“I am the Resurrection and the Life, he who believes in Me, although he be dead, shall live.” John 11:25
“This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us be glad and rejoice therein.” Psalm 117:24
“He is risen! May the hope of the Resurrection inspire your heart and may God’s grace shine brightly upon you this Easter and always!”
Thank you for accompanying me on our Lenten journey. I hope Fr Clarke’s words hves inspired a greater love and understanding of the Sacred Passion of Our Lord. Today we rejoice and continue with joy singing in our hearts throughout Eastertide.
I will be taking a short break, with Our Lady’s month fast approaching, I cannot be gone very long. In the meantime, I will continue to offer my humbler prayers for you all. A special word of gratitude to the generous and loving benefactors who keep Breathing Catholic going!
Thought for the Day – 19 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Death of our Saviour
In the midst of His sufferings, Jesus forgets Himself and pray for His executioners. “Father,” He pleaded, “forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34). Who were these people who crucified Him? We know well that they were not only the Jews but all of us. The Prophet Isaiah, had foretold this. “He was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins … He was offered because it was his own will…” (Is 53:5-7). We are all the crucifiers of Jesus. Therefore, He willed to suffer and to die for all of us and when He was hanging on the Cross, He begged for forgiveness for us all. This should incite us to trust in God and to do repentance for our sins. We should be sorry for our sins because, they were the real cause of the voluntary death of Jesus. We should have confidence in Him because, He forgave us when He was dying on the Cross and is ready to pardon us again, as long as we are sincerely repentant.
Let us consider how Jesus, even though He was derided and nailed to the Cross, prayed for and forgave His executioners. How do we normally behave? Perhaps we fly into anger at the first word of offence or act of misunderstanding, or perhaps we nourish secret feelings of hatred in our hearts for our brothers in Jesus Christ? Let us kneel before the Cross and tell Our Lord, that we wish to be meek and humble of heart, like Him. We wish to be quick to forgive and to live in peace and, even, if it is necessary, to do good to those who offend us, or at any rate, to pray fervently for them.
Quote/s of the Day – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament – Holy Saturday – The Lord’s Vigil Mass of Easter – Matthew 28:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great stillness because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and has raised up all who have slept, since the world began…
I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the Life of the dead.”
Ancient Christian Writer (ACW)
“He is not here. For He is Risen, as He said.” Matthew 28:6
“It was very necessary that Christ should rise during the night because , His Resurrection has enlightened our darkness! … Just as our faith, strengthened by Christ’s Resurrection, dispels all sleep, so this night, lightened by our vigils, is filled with brightness. He, Who has given us the glory of His Name (Ps 28:2) has also illumined this night. He to Whom we say “Thou lighten my darkness” (Ps 18:28) sheds His brightness in our hearts. Just as our dazzled eyes behold these shining torches, so our enlightened spirits enable us to see how luminous is this night, this holy night in which our Lord initiated, in His own flesh, the Life which knows neither sleep nor death!”
“…He Slept, so that We might be Awakened, He Died, so that We might Live.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“He enlightened our faith with proofs and lifted up our hope with promises, so as finally, to enkindle our love with gifts from Heaven!”
St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
Lenten Meditations – 19 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Easter Eve The Entombment
Read St Luke xxiii:50-56
[50] And behold there was a man named Joseph, who was a counsellor, a good and just man, [51] (the same had not consented to their counsel and doings;) of Arimathea, a city of Judea; who also himself looked for the kingdom of God. [52] This man went to Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus. [53] And taking Him down, he wrapped Him in fine linen and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewed in stone, wherein never yet any man had been laid. [54] And it was the day of the Pasch-eve and the sabbath drew on. [55] And the women who were come with him from Galilee, following after, saw the sepulchre and how hhs body was laid. [56] And returning, they prepared spices and ointments and, on the sabbath day, they rested, according to the commandment. [Luke 23:50-56]
+1. When Our Lady’s mournful task was finished, the Body of Jesus was laid in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, there to remain until the hour of its joyful Resurrection. Let us contemplate It as it lies there – disfigured by countless wounds and scars so apparently helpless, yet, nonetheless, the joy of God and worthy of our highest adoration. Passive and cold and motionless – but soon to be radiant with the most dazzling beauty; dead – but living with a Divine Life. Learn from this (a ) the glory of suffering; (b) the power of apparent helplessness when God is with us; (c) the beauty of passive obedience; (d) the true life of those who are dead to the world!
+2. What was Our Lord doing while thus apparently inactive in the silent tomb? He was beginning His Work of triumph, delivering countless souls from purgatory and from limbo, consoling the Patriarchs and Prophets, fulfilling His promise of Paradise to the good thief, trampling upon Satan and changing the kingdoms of this world into the Kingdoms of God and of His Christ. So it is with us. When we seem useless and doing nothing, we are often really doing the greatest things for God.
+3. The tomb where Christ is laid is to be the model of my soul when I receive Holy Communion, silent from all the din of earthly things, cleansed from all stain of sin by a good Confession and firm resolution to amend, dedicated to Him alone, His Sacred Body embalmed by my love and wrapped in the clean winding-sheet of purity of intention. Thus will His Presence there be the pledge of my Resurrection with Him.
One Minute Reflection – 19 April – Holy Saturday – The Lord’s Vigil Mass of Easter, Blessing of the Fire, Prophecies, Blessing of the Font, First Mass of Easter – Matthew 28,1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And the Angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was Crucified, He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.” – Matthew 28:5-6
REFLECTION – “Every vigil, celebrated in the Lord’s honour, is pleasing to God and acceptable to Him but this particular Vigil more than all the rest. That is why this night, in particular, holds the title “The Lord’s Vigil.” Indeed, what we read is: “All the Israelites must keep a vigil for the Lord” (Ex 12:42). And this night, well merits the title, since the Lord awoke in life that we might not remain asleep in death. For He suffered death’s sleep for our sakes, in the Mystery of His Passion, yet this sleep of the Lord, has become the Vigil of the whole world because, the Death of Christ, has removed from us, the sleep of eternal death. He Himself says it through the Prophet: “I lie down in sleep, I wake again and My sleep was sweet to me” (Ps 3:6; Jer 31:26). This sleep of Christ which we have called to mind, from the bitterness of Death to the sweetness of Life, cannot be anything but sweet.
