Catholic Owned Eastertide Shopping Guide 2024

EastertideShopping Guide 2024

In This Issue

From the Founders

1. About Catholic Owned

2. Eastertide Shopping Guide

3. Catholic Owned App Sneak Peak

4. Liturgical Living Guide

5. Catholic Owned Businesses

6. Ultima Verba

7.

GLORIA DEO REGINA CAELI

SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR OUR READERS

Monsignor Oscar F Castaneda

OUR BUSINESS SPONSORS

Alva Leon Media

Avery St James Real Estate Group

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Flourish & Bloom Creative

FocalPoint Business Coaching

Latin Mass Helper

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Mother of Divine Grace School

Open Hearts for Orphans

Our Lady of Good Help Fertility Care

RCCS, LLC

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Students for Life at FIU

The Fund for Vocations

The Men’s March

Thrive OB/GYN

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OUR EASTERTIDE SHOPS

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Alma Designs

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Caelestico

Catholic Femininity Co

Cathy’s Cross

Della Madonna Rosaries

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Lovely Lady Linens

Lux et Origo

Mother of Divine Grace Bookstore

Pax Rosa

Petit Saints

Regina’s Skincare

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Saints of the Kingdom

Stella Maris Designs

Slaves of Jesus and Mary

Matteo Onori & Brooke Joiner

With content from the USCCB, the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal, Papal Encyclicals, the FSSP, Catholic Encyclopedia piercedhearts org, catholic com, parish priests’ & deacons’ contributions, multiple saints’ writings and ancient texts, Dom Gueranger, O.S.B., Fisheaters, the Society of Jesus, Wikipedia, plus traditions handed down by the Holy Catholic & Apostolic Church

From the Founders

Dear Catholic Owned Readers,

We are overjoyed to bring you this special edition of Catholic Owned Magazine! In these pages you will find Catholic Owned businesses with whom you can do your Easter shopping this year You’ll also find a Liturgical Living Guide, curated with the intention of helping you live an authentically Catholic Passiontide and Eastertide effortlessly

Our prayer is that this magazine will be an immense blessing for you personally, for all of our readers and for our advertisers. We hope to inspire and empower you to live your faith fully this season, drawing near to Our Lord on the Via Dolorossa and all the way until His glorious Ascension and beyond. May this magazine be a daily reference for you during the most important liturgical seasons of the year.

We also have a regular publication, and our app is launching soon. Be sure to subscribe to receive our regular issues free at catholicowned.com!

May God bless you abundantly.

with fraternal affection,

MATTEO ONORI & BROOKE JOINER Co-Founders, Catholic Owned

AboutCatholic Owned

Catholic Owned exists to propagate Knowledge of, Devotion to, and Love & Admiration for the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in reparation for the many sins & blasphemies against her.

We achieve this by helping Catholics forge practical connections in the marketplace & beyond.

One less compromise at a time, our community can be more free to pursue ever greater devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary- what is known to be the sweetest path to sainthood.

We have a regular publication and an app launching soon. Please subscribe so you don’t miss an issue at catholicowned.com!

We are seeking devout Catholic readers & advertisers who share our vision for the future of connecting Catholics in the marketplace Please email us at brooke@catholicowned com if this describes you!

EastertideShopping Guide

In the following pages, you’ll find a curated group of Catholic Owned businesses, with offerings for everyone you’re shopping for this Easter. Decide to Shop Catholic Owned this Easter!

To shop, simply click “SHOP” on each ad and go directly to that vendor’s site to place your order! You can also follow their socials by clicking on the icons.

Petit Saints

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Dolls shown here: Immaculate Heart of Mary, St Veronica, All Creatures Great and Small

PaxRosa'smissionisto"rekindlethehabitofprayer" through our modern Saint and prayer candles & homeproducts.

“I am a Catholic wife and mother, and also a deacon's daughter! My favorite Saint is St. Therese of Lisieux, whose feast day is also our wedding anniversary! In times of worry, I enjoy praying the Litany of Trust, Jesus, Grant me the grace to desire it!” -Tasha, Owner

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Lux et Origo, Latin for Light & Origen is taken from the Ordinary of the Mass typically sung during Eastertide, Missa I: Lux et Origo.

I’m Nataly Fiorella Ballón, I am an artist, a graphic designer, a photographer and a singer in the Schola. My work specializes in using symbolism found in nature, holy Scripture and in the traditions of the Catholic Church in order to create ornate illustrations of music sheets, prayer cards and more.

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“Besides the Blessed Mother, my favorite saint is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who is also my patron saint I have read her autobiography Story of a Soul multiple times and glean a new piece of wisdom each time I read it I love St Thérèse for her childlike simplicity and ability to turn every smallactintooneofcharity.”-Therese,Owner

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Liturgical Living Guide

We pray this guide will help you walk Passiontide and Eastertide more closely with Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother.

www.catholicowned.com

Passiontide & Eastertide Feasts

Sunday, March 17: Passion Sunday

Tuesday, March 19: St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Confessor

Sunday, March 24: Palm Sunday

Thursday, March 28: Holy Thursday

Friday, March 29: Good Friday

Saturday, March 30: Holy Saturday

Sunday, March 31: Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 7: Low Sunday

Monday, April 8: Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Thursday, April 11: St. Leo I, Pope, Confessor & Doctor of the Church

Thursday, April 25: St. Mark the Evangelist

Monday, April 29: St. Peter, Martyr

Tuesday, April 30: St. Catherine of Sienna, Virgin

Wednesday, May 1: St. Joseph, the Worksman

Monday, May 6-Weds May 8: Rogation Masses

Thursday, May 9: Ascension of the Lord

Sunday, May 19: Pentecost Sunday

Weds, May 22-Fri., Sat,. May 25: Whit Embertide

Sunday, May 26: Holy Trinity Sunday

March 17: Passion Sunday

Passion Sunday is the beginning of a special season in the liturgical year known as Passiontide.

Though it does not appear on the new calendar, it marks the notable shift in the liturgy of the Church from the penitential preparations of Lent in anticipation of the Passion to the somber and sorrowful mood of the Passion itself.

Passiontide begins today and ends with the Glória on Holy Saturday, when Lent ends and Eastertide begins. This short but impactful season invites us into the reality of Our Lord’s life in the weeks leading up to His Passion and Resurrection, one that if heeded, can help us walk more closely with Christ on the Via Dolorossa. Today, statues, Crucifixes and other sacred images are veiled with purple cloth and remain covered until the end of Lent. We can do the same in our homes to participate in the tradition. The purpose of hiding the statues comes from the Gospel reading of today. After He forgave the adulteress, the Jews were questioning Him intensely and “they took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.” (John 8:59)

Similarly, the Júdica me and the Glória patris at the Introit and Lavabo are omitted for the rest of the season, representing Christ hiding Himself from the Jews until Palm Sunday.

