Holy Land Pilgrimage 2006

...with Spiritual Director Father Mitch Pacwa 

Palm Sunday, April 9, 2006  

Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Jerusalem was quite busy for our pilgrimage, in addition to Holy Week  the Jewish celebration of Passover in 2006 began in the evening on Wednesday, April 12 and ended in the evening on Thursday, April 20.  Holy Week doesn't always fall during Passover, but in 2006 it did - as it will again this year in 2014.  

We woke up bright and early on Palm Sunday morning and made our way to the old section of Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday Mass.  Following Mass we went to Bethphage to participate in the Palm Sunday Procession.  

Visit Franciscan Media Center for videos of the Procession and Holy Sites 

Visit the Churches of the Holy Land

 

Holy Land Pilgrimage with Father Mitch Pacwa - Holy Week 2006 

On Saturday, April 8 2006, Kevin Arthur and I were just arriving in Amman, Jordan for a flight transfer to Tel Aviv, Israel where we boarded a bus to Jerusalem. Arriving late in the evening at our hotel we ate a wonderful buffet prior to retiring for the evening in preparation for a Holy Week pilgrimage following in the footsteps of Jesus' last days before and during his Passion. We like to relive - in memory - this pilgrimage experience each year during Holy Week.

Over the next several days I will post memories of this profound spiritual experience.

Did the Apostles Pray the Rosary

I ran across this article at Catholic Exchange and thought I'd share it.  For those of us faithful to praying the daily rosary and in so doing, meditating on the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; this article articulates in a beautiful way that which we already know.

"It sounds like a ridiculous question for me to pose. It’s common knowledge that the Rosary didn’t take shape for at least another thousand years! Something stood out to me the other night however, which makes me think that the “soul” of the Rosary was always present in the Apostles’ prayer....more

Divine Mercy Celebration in Indianapolis

Our Lord's words to St. Faustina regarding His image

 

Our Lord speaks:
"Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world." "I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not parish. I promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death, I Myself will defend it as My own glory." (Diary of St. Faustina, #47 & #48)

"I am the King of Mercy . . . I desire that this image be displayed in public on the first Sunday after Easter. That Sunday is the Feast of Mercy." (Diary of St. Faustina #88)

"I want this image . . . to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy." (Diary of St. Faustina #49) 

Divine Mercy Sunday will be celebrated today by Monsignor Joseph F. Schaedel, V.G. at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Indianapolis. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be from 2:00-3:00 P.M. with the Divine Mercy Celebration and recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet following.

Divine Intimacy - Part One of a Series

Divine Intimacy - Introduction

In this series I am going to provide links to devotional pages of the book Divine Intimacy, by Father Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., available from Aquinas and More.

The text of this book is laid out following the liturgical year of the Traditional Latin or the Extraordinary  Form of the Mass.  It is divided into seven sections of meditational readings. Part Two of this series will include links to the readings for The First Sunday of Advent to The Fifth Sunday After Epiphany

Book review by St. Monica's Tears - I do not have the words within my vocabulary to describe the immense treasure of spiritual wealth contained within the pages of this meditational goldmine.

Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, has taken select writings of the great spiritual pillars of the Faith; St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Jesus, St. Teresa Margaret of the Heart of Jesus, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus and Sr. Elizabeth of the Trinity as well as selections from the Gospels, Epistles, the Roman Breviary and the Roman Missal and woven them into a masterful tapestry of spiritual nourishment.

Each daily selection is soaked with deep, profound insight into the spiritual life which draws the soul into a breath-taking experience of overwhelming love, deep devotion and spiritual union with Jesus Christ Our Lord - our living and Triune God.  

Beginning the day with meditations from this spiritual treasure are a must for me to set the proper atmosphere and focus for the remainder of my day.

General Description: From the Aquinas and More website

Divine Intimacy - Meditations on the interior life for every day of the Liturgical year

This Book of Meditations is a classic and is seeped in Carmelite spirituality. For every day it offers two meditations, in liturgical arrangement, that enable the soul to enter the conscious presence of God and to reflect on the theme of the day. These are followed by a ‘Colloquy’ that helps the person at prayer to start a friendly conversation with God where acts of praise and love, petition and thanksgiving are made, together with good resolutions for the future. Here we are at the very heart of prayer, which is a heart-to-heart encounter in faith with the living God.

Divine Intimacy is the highest state attainable on earth. In this union of love, the soul produces acts of love which have an immense apostolic influence on a multitude of souls. This knowledge of the ways that lead to God, according to the teaching of the renowned Spanish mystics, is distilled into the pages of this book.
 

“This book of meditations is meant for all priests, seminarians, religious, the devout laity, all who aspire to greater union with God: that is, to divine intimacy.”

Pope John XIII

“This Book of Meditations on the interior life for every day of the liturgical year is a pearl of great price. For spiritual reading and personal prayer, it is a treasure, providing sound guidance on the journey of prayer, and a safe companion on the road to holiness and to intimate union with God.”

