigil 

Since there is so much in the celebrations of Easter, the high point of the Church Year, I shall begin by giving an overview of the mother of all vigils: the Easter Vigil, and then focus on the making and renewing of the Baptismal Vows in both the Vigil and Sunday Masses.

The Roman Missal explains that during the Easter Vigil “The Church keeping watch, awaits the Resurrection of Christ and celebrates it in the Sacraments.” The Vigil begins in a darkened Church. The large decorated paschal candle, representing the risen Christ, is lit and is carried into the church while the words “Light of Christ” are proclaimed. Usually, small candles, held by the congregation, are lit from the pascal candle and the light is passed from one worshiper to the next until the whole church is filled with light from the candles. I see this as symbolic of the fact that we are to carry the light of Christ into a dark world.

Several readings from the Hebrew Scriptures summarize the story of salvation beginning with the story of creation, the choosing of the Hebrews to be God’s people, and their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Then the readings speak to God’s constant care until Christ comes. Prayers and canticles follow each reading.

After the readings, the altar candles are lit from the paschal candle, and the church is filled with light and triumphant music. The “Alleluias” are heard in the Church again and the first Easter Eucharist begins. Our risen Lord has come into the darkness to light up the world.

Following the Gospel, the Saints are invoked to pray for those to be baptized and/or receive other Sacraments. Then the baptisms and confirmations take place. Those who were baptized in Christian denominations whose baptisms are accepted as valid by the Catholic Church make a profession of faith in the Catholic Church.

The people in the congregation are sprinkled with holy water as a reminder of their own baptisms.  They renew their vows to renounce Satan and promise to serve God in the holy Catholic Church. For those who were baptized as infants or young children, it is an opportunity to consciously verbalize their commitment to Christ.

Since none of us is perfect, it is a way for all of us to start anew to live and love as Jesus has taught us. The Liturgy of the Eucharist follows and the newly baptized will join the rest of the people receiving Holy Communion.

Easter Sunday

The Easter Sunday Masses are like the ordinary Sunday Masses except for the addition of a sequence, the renewal of Baptismal Vows, and several choices for the Gospel readings.

                         

Sequence

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

Although there are several choices for the Gospel on Easter Sunday, I shall focus on John 20:1-9.  Many believe that aware of how deeply His mother Mary was suffering, Jesus would have appeared to her first. That may well be true. In fact, John concludes his Gospel with the following words: “Now there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written.”  (John 21:25).

John, the evangelist, has personally witnessed Mary of Magdala grief-stricken running to tell Peter and himself that the stone had been rolled back from the entrance of the tomb. She fears that His body has been stolen.

In response, Peter and John hasten to the tomb. John, being younger, arrives first but does not enter. When Peter arrives, he goes inside and sees the burial cloths and the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head, not with the burial cloths, but rolled up in a separate place. Then John goes in, sees and believes. According to John: until that moment, “they had failed to understand the teachings of scripture that he must rise from the dead.” (Jn 20:9).

During the Easter Season, we shall be reflecting on the many ways the risen Savior makes himself known to the people. What great joy they must have felt after witnessing the cruel Passion of Jesus to know that He was victorious and that they would someday share in His victory over death.

  Reflection Question:  How can I consciously bring the Light of Christ into our world?

Mary’s Role ~ Jan. 20, 2019

The Second Sunday in  Ordinary Time   Year C

Reading I:  Isaiah 62:1-5

Psalm  96

Reading II:  1 Corinthians 12: 4-11

Gospel  John 2: 1-11

In John’s Gospel about the wedding feast at Cana, we hear about Mary’s influence on Jesus. She notes that the newlyweds are running out of wine. She is concerned about their being embarrassed on their special day. Knowing that Jesus could do something to avoid this, she simply nudges him by calling his attention to the situation. Jesus had not planned to show His power to perform miracles at this time. However, knowing his mother’s desire to prevent a problem for the newlyweds, He performs the miracle of changing water into wine to please her.

The late Bishop Joseph Cassidy of Tuam, Ireland, notes that John is the only one of the evangelists (writers of the Gospels) who mentions this occasion. He reflects that John was very close to Mary, especially after Jesus entrusted her to him, and he became her adopted son. John was probably with her more often and longer than the other Gospel writers.