Solomon wrote: “I sleep but my heart is awake” (Sg 5:2). These words seemingly show the Mystery of the Divinity and Flesh of the Lord. He slept according to the flesh but His Divinity kept watch, since the Divinity cannot sleep… “He neither slumbers nor sleeps, the Guardian of Israel” (Ps 120:4)… He slept according to the flesh but His Divinity visited hell in order to draw out the man whom it had held captive. Our Lord and Saviour desired to enter into every place to have mercy on everyone. He came down from Heaven to the earth to visit the world and again, He descended from earth to hell, to carry light to those held captive there, as spoken by the Prophet: “Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shone” (Is 9:1).
Hence Angels in Heaven, men on earth and the souls of the faithful in the dwelling place of the dead, celebrate this Vigil of the Lord… If one sinner’s repentance, as the Gospel says, gives joy to the Angels in Heaven, (Lk 15:7.10) how much more, the Redemption of the whole world?… And so, this Vigil is not just a feast for men and Angels but also for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit because the world’s Salvation is the Trinity’s happiness!” – St Chromatius of Aquilaea (Died c407) Bishop and Father of the Church (1st Sermon for the Paschal Vigil).
PRAYER – O God, Who dost illuminate this most holy night by the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection, preserve in the new children of Thy family, the spirit of adoption which Thou hast given, that renewed in body and mind, they may render to Thee a pure service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
O Come And Mourn With Me Awhile By Fr Frederick William Faber CO (1814-1863) (This is the full, original text from an 1852 edition of Fr Faber’s H ymnal “Jesus and Mary”)
O come and mourn with me awhile, O come ye to the Saviour’s side, O come, together let us mourn, Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Have we no tears to shed for Him, While soldiers scoff and foes deride? Ah! Look how patiently He hangs, Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!
How fast His Hands and Feet are nailed, His blessed Tongue with thirst is tied, His failing Eyes are blind with blood, Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
His Mother cannot reach His Face; She stands in helplessness beside. Her heart is Martyred with her Son’s; Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Seven times He spoke, seven words of love And all three hours His silence cried For mercy, on the souls of men. Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!
What was Thy crime, my dearest Lord? By earth, by heaven, Thou hast been tried, And guilty found of too much love. Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Found guilty of excess of love, It was Thine own sweet Will that tied Thee tighter far than helpless nails; Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Death came and Jesus meekly bowed; His failing Eyes He strove to guide With mindful love to Mary’s face; Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
O break, O break, hard heart of mine! Thy weak self-love and guilty pride, His Pilate and His Judas were! Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Come, take thy stand beneath the Cross, And let the Blood from out that Side Fall gently on thee, drop by drop; Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
A broken heart, a fount of tears, Ask and they will not be denied. A broken heart, love’s cradle is, Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
O Love of God! O sin of man! In this dread act, your strength is tried And victory remains with love, Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!
Saint of the Day – 19 April – Saint Crescentius (Died c396) Deacon and Confessor at Florence, Italy. The image below shows St Zenobius seated with his Deacons, St Crescentius and St Eugenius kneeling at either side. Painting on a pillar in the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence. Also known as – Crescentius of Florence,Crescent, Crescento, Crescentus.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Florence, Crescent, Confessor, disciple of the blessed Bishop St Zenobius.”
Saint Zenobius seated with his Deacons St Crescentius and St Eugenius kneeling at either side. Painting on a pillar in the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence.
We have little information of this Saint. All we know is that he was a disciple of St Zenobius and of St Ambrose. Cresentius served as a Deacon of the Bishop St Zenobius in Florence, Italy.
Not to be confused with St Crescentius (Died c303) who was a Roman Soldier and Martyr. during the persecutions of Diocletian. He is depicted as one of the Saints of the Colonnade at St Peter’s Basilica. This Saint was one of those who were removed from the Calendar after Vatican II.
St Apollonius the Priest St Aristonicus of Melitene
Blessed Bernard (Died 1182) Penitent, Pilgrim, Hermit. Patronages – of sinners, convicts, prisoners, penitents, pilgrims. The Roman Martyrology: “At the Monastery of Saint-Bertin in the territory of France in Thérouanne, lies the tomb of Blessed Bernard, penitent, who, eager to atone for the sins of his youth with an austere penitence, voluntarily chose exile and, barefooted, wearing rough garments, was a tireless pilgrim to the holy places.” Dear Blessed Bernard, pray for us!: https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-blessed-bernard-of-sithiu-died-1182-layman-penitent/
Our dear Martyr and protector, Saint Expeditus, You who know what is necessary and what is urgently needed. I beg you to intercede before the Blessed Trinity that by your intercession, my request will be granted. …………………… (Clearly express your needs and ask him to find a way to help you.) May I receive your blessings and favours. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, One God with the Almighty Father. Amen.