Bishop Philip Boyce O.C.D, Bishop of Raphoe, Ireland.

About the Author:
Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., was a Discalced Carmelite priest who became one of the most revered masters of the spiritual life. He acquired a vast knowledge of the ways that lead to holiness and to union with God. His experience with souls, whom he guided to the heights of perfection, was outstanding. He was an expert in the spiritual and mystical doctrine of St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) and of St. John of the Cross. The Discalced Carmelite nuns of the Monastery of St. Joseph in Rome were the heirs of the Father Gabriel’s vast output of published works and private manuscripts. For ten years, he guided these nuns as their confessor and spiritual director, and it was they who helped him to arrange his material in line with the course of the liturgical year, while following the ascent of the soul to transforming union with God, or to ‘Divine Intimacy.’

Advent: An Exercise in Patient, Humble, Simple Obedience

By Patricia Arthur R.N., M.S.G.L.

Advent, it seems as though we were here not so very long ago.  Oh how the days fly by; this gift of life not deserved but given freely by our most loving and generous heavenly Father, is much too short.  As I begin this post, I do so my dear brother and sister grandparents; who like I, have children fallen away from the Faith.  These children and grandchildren are like sheep who have no Shepherd.  They have no concept of their heritage in faith or their religious roots.  They simply don't know; what they don't know! 

This is where my circumstances enter the picture. I was raised as a Methodist and did not convert to Catholicism until my oldest son was 10 years old.  The relationship I had with my Mother...if anything was strengthened with my conversion.  I did things with Mom at her Church and she did things with me at my Church, we had long discussions about the differences in our respective beliefs.  I came to really “know” my Mother through the openness she and I shared in these discussions and I believe she came to know me in a more intimate way as well.  Not only this, but I came to a much deeper awareness of the love and respect, God commanded me to show her out of love for Him.  I came to understand if I could not love and honor the parents I could see, it was impossible to love the God I could not see. I began to understand how my relationship with my mother and even my deceased father had a direct parallel relationship to my spiritual life. 

Being a convert to Catholicism the wonderful ancient Christian customs for the season of Advent were not something I was aware of as I was raising my children and it saddens me I did not have the opportunity to pass them on to my sons. But in keeping my heart, mind and soul open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit I am implementing these and other spiritually deep and rich traditions as the Lord guides me in spiritual maturation in my pilgrim journey on earth.  

So what does any of this have to do with the holy season of Advent and the title to this blog post?  The answer in a word - everything.  Now let me explain how I see this fitting into my vocation as a Catholic mother and grandmother, in my particular circumstances.  

Advent is a period of prayer in preparation for the coming of Christmas...the birth of Christ and in a deeper sense the preparation of the second coming of Our Lord, at our passing from this world into eternal life. We wait in joyful hope for both the celebration of Our Lord's birth and for our heavenly reward. This type of hope is confident that what is desired will certainly be attained. It is a hope that implies a desire, which seeks and pursues some future good that is not yet possessed. This hope recognizes that the object wanted is not easily obtained and that it requires effort to overcome whatever obstacles stand in the way.  This hope recognizes we are sinners and are unworthy without the Mercy and Goodness of our Lord who moves us to prayer, repentance and conversion.  This hope requires perseverance and patience. 

Advent is a time to humbly reflect upon who we are and who God is; to recommit ourselves to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him with our whole heart, with our whole soul, and with all our mind and strength. If we are truly in love with Him we will naturally be inclined toward simple obedience to Our Lord as evidenced by conformity to the teachings of His Holy Catholic Church. 

Patient, humble, simple obedience...these are the key elements to helping our children.  They are the key elements in allowing our Lord to work through us; and Mary is our perfect example of patient, humble, simple obedience.

Consecrated for Battle as a Missionary Servant of the Gospel of Life

To begin my talk let me say I am a convert, having been received into the fullness of Christianity at the Easter Vigil of 1985 at St Michael the Archangel Church. I have always had the understanding, even while a Methodist youth, that Mary or the Virgin Mary as I commonly referred to her, had a very special place in Christianity and in each of our lives. However; if you had asked me then, I would not have been able to verbalize just exactly what that meant.

As I look back on my life, I realize that Mary has taken my hand and led me most of my life even though quite frequently I went kicking and screaming….if at all. As an example, I recall sitting at my kitchen table in approximately 1975, with an old broken rosary in my hand, fumbling through a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary, that I probably picked up at St Michael’s, only to give up in frustration because I knew no one that could help me.

Another example, not quite so obvious, but still I feel the hand of Our Lady was at work…around the same time a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my door. After hearing them out, I said, “I’m sorry, I’m not interested, I’m Catholic”, thinking that would make them go away…but it didn’t, so I finally had to just shut the door in their face. They did however, say to me that I needed to know the truth; and while I knew they did not have the truth, I realized, I did need to know what the truth was. About the same time Pat Robertson of the 700 Club said basically the same thing, so I began to consume the New Testament. After about 5 times of reading through, only being able to understand bits and pieces of it and not being able to make any kind of cohesive sense out of any of it, the passage “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the Hell shall not prevail against it” hit me up side the head like a 2x4 and I instantaneously knew the Catholic Church was truly the Church established by Jesus Christ.