Let us remember that in the weeks and months leading up to today, the Pharisees had been keeping a close eye on the words and actions of Jesus As word had spread of His miracles, they were scandalized and concerned that He would reduce their power over the people They desired to maintain a strict level of control over the hearts and minds of the Jewish people Since Our Lord taught things that seemingly went against their practices, they viewed Him as a direct threat They plotted against Him for a long time, but couldn’t find an opportunity to “get rid of Him ” As time went on, Jesus became more wide-known, further complicating their plans

It is against this backdrop that Our Lord is interrogated by the Pharisees in today’s Gospel The tension has risen so much that He has to hide Himself so they won’t kill Him before His Passion Meanwhile, the ordinary people will gather to hear His teaching and witness miracles The whole scene is reaching its peak, and Our Lord continues to perform miracles, teach His disciples, and escape the Jews’ murderous plans this week, until He enters the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday Interestingly, in Rome, the veil of Veronica is taken from St Peter’s Basilica and displayed publicly for a short time on Passion Sunday The tradition serves as another reminder of the suffering of the Redeemer yet to come May we turn our hearts toward preparing to accompany Him during His Passion today

March 19: St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Confessor

The Universal Church celebrates St Joseph for the entire month of March, and honors him during several feasts throughout the year, including every Wednesday

Today, St Joseph is honored for his special role as spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary In addition to being described in the Gospel of Matthew as “the just man,” Pope Leo XIII proclaimed “that Joseph was the spouse of Mary and that he was reputed the Father of Jesus Christ From these sources have sprung his dignity, his holiness, {and} his glory,” in his 1889 encyclical, Quamquam Pluries

Of particular importance to today’s solemnity, Pope Leo XIII continued, “Thus in giving Joseph the Blessed Virgin as spouse, God appointed him to be not only her life's companion, the witness of her maidenhood, the protector of her honor, but also, by virtue of the conjugal tie, a participator in her sublime dignity ”

St Joseph has no recorded words in the Gospels, and the Evangelists give us just enough information to understand his vital role in the Holy Family and in God’s plan for salvation

As the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he loved her more than anyone else, aside from God Himself Like us, he was born with original sin and was otherwise a person striving for holiness, which speaks to the exceptional example that he provides for each one of us

We can only imagine how St Joseph must have felt as over time, God revealed everything to him How he must have felt in the day to day of married and family life with Mary, sharing meals and the tasks of the home St Joseph had the privilege of eating meals prepared by Our Blessed Mother, of being served by her in the making of the home, and of having her holy company at the end of a long day

Another significant privilege bestowed upon St Joseph is that he got to see many miracles In addition to multiple visits from angels and messages from God, he spent decades with the Mother of God and the Son of God. With that kind of company, one is bound to experience extraordinary graces and events that only the Holy Family shared. Of course we will never know, but meditating upon the interactions, conversations and loving day-to-day life of the Holy Family can bear great spiritual fruit. But St. Joseph didn’t just make a holy husband to Mary and wonderful foster father to Our Lord, he also played a crucial role in God’s plan, fulfilling the prophesies about his Son.

“In activating His plan of salvation, God, in His sapient providence, assigned to Joseph of Nazareth, "the just man" (Matt. 1:19), and spouse of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:27), a particularly important mission: legally to insert Jesus Christ into the line of David from whom, according to the prophets, the Messiah would be born, and to act as his father and guardian.”

(excerpted from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.)

At the time of the Annunciation, Joseph and Mary were espoused, which is the first in a two-step process of marriage in the Jewish tradition St Luke included this detail to let the reader know that the spouses had already exchanged vows, but had not yet had the large celebration of their marriage and began living together, as was the tradition. But the laws of marriage applied from that first step. Even in the face of what seemed to be a betrayal, St. Joseph remained committed to upholding the dignity and honor of Mary. Later, he trusted in God who brought him the explanation in a dream, and stuck by Mary’s side to fulfill the Will of the Father.

St. Joseph loved Mary as his wife and cared for Jesus as his own Son, protecting them from real danger and following God’s instructions at every step. In exchange, he was able to witness the Madonna and Child every day and participate in the Divine Plan of Salvation. His reward for a life lived serving the King of Heaven and Queen of Heaven was to die in the loving arms of Jesus and Mary. In life and in death, he is the example of what each of us should strive for.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!

March 24: Palm Sunday

During the past week, Jesus healed the blind man and was again questioned by the Jews He answered their questioning and they once again attempted to catch Him and stone Him He had to escape, but in all of this, many more came to believe in Him

Despite the dangers of returning to Judea, He went back to raise Lazarus, the brother of Mary, from the dead, so that more would believe in Him It seems that this was the final straw for the chief priests and Pharisees, who then “had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he was, he should tell, that they might apprehend him {when He comes to Jerusalem for the Passover} ” (John 11:56) Word of the raising of Lazarus from the dead spread like wild fire It was because of this great miracle that Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed the feet of Our Lord with oil and wiped them with her hair.

Dom Gueranger reflects on this moment in time: “Early in the morning of this day, Jesus sets out for Jerusalem, leaving Mary His Mother, and the two sisters Martha and Mary Magdalene, and Lazarus, at Bethania. The Mother of Sorrows trembles at seeing her Son thus expose Himself to danger, for His enemies are bent upon His destruction; but it is not death, it is triumph, that Jesus is to receive today in Jerusalem.”

When He arrived at the gates of Jerusalem, “a great multitude that was to come to the festival day...took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him,

and cried: Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel ” (John 12:12-13) The multitude drew near to Him, with the testimony of Lazarus rising from the dead spreading through the crowds

Jesus taught the people awhile and told them that His time was drawing near Meanwhile, the “streets echo with their Hosanna to the Son of David; and this in presence of the soldiers of Rome’s emperor, and of the high priests and Pharisees” (The Liturgical Year) The Pharisees continued to search for a way to kill Him, though the surging crowds complicated their plans further

This is Palm Sunday Our Lord knew what He was walking into that day He showed remarkable courage and strength, boldly facing those who had tried to harm Him and who He knew would be killing Him brutally in a matter of days He also showed mercy and love to the throngs of people who pressed in on Him. He knew they would be shouting “Crucify Him!” on Friday, but He loved them anyway. He stayed with them, He accepted their love that day and walked on their gifts of palms that covered His path.

Sometimes the sweetness of the palm branches and crying out of Hosanna can drown out the sorrowful reality of what is to come, as well as the fever pitch of the whole scene.

May we stay with Him knowing what is to come, to appreciate His mercy despite what is to come, and may we remember that it is us who will betray His Sacred Heart in just a few days.

March 28: Holy Thursday

The first day of the Paschal Triduum, Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, the initiation of the Eucharist, and the institution of the priesthood It is also know as "Maundy Thursday" which comes from the Latin mandatum, "to command."

The Bishops hold a Chrism Mass during which they bless the oils that will be used in Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Unction, and the consecration of Altars and churches for the following year The Mass today is also unique The priest will wash the feet of 12 men in commemoration of the washing of the feet of the Disciples, store the Sacred Hosts for tomorrow’s “Mass of the Presanctified,” and will strip the altar at the end.

Tonight, Our Lord institutes the Holy Priesthood, and teaches His Disciples how to consecrate mere bread and wine into His Precious Body and Blood, providing the means for the fulfillment of His words from John 6:54 Since the High Priest was to be taken and sacrificed, it was necessary that He ordain His Apostles to continue what He started. He modeled how they are to serve, and He spent that last evening with them at table, among His Friends, while the betrayer was doing “what he must.”

