MAY, MONTH OF MARY

 

This is the traditional name for this month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, in which we offer our Heavenly Mother our best spiritual and material "flowers." A very simple method is to greet her with the following prayers:

My most loving Mother, in every moment of my life, remember me, a miserable sinner. Hail Mary

Aqueduct of divine graces, grant me an abundance of tears to mourn my sins. Hail Mary

Queen of heaven and earth, be my refuge and defense in the temptations of my enemies. Hail Mary

Immaculate daughter of Joachim and Anne, obtain for me from your most holy Son the graces I need for my eternal salvation. Hail Mary

Advocate and refuge of sinners, assist me in the trance of my death, and open the gates of Heaven to me. Hail Mary.

WHAT SHOULD A POPE DO, ACCORDING TO SAINT APHONSUS MARIA DE LIGUORI?

When the conclave of 1774 was about to meet, Cardinal Castelli asked Monsignor Alphonsus Maria de Liguori to write a letter on the measures the new Pope should take to reform the Church, which was afflicted by a general laxity. The main passages from Saint Alphonsus's letter are quoted.

"My friend and Lord, regarding the sentiment you desire from me regarding the current affairs of the Church and the election of the Pope, what sentiment do I, a miserable ignorant and of such little spirit, wish to express?

"I only say that prayer is needed, but much prayer; considering that, to rescue the Church from the state of laxity and confusion in which all social classes universally find themselves, not all human science and prudence can remedy it, but the almighty arm of God is necessary."

Among bishops, few have true zeal for souls.

Practically all religious communities are lax; for in religious life, in the current confusion of things, observance is lacking and obedience is lost.

In the secular clergy, the situation is even worse: a general reform is clearly necessary for all ecclesiastics, in order to remedy the great moral corruption that exists among the secularists.

It is necessary, therefore, to ask Jesus Christ to give us a Head of the Church who, more than doctrine and human prudence, is endowed with spirit and zeal for the honor of God, and is totally detached from all human parties and respect. For if ever, to our misfortune, a Pope should arise who does not have before his eyes only the glory of God, the Lord will help him little, and things, as they are in the present circumstances, will go from bad to worse.

Therefore, prayers can remedy many evils, obtaining from God that He lay His hand upon them and grant them a remedy.

[…] I would wish, above all, that the future Pope (since there are many cardinals to be provided) would choose, among those proposed to him, the most learned and zealous for the good of the Church, and would warn the Princes in advance, in the first letter in which he informs them of his exaltation, that, when they ask him for the cardinalate for some of his favorites, they should propose only subjects of proven piety and doctrine; because otherwise he cannot admit them in good conscience.

Furthermore, I would wish that he would be strong enough to deny further benefits to those who are already provided with the goods of the Church, to the extent sufficient for their maintenance, according to their status. And in this he must employ all his strength against any compromises that arise.

Furthermore, I would like luxury among prelates to be avoided, and therefore that the number of servants be determined for all (otherwise nothing would be remedied), according to what corresponds to each class of prelates: a certain number of servants and no more; a certain number of horses and no more; so that heretics can no longer speak.

Furthermore, greater diligence be exercised in conferring benefices only on those who have served the Church, and not on particular individuals.

Furthermore, every diligence should be used in the election of bishops (on whom divine worship and the salvation of souls primarily depend), and information should be obtained from various quarters about their good lives and the doctrine necessary for governing dioceses; and that even those who sit in their churches, metropolitans and others, be secretly asked to inquire about those bishops who care little for the good of their flocks.

I would also like it to be made clear everywhere that bishops who are negligent and deficient in the housing and luxury of the people in their service, or in the excessive expenditure of furniture, banquets, and similar things, will be punished by suspension or by the sending of apostolic vicars to correct their faults; and that they will set an example from time to time, as necessary.

Any example of this kind would cause all other negligent prelates to take care to moderate themselves.

[…] Above all, I wish that the Pope would universally reduce all religious to the observance of their first Institute, at least in the most important matters.

Now, I do not wish to trouble you further. We can do nothing but ask the Lord to give us a Pastor filled with His Spirit, who knows how to establish these things I have so briefly described, according to what best suits the glory of Jesus Christ.

With this, I pay you the most humble reverence, while protesting with all obsequiousness.

For Your Excellency, devoted, humble, and true servant.

Alfonso María, Bishop of Santa Águeda de los Godos.

HOW POOR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OF THOSE WHO WANT A POPE WHO ADAPTS TO THE WINDS OF THE WORLD. LETTER FROM SAINT TERESA OF AVILA TO A PRIEST, ON THE CONCLAVE

The grace of the Holy Spirit be with you, my son in the Lord:

I read yours with tears, not of sadness, but of love and compassion, because I see how much your heart aches for the Holy Church, and how eager you are to please Her Majesty in this time that seems so dark. And if the See of Saint Peter is empty and the world seems out of control, believe, my son, that the hand of God has not been lost, even though men do not see it.

