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Today, on this very unusual Good Friday, let's ponder the seven last phrases that Christ spoke on the Cross. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” When Jesus spoke these words He showed us His immense love and mercy. He forgave those who beat Him, stripped him, and crucified him. How much strength it would have taken to forgive those who were hitting him, even if they did not know what they were doing. Jesus, help us to forgive our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We ask for your forgiveness and mercy in our lives and the lives of those we love. Prayer Recommendation: The Chaplet for Mercy to Forgive Others: https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/chaplet-of-mercy-forgiving-another/ “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus says these words to one of the thieves that were crucified next to him. The man asked Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom. He does this after rebuking the other criminal for putting Christ to the test. Jesus assures the man that he will go to Heaven. This is what Christ promises us all when we are Baptized. If we stay in his grace and out of mortal sin, his promise will be fulfilled through his love and mercy. Lord, we long to be with you among the saints in the halls of heaven. Help us to avoid temptation and stay as far away from sin as possible. Prayer Recommendation: Prayer for the Salvation of the World: https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=2730 “Woman, behold your son.” Jesus gives John to his mother and His mother to John, the beloved disciple. In doing so, He also gives her to us. Mary is our spiritual mother. She loves us and has great power before God and her son. She is the divine mediatrix, meaning that she intercedes for us and brings our prayers to the Father. She is always there for is, just as a good mother should always be. Jesus longs for us to belong to her so that we will be closer to Him. Mary, we thank you for being our heavenly mother. We ask you to intercede for us and bring our prayers to God. Prayer Recommendation: The Rosary: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” "Jesus was not abandoned but He allowed Himself to feel and experience this complete loss of the Father in His human nature. He felt the deep experience of despair. He allowed Himself to know and experience the effects of sin. Therefore, He knows what we go through when we despair. He knows what it feels like. And He is there with us in those temptations enabling us to press on through any despair toward total faith and trust in the Father." TAKEN FROM CATHOLIC DAILY REFLECTIONS DAILY MEDITATION Lord, help us through our moments of trouble and despair. We unite ourselves to your suffering on the cross in those moments and long for the day when we will be in Heaven and there will be no more pain. Prayer Recommendation: Prayer to Unite Yourself To Christ's Suffering: https://catholicexchange.com/uniting-suffering-christs-passion (Scroll to the bottom of the article for the prayer) “I thirst.” These words are so powerful. Jesus thirsts for us. He longs for our souls. He wants us to come to him and love him- and he wants to love us. We can satisfy his thirst for souls by giving him all of our love. Mother Teresa wrote a beautiful meditation on Jesus' thirst for souls. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/uxrLdeurxis . If you get a few minutes today, take the time to just sit silently and meditate upon Mother Teresa's words. They are written from Jesus' perspective and are very powerful. Jesus, I find it so amazing that you long for my soul to be united with you. I want to satisfy your thirst with my love. Give me the grace to realize how much you love me and to love you and others more and more every day. Prayer Recommendation: Listen to Mother Teresa's "I Thirst" Reflection “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” These words are the words of ultimate surrender to God. When we say these words, we acknowledge that God has control over every aspect of our lives. We submit our lives to His will, which "is love and mercy itself", as we say in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. We can all work on more fully giving our entire lives to God so that we can live totally with Him and for Him. Lord, I long to be totally yours. I want my life to reflect You. Use me in any way that you want and form me into the person that you created me to be. I give you everything, My Lord. Prayer Recommendation: Healing Prayer of Surrender: http://catholic.net/op/articles/1333/healing-prayer-of-surrender.html “It is finished.” What does Christ mean by this? Although it signifies that his life is coming to a close, it also shows that Christ has accomplished his earthly mission- giving himself as a perfect sacrifice for the salvation of us all. He suffered and died so that we may have eternal life. With every ending, there is also a new beginning. Jesus' death marks the beginning of a new world- one where death is not the end. Lord, you finished your earthly mission. You suffered and died at the hands of mortal men so that they too might someday be in Heaven with the father. Help us to realize your sacrifice so that we might spread the truth of what you endured for us to others. Prayer recommendation: Read this meditation on Jesus' words: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.com/2017/04/13/good-friday-meditation-it-is-finished-jn-1930-summary-vid-full-text/ Just a reminder that today is a day of fasting and abstinence in the Church. Many Good Friday Services can be found online. Let me know in the comments section what your family is doing today to commemorate the Lord's passion.

