La misericordia de Dios / God's Merciful Love

Pascua IV - Justicia

Queriendo dar a todos por igual, nos cerramos para recibir

P. Luis J. Tamayo

Estamos ya en el 4º domingo de Pascua. La Iglesia nos regala 50 días de Pascua para asimilar la grandeza de la resurrección de Cristo, para concluir este tiempo con la fiesta de Pentecostés.  Todas estas semanas de Pascua son tiempo de asimilación. Recordamos que a los discípulos les costó entender que significó que Cristo había resucitado, por eso Cristo se apareció sucesivamente durante 50 días para confirmarles que estaba vivo y que a partir de este momento habían de acostumbrarse a relacionarse con él de manera distinta: desde la fe.

La pregunta vuelve a ser la misma: ¿Qué implica la resurrección en mi? Hemos decidido profundizar en las virtudes como un regalo de Cristo resucitado que nos capacita desde dentro a vivir de una forma nueva. Con la resurrección de Cristo en el corazón del hombre llegamos a descubrir que el cristianismo no es una obligación de normas que se me imponen desde fuera, sino que es el don y regalo de Cristo que desde dentro del corazón capacita para vivir con una nueva fortaleza la alegría de unos nuevos valores.

Esto es lo que la Iglesia cristiana Oriental ha llamado siempre como la divinización del hombre. A nosotros, en la Iglesia Latina se nos ha educado más desde el seguimiento de Cristo hasta la cruz… y poco se nos ha enseñado toda esta perspectiva del regalo que nos hace Dios de la divinización, es decir, de apropiarnos de la fuerza del resucitado para vivir con una nueva vitalidad el cristianismo.

Vivir las virtudes es participar de la divinización. San Ireneo habla del “maravilloso intercambio”: Dios se hizo hombre para que el hombre se hiciese dios.

La virtud que hoy contemplamos es la justicia: Según el catecismo de la Iglesia, es la constante y firme voluntad de dar a Dios y al prójimo lo que le es debido. La justicia para con Dios es el amor que le debemos (se traduce en dedicarle tiempo al diálogo con Él, cultivar la vida interior, conocer su Palabra, etc.) La justicia para con los hombres nos dispone a respetar a cada persona, promover la equidad y el bien común.

Muchas veces dar a cada persona lo que le es debido no es fácil. Encontrar el equilibrio de lo que es justo según el amor es realmente una capacidad que viene desde dentro. ¿Cuántas veces nos ponemos delante de las situaciones tomando partido? Es decir, no siendo justos ni equilibrados… la naturaleza nos lleva a inclinarnos por el que nos cae bien, nos lleva a favorecer a unos y a desinteresarnos por otros no afines a mis gustos. 

Jesús resucitado viene a regalarnos la capacidad de un corazón justo, un corazón equitativo. Jesús viene a darte esa mirada serena frente a esa situación y con ella viene la intuición de lo que es justo y la fuerza para ello. Esto nace dese dentro por gracia. Hay que pedirlo en la oración.

En el evangelio Juan 10, 27-30 dijo Jesús: - “Mis ovejas escuchan mi voz, y yo las conozco, y ellas me siguen, y yo les doy la vida eterna; no perecerán para siempre, y nadie las arrebatará de mi mano.”

Jesús conoce a todos por igual, nadie se escapa de su cuidado y amor. ¿Cuál es la justicia de Jesús? Es darle al hombre lo más grande que tiene y a todos por igual. Jesús nos viene a dar su vida eterna. “Yo les doy la vida eterna”, es decir, lo que es eterno y da la plenitud del corazón: el amor incondicional, el perdón sin regatear, la alegría de corazón… todo esto es tuyo porque Dios quiere regalártelo, sin mirar lo que tu haces, si cumples o no, si eres bueno o no, si te comprometes o no… puesto que la justicia es, como veíamos arriba, dar a cada uno lo que le es debido. Jesús dice en el evangelio de Mateo (5, 45): “El Padre hace salir el sol sobre malos y buenos, y hace llover sobre los justos e injustos”.

Entre los hombres nos hacemos daño y a veces pides perdón y no te lo dan, pues se guardan resentimientos, sin embargo, ¿a quien se le niega el perdón cuando acudes al sacramento de la reconciliación, a pesar de las faltas de amor que acumulamos contra Él? Entre nosotros si ignoras a alguien y lo desatiendes, luego si buscas que te reciba te llamará interesado, sin embargo, ¿a quien de nosotros se le niega la eucaristía cuando vas a comulgar, a pesar de habernos olvidado tantas veces de Jesús?

Él no se frena en dar, Él da todos, pero también su justicia es dar a cada uno lo que quiera recibir. No es que Él no de, sino que yo no quiero recibir de Él muchas veces, entonces Jesús en su justicia y equidad no fuerza. Se duele, se entristece, pues queriendo dar a todos por igual, muchos de nosotros nos cerramos para recibir. Esto es un corazón duro, un corazón autosuficiente, un corazón que a la larga se hace injusto puesto que no quiere recibir lo que le toca por amor. 

4th Sunday of Easter

Fr. James McTavish, FMVD

Vocation or vacation?

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. One of my Mexican companions always struggled with “sh” and would always say “Good chipard Sunday”. Once in a homily he said “The good chipard loves his chips”. Now in greek, good is kalos which also means beautiful, so Christ is not only the Good Shepherd but also the beautiful one.

Ever since I discovered the Word of God I knew I had found something beautiful. In fact the very first time I met Verbum Dei was going to one of their houses in Sydney in 1998. I knocked on the door and was greeted by a Spanish sister. I asked her how she was and she responded that she was gorgeous. I think she meant to say she was fine. But listening to their preaching of the Word of God that night I discovered something gorgeous. That we can listen to God through his Word – we have a God who is not silent but one who speaks. How beautiful to be able to pray, to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. Jesus said “I am the Good Shepherd. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10). One of the biggest problems we have is to listen to the other sheep and not to the Good Shepherd.

Listening to the Good Shepherd gives security. When you have a difficulty and turn to the Good Shepherd to guide you he will tell you “You will have struggles in the world but be brave! I have conquered the world” (John 16,33). What security we can have. As the famous psalm 23 tells us “Even if I should walk through the valley of darkness no evil will I fear for you walk beside me”. We are safe and secure in the arms of the Good Shepherd “I know my sheep. They shall never perish and no one will steal them from me” (See John 10, 27-30). Before I entered religious life, before I really knew Christ, what gave me security was my job, my career. It gave me more security than my relationships. But on discovering the Word of God, listening to the Good Shepherd every day, I started to find my life had more direction and meaning. I was not like a lost sheep any more. I was invited on a one day silent retreat and that day I understood the words “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14,23). Christ wants to live with us, in us. What security a life in him gives us. This is the vocation of every Christian.