Bishop Cassidy playfully refers to Mary as “Our Lady of the Elbow.”  We all know that most mothers have a special relationship with their children which often makes it difficult for children to refuse their mother’s requests. In the absence of a close child-parent relationship, there often is a relative or friend who fills this role.

We must remember that Jesus also shares his mother with us. Many times in history He sends her to appear in difficult times to comfort and reassure her children. One of my favorite apparitions is Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego in Mexico.

Juan Diego, an Aztec Indian who was one of the earliest baptized in Mexico, used to attend Mass each day. On December 9, 1531, as he passed a hill named Tepeyac, he heard songbirds burst into harmony. For the Aztecs, music and songbirds were signs of divinity. When the music stopped, a
beautiful young woman with a tan complexion and bathed in golden light called him by name and said:
   
             “Dear little son, I love you. I want you to know who I am.
             I am the Virgin Mary, mother of the one true God. I desire 
             that there be built a temple at this place where I want to
             manifest Him, make Him known, give Him to all people.
             I truly am your merciful Mother... Tell the Lord Bishop all
             you have seen and heard.”
     
Juan Diego had a difficult time convincing the Bishop that he had really seen Mary. After many unsuccessful attempts to have the church built Juan Diego was very discouraged, in Mary’s fourth apparition to him she questioned:

            “Am I not here who is your Mother? Are you not under my
            shadow and protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy?
            Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in the cradle of my arms?”

Mary told him to go to the top of the hill, cut some flowers and bring them to her. It was December 12, a time when roses do not bloom. Mary received the roses and put them in the tilma, (a long cloth cape worn by the Aztecs to protect them from cold and often looped up to carry things).  

She instructed him to take them to the Bishop and tell him that this was his sign that he was telling the truth. When Juan Diego let down the cloak, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was imprinted on the cloak. Finally, the Bishop was convinced, the church was built in Mexico City and the image is displayed. It is visited by people from all over the world.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron of all the Americas. She is always there for us.  She may be in heaven now, but she still has her “elbow” and she can help us all, if we call upon her.

Mark Link, S.J. told an interesting story about Tom Harmon, a football player who later became a pilot. One day Tom’s plane crashed in the middle of a South American jungle. He did survive, but told of his experience in the following way:
 
          “I said at least a million ‘Hail Mary’s’ during my trek out. 
          In fact, as I walked through the jungle, trying to find my 
          way out, I used to yell ‘Hail Mary’s’ at the top of my voice,
          hoping that someone would hear me, and at the same time
          I would be praying.”

 Reflection Question:   What role does Mary play in my life?  

Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...

Mary’s Role

En el Evangelio de Juan sobre la fiesta de bodas en Caná, escuchamos sobre la influencia de María en Jesús. Ella nota que los recién casados se están quedando sin vino. A ella le preocupa que se sientan avergonzados en su día especial. Sabiendo que Jesús podía hacer algo para evitar esto, ella simplemente lo empuja llamando su atención a la situación. Jesús no había planeado mostrar su poder para realizar milagros en este momento. Sin embargo, sabiendo el deseo de su madre de prevenir un problema para los recién casados, Él realiza el milagro de cambiar el agua en vino para complacerla.

El difunto obispo Joseph Cassidy de Tuam, Irlanda, señala que Juan es el único de los evangelistas (escritores de los Evangelios) que menciona esta ocasión. Refleja que Juan estaba muy cerca de María, especialmente después de que Jesús le confió, y se convirtió en su hijo adoptivo. John probablemente estuvo con ella con más frecuencia y más tiempo que los otros escritores de los Evangelios.

El obispo Cassidy se refiere a María como “Nuestra Señora del Codo”. Todas sabemos que la mayoría de las madres tienen una relación especial con sus hijos, lo que a menudo dificulta que los niños rechacen las solicitudes de su madre. En ausencia de una relación estrecha entre padres e hijos, a menudo hay un pariente o amigo que cumple este rol.

Debemos recordar que Jesús también comparte a su madre con nosotros. Muchas veces en la historia, Él la envía a aparecer en tiempos difíciles para consolar y tranquilizar a sus hijos. Una de mis apariciones favoritas es Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe a Juan Diego en México. 