We can only fathom the thoughts and feelings of Our Lord as He sat with His friends that night-- the Word who was God, and Who was with God in the beginning He had seen the Jews over the centuries celebrating that same Seder meal, He had called

these men and taught them, and now the time had come for Him to fulfill the whole prescription of the Law It all came down to this: when He would institute the Eucharist, the priesthood, and go to die so that His people could finally be saved, after millennia of disobedience.

We can sometimes forget that the Last Supper was a Seder, and the symbolism and fulfillment of the traditions therein are incredibly rich and meaningful. Dr. Scott Hahn has an older but truly exceptional talk titled “The Fourth Cup” that goes into these intricacies and it is the ideal way to go deeper into the Triduum journey on this Holy Thursday Give it a listen if you can In terms of customs, traditionally Catholics would make the Pilgrimage of the Seven Churches in Rome on foot between today and Holy Saturday. The seven are the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano; Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano; Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura; Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore; Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le mura; Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme; and San Sebastiano fuori le mura. If you are ever in Rome, you can do this same pilgrimage anytime of the year, and it is one we at Catholic Owned highly recommend. However, any seven churches will actually serve the purpose during the Triduum, and it’s a good way for us to keep Our Lord at the front and center of our minds during this time

Last, on this day, one may gain a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, by reciting the Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling).

“And he was withdrawn away from them a stone's cast; and kneeling down, he prayed, Saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me: but yet not my will, but thine be done And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow. And he said to them: Why sleep you? arise, pray, lest you enter into temptation. As he was yet speaking, behold a multitude; and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near to Jesus, for to kiss him. And Jesus said to him: Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:41-48)

The Garden of Gethsemane

His arrest is imminent now, and He begins to process all that is about to happen to Him. Namely, the physical suffering He will have to endure, the emotional suffering He will have to endure, the fact that so many will remain indifferent despite His immense sacrifice, and the sufferings of His Sorrowful Mother, along with the weight of every sin ever committed, for all time.

God sent an angel to strengthen Him, and Our Lord prayed even harder, sweating blood when faced with it all. Even after everything that He had been through with His Disciples, and all that He revealed to them at the Last Supper just minutes before, they couldn’t stay awake in His most critical hour, despite His multiple promptings. This was heartbreaking to Our Lord, and beckons each of us to just stay one hour with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament after the Mass tonight, and regularly throughout the year.

Just like the Disciples, we too are tempted to “fall asleep” on Our Lord in life. A literal example is putting off the prayers for the end of the day, only to fall asleep after just a few minutes and never actually finish. Others can be less obvious-- it can be not showing up to Adoration when we are committed to be there, arriving to Mass late or missing Mass altogether, or just doing the bare minimum in our spiritual lives.

We wouldn’t say that the Disciples had sinned because they fell asleep, but we can say for sure that they broke Our Lord’s Heart. And a lot of these examples do just that, though missing Mass is grave sin. All in all, we must guard against such practices because they can garner a lukewarm sense of complacency towards Jesus, Who is the true love of our souls, and Who has already waited for

far too long at the door of our hearts. May we instead embrace His Sacred Heart and choose to remain close to Him in His trials and sufferings tonight and tomorrow “For the injuries of which you are the adorable victim, we will console you, O Lord For your loving death, we will console you, O Lord ”

Today, masses are held at parishes, but it is the Mass of the Presanctified. No consecration occurs in the entire world, but we receive the grace of consuming the Eucharist consecrated yesterday evening. Also, the Cross is venerated during this special Mass. The Cross will be unveiled and and elevated to be adored. One by one, we may approach and offer a kiss to Our Lord in His suffering.

It is the time to join Our Lord in His cruelest sufferings, offering our meager compassion and comfort to His Pierced Heart. Meanwhile, we must keep in mind that all of this suffering is being imposed by our very own sins. Staying with this harsh and devastating reality is suggested, even though it is very difficult. Encountering the real suffering of Our Lord at is necessary, even more so in the modern world which has so many comforts. A traditional method is the "Three Hours' Agony" Devotion. It can be done privately or in community. It is a devout and complete focus from 12:003:00PM, meditating on His Passion, free from the outside world and distractions.

Some suggestions for the three hours include:

-reading the Gospel narratives of the Passion

-making the Stations of the Cross

-praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary

-praying the Litany of the Passion

-Watching the Passion of the Christ

-Praying the Seven Sorrows Rosary

-Spiritual Reading, like The Passion of Christ Through the Eyes of Mary

An excerpt from the text:

“They hammered the first nail. It was of such great width that, at that time, no blood could gush forth. For the nail filled the wound entirely and firmly. After this, they...hammered in the second nail in the same way. Following this, both of His feet were tied to the cross. They affixed these with a single nail of the most cruel and piercing sharpness. His body was stretched so tightly on the cross that even His bones were visible...the words of the psalm were fulfilled...This was as if my son was saying, “Hear, My beloved Mother, the harsh sound of the hammers, and see how they cruelly affix My hands and feet to the wood of the cross! Truly, there is none to console Me or to have compassion for Me, except you alone, My Mother Hear Me, My daughter, and have pity on Me!” As I heard these words, the prophesy of fateful Simeon was again fulfilled

After this, they raised up the cross...it was of such a height that I was not able to touch His feet. And once He was raised up, because of the weight of HIs suspended body, all of HIs wounds burst open. Blood flowed forth in copious torrents from His hands and His feet.

At the time, I was wearing a kind of white sheet, as was the custom for religious women and as I stood at the foot of the cross, this pure white garment became saturated with the streams of crimson blood which gushed forth from His precious body!”

(Pages 36-37)

From the Rosary of Seven Sorrows, the Sixth Sorrow: The lifeless body of Christ is placed in the arms of His Mother.

V Afflicted Mother, when you looked upon the wounds of your Son, they were indelibly imprinted upon your memory for all eternity Grant that I may likewise always remember how much you and your Son suffered for the sake of my redemption! Hail Mary...

March 30: Holy Saturday

It’s hard to imagine a more hopeless situation that Holy Saturday.

After walking away from their lives to follow Our Lord, the disciples witnessed countless miracles and heard many incredible teachings from the Messiah. They saw things they never could have imagined as Jews, and they recognized Him for what He was-- the Messiah, the Promised Savior, the King who would deliver His people from their sins.

They were challenged and even tested by His teachings, and only the most loyal, faithful disciples stuck around. There was so much that they just could not comprehend, but in their faith, they held fast.

That is until what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the ultimate test of their loyalty, most fled, their leader denied Christ three times, and only Our Lady and St. John followed Jesus all the way to Golgotha. The rest hid away for fear that they would suffer the same fate as Our Lord.

They hid together, as far as we know. We can imagine the conversations of incredulity, guilt, shame, regret, and despair as they holed up in that room on Saturday.

However, one sentiment must have prevailed that day for most if not all of the disciples: hopelessness.

It’s the feeling we all have today, and that we should spend some time in to understand the magnitude of what happened yesterday, and before we can celebrate what will happen tomorrow

Remember, the disciples had been told by Our Lord that He would rise again, but do you think it was top of mind on that Holy Saturday? Especially for those like Thomas, whose healthy doubt will come up soon

enough How much more did he and the others doubt today?

