Sunday, March 22, 2015

Holy Week at St. Joan of Arc Parish

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT    MARCH 22, 2015   ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO, BLASE CUPICH CELEBRATED THE 10:30 A.M.  HOLY MASS AT ST. JOAN OF ARC CHURCH.



SJA Pastor Fr. Dan was overjoyed to receive the call from the Archbishop's office after Mass Wednesday morning


Video Link  http://youtu.be/RH4w7PEhFq8




Related Link   http://libslabyrinth.blogspot.com/2006/04/resurrection-health-care-gala.html




Recycled Web Page          Lenten Season







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Since it's the Holy Week, I am going to talk about everything religion.  After all, the other half of our motto is "Everyday People."  This maybe, the first time and end of the discussion.




First in the discussion, right of the bat, is the sex abuse of children by pedophilic priests in the Catholic church.  A friend once told me all religious and non-religious organizations do it but the Catholic Church is a big and easy target.  I remember very well the false accusation against Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago.  Although the accuser recanted later, the dark stain on the white cloak of the holy and suffering Cardinal would never be removed even after his death.  There are so many good priests in the whole of Christendom - - be they Irish, German, American and Asians.  One bad apple spoils the whole bushel, so I say.  Everyone agree it's a crime against God and humanity. 
Second, "The Separation of Church and State."  I am not going to defend the Vatican and its Head of the Catholic Church, the infallible Pope Benedict XVI, for it can defend itself.  I don't have to explain that the Vatican City is the smallest country in the world and therefore it has its own divine theological laws, rites and dogmas.  I must say it has a different way and method of curing and punishing the hopelessly sick priests.  Indeed, those are different times and so different from the mores of today. In the vocabulary of the Catholic church, only one word will purify your flesh and spirit - - the very basic foundation where everything leads to - - FORGIVENESS.  All the faithful and priests go to confession, saying in the beginning, "Forgive me Father for I have sinned..."  and then take the Holy Communion.  As a matter of fact, the Catholic Vatican is just practicing what it is preaching.
Third, although created in the "image" of God, we are only human.  Not a day that we don't sin, in words and in deeds.  There is no option, no choice, no recourse when the words are said by our mortal tongue and wrong deeds are done by our mortal weapon but to what? What? We say and pray like Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane (Hebrew for oil stores or oil press), "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  Amen."

THE APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.

There are more than a billion Catholics in this world.  In the United States there are more than 68 per cent of people who were raised Catholic and remained in the Catholic faith.  But as a Foreign Born Observer and a Catholic, I am very much touched and heartened, even with horrible scandals of sex abuse of children through the years, be it sensational and true, the strong faith is still there and the faithful always come home.  With God, nothing is impossible!


Published  3/31/10   altgroup  multiply
Web Page:  Observing Holy Week


1 comment:

  1. Approximately 150,000 people entered the Catholic Church in the United States at Easter 2009.

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