He is risen!

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“And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.” Mt 28:2-3



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Christ The Lord Is Risen Today

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection day, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

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Love, betrayal, torture, death

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The most significant event in the history of man.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him."
John 3: 16-17

“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”
Lk 22:19

“Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him and lead him away under guard.’ And when he came, he went up to him at once, and said, ‘Master!’ And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him.”
Mk 14:44-46;
Mt 26:49-50

“And they all forsook him, and fled.”
Mk 14:50; Mt 26:56

“Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.”
Jn 19:01

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabach- thani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ And some of the bystanders hearing it said, ‘Behold, he is calling Elijah.’"
Mk 15:34-35

“Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.”
Lk 23:46 (See also Jn 19:30)



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Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?

Negro Spiritual
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King of Glory

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The King of glory comes,
the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him,
lift up your voices.

Who is the King of glory;
how shall we call him?
He is Emmanuel,
the promised of ages.

The King of glory comes,
the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him,
lift up your voices.

In all of Galilee,
in city or village,
He goes among his people
curing their illness.

The King of glory comes,
the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him,
lift up your voices.

Sing then of David’s Son,
our Savior and brother;
In all of Galilee
was never another.

The King of glory comes,
the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him,
lift up your voices.

He gave his life for us,
the pledge of salvation,
He took upon himself
the sins of the nation.

The King of glory comes,
the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him,
lift up your voices.

He conquered sin and death;
he truly has risen,
And he will share with us
his heavenly vision.

The King of glory comes,
the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him,
lift up your voices.

Text © 1967, William F. Jabusch. Administered by OCP. All rights reserved. Music: Trad. Israeli Folk Song.
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an email from a friend

As we are nearing Easter this is a good reminder of what Jesus did for us.

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty. That was then the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were sentenced to death like Jesus.

And with Jesus things were worse, because not all the criminals condemned to death received nails on their hands and feet. Nails... big nails! Each was 15 x 20 cm long, with a point of 6 cm. Another point was sharp. The nails were driven into the pulses, and not into the palms, as we are accustomed to hearing. In the pulse, there's a tendon which extends to the shoulder, and when the nails were being hammered, that tendon broke, obliging Jesus to reinforce all the muscles of His back, so that He could breath as He was losing all the air from His lungs. In this way, He was forced to support Himself onto the nail carved into His feet, which was bigger than those carved into His pulses, for both feet were carved together. And, as His feet could not endure for a long time without tearing, Jesus was forced to alternate that "cycle" so that He could breath.

Jesus endured that reality over 3 hours. Yes, over 3 hours! Long time, isn't it? A few minutes before He died, Jesus was not bleeding anymore. He was simply pouring water from His cuts and holes. When we imagine Him injured, we only picture Him with injuries, but His wounds were true holes made into His body. He had no more blood to bleed, He only poured water. The human body is composed of nearly 3.5 liters of blood (for an adult). Jesus poured out all 3.5 liters of His blood; He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a wound inflicted by a Roman soldier who shoved a spear into His side.

All this without mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying His own cross for almost 2 km, while the crowd spat on His face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were nailed).

Jesus had to endure all this so that you and I can have free access to God. So that your sins and mine could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception! Don't ignore this. Do not believe that He only died for others (those who go to the church or for pastors, bishops, etc). He died for you and for me!

It's easy to pass jokes or foolish photos by e-mail, but when it comes to God, sometimes we feel ashamed to forward things like this to others because we’re worried at what they may think.

Accept the reality, the truth that JESUS IS THE ONLY SALVATION FOR THE WORLD. God has plans for us. Now think on this: May God bless your life!

During the next 60 seconds, stop whatsoever you're doing and seize this opportunity! All you have to do is:

1. Simply pray for the person who sent this message to you: Lord, you know better than I the life of _________. I ask You to bless him/her in all realms and make him/her prosperous. Take care of his/her family, his/her health, his/her work and all his/her plans for this year. Lead him/her not into temptation, but deliver him/her from evil. In Jesus' name, Amen.

2. Then, send this message to 10 people you love. Ten people will pray for you, and in turn, you will cause ten more to God for other people.

3. Think a moment and appreciate the power of God in your life, for doing what pleases Him. If you are not ashamed in doing this, follow Jesus' instructions. He said (Matthew 10:33): "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

Yes, I love God. He is my source of life and my saviour. He keeps me alive day and night. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him 'I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me'. Philippians 4:13.

This is the simple proof. If you love God and you're are not ashamed of all things He has done for you, send this to those you love.

just ONE question?

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Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she was going to have a baby, Mary had just one question. Drawing on her earthly experience, she asked “how is this going to work?”

If I had been Mary, then I’d have had MANY more questions:
What am I going to tell Joseph?
What am I going to tell my parents?
What will my friends and neighbors say?
Will I be stoned?
He sounds pretty special. I’m just a girl. Who will help me take care of Him?
Where will He lead me?
Am I up to it?
Who will give me strength?
How will I persevere?

After about an hour or more of my questions, I’m sure that the angel Gabriel would have said to me: “you know, I gotta go. See ya!”