As we ponder put dear Lord being taken down from the cross, let's again put ourselves in the place of our Blessed Mother as we did on day 4 of our meditation. They place him in my arms. His body is cold, lifeless. My son. I weep for him, recalling the torture that he has endured. I pity any mother who has to watch her child suffer. I cradle Him to my chest, just as I did when He was a child. "My Jesus...." I whisper, stroking his hair off of his face. Tears are flowing from all those around me. A man called Joseph of Arimathea comes up behind me. He says he is going to bury Jesus. John gently touches my shoulder as a signal that it is time to let Joseph do what he has come for. I kiss His forehead one last time and stand up and allow them to do what they need to do. Today let's pray for everyone who has lost someone close to them. Ask the Lord to heal their hearts and bring them peace. Let's also ask God to have mercy upon all those who have died. May their souls be eternally united with Him in Heaven.

Scott Hahn just released a YouTube video about Holy Thursday.... You should watch it because Scott Hahn is amazing and Jesus is even more amazing. Make sure to like and subscribe! https://youtu.be/Ct-xhvP2m2A Also, if you don't know who Scott Hahn is, you should do some research (but not tomorrow between 12 and 3 p.m.). He is an amazing Catholic convert with a great conversion story and a Theology professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Here's the link to his website! http://www.scotthahn.com/about-dr-hahn Also, if anyone has not watched Holy Thursday Mass today, here are the links to some YouTube Masses. Fr.Brian Van Fossen- https://youtu.be/8ovoU-qe8XY Father Mike Schmitz- https://youtu.be/Q36QGKJ4EWY

This day in the Church is SO AMAZING!! Holy Thursday is the day that Christ gave us His own body and blood in the Eucharist. As Catholics, we believe that ordinary bread and wine are completely changed into Christ's body, blood, soul, and divinity, at the moment of consecration during Mass. We believe in what is called Transubstantiation, which means, change of substance. The bread and wine are literally transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, the only thing that remains is the appearance of bread and wine. No other religion, Christian or non- Christian has the full sacrament of the Eucharist. In no other religion does bread and wine become the flesh and blood of Christ. Contrary to other Christian's beliefs, the Church believes that in the Eucharist, Christ is truly present, and the bread and wine are actually changed into his body and blood because that is what Christ told us and it is not our place to twist God's words so we can better understand them. We don't celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist to commemorate Christ's offering to us at the last supper, we actually do celebrate it! The bread and wine are not just a symbol of Christ's giving us his body and blood, they ARE his body and blood! We, as Catholics, are so blessed and privileged to be able to participate in this sacrament. Receiving the Eucharist gives us a glimpse into the Heavenly Banquet where we will fully be united with God once again. Maybe you have some questions about the Eucharist. You might be new to the faith, or you're a cradle Catholic who's never really thought about it before. I know it's hard to grasp. We, as humans, can never fully understand the mystery of Christ fully incarnate in the Holy Eucharist. Below are some resources that answer some commonly asked questions about Christ's teaching on the Eucharist. May God bless you on this Holy Thursday as you contemplate what Christ has done for us in giving us His body and blood. Why are Catholic Priests the only ones who can celebrate Masses and consecrate Bread and Wine? https://www.catholic.com/qa/why-can-only-priests-consecrate-the-eucharist This site answers many questions about the Eucharist (and it's also a fantastic resource for all things saints, sacraments and prayers.) Check it out! https://www.catholic.org/clife/jesus/eucharist.php If we are really eating and drinking the Body and blood of Christ, then isn't that cannibalism? http://www.unamsanctamcatholicam.com/apologetics/87-eucharistic-apologetics/202-eucharist-cannibalism.html Why do Catholics adore the Eucharist in Eucharistic adoration? https://www.catholic.com/qa/why-catholics-adore-the-eucharist What is Eucharistic Adoration?- This PDF gives the what's and why's of Eucharistic Adoration. https://www.stmarknc.org/media/1/18/what_is_eucharistic_adoration.pdf Let me know in the comments section if you have any questions that weren't covered on these websites and I'll try to find an answer!

