Regina Coeli

Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Honolulu

Latin:

Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia,

R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Oremus: Deus qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.

R. Amen.

English:

Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.

R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.


Let us pray: O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

Prayer Source.

Noli Mi Tangere

by Ciro Ferri

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"Do not touch me, for I am not yet ascended to my Father..."

The reason of the words of Jesus, "Do not touch me," was afterwards explained to me...I think he made use of those words because of the impetuosity of Magdalen's feelings, which made her in a certain degree forget the stupendous mystery which had been accomplished, and feel as if what she then beheld was still mortal instead of a glorified body. As for the words of Jesus, "I am not yet ascended to my Father," I was told that their meaning was that he had not presented himself to his Father since his Resurrection, to return him thanks for his victory over death, and for the work of the redemption which he had accomplished...

Excerpt from the Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Anne Catherine Emmerich

Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Resurrection Stained Glass, Sacred Heart Church Honolulu

Jesus had a serene disregard for worldly renown. His birth had been obscure, His parents common folk.  For many years He worked as a carpenter to support His widowed Mother.  Though His miracles made Him a public figure, His "hard sayings" won Him the wrath of the hypocrites, who "in the hour of darkness" had their way with Him. On Calvary, He was surrounded by a jeering rabble, gloating that the self-styled King of the Jews was in His proper place- "with two other malefactors."  But on Easter, there was no one with Him to rejoice at His Resurrection.

Jesus had many witnesses of His failures, but none at His crowning success.  His loneliest moment was His triumphal resurrection.  He was a success first of all before God--the only worthwhile success.

Glorious Mysteries Rosary Meditation, The Prayer Book, Catholic Press.

A very happy and blessed Easter to you and your family.

A Holy Saturday Meditation

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For three hours, Satan contemplated his masterpiece, the dying Jesus. How easy it had been, after all! Years before, Satan had borne Jesus to the temple roof, and challenged Him: "Cast Thyself hence!" Jesus had overcome him with a refusal to presume upon His Father's power. Now, borne high on Calvary, Jesus is again challenged. "Cast Thyself hence! Come down from the cross! He refuses, and Satan claims the victory. But then Jesus dies, and the centurion cries aloud: "This is God's Son"; the temple curtain is ripped in two, the dead rise from their graves, heaven's gates open wide, and Jesus triumphantly leads a repentant thief into Paradise.

Jesus' refusal to come down from the cross was His greatest victory over Satan. By accepting my life's crosses patiently, prayerfully, I overcome hell.

The Crucifixion Rosary Meditation: The Prayer Book, Catholic Press

Good Friday

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Commemorating the Passion and Death of Our Lord.

Reminder: The Divine Mercy Novena Begins on Good Friday and Local Divine Mercy Invitation

Since I won't be on the computer tomorrow, I am posting the link to the Divine Mercy Novena today.

Divine Mercy Novena

For those of you who will be praying novena for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, be sure to sign up to receive the emails. If I receive the first day email late tonight, I will not be able to post the First Day intentions here.

Also, I want to share an invitation which came from Rose of the Divine Mercy Center of Hawaii:

You're Invited to

A Special Divine Mercy Sunday and New Adoration Chapel Dedication Mass

Join us for the official inauguration of The Blessed Pope John Paul II Adoration Chapel at St. Joseph's Church in Waipahu
DATE: May 1, 2011 Divine Mercy Sunday
TIME: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
LOCATION: St. Joseph's Church
94-675 Farrington Highway, Waipahu

SCHEDULE:
2:00 pm Visit the Parish Hall for Eucharistic Adoration
and Divine Mercy Materials

2:30 pm Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy Prayers

3:00 pm Holy Mass to be officiated by Bishop Larry Silva
with the LaSalette priests concelebrating
Eucharistic Procession after the Mass

4:00 pm Refreshments in Parish Hall

Simon of Cyrene, the Scandal of the Cross, and Some Life Sight News

Father Gordon's latest has been posted and it is a good one!

Simon of Cyrene the Scandal of the Cross and Some Life Site News

Bishop of Springfield authorizes St. Michael Prayer after Masses

His Excellency the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois, has authorized the public recitation of the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel - originally composed by the Holy Father Pope Leo XIII in 1886 - following the dismissal at the end of Mass and before the recession.

He announced this authorization to the priests of the Diocese at a dinner preceding the Chrism Mass Tuesday evening and to the people of the Diocese at the conclusion of the Chrism Mass.

Prayer cards with the text of the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel were distributed after every Mass with the newly blessed and consecrated oils to be place in the pews of the parish churches throughout the Diocese.

Father Daren has more here.

Let us pray that more bishops will follow Bishop Paprocki example.

BTW, my family recites the St. Michael Prayer following Holy Communion...after our prayers of Thanksgiving.

Prayer for Priests

Divine Savior Jesus Christ, who has entrusted the whole work of your redemption, the welfare, and salvation of the world to priests as your representatives, through the hands of your most holy Mother and for the sanctification of your priests and candidates for the priesthood, I offer you this present day wholly and entirely, with all its prayers, works, joys, sacrifices, and sorrows,.  Give us truly holy priests who, inflamed with the fire of your divine love, seek nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of souls.

And you, Mary, good Mother of priests, protect all our priests int eh dangers of their holy vocation and with the loving hand of a Mother, also lead back to the Good Shepherd those poor priests who have become unfaithful to their exalted vocation and have gone astray.  Amen.

- Holy Week 2011 Magnficat

Holy Thursday - Institution of the Sacrifice of the Mass

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Our Blessed Lord instituted this sacrifice of the Mass at the Last Supper. On the very night in which He was betrayed, He changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood, and gave to the Apostles and to their successors, the power to do the same in commemoration of Him. In obedience to the commands of our Lord, the Apostles frequently offered up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as we see from the Acts of the Apostles (Chap .ii. 42) and from the writings of the Fathers of the Church...When St. Andrew, the Apostle, was required by the tyrant Aegeas, to sacrifice to the gods, if he wished to escape the punishment of the cross, he replied: "I daily offer up on the altar to the only true and Almighty God, the Immaculate Lamb, which though it is consumed, remains always living and entire...An altar implies a sacrifice, since an altar is used only for sacrifice... The Fathers of the Church commonly speak of the Mass as 'a salutary sacrifice. St. Cyprian...calls it 'an everlasting sacrifice.' St. Augustine...declares it to be 'a true and august sacrifice, and that it has supplanted all former sacrifices.'...St. John Chrysostom: 'O wonder!' he exclaims in his Homily De Sacra Mensa, 'At this table, so magnificently furnished, the Lamb of God is immolated for thee; there the Cherubim are present; there the Seraphim attend; there all the Angels join with the priest in praying for thy welfare.'

"The Last Supper by Philippe de Champaigne

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...in his book, De Sacrificio, he says: "When thou beholdest the Lord immolated and lying upon the altar and the priest bending over the sacrifice and praying and all the assistants reddened with that precious blood, dost thou think that thou art still on earth? Does it not rather seem to thee that thou art wrapt into Paradise, and beholdin, with the eye of thy soul, the things that are done in heaven?"

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..."How surpassingly pure ought he to be who offers such a sacrifice?  Ought not the hand that divides this sacred flesh-- the mouth that is filled with this spiritual fire--the tongue that is dyed with this most sacred blood be purer than the light of the suns?  Think how though are honored, to what a banquet thou art admitted!  Thus, before which the Angels tremble and veil their faces, is our food; we are united to Christ; we are made one body and one flesh with Him!"...

Excerpts from The Blessed Eucharist: Our Greatest Treasure by Fr. Michael Muller, C.S.s.R.