The difference between Mary and me is summed up in her response to Gabriel after he answered her ONE question: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

Mary, you are TOTALLY obedient to God’s will. I am not. Please ask God to forgive me for all of my questions, and for my disobedience. Ask Him to send me the graces to be more obedient, like you. I ask these things in the Holy Name of your Son, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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more than respect

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If you were invited to dinner with the President, a king or queen, or a head of state, would you leave before dinner was over, while others are still being served? If you were invited to a state ceremony, would you chatter away about golf, restaurants, shopping, friends, etc. in the presence of the head of state?

Compared with God, heads of state are insignificant. Earthly kings reign over earthly kingdoms that come and go. God reigns over His vast Kingdom that lasts for all eternity.

In His house, God deserves more than respect. We should be dumbstruck in God’s presence—unable to speak, on our faces, filled with wonder and awe that we are in the Presence of the our Creator, Almighty God of the Universe.


“How Great Thou Art”

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

All lyrics are property and copyright of their owners
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Villanova University's Daily Lenten Reflections

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http://www.villanova.edu/mission/lent.htm?page=0305.htm

First Thursday of Lent - March 5th
Readings: Est C: 12, 14-16, 23-25 // Ps 138: 1-3, 7-8 // Mt. 7:7-12

Today's readings focus clearly on 4 truths: Choose recourse to the Lord alone: Perhaps, only in the darkest moments in our lives, do we really rely only on Our Lord for strength. When all else earthly fails us and when all other sources of earthly strength seem to vanish, do we turn to Our Lord for strength and guidance. Here, by these choices, we see our own weaknesses and failures emerge. For, recourse to Our Lord should not be our last path to internal strength, but instead, our first. Recourse to Our Lord should be the first arrow that we select from our quiver; not the last.

Praise of God leads to Strength from God: In our prayer life; perhaps, we should consider who we're praying to! God, Our Father, is the creator of the Universe and the source of our personal salvation. If we seek strength from God to confront our most difficult moments, it seems appropriate to, first, offer praise to Him with a clear understanding that we're NOT on the same plane with God. We're the creatures. He's the Creator. Praise of God sets the proper initial 'prayer tone' through which we can ask for strength to live our lives in courageously, in accordance with His will, not ours.

The Power of Prayer is endless: When we select recourse to Our Lord first, offer praise to Him and ask for strength from Him through the infusion of the Holy Spirit, nothing is beyond our capabilities. Countless miracles are occurring every day everywhere on this earth. Simply because we, as mortal humans, don't recognize them or choose not to do so because we're blinded by our own self praise, does not mean that they're not occurring. Miracles are manifestations of answered prayer and testaments to the endless power of prayer when requests of Our Lord are founded on praise of Him and on strength from Him. Prayer is as essential to our spiritual lives as water is to our physical lives. And, the power of prayer, like our eternal spirits, is endless.

The Golden Rule guides our lives: "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them", Mt 7:12. Recourse to Our Lord through praise and through the request for strength fills our hearts, minds and spirits with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And, through these gifts, we feel the emergence of the "Golden Rule" in our lives. And, in this Golden Rule, we find the second of the great commandments given to us by our Savior, Jesus Christ. The first great commandment, centered on Our Farther in Heaven, is evident from the first 3 phrases listed above and the second great commandment, centered on love for others, flows from the first 3 and is manifested in the "Golden Rule". We need not 'learn' the Golden Rule. Through a genuine, soul centered search for the truth, we 'feel' the Golden Rule etched on our hearts by the very hand of God, Himself.

God answers all questions for us and is the source of all understanding. We, simply, need to ask and it shall be given; to seek, and it shall be found and/or to knock, and the door shall be opened unto us. Mt.7:7.

Frank Falcone
Civil & Environmental Engineering
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Prayers for the Kolbush family

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In our lives there are those who have a profound impact on us. In my “top 5” is the Kolbush family.

I still find it painful to think back to the time when Jack was sick and died. We prayed so hard for him. God works healing miracles, and I was sure that He was going to heal Jack. He was so sick. I struggled with “God’s Will” when Jack died.

My faith and my hope are small when compared to the faith and hope of the Kolbush family. They witnessed, and they continue to witness, the REAL meaning of faith and hope. This life is transient. Jack is in his eternal home with God. Hopefully, someday we will join him.

Please pray for the Kolbush family—Jack, his mom, his dad, his brother, and his sister.

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"You can't handle the truth"

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Jack Nicholson is a good actor. In the movie “A Few Good Men”, he played Colonel Nathan Jessup, the commanding officer of a Marine detachment at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Tom Cruise plays LTJG Daniel Kaffee, an inexperienced U.S. Navy lawyer who leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines.

In my favorite courtroom scene, an agitated Col. Jessup yells at LTJG Kaffee, “You can’t handle the truth!”

I find that to be the case a lot. We can’t handle the truth—the truth about things that we’ve done, the truth about our biases, the truth about ourselves. When confronted with the facts, we can’t handle the truth--much less speak out in defense of it.
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