Rejoice - be encouraged: Fourth Sunday of Lent...

 The fourth Sunday of Lent is called " Lætare Sunday", taking its name from the opening words of the Mass, the Introit's "Lætare, Jerusalem" — "Rejoice, O Jerusalem".  In celebration, the priests wear rose-colored vestments.  The point is to provide us encouragement as we progress toward the end of the penitential season.  The day is a day of relaxation from normal Lenten rigors; a day of hope with Easter being at last within sight. Instrumental music is permitted, and the altar may be decorated with flowers

Lætare Jerusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae. (Psalm) Laetatus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Domini ibimus. Gloria Patri.

Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. (Psalm) I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord. Glory be to the Father.

  Prayer over the Offerings (Today's Liturgy)

 We place before You with joy these offerings,

which bring eternal remedy, O Lord,

praying that we may both faithfully revere them

and present them to You, as is fitting,

for the salvation of all the world.

Through Christ our Lord.

   

A bit more on Lætare Sunday:

Lætare Sunday is also called Mothering Sunday in Europe, which is similar to the celebration of Mother's Day in the United States. The name Mothering Sunday came about after the Epistle of the day from Galatians 4:26, which states, "But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all." The Epistle calls Jerusalem the mother of us all and this Sunday all mothers, the Blessed Virgin Mary and especially “mother church” are honored. People frequently try to attend Mass at the nearest cathedral, their mother church. 

Tradition also holds that on Lætare Sunday, English children who lived away from home returned to visit the church in which they were baptized or raised. Children also visited their mothers, bringing flowers or a type of fruit cake. The occasion led to the old saying, "He who goes a-mothering finds violets in the lane."

Novena to St Joseph - Day 6

His love: greater than our ingratitude...

   “Deepen your love daily for the Eucharist.”

St Louis Guanella

Via Crucis - Fugel

"Jesus is more cruelly treated

by bad Christians than by the Jews.

In Jerusalem He was condemned only once,

but in the Blessed Sacrament,

He is condemned everyday 

and in thousands of places, and by 

an appalling number of unjust judges.

And yet Jesus allows Himself to be

insulted, despised, condemned:

He still continues His sacramental life 

in order to show us that His love for us 

is without condition or reserve,

that it is greater than our ingratitude."

St. Peter Julian Eymard 

"Stations of the Cross"

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Novena to St Joseph - Day 5

Carrying away heaven...

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; 

thou holdest my lot. 

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

yea, I have a goodly heritage. - Psalm 16: 5,6

"When we come from our Communions,

 if anyone said to us:

'What are you taking home with you?'

we should be able to reply:

'I am carrying away Heaven!'"

St John Vianney

"All the way to heaven is heaven,
because Jesus said, "I am the way."
 St Catherine of Siena

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Novena to St Joseph - Day 4

Truth Himself speaks truly...

 "Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather 

receive the words of the Savior in faith, for 

since He is the truth, He cannot lie." - St. Cyril 

    "An argument was once made use of by a pious painter named Leonardo.  He one day met in an inn two men, one of whom was a Lutheran and the other a Calvinist.  They were ridiculing the Catholic doctrine about the Blessed Sacrament.  
    The Calvinist pretended that by these words, 'This is My Body,' it was only meant that the bread signifies the Body of Christ; the Lutheran, on the other hand, asserted that this was not true, but that they meant that bread and wine, in the moment of their reception, became, by the faith of the recipient, the Body and Blood of Christ. 

    While this dispute was going on, Leonardo took a piece of paper and drew the image of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with Luther on the right hand and Calvin on the left.  Under the image of our Saviour, he wrote the words: 'This is My Body.' Under the figure of Calvin he wrote: 'This signifies My Body'; and under that of Luther: 'This becomes My Body in the moment that you eat it.'  

    Then handing the paper to the two disputants, he said: 'Which of these three is right, our Saviour, or Calvin, or Luther?'  They were struck at the force of the argument, and ceased to scoff at the Catholic doctrine."

Excerpt from The Blessed Eucharist: Our Greatest Treasure

by Fr Michael Muller, C.S.S.R. 
First published 1868.  Reprinted 1973, 1994.

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Novena to St Joseph - Day 3

His glance follows us every moment...

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. 

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the 

eyes of him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:13

“Make use of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament

as a means of persevering in the practice of virtue.

Let us go to Him toward evening

and tell Him about our shortcomings,

let us ask Him for help and forgiveness.

Our Lord loves us, constantly, and His glance

follows us every moment of the day.”

Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val

Servant of God

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"Every path towards conversion begins by 

allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and 

welcoming it with a docile spirit." - Pope Leo XIV

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"... when the door starts closing a bit because 

of our weakness and sins, confession 

reopens it." - Pope Francis

 "Put aside your hatred and animosity. Take pains to 

refrain from sharp words.  If they escape your lips, do not 

be ashamed to let your lips produce the remedy,

 since they have caused the wounds. Pardon one another 

so that later on you will not remember the injury. 

The recollection of an injury is itself wrong.  

It adds to our anger, nurtures our sin and hates what 

is good. It is a rusty arrow and poison for the soul. 

It puts all virtue to flight."- St. Francis of Paola

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"In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide 

You from myself, not myself from You." 

 St Augustine

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Novena to St Joseph - Day 2