If Saint Expeditus grants your request, place an advertisement in the local Catholic newspaper and/or your Parish Bulletin or Notice Board, thanking Saint Expeditus, so that his name and fame will grow
St Gaius of Melitene St Galata of Melitene St George of Antioch
St Pope Leo IX (1002-1054) known as “The Apostolic Pilgrim” When the German Pope Damasus II died in 1048, Bishop Bruno was selected by the Emperor, Henry III, to succeed him. Bruno agreed to go to Rome and to accept the Papacy if freely elected thereto by the Roman people. He wished, at least, to rescue the See of Peter from its servitude to the German Emperors. When, in company with Hildebrand, he reached Rome and presented himself to its people clad in pilgrim’s guise and barefooted but still tall and fair to look upon, they cried out with one voice that him and no other would they have as Pope. Assuming the name of Leo, he was solemnly enthroned on 12 February, 1049. The Apostolic Pilgrim: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-st-pope-leo-ix-1002-1954/
St Martha of Persia St Rufus of Melitene St Timon Deacon Martyr
St Vincent of Collioure
Martyrs of Carthage – 17 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred in the persecutions of Decius. We know little more than the names – Aristo, Basso, Credula, Donato, Ereda, Eremio, Fermo, Fortunata, Fortunio, Frutto, Julia, Mappalicus, Martial, Paul, Venusto, Victorinus and Victor. Died in the year 250 in prison in Carthage, North Africa (modern Tunis, Tunisia).
Thought for the Day – 18 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Crucifixion
“After a painful and exhausting journey, Jesus reaches Calvary, where He is to be Crucified. Once again, He is stripped of His garments, which, by this time, have become glued to His swollen sores. Then, He is stretched upon the wooden Cross, to which, one of the brutal executioners fastens His Hands and Feet, with blows from a hammer. The sharp nails are driven through His flesh into the hard wood. Jesus looks upwards and offers Himself in silence, as a Victim of Expiation, on behalf of His tormentors and of all of us. His Mother Mary, is standing a few paces away in the company of the holy women and of the beloved Disciple. The blows of the hammer pierce the maternal heart of the Blessed Virgin but,she remains silent also and prays.
When we have been afflicted by misfortune or sorrow and our hearts are racked with grief, how do we behave? Have we the resignation, the trust in God and the spirit of prayer, which Jesus and Mary had on Calvary? Let us remind ourselves, that we are members of the Mystical Body of Christ. If Jesus our Head, has suffered, how much more, do miserable sinners like the rest of us deserve to suffer!? Jesus wishes us to participate in the work of redemption by uniting our sufferings to His. “I rejoice now,” says St Paul, “in the suffering I bear … and what is lacking of the suffering of Christ, I fill up in my flesh…” (Col 1:24).
Let us face adversity with courage, therefore and keep our eyes hopefully towards Heaven. Let us remember, as St Paul also says, that even as we share in the sufferings of Christ, so we shall share in His triumph (Cf 2 Cor 1:7). Jesus had to ascen Mount Calvary, before He could ascend to Heaven. If we are to walk in His footsteps, we shall have to do the same!”
GOOD FRIDAY A Day of Deep Mourning, Fasting and Abstinence!
“Look on thy God, Christ hidden in our flesh. A bitter word, the Cross and bitter sight – Hard rind without, to hold the Heart of Heaven. Yet, sweet it is, for God upon that tree Did offer His Life upon that rood – My Life hung, that my Life might stand in God. Christ, what am I to give Thee for my life? Unless, take from Thy Hands, the cup they hold, To cleanse me with the precious draught of death. What shall I do? My body to be burned? Make myself vile? The debt is not paid out yet. Whate’er I do, it is but I and Thee And still do I come short, still must Thou pay My debts, O Christ, for debts Thyself had’st none! What love may balance Thine? My Lord was found In fashion like a slave that so His slave Might find himself in fashion like his Lord. Think you the bargain’s hard, to have exchanged The transient for the eternal, to have sold Earth to buy Heaven? More dearly God bought me!”
St Paulinus of Nola (c354-431) Father of the Church
“O souls! Seek a refuge, like pure doves, in the shadow of the Crucifix. There, mourn the Passion of your Divine Spouse and drawing from your hearts, flames of love and rivers of tears, make of them a precious balm with which to anoint the Wounds of your Saviour.”
Lenten Meditations – 18 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Good Friday The Descent from the Cross
Read St Mark xv:38-46 (See below)
+I. No sooner is the sacrifice consummated and the last drop of the Precious Blood shed from Our Lord’s Sacred Heart, than all is changed. That lifeless Body is now treated with the utmost respect and veneration. See how gently and carefully Joseph and Nicodemus wind linen bands around the Limbs and lower it to the ground reverently, adoring that Body which only a few hours before had been a laughing-stock and object of contempt. Henceforth, no more ignominy, no more contempt, no more ill-usage but the love and adoration of Saints and Angels for all eternity.
+2. Our Lady receives the Body of her Son. What were her thoughts as she gazes into the Five Wounds and sees how, from Head to Foot, it is covered with gaping wounds, sores and bruises, battered out of all recognition by the cruelty of man!? O Mother of Sorrows, great as an ocean, is thy sorrow! What must thy hatred of sin be, when thou seest what it has wrought in the Divine Beauty of thy spotless Son! What a mixture of agonised compassion and mournful sorrow and hope and consolation and gratitude and triumph ant joy, fills thy sacred soul while thou lookest upon the Dead Body of thy Divine Son!
+3. The day on which Jesus died, is indeed well named, Good Friday. It is the day when Jesus consummated His victory over sin and death. While we mourn over His sufferings and our sins which caused them, we must also rejoice exceedingly, at the thought of Satan conquered and Heaven opened and millions of sinners cleansed from sin, in His Most Precious Blood!
St Mark 15:38-46 [38] And the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. [39] And the centurion who stood near Him, seeing that crying out in this manner, He had given up the ghost, said: Indeed this man was the Son of God. [40] And there were also women looking on afar off, among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joseph and Salome, [41] who also, when He was in Galilee followed Him and ministered to Him and many other women who came up to Jerusalem, with Him. [42] And when evening was now come (because it was the Pasch-eve, that is, the day before the sabbath).[43] Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who was also himself looking for the Kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus. [44] But Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And sending for the centurion, he asked him if he were already dead. [45] And when he had understood it by the centurion, he gave the Body to Joseph. [46] And Joseph buying fine linen and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the fine linen and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewed out of a rock. And he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre. [Mark 15:38-46]
One Minute Reflection – 18 April – Good Friday – The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St John 18:1-40.19:1-42 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“There they crucified Him and with Him two others, one on either side and Jesus between them. ” – John 19:18
REFLECTION – “Truly, you are a hidden God!” (Is 45:15). Why hidden? Because He had neither form nor beauty, yet power was in His Hands. It was there His fortitude was hidden.
