Easter Tuesday

Sr. Danielle Victoria Design, illustration & Jesus

The pelican symbolizes Jesus our Redeemer who gave His life for our redemption and the atonement He made through His passion and death. We were dead to sin and have found new life through the Blood of Christ. Jesus continues to feed us with His body and blood in the holy Eucharist.

This tradition and others is found in the Physiologus, an early Christian work around the second century in Alexandria, Egypt.

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

Franciscan Media Spirituality to renew your soul

In less than 40 years, Gianna Beretta Molla became a pediatric physician, a wife, a mother and a saint!

She was born in Magenta near Milano, the tenth of Alberto and Maria Beretta’s 13 children. An active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and a leader in the Catholic Action movement, Gianna also enjoyed skiing and mountain climbing. She earned degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Pavia, eventually specializing in pediatrics. In 1952, Gianna opened a clinic in the small town of Mesero, where she met engineer Pietro Molla.

Shortly before their 1955 marriage, Gianna wrote to Pietro: “Love is the most beautiful sentiment that the Lord has put into the soul of men and women.” In the next four years the Mollas had three children: Pierluigi, Mariolina, and Laura. Two pregnancies following ended in miscarriage.

Early in her final pregnancy, doctors discovered that Gianna had both a child and a tumor in her uterus. She allowed the surgeons to remove the tumor but not to perform the complete hysterectomy that they recommended, which would have killed the child. Seven months later in April 1962, Gianna Emanuela Molla was born at the hospital in Monza, but post-operative complications resulted in an infection for her mother. The following week Gianna Molla died at home, and was buried in the cemetery of Mesero.

Gianna Emanuela went on to become a physician herself. Gianna Beretta Molla was beatified in 1994 and canonized 10 years later. Her liturgical feast is celebrated on April 28
(2 Minute Read)

“Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.”
– Jn 20:11-16

Divine Mercy Novena - Day 5

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen ✝

Today bring to Me THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAVE SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM MY CHURCH,* and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church, My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion.

Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.

(Now pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet).

Our Sins Repeat “Crucify Him!”

Lois Kerschen Blogger for Musings from the Pew at Patheos

Of course, that means finding Holy Week services wherever we are. Years ago, we attended Good Friday services at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fayetteville, Texas—a small, historically Czech community between Austin and Houston.

The pastor gave a homily that day about Christ’s suffering during the Passion. In particular, the priest described how hurtful it was for Christ to hear the people of Jerusalem call for His crucifixion.

The Gospel tells us that when Pontius Pilate asked the Jews what he should do with Jesus, they cried out “Crucify Him!” Pilate tried to reason with the crowd, but they repeated, “Crucify Him!”

When we read the Passion, the congregation is asked to play the role of the crowd that day and say, “Crucify Him!” when prompted by the narrator. It puts us in the shoes of those in that Jerusalem crowd. We say those terrible words and feel the mania.
(3 Minute Read)

A.M.D.G.