In giving his life for us, Christ gave us all he had. As we talked about on the 10th Station of the Cross Meditation, Jesus had nothing left to his name in this world that the ordinary person could see. He gave his life so that we could have ours. In dying, he conquered death. What does that mean? It means that we, though we may die on earth, can live forever with God in Heaven. So what happened when Jesus died? Eyewitnesses said that the sky turned dark and the ground shook. All those who were at the scene of the crucifixion must have known that something big was going on. It could be no coincidence that when the man who claimed he was God died, the earth cried out of sadness. Imagine also how the apostles felt. Everything they had known and followed was taken away from them. Their teacher, their leader, their friend. He was gone. They probably didn't know what to do. But Christ was still with them, just as he is with us today. As he hung there on that cross, it was as if his arms were outstretched to envelop humanity in his loving embrace. Today (or tommorow since tomorrow is Good Friday), take a few minutes and just sit quietly. Our Lord, our God, has died. Let that sink in. Put yourself at the foot of the cross and give all you have to Jesus. He loves you. He died for you.

This meditation is in the form of a prayer. You can read this prayer aloud in front of a crucifix, or just say it silently from your heart. Oh my Jesus, the soldiers drive the large nails through your hands and feet. You cry out in anguish as the soldiers pierce your hands- the hands that have healed and loved so many. You do not deserve this. You have done nothing but good, and yet, you are still persecuted. As I think of the nails being driven into your precious hands, I realize that every slam of the mallet is one of my sins. Every time that I've done something wrong, I've hurt you further. That day on the cross you took on everything I've ever done and everything I ever will do. From the cross you cried out "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. " I realize that when I sin, I am not thinking about how it will effect you and others. I am only thinking of myself. In taking upon your cross and crucifixion, you thought of everyone but yourself. I am eternally grateful to you for taking upon your sufferings so that one day I may have the chance to be with you in Heaven. I realize that you did not have to be crucified. After all, it was not nails, but love that held you to the cross. You endured this purely out of love for me. I love you, my Lord. Grant me the grace to truly grasp your love for me. I desire to want to only love and please you every day of my life. You love me, my Jesus. I love you, and I thank you for being willing to obey your Father's will and be crucified for my sake. I unite myself to you, suffering, bloody, and beaten on the cross. Help me never to sin again so that I may not hurt you more than I have already done. I love you my Lord, grant me the grace to live my life totally for you and with you. Amen.

In today's society, it really is true that "clothes make the man". If you see two people, one dressed in nice business casual clothes versus someone dressed in rags, who are you more likely to go and talk to? I think most of us, if we're being honest, would be more likely to talk to the nicely dressed person. Clothes are what symbolize our stance in society as well as who we are on the inside. For example, if you wear sweatpants to Mass every Sunday, you will most likely be seen as irreverent and as not caring about our Lord*. However, if you dress nicely and in a modest fashion, you will be seen as reverent and having a deep respect and love for the Lord, as well as the people around you. If you wear t- shirts with inappropriate words, symbols, or that are cut in a revealing manner on them, you will not be revealing your true dignity and beliefs to the world. This is why it's so important that we, as followers and lovers of Christ, make sure that our clothing reflects who we are and who we belong to. Although clothing isn't everything, and it's certainly nothing to stress over, it is important to make sure that we always reflect Christ in our appearance and actions since that is what our secular world seems to thrive on. Since clothes have mostly always been a large part of societal standards, this action of the soldiers symbolized something much more than their just preparing Jesus to be crucified. They stripped away all that He had left to His name. He couldn't speak up and preach at that time, so He wouldn't have been seen as a Rabbi or Prophet by people passing by, He wouldn't have had any of His few possessions with Him, and once He was stripped of all His clothing, He wouldn't have had anything. The soldiers took all that He had. They took it and left Him vulnerable and exposed. He had nothing left to defend himself. There was nothing He could do about His situation. It seems to me that it was at this point that Christ could only be helped by his Heavenly Father. This station marks a turning point in Christ's Passion. He has stopped carrying his cross, and the crucifixion has begun. * If sweatpants are all you have then it's okay!!

