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One Minute Meditation

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery:   THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS

• One condemned to death by crucifixion is forced to carry the cross to the place of execution.
• The suffering of Jesus is intense as the cross is laid on His bruised and wounded back and shoulders.
• Weak and exhausted from loss of blood, lack of food and rest, Jesus falls three times under the cross.
• Jesus meets His afflicted Mother causing untold anguish in the Hearts of Son and Mother.
• The countenance of Jesus is disfigured with blood and sweat, with dust and spittle.
• Veronica wipes His face, leaving on her towel the image of His countenance.
• Fearing that Jesus might die on the way, the soldiers force Simeon of Cyrene to carry the cross behind Jesus.
• Jesus speaks to weeping women; “Weep not for Me, but for yourselves and your children.”
• “If anyone is to be My disciple, let him take up his cross and follow Me.”
• Father, by the merits of this painful journey to Calvary, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

One Minute Meditation

“I wish, oh Jesus, that my voice could reach to the ends of the world, to call all sinners and tell them to enter into Thy Heart….Oh, if only all sinners would come to Thy Heart! Come! Come sinners, do not be afraid! The sword of Justice cannot reach you Here!”  ~St Gemma Galgani

From Catholiques1

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In ieiunio et fletu orabant sacerdotes: parce Domine populo tuo, et ne des hereditatem tuam in perditionem. Inter vestibulum et altare plorabant sacerdotes dicentes: Parce populo tuo.
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Fasting and weeping, the priests shall pray: Spare thy people, Lord, and give not thy heritage over to destruction. Between the porch and altar, the priests shall pray: Spare thy people. Hear my prayer, O Lord
and let my crying come unto thee.
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Derelinquit impius viam suam, et vir iniquus cogitationes suas, et reveratur ad Dominum, et miserebitur eius: quia benignus at misericors est, et praestabilis super malitia, Dominus Deus noster.

The wicked man forsakes his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him: for the Lord our God is gracious and merciful, and ever ready to relent when he threatens disaster.

One Minute Meditation

THE CROWNING WITH THORNS

• Pilate asks, “Are You a king?” Jesus answers: “I am a King, but My kingdom is not of this world.”
• In the praetorium, the soldiers place an old purple robe on Jesus in mockery of His claim to be a king.
• They fashion a crown out of thorns, and forcefully press it down upon His head.
• In His bound hands they place a reed, as a sceptre, in mockery of His kingship.
• Kneeling before Him in derision, they spit on Him, and cry out: “Hail, King of the Jews!”
• Taking the reed from His hand they strike Him on the head, driving the thorns more deeply into His scalp.
• Pilate brings Jesus before the people, hoping His pitiful sight will soften them: “Behold the man!”
• Their response: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
• Our Blessed Lord submitted to this terrible humiliation to make reparation for our pride.
• Father, by the merits of this painful humiliation, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Ave Maria Meditations

After the meeting in the Temple, Jesus returns to Galilee with Mary and Joseph. He went down with them on their journey to Nazareth and lived there in subjection to them.  The Holy Spirit wanted to leave this fact clearly stated in the Gospel. Its source can only be Mary who, time and time again, saw the silent obedience of her Son. It is one of the few pieces of information we have from those years of hidden life: that Jesus obeyed them. St Augustine comments that Christ, to whom the universe is subject, was subject to them. To obey His Father, Jesus subjected himself to those who, in his earthly life, were invested with authority; in the first place, his parents.

Our Lady must have reflected very often about Jesus’ obedience, which was extremely refined and, at the same time, very natural. St Luke tells us immediately that His Mother kept in her heart the memory of all this. The whole of Jesus’ life was an act of obedience to the will of the Father.  What I do is always what pleases Him, he will tell us later; and on another occasion he said clearly to his disciples: “My meat is to do the will of him who sent me; and to accomplish the task he gave me”. Food is what gives energy for life. And Jesus tells us that obedience to the will of God – manifested in so many different ways – should be what nourishes and gives meaning to our lives. Without obedience there is no growth in the interior life, nor true development of the human person. Obedience, far from lowering the dignity of the human person, leads it to maturity by extending the freedom of the sons of God. (more…)

One Minute Meditation

THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR

• Jesus is taken before the High Priest where He is falsely accused, buffeted and insulted.
• The Jewish leaders take Jesus before Pilate, for only he can impose the death penalty.
• The robber, Barabbas, is preferred to Jesus.
• Pilate can “find no cause in Him”, yet to appease the Jews, he orders Jesus to be scourged.
• The scourge is made of leather thongs to which are attached small sharp bones.
• Jesus is bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged until His whole body is covered with deep wounds.
• The Lamb of God offers His suffering for the sins of mankind.
• Jesus suffers so much in His sacred flesh to satisfy, especially, for sins of the flesh.
• The prophesy of Isiah is fulfilled: “He was wounded for our iniquities, He was bruised for our sins.”
• Father, by the merits of Jesus in this painful scourging, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Ave Maria Mediations  

One more point, so that we may have a perfectly clear idea of Saint Therese’s self-denial. Generally speaking we have a too material, too external idea of self-denial; we almost always picture self-denial under the form of privation, as the sacrifice of something material, or again as some external mortification. And so we tire ourselves out looking for something to give up instead of denying ourselves always and in everything.   

Self-denial is primarily and often solely something interior and spiritual; it is in no way synonymous with mortification, with privation. Even when there is no mortification, there ought always to be self-denial. Self-­denial is simply the disposition of the soul to live for self in nothing, a sincere and constant disposition, a fixed determination to turn the soul from its natural tendency to make self the centre of its life, a fixed determination not to think of self, to put self on one side.  (more…)

For nearly two thousand years, Catholics have read, re-read and reflected upon the great passage in the sixth chapter of the gospel of Matthew in which Jesus lays out the three essential practices of Christian life: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

When Ash Wednesday Mass is finished, the next forty days – all of Lent- is observed in the context of this passage. This happens every year without fail. These three essential practices of Christian life are brought to our attention and emphasized. You would think that we Catholics would get the point. (more…)

Immaculate Music #29 – A Beautiful Sung Version of the Creed ( 10min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

On January 6^th, 2010, the Franciscan Friars in Italy had the privilege of celebrating the Traditional Mass with Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, President Emeritus of Ecclesia Dei. We hope you enjoy viewing some of the scenes from the Mass and listening to the Creed which was sung during the Mass and directed by Alessandro Pucci and Andrea Ferranti. The name of the chorus (in Italian) is the “Schola Cantorum ‘Santa Cecilia’ di Corridonia e Coro di Cloumurano”.

Friar Terrance sends ‘Ave Maria!’s and prayers to all.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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One Minute Meditation

One Minute Meditation

One Minute Meditation

Laborers for the Harvest

O Jesus, Good Shepherd, raise up in all parish commu­nities, priests and deacons, religious, consecrated lay people and missionaries according to the needs of the whole world, which You love and want to save.

We entrust toYou in a particular way our parish community; create in it the spiritual atmosphere of the first Christians in order that it may be a cenacle of prayer where we lovingly receive the Holy Spirit and His gifts.

Assist our pastors and all consecrated souls. Guide the steps of those who have generously welcomed Your call and prepared themselves for Holy Orders or the profession of the evangelical counsels. Direct Your loving gaze to the many well-disposed young people and invite them to follow You. Help them to understand that only in You they can achieve their fulfillment.

We entrust these great desires of Your Heart to the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother and model of all vocations, and beg You to sustain our faith in the certainty that the Father will listen to what You Yourself have instructed us to ask for. Amen.

~Venerable Pope John Paul II