The world offers many securities but they will all pass. We can spend a lot of money on insurance – for our health, life, work, car, house and teeth but often what security we experience when we have the assurance of Christ himself “I will never abandon you! You are mine, you belong to me. I will be with you always, until the end of time”. To see a Christian rooted in Christ, firm in the love of the Good Shepherd we need only look at the life of Paul in the first reading today. He was convinced by and in love with Christ. Look at the hostility he experienced – “So they began to oppose with insults whatever Paul said but he spoke out firmly”. Well done St Paul! How about us? Have we allowed ourselves to be convinced by the Good Shepherd yet? How do we react in front of difficulties and hardships?

Sometimes in our communities and families there are differences of opinion. Sometimes we even say that we have been insulted. “I didn’t like the way he spoke to me because it was insulting and demeaning”. What did he say? “He told me that I was not committed to my community and that I was half-hearted in my discipleship”. Ah, you are offended not because it is an insult but because it is true. Sometimes we say it is an insult but it is because we do not want to be corrected! We are hard headed and hard hearted. How often pride masquerades as “sensitivity”. Anyway we should remember what the Good Shepherd tells us “Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body. Be afraid of the one who can cast body and soul into the depths”. It is the same old problem again – we listen more to the other sheep than to the Good Shepherd. He tells us “You will not perish, no one can snatch you from my hand”. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Jesus our Good Shepherd has a firm grip on us. He asks us to respond to him. We should embrace our vocation but instead we want a vacation. How do I see my following of Christ? A vocation or a vacation? Fifty fifty? How great to say like St Paul “my life is Christ”. I want to help Jesus reach out to many lost sheep. Like the image on the bronze door of St Peter’s basilica showing the Good Shepherd hanging from a rock to save a lost sheep. The bronze panel bears the Latin inscription “Salvare quod perierat” which means to save those who are lost. Do you know someone who is lost? For sure the Good Shepherd is trying to reach out to them.

Our vocation as Christians is to offer our hands to help him reach out, to offer our minds and creativity. What a shame that so much use their creativity to plan their leisure time, use their minds how to make money at other people’s expense – how few give to God what belongs to him, how few use their time, talents and treasure to build the Kingdom. Will you take seriously the calling, the vocation you have from your very baptism, to assist Christ in his mission of shepherding? Or are you just looking for a vacation from your responsibilities and duties as a Christian? We will have plenty of time to rest in heaven. In the meantime let us offer our lives as a living sacrifice, to help the Good Shepherd reach out to many people who are still lost. Amen.

Pascua III - Fortaleza

FORTALEZA: Firmeza en las dificultades

(Luis J. Tamayo)

Estamos en el tercer domingo de Pascua. Recordamos que así como la Iglesia nos dio 40 días de Cuaresma para la preparación de la Semana Santa ahora nos regala 50 días de Pascua para asimilar la grandeza de la resurrección de Cristo y lo que a nosotros nos implica, para concluir con Pentecostés (la venida del Espíritu Santo a los hombres).

El tiempo de Pascua empieza con el Domingo de Resurrección, culmen de la semana santa. Estas semanas siguientes son tiempo de asimilación. A los discípulos les costó entender que significó que Cristo había resucitado, por eso Cristo se apareció sucesivamente durante 50 días para confirmarles que estaba vivo y que a partir de este momento habían de acostumbrarse a relacionarse con él de manera distinta: una nueva relación, desde la fe, desde la vida interior y espiritual.

La pregunta ahora es: ¿Qué implica la resurrección en mi?

Me encanta preguntar a los niños, pues desde su inocencia son geniales. El otro día en la misa de los niños les preguntaba: si Jesús ha resucitado ¿dónde ha resucitado? ¿dónde se encuentra ahora? Uno espera que le digan: “en el cielo”, pero una niña respondió: “Jesús ha resucitado en mi corazón”. Esta es la locura de la resurrección que Cristo ha resucitado y para siempre se quedó presente en mi, en la comunidad, en la Historia. Sus palabras son estas: “Ya no soy yo quien vive, sino es Cristo quien vive en mi” (Gal 2,20) – presente en mi; “Cuando dos o más se reúnen en mi nombre ahí estoy yo presente” (Mt ) – en la comunidad; “Estaré con vosotros hasta el fin de la historia”(Mt 28,20) – y en la historia. Esta es la realidad, quiera o no reconocerle, me de cuenta o no, me lo crea o no… Él está vivo en mi y en ti. Nada se le escapa.

Esto tiene unas implicaciones muy fuertes pues nos ayuda a entender que la religión no es una moral del deber, del tener que… Tengo que ser honesto, no tengo que decir mentiras, tengo que perseverar, Una religión desde el peso del “tengo que”, el peso de la ley se convierte en una moral que se hace una carga.  No es algo que libere, sino que se hace una carga. Así nos va a los cristianos que ponemos cargas unos a otros.

¿Quién no ha vivido este comentario? “Mira que hacer eso, ¿no entiendo para que vas a misa?”... es decir que al final es que por ser cristiano uno tiene que ser perfecto. Más que animarnos nos desanimamos mutuamente. (chiste)

El evangelio dice (Jn 21, 1-14): “No sabían que era Jesús”, pero Jesús no le recrimina a Pedro que no le reconoce… sino que Él vino a su vida para capacitarle, para abrirle los ojos: “Yo se que tu no puedes, pero yo en ti si puedo. Yo vengo a capacitarte desde dentro a vivir una vida nueva”.

¿Por qué estas homilías en Pascua sobre las virtudes? (Fortaleza,  justicia, templanza y prudencia) Porque no es algo que se me impone desde fuera, sino que la fuerza de la presencia de Jesús en tu corazón viene a capacitare para vivirlas. No es una norma del “tener que”, sino es la alegría de que estás capacitado para vivir de una forma nueva, desde una fuerza que brota de dentro, la fuerza del resucitado.

La fortaleza: es la virtud que asegura la firmeza en las dificultades y la constancia en la búsqueda del bien. Es la fuerza para resistir a las tentaciones y superar los obstáculos en la vida. La virtud de la fortaleza hace capaz de vencer el temor, de hacer frente a las pruebas y persecuciones. (Catecismo nº 1808)

Pedro dice: “me voy a pescar”, es decir, como Jesús ha muerto tiro la toalla y me vuelvo a la vida de antes… ¿para que todo esto? No tiene sentido. Jesús viene a traerle la fortaleza desde dentro. Cuando yo quiero tirar la toalla… abre los ojos!, párate!, reflexiona! pues está Cristo resucitado dentro de ti dándote la fuerza para perseverar, para vencer el temor, para seguir tu compromiso.