You’d think I would have immediately gone to my local Catholic Church and inquired about becoming Catholic. Not so, it took another 8-10 years and 3 attempts at Instructions before finally entering the Church. I tell you these things because, I see in all of this the hands of the Blessed Virgin and the battle that rages around us both seen and unseen.

When thinking about what it means to me to be consecrated to Our Lady under the title of the Immaculate Conception as a Missionary Servant of the Gospel of Life, I consider three passages of scripture. The first is Gen 3:15, which says “Then the LORD God said to the serpent: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” The second passage is Rev 21:1 which tells us “A great sign appeared in the sky; a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” And finally Rev. 12:17 says, “Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.”

From these passages it is very clear we are at war. We can see the spiritual and physical dimensions of this battle of the culture of life versus the culture of death from the beginning of creation.

As a consecrated daughter of “the woman” the Immaculate One, I put on her Mantle and in doing so take on a larger portion of the battle and share more intimately with Her and the Cross of Christ. While listening always to the Blessed Mother as she whispers to me “Do whatever he tells you,” I recognize the foundation of my consecration as a missionary is spiritual; which nourishes me to fulfill the demands of the physical aspect of the battle raging in our midst.

I listen to my Mother as she says “Do whatever He tells you” and I listen to Jesus as He says "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” It is only in an intimate loving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ through prayer, frequent participation in the celebration of Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, reception of the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confession and all that our rich Catholic tradition contains—that we have a solid foundation upon which to defeat the evil of the culture of death.

Then nourished with the Sacraments and once again listening to my Mother say “Do whatever He tells you” I hear Jesus as He says “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” and the door opens for me to actively commit to a life of service…

Another aspect of this life of service is being ever vigilant in developing the missionary virtues that make me most effective in announcing the coming of the kingdom of God…especially through actions and when necessary through words. They also help me to confront the culture of death and the challenges it presents.

This means since Our Lady is the model par excellence of living a life of virtue, I must follow her example as she teaches me to practice SIMPLICITY. I must speak the truth in its fullness, but always with love to those around me who suffer from the very choices they make which contradict God’s law and will. I must do everything for the love of God alone letting no one or no thing come first. I must strive to be unattached to comforts and possessions, understanding they have no place in the kingdom of God and any attachment to such things will lead me away from God and His plan for my life and the love I am to give and the service I am to do for His people.

I must ask Our Lady to teach me to be HUMBLE and obedient; to understand that I am a mere speck and everything good that I have and everything good that I do or ever will do is from God. At the same time I need to understand as long as I remain in God’s grace and strive to know Him, love Him and serve Him daily, He will lead me where He wants me to be. I must also avoid the noise and distraction of this world and seek silence, because it is only in quiet meditation and reflection that God’s voice can be heard.

I must ask Our Lady to show me the way of MEEKNESS gentleness and serenity toward those who approach me. I must ask for a portion of the strength she showed during Our Lords Passion in suffering quietly with forgiveness, in all instances of persecution, rejection and mocking; offering it all to the Father.

In following Our Lady’s example of MORTIFICATION I must remember she did not understand everything that was going on in her life, things did not always look very good, but she remained faithful, humble and obedient to the will of God. In the same way I must ask Mary to help me when I am confused and disappointed with the way the things in this world seem to be going. I must ask for strength to stay on course, not to be discouraged, but to continue on in the good fight. To keep upper most in my mind “the offspring of Mary win the battle”.

I must also look to Our Lady to teach me how to be ZEALOUS for the things of God and the souls of His children. I must ask for the strength to be willing to go anywhere and do anything for Christ and His Church.

It is very clear to me, Mary is my Mother and she has been “raising” me so to speak in the spiritual life. Without Our Blessed Lady, I would never have come to know and love Jesus and desire to serve Him as I do. She has lifted me up out of the gutter and has led me to, and in many instances pulled me along, to all that is good and true. Without Our Lady I would never have known the many good, faithful and holy people that I know. And, without Our Lady, I would not be here today sharing these thoughts with you.

Finally I’d like to say, while my Catholic faith is the most precious gift God has given me, the fact He has chosen me to share in this privileged calling to serve Him in this very special way by being consecrated to His Mother under the title of the Immaculate Conception as a Missionary Servant of the Gospel of Life, is so indescribably awesome, I really cannot put to words. The only thing I can really say to describe my feelings for Our Lady is to say; I love Her, I honor Her and I venerate Her, She is my Mother and my Queen. She is the General of an army and is adorned in battle array. I have been called to join Her army, and thank God I have been given the grace to say “yes”.