Put yourself in their shoes: they didn’t know for sure that Jesus would rise on Sunday, and they had given up every single thing in their lives for this Christ After witnessing the most horrific Crucifixion that has ever occurred in history, between their sobs of mourning and feeling terrified that they were next, we can guess that they felt hopeless And they wouldn’t have been wrong or sinful for feeling that way

Our Lord Jesus Christ was dead in the tomb His Soul had left His Precious Body and they hadn’t seen Him since The silence was deafening, and they just awaited the time when they could anoint His body for a proper burial and make their next move Roman guards stood watch outside of the Sepulchre, and the disciples were too scared to go near it They had to wait the whole Sabbath to venture out anyway And so they stayed there, together, and waited for what was to come

Talk about a long, dark, hopeless night

Today, we have the luxury of knowing what happens next, and with that knowledge comes tremendous consolation We don’t really HAVE to stay in the hopelessness or discomfort of not knowing However, we encourage you to stay in that darkness with the disciples and Momma Mary for just a while To examine and comfort the Immaculate Heart of the Sorrowful Mother in her grief, and share in her suffering for just a little while

While the suffering of Our Lord at the Passion had technically ended, that of His Mother lasted another two nights and a day So let’s stay with her and endure just a little longer

March 31: Easter

Dear friends,

The Lord is risen Alleluia! Happy Feast of the Resurrection to all from Catholic Owned, family members and friends. The thrilling story of the Resurrection is told by the four Evangelists. Saint Mark's narrative is probably the shortest of the four but contains the essential facts of the most significant event in the history of humanity.

"And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: He is risen, He is not here, behold the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him, as He told you " (Mark 16: 1-7)

Those good courageous women, like the Apostles themselves, thought that the death of Christ was the end of all their hope, but our Lord was faithful to His promise when He said "after three days I will rise again "

The glorious Resurrection of Jesus from the tomb is the crowning miracle of His sojourn on earth among us and the foundation and cornerstone of our Christian religion Saint Paul reminded the Corinthians, "If Christ had not risen from the dead, vain is your faith and you are still in your sins " Our faith, brothers and sisters is not in vain The founder and the foundation of our faith is the Word of God who cannot deceive us Jesus’ Resurrection is the guarantee of our own resurrection.

Easter also recalls to mind our deliverance from the worst slavery of sin under the tyranny of Satan. Our God has delivered us, the Lord has risen from the tomb. How grateful should we be for we have received this great gift. The Jews had received temporal freedom from Egypt but ours is for all eternity. At Mass we will have the opportunity of renewing our baptismal promises. By those promises we remind ourselves that we are followers of Christ and wish to have a share with Him in His Kingdom where there will be no more suffering, no more sorrow, and no more death. Blessings on the glorious Feast of the Resurrection and may His Blessed Mother help us to rejoice with her.

Regina Caeli Laetare Alleluia Alleluia

Fr. Oscar F Castaneda

April 7: Low Sunday

Today’s Gospel comes from John 20:19-31 In it, Our Lord breathes on the Disciples, saying, ”Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained ”

It is the explicit and inarguable institution of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, given to the Apostles after He had already given full authority to their leader, Peter before His Passion

This most important Sacrament is the way for all of us to enter into God’s grace once again, after having been baptized and fallen into sin, and opens the door for us to be readmitted to the Lord’ table and “have life within us ” It is necessary for what the Church calls ‘the Ordinary Means for Salvation,’ and where we poor sinners go to encounter the most Merciful Heart of Jesus

The new calendar marks today as Divine Mercy Sunday, to celebrate the institution of the Sacrament of Mercy “Today, a plenary indulgence is granted to those who, under the usual conditions, take part in the public devotion to His Divine Mercy or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (in the tabernacle or exposed), recite the Our Father, the Creed, and a prayer to Jesus appealing to His mercy ” Today’s Gospel also addresses Thomas’ doubt

Dom Gueranger notes in his The Liturgical Year, ”Then was Thomas obliged to believe before having seen? Yes, undoubtedly. Not only Thomas, but all the Apostles were in duty bound to believe the Resurrection of Jesus even before he showed himself to them. Had they not lived three years with him? Had they not seen him prove himself to be the Messias and the Son of God by the most undeniable miracles? Had he not foretold them that he would rise again on the third day?...After all this, they ought to have believed in his triumphant Resurrection, the very first moment they heard of his Body having disappeared.”

Our Lord’s words to Thomas were a reproach, as he should have believed given everything he had already seen. Yet up until the moment of seeing for himself, he refused to believe. He ignored the words of Mary Magdalen, “he objected to Peter’s authority,” and preferred his own opinion over the testimony of the two disciples from the road to Emmaus. Gueranger continues,

“How like this is to our modern rationalistic Catholic! He believes, but it is because his reason almost forces him to believe; he believes with his mind, rather than from his heart.”

The words of Our Lord are also a clear instruction to every single one of us: “blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.”

April 8: Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“The angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary And the angel being come in, said unto her: ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women ’ Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be

And the angel said to her: ‘Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever And of his kingdom there shall be no end ’

And Mary said to the angel: ‘How shall this be done, because I know not man?’

And the angel answering, said to her: ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: Because no word shall be impossible with God ’

And Mary said: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word ’ And the angel departed from her ” (Luke 1:26-38)

The Annunciation is typically celebrated on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas However, when that places the Feast during Holy Week, it is moved to Low Monday

Let us encounter Our Lady in the first Glorious Mystery, contemplating her experience of this singularly miraculous event

As a consecrated virgin who had spent many years in the Temple, she knew the scriptures well enough and was aware of the promise of a Savior She had been a loving daughter of God her whole life Her own conception was miraculous in its immaculate nature and also in that her parents had been considered barren She had lived a life free from sin, which was quite possibly very lonely

Of course her parents were saints, but not everyone around her was Witnessing other people grapple with their fallen nature may have been a source of strife for Mary, who had a heart for all of mankind even then

After she was espoused to a wonderful man named Joseph, things were going as well as they could. Then, an angel appears. He greets her in a mysterious manner and asks her to be the Mother of God. Without hesitation, she says yes. An unconditional fiat to what seemed impossible.

Can you imagine Our Lady’s thoughts after the angel had departed from her? Do you think she found sleep easily that night? We know that she quickly departed to go help her cousin, and that she was contemplating what had happened in her heart in the hours after the Annunciation. Do you think she was afraid? Excited? She had to have courage to face the reality of her fiat, even when it was hard, including with her husband and her community. Sometimes God asks us to do things that could seem unusual or scary at the time. It can be easy to heavily consider our circumstances, limitations or outward appearances before giving our answer to God. Of course prudence is advisable, but a properly formed conscience can make an unconditional fiat possible May our own yes to God be freely given as we continue our Eastertide walk, and later turn our eyes towards Advent and Christmas

Confessor & Doctor of the Church

St Leo I was born about 400 AD, with ancestry in Tuscany, though he considered Rome to be his home He was the first pope to be called “the Great” and is a Doctor of the Church He was born an aristocrat but embraced the sacred ministry from his early years, being ordained an archdeacon in 431.

Before being elected Pope, he served as a delegate to the East and was sent to bring peace between enemies during a turbulent time in history. While he was away, Pope Sixtus III died, and when he returned, Leo was unanimously elected as his successor.

