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      I was reading in 1 Corinthians 5: 6-8: "Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?  Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened." May this Easter signify for you the transformation you have been looking forward to, where you can put behind you all of the old stuff that you have been carrying with you, and allow God to bring renewal to your life. That's one of the amazing things the saving act of Jesus can do for us.  Rejoice always! Happy Easter! Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com Follow my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ Check out my YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy

Easter Sunday: when we celebrate the best news humanity's ever had — so far.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Happy Easter! A music video, a few words, and I'm done for the day.)

I was listening to a beautiful recording of the Exsultet, an "ancient hymn of praise" which means REJOICE!  This hymn is typically prayed at the Easter Vigil. I was moved by the words of this hymn, particularly: "Therefore, O Lord, we pray you that this candle, hallowed to the honor of your name, may persevere undimmed, to overcome the darkness of this night." At the Easter Vigil (the night before Easter), everyone's individual candles are lit from the one Easter Candle.  We gather in darkness and the light from our collective candles breaks through the darkness as the Light of Christ spreads. The hymn tells us that this light becomes " a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light." If you have never been to a Catholic Easter Vigil Mass, I encourage you to do so.  It is an explosion for the senses, from the light, to the smells and the sounds.  The prayers are extraordinary. Why not, just this once, if you ha...

I'd planned on posting this today, with an 'Easter' post tomorrow. But, although I'm not feeling as awful as I did Wednesday morning: that's not going to happen. It's "nothing serious". Probably the same "nothing serious" that's been plaguing this household for a month and more. My temperature's stayed below the 103° F threshold, so I'm a comparatively happy camper. And that's another topic. Now, about these cards: the first three are Victorian-era, part of this selection.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Three Victorian-era humorous Easter cards, one from the early 20th century. Not what I had planned posting this week, but I hope you enjoy them.)

  So, do you believe in the Resurrection? Why? How about all those theories explaining the Resurrection? Any truth in them do you think? Find out more and make up your mind HERE ... and DO comment please.

The Resurrection of Christ Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) At the Mass during the Day Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel    John 20:1-9     (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.   So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”   So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were goi...

    If you do nothing today, I'd like to encourage you to at least pray with Bishop Robert Barron the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary . His beautiful offering in this video lays out for us exactly what Jesus went through for each of us.  Whatever faith you follow, this will surely give you pause. There is such a freedom in following Jesus--yes, right to the cross--as we learn what it means to give up our life for someone else.  We learn how to love deeply and offer ourselves, as we share in his suffering. I'm going to guess that for many of you, there is someone in your family that is not willing to participate in the faith you have taught them, that there will be someone missing from your Easter table, and the table of the Lord. To pray for them makes you a sharer in the cross of Jesus, as he gave himself up to save us from our sins. If you fear for someone you know that has not accepted Jesus, or is walking away from him, I encourage you to pray in co...

  Why is it so difficult being a Christian? It's easy to wave hands in the air and sing songs when all is well and we are happy; but what about other times? The normal times in life. Do others look at us and say, "I see here a Christian?" Do we look and behave Christian? Read more and put yourself in these situations - CLICK HERE

  On this Holy Thursday, as we enter the three holiest days of the year, may your experience of the Passion of Christ open your heart to his saving grace. Worship God. Live gratefully. Love deeply. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com Follow my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ Check out my YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy

      I came across this line in a little reflection I was reading: "Most lives aim at nothing in particular and achieve it." I paused, thinking that's a pretty depressing thought, and then asking, "Is that true?" The actual point of the reflection was to note that the goal of Jesus was "to save humanity from its sin . . . to seek and save the lost."  Jesus, you see, had a goal. But back to us.  If it's true that we wander aimlessly about, and are satisfied in doing so, perhaps we need to rethink our behavior.  Christians shouldn't lack a goal, because disciples who follow Christ have their goal in his. We're not God, so we're not saving humanity like Jesus did, but we certainly are supposed to be participating in his mission.   St. Paul understood his role perfectly. As he wrote to the people of Philippi from jail, he told them that their "boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me when I come to you again....