This is not in any way written by me, I found it online and really liked it. It was written by St.John Henry Newman as a meditation on the 9th Station of the Cross. Hope you enjoy :-) Jesus had now reached almost to the top of Calvary; but, before He had gained the very spot where He was to be crucified, again He fell, and is again dragged up and goaded onwards by the brutal soldiery. We are told in Holy Scripture of three falls of Satan, the Evil Spirit. The first was in the beginning; the second, when the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven were preached to the world; the third will be at the end of all things. The first is told us by St. John the Evangelist. He says: "There was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his angels. And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan." The second fall, at the time of the Gospel, is spoken of by our Lord when He says, "I saw Satan, like lightning, falling from heaven." And the third by the same St. John: "There came down fire from God out of heaven, ... and the devil ... was cast into the pool of fire and brimstone." These three falls — the past, the present, and the future — the Evil Spirit had in mind when he moved Judas to betray our Lord. This was just his hour. Our Lord, when He was seized, said to His enemies, "This is your hour and the power of darkness." Satan knew his time was short, and thought he might use it to good effect. But little dreaming that he would be acting in behalf of the world's redemption, which our Lord's passion and death were to work out, in revenge, and, as he thought, in triumph, he smote Him once, he smote Him twice, he smote Him thrice, each successive time a heavier blow. The weight of the Cross, the barbarity of the soldiers and the crowd, were but his instruments. O Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, the Word Incarnate, we praise, adore, and love Thee for Thy ineffable condescension, even to allow Thyself thus for a time to fall into the hands, and under the power of the Enemy of God and man, in order thereby to save us from being his servants and companions for eternity. Or this This is the worst fall of the three. His strength has for a while utterly failed Him, and it is some time before the barbarous soldiers can bring Him to. Ah! it was His anticipation of what was to happen to me. I get worse and worse. He sees the end from the beginning. He was thinking of me all the time He dragged Himself along, up the Hill of Calvary. He saw that I should fall again in spite of all former warnings and former assistance. He saw that I should become secure and self-confident, and that my enemy would then assail me with some new temptation, to which I never thought I should be exposed. I thought my weakness lay all on one particular side which I knew. I had not a dream that I was not strong on the other. And so Satan came down on my unguarded side, and got the better of me from my self-trust and self-satisfaction. I was wanting in humility. I thought no harm would come on me, I thought I had outlived the danger of sinning; I thought it was an easy thing to get to heaven, and I was not watchful. It was my pride, and so I fell a third time. -Saint John Henry Newman

