Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross

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Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Jesus, the soldiers are becoming impatient. This is taking longer than they wanted it to. They are afraid you won't make it to the hill where you will be crucified. As you grow weaker, they grab a man out of the crowd and make him help carry your cross. He was just watching what was happening, but all of a sudden he is helping you carry your cross.

As a child, sometimes I see people who need my help. Sometimes I pretend not to hear when my parents call me. I disappear when I know others could use my help.

As an adult, sometimes I try to do as little as I can and still get by. Others might need my help, but I ignore their needs. Even when I'm asked to help, I sometimes claim to be too busy.

My Jesus, blest, thrice blest was he who aided Thee to bear the cross. Blest too shall I be if I aid Thee to bear the cross, by patiently bowing my neck to the crosses Thou shalt send me during life. My Jesus, give me grace to do so.

Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....

Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified.
All: Have mercy on Us.
Leader: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All: Amen.

Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother

+JMJ+
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Jesus, you feel so alone with all those people yelling and screaming at you. You don't like the words they are saying about you, and you look for a friendly face in the crowd. You see your mother. She can't make the hurting stop, but it helps to see that she is on your side, that she is suffering with you. She does understand and care.

As a child, sometimes I feel like too many things are going on. Sometimes other kids pick on me and call me names. I need to look around me for a friendly face, and for the help I need. I need to share my troubles with those who truly care about me.

As an adult I sometimes feel overwhelmed by many things. Life is so competitive, and I worry so much about my future and those who have some control over it. I need to remember that being an adult does not mean having to solve every problem all by myself. I need to look around me for a friendly face, for the help I need.

Jesus most suffering, Mary Mother most sorrowful, if, by my sins, I caused you pain and anguish in the past, by God's assisting grace it shall be so no more; rather be you my love henceforth till death.

Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....

Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified.
All: Have mercy on Us.
Leader: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All: Amen.

The Annunciation

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If you have been doing the 33 days of preparation for total consecration to Jesus through Mary for the past few weeks, today is your Consecration Day!

The Annunciation

Catherine Fournier
Feast Day: March 25
Young Families

Sometimes, one action of one person changes life for everyone. Eve and then Adam deciding to disobey God and eat the apple is one example. It doesn't seem like much, but it changed all of history. The Annunciation is another very important example.

'Annunciation' sounds like announcement, and that's what happened. An angel appeared to Mary and 'announced' that she had found favour with God, and would bear a son Jesus, Son of the Most High. Saint Luke tells us about it in his Gospel.

Mary was a simple girl from the small town of Nazareth. She was betrothed (married) to Joseph, but not yet living with him. When the angel appeared to her, she was frightened and confused. She didn't really understand what he was telling her. Why should she be chosen? What did it mean?

She asked 'How shall this be done, because I know not man?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee.' Mary still didn't completely understand, but she knew that the angel was a messenger from God and that she had been chosen for a special job. So she said, 'Let it be done according to Thy will.'

One simple action of saying 'Yes' to God, changed everything. Mary became the Mother of God, and Our Blessed Mother. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, taught his disciples and died on the cross for all our sins. All this happened because Mary said 'Yes' that one time.

What a thing to celebrate! What a great reason to love and honour Mary!

Practiced Families

The facts of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are told in the Gospel of Luke, 1: 26-38. The feast of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25th. It is calculated backwards from the date of the Nativity (Christmas.)

In the Feast of the Annunciation, the Church commemorates two events important to all humanity. On this day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she was to be the Mother of of the Redeemer and Messiah promised for centuries in prophecy. On the same day, the Incarnation took place. God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, assumed a human body and soul and became the Son of Mary and Joseph.

The angel, perhaps in the form of a man, greeted Mary saying 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.' Mary was confused and did not answer. The local tradition of Nazareth states that she fled from him in fear, and the angel followed her into the house to continue his message. The Angel then told Mary that she had found grace and favour with God, that she was to concieve and bear a son, and that he was to be called Jesus, the Son of the Most High, the Messiah.

'How can this be, since I know not man?' Mary asked, not out of doubt like Zechariah, but from astonishment. 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.' This answer could not have reassured or convinced Mary. But, remembering and honouring the angel's first words 'The Lord is with thee', and trusting God, she answered, 'Let it be done to me according to Thy Word.'