You ask me what to do in this hour when the boat seems rudderless, and everyone talks and few pray.  For I tell you in truth that the best service you can now render to the Church is to become a living prayer, a wall of supplication, a sentinel of hope.

This is not a time for much talk, but for much suffering. Not for agitation, but for recollection. And if the whole world is shaken and even the good are troubled, what shall we who love Jesus Christ do? Stand firm beside the cross, like the Most Holy Virgin and Saint John, and not move from there.

Pray, my son. Offer the Holy Sacrifice with all your soul, for with each of your Masses Heaven bows to earth. Offer every hour of your day for those who will elect the new Shepherd. And do not ask that it be according to your own taste, but according to the Heart of Christ.

You tell me that many want a Pope who adapts to the winds of the world. Oh, how weak is that understanding!  We must not love the one who pleases, but the one who guides, even if it hurts. The one who teaches, even if he rebukes. The one who is all for God, even if it costs him his blood.

And you, what must you do? Keep the faith, live in charity, do not give in on small things, do not stop praying even for a single day, even if your soul is as dry as a log. For it is in these dry times that true love is tested.

Do not be alarmed if only a few of you persevere. You know that the Lord does not look at numbers, but at faithfulness. And if the whole boat seems about to capsize, be assured that Christ is asleep in the hold, and in due time he will awaken.

Let your prayer be tireless. Let your silence be full of faith. Let your life be so holy that it can sustain many who are faltering.

And do not cease to love the Church, even if you see her wounded.  What a mother she is, and a holy mother, even though her hands are bruised by the sins of her children.

Take courage, my son, and pray.

May you, when the new Peter takes the helm, be vigilant, with your lamp lit.

May Her Majesty guard you and make you all Hers,

Teresa of Jesus, Discalced Nun of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, unworthy daughter of the Church and servant of Your Paternity.

HOW POOR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OF THOSE WHO WANT A POPE WHO ADAPTS TO THE WINDS OF THE WORLD. LETTER FROM SAINT TERESA OF AVILA TO A PRIEST, ON THE CONCLAVE

The grace of the Holy Spirit be with you, my son in the Lord:

I read yours with tears, not of sadness, but of love and compassion, because I see how much your heart aches for the Holy Church, and how eager you are to please Her Majesty in this time that seems so dark. And if the See of Saint Peter is empty and the world seems out of control, believe, my son, that the hand of God has not been lost, even though men do not see it.

You ask me what to do in this hour when the boat seems rudderless, and everyone talks and few pray.  For I tell you in truth that the best service you can now render to the Church is to become a living prayer, a wall of supplication, a sentinel of hope.

This is not a time for much talk, but for much suffering. Not for agitation, but for recollection. And if the whole world is shaken and even the good are troubled, what shall we who love Jesus Christ do? Stand firm beside the cross, like the Most Holy Virgin and Saint John, and not move from there.

Pray, my son. Offer the Holy Sacrifice with all your soul, for with each of your Masses Heaven bows to earth. Offer every hour of your day for those who will elect the new Shepherd. And do not ask that it be according to your own taste, but according to the Heart of Christ.

You tell me that many want a Pope who adapts to the winds of the world. Oh, how weak is that understanding!  We must not love the one who pleases, but the one who guides, even if it hurts. The one who teaches, even if he rebukes. The one who is all for God, even if it costs him his blood.

And you, what must you do? Keep the faith, live in charity, do not give in on small things, do not stop praying even for a single day, even if your soul is as dry as a log. For it is in these dry times that true love is tested.

Do not be alarmed if only a few of you persevere. You know that the Lord does not look at numbers, but at faithfulness. And if the whole boat seems about to capsize, be assured that Christ is asleep in the hold, and in due time he will awaken.

Let your prayer be tireless. Let your silence be full of faith. Let your life be so holy that it can sustain many who are faltering.

And do not cease to love the Church, even if you see her wounded.  What a mother she is, and a holy mother, even though her hands are bruised by the sins of her children.

Take courage, my son, and pray.

May you, when the new Peter takes the helm, be vigilant, with your lamp lit.

May Her Majesty guard you and make you all Hers,

Teresa of Jesus, Discalced Nun of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, unworthy daughter of the Church and servant of Your Paternity.

Pope Leo XIII dixit

 

Pope Leo XIII – Satis Cognitum (1896)

> "The practice of the Church has always been the same, as is shown by the unanimous teaching of the Fathers, who were wont to hold as outside Catholic communion, and alien to the Church, whoever would recede in the least degree from any point of doctrine proposed by her authoritative magisterium."

> "There can be nothing more dangerous than those heretics who admit nearly the whole cycle of doctrine, and yet by one word, as with a drop of poison, infect the real and simple faith taught by our Lord and handed down by Apostolic tradition."

WHEN I SEE AN OLD PRIEST

"When I see an old priest, shabby in his dress and his speech, distracted like someone whose heart is elsewhere, deaf to the sounds of the earth and attentive to the voices that speak to him in dreams like those of Samuel, I think he's inviting me to sing a Te Deum, because he's a ship that has already weathered the storms of the seven seas.