Jesús les dice: “¿tenéis pescado?”, es decir, ¿has conseguido algo con volver a lo de siempre?. Ellos contestaron: “No”… Entonces Jesús les dice: “Echad la red a la derecha y encontrarás”, es decir, vuelve a seguirme, intenta seguir mis pasos y ya verás que ahora puedes, pues yo te doy la fuerza desde dentro. Pedro, antes me seguías desde el voluntarismo, ahora date cuenta que soy yo quien te capacito desde dentro.

Entonces Pedro le reconoce, y Jesús le dice: “traed los peces que acabáis de coger”. Pedro subió a la barca y arrastró hasta la orilla la red repleta de peces grandes… Pedro experimento en sí una fortaleza para perseverar y arrastrar a otros hacia Cristo. La fortaleza está en ti, es Cristo dentro quien te da la fuerza para resistir las tentaciones y superar los obstáculos en la vida. La virtud de la fortaleza te hace capaz de vencer el temor, de hacer frente a las pruebas de la vida.

La fortaleza y la perseverancia no es algo que yo me doy a mi mismo, por eso es una virtud. La virtud como veíamos el domingo pasado se consigue a través del esfuerzo sostenido por la gracia recibida en la oración. La vivencia de las virtudes es Cristo actuando en mi. Es importante entender que no es ese “vamos ahora a ser virtuosos” como una carga más a ver si alcanzo algo imposible… sino que las virtudes están ya en ti como potencia, están en la fuerza del resucitado y de uno depende el querer vivirlas y desarrollarlas.

3rd Sunday of Easter

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

“If you love me, feed my sheep”

This week we were invited to celebrate mass in a women’s prison. More than 500 inmates attended. The mass was in Tagalog and I had to prepare a homily. I experienced the great desire of the Risen Lord to nourish the members of his Body, the Church. I asked if it is possible to enjoy freedom in any situation. They enjoyed to hear how many holy men and women had spent time in prison – the first Pope (Peter) and the apostle of the Gentiles (Paul) to name but a few. They also enjoyed to hear that I had spent a night behind bars sobering up after a noisy night out with fellow students 20 years ago. Now maybe you have never been in prison, or maybe you were just never caught, but it is fascinating to see the boldness of the apostles inspired by the desire of the Risen Christ to nourish his people.

Now what happened to Peter? Before he followed the authorities and denied Jesus. Now he is saying “Better to obey God than human authorities”. What can these human authorities be? Well they include MY opinion and even the desires of the flesh. Like one woman who was asking me in a consultation if it was wrong for her to have an affair with a married man. She knew the answer already, that it is better to obey the voice of God speaking in her conscience than to obey the voice of the devil. Whenever we follow our flesh, whenever our God is our belly, when we find that we never inconvenience ourselves to pray, that leisure time, movies, internet and TV have priority over spiritual things then it is time to ask ourselves sincerely “Do I obey God or just human authorities?”

What is worse is when we teach others to obey us and not to obey God. For example many children want to attend mass but are prevented because the faith of the parents is weak and has been neglected. Or when a young professional of 26 felt that the Lord was calling her to do an Easter retreat – “Jesus wanted me to go”, she said, “but my parents said no”. Even how many marriages suffer because the in-laws behave like outlaws and won’t let the couple make their own decisions. 

To really obey the Lord we need to come to him to receive the necessary grace. This is why we pray. As many of the Saints attest, including St Alphonsus Liguori, the one who does not pray is lost. In the reading from the book of Revelations the multitudes fall prostrate before the Lamb of God. He is worthy to lay down one’s life for. Many today will sacrifice their life for the stock market, for sporting glory but He alone is worthy to give your whole life for. A sign that all comes from him, that our existence depends on God’s grace and the gifts associated with the Lamb – power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and praise – are 7 in all. All good things come from God to those who ask. When we do not pray we cannot be effective messengers. Here in Philippines it is election time and many candidates go around blasting out their campaign message with catchy tunes attached. At times you wonder whether it is an election or a disco. One candidate came and many tunes were being blasted out. At the end I did not catch the name of the person or the message only the disco tunes. We can make a lot of noise but what remains? One priest I know, a scholar from the Biblicum institute for bible studies in Rome gave very learned homilies. Another brother, very simple, would spend time on his knees in front of the tabernacle preparing his preaching. After the former spoke, many would say “A wise man spoke to me today” and after the latter “God himself spoke to me today”. The sharing of God’s presence cannot be improvised. Intimacy with God and knowledge of him cannot be faked.

For this reason Jesus in the gospel today (John 21,1-19) invites the disciples into this intimate communion with him – “Come and eat breakfast”. The disciples have just made a big catch but Jesus does not want them to just remain in the successes. He knows there will be hardships to come, sufferings, hardships and imprisonment. What will allow the apostles to endure and overcome is not their record of successes but their union with the Risen Lord. “Come and eat, come and dine with me. For the food I give my body, to drink I give you my blood”. After they had eaten Jesus asks the famous question, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Here Jesus makes a specific link between love for him and love for the mission. Jesus does not say “If you love me, sing for me”, “If you love me, tell me so”. He makes his salvific will very clear, “If you love me, feed my sheep”. Jesus asks Peter to become a shepherd. Not always to be the lost sheep. It is a step of maturity, not always to receive but to give. It is interesting the wording of the Greek text. There are two words used for love, agape which is a perfect, selfless love and philo which is the love of a friend, perhaps with some self interest involved. Jesus asks Peter if his love is agape? Peter responds twice that it is philo. The third time Jesus asks “Do you love me” but this time asks if the love is philo. Peter becomes disappointed with the realization that his love is not as perfect as he would like. But still Jesus responds “Feed my sheep”. Love with the love you have and do not be disappointed.