Was He not hidden when He submitted His Hands to brutes and His Palms received the nails? The print of the nails gleamed on His Hands and His innocent Side received the wound. They shackled His Feet in fetters, the iron pierced His soles and His Feet were fastened to the tree. These wounds did God suffer on our behalf, at the hands of His own people, in His own home. O how marvellous are His Wounds by which the wounds of the world were healed! How victorious His Wounds, by which He slew death and stung hell! … Therefore, O Church, O dove, You have coverts in the rock and a hollow in the wall in which to rest (cf. Sg 2:14). …
And what will you do … when He comes in the clouds with great power and majesty? (cf Mt 24:30) He will come down with Heaven and earth ablaze and by the terror of His coming, He will dissolve the elements. When He has come, the Sign of the Cross will be seen in the sky and the beloved One will show the scars of His Wounds and the prints of the nails, by which He was transfixed in His own home!” … St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) – Cistercian Monk, Bishop
PRAYER – Deliver us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all evils, past, present and to come and by the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God and of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul and of all the Saints, mercifully grant peace in our days, that through the assistance of Thy mercy we may be always free from sin and secure from all disturbance. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. Faithful Cross! above all other, One and only noble Tree! None in foliage, none in blossom, None in fruit thy peer may be. Sweetest wood and sweetest iron, Sweetest weight is hung on thee. (Antiphons).
A Prayer of the Passion By St Melito of Sardis (Died 180) Bishop of Sardis, Apologist, Father
Lord Jesus Christ, Thou were bound as a ram, Thou were shorn like a lamb, Thou were led to the slaughter like a sheep, Thou bore the wood of the Cross on Thy shoulders, Thou were led up the hill of Calvary, Thou were displayed naked on the Cross, Thou were nailed to the bitter Cross by three spikes, Thou delivered Thy last Seven Words from the Cross Thou died on the Cross, with a shout of victory, Thou were buried in noble Joseph’s rock-hewn tomb, By Thy boundless suffering on our behalf, fix our eyes unceasingly on Thy broken Body and the Blood which poured from Thine Hands, Feet and Side. By the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which each day renews Thy Sacrifice of the Cross on our Altars, apply the merits of the Cross to all humanity and, especially to those, who worship it daily and who offer themselves back to Thee, our great High Priest and perpetual Intercessor, before the Eternal Throne of God. Thou livest and reigns, throughout all the ages of ages. Amen
Saint of the Day – 18 April – St Perfectus (Died 850) Priest and Martyr of Córdoba in Spain. His Martyrdom was recorded by Saint Eulogius in the Memoriale Sanctorum. Also known as – Parfait, Perfecto, Perfect.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Córdoba, St Perfect, Priest and Martyr, killed by the Moors for inveighing against the followers of Mohammed.”
Martyrs of Córdoba, St Perfectus on the left
Perfectus was born in Córdoba when the area was under the control of the Moors. Perfectus was a Monk and Ordained Priest. He served at the Basilica of St Acisclus in Córdoba. Christians weregenerally tolerated in the area but not uniformly.
Perfectus, like all his colleagues, he knew that he was risking his life by trying to convert Muslims. He was, therefore, wary when two Muslims approached him in the street and asked him what he thought of Mohammad and Jesus because, they said, “we only want to educate ourselves.”
At first, he refrained from responding, so as not to provoke them but they insisted. Perfectus set about proving to them that Mahammad was a false prophet and that only Jesus was the Saviour. They wished Saint Perfectus good morning, let him go home in peace but then, a few days later, they denounced him to friends. Brought before the Arab tribunal, he was sentenced to death. Once again and publicly, he spoke out about his thoughts on Mohammad and the Quran.
Perfectus was found guilty of blasphemy by the Islamic Court and was executed. The Vita says that Perfectus’ final words were to bless Christ and condemn Mohammed.
He was beheaded on 18 April 850. Perfectus’ Martyrdom was one of the first in a period of Muslim persecution of the Christians in Córdoba which began in 850 and continued intermittently until 960.
His cult spread to France, since the Canons of the Paris Cathedral sang a solemn Mass in his honour for a long time every 18 April.
Tre Ore (The Three Hours Devotion) The Three Hours’ Agony on Good Friday from Noon until 3 o’clock to commemorate the three hours of Christ’s Hanging on the Cross. It includes sermons on the Seven Last Words from the Cross and usually occurs between Noon and 3PM, the latter being the time when Jesus Died on the Cross and the time the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion begins. In 1815, Pope Pius VII decreed a Plenary Indulgence to those who practice this devotion on Good Friday.
It is a fine tradition to keep silent from Noon to 3:00 PM today.
St Gebuinus of Lyons St Genocus St Hermogenes of Melitene
Blessed Idesbald O.Cist (c1095-1167) Cistercian Priest and Abbot of Ten Duinen Abbey, Our Lady of the Dunes. The Roman Martyrology states: “In Bruges in Flanders, in today’s Belgium, Blessed Idesbald, Abbot, who, soon became a widower and exercised for another thirty years, duties in the palace of the Counts, entered the Monastery of Dune at a mature age, which he held holy, as the third Abbot for twelve years.” His Body is Incorrupt. His Life of Grace: https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/18/saint-of-the-day-18-april-blessed-idesbald-of-dunes-o-cist-c-1095-1167/
Thought for the Day – 17 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
THE CRUCIFIX
“Let us weep for our sins and increase in love for our Divine Redeemer. When we are oppressed by the weight of our own cross, we shall look at the Crucifix and find comfort. When we are tempted, we shall grasp the Crucifix and turn away with horror from thoughts of sin and ingratitude.