When I see a young one, embarking on his voyage, impatient to sail the oceans, with too much confidence in the height of his masts, the polish of his hulls, and the grace of his canvas; who looks little to the sky to orient his course and much to the machines that men make, I fear for him.

And even more so if he's an artist; and even more so if he's eloquent; and much more so if he's naive and loves noise, and believes he lacks time and can leave this rubric today, this prayer tomorrow, this meditation later, be late for his Mass; be distracted in his  Breviary.

Oh! How many seas and how many reefs lie before its bow, and how far away the harbor!

Hugo Wast

THE GREAT VALUE OF WOMEN

"As woman endures, human life either stands or collapses. Where woman is reduced to an object of pleasure, natural instincts and the life of the senses prevail; but when woman imitates the delicacy and modesty of Mary, true culture and human dignity flourish. When woman loses her delicacy, her modesty, her self-esteem, man loses his respect for her, and the ruin of society begins."

✨ Bishop Tihamér Tóth

📖 The Virgin Mary

MATER BONI CONSILII, ORA PRO NOBIS. (Mother of Good Counsel, pray for us)

- PRAYER:

O most glorious Virgin, chosen by the eternal Council to be the Mother of the divine Word incarnate, treasurer of divine graces, and advocate of sinners: I, the most unworthy of your servants, have recourse to you, so that you may deign to be my guide and my counsel in this valley of tears. Obtain for me, through the most precious blood of your Son, the forgiveness of my sins, the salvation of my soul, and the means necessary to achieve it. Obtain for Holy Church triumph over her enemies and the expansion of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ throughout the world. Amen.

(500-day indulgence. Prayer taken from the booklet: Manual of the Heart of Jesus, 1951.)

NOT EVERYONE FIT IN THE TRUTH

The church is not an inn of affection, but the threshold of eternal judgment

⸻

I. THE MODERN DOGMA OF INCLUSION

There are phrases that, because they are endearing, become dangerous. “There is room in this Church for everyone,” it is said with a sweet vinegar smile, like someone offering peace in exchange for doctrine, or mercy without the price of conversion. It is a phrase that sounds like the gospel, but it is not. Or rather, it is an apocryphal gospel: good news for ears tired of the cross, but not for souls seeking to be saved.

Because no, not everyone fits in the Truth, and this is not an arbitrary exclusion, but an affirmation of reality. The Truth is not an elastic room where all ideas can be accommodated, nor a democratic dining room where everyone brings their spiritual recipe. The Truth is a Person—Jesus Christ—and only those who convert enter. Not those who accommodate, not those who assert themselves, not those who demand to fit in without giving up.

The Church is universal, but not relativist. Catholic, but not chaotic. It embraces all who wish to cease to be what they were without Christ. It does not accept conditions: only souls who, falling, cry out to be lifted up. But today, as if we were on a television set, the Church is intended to be the stage for reconciliations without tears, weddings without sacraments, blessings without obedience, and heavens without hell.

⸻

II. FEELING WITHOUT JUDGMENT: THE CULT OF EMOTION

The modern soul does not seek to be redeemed: it seeks to be validated. It does not want to hear: "your sins are forgiven," but: "your sins are not sins." It is an emotional liturgy, where conscience is replaced by consent, and fraternal correction is confused with symbolic violence. If you tell it the truth, it is offended. If you offer it a cross, it demands a sofa.

And so we have created a "pastoral ministry of welcome" where welcoming is synonymous with surrender, and tenderness has become the sacramental form of surrender. But charity without truth is the cruelest of lies, and tenderness without form is the mother of disorder.

Saint Thomas taught that truth is adaequatio rei et intellectus: the adequacy of the mind to the thing. Postmodern sentimentalism, however, demands the opposite: that the thing be adapted to the emotion of the moment. And so we have replaced the Logos with the like, doctrine with empathy, and penitence with applause.

⸻

III. THE CHURCH AS A HOSPITAL FOR SOULS, NOT AS A HOSPITAL FOR ERROR

The analogy we like to repeat—and which is true in itself—is that the Church is a hospital. But not a hospital like those of today, where the patient imposes the diagnosis. It is not a spiritual self-help clinic. It is rather a field hospital under the banner of the cross, where the doctor is Christ, and the treatment is grace, not tolerance.

The Church welcomes those who arrive broken, but heals them with the surgery of truth, not with a compassionate pat on the back. The wounded are welcomed, but their wound is not flattered. For if the leper is told that leprosy is part of his identity, he is denied the cure and condemned with sweet words.

And there are those who quote "come to me, all of you," as if Christ had said: "and remain as you are." But they forget that after the embrace comes the imperative: "Go, and sin no more." The Church is not a place where all doctrines fit: it is where false doctrines die, burned by the light of faith.

⸻

IV. THE CHURCH DOESN'T EXCLUDE PEOPLE, IT EXCLUDES LIES

Whoever says the Church excludes has not understood its heart. The Church does not exclude anyone because of their history, their wounds, their sin, their past. But it does reject heresies, errors, and pacts with lies.