As the successor of St. Peter and Vicar of Christ, he reigned for two decades. During this time, he sought to preserve the unity of the Church and the primacy of the papacy as the Vicar of Christ on earth. He was particularly well-equipped for this work because of his time spent in the East prior to his election. Leo was a significant contributor to the centralization of spiritual authority within the Church as we know it today. He is considered “a tireless defender of doctrinal orthodoxy,” and fought four main heresies during his time as Pope. Specifically, he combatted the heresies of Arianism, Pelagianism, Manichaeism, Priscillianism, Nestorianism and Eutychism, going so far as to convene the fourth ecumenical council, the Council of Chalcedon. The outcome was the Chalcedonian Definition, which rejected the idea of a single nature in Christ, and instead confirms that He possesses two natures in one Person. Indeed Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. But heresies were not the only challenge that Pope Leo faced.

At that time, the Barbarians and Vandals were a real threat to the Roman empire. In 452, one year after the Council of Chalcedon, Pope Leo led a delegation which successfully negotiated with the Barbarian king Attila, the Hun to prevent an invasion of Rome. His exceptional administrative abilities and leadership during years of tribulation in Rome ensured the safety of his people against frequent barbarian invasions. Despite his best efforts, Rome did eventually fall. However, thanks to his unwavering dedication, keen negotiation ability, courage to face threats head-on, and the intercession of the chief of the Apostles, St. Peter, the Church survived the fall of Rome and emerged as one of the strongest institutions in the medieval world.

St. Leo’s eloquent, in depth, eloquent homilies (96 of his homilies and 143 of his letters are preserved) are a treasury from the Patristic Age. St. Leo the Great, pray for us!

St. Mark was born in Cyrene, a city in what is now Libya, and his mother later had a home in Jerusalem where Christians would meet. He was one of two Evangelists who was not one of the Twelve Apostles, and it is believed that he met St. Peter during the latter’s travels to the various Christian communities in Antioch and Asia Minor, sometime before writing his first epistle. St. Peter affectionately refers to Mark as “my son” in his first epistle, so it is believed that Peter baptized Mark and that the two were close.

Acting as his secretary and interpreter, Mark traveled with Peter and documented his preaching at the behest of the people. It was under the sanction of Peter that Mark in fact wrote his Gospel, and it “so bore the impress of St. Peter’s character that the Fathers used to name it “Peter’s Gospel.” It is believed that the Gospel of Mark was written for the Roman Gentiles because Mark often describes various Jewish customs in order to aid understanding of the context in which Our Lord came. Later, Mark traveled with Paul and Barnabus on their missionary journey to Antioch and was then sent to found the Church in Alexandria, Egypt, an important center of trade and power during ancient times. The Church in Alexandria is one of the original four main Episcopal Sees of Christianity. and the Coptic Orthodox trace their roots to it.

Followers of Mark in Egypt became known for their piety and ascetism The severe self-discipline and avoidance of indulgence was a marked change from the culture of the day

So different from the pagans of Alexandria were Mark’s teachings that they eventually martyred him. After serving as Bishop for two decades, they tied a rope around his neck and dragged him across the stones of the street two days in a row, until he was fatally wounded, after which they left him in a prison cell to die.

A remarkable contributor to the faith of uncountable souls, Mark’s Gospel is the oldest of the four and served as a source for the other three.

His Gospel is also unique in that it offers us details about the life and ministry of Our Lord that we just don’t see in the other three. For example, he describes the gestures and expressions of Our Lord, the words He spoke performing some of His greatest miracles, and even the deep sighs of Our Lord. He even notes that Our Lord “embraced” the children and slept “on a pillow” while in the boat during the storm.

Notably, St. Mark uses the word eutheos – meaning “straightaway” or “immediately” – more than 40 times to describe the urgency with which Our Lord carried out His ministry here on earth. Mark’s careful attention to recording such details from Peter’s teachings draws us closer to the life of Christ, and help us to encounter the Living God more intimately.

Signified by a lion with wings in art, St. Mark is the patron Saint of attorneys, captives, shoemakers, lions, notaries, glass workers, Egypt, and Venice. St. Mark the Evangelist, pray for us!

29: St. Peter, Martyr

St Peter was attracted to John the Baptist’s teachings on penance, and he and his brother, Andrew were looking for the Messiah It was his brother who followed Jesus when John said, “Behold the Lamb of God ” Later, Andrew found Simon and told him, “We have found the Messias,” and brought Simon to Jesus Immediately, Our Lord said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter ” (John 1:42) From Matthew’s account of their meeting, we see Jesus said to the brothers, “Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men And they immediately leaving their nets, followed him ” (Matthew 4:19-20)

We can imagine Simon’s internal dialogue at such a series of events On the one hand, he had a life and a business that was profitable, while on the other he had been seeking the Messiah The remarkable thing is his ability to immediately recognize the Divinity of Christ and to give an immediate and definitive yes to His call

Later, Peter made his profession of faith, and Our Lord made that statement that changed history forever: “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it ”

(Matthew 16:18)

Peter was well established as the leader of the Apostles and is often referred to by name when the others are grouped as “the Apostles ” Although he made many mistakes, Our Lord did what He said He would do, and Peter became the first Pope after the Ascension He gave Peter the ability to perform miracles, and Peter’s preaching brought many souls to Christ He was arrested and miraculously freed by an angel, and many accounts of other miracles exist Peter traveled to Antioch and through out the East, visiting many of the communities started by the other Apostles and evangelizing Gentiles and Jews alike We don’t know the exact journey he took, but we know he returned to Jerusalem multiple times and spent the last part of his life in Rome, where he was martyred for Christ in October of 64

His crucifixion was ordered by the Roman Emperor Nero during a widespread persecution of Christians that took place after a fire broke out in Rome and ravaged the city. The Romans blamed Nero, so he claimed it was the Christians who started the fire. The campaign’s horrific nature was described by historian Tacitus: “{The Christians} were covered with wild beasts’ skins and torn to death by dogs; or they were fastened on crosses, and, when daylight failed were burned to serve as lamps by night.”

Just as Our Lord foreteold, “But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and lead thee whither thou wouldst not. And this He said, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had said this, He saith to him: Follow me.” (John 21:18-19) St. Peter, First Pope, Prince of the Apostles and Martyr, pray for us!

Born on the Annunciation, March 25, 1347 to devout Catholic parents, she was one of twenty-five children, many of whom died in infancy and childhood. From an early age, she felt called to a life of holiness, and took a private vow of virginity at the age of seven. As she grew older, her mother and sisters insisted she prepare for marriage, and she listened to them for a time. Soon after, she repented of what she considered vanity and her family did all they could to deter her vocation. She endured all of their attempts to distract her with patience, humility and sweetness, uniting her heart to God.

Finally, at the age of fifteen her family accepted her desires and she turned her attention to her pious and austere practices, serving the poor and comforted the sick, afflicted and prisoners.

At the age of 18 she joined the Third Order Dominicans, and spent the next three years in silence, prayer and fasting in her room at home. During this time, she experienced terrible difficulties of temptation and even a persistent spiritual darkness from the devil himself. She persevered and eventually the trials relented. She received visions of Christ where she spoke with Him. In one special instance, she “experienced she called a ‘mystical marriage’ to Jesus.” Guided by Our Blessed Mother, Jesus placed a ring on her finger that she could see for the rest of her life.