We too experience disappointments when we see our response is not up to standard. We can become disappointed by others, our loved ones, disappointed by the Church and its members but in all this the Risen Lord invites us to keep going, to keep loving and responding. Our little love can never match the great love of Christ, or as St Bernard would note “Can the bee match the honey for sweetness? Never.” But we are not discouraged as nothing is lacking where everything is given. Christ only asks Peter to feed others when he himself has been nourished. Don’t live anymore like a sheep. You are a shepherd now. When you were younger you used to go where you wanted to. Now you are growing in a mature love I will take you by the hand and lead you where you do not want to go. The grace and strength of those words of Christ fired up Peter and the rest of the apostles. Where he went the others followed. We too need this strong encounter with the Risen Christ or we remain prisoners. Lord help us to be free! Help us not to obey the princes of this world, but to obey your voice of love in our hearts. And may we be inspired like Peter to show our love for you by feeding your sheep and being responsible in our daily mission. Amen

Pascua II

Quien te creó sin ti, no te salvará sin ti.

(P. Luis J. Tamayo)

Después de la semana Santa estamos en el tiempo de Pascua. ¿Qué es este tiempo pascual? Dos cosas: Primero, es el tiempo en el que Jesús se aparece a sus amigos y discípulos durante 50 días para confirmarles que Él está vivo, que ha vencido a la muerte y para acostumbrarles a reconocerle de una forma nueva, desde la fe. Y segundo: para ayudarles a entender que todos estamos llamados a participar de la vida resucitada ya en el aquí y ahora. Si el venció la muerte, nosotros unidos a él podemos vencerla… aquí y ahora. Unidos a Él podemos vencer nuestro pecado, nuestros vicios, nuestros defectos de carácter, nuestras faltas. Todo aquello que nos conduce a la muerte espiritual, ahora, unidos a Él puede ser vencido, pues el venció la muerte.

Estas 6 semanas (incluido el domingo anterior) quisiera hablar de las virtudes cristianas como la posibilidad de participar de la resurrección de Cristo aquí y ahora, como el camino de crecimiento y superación en la gracia, como el camino para hacer realidad el participar de la vida resucitada, como el camino para concretar la posibilidad de nuestra victoria sobre la muerte y el pecado.

El Domingo pasado fue la resurrección. Hoy la participación en la resurrección de Cristo y el regalo que Él nos hace de la gracia para cultivar las virtudes como superación y crecimiento en una vida de gracia. Los siguientes domingos veremos las cuatro virtudes cardinales: fortaleza, justicia, templanza y prudencia.

Para vivir esta nueva vida encontramos dificultades, los mismos discípulos la tuvieron. La dificultad la encontramos en nosotros mismos. La tradición siempre ha entendido este pasaje del Evangelio (Jn 20, 19-31) como el del envío de los doce, la institución del sacramento de la confesión, y sobre todo como el de Tomás el dudoso. Yo pienso: Como si sólo hubiera sido Tomás el que tuvo dudas… por lo que leemos en el Evangelio, todos, en un momento u otro dudaron.

Cuando pregunto ¿creemos que Jesús ha resucitado? Si, pero creemos intelectualmente. Mientras no aspire a la práctica constante de una vida de virtudes sostenida por la gracia, existencialmente aún no creo. Pues la resurrección de Cristo no es ajena a mí, sino que me vincula aquí y ahora. “Hemos resucitado en Cristo”.

Tomas es el prototipo de cualquiera de nosotros. Tomás tuvo dudas, como cualquiera de nosotros puede tenerlas. ¿quién no tiene dudas? ¿quién no se deja llevar por el pesimismo? ¿quién no ha experimentado alguna vez el verlo todo negro? ¿quién no se ha dejado llevar por el desorden, la apatía, el miedo, el bloqueo, etc.? el problema no son los defectos, sino la actitud que tomo delante de los defectos personales.

Todos acarreamos con defectos que están enraizados en nuestra carácter, y estas son las dificultades de que hablamos arriba. Levante la mano quien se considere perfecto! Tire la primera piedra quien no tenga pecado… pero el problema no son los defectos, sino que hago con los defectos de carácter. 

¿Qué significa la resurrección para nosotros? ¿Que significa participar de la resurrección de Cristo? Es la posibilidad de crecimiento, es poner toda la positividad en el hombre, es creer que el pecado no tiene la última palabra, que si Cristo venció la muerte, el hombre, por medio de su esfuerzo y la gracia puede ir superando y venciendo todo vicio, pecado, faltas, defectos, etc.

En el reino animal el águila es un bello ejemplo del cambio eficaz. A los 30 años su pico se deteriora y no puede alimentarse, las uñas se debilitan y no puede agarrar a la presa, sus plumas se vuelven tan pesadas que no puede volar. El águila está a punto de morir. Pero el águila cambia para no morir. Lija su pico hasta que cae, cuando crece un pico uno nuevo arranca las uñas y cuando salen las nuevas saca las plumas hasta que crecen otras livianas. Así vivirá hasta los 70 años. Decimos que el hombre es un animal de costumbres, y a veces el no cambiarlas le lleva al deterioro.

A Jesús no le importó la falta de fe, las dudas, o el pesimismo de Tomás. Jesús no le recriminó el que no creyese, Jesús vino a enseñarle una nueva actitud frente a la vida. “Tomás a partir de ahora has de ver tu vida con ojos nuevos, no puedes regirte como hasta ahora lo has hecho”; pero yo te voy a ayudar… dame tu mano, dame tu dedo… toma de la gracia.

Tomás cambió, de la duda, pasó a la fe, del miedo pasó a la perseverancia, de la prontitud a negar pasó a la prudencia de afirmar, etc. el deseo de Jesús para contigo y conmigo lo vemos en Tomás, Jesús busca regalarnos la gracia de convertir el defecto en virtud. Pero para cambiar cualquier defecto en virtud hace falta dos cosas: Primero, hay que estar dispuesto a cambiar, una de las cosas que todos nos resistimos; y segundo, hay que pedir la asistencia de la gracia divina de forma constante.

El catecismo de la Iglesia define la virtud como una disposición habitual y firme a hacer el bien. Dice, que permite a la persona no sólo realizar actos buenos, sino dar lo mejor de si misma. Con todas sus fuerzas sensibles y espirituales, la persona virtuosa tiende hacia el bien, lo busca y lo elige a través de acciones concretas. Esto es participar de una vida resucitada.

Las virtudes humanas se adquieren mediante la educación, actos deliberados, y la perseverancia reanudada siempre en el esfuerzo, y concluye diciendo, que son purificadas y elevadas por la gracia divina, es decir, con la ayuda de Dios forjan el carácter y se hacen espontáneas en el hombre. Participar de la resurrección de Cristo implica esfuerzo y gracia. La voluntad nunca queda anulada, pero sin la voluntad la gracia poco puede. San Agustín dice: Quien te creó sin ti, no te salvará sin ti.