The confusion arises when one believes that every idea has the right to citizenship in the Catholic soul. But the Church is not a marketplace of opinions: it is the custodian of a sacred deposit. It does not administer consensus; it guards mysteries. It does not debate its identity: it proclaims it.

Therefore, not all ideas fit into the Church, just as not all poisons fit into a healthy body. It is not that dialogue is denied: it is that the truth is denied as a matter of opinion. There is a difference between evangelizing and negotiating.

⸻

V. A MOTHER WHO CORRECTS, A TEACHER WHO TEACHES

The image of the Church as a mother is true, but dangerous if separated from the other: that of a teacher. Because a mother who only embraces, but does not teach, raises orphans of the soul. And a teacher who does not correct, perpetuates error.

Mary is the Mother of Mercy, yes, but she is also the Seat of Wisdom. And her tenderness is full of clarity, and her sweetness does not adulterate the truth. Does a mother who sees her son walking toward the abyss remain silent for fear of hurting him?

The Church is sweet as the song of the Magnificat, but sharp as the words of John the Baptist. She is the cradle of converts and the executioner of idols. She is the mother of repentant sinners and the sworn enemy of justified sin.

⸻

VI. ALL ARE CALLED, NOT ALL RESPONSE

Christ died for all, yes. But not all want to live for Him. Christ's blood was shed for all, but not all desire to be washed clean. And here lies the modern tragedy: God's love is expected to be effective without freedom, and salvation is automatic without struggle.

God wants all to be saved, but He saves no one by force. And the Church, His bride, cannot lie to the world by telling it that it is already saved, without repentance or conversion. True inclusion does not mean allowing everything, but calling everyone to the Truth, whatever the cost.

⸻

VII. IN THE CHURCH, THERE IS NO PLACE FOR WHAT CONTRADICTS THE TRUTH

There is no place here for sentimentalisms that deny reason, nor for emotions that canonize error. There is no place for justified sins, nor for ideologies disguised as compassion. There is no place for those who believe that to love is to silence, or that to teach is to exclude.

Because the Church cannot contradict itself. And Truth cannot be denied without ceasing to be. Here comes the firmest principle of all philosophy, proclaimed by Aristotle: "It is impossible for something to be and not to be at the same time and under the same consideration." The same doctrine cannot be true and false. The same conduct cannot be virtue and sin. The same teaching cannot be Catholic and heretical.

And if this is true for logic, how much more so for faith, which touches the eternal? The Church cannot teach that what was sin yesterday is virtue today. She cannot declare blessed what God has called disorder. She cannot call pastoral care what is, strictly speaking, a betrayal of the Gospel.

The Church is not here to adapt, but to faithfully proclaim the Truth that does not contradict itself, that does not change with the winds of the century, that does not become flexible so as not to cause discomfort. Christ died for all, yes. But not all want to live for Him. Christ's blood was shed for all, but not all desire to be washed clean. And here lies the modern tragedy: God's love is expected to be effective without freedom, and salvation is automatic without struggle.

God wants all to be saved, but He saves no one by force. And the Church, His bride, cannot lie to the world by telling it that it is already saved, without repentance or conversion. True inclusion does not mean allowing everything, but calling everyone to the Truth, whatever the cost.

⸻

VII. IN THE CHURCH, THERE IS NO PLACE FOR WHAT CONTRADICTS THE TRUTH

There is no place here for sentimentalisms that deny reason, nor for emotions that canonize error. There is no place for justified sins, nor for ideologies disguised as compassion. There is no place for those who believe that to love is to silence, or that to teach is to exclude.

Because the Church cannot contradict itself. And Truth cannot be denied without ceasing to be. Here comes the firmest principle of all philosophy, proclaimed by Aristotle: "It is impossible for something to be and not to be at the same time and under the same consideration." The same doctrine cannot be true and false. The same conduct cannot be virtue and sin. The same teaching cannot be Catholic and heretical.

And if this is true for logic, how much more so for faith, which touches the eternal? The Church cannot teach that what was sin yesterday is virtue today. She cannot declare blessed what God has called disorder. She cannot call pastoral care what is, strictly speaking, a betrayal of the Gospel.

The Church is not here to adapt, but to faithfully proclaim the Truth that does not contradict itself, that does not change with the winds of the century, that does not become flexible so as not to cause discomfort. She is a mother, yes, but a mother who forms. And she is a mother precisely because she teaches.

Therefore, not all ideas fit here. Not all spirits fit here. There is no room here for the logic of the world. Because there is no room here for anything that contradicts the Incarnate Word.

The door is open to all people, but closed to error. The Church does not exclude people, but it does reject everything that denies the Logos, because in Him is the truth, and outside of Him there is only confusion, contradiction, and death.

Yes, in this Church there is room for all...

all those who humbly seek the truth that saves, not the truth that flatters; the truth that burns, not the truth that lulls.

Because in this Church there is no room for all voices,

but there is room for all hearts that surrender to the one Word.