Juan Diego, un indio azteca que fue uno de los primeros bautizados en México, solía asistir a misa todos los días. El 9 de diciembre de 1531, cuando pasaba una colina llamada Tepeyac, escuchó pájaros cantores estallar en armonía. Para los aztecas, la música y los pájaros cantores eran signos de divinidad. Cuando la música se detuvo, una hermosa joven de tez canela y bañada en una luz dorada lo llamó por su nombre y le dijo:

         

             “Querido hijito, te amo. Quiero que sepas quién soy.
               Soy la Virgen María, madre del único Dios verdadero. Yo deseo
               que se construya un templo en este lugar donde quiero
               Manifiéstalo, hazlo conocer, dáselo a todas las personas.
               Verdaderamente soy tu misericordiosa Madre ... Dile al 
               Señor Obispo todo has visto y oído.”

           

Juan Diego tuvo dificultades para convencer al obispo de que realmente había visto a María. Después de muchos intentos fallidos para que la iglesia se construyera, Juan Diego se desanimó mucho, en la cuarta aparición de Mary a él, ella le preguntó:
     

            “¿No estoy aquí quién es tu madre? ¿No estás bajo mi

              ¿Sombra y protección? ¿No soy yo la fuente de tu alegría?
              ¿No estás en el pliegue de mi manto, en la cuna de mis brazos?”

María le dijo que fuera a la cima de la colina, que cortara algunas flores y se las trajera. Era el 12 de diciembre, un momento en que las rosas no florecen. María recibió las rosas y las puso en el tilma,
(una capa larga de tela usada por los aztecas para protegerlos del frío y, a menudo, enrollada para llevar cosas).

Ella le ordenó que los llevara al obispo y le dijera que esa era su señal de que estaba diciendo la verdad. Cuando Juan Diego dejó caer la capa, la imagen de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe quedó impresa en la capa. Finalmente, el obispo se convenció, la iglesia se construyó en la Ciudad de México y se muestra la imagen. Es visitado por personas de todo el mundo.

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe es el Patrona de todas las américas. Ella siempre está ahí para nosotros. Ella puede estar en el cielo ahora, pero todavía la tiene “codo” y ella puede ayudarnos a todos, si la llamamos.

Marco Link, S.J. contó una historia interesante sobre Tom Harmon, Un jugador de fútbol que más tarde se convirtió en piloto. 

Un día, el avión de Tom se estrelló en medio de una jungla sudamericana. Sobrevivió, pero contó su experiencia de la siguiente manera:

       

          “Dije al menos un millón de ‘Hail Mary’s’ durante mi viaje.
            De hecho, mientras caminaba por la selva, tratando de encontrar mi
            salida, solía gritar ‘Hail Mary’s’ en la parte superior de mi voz,
            Esperando que alguien me escuche, y al mismo tiempo.
            Yo estaría rezando”.

  Pregunta de reflexión:   ¿Qué papel juega María en mi vida?

The Transfiguration - Feb. 25, 2018

The Second Sunday of Lent - B


Reading I:  Gen. 22:1-2, 9a,10-13,15-18

Psalm:  116

Reading II:  Romans 8: 31b-34

Gospel:  Mark 9: 2-10

In today’s Gospel, we hear that Jesus gathered the three
disciples Peter, James, and John and took them up on a high mountain. There He let His divinity shine through. On one side of Him was Moses, representing the law, and on the other was Elijah representing the prophets. 

Why did Jesus choose to reveal his divinity to Peter, James, and John? The Lord knew that they would need very strong faith when they were with Him in the Garden of  Gethsemane where He would sweat blood in agony while anticipating the coming Passion. Jesus in His humanity cried out: “Father, if it be Your will, take this cup [of suffering] from me. Nonetheless, Thy will, not mine, be done.” Being weak human beings,  the disciples needed the reassurance that Jesus was truly the God-man, their Savior.

I can recall a friend of mine sharing that she had, had a wonderful retreat in which she felt strongly the presence of God. Although she already had trust in the Lord, He knew what the future would bring her. She lost a brother and sister unexpectedly the coming year. Jesus had strengthened her to be able to carry her crosses.

Why else might Jesus have shone forth his divinity? Possibly, since the disciples lived and ministered with Him daily, they may have thought of Him more like just another holy person or prophet. They needed to have their eyes opened to realize that He was the Son of God. He was one to be obeyed, worshiped and adored.    