REFLECTION AT THE BOTTOM When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, ‘The master has need of them.’ Then he will send them at once.”This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: Say to daughter Zion, “Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.” And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?” And the crowds replied, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Guess what! It's Holy Week! That seems so crazy. I LOVE Holy Week! I love being at church almost every day of the week for the Chrism Mass, the Mass on Holy Thursday, the service on Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and finally on Easter morning! It's all so amazing and really makes you step out of everyday life and spend some time with the Lord, of course, this Lent we've been forced to do that more than we normally are, and for most of us, all of the special masses and services will be held in our living rooms. But that doesn't mean that this holy week can't be the very best we've ever had. Being isolated in our homes gives us more time to reflect on scripture, pray the Stations of the cross, and spend time with God as his son prepares for his death on the cross. Let's not abandon Christ just because we can't physically receive Him or be with Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Today's Processional Gospel tells a great story of people who turned their backs on Christ. The citizens of Jerusalem praised Jesus and believed he was the Son of God- the savior that they'd waited for for thousands of years, but yet just a few days later they had him tortured and nailed to a cross. When we turn our back on Christ and put our own comfort before Him, we are no better than those citizens of Jerusalem. Think about where you are in this crowd of people. Are you with those who stay by Jesus' side and help him in His time of need such as Veronica and John, or are we with those who shouted for Him to be crucified? If you step back and think about it, you will definitely find the answer. The people that threw down their cloaks and waved palms as Jesus rode by on a donkey, just as he had when he was in his mother's womb 33 years before, praised him without fear of how they would be persecuted if it was discovered that they were giving this man praise. They worshipped with total abandon and wonderment. Their King, their savior, was before them! The one who God had sent was right there in front of them. And he loved them. He loved them even though he knew that these same people who were praising him would have him put to death in just a few days. Jesus knew what was going to happen, and yet, he didn't tell them to leave Him or call them hypocrites. You see, Christ knows that we are going to sin and we are going to fail him. Yet, He still loves us, just as he loved those people of Jerusalem so long ago. They praised Christ with their whole hearts, which is what we should try to do each and every day of our lives. May God bless you and all those that you love on this blessed Palm Sunday. Keep an eye out for more Holy Week posts coming soon :-)

A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?” Luke 23:27-32 Selfless love. That is what comes to my mind when reading this passage. Even though Jesus' friends have abandoned Him and He is in an extreme amount of pain, He still shows love and encouragement to the women who are weeping out of concern for him. Let's go even deeper in to this... Jesus was probably being beaten by the soldiers and pushed forward as He was talking to these women. He endured those beatings and still managed to console the women because He loved them. He didn't say "no, I can't talk right now" or "no, you're not important enough to talk to me". He comforted them. He made time for them. He let them know that he was there for them. This is what He does for us. When we are feeling lonely or burdened or depressed, Jesus is there for us. He is there and He knows our pain, He knows our suffering, and He wants to help. This help and comfort that He sends can come in many forms. It could be through God's Word in the Bible, it could be through a feeling of peace that you get while praying the Rosary, or it could even just be through a friend who offers to listen and who understands you. Today, let's thank Jesus for consoling us in times of trouble, just as he did the women of Jerusalem all those years ago.

They say that "practice makes perfect," but isn't that true in everything? Not just our successes? Each time we sin, it gets easier to commit that wrongdoing again. We fall. Time and time again we fall and we distance ourselves from the Lord. But Jesus, when He fell the second time, didn't let that stop him. He got up again and kept carrying his cross, even though it was very difficult to do so! And that's exactly what we need to do. We need to get back up again (go to confession) when we fall (sin) and keep carrying our cross (living everyday life). Here's a prayer to ask Jesus to help us to get back up again: Lord Jesus, come into our hearts and help us to get back up again. Help us to avoid temptation, reject sin, and to have the courage to stop sinning and disappointing You. Until we can return to the sacrament of reconciliation, we ask that You forgive our sins and wipe our souls clean from any stains we might have given it, as only You, in your goodness, can do. We desire only to please You, Lord. We pray that we can be Your disciples and spread Your love to our world. Jesus, be with us always. Amen.

We don't know much about Saint Veronica. We don't know who she was, why she was in Jerusalem at the time, where she was going, if she was a follower of Christ, or even if her name was actually Veronica. However, we do know that she took pity on Jesus as He was being marched through the streets of Jerusalem and wiped his bloodied and sweated face with either a cloth or her veil. The silhouette of his face was left on the veil and is still venerated today. Veronica couldn't do much for Christ. She couldn't stop His pain or make the soldiers release him, but she could provide a gesture of comfort and show Christ that she cared about him. How can we, 2000 years later, wipe the face of Jesus and ease his pain in our everyday life? While we can't literally go back to the day of Jesus' crucifixion and wipe his face, we can "wipe the face" of those in need. For example, when you provide a small act of comfort for a homeless person on the streets such as giving them a granola bar, a bottle of water, or even just a comforting word and a smile, you are wiping the face of Christ just as Veronica did. Today, let s ask Saint Veronica to intercede for us and help us to do small acts of kindness in our everyday lives.