OMO

THE POPE DIED

 At 7:35 a.m.

Pope Francis died this Monday at the age of 88, according to Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Vatican Camerlengo.

April 21, 2025 10:03 AM

(InfoCatólica) Pope Francis died this Monday at the age of 88, according to Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Vatican Camerlengo. The Holy See made the announcement at 9:52 a.m. with a statement:

"A short time ago, His Eminence Cardinal Farrell sadly announced the death of Pope Francis, with these words: 'Dear brothers and sisters, with profound sorrow I must announce the passing of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 a.m. this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father's house. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and his Church.' He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we entrust the soul of Pope Francis to the infinitely merciful love of the Triune God.

Francis, who left the hospital on March 28 after a long 37-day stay due to pneumonia, appeared in public for the last time yesterday, Sunday, in St. Peter's Square to give the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing.

Sede vacante

From this moment on, the See is vacant, and will remain so until his successor is elected in the next conclave.

The procedure for confirming his death began with the traditional rite performed by the Camerlengo, who pronounced the Pope's baptismal name three times. In the absence of a response, his death was officially declared. As tradition the Fisherman's Ring, a symbol of papal authority, was destroyed in the presence of witnesses to prevent any misuse. Furthermore, the papal apartment has been sealed in accordance with current canonical regulations, and the formal process of organizing the funeral has begun.

The funeral ceremonies will follow the provisions revised in the second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, reforms initiated by Pope Francis himself during his pontificate. The body will lie in state in St. Peter's Basilica for three days so the faithful can pay their respects, abandoning the traditional raised coffin used in previous papal funerals.

Pope Francis will be buried in a single wooden coffin, breaking with the custom of three successive coffins of cypress, lead, and walnut used for the deaths of Popes. His wish, expressed during his lifetime, is to be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a place he visited every time he made an apostolic journey.

The requiem Mass will be presided over by the Dean of the College of Cardinals and is expected to be attended by political leaders, international dignitaries, and representatives of various religious denominations.

After the funeral, Novemdiales will be celebrated, nine consecutive days of Masses in St. Peter's Basilica. These celebrations, presided over by various cardinals, are intended to pray for the soul of the pontiff and spiritually prepare the Church for the upcoming conclave.

Role of the Camerlengo and Temporal Government of the Church

During the period of sede vacante, the College of Cardinals assumes responsibility for the temporal government of the Church, albeit with limited powers. The Camerlengo will be responsible for the temporal government of the Church, albeit with limited powers. The Camerlengo will be responsible for administering the ordinary affairs of the Vatican, managing day-to-day functions without making decisions that could compromise the authority of the next pontiff. No doctrinal decisions will be made or major appointments made until the new Pope is elected.

The prefects of the Vatican dicasteries automatically cease their functions upon the death of the pontiff, except for the Major Penitentiary, who will continue to serve to address matters related to the absolution of grave sins until the election of the new leader of the Catholic Church.

This concludes the note.

__________________________

Let us pray for the Pope.

______________________

HAPPY EASTER TO OUR FRIENDS-READERS

 

GOOD FRIDAY

 

GOOD FRIDAY (Mandatory fast and abstinence).

 

GOOD FRIDAY  (Mandatory fast and abstinence)

This day is for you to cry out for mercy for yourself and the entire human race. On Good Friday you should participate in Christ's funeral by hearing the Gospel of the Passion and the Seven Words, which are the last guidelines that Christ, our Redeemer, gave us.

Confess this day all your iniquities, cleanse your soul from the leprosy of sin with the Blood of Christ, participate in the Passion of your Savior, so that one day you may share His Victory.

Christ suffered on Good Friday to set you free from sin, which is the most terrible cancer, and from Hell, the greatest misfortune.

And you are thinking of going on holiday like so many other Neo-Pagans, perhaps to die on the road of ingratitude!

On Good Friday you should follow the Way of the Cross, meditate on what your Lord suffered for you to realize what you undeserve. Read the last chapters of Matthew, Luke or John, or watch the movie The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson, to help you understand the price Christ paid to set you free from the power of sin and the devil in order to make you a son of God.

Good Friday is a day of abstinence, fast and sorrow; silence and tears; mourning and grief; and not a day to spend it on the beach, surrounded by pleasures and amusements (neither licit nor illicit).

This day is for you to cry out for mercy for yourself and the entire human race. On Good Friday you should participate in Christ's funeral by hearing the Gospel of the Passion and the Seven Words, which are the last guidelines that Christ, our Redeemer, gave us.

Confess this day all your iniquities, cleanse your soul from the leprosy of sin with the Blood of Christ, participate in the Passion of your Savior, so that one day you may share His Victory.

Christ suffered on Good Friday to set you free from sin, which is the most terrible cancer, and from Hell, the greatest misfortune.

And you are thinking of going on holiday like so many other Neo-Pagans, perhaps to die on the road of ingratitude!

