Category: Memory Verse

“She supposed He was the gardener.” –John 20:15 Mass Readings: April 3 First: Acts 2:36-41; Resp: Psalm 33:4-5,18-20,22; Gospel: John 20:11-18 Listen to the Mass Readings Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of Jesus’ cross on Good Friday (Jn 19:25). “In the place where He had been crucified there was a garden,” and in this garden Jesus was buried (Jn 19:41-42). Jesus had earlier prophesied that “unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it produces much fruit” (Jn 12:24). This garden at Calvary contained the...

“They, in turn, convened with the elders and worked out their strategy, giving the soldiers a large bribe.” –Matthew 28:12 Mass Readings: April 2 First: Acts 2:14,22-33; Resp: Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-11; Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15 Listen to the Mass Readings Satan’s first attempt to keep the great news of Jesus’ Resurrection from a world enslaved by death was to bribe the guards at Jesus’ tomb. Money from large international organizations is being used “to this very day” (Mt 28:15) in prodigious amounts to finance the culture of death and temporarily obscure the message of the Resurrection. Although this approach has had both...

“They killed Him, finally, hanging Him on a tree, only to have God raise Him up on the third day.” —Acts 10:40 “God did not make death” (Wis 1:13), “for God formed man to be imperishable; the image of His own nature He made him. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world” (Wis 2:23-24). “The devil, the prince of death” made us his lifelong slaves by manipulating us through our fear of death (Heb 2:14-15). Thus, “sin reigned through death” (Rm 5:21). After millennia of death’s tyranny over the human race, Jesus was conceived and born...

“In baptism you were not only buried with Him but also raised to life with Him because you believed in the power of God Who raised Him from the dead.” –Colossians 2:12 Today may be the strangest day of the year. Yesterday, throughout the day, we were not able to experience the full, substantial, entire, and whole presence of God in the eucharistic Jesus (see Catechism, 1374), for the Eucharist was not in our churches after we received Holy Communion yesterday. However, we were allowed to receive Holy Communion. During the day today we cannot even receive Communion. Something is...

“Then [Jesus] bowed His head, and delivered over His Spirit.” –John 19:30 The Triduum is not made up of several services scheduled over a period of three days, but it is one 72-hour service made up of several parts. Today we are in the first third of the service. Cherish every moment of this most sacred time. “Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith, realizing that the brotherhood of believers is undergoing the same sufferings throughout the world” (1 Pt 5:8-9). “Fix...