The Crucifix will teach us, as it taught the Saints, the lesson of charity towards God and towards our neighbour. It will teach us to hate sin and to love virtue. If we cherish it during life, it will be our consolation to kiss the Crucifix at the moment of death.”
“Be imitators of God, as very dear children and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and delivered Himself up for us …”
St Paul … Ephesians 5:1-2
“But I say to you, Love your enemies …”
Matthew 5:44
“But the wise took oil in their vessels”
Matthew 25:4
“The wise ones’ lamps were burning, from the oil inside them, from the assurance of their consciences, from their inner boast, from their deepest charity.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace
“Father, forgive them.” With this prayer, He wanted to make us understand the love He bore us, undiminished by any suffering and to teach us how our heart should be toward our neighbour.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
“He loves you as though He had no-one else to love but you alone. You, too, should love Him alone and all others for His Sake. Of Him you may say and, indeed, you should say: My Beloved to me and I to Him (Cant, 2:16). My God has given Himself all to me and I give myself all to Him; He has chosen me for His beloved and I choose Him, above all others, for my only Love.”
“How to Pray at All Times” By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Lenten Meditations – 17 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Maundy Thursday Jesus’ Mystical Death In the Blessed Eucharist
Read St John xix:34-37
[34] But one of the soldiers with a spearm opened His Side and immediately there came forth Blood and Water. [35] And he who saw it, hath given testimony and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe. [36] For these things were done that the scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of Him. [37] And again another scripture saith: They shall look on Him Whom they pierced [John 19:34-37]
+1. Each time the Holy Mass is celebrated, the Sacrifice of our Blessed Lord upon the Cross is represented, in the Sacrifice which takes place upon the Altar. Thus, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, on the Divine Decree, continues to be mystically slain and will continue as long as the world shall last. With such a sight before our eyes, how can we ever forget Him? How can we ever lose heart or become dejected, with this abiding proof of His tender Love before our eyes?
+2. In the Blood and Water which flowed from Our Lord’s Side when pierced by the centurion’s spear are represented the Sacraments of the Church, the Blood of Christ which extricates us in Holy Communion, the Water which cleanses our souls in Baptism and Penance. His Sacred Heart which was opened then, is open still; the rich stream of graces still continues; it has flowed even unto me. What countless graces I have received from the Love which has been poured upon me from the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
+3. The Sacred Host we receive in Holy Communion reminds us, of the Dead Body of Jesus as it hung upon the Cross, all the glory hidden, to all appearance no life there; within the power of all, to treat It as they choose; reduced to the lowest humiliation. Yet, It is our God and our Lord, the object of the adoring love of Angels and of men, He Whom the Heaven of heavens cannot contain, Who condescends to be our Guest and the Food of our souls. Meditate on the unspeakable Love of Jesus Sacrificed for us!
One Minute Reflection – 17 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Maundy Thursday – 1 Corinthians 11:20-32 – John 13:1-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“He loved them unto the end.” – John 13:1
REFLECTION – “Before the feast of the Pasch, Jesus, knowing His hour had come to leave this world and go unto His Father, “having loved those who were His Own, unto the end, He loved them”… In the Gospel John was specially called “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This disciple declares here what manner of faithful Lover our holy Saviour was, of Whom he, himself, was so beloved.
For unto these words, he straightaway joins, the rehearsing of Christ’s bitter Passion, beginning with the Last Supper and therein, His humble washing of His disciples’ feet, the sending forth of the traitor and after that, His teaching, His prayer, His capture, His judging, His scourging, His crucifying andH all the whole piteous tragedy of His most bitter Passion.
Before which things, St John sets the aforesaid words to declare all these things which Christ did, in all this, He did it for very Love. Which Love He declared well unto his disciples in many ways, at the time of His Last Supper, giving them charge that, in loving each other they should follow His example (Jn 13:34). For those whom He Loved, He Loved unto the end and this He wished, they too should do. He was not an inconstant Lover Who does as many do, Love for a while and then, upon some light occasion, leave His Love and turn from being a friend to an enemy, as the false traitor, Judas did.But He, still so persevered in Love unto the very end, so that, for very Love, He came to that painful end and that, not only for His friends who were already His but too, for His enemies, to make them His friends and not for His benefit but only for their own!” – St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr, Lord Chancellor of England (Treatise on the Passion, 1).
PRAYER – O God, from Whom Judas received the punishment of his guilt and the thief the reward of his confession: grant unto us the full fruit of Thy clemency, that even as in His Passion, our Lord Jesus Christ gave to each a retribution according to his merits, so having taken away our old sins, He may bestow upon us the grace of His Resurrection. Who with Thee lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 17 April – Maundy Thursday in Holy Week
Man of Sorrows—Wrapt in Grief From an old French Hymn Author Unknown
Man of Sorrows—wrapt in grief, Bow Thine ear to our relief; Thou for us the path hast trod Of the dreadful wrath of God. Thou the cup of fire hast drain’d Till its light alone remain’d: Lamb of Love!—we look to Thee, Hear our mournful litany!
By the garden—fraught with woe, Whither Thou full oft wouldst go: By Thine Agony of prayer In the desolation there! By the chains of sleep, which bound Watchers in their trance profound; Lord!—behold our bended knee,— Listen to our litany!
By the conflict foul and fell With the loosen’d fiends of hell, By the darkness of the hour Shadow’d with the tempter’s power, By the dire and deep distress Of that mystery fathomless;— Lord! our tears in mercy see Mingling with our litany!