On Good Friday you should follow the Way of the Cross, meditate on what your Lord suffered for you to realize what you undeserve. Read the last chapters of Matthew, Luke or John, or watch the movie The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson, to help you understand the price Christ paid to set you free from the power of sin and the devil in order to make you a son of God.

Good Friday is a day of abstinence, fast and sorrow; silence and tears; mourning and grief; and not a day to spend it on the beach, surrounded by pleasures and amusements (neither licit nor illicit).

THE SOUL THAT DISCOVERS ITSELF "JUDAS"

The soul that reveals itself as Judas… and doesn't flee

—Lord…

last night we dined with you.

We sang the psalm.

And your eyes were raised to heaven with tenderness.

You broke the Bread…

and looked at us as if we were still worthy.

But I already had the dagger sheathed in my soul.

It wasn't made of metal,

but of indifference,

of cowardice,

of hidden loves stronger than yours.

—Lord…

I was Judas.

Not with scandal.

But with feigned fidelity.

With Mass and sin.

With just words and a double heart.

And today,

when I wake up,

I discover that the kiss is still on my lips.

—I sold you.

Not for thirty coins,

but for peace with the world.

So as not to inconvenience.

For not loving you to the point of blood.

And you...

you looked at me.

Not with reproach.

With that meekness

that breaks more than judgment.

With that purity

that accuses without a voice.

And you said:

"Friend..."

and that was worse.

For there is no pain deeper

than receiving love

when Love itself has been wounded.

I was Judas, Lord.

And yet you did not push me away.

You did not call the angels.

You did not invoke the Father.

You only allowed

yourself to be seized

like a meek Lamb.

And I trembled.

"Lord...

I do not deserve to look at you.

I do not deserve your Passion.

I do not deserve your Name.

And yet you wait for me?

"

[Christ responds]

"You turned your back on me,

but I have waited for you head on."

You sold me,

but I have paid for you with my Blood.

You called me "Master" without faith,

but I have called you "friend"…

and I have not withdrawn the word.

Don't you see, my soul,

that in that kiss you gave me

I placed all the warmth of my eternal Love?

Don't you understand yet

that I did not come to save innocents,

but to rescue traitors?

I did not defend myself when you handed me over.

I did not hide when you pretended.

No…

I stayed.

And for you

I was led like a dumb lamb to the slaughter.

Don't explain.

Don't make excuses.

Don't dissemble.

Just give me your wound.

I will heal it with nails.

I will wash it with Blood.

I will clothe it in my seamless tunic.

I will make your betrayal

my throne in my soul.

Come.

Not as one who begs for forgiveness,

but like the thief crucified at my right hand,

who only said:

"Remember me..."

and was already mine.

Because even after the kiss,

I have loved you more.

THE VIRGIN CARED WITH CARE AND LOVE THAT NOT A DROP OF THE BLOOD OF HER SON, JESUS ​​CHRIST, GOD, WAS LOST, AND NOW THE CONSECRATED PARTICLES ARE ALLOWED TO FALL WITH COMMUNION IN THE HAND

 

Tertullian*: “…we take scrupulously care that nothing from the chalice or the bread may fall to the ground.”

Saint Hippolytus: “…each one be careful… that no fragment falls and is lost, because it is the Body of Christ that must be eaten by the faithful and not despised.”

Origen*: “With what caution and veneration, when you receive the Body of the Lord, you preserve it, so that nothing falls or anything of the consecrated gift is lost.”

Saint Cyril: “…receive it, taking care that nothing of it is lost, for tell me: if someone were to give you some gold filings, would you not guard them with all diligence, trying not to lose any of them?

Will you not, then, take much greater care that not a single crumb of what is more precious than gold and precious stones falls to you?”

THE VIRGIN MARY DURING THE FLAGELLATION OF HER SON JESUS ​​CHRIST, GOD.

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (visions and revelations): "When she came to, she saw the executioners carrying her Son away, torn to pieces. Jesus wiped his bloody eyes to see his Mother. She painfully raised her hands to him and followed with her eyes the bloody footprints of his feet. Then I saw Mary and Magdalene leave the people and approach the place of the scourging. Surrounded and hidden by the other women and other good people who gathered around, they threw themselves on the ground beside the pillar and with those cloths wiped away every drop they could find of the holy blood of Jesus."

*Even those who fell into error proclaimed respect and care for the consecrated particles.

COMMEMORATION OF THE SORROWS OF OUR LADY. Friday of Holy Week

 COMMEMORATION OF THE SORROWS OF OUR LADY. Friday of Holy Week –

At the dawn of Holy Week, the Church invites us to pause before the pierced Heart of Mary, contemplating her sufferings as a prelude to the mystery of the Passion of her Son. This day, laden with symbolism and devotion, prepares us for the sacred drama we will soon experience. Let us reflect, then, on the origin of this feast, its meaning, the importance of Our Lady in Holy Week, and how we can approach her with fervor.

