Rejoice

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

John 20: 1-9





St. Gregory the Great's Easter Prayer

It is only right, with all the powers of our heart and mind, to praise You Father and Your Only-Begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension of loving-kindness toward us, Your servants, You gave up Your Son. Dear Jesus You paid the debt of Adam for us to the Eternal Father by Your Blood poured forth in loving-kindness. You cleared away the darkness of sin by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection. You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a Conqueror. You reconciled heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of eternal happiness before You redeemed us. Your Resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your Love!

I love these passages

But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.

Isiah 53:5


And my favourite Psalm. I found it when I was a child after I received a Gideon bible. I remember the feelings I had that day reading this and still feel that way whenever I read or hear this Psalm. They sang it in Mass last week and I almost cried because I find these passages so moving.




1 Unto the end, for the morning protection, a psalm for David. 2 O God my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins. 3 O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me. 4 But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel. 5 In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them.

2 "The words of my sins"... That is, the sins of the world, which I have taken upon myself, cry out against me, and are the cause of all my sufferings.

6 They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 7 But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people. 8 All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head. 9 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him. 10 For thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.

11 I was cast upon thee from the womb. From my mother's womb thou art my God, 12 Depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me. 13 Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me. 14 They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring. 15 I am poured out like water; and all my bones are scattered. My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels.

16 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death. 17 For many dogs have encompassed me: the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet. 18 They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me. 19 They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots. 20 But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me; look towards my defence.

21 Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog. 22 Save me from the lion's mouth; and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns. 23 I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee. 24 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him. 25 Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man. Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.

26 With thee is my praise in a great church: I will pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him. 27 The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever. 28 All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord: And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight. 29 For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he shall have dominion over the nations. 30 All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.

31 And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him. 32 There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall shew forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.

Good Friday

"Hosanna to the Son of David!. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!. Hosanna!, glory in the highest!" (Mt.21:9).

The Annunication

This is usually celebrated on March 25. But this year because that was a Sunday during Lent it was moved to March 26.

Novena Prayer for the Annunciation

O most holy Virgin Mary,
to whom God sent eh Angel Gabriel
to announce that you should be the mother of His Only-Begotten Son,
pray for us who have recourse to you.

Holy, lovely Mary
We give our all to you
What is past and present,
And the future, too.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception
of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

What greater love is there than God's love for each one of us? His lvoe isn't a fantasy. It is real.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Novenna Prayer for Conversion

After each invocation say: My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds

My dear parents and grandparents,
My brothers and sisters and other near relatives,
My godparents and sponsors of Confirmation,
My spiritual and temporal benefactors,
My friends and neighbors,
All for whom love or duty bids me pray,
Those who have offended me,
Those who will offend me,
Those who have suffered disadvantage of harm through me,
Those whom I, still a sinner, will offend,
Those who are especially beloved by Thee,
Those whose death is near at hand,
Those who desire most to be united to Thee,
Those who endure the greatest sufferings and trials, especially spiritual torments,
Those whose death is most remote,
Those sinners have no one to pray for them,
Those who are most deserving on account of their services to the Church,
The rich who do not need Thee and are thus the most destitute,
The mighty who spurn Thee,
The spiritually blind, that they might see their folly,
The frivolous, who spend their time in idleness,
The poor, who do not seek the treasures of Heaven,
The tepid, who devote little time to prayer,
The indolent, who neglect to perform good works,
Those of little faith, who neglect the frequent reception of the Sacraments,
The habitual sinners, who require for their salvation to a miracle of grace,
Parents who fail to watch over their children,
Superiors who are not solicitous for the salvation of those entrusted to them,
Those who strive for worldly riches and pleasures,
The worldly minded, who fail to use their wealth and talents in the service of God,
Those who witness the death of others, but do not think of their own,
Those who blaspheme and commit sacrilege,
Those who violate the dignity of the human body and mind through impurity,
Those who sin because of my sins and bad example,
Those who do not provide for the life hereafter,
Those whose judgment will be severe because of the great things entrusted to them,
The pope, kings and rulers,
The bishops and their counselors,
My teachers and spiritual advisors,
The priests of this diocese,
The priests and religious of the Catholic Church,
The defenders of the holy Catholic Faith,
Those who die on the battlefield,
Those who fight for their country,
Those who will be buried in the sea,
Those who are to die suddenly, in accidents and from other causes,
Those who will die of heart attacks,
Those who suffer with cancer,
Those who suffer with AIDS,
Those who shall die without the last rites of the Church,
Those who shall die within the next twenty-four hours,
For Catholic apostates, heretics, and other unbelievers,
For Catholics who hold Masonic membership or in other secret societies,
For the conversion of the Jews, Thy chosen people of old,
For abortionists and those who aid them,
For women who seek abortions,
For those who promote or practicre contraception,
For those who give scandal, especially to children,
My own poor soul when I shall have to appear before Thy judgment seat.


Final perseverance and pardon grant unto all of these, O Lord; and let Thy graces through these petitions flow unto them and be fruitful. Amen.