By the vision then, which stole Looming o’er Thy spotless soul, Of the pride and guilt of man, Since his fall from grace began,— Seas of sin, with billowy waves, Yawning into countless graves;— Lord! ourselves from shipwreck free, Hear our solemn litany!
By the Chalice, when it came Pregnant with a hell of flame: By those Lips—which fain would pray That it might but pass away: By the Heart, which drank it dry, Lest a rebel race should die;— Let Thy Pity be our plea, Hear our solemn litany!
Man of Sorrows! —let Thy grief Purchase for us our relief— Lord of Mercy—bow Thine ear, Slow to anger—swift to hear: Let the garden Thou hast trod Draw us to the throne of God; So Gethsemane shall be Sweet in every litany!
This translation by Matthew Bridges (1800-1894) (The Passion of Jesus 1852) Hymnist, Poet, Writer Converted to Catholicism in 1848, by the influence of John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Saint of the Day – 17 April – Saint Wando (c665-756) Abbot of Fontenelle/St Wandrille’s Monastery. Born in Neustria in France and died on 17 April 756 at the Abbey of Fontenelle in Normandy. Also known as – Vando… Vandone … Wanda.
This is St Wandrille who founded Fontenelle Abbey
Wando was born into a noble family in Neustria, France, around 665. From his youth he showed a deep inclination for religious life, so much so that, he chose to embrace the monastic vocation.
He joined the Abbey of Fontenelle, in Normandy, under the guidance of the Abbot Saint Lanfranc. Wando distinguished himself for his piety, religious fervour and obedience to the Benedictine Rule.
He was soon appointed Prior of the Monastery, a position he held with wisdom and dedication. His fame for sanctity soon spread, attracting numerous faithful to the Abbey, who desired to receive his spiritual guidance.
However, his life was not without turbulence. In 716, due to political intrigues, he was unjustly accused of treason and forced into exile. He took refuge in the Monastery of Saint Servatius in Maastricht, where he spent 28 years in exile, dedicating himself to prayer, meditation and study. In 747, with the accession to the throne of Pepin the Short, son of Charles Martel, Wando was finally rehabilitated and recalled to the Abbey of Fontenelle. Despite his advanced age and the blindness that afflicted him, he resumed the leadership of the Monastery with the same zeal and wisdom as before.
Wando concluded his earthly existence on 17 April 754, at the age of about 90 at his beloved Fontanelle Abbey.
The OFFICE of TENEBRAE The Office of Tenebrae The public singing of part of the Divine Office, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in Holy Week, anticipating Matins and Lauds of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. This custom goes back centuries and acquired the name because of the mourning ritual surrounding the ceremony which includes a triangular candlabra bearing fifteen candles. These are extinguishedt one by one until, after the last candle is extinguished, a prayer is said in darkness, one candle is lit and the assembly dispersed in silence.
Bl essed Andrés Hibernón Real OFM (1534-1602) Religious Friar, Apostle of the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Rosary, Apostle of the poor. He predicted the date of his death four years before the fact, which was 18 April 1602 in Gandia, Valencia, Spain of natural causes immediately after having prayed a rosary. He was Beatified on 22 May 1791 by Pope Pius VI. His body is incorrupt. A Life of Love: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/17/saint-of-the-day-17-april-blessed-andres-hibernon-real-o-f-m-1534-1602/
St Agia of Hainault St Anthia of Illyria St Athanasia of Aegina St Bitheus St Calocerus of Brescia St Cogitosus St Corebus
St Eleuterius of Illyria St Elpidius of Melitene St Eusebius of Fano St Galdinus of Milan St Gebuinus of Lyons St Genocus St Hermogenes of Melitene St Innocent of Tortona Bishop and Confessor Bl Idesbald of Dunes Blessed James of Cerqueto OSA (1285-1366)
Blessed Mariana of Jesus OdeM (c1565-1624) “The Lily of Madrid” Tertiary Sister of the Mercadarian Order (the Servants of Mary) Mystic and Ecstatic, graced with Visions of Our Lord and His Mother and granted the ability, by her intercession, to be responsible for many miracles, Spiritual Director and Apostle of the poor and the sick. In addition, Mariana was known to bilocate and levitate during her ecstasies. Patronages – of Madrid, Mercedarian Tertiaries Mercedarian Lay Fraternities and Apostolates. Her body is Incorrupt. “The Lily of Madrid”: https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/17/saint-of-the-day-17-april-blessed-mariana-of-jesus-odemc1565-1624-the-lily-of-madrid/
St Pantagathus of Vienne Bishop St Perfecto of Córdoba St Pusicio
St Robert de Turlande/Chaise-Dieu OSB (c1000-1067) Priest, professed religious of the Order of St Benedict, Monk, Abbot, Apostle of Charity, Marian devotee. He was of noble stock, was related to Saint Gerald of Aurillac (c855–c909) and was a descendant of St Caesarius of Arles (470-543). He is best known for the establishment of the Benedictine Convent of La Chaise-Dieu (‘Home of God’) and for his total commitment to the poor. He became a spiritual inspiration for Pope Clement VI (1291–1352) – whose own origin,s in the religious life were based at that Convent – and it was Pope Clement who confirmed the Canonisation of the Benedictine Abbot on 19 September 1351 in Avignon. His Devoted Life: https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/17/saint-of-the-day-17-april-st-robert-de-chaise-dieu-osb-c-1000-1067/
Thought for the Day – 16 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)
“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5
XLVII: … Another Method of Meditation
“There is another method of prayer and meditation besides the one to which we have referred.
In this latter method, having considered the poignant sufferings of your Saviour and His patient endurance of them, you proceed to two other considerations of equal importance. The one, is the consideration of Christ’s Infinite merits and, the other, of that satisfaction and glory which the eternal Father received from His obedience – an obedience unto death, even the Death of the Cross. You must represent these two considerations to the Divine Majesty, as two powerful means of obtaining the grace you seek.