Origin of the Feast

The commemoration of the Sorrows of Our Lady on the Friday of Holy Week has its roots in medieval piety, particularly in the devotion to the seven sorrows of Mary, promoted by the Order of the Servants of Mary since the 13th century. Although it was not a universally obligatory feast in the Roman calendar, this Friday acquired great significance in certain local traditions, especially in Spain, Italy, and Latin America. In the traditional Roman liturgy, the Friday before Palm Sunday was observed as a day of penitential preparation, and the memory of Mary's Sorrows was intertwined with readings and prayers anticipating Christ's Passion. In Rome, the Station at St. Stephen's on Monte Celio, a church linked to the martyrdom of the first deacon, evoked sacrifice and suffering, resonating with the Virgin's sorrow at the foot of the Cross.

The cult of Mary's Sorrows became formalized over time, but already in the early centuries the Church recognized the Virgin's unique role as Co-Redemptrix. Texts such as the Stabat Mater, used in the ancient liturgy, and the meditations of saints such as St. Bernard and St. Alphonsus Liguori, emphasized the inseparable connection between Mary's suffering and that of her Son. This Friday, therefore, was an echo of that devotion, a moment to meditate on the seven daggers that pierced Mary's soul: Simeon's prophecy, the flight to Egypt, the loss of Jesus in the Temple, the encounter on the Way of the Cross, the crucifixion, the descent from the Cross, and the burial of Christ.

Symbolism of the Feast before Holy Week

This Friday of Sorrows, situated in the First Week of the Passion, is a sacred threshold. It symbolizes the prelude to the redemptive sacrifice, an invitation to enter into the mystery of the Cross through the eyes and heart of Mary. Our Lady of Sorrows is not a passive figure; she is the Mother who, in silence, offers her pain to the Father for our salvation. This day reminds us that Holy Week is not only the Passion of Christ, but also Mary's compassion, her "com-passion"—her suffering with Him. The ancient liturgy, with its sobriety and depth, prepares us for Calvary by placing us under the mantle of the grieving Mother, whose presence guides us toward the Resurrection.

In St. Stephen's Day, today's liturgical season, the saint's martyrdom is united with Mary's suffering, reminding us that following Christ implies taking up the cross. This Friday, then, is a call to penance, prayer, and contemplation, so that, when Holy Week arrives, our hearts are ready to accompany Christ and his Mother on the journey of suffering and glory.

The Importance of the Virgin Mary in Holy Week

The Virgin Mary occupies a central place in Holy Week, not as an isolated protagonist, but as an antagonist who remains alongside her Son. In the traditional liturgy, her presence is discreet but powerful: we see her in the Stabat Mater on Good Friday, in Marian antiphons such as the Salve Regina, and in the popular devotions that flourish during this time. Mary is the bridge between humanity and Christ; her pain teaches us to love the Cross, and her fidelity shows us the path to the Resurrection. During Holy Week, every season—from Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday—is permeated by her maternal presence. She washes the path to Calvary with her tears, carries the cross with her silence, and awaits the Resurrection with unwavering hope.

Without Mary, Holy Week would be incomplete.

She teaches us to say "Fiat" (let it be done) in the face of suffering, to trust in God's will even in the darkness. Therefore, honoring her Sorrows today is preparing ourselves to live the Passion of Christ with an open heart, ready to share her pain and receive her redemption.

Exhortation

Let us approach the altars of Our Lady of Sorrows with reverence. May every candle we light, every flower we offer, be an act of love and reparation. May this Good Friday be for us a moment of conversion, to cast off sin and clothe ourselves with grace. As we pass by an image of the Virgin, let us pause for a moment, bow our souls, and offer her our company. And as we prepare for Holy Week, let us follow her example: let us remain steadfast at the foot of the Cross, trusting that Good Friday will give way to Easter Sunday.

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BALMES DIXIT

 

THE LAST LORD OF THE BODY

:

There once was a man —and there still is— who proclaimed himself king.

Not over a realm of mountains or over armies.

He proclaimed himself king of his own being.

Absolute lord of his body. Legislator of his flesh. Sole judge of his life.

“My will is law,” he said.

“There is no greater good than what I choose. No truth beyond my decision.

Not even God may command me, for I am free.”

And with that stone, he laid a foundation.

It had no roots, yet he built it high.

He called it the dominion of freedom, and raised its columns with decrees,

verdicts, referendums, and solemn formulas.

Each generation was taught:

“You have not received life. You hold it.

And what one holds, one may dispose of.”

In his kingdom, death ceased to be a mystery.

It became a right.

Life was no longer a gift, but a loan.

And the body, no longer a temple, became territory.

The judges of the realm learned to obey desire.

The lawmakers learned to legislate demands, not justice.

And the supreme court no longer ruled from the throne of righteousness,

but from the echo of majority will.

Thus the self-king ruled with a firm hand:

he permitted abortions, assisted suicides, mutilations,

experiments on bodies, freedoms without purpose.

And if anyone spoke of natural law,

they were branded heretics against the new faith:

self-determination.

One day, the king fell ill.

And, loyal to his laws, he issued his final decree:

that a clean, dignified, legal death be administered.

