"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light" (Ephesians 5:14).

Saint Paul the apostle, similar to all the other apostles and Christian saints, whatever he teaches to others, he teaches from his own personal experience. For the Faith of Christ is an experience and proof and not a theory of human sophistry. Even Paul lay as one spiritually dormant and, he was spiritually dead while he opposed the Christian Faith. St. Paul was awakened, arose, resurrected in the spirit and was illumined by Christ. He knows himself from the time when he was spiritually dormant and from the time when he became awakened, and when he arose, and when he was resurrected by the Spirit and when he was illumined by Christ. That which he knows about himself as a Christian, he commends to others. As an apostle, he sees himself in a great light and believes that all other men, if they so desire, can be as bright as he is. The light is not his, but Christ's light. His is only the love for that Light, Who is Christ.

The illumination of Christ is necessary for man in the beginning as well as in the end. For without Christ's illumination man is unable either to awaken, or to arise, or to resurrect from the dead, as afterwards, he is unable to live alone by himself in faith or to die in hope. Christ is needed in the beginning as well as in the end. As to a drowning child the hand of the parent is needed to retrieve him from the water and afterward to lead him on dry land, protecting him and preventing him from drowning again; thus Christ is needed for those drowning in the waters of sin. The apostle himself received the illumination of Christ in the beginning on the road to Damascus and, again, he received it later. The first illumination was his conversion to Christ and the second illumination was the confirmation of himself in Christ. The first illumination we all receive through baptism and later, through faith, and the fulfilling of the commandments of the Lord. All of those who do not possess the illumination of Christ, either they have had it and lost it, are dormant as though dead.

O gentle Lord, awaken us, uplift us, resurrect us, for we cannot do any of these things without You.

About the incomparable love of Christ

"And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19).

"The love of Christ that surpasses knowledge!" Surpasses, not the knowledge of God, but surpasses the knowledge of man, darkened and embittered by sin. God's knowledge is equal to God's love and neither surpasses the other. But man's knowledge, alienated from God, does not comprehend God's love at all, shown through the Lord Jesus Christ. God understands man but man does not understand God. God attempted, by reason, to enable man to understand through nature and through the Old Revelation, through the Law and the prophets, but man did not want to submit to that knowledge. Then, God attempted to overcome men through love and through this love to draw them to Himself. From that [love] comes the Incarnation of the Son of God, from that [love] thence is His sacrifice and His suffering to the death. Such inexpressible love of God, beyond words and knowledge, have captured and returned many to God, i.e., made them to understand; gave them a new knowledge, pure and bright. But, it confused many of them, again, for it did not agree with their darkened and embittered understanding.

"And to know," says the apostle. How can we brethren, know that which is beyond knowing and beyond understanding? In no other way than by a change of mind, awakening and sharpening of the mind, illumination and elevation of the mind: in brief, the acquiring of a new mind, which would have the capability to understand the love of Christ which is beyond the present sinful mind of men.

O the depth of God's wisdom and knowledge! Whoever even approaches just a little closer to You that one feels that You are, at the same time, the depth of the love of God.

O Lord, ascended into heaven, illumine our mind with Your understanding that we may more easily adopt Your unfathomable love toward mankind and weep--weep from sorrow because of our hardened hearts and because of our darkened and malicious minds and weep because of joy, because of Your love toward us, who are darkened and embittered.

April 28, 2013

To contemplate the Ascension of the Lord Jesus:

1. How He led His disciples to a hill toward Bethany;

 

2. How, with up-lifted hands, He blesses the disciples.

April 27, 2013

To contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:

1. How He commands that repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in His Name;

2. How He commands His disciples to await the Father's promise of the power of the Holy Spirit from on high.

April 26th 2013

To contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:

1. How His Resurrection is a great light which dispels the darkness of our doubt, ignorance and despair relative to life after death;

2. How His Resurrection is a great light, which illuminates the path on which we must travel in this world in order to arrive to the other world.

April 25 th 2013

To contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:

1. How His resurrection incites us and strengthens us for every good work; physical and spiritual;

2. How His resurrection enlightens our every good work with the light of hope in the Living God, Who counts our works, measures them and preserves them for the Day of Judgment.

Making the Resurrection Real with Pope Francis

WEDNESDAY HOMILY: Making the Resurrection Real with Pope Francis

• By Fr Samuel Medley, SOLT
• 4/3/2013
• Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
•  
• I will give my flesh for the life of the world (not just the Church choir).

   

What is the Eucharist Called?  The Breaking of Bread, because Jesus used this rite, part of a Jewish meat when as master of the table he blessed and distributed the bread, above all at the Last Supper. It is by this action that his disciples will recognize him after his Resurrection. -Catechism of the Catholic Church 1329.

HYTHE, KENT, UK (Catholic Online) - What is the place on earth where we can encounter the Risen Jesus Christ in the most powerful, potent, intense, and sure way?  How can we grow the quickest and strongest in our faith in this Year of Faith?  What should be the source, summit, and center of not only the goal of our faith, but also of acquiring faith?

The Most Holy Eucharist.

The Gospel for today, the living encounter of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, is God's parable for the Mass.  Jesus walks with us and explains the scriptures.  When we begin the conversation we might not recognize or understand him, but as he speaks to us our "hearts burn within us" as he explains the scriptures.

Not only does the Risen Lord explain the scriptures but he also explains our sufferings to us, or rather, how he suffers in us and through us asking us, "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" or in other words, "Do you not see that you too must suffer so as to enter into my glory?"

The Eucharist is our Resurrection, our glory, our Life, our refuge, our encounter with divine Love, our peace, our security, our hope, our salvation.  The Eucharist is God himself present in our midst.

In the school of the Eucharist, Jesus trains our eyes how to recognize him not only "in the breaking of the bread," but also in our daily lives, so that we don't miss the Lord interacting with us and speaking to us through historical events.

One key important historical event for us lately is our new Pope.  Our new Pope is not a liturgist.  Pope Benedict XVI was.  He had long mystical and beautiful explanations of the rites we celebrate.  What can we look for from Pope Francis?  He is going to teach us how to make the Eucharistic and Resurrection graces we receive at Mass true life for the world,  He is going to teach us how to make it real!

Expect to hear many exhortations from our Holy Father about living our faith, not just in the Church but in our daily lives.  He is going to remind us of Jesus words, that "I will give my flesh for the life of the world."  Yes the world.  He didn't give it for the church choir or the people to suffocate or sit on the graces received but that they must go out and make these graces fruitful.

Pope Francis will teach us how to become like Christ.  He will teach us how to accompany others like Jesus accompanied the disciples in Emmaus.  He will teach us how to become living signs of the Resurrection.

May Our Lady, Mother of the Eucharist, and Mother of the Church, help us to "make it real," to live our faith and allow the graces of the Mass to be given to the world through our daily lives.