El hombre o crece y cambia, o muere. ¿Qué es una vida sin aprender algo nuevo, sin aspirar a mejorar, sin deseos de superarse, sin ganas de alcanzar metas nuevas? Esto es morir en vida, es no creer en la resurrección. 

La fe en el resucitado da fruto en nuestras vidas si es usada todos los días. Cristo ha resucitado, esta es la verdad de nuestra fe, y esta fe hay que aplicarla todos los días de nuestra vida.

Érase una vez un sacerdote y un fabricante de jabón que estaban dando un paseo. El fabricante de jabón le dijo: "Padre, ¿para qué sirve la religión? Mire la miseria y las guerras y el sufrimiento que hay en el mundo. Después de tantas oraciones, sermones y enseñanzas todo sigue igual. Si la religión es buena y verdadera, ¿por qué todo sigue igual?" Siguieron caminando y se encontraron con un niño todo sucio.

El sacerdote le dijo al fabricante de jabón: "Mire ese niño. Usted dice que el jabón limpia pero ese niño sigue estando sucio. ¿Para qué sirve el jabón?". El fabricante de jabón le contestó: "Padre, el jabón no puede evitar la suciedad a no ser que sea usado todos los días." Exacto replicó el sacerdote, exacto.

Easter II

Fr James McTavish FMVD

Living the Risen life in Christ

One evening, a husband and wife were driving along a narrow country road. The husband said to his wife, a hairdresser, “Honey there are so many rabbits and hares here”. “Darling” she replied “you would know that because you are a vet”. Suddenly the car hit something. They got out to look and there was a dead animal in front of the car. “Is it a rabbit or a hare” asked the wife. “I don’t know” said the husband “but it is dead anyway”. Now the wife had been praying hard during the Octave of Easter, meditating on the resurrection appearances of the Lord. “The Lord is risen from the dead” she said, “there is still hope”. She reached into her handbag, pulled out a lotion and began rubbing it into the little creature. Little by little it opened its eyes, its ears sprang up and it came back to life again. Standing on his feet, a little unsteady at first, he gave them a wave and started to bounce off into the countryside. After 5 metres he stopped, turned and gave them a wave. Bouncing on a little further he stopped again, turned around and gave them a wave before carrying on. “Wow, a miracle” said the husband, “what was in the bottle?” The wife read the label “Hair restorer with permanent wave”.

When we enter into the spirit of the resurrection everything changes. Jesus appears again and again to his disciples to help them understand and enter more deeply into the mystery. What is interesting is that none of them recognized him at first – the disciples of Emmaus did not recognize him, neither did Mary Magdalene. The Risen Christ is the one who reveals himself, the one who opens their eyes, heart and minds. So the question for every Christian this week is “When did Christ appear to me during the week?” Don’t just live the resurrection in a general way. For sure Christ is risen but that intellectual knowledge alone will not save me. It is like the difference between knowing that God is love and actually experiencing in my life situation that he loves me. It is one thing to know what honey is and another thing to taste it. Jesus is so patient with his disciples and with us, appearing again and again to them. Let us pray for the grace to recognize him!

In the gospel today the disciples are behind locked door because of fear. In that moment Jesus stands in their midst and says “Peace be with you”. In fact he says it three times because often we are so agitated. Just one little change in the plans and we lose peace! I was fretting because no one seemed to be following the plans we had made and the Risen Lord was reminding me “Peace be with you!” This week we have been staying in the house of our Sisters in Tagaytay which is about 1.5 hours from Manila. It has been a good chance to try to practice our Tagalog. Some young teenagers said they would visit and help us practice so they came along with many others. 36 in all! We organized some games and then they did some drawing of the members of their family. At the end we were trying to share a little about family values to them which was quite challenging in Tagalog. But thanks be to God for the gift of community as one of our Filipina sisters came to our rescue. In community, helping each other, the Risen Lord approaches us many times through one another to say “Peace be with you!”

Jesus then breathes on his disciples and says “As the Father sent me so I am sending you” How was Jesus sent? Full of the Holy Spirit. The Church Fathers refer to the Holy Spirit as the kiss between the Father and the Son. When I went to school I always gave my mum a kiss. How great to go to the mission with the kiss of the Spirit moving us. How much we need the Spirit to be witnesses of the resurrection. The Spirit inspires us to share, like in the second reading from Revelations where it tells John to write down all that he sees and share it. We can easily live this too as we can write many things on Facebook, on a blog and by email. How great to use the mass media to witness to the resurrection. A resurrected life is a life in the Spirit. Remember the action of God in Genesis, forming man from the dust of the earth but then breathing life into him, animating him, just like our little rabbit! In medicine there is the kiss of life which you can give to a person who has stopped breathing. Look around. We can see many who are not breathing in the world of today. They need the kiss of the Gospel, someone to share the good news to them. “Kiss me with your mouth” is the cry of the wounded body of Christ for someone to announce the gospel to it. The world needs the breath of the Spirit, the sweet smelling air freshener of the the Gospel. Today we will have a rosary and some people will share their experience of the Risen Christ in their lives. How refreshing! In a rarefied and polluted atmosphere of doubts, criticisms and a lack of faith ‘may Christ be the air you breath” (St Athanasius).

Be sure that while we procrastinate and make excuses for not announcing the Good news many will have no such qualms to announce bad news. Inviting others with boldness to get drunk, to watch pornography and take drugs. How can we remain silent? Some good news that is important to share is the Church’s so called second best kept secret. The first best kept secret is the Teaching of her Social Doctrine but what is her second best kept secret? Natural Family Planning or NFP for short. It is so well kept that only 0.4% of married women of reproductive age in the Philippines use modern NFP. It is really a treasure hidden in a field, a precious pearl. It is sad that in a poor area near our house many women have heard about pills, injections and sterilization. They have heard the ‘bad news’ but it seems that no one has told them the good news that there is a safe, moral and effective way to plan a family and space the birth of children. It seems that already certain agencies have reached them with the bad news but there has been no one to tell them good news. How can they honestly make good reproductive health choices if they do not have the correct information? Maybe you reader are also misinformed? Another word for a lack of desire to discover the truth is sin. As Pope John Paul II reminded us “Be vigilant because we are living in a culture of death”.

The Institute of Reproductive Health (See www.irh.org) at Georgetown University in the States is a world pioneer in safe and effective methods of modern natural family planning. Two modern methods researched include – the Standard days method with an effectiveness when correctly used of 95% and the TwoDay method (96% effectiveness). Considering that more than half the couples in the Philippines do not use any method whatsoever there is an urgent need to make the knowledge of modern NFP more readily available. In this light I applaud Archbishop Ledesma, S.J., for his pastoral plan in Cagayan de Oro, to offer correct information about NFP in all the parishes there. Well done Bishop Ledesma! In this way women and married couples can be empowered to male informed choices about the planning of their family.