This method is applicable, not only to all the Mysteries of Our Lord’s Passion but, to every exterior or interior act He performed in the course of His Passion.”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – Spy Wednesday in Holy Week – Isaias 53:1-12, Luke 22:39-71; 23:1-53
“Jesus remember me”
Luke 23:42
“Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” John 20:29
“Blessed, therefore, is everyone who believes the message of the holy Apostles who, as Saint Luke says, were eyewitnesses of Christ’s actions and “ministers of the word” (Lk 1,2).”
St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Because it is not by raising a dead man, commanding the sea and wind, or casting out demons that He is able to change the thief’s sinful soul but, by being Crucified, pinned down by nails, covered with insults, spitting, mockery and torture, so that you might see the two sides of His Sovereign Power. He shook all creation, split the rocks (Mt 27:51) and drew to Himself the brigand’s soul, hard as stone, to cover it with honour…”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
“… He effected a wonderful exchange with us, through mutual sharing – we gave Him the power to die, He will give us the power to Live!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God Who preserves their existence! … you should be damned forever and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness, you, at the very time that He bestows His favours upon you, YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”
St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Lenten Meditations – 16 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Wednesday in Holy Week Jesus Dies on the Cross
Read St Luke xxiii:45-48
[45] And the sun was darkened and the veil of the temple was rent in the middle. [46] And Jesus, crying with a loud Voice, said: Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit. And saying this, He gave up the ghost. [47] Now the centurion, seeing what was done, glorified God, saying: Indeed this was a just man. [48] And all the multitude of them who were come together to that sight and saw the things which were done, returned, striking their breasts. [Luke 23:45-48]
+1. After Our Lord has hung in agony upon the Cross, for three hours, at last the time approach’s when His deliverance is at hand. He has endured every possible form of suffering, bodily and mental. His Body has been subjected to a physical torture far worse than the accumulated sufferings of the Martyrs; His Sacred Soul has been rent asunder with an anguish and desolation more awful than any, save the eternal anguish of hell. He has sacrificed His honour, His reputation; He has been esteemed a fool and a madman. Now, there is only one sacrifice more He can make,for mankind, to His Eternal Father, – the sacrifice of His Life. He is determined to give up all for us, to be obedient, even tuno death.
+2. What was it, caused the Death of Our Lord? Not the executioners, not the Jews, not the agony of the Cross – they were but instruments. It was sin. Sin contains a malice sufficient, even to rob God Our Lord and King, of Life! What a strange mystery sin is! And how strange that we do not hate it more, when we see its power to destroy!
+3. Jesus’ Death was no transient occurrence. He still mystically dies for us each day and each hour. When we receive Holy Communion, we exhibit the Death of the Lord until He Comes and, therefore, His Sacred Passion and Death, should be the chief subject of our thoughts whenever we approach the Holy Table and especially, on the eve of the solemn day when He instituted the Sacrament of His Love.
One Minute Reflection – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Spy Wednesday in Holy Week – Isaias 53:1-12 – Luke 22:39-71; 23:1-53 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And he released unto them, him who for murder and sedition had been cast into prison, whom they had desired. But Jesus he delivered up to their will.” – Luke 23:25
REFLECTION – “Jesus made His way of His Own free will towards the sufferings Scripture had foretold. He had frequently predicted them to His disciples and had even severely rebuked Peter, who had received their discovery with indignation (Mt 16:23). Finally, He showed how they were the cause of the world’s salvation. This was why, to the men coming to arrest Him, He referred to Himself as: “I Am He Whom you are seeking” (cf. Jn 18:5.8) … He was struck, covered with spittle, mocked, tortured, scourged and, in the end, Crucified. He allowed two outlaws, one at His right and one at His left, to share His suffering. Classed alongside murderers and criminal, He took vinegar and gall, fruits of a bitter vine. He was struck in mockery by a reed, pierced by a lance in His side and, in the end, laid in a tomb.
All this He suffered while working out our salvation … By His thorns He brought an end to the punishment laid on Adam, since the latter, having sinned, received this sentence: “Cursed be the ground because of you! Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you” (Gn 3:17-18). With the gall He took to Himself all that is bitter and painful in mortal life and sorrowful to men. With the vinegar He accepted human nature’s decline and bestowed on it, its restoration to a higher state. By the purple he symbolised His royalty; with the reed, He indicated how weak and feeble the devil’s power is. Being slapped, He made known our enfranchisement [just as we do in the case of a slave]. He bore with the abuse, punishment and beating due to us.
He was struck in the side, making Him more like Adam. But, far from bringing forth the woman, who, by her straying, gave birth to death, He made a spring of life to gush out (Gn 2:21; Jn 19:34). And this gives life to the world by means of a twofold stream – the first renews and re-clothes us in the garment of immortality in the baptistery and following this birth, the second, feeds us at God’s Table, just as one suckles a newborn child.” … St Theodoret of Cyrus (c 393-c 460) Bishop (Treatise on the Incarnation, 26-27).
PRAYER – O God, Who to drive far from us, the power of the enemy, didst will that Thy Son should suffer for us on the gibbet of the Cross, grant us Thy servants, that we may obtain the grace of the resurrection. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 16 April – “Spy” Wednesday in Holy Week
In Thine Hour of Holy Sadness By St Bernard (1090-1153) Father & Doctor of the Church
In Thine hour of holy sadness could I share with Thee, what gladness should Thine Cross to me be showing. Gladness past all thought of knowing, bowed beneath Thine Cross to die! Blessed Jesus, thanks I render that in bitter death, so tender, Thou now hear Thy supplicant calling, Save me Lord! and keep from falling, from Thee, when my hour is nigh. Amen.