After her three years of solitary life, she felt called to leave her home and serve others and the Church more broadly. In her work, she and those she served experienced extraordinary graces. For example, God would multiply her provisions for the poor, or grant her extraordinary strength in carrying them to wherever the poor awaited her She also nursed and cared for those with the Plague, seeking their conversion and preparing them for death

She is reported to have been able to know the consciences and read the thoughts of other people, had the spirit of prophesy and a remarkable knowledge of the spiritual Her followers called her “mamma,” as she was a spiritual mother to them

She began receiving correspondence from leaders in many countries and spheres of influence, which caused her to become involved in Church and political matters Remember that from 1309-1377, the popes were in Avignon due to the politics in France The Roman Catholics had lost respect for the Papacy, as the absence of the popes left them without leadership She is credited for her efforts in lobbying Gregory XI to return the Papacy to Rome, an effort that eventually paid off

She also advocated for a Crusade against the Muslims, and was sent to bring Florence back in full union with Rome.

After bringing Florence back from their obstinate disobedience, she returned to Siena and lived a life of prayer. She received the stigmata, though invisible to others, and had a vision where she took upon her own head the Crown of Thorns voluntarily, which is why she is often depicted with it.

Later, there was an uprising against the validly elected Urban VI, and an antipope was claimed. She once again sent her letters to the various parties of the disagreement, urging them all to do what was right. She was humble and unrelenting in her support for reform in the Church while keeping full communion.

She had returned to Rome at the request of Pope Urban VI, the true pope, but her work had taken its toll. While there, she suffered a stroke and died at the age of 33. St. Catherine is the patroness against fire, illness, the United States, Italy, miscarriages, people ridiculed for their faith, sexual temptation, and nurses.

Pope Pius II canonized Catherine in 1461, and Pope Paul VI gave her the title of Doctor of the Church in 1970.

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us!

May 1: St. Joseph, the Worksman

The second official feast of St. Joseph featured in this guide is St. Joseph, the Worksman, or the Worker, as is more commonly used in modern times.

This feast of St. Joseph highlights and celebrates his meaningful contributions as provider for the Holy Family, and his patronage to workers everywhere.

As humans, we are designed to work, and to do meaningful work. From Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical Laborem Exercens: “Through work man must earn his daily bread and contribute to the continual advance of science and technology and, above all, to elevating unceasingly the cultural and moral level of the society within which he lives in community with those who belong to the same family.” Put more plainly, “The Church is convinced that work is a fundamental dimension of man's existence on earth.”

Therefore, it is fitting that one person of the Holy Family would be honored for his role as a Worker, and who passed on his trade to his Son, who then helped with the work as He grew.

It’s also good to point out that St. Joseph had to work in order to provide for the Holy Family. He had been charged with caring for Our Blessed Mother and Jesus, the Son of God. Despite being extraordinary in almost every way, they still had material needs that St. Joseph had to work to provide for. They had to eat every day, purchase materials to make clothing and shoes, and needed items for caring for their home. While they lived simply, they relied on St. Joseph’s skilled labor to take care of their needs. We have this in common with Our Lady and the Child Jesus. But as working adults in 2024, we also have something in common with St. Joseph.

A quick glance at St. Joseph’s work by a modern eye can dismiss the dignity and beauty of his trade. However, when examined more closely, we can see that his work itself was in fact very difficult physically, required expertise and careful attention to detail

Carpenters are mentioned many times in the Bible, and the trade would involve the production of household items and farming tools To get the wood to build such items, carpenters would need to find and cut down trees; then, they would use tools to chop, chip, smooth and prepare the wood Using tools like axes, hammers, saws, planes, and chisels, the work required strength, patience, and stamina to finish a project, not to mention the engineering ability to create functional tools and furniture

Modern tradesmen can relate especially well, but every worker has one or more difficult elements of their work that require their perseverance That’s why St Joseph the Worksman is such a valuable feast to celebrate

Today, our children rely on us to provide for them, and in homes with one income, the other parent also relies on us to provide for them. This burden can be heavy, especially when economic times are tough and needs seem to grow every day. Relying on St. Joseph’s intercession and understanding of our struggles can be a source of great consolation and strength when the burden gets a little too heavy.

He can also remind us that the meaning of our work matters, that in doing our work we must remain just and right, and that our work can and should make a positive impact on the world. These principles guide our business at Catholic Owned, and those that we promote. We encourage you to also be guided by them. St. Joseph the Worksman, pray for us!

May 6-8: Rogationtide

St. Gregory the Great, whose feast day we celebrated on March 12, instituted the first Major Rogation in Rome, a custom now celebrated on April 25. The occasion that prompted the tradition was described by Jacob de Voragine in his The Golden Legend (1275).

Following a sober and austere Lent, the Romans had returned to their ways of indulgence in food, wine, games and lust, and God had “sent to them a great pestilence,” the Roman Plague of 590. It was likely bubonic plague, and the infected died quickly once stricken, whether walking, eating a meal, or speaking with another person.

Interestingly, Voragine recounts that people would even die while sneezing, and that this is where the custom of replying to a sneeze with “God bless you” arose.

It was believed that such a cruel and sudden illness was sent by God for the excessive indulgence partaken by the Romans, so St. Gregory the Great instituted processions, Litanies. prayers and Masses to appease God’s Divine anger, avoid further chastisement and to beg for God’s mercy. The tradition of practicing Rogation Days continued after Pope St. Leo III introduced them into the Roman calendar in 816.

The Minor Rogation Days, or Rogationtide is celebrated on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

before Ascension Thursday. It should be said that the name comes from the Latin rogare, meaning “to ask.”

Unlike the Major Rogation, Rogationtide began in France following a series of unusual natural disasters. Such calamities included earthquakes, a fire that destroyed the king’s palace, and the ravaging of fields and cities by wolves and wild beasts, where they also “devoured the children and old men and women.” The local Bishop, St. Mamertus instituted a three day fast plus praying of the Litanies, and finally the people were freed from their trials.

The traditions for all the Rogation Days include purple vestments and begins with Psalm 43:26, followed by praying the Litany of the Saints and a procession around the parish or beyond, the reading of Psalm 69, petitions, and then the Mass. Prescribed penance and fasting is also observed by the faithful.

When modern conveniences can damper our understanding of our heavy reliance on natural resources, it’s good to be reminded of just how powerful nature is, and how the wrath of God can be expressed in it. Humbling ourselves to the sheer power of God and the forces of the world He created, using the resources He has given us wisely, and begging for His mercy despite our shortcomings are the theme of of Rogationtide. May we observe these Days well!

The Solemnity of the Ascension is one of the Ecumenical feasts ranking with the feasts of the Passion, of Easter and of Pentecost among the most solemn in the calendar. It falls 40 days after Easter, on the 6th Thursday of Easter. The Ascension has been celebrated since the very Early Church, with representations of the mystery found in diptychs and frescoes dating as early as the fifth century.