May the Holy Spirit inspire us more and more to search for the truth. May we not just follow what is easy or convenient. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen warned us “Even a dead body floats downstream” It is sometimes easy to go with the flow but may the Spirit of the Risen Christ inspire us, animate us to search for the truth and to do it. Amen.

Resurrección!!

Toda la historia de la salvación en la Biblia desemboca en este punto: En que María Magdalena, en que los discípulos de Emaús, en que Juan, Pedro, Santiago, y tantos otros, se encuentran con Jesús resucitado, y experimentan el perdón que salva, el amor que restaura, la misericordia que levanta.

La fe en el resucitado da unas claves muy útiles para entender la vida humana.  Necesitamos algo que de sentido a toda nuestra historia. Sin algo que explique todo lo que pasa en nuestras vidas y en el mundo en general, la vida se vuelve absurda. Muchos interrogantes invaden nuestra mente y nuestro corazón. Porque tanto dolor. Porque mi pecado. Porque caí donde caí. Porque tantas lágrimas derramadas. Porque la muerte, la enfermedad, el pecado, la desdicha.

Cuando el hijo prodigo regresó a la casa del padre destrozado, roto por dentro, en la profunda experiencia de la soledad y la ruptura interior, también tendría muchas preguntas que hacerse a sí mismo, incluso algún reproche a su Padre. ¿por qué hice lo que hice? ¿por qué hago lo que no quiero y lo que quiero no sale?... Papá ¿por qué me dejaste marchar? ¿Cómo eres tan inconsciente que me diste todo lo que te pedí?

En ese momento, seguro que el hijo no entendió que todo lo que había vivido era necesario. Cuantas veces nos han dicho: por ahí no… y nos dio igual. Sólo, hasta que uno se da el morrazo es cuando se aprende la lección. Muchas veces las caídas, los golpes de la vida, son muy necesarios en la vida.  Son lecciones magistrales de las que aprendemos mucho más que cuando nos dan las instrucciones. La luz de la fe nos ayuda a resituar toda nuestra historia como una historia de salvación, y sólo cuando encontramos mucho amor de Dios, nos damos cuenta que todo lo vivido ha sido necesario para descubrir la gratuidad de tanto amor.

“Tengo por bien reído lo reído, y por bien llorado lo llorado. Porque al final del tiempo he descubierto, que lo que el árbol tiene de florido, le viene de lo que tiene sepultado”.

La vida promiscua de la Magdalena, la avaricia de Mateo, las dudas de Tomás, la locura de Saulo persiguiendo cristianos, las negaciones de Simon… todo había sido necesario para descubrir que solo el amor resucitado de Cristo podía atravesar la barrera del miedo y conquistar la libertad de estos para una vida nueva. Solo el amor resucitado de Cristo podía atravesar la barrera de la muerte de una vida promiscua, la barrera de la muerte que supone la avaricia y el egoísmo, la barrera de la muerte que supone una vida llena de temores y pesimismo… Jesús entra en toda esa miseria humana y le da un vuelco, lo resucita, lo transforma, lo levanta. Cuando Cristo entra comienza algo nuevo: la Magdalena de ser una buscadora de amores por las calles, pasa a ser la de un solo amor en Cristo; mateo el que sólo recauda impuestos lleno de avaricia, pasa a “recaudar” y coleccionar detalles de la vida de Jesús para escribir el Evangelio; Saulo el perseguidor de cristianos, ahora es Pablo el evangelizador de gentiles; Simón quien le negará tres veces, ahora es Pedro la cabeza de la Iglesia.

¿Qué pasó en esas personas que provocó un antes y un después? La experiencia de un amor tan fuerte capaz de conquistar la libertad humana y ganarla para sí. Este es el poder de la resurrección.

¿Por qué Dios no tiene más fuerza en mi? Quizás aún esté demasiado atrapado en mis miedos, en mis vicios, en mi orgullo, y no le dejo entrar todo lo que Él quisiera entrar en mi corazón.

Déjale entrar, déjate amar, déjate abrazar ahí dónde aún tienes resistencias, dónde aún tienes miedos, dónde aún sientes vergüenza, deja que su amor resucitador penetre y su Luz alcance tu oscuridad. Déjate resucitar ahí dónde hay aún muerte… esto lo hace el milagro de la confesión… sacar a la luz las heridas que son de muerte y ponerlas a la luz de su amor sanador.

Y desde aquí comenzar con un compromiso nuevo, con nuevas fuerzas, con una nueva ilusión. La gracia resucitadora te levante, te de el entusiasmo, la alegría para seguir a Cristo en tu vida.  Ya no eres Simón, eres Pedro un hombre nuevo. Ya no eres “la Magdalena”, eres María Magdalena una mujer nueva. Ya no eres Saulo, eres Pablo, un hombre nuevo.

The Veneration of the Cross

Fr James McTavish FMVD

Transformation in Love

Today we celebrate the veneration of the cross. We sing the acclaim “Behold the wood of the cross on which is hung our salvation”. The first reading proclaims “See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him so marred was his look beyond human semblance and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man so shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless”. (Is 52,13-15). What is happening? What is going on this day? Why do we venerate the cross when at first glance it seems a failure and an object of scorn? In many countries of today the crucifix is being banned. In Japan many cannot understand what this man is doing on a cross, it seems so shameful.

We have to dialogue with Jesus, ask him. Lord what are you doing there on the cross? Jesus will tell us “Look, I am making everything new”. Jesus is renewing the world with his love. What helps me to understand the love behind the cross is remembering a photograph of my father. In it he is holding my brother and I in his outstretched arms after our baptism. For me it is a picture of selfless love, a young man living as a father, a life of sacrifice and self giving – in short a life of tremendous love which I saw on the face of my smiling father. When we gaze at Jesus on the cross we notice the pain and suffering but we must also notice the great love. Many Saints such as St Francis Xavier even prayed with a crucified Christ who was smiling.