And so, the Incarnation of Jesus began, in the simple trusting assent of a humble woman. The Annunciation is the beginning of Jesus' life as a human being. Though His Mother's assent He is a member of the human race, like us in all things but sin. We are told several times through the Gospel that Mary 'treasured all these things in her heart.' Some traditions state that Mary was well educated in the Scriptures and would have known at the moment of her assent that her child would eventually be sacrificed 'like a lamb' for the sins of man. Other traditions hold that Mary only understood things after long pondering and meditation, that she, rather than understanding God's plan, relied on perfect trust and submission to the will of God.

It is certain that she said 'Yes,' and that the Annunciation and Incarnation did take place on that momentous day that we celebrate as the Feast of the Annunciation.
Experienced Families

For most of the Church's history, no feasts were celebrated during Lent. The exception is the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25. The earliest mention of the feast is in the Sacramentarium of Pope Gelasius (d. 496). The Synods of Toledo and Trullan (656 and 692) refer to the feast as being universally celebrated in the Catholic Church.

Early Christian writers ascribed many events to this day. Arguing that the Incarnation of Our Lord and His death must have coincided with the creation and fall of Adam, and that since the world was created in Spring, the Saviour must also have been both conceived and crucified in the Spring. Many other events were supposed to have occurred on this day, including the fall of Lucifer, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the offering of Isaac by Abraham.

The story in the Gospel of Luke is simple enough. Given a message, a mission from God, Mary bowed her head and uttered her 'Fiat.' But there is so much more.The history of the Church flows from that moment, the Incarnation was accomplished in that instant. A Virgin of the House of David became the Mother of God as had been prophesized. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became man, like us in all things but sin.

The Incarnation proves that Mary is the Mother of God. She is the Mother of the Divine Redeemer of the world, the Mother of our Lord and Master, our perfect friend and guide to her Son. After His heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, there is no-one Jesus honours so much as His Blessed Mother. She intercedes for us to Her Son, and has been blessed with the privilege of appearing to us on occasion, as at Fatima and Lourdes.

Many writers (Sts. Jerome, Cyril and Augustine) hold that Mary's consent to the will of God as communicated in the message of the Archangel Gabriel, was essential to our Redemption. It was the will of God, Saint Thomas writes, that the redemption of mankind should depend upon the consent of the Virgin Mary. This does not mean that God's plans were subject to the will of a human or that man would not have been redeemed if Mary had not consented. It means that Our Blessed Mother's consent was foreseen in eternity, and therefore is an integral part of the design of God.

The Feast of the Annunciation is an opportunity to bow our heads and thank Our Blessed Mother for her faith and trust, and to offer our own trusting 'Fiat' to God's designs.

After the angel had appeared to Mary, she travelled to the village of her kinswoman Elizabeth. The words of Elizabeth form part of the prayer we now say as the 'Hail Mary'. Mary replied with her Magnificat;

The Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.

Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, For the Almighty has done great things for me.

Holy is His name, and His mercy stretches from age to age for those who fear Him. He has shown the power of His arm, He has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.

The hungry He has filled with good things, the rich he has sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy according to the promise He made to our ancestor of His mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.

Feasst of St. Joseph

+JMJ+

The St. Joseph's Day Tradition
by Anthony Della Calce
Executive Editor
March 18, 2007

Most people in this country – especially the students on any college campus – know that March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. Even if they are completely unaware of its actual meaning, they are probably familiar with shamrocks, leprechauns, and turning everything in sight green – the bread, the beer and, in Chicago, the river.

Every year, bars and pubs around the country become packed with people hoping to not remember a memorable night. As I was once told, everyone’s Irish on St. Patty’s Day.

St Joseph

But many of you may be unaware that another Saint has his own day of honor just two days after St. Patrick’s Day. March 19 is St. Joseph’s Day, which is most commonly celebrated in Italian communities throughout the world. But, what is St. Joseph’s Day?

In the Roman Catholic Church, St. Joseph’s Day is a feast day in honor of St. Joseph, foster-father of Jesus and husband of Mary. However, St. Joseph’s Day is recognized and celebrated in many branches of Christianity as well as in many branches of Protestantism.

St. Joseph was declared the patron saint of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX on December 17, 1870, for his role as protector and guardian of the Church. He is also recognized as the patron saint of the worker, the family and the New World (the Americas).