Speaking to the Apostles, Jesus said, “But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth. And when He had said these things, while they looked on, He was raised up: and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:8-9)

By ascending into His glory, Christ completed the work of our redemption. Put another way, the Ascension is the final component of the paschal mystery. And He gave the disciples notice that the Father would be sending the Holy Spirit soon, and that they would never be alone, even after He had ascended, telling them, “Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” (Matthew 28:20)

As Catholics, we are to understand the Ascension as a completion of Christ’s salvific work, and also the beginning of our own. In a sense, the onus is on us now, as the Savior has ascended and is not with us on the earth in the same way as He once was. For the disciples, on earth was the only way they had known Him. As a result, this day marked a big change for them and their mission. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes: Before this, they had been with Him three years, witnesses countless miracles, healings, teachings and wonders. Jesus had prepared them very well, even if in their humanity, some of them couldn’t quite soak it all in or understand. Then, they witnessed His brutal Passion, endured the long nights until He was resurrected, and had spent the past 40 days with Him showing up in various places and teaching them even more. And now, they were on top of a mountain watching Him

ascend into Heaven. After He went up, they had to rely on what He had taught them, the leadership of Peter, and wait for the Holy Ghost. They also had the Old Law to contend with and make sense of, for themselves and for those whom they had been charged with bringing the Gospel to. As mere humans, they may have felt overwhelmed with many emotions and the sheer magnitude of what had just unfolded before them. They wouldn’t have to wait long for the Paraclete, just ten days, but we can imagine the conversations between them during that time.

By the time St. Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians, it seems they had figured it out: “Therefore, if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1) And by the fifth century, St. Augustine of Hippo wrote, “Out of compassion for us He descended from heaven, and although He ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in Him by grace.”

May 19: Pentecost Sunday

The Israelites celebrated Pentecost 50 days after the Passover, as commanded by God in the book of Leviticus Moses recorded God’s commands regarding the sacrifice of the Firstlings, or first fruits, which will be the theme of Embertide this coming week

Today is the Christian Pentecost, and is considered the second greatest Feast of the liturgical year It marks the birth of the Church, and in many ways completes the fulfillment of the Old Covenant in the New From today’s Gospel: “But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you ” Also called the Comforter by Our Lord, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and Our Blessed Mother who were gathered in the Cenacle, coming with a great sound of wind “And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak ” (Acts 2:3-4)

The Apostles then went out preaching in the various languages, and many were converted in a short time Peter’s preaching converted 3,000 that first day, and that was only the beginning.

One of the ways in which this special Feast accomplishes the fulfillment of the Old is in chapter 11 of Genesis. ”And therefore the name thereof was called Babel, because there the language of the

whole earth was confounded ” (Genesis 11:9)

In Babel, it was the Lord who went down and confused the language of the people who were previously “of one tongue ” The diversity of their language divided the people and they were scattered across the earth

In the great fulfillment of the Christian Pentecost, the Lord came down to unite all people- both Gentiles and Jews First, through the sacrifice of His Son and then by the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of which made conversing and therefore evangelization possible “And therefore from that day the trumpet of the Gospel-preaching has sounded loud: from that day the showers of gracious gifts, the rivers of blessings, have watered every desert and all the dry land ” (Pope St Leo I, Whitsuntide, Sermon 75)

Not only did the Holy Ghost bring the gift of tongues, but He has guided the Church as Our Lord Jesus Christ promised The Church has relied on the gift of the Holy Spirit throughout the Church Age, through to today

A prayer for today:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth

Let us pray.

O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Whit Embertide

May 22: Ember Wednesday of Pentecost

May 24: Ember Friday of Pentecost

May 25: Ember Saturday of Pentecost

Already Summer is here, and with it comes Whit Embertide. In modern times and with school schedules, Summer is a time thought of as a break, with less structure, and slowed progress, but it isn’t traditionally understood this way.

For those who work the land, Summer is when the work is done to support the harvest, with long hours spent under the heat of the sun to accomplish what is needed to foster growth of the crops.

Similarly, there is great spiritual work to be done in our own hearts. The time for the harvest will be here soon enough, and so we must put in the time and labor now.

In His abundance and generosity, God has also adorned the season of Summer with some of His grandest creations--blue skies, bright sunshine, lush vegetation, fun activities with friends and playing with water in all its forms are the theme of Summer. Bustling wildlife, daylight into the evening, a sense of freedom and a palate of color at the table unlike any other time of year. The smells and tastes of the season are what we wait for all year.

In all of this goodness, we must remember to give to God of our first fruits just as He commanded the Israelites for the Old Covenant Pentecost, enjoy our blessings in moderation, and to fulfill our Christian duties.

Fasting Rules for Whit Embertide

Fasting consists of the following:

One full meal and two smaller meals, that when combined, do not equal a full meal.

Ember Wednesday of Pentecost– Fasting & Partial Abstinence: meat is allowed during the main meal of the day.

Ember Friday of Pentecost- Fasting & Abstinence: No meat is allowed. Fish, eggs and cheese are allowed.

Ember Saturday of Pentecost– Fasting & Abstinence: No meat is allowed. Fish, eggs and cheese are allowed.

Wishing you & yours a blessed Whit Embertide!

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honour, and all blessing.

To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no human is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, Who is the day and through whom You give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour; and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather, through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.

-Excerpted from Canticle of the Creatures by St. Francis of Assisi

May 26: Holy Trinity Sunday

The Mystery of the Holy Trinity is central to our Catholic Faith- that one true God exists in three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Beautifully described in the Catechism, paragraph 237:

“The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the “mysteries that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless revealed by God.” To be sure, God has left traces of His Trinitarian being in His work of creation and in His Revelation throughout the Old Testament. But His inmost Being as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone or even in Israel’s faith before the Incarnation of God’s Son and the sending of the Holy Spirit.”

In a sense, the three Persons of the Trinity finally being revealed to God’s people marks yet another fulfillment of the Old Covenant, with the imposition of the New. Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, saying, “Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have

commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

Today we celebrate the unknowable mystery of the three Persons in One God, the beauty and majesty of this fundamental Truth, and recommit ourselves to fulfilling what God has called us to do as our part in the proclaiming of this Truth and the salvation of souls. For some, it is a more literal participation as a deacon or priest, bringing the Holy Trinity to souls for their salvation. For others, this involves carefully discerning God’s will for the religious life, marriage, parenthood, work or operating a business, ministry work, missionary work, or anything else that He has called us to do, and carrying out this work in the context of the Great Commission.

The liturgical season ahead corresponds to the Church Age, which began at the Pentecost and continues to our current day. It is the time in Salvation History where the work of the faithful must be done. So as the season of Eastertide has now officially come to a close, may we invite the Holy Trinity into our hearts with a renewed vigor, and may we take up our work for the Great Commission with renewed urgency, bringing the God and all that He has commanded us to those entrusted to us.

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Business Directory

Business Services

FocalPoint Coaching, Roberto Munoz

Providing Business Coaching, Executive Coaching, Sales Skills Training, Assessments (DISC, Sales Skills, EQ), Leadership Development Workshops Serving Florida & beyond

Ph: (954) 684-9083

Email: rmunoz@focalpointcoaching.com

Website: robertomunoz.focalpointcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www linkedin com/in/robertomunoz2/

Instagram: https://www instagram com/rmunozcoach/

Doctors & Medical Services

Melissa Grace Therapy, Coaching & Fertility Care, Melissa Tablada

I offer psychotherapy via telehealth for individuals and couples across the state of Florida. I offer coaching services for clients located around the country & worldwide. I offer Creighton fertility care services to clients located in the continental USA. Contact us for details.