It is of Christ carrying his cross that Pilate says “Here is the man” – he is the model we are called to follow, his is the love we are called to imitate. A love that is crucified. A love that is capable to put to death selfishness. A love that is capable to put to death laziness to reach out to others. Do you know when I first experienced this love in my life I was working in Sydney, Australia. I was a surgeon working hard but when I experienced the love of Christ, I realized there is no greater love than this, for a person to give up his life for me. When I tasted this love I wanted more. It started to change me. I wanted to make this love my own. It is like Pope John Paul II stated in his first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, the Redeemer of man “Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it.” (RH 10). When I left Australia to enter Verbum Dei I had a ‘despedida’. The theme was “My life is Christ”. I was not totally sure what it meant at first but I realized that this is what I want for my life, to be like Christ. That is what fascinated me, that Jesus wanted to walk around the streets of Sydney in my life, to speak to others through my mouth, to touch their lives them with my very hands.

That was more than 10 years ago. I see that his love has transformed me, it has made me a new person. I never ever shared about my faith in public ever when I lived in the UK but now I find it difficult to keep quiet! I want to announce and dedicate my whole life to shouting to the world of today that only the love of Christ satisfies us.

Jesus asks us to imitate his crucified love. To put to death in us all that stops us loving and giving our lives. Our shyness, our laziness, our cynicisms. Put it all to death with Christ on his cross. May we be able to crucify all that stops us loving. We need a more mature love. Sometimes I find my love very immature. When I was 5 if I didn’t like someone they could not come to my birthday party. But if I liked them, well they can come to my party. This is fine when we are 5 but now at 25, 35, 45 our love needs to be more mature. Sometimes my love is still the same. I sent a text to someone saying respond a.s.a.p. – as soon as possible. They ignored it. I noticed that same reaction “Right, you are not coming to my birthday party!” It is time to grow up.

Jesus goes to the cross to teach us how to love. Not any old love will change the world but a crucified love can make all things new. Jesus is not just looking for adorers or admirers but he wants decided imitators. We cannot understand this love at a distance, it is not a spectator sport. There was a cross of Christ in the seminary of St John Vianney in Cagayan de Oro. One hand is nailed to the cross but the other is reaching out. “Come and join me, don’t be afraid. My crucified love can make everything new”. Let us not be afraid to join Christ on the cross. As Pope John Paul II reminded us “The man who wishes to understand himself thoroughly-and not just in accordance with immediate, partial, often superficial, and even illusory standards and measures of his being-he must with his unrest, uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into him with all his own self, he must "appropriate" and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself.”

If we don’t enter into this experience of love we will never find out what it is to be human. We say we are only human, if only we truly were! Jesus offers us the true essence of what it means to be man. Lord I want to be like you, walk like you, talk like you, love like you! And Jesus encourages us “Come and join me! Together we can make everything new!”

Eighteen Questions on the Paschal Triduum

Each year, the Secretariat of Divine Worship receives many e-mails and phone calls concerning preparations for the celebration of the Paschal Triduum. The following eighteen questions address the most commonly received questions, and may be freely reproduced by diocesan Offices for Worship, parish Liturgy Committees, and others seeking to promote the effective celebration of these most sacred days.

When does the Triduum begin and end?
The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday.

May another Mass besides the Mass of the Lord’s Supper be celebrated on Holy Thursday?
Ordinarily, no other Mass may be celebrated on Holy Thursday. However, by way of exception, the local Ordinary may permit another Mass in churches and oratories to be celebrated in the evening, and, in the case of genuine necessity, even in the morning. Such Masses are provided for those who in no way are able to participate in the evening Mass.

How are the Holy Oils, consecrated and blessed at the Chrism Mass, to be received in the parish?
A reception of the oils may take place at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The oils, in suitable vessels, are carried in the procession of the gifts, before the bread and wine by members of the assembly. A text for this can be found in the 2004 Sacramentary Supplement published by Catholic Book Publishing Company, or it is available here.

Is the Mandatum, the washing of feet at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, required?
No. The Roman Missal only indicates, “Depending on pastoral circumstances [ubi ratio pastoralis id suadeat], the washing of feet follows the homily.”

When should the Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion take place?
Normally it should take place in the afternoon, at about 3:00 PM, to enable people to assemble more easily. However, pastoral discretion may indicate a time shortly after midday, or in the late evening, though never later than 9:00 PM. Depending on the size or nature of a parish or other community, the local Ordinary may permit the service to be repeated.

May a deacon officiate at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion?
The Roman Missal does not envision the possibility that a deacon could officiate at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, even though it appears that the celebration appears to be a service of the Word with the distribution of Holy Communion. Historically, even though the Eucharist is not celebrated on this day, the liturgy of Good Friday bears resemblance to a Mass. At one time it was called the “Mass of the Presanctified” (referring to the pre-consecrated hosts used at Communion, even when only the priest received Communion). This is also reflected in the prescribed vesture for the priest: stole and chasuble. The liturgy of Good Friday, as an integral part of the Triduum, is linked to the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. While there may be cases where a parish with multiple churches or chapels (e.g., mission churches or a cluster of parishes under one pastor) might rotate the liturgies among the various locations, it would not be appropriate for a community to celebrate only part of the Triduum.

May any of the readings at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion be omitted?
The Lectionary for Mass does not indicate that any readings may be omitted at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. All three readings (Isaiah, Hebrews, and the Passion according to John) are required. It should be noted, however, for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, the Lectionary indicates that while all three readings provided should be used, there may be circumstances in which one or more of the readings at Mass could be omitted: “Given, however, the importance of the account of the Lord’s Passion, the priest, having in mind the character of each individual congregation, is authorized to choose only one of the two readings prescribed before the Gospel, of if necessary, he may read only the account of the Passion, even in the shorter form. This permission applies, however, only to Masses celebrated with a congregation.” Thus, the account of the Passion is never omitted.

Does the Church encourage any other liturgical celebrations on Good Friday?
On this day the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer could appropriately be celebrated with the participation of the people in the churches. Note that Evening Prayer is only prayed by those who do not participate in the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.

Do devotions have a particular importance on Good Friday?
The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2002) provides the proper perspective in paragraphs 142-145. Clearly the central celebration of this day is the Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. In no way should manifestations of popular piety, either by the time or manner in which they are convoked, substitute for this solemn liturgical action. Nor should aspects of the various acts of piety be mixed with the Good Friday celebration, creating a hybrid. In recent times, Passion processions, celebrations of the Stations of the Cross, and Passion Plays have become more common. In such representations, actors and spectators can be involved in a moment of faith and genuine piety. Care should be taken, however, to point out to the faithful that  a Passion Play is a representation which is commemorative and they are very different from “liturgical actions” which are anamnesis, or the mysterious presence of the redemptive event of the Passion.