  Do you struggle with a particular child?  Maybe this child is quite challenging, stubborn and just not easy to raise? Well, you are not alone! I was listening to a Discerning Hearts PODCAST recently with Fr. Timothy Gallagher and he was talking about one of St. Thérese of Lisieux's sisters, Léonie.  Fr. Gallagher was reading some letters that Thérese's mother wrote in which she expressed the difficulties she had with Léonie.  It seems that moms in the 1800s experienced similar problems that moms do today. This brutally honest account of what it was like for this saintly mother will provide inspiration for moms who feel inadequate in dealing with "difficult" children, as Léonie was called. Léonie is now a "Servant of God," which is a title given to one who is under investigation as a candidate for sainthood! So, not only might your difficult child help you achieve sainthood, but you may help them get there as well! Never give up hope! (Just click o...

  Have you ever wondered how Peter lived through his first Easter? What if you were living at the time? What would you have done differently? CLICK HERE

There's a winter weather advisory in effect until 2:00 p.m. — but most of the snow has already fallen and/or gotten blown around. I gather that three to five inches came down here. That's three to five inches more than we had before. This has been an unusually warm and dry winter, so this snow is welcome. I hope it changes our status from "moderate drought" to merely "abnormally dry". I haven't heard anything about my brother-in-law (February 7, 2024) — so I'll assume that no news is good news, and that he can walk again. Number-two daughter started radiation therapy March 11, so this is her third week of taking maybe three hours out of each weekday.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A side-effect of radiation therapy. Winter storm and drought. Getting a leaking pipe fixed. Weather, and the week before Easter.)

  There's a lot of glorifying going on in today's gospel (John 13)! Jesus says to his disciples: " Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once." Whaaat? A careful reading of this passage brings to the surface the oneness of God and Jesus.  The Trinity is made up of God the Father, Jesus his son, and the Holy Spirit. There are three persons in the Holy Trinity, but only Jesus among them is 100% divine and 100% human.  He was innocent, but went to the cross and took on our sins and accepted death to save us. This loving act of Jesus, glorified the Father, and in turn, the Father glorified Jesus in it as well. From the cross we learn the depth of love Jesus has for us.  We learn just how accessible forgiveness is as we witness him welcoming one of the two thieves hanging beside him to paradise. All the thief had to do was ask. The same is true for...

  The House was Full of the Scent of the Ointment "... Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment..." These words from the Gospel today made me think. Mary's gesture was most extravagant in that the ointment was so precious. She used so much of it that the whole house was drenched in the sweet perfume. Judas would question the reasonableness of spending all that  money.  I am struck by her generosity and her love. Of course her generosity is born out of her great love. I am reminded of Mother Teresa saying "Give until it hurts and then,  give some more." Like Judas, I question the Wisdom of giving too much. I calculate what I should give, how I should give, when I should give. Where is the Love in that?  And as I quibble about being asked for more, I find that I'm in a quagmire of grime and stench that stops me moving forward, t...

  Can you spare 10 minutes reflecting on the message of Easter? Click HERE .

    " A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench." This prophecy, which comes from the 42nd chapter of Isaiah, offers sound wisdom. I think of it as being the equivalent of not kicking someone when they are down, i.e., breaking the bruised reed. Sometimes, it is better not to interject our opinions and proposed solutions, but to become a good listener. There are times when the gift of listening is our best response, lest we cause more suffering. I remember interviewing a couple about marriage encounter many years ago, for a story.  They told me that one thing her husband had learned, was that when she was describing a problem, she wasn't necessarily looking for him to solve it, but just listen and give her time to vent. His natural tendency, observing the pain his wife was going through, was to step in and try to fix it, even though she wasn't looking for that at all. Of course, if she did need that from him, she would ha...

I did a Google search for [patron saint depression] the other day, and got this gem: How did the Saints deal with depression?" [redacted] [August 2023] "There is no evidence they had depression, they lived in faith, that Everything is controlled by God, and they accepted God's Will in all ..." Not long before, someone in an online conversation had said 'I'm dealing with depression, and need help'. Along with potentially-helpful responses, someone chastised the supplicant. Seems that good Christians trust God and never experience such things as depression. That gave me this week's topic. Dealing With Depression — and Suicide Depression, Faith, and Making Decisions Assorted Saints Teresa of Ávila: Mystic and Troublemaker Becoming a Saint Cultural Legacies and a Disclaimer João Duarte Cidade, AKA Saint John of God Saint Benedict Joseph Labre Poverty, Terminal Illness, and Ham Sandwiches Doing My Daily Prayers Dark Night of the Soul...