No prayer. No mystery. No surrender.

But when the body no longer obeyed,

when pain arrived without consent,

a voice arose within him.

It was not the law.

It was not memory.

It was something else.

And it asked:

“Can one abolish what one did not establish?”

“Did you give yourself life? Did you craft your being? Did you author your soul?”

The king fell silent.

Too late, he understood

that he had lived as if he were the author,

when he was only a creature.

That he had signed laws over his body

as though it were property,

when in truth it was a sanctuary.

That he had called freedom what was escape,

and called sovereignty what was solitude.

But his signature had already been sealed.

The protocol had already been set in motion.

His death was clean, legal, and empty.

No one bid him farewell. No one wept.

Not because he was unloved,

but because no one remembered what a soul was.

And so ended the reign of the last sovereign of the body.

Not as a martyr of freedom,

but as proof of error.

For he had been coherent, yes.

But coherence can destroy as much as falsehood,

when it begins from a false premise.

And there is no premise more false than this:

that man is his own god.

For man does not belong to himself.

He is not the master of his life,

nor the judge of his death, nor the author of his being.

He is a creature.

And he forgot.

OMO

THE GREAT MIRACLE

 "For what faithful person could harbor any doubt that at the very moment of the Eucharistic sacrifice, at the voice of the priest, the heavens are opened; and that in the mystery of Jesus Christ the choirs of angels assist, the depths are united with the heights, the earth is united with the heavens, and the visible and the invisible become one and the same?"

Saint Gregory the Great.

THE GREAT JUDGMENT: THE STORY OF A MAN WHO BELIEVED HIMSELF JUSTIFIED

 

There was once a man.

A good man.

Or at least, that’s what he thought.

He was a man of faith—unshakable faith. He believed, with all the confidence of a reformer holding a hammer before a church door, that faith alone was enough. That with faith—only faith—he was righteous before God.

He had read Luther and Calvin with fervor, debated with every Catholic friend he had, and was absolutely certain that salvation was his, with no need for works to prove it.

And in this absolute certainty, he died.

And then, he awoke in a great hall.

It was not an earthly hall. It had no visible walls or ceiling, yet he felt enclosed. No source of light shone, yet everything was illuminated. No voice spoke, yet something in him understood.

The judgment had begun.

And then, a voice—one that needed no introduction—asked:

— Have you been righteous?

The man, with the same confidence with which he had debated sola fide on countless online forums, raised his chin and declared:

— Yes, because I had faith!

There was a silence, as if the entire universe had paused to listen to his response.

And then, before him, a book was opened.

A massive book, like a divine ledger. His name was there, shining and clear.

And beneath his name—nothing.

Nothing.

Not a single work of mercy. Not a single act of charity. Not one moment where he had fed the hungry, clothed the naked, or visited the sick.

Nothing.

And the voice asked again, with a calmness that cut like a sword:

— Where are your fruits?

The man hesitated. For the first time in his existence, his confidence wavered.

— But… I believed.

And then, without warning, another voice echoed—a voice written centuries ago, in the pages of an apostle he had chosen to ignore:

— “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24)

A shiver ran through his soul. But he was not defeated yet. No, he had answers—answers he had repeated countless times in his life.

— But… Saint Paul said we are justified by faith.

Another silence. And then, another page appeared, from the very same Paul he had cited. And in it, these words burned like fire:

— “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.” (Romans 2:13)

The man felt his confidence slip through his fingers like sand in the wind.

— But… I was justified because God imputed it to me. I… I didn’t have to do anything—just believe.

There was a whisper in the air, an echo of centuries of wisdom. And then, out of nowhere, a figure appeared—a man with a pen in his hand and the gaze of one who had crushed heresies before breakfast.

Saint Robert Bellarmine.

— “If justification were merely a declaration of righteousness without a real transformation of the soul, then God would be a liar, calling just what remains unjust.”

And for the first time, the man saw the abyss of his error.

God could not be a liar. And yet, his doctrine made God a liar. Because if he, filthy, empty, fruitless, was called just by a simple declaration, then justice had no meaning.

— But… Luther said…

And at that moment, another figure appeared, with the serenity of a lion and the logic of an unstoppable machine.

Saint Thomas Aquinas.

— “The justification of the sinner is a transformation of the soul in which, by God’s grace, he truly becomes just.” (STh I-II, q. 113, a. 2)

— But…

And then, another man stepped forward—an eloquent bishop with the heart of fire and a tongue sharp as a sword, a knight who had destroyed heresy with words as sweet as they were relentless.

Saint Francis de Sales.

— “Justification that does not produce a real change is a phantom without substance. If faith without works is dead, how could something dead justify?”

The man felt his soul tremble.

And then, the voice spoke again.

— God, who created you without you, will not save you without you.

The man recognized the words. Saint Augustine had said them. He had read them. But he had never understood them.

Because all his life, he had believed salvation was a blank check. That he could believe and remain unchanged. That his soul could be a corpse wrapped in a cloak of imputed righteousness.