Ph: 786-753-9391

Instagram: https://www instagram com/melissagracetablada/

Youtube: https://youtube com/melissatablada

Email: melissagracetablada@gmail com

Website: www melissagracetablada com

Our Lady of Good Help Fertility Care, Katherine Hernandez

Providing the Creighton Model Fertility Care System as an effective and life-affirming way for single women and married couples to discover the truth of their reproductive health and embrace the gift of their fertility. Women and couples can also be referred to a Natural Procreative (NaPro) Technology Medical Consultant to treat reproductive health conditions and evaluate the underlying causes of infertility and miscarriage Services provided via telehealth.

Website: Fertility Care - Our Lady of Good Help Fertility Care

Email: katherine@ourladyofgoodhelpfertilitycare.com

LinkedIn: Our Lady of Good Help Fertility Care: Company Page | LinkedIn

RCCS, LLC, Richard Roselli

I help my clients become the very best version of themselves. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, and substance abuse related issues.

Ph: 703-634-3080

Email: richard@rccs life

Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/-rccs-llc-fairfax-va/798625

Thrive OB/GYN, Dr. Ana Garcia Iguaran

We are a concierge obstetrics practice, we come to your house for prenatal care We deliver our patients in Palm beach, Broward and Dade counties (hospital birth only) Contact us for details.

Ph: 954-743-6076

Email: manager@thriveobgyn.hush.com

Website: www dranagarciaiguaran com

Business Directory

Event & Floral Services

Flourish & Bloom Creative, Rose Abdallah Bednar

Floral design for weddings & special events. Specializing in Catholic Church altar flowers. Also offering custom water color wedding invitation design and stationary, prolife greeting cards, and fine paper goods. Servicing the Broward County area.

Ph: 954-336-7473

Email: rbednar29@gmail com

Instagram: https://www instagram com/flourishandbloomcreative

Home Services

Strimbu Holdings, Andrei Strimbu

Providing high end general contracting services, complete remodeling, plus all styles of flooring and gardens. Serving Broward County & beyond

Ph: 954-632-1956

Email: strimbuholdings1@gmail com

Email: strimbuflooring@gmail com

Media

Alva Leon Media, Adrián Alvarado

Multimedia Company focused on Cinematography, Photography and more!

Serving South Florida & beyond, available for remote work.

Ph: (941) 284-2999

Email: contact@alvaleon com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alvaleonmedia/

Real Estate

Avery St. James Real Estate Group, Manny Martinez

We take the stress out of buying, selling, and investing in real estate for families in Palm Beach County and beyond.

Ph: 561-292-5185

Book your free strategy call: https://calendly com/talktomanny

Email: manny@averystjames com

Website: palmbeachlistings.io

Recreation

Velocity Warehouse, Robert Tanon

Service provider for race car drivers By racers and for racers, we strive to be a one-stop shop for everything racing. We offer race car storage, transportation, track support, race prep, rentals, coaching, builds, modifications, & sales of racing gear, equipment, & tires Specializing in Mazda MX5 Miatas, RX8s, & RX7s. Serving Fort Lauderdale, all of Florida & beyond.

Ph: 888-300-1270

Address: 740 NW 57th St. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309

Email: info@velocitywarehouse com

Website: www velocitywarehouse com

Facebook: www/facebook com/velocitywarehouse

Instagram: www instagram com/velocitywarehouse

Business Directory

Religious Goods

Latin Mass Helper

It's our goal to make hard-to-find traditional Catholic products and resources easily available, at the cheapest price possible, with free and fast shipping options Featuring Missals & more!

Email: thomas@latinmasshelper com

Website: https://store latinmasshelper com/ and https://latinmasshelper com/

Nonprofits

Floriani Sacred Music

Men’s vocal ensemble that performs Catholic sacred music for Masses and concerts, trains choirs in the method and content of traditional sacred music, and leads sacred music retreats for parish choirs.

Website: https://www floriani org

Email: florianisacredmusic@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florianisacredmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/florianisacredmusic

Youtube: https://www youtube com/@FlorianiSacredMusic

The Fund For Vocations

We support vocations to traditional religious orders faithful to the Magisterium by unlocking the vocations of their future members

Website: https://fundforvocations org/

Email: info@fundforvocations.org

Phone: 877.556.6338

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fundforvocations/

Facebook: https://www facebook com/fundforvocations

Youtube: https://www youtube com/@fundforvocations7057

Mother of Divine Grace School, Laura Berquist

Offering a Catholic, classical approach to distance learning. Providing K-12 curriculum, ongoing training for parent educators & Learning Support classes Serving over 6,300 students worldwide & WASC Accredited. Ph: (805) 646-5818, Mon-Thu 8am to 4pm PT

Email: receptionist@modg.org

Website: Mother of Divine Grace School (modg.org)

Facebook: Facebook

Instagram: @modgschool

Twitter: @MODGSchool

Pinterest: https://pin it/7njdXmv

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@modgschool783

Open Hearts for Orphans, Lisa Murphy

Providing resources for orphaned, abandoned, and at-risk children around the world with medical intervention, meeting basic needs, providing “Say Yes” grants to families in the adoption process, and through the advocacy of our ARISE program. openheartsfororphansorg@gmail.com

Ph: 561-827-2222

Email: openheartsfororphansorg@gmail com

Website: https://openheartsfororphans org/ Donations can be made on the website, via Meta, Paypal, Venmo, text-to-give or by mailing a check Text “GIVE” to 561-375-2700.

For stock donations, please email: donate@openheartsfororphans.org

Check donations may be mailed to: Open Hearts for Orphans P.O. Box 8074 Delray Beach, FL 33482

Business Directory

Nonprofits (cont’d)

Students for Life at FIU

Providing free diapers, wipes, baby formula, and other items to new families on campus. We are a very active pro-life campus ministry, tabling weekly, collecting donations for pregnancy resource centers, hosting guest speakers, attending political rallies, and more

Email: studentsforlifeatfiu@gmail com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studentsforlifefiu/

Donations can be made via Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/studentsforlifefiu

The Men’s March, Jim Havens & Fr. Stephen Imbarrato

In participation with God’s grace, we will abolish the ongoing, daily mass murder of innocent children in our nation by (1) providing an opportunity for real men to gather together and maximize their influence in a brotherhood of authentic love for vulnerable women and children all throughout the Nation; (2) educating and inspiring all to LEAD ON LIFE without exception and without compromise according to their state in life; (3) demanding the U.S. Supreme Court take up a case to affirm PERSONHOOD NOW for every preborn child.

Email: jimhavens@themensmarch.com

Website: www themensmarch com

Instagram: https://www instagram com/themensmarch/

Facebook: https://www facebook com/themensmarch

Tune into The Simple Truth: https://thestationofthecross.com/programs/the-simple-truth/

Ultima Verba

We pray this special issue has helped you walk the season of Passiontide & Eastertide more faithfully and closer to Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord Jesus than ever before May we always unite our sufferings to those of Our Lord on Calvary. Pray the Rosary & Consider Marian Consecration. May God bless you abundantly

Deo Gratias