Entry into Jerusalem (scene 1) Duccio di Buoninsegna [ Web Gallery of Art ] And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  (Mark 11:9). Palm Sunday, Year B The Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem Mark 11:1-10 .  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus   sent two of his disciples   and said to them,  “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it.   If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’”   And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.   And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the col...

    Apparently I must be something of a dinosaur.   I needed to replace my watch, so I found another one just like it online, with a twisty flex band.  When it came, I had to have a few links taken out because it was too big. After calling around, we found ONE place that would shorten my band at a reasonable price. I guess nobody does this anymore. While I was lamenting this, it was pointed out to me that most people today--if they even wear a watch--have smart watches, or at least synthetic bands. It always bugs me when something like this happens and I am snapped into reality.  Times are changing.  My ways are becoming extinct. Things I never gave a second thought to--like a reasonably priced, service-oriented, local jewelry store--have disappeared. It's like you just wake up one day, and realize things are different.  If you've been coasting along, not really paying much attention, it can be a little unsettling. I suppose this is ...

  Are you tuned in? Or just broadcasting? Which channel are you tuned to? Consider this one HERE .

          I was talking with our son on a snowy day about the need to carry shoes.  It took me back to my youth when I walked to school (about a mile, barefoot, uphill) on snow-covered sidewalks, against blustery winds, carrying a heavy pile of books. Okay, the story might sound exaggerated, but except for the barefoot/hill part, the rest is true.  Boy, did those books feel heavy after such a long walk.  Sometimes they left a crease in my arm (we didn't have backpacks.) In my junior high (which I walked to), our teacher had a "swat club."  Whenever she had to leave the room, she would put one of my classmates in charge of writing the names of students who misbehaved on the chalkboard.  Then, when she returned, the offenders were taken out into the hallway to receive a paddling. It helped to make friends with the student in charge so as to keep your name off the board. Anyway, kids-in-charge often...

The Coronation of the Virgin Blessed Fra Angelico [ Web Gallery of Art ] Compline, the official Night Prayer of the Church ends with an anthem  of antiphon to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In monasteries this is sung. In the traditional liturgical calendar there are four of these, all in Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater  is sung from Saturday before the 1st Sunday of Advent through February 1. The anthem from 2 February, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, through Wednesday of Holy Week is  Ave, Regina caelorum . Regina coeli  is the Easter anthem, sung from Easter Sunday through Friday within the Octave of Pentecost. The best known and most widely sung anthem, sung on many occasions apart from Compline, is  Salve, Regina . It is the anthem for Compline from Saturday after the Octave of Pentecost through Friday before the 1st Sunday of Advent. Sung by the Choir of the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans), Chevilly, France, conducted by Fr Lucien Deiss CSSp.   Ave,...

    I was reading "Our Vocation To Love" in "Columbia" (the Knights of Columbus magazine), and the editor shared this quote from Father Jacques Philippe: "How sad it would be to cut oneself off from God's action and bury oneself in the narrow illusory world of one's own projects." Wow. And then, quoting St. Francis de Sales: "We all have a vocation.  God has placed us in this life to fill a special need that no one else can accomplish." The editor went on, making his point about vocations, that, as the Church has stated, we all share a "universal call to holiness--that is, the call to receive and share in the love of God." Recognizing that for many it may be difficult to know what their special call is, he quotes St. Therese of Lisieux, emphasizing that our call may not always be about the future, but about taking a "single step," in this moment, today. It is easy to be anxious if we struggle in these matter...

      I was listening to a current United States Senator talking about the January 6, 2021 attack on our Capitol in Washington, D.C. She said that her "constituents have moved on" and don't think about it anymore, so, she has also. Is that true?  Have we just moved on from that domestic attack that killed and injured a number of people and attempted to prevent our vote from counting? I sure hope not. In fact, I think it is good to look at it again, in hindsight, especially in this election year.  Not to stir up hatred and division, but as a reminder to us of just how important our election process and the "peaceful transfer of power" is to our country. So, no matter who you support(ed) for President , I ask you to please watch this video of the Select Committee.  The Committee reported, in detail, everything that took place, not only on January 6th, but leading up to it. It's really a historical, factual account. If you think you know what happen...