The Office of Tenebrae The public singing of part of the Divine Office, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in Holy Week, anticipating Matins and Lauds of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. This custom goes back centuries and acquired the name because of the mourning ritual surrounding the ceremony which includes a triangular candlabra bearing fifteen candles. These are extinguishedt one by one until, after the last candle is extinguished, a prayer is said in darkness, one candle is lit and the assembly dispersed in silence.
St Benedict Joseph Labre – Known as the Beggar of Perpetual Adoration (1748-1783) Lay Penitent and Pilgrim – he “abandoned his country, his parents and whatever is flattering in the world, to lead a new sort of life, a life most painful, most penitential, not in a wilderness, nor in a cloister but in the midst of the world, devoutly visiting as a pilgrim the famous places of Christian devotion.” Canonised by Pope Leo XIII on 8 December 1881. Dearest St Benedict Joseph: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-st-benedict-joseph-labre/
Blessed Arcangelo Canetoli (1460-1513) Priest and Canon of the Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Most Holy Saviour at Bologna, Mystic gifted with the charism of prophecy and of many visions of the Blessed Virgin, Born in 1460 in Bologna, Italy and died on 16 April 1513 (aged 53) in Gubbio, Italy of natural causes. His body is incorrupt. Arcangelo was Beatified on 2 October 1748 by Pope Benedict XIV. Holy Arcangelo: https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-blessed-arcangelo-canetoli-crssb-1460-1513-priest/
St Turibius (c402-c460) Bishop of Astorga in Spain, Hermit, Monk, Defender of the Faith against heresy, in particular, the heresy of Priscilian., Miracle-worker. Born in Astorga, Spain in c402 and died there in c460 of natural causes. Patronages – Diocese of Palencia, Diocese of Santander, Diocese of Astorga, all in Spain. The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Palencia, St Turibius, the Bishop of Astorga, Spain, who with the aid of Pope St Leo the Great, drove the heresy of Priscilian entirely out of Spain and, went to rest in the Lord with a great renown for miracles.” Zealous and Miraculous St Turibius: https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/16/saint-of-the-day-16-april-saint-turibius-of-astorga-c402-c460-bishop/
St Vaise Blessed William Gnoffi (1256-1317) Hermit
Martyrs of Corinth – 9 Saints: A group of nine Christians who were tortured and Martyred together in the persecutions of Decius. We know little more than three of their names – Callistus, Charisius and Leonide. They were thrown into the sea at Corinth, Greece c250.
Martyrs of Saragossa: Group of 18 Martyrs murdered in 304 in Saragossa, Spain in the persecutions of Diocletian and the prefect Dacean. We know little more than the names – Apodemus, Caecilian, Caius, Crementius, Engratia, Eventius, Felix, Fronto, Gaius, Julia, Lambert, Lupercus, Martial, Optatus, Primitivus, Publius, Quintilian, Saturnius (4 men of this name), Succesus and Urban. Their graves re-discovered in 1389 in the crypt under the Church of San Encrazia in Saragossa.
Thought for the Day – 15 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)
“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5
XLVI: … On Meditation
“When a considerable length of time [as a half-hour, hour, or an even longer period] is to be spent in prayer, it is advisable to make a meditation on some feature of our Saviour’s Life or Passion; the reflections naturally arising from such meditation, should then be applied to the particular virtue we are striving to attain.
If, for instance, you need patience, contemplate the Mystery of your Saviour Scourged at the Pillar. Consider firstly, the blows and revilements hurled at Him by the soldiers as they brutally drag their innocent victim to the appointed place as ordered. Secondly, consider Him stripped of His garments, exposed to the piercing cold. Thirdly, picture those innocent hands, bound tightly to the pillar. Fourthly, consider His Body, torn with whips until His Blood moistened the earth. And finally, envision the frequency of the blows, creating new wounds, re-opening others on that Sacred Body.
Dwelling on these or similar details, calculated to inspire in yourself, a love of patience, you should try to feel within your very soul the inexpressible anguish so patiently borne by your Divine Master. Then consider the excruciating agony of His spirit and the patience and mildness with which that agony was endured by Him, Who was ready to suffer even more for God’s glory and your welfare.
Behold, then, your Master, covered with Blood, desiring nothing more earnestly than your patient acceptance of affliction and, be assured, that He implores for you, the assistance of the Heavenly Father that you may bear, with resignation, not only the cross of the moment but the crosses to come.
Strengthen, therefore, by frequent acts, your resolution to suffer, with joy and, raising your mind to Heaven, give thanks to the Father of mercies, Who didst send His Only Son into this world to suffer indescribable torments and, to intercede for you in your necessities.
Conclude your meditation by beseeching Him to grant you the virtue of patience, through the merits and intercession of this beloved Son, in Whom He is well pleased.”
Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – Tuesday of Holy Week – Jeremias 11:18-20 – Mark 14:32-72; 15, 1-46– – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Before the cock crows twice, thou shalt thrice deny Me. And he began to weep …”
Mark 14:72
“The first time Peter denied, he did not weep because the Lord had not looked at him. He denied a second time and did not weep because the Lord still did not look at him. He denied a third time; Jesus looked at him and he wept very bitterly (Lk 22:62). … Teach us what use your tears were to you. But you taught it without delay for, having fallen before you wept, your tears caused you to be chosen to guide others, you who, to begin with, did not know how to guide yourself!”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor
“ I am very certain, it was our Lord’s Holy Look which pierced his heart and opened his eyes, to make him recognise his sin (Lk 22:61)… From that time on, he never stopped weeping, above all when he heard the cock crow at night and in the morning… In this way, from being a great sinner, he became a great Saint!”
“A person who is conscious of his misery, can certainly have great confidence in God. In fact, he cannot have true confidence in Him, without this consciousness of his misery. This knowledge and acknowledgement of our misery, leads us to the presence of God.”
AnaStpaul 
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