How does the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday begin?
The Veneration of the Cross begins with one of two forms of the Showing of the Cross. The First Form begins as the deacon or another suitable minister goes to the sacristy and obtains the veiled Cross. Accompanied by two ministers with lighted candles, the veiled Cross is brought to the center of the sanctuary in procession. The priest accepts the Cross and then, standing in front of the altar and facing the people, uncovers the upper part of the Cross, the right arm, and then the entire Cross. Each time he unveils a part of the Cross, he sings This is the wood of the Cross. In the Second Form of the Showing of the Cross, the priest or deacon goes to the church door, where he takes up the uncovered Cross. Accompanied by two ministers with lighted candles, he processes to the sanctuary, stopping at the door of the church, in the middle of the church, and before entering the sanctuary, to sing the acclamation, This is the wood of the Cross.

How is the cross venerated by members of the congregation on Good Friday?
After the showing of the Cross, the priest or deacon may carry the Cross to the entrance of the sanctuary or another suitable place. The first person to adore the Cross is the priest celebrant. If circumstances suggest, he takes off his chasuble and his shoes. The clergy, lay ministers and the faithful then approach the Cross. The personal adoration of the Cross is an important feature in this celebration and every effort should be made to achieve it. The rubrics remind us that “only one Cross” should be used for adoration. If the numbers are so great that all cannot come forward, the priest, after some of the clergy and faithful have adored the Cross, can take it and stand in the center before the altar. In a few words he invites the people to adore the Cross. He then elevates the Cross higher for a brief period of time while the faithful adore it in silence. It should also be kept in mind that when a sufficiently large Cross is used even a large community can reverence it in due time. The foot of the Cross as well as the right and left arm can be approached and venerated. Coordination with ushers and planning the flow of people beforehand can allow for this part of the liturgy to be celebrated with decorum and devotion.

When should the Easter Vigil take place?
The Vigil, by its very nature, must take place at night. It is not begun before nightfall and should end before daybreak on Easter Sunday. The celebration of the Easter Vigil takes the place of the Office of Readings of Easter Sunday. The Easter Vigil begins and ends in darkness. It is a nocturnal vigil, retaining its ancient character of vigilance and expectation, as the Christian people await the Resurrection of the Lord during the night. Fire is blessed and the paschal candle is lighted to illumine the night so that all may hear the Easter proclamation and listen to the word of God proclaimed in the Scriptures. For this reason the Service of Light (Lucernarium) takes place before the Liturgy of the Word. Since sunset varies at different locations throughout the country, local weather stations can be consulted as to the time of sunset in the area, keeping in mind that twilight concludes (i.e., nightfall occurs) somewhat later.

What considerations should be given for the paschal candle used at the Easter Vigil?
This candle should be made of wax, never be artificial, be replaced each year, be only one in number, and be of sufficiently large size that it may convey the truth that Christ is the light of the world. The paschal candle is the symbol of the light of Christ, rising in glory, scattering the darkness of our hearts and minds. Above all, the paschal candle should be a genuine candle, the pre-eminent symbol of the light of Christ. Choice of size, design, and color should be made in relationship to the sanctuary in which it will be placed.

In the case of mission churches and cluster parishes, can multiple paschal candles be used for the Service of Light?
The Roman Missal, not envisioning the pastoral situation of mission churches or cluster parishes, specifies that only one paschal candle is used. To accommodate the particular circumstances, the Secretariat might suggest that the candles from the mission churches or other parish churches could be present at the Easter Vigil, having been prepared in advance, and blessed alongside the main candle (perhaps having deacons or other representatives holding them). In keeping with the rubrics, for the lighting and procession only one candle should be lit (the principal one, or the one which will remain in that particular church). As the other candles in the congregation are lit, the other paschal candles could be lit and held(but not high, in order to maintain the prominence of the one principal candle) by someone at their place in the assembly. Once all the candles are extinguished after the singing of the Exsultet, the other paschal candles are put aside. On Easter Sunday morning, those candles could be taken to each of the missions and carried, lit, in the entrance procession at the first Mass at each church and put in place in the sanctuary.

How many readings should be proclaimed at the Easter Vigil?
One of the unique aspects of the Easter Vigil is the recounting of the outstanding deeds of the history of salvation. These deeds are related in seven readings from the Old Testament chosen from the law and the prophets and two readings from the New Testament, namely from the apostles and from the Gospel. Thus, the Lord meets us once again on our journey and, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets” (Lk 24:27) opens up our minds and hearts, preparing us to share in the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup. The faithful are encouraged to meditate on these readings by the singing of a responsorial psalm, followed by a silent pause, and then by the celebrant’s prayer. Meditation on these readings is so significant for this night that we are strongly urged to use all the readings whenever it can be done. Only in the case of grave pastoral circumstances can the number of readings be reduced. In such cases, at least three readings from the Old Testament should be read, always including Exodus 14.

How is the First Communion of the neophytes to be emphasized during the Easter Vigil?
The celebrant, before he says, This is the Lamb of God, may make a brief remark to the neophytes about their first Communion and about the importance of so great a mystery, which is the climax of initiation and the center of the Christian life. This is a night when all should be able to receive Holy Communion under both forms.

What directions are given for the celebration of Masses on Easter Sunday?
Mass is to be celebrated on Easter Day with great solemnity. A full complement of ministers and the use of liturgical music should be evident in all celebrations. In the dioceses of the United States, on Easter Sunday, the rite of the renewal of baptismal promises takes place after the homily, followed by the sprinkling with water blessed at the Vigil, during which the antiphon Vidi aquam, or some other song of baptismal character should be sung. (It should be noted that the Bishops of the United States have requested to retain this particular adaptation in the forthcoming third edition of the Roman Missal). The holy water fonts at the entrance to the church should also be filled with the same water. On the subsequent Sundays of the Easter season, it is appropriate that the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water take the place of the Act of Penitence (Penitential Rite).

Where is the paschal candle placed during the Easter season?
The paschal candle has its proper place either by the ambo or by the altar and should be lit at least in all the more solemn liturgical celebrations of the season until Pentecost Sunday, whether at Mass, or at Morning and Evening Prayer. After the Easter season the candle should be kept with honor in the baptistery, so that in the celebration of Baptism the candles of the baptized may be lit from it. In the celebration of funerals the paschal candle should be placed near the coffin to indicate Christ’s undying presence, his victory over sin and death, and the promise of sharing in Christ’s victory by virtue of being part of the Body of Christ (see Order of Christian Funerals, no. 35). The paschal candle should not otherwise be lit nor placed in the sanctuary outside the Easter season.