Different cultures honor St. Joseph’s Day with different traditions. In Spain, the day is similar to Father’s Day. In Italy, where there is perhaps the greatest celebration, the people have La Festa di San Giuseppe – the Feast of Saint Joseph. The feast is held on the weekend closest to St. Joseph’s Day.

The origin of La Festa di San Giuseppe dates back to the middle ages when there was a terrible drought in Sicily. The people prayed to St. Joseph, asking him to bring rain. When the rains came, the people prepared a large feast to honor St. Joseph and thank him for answering their prayers. Large tables of food were prepared in public and crowds gathered to feast. Poor people were invited to share in the celebration and eat as much as they desired.

Since then, La Festa di San Giuseppe has become a tradition throughout Italy. It is customary to donate food to the needy, as was done at the original feast in Sicily. It is also customary to wear red in honor of St. Joseph. And of course, there are several customary culinary delights as well.

Since St. Joseph’s Day falls during Lent, no meat is served. Instead, fish and pasta are staples of the feast. One typical dish is pasta with breadcrumbs. (St. Joseph was a carpenter so the breadcrumbs are meant to symbolize sawdust.)

Also, fava beans are generally served as a part of the meal because during the drought in Sicily, they still managed to flourish while almost all the other crops perished. For this reason, the fava bean is considered a symbol of luck and a reminder to pray to St. Joseph.

zeppoleBut, Zeppole might be the most popular St. Joseph’s day treat. Zeppole is an Italian pastry made by taking a fried puff pastry shell and inserting ricotta filling (the type of filling that can be found in a cannoli). Ricotta is the traditional filling but vanilla and chocolate fillings are also common. Zeppole, (also known is Sfinge di San Giuseppe – St. Joseph’s Cream Puffs), can usually be found at any Italian bakery during the month of March.

So a couple days after enjoying the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, I encourage everyone to enjoy the feast of St. Joseph’s Day. Find a nearby Italian bakery and treat yourself to some Zeppole.

After all, if everyone can be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, then certainly everyone can be Italian on St. Joseph’s Day. Buon Giorno di San Giuseppe – Happy St. Joseph’s Day.




Memorare to St. Joseph

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary ever Virgin, our loving protector St. Joseph, that never has it been heard that anyone asked your protection or sought your aid without being helped. With this confidence we come before you. We fervently recommend our intention to you (mention your intention). Despise not our prayer, foster father of the Redeemer, but graciously hear it. Amen.

St, Joseph, pray for us!

Second and Third Sorrow of Mary

+JMJ+

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Jesus, the cross you have been carrying is very heavy. You are becoming weak and almost ready to faint, and you fall down. Nobody seems to want to help you. The soldiers are interested in getting home, so they yell at you and try to get you up and moving again.

As a child, sometimes I start to do something, but then get tired of it. I hurry to get finished and sometimes don't do my work well. Sometimes I don't pay attention to what I should be doing. When things get hard for me, sometimes I give up.

As an adult, I sometimes put things off. I give up too easily, and sometimes don't do my work as well as I know I can.

My Jesus, the heavy burden of my sins is on Thee, and bears Thee down beneath the cross. I loathe them, I detest them; I call on Thee to pardon them; may Thy grace aid me never more to commit them.

Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....

Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified.
All: Have mercy on Us.
Leader: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All: Amen.

**********************************************************************************************
Every year his parents used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When the days of the feast were over and they set off home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was somewhere in the party, and it was only after a day's journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. It happened that, three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, 'My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.' He replied, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house? But they did not understand what he meant. He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. Luke 2: 41-51

Third Station: Jesus carries His cross

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Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Jesus, the cross you have been carrying is very heavy. You are becoming weak and almost ready to faint, and you fall down. Nobody seems to want to help you. The soldiers are interested in getting home, so they yell at you and try to get you up and moving again.

As a child, sometimes I start to do something, but then get tired of it. I hurry to get finished and sometimes don't do my work well. Sometimes I don't pay attention to what I should be doing. When things get hard for me, sometimes I give up.

As an adult, I sometimes put things off. I give up too easily, and sometimes don't do my work as well as I know I can.

My Jesus, the heavy burden of my sins is on Thee, and bears Thee down beneath the cross. I loathe them, I detest them; I call on Thee to pardon them; may Thy grace aid me never more to commit them.

Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....

Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified.
All: Have mercy on Us.
Leader: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All: Amen.

St. Patrick: Pilgrim, Patron and Model

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Remember the man who described himself as an ambassador for God and who prayed that it might never happen that he should lose the people which God had won for himself at the end of the earth.

To reduce Patrick to a symbol of that kind, worthy as it may be, without any reference to his own Christian faith distorts the truth and in no way does justice to the real stature of the man.
To reduce Patrick to a symbol of that kind, worthy as it may be, without any reference to his own Christian faith distorts the truth and in no way does justice to the real stature of the man.
ARMAGH, Northern Ireland (Zenit) - An Irish cardinal is calling for a renewal of faith among his country's people this St. Patrick's Day, beyond the traditional celebration of culture and heritage.

Cardinal Sean Brady, archbishop of Armagh and primate of Ireland, said this in a St. Patrick's Day message released today by the Irish bishops' conference.

On this day, he affirmed, "Irish men and women, and those who claim Irish descent, will gather to celebrate their identity and their heritage."

He added, "St. Patrick’s Day unites Irish people all over the world" due to the saint's image as a "symbol of Irish history and of Irish heritage."

However, the cardinal noted, "to reduce Patrick to a symbol of that kind, worthy as it may be, without any reference to his own Christian faith distorts the truth and in no way does justice to the real stature of the man."

He cautioned his fellow Irish to not lose the focus of the March 17 celebration, a time "not just to celebrate Irish culture and identity, but also to remember the man who described himself as an ambassador for God and who prayed that it might never happen that he should lose the people which God had won for himself at the end of the earth."

Cardinal Brady expressed the hope that "more and more Irish people, who have lost their connection with faith, will rediscover it and rediscover what St. Patrick called 'the joy and love of faith.'"

He recalled the violence in Northern Ireland, stating that "all of us must work unceasingly for peace here on our island." He added: "I would urge all citizens to redouble efforts to build a peaceful society. Violence is not the answer.

"I would ask that all people support the politicians who are working so hard to move away from the dark days of our past, to build a better future on foundations of trust, justice and respect for all."

Using the words of St. Patrick's Breastplate, he expressed a prayer for all the Irish: "Christ be in all hearts thinking about me; Christ be on all tongues telling of me; Christ be the vision in eyes that see me;
In ears that hear me, Christ ever be."

Taken from www.catholic.org

For those of you dying for some good ol' humor today, check out this cute video about St. Patrick:

Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother

+JMJ+

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Jesus, you feel so alone with all those people yelling and screaming at you. You don't like the words they are saying about you, and you look for a friendly face in the crowd. You see your mother. She can't make the hurting stop, but it helps to see that she is on your side, that she is suffering with you. She does understand and care.

As a child, sometimes I feel like too many things are going on. Sometimes other kids pick on me and call me names. I need to look around me for a friendly face, and for the help I need. I need to share my troubles with those who truly care about me.

As an adult I sometimes feel overwhelmed by many things. Life is so competitive, and I worry so much about my future and those who have some control over it. I need to remember that being an adult does not mean having to solve every problem all by myself. I need to look around me for a friendly face, for the help I need.

Jesus most suffering, Mary Mother most sorrowful, if, by my sins, I caused you pain and anguish in the past, by God's assisting grace it shall be so no more; rather be you my love henceforth till death.

Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....

Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified.
All: Have mercy on Us.
Leader: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All: Amen.

Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time

+JMJ+
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Jesus, the cross you have been carrying is very heavy. You are becoming weak and almost ready to faint, and you fall down. Nobody seems to want to help you. The soldiers are interested in getting home, so they yell at you and try to get you up and moving again.

As a child, sometimes I start to do something, but then get tired of it. I hurry to get finished and sometimes don't do my work well. Sometimes I don't pay attention to what I should be doing. When things get hard for me, sometimes I give up.

As an adult, I sometimes put things off. I give up too easily, and sometimes don't do my work as well as I know I can.

My Jesus, the heavy burden of my sins is on Thee, and bears Thee down beneath the cross. I loathe them, I detest them; I call on Thee to pardon them; may Thy grace aid me never more to commit them.

Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....

Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified.
All: Have mercy on Us.
Leader: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All: Amen.