I need to be reminded of this myself. I tend to focus on the human Jesus, and all that endears him to me. Perhaps, He is reminding me also that He is God, as well as a loving human being. In addition to being loved, He deserves to be honored, adored, praised, thanked, trusted, and obeyed.  

Praying the Psalms can be a wonderful way to honor the Lord as He deserves.  I especially love the following:

Psalm 95

1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

3 For the Lord is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

7 For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

Today, if you hear his voice,

8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

as on the day at Messiah in the wilderness, 

9 when your fathers put me to the test

and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

10 For forty years I loathed that generation

and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,

and they have not known my ways.”

11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

 Reflection Question:   How can I deepen my connection with our Divine Lord?

Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...

La Transfiguración

En el Evangelio de hoy, escuchamos que Jesús reunió a los tres discípulos Pedro, Santiago y Juan y los llevó a una montaña alta. Allí dejó que su divinidad brillara a través de ella. A un lado de él estaba Moisés, representando la ley, y por el otro, era Elías quien representaba a los profetas.

¿Por qué eligió Jesús revelar su divinidad a Pedro, Santiago y Juan? El Señor sabía que necesitarían una fe muy fuerte cuando estuvieran con Él en el Huerto de Getsemaní, donde sudaría sangre en agonía mientras anticipaba la próxima Pasión. Jesús en su humanidad clamó: “Padre, si es tu voluntad, toma esta copa [de sufrimiento] de mí. No obstante, se hará tu voluntad, no la mía”. Siendo seres humanos débiles, los discípulos necesitaban la confirmación de que Jesús era verdaderamente el Dios-hombre, su Salvador.

Recuerdo que una amiga mía que compartió lo que tuvo, tuvo un maravilloso retiro en el que sintió con fuerza la presencia de Dios. Aunque ella ya tenía confianza en el Señor, él sabía lo que le depararía el futuro. Perdió un hermano y una hermana inesperadamente el año siguiente. Jesús la había fortalecido para poder llevar sus cruces.

¿Por qué más podría haber brillado Jesús su divinidad? Posiblemente, dado que los discípulos vivieron y ministraron con Él todos los días, es posible que hayan pensado en Él más como otra persona santa o profeta. Necesitaban tener los ojos abiertos para darse cuenta de que Él era el Hijo de Dios. Él era uno para ser obedecido, adorado y adorado.  

Necesito que me lo recuerden yo también. Tiendo a centrarme en el Jesús humano, y todo lo que lo hace amable conmigo. Quizás, Él también me recuerda que Él es Dios, así como también un ser humano amoroso. Además de ser amado, merece ser honrado, adorado, alabado, agradecido, confiable y obedecido.

Orar los Salmos puede ser una manera maravillosa de honrar al Señor como se merece.

Me encanta especialmente lo siguiente:

Salmo 95

1 Oh, ven, cantemos al Señor;

hagamos un ruido alegre a la roca de nuestra salvación!

2 Vengamos a su presencia con acción de gracias;

hagámosle un ruido alegre con canciones de alabanza.

3 Porque el Señor es un gran Dios,

y un gran Rey por encima de todos los dioses.

4 En su mano están las profundidades de la tierra;

las alturas de las montañas son suyas también.

5 El mar es suyo, porque él lo hizo,

y sus manos formaron la tierra seca.

6 Oh, ven, adoremos y postrémonos;

¡arrodillémonos ante el Señor, nuestro Hacedor!

7 Porque él es nuestro Dios,

y somos la gente de su pasto,

y las ovejas de su mano.

Hoy, si escuchas su voz,

8 no endurecer sus corazones, como en Meribah,

como en el día en el Mesías en el desierto,

9 cuando tus padres me pusieron a prueba

y me pusieron a prueba, aunque habían visto mi trabajo.

10 Durante cuarenta años detestaba esa generación

y dijo: "Son un pueblo que se extravía en su corazón,

y no han conocido mis caminos ".

11 Por tanto juré en mi ira,

"No entrarán en mi descanso".

“They shall not enter my rest.”

 Pregunta de reflexión:   ¿Cómo puedo profundizar mi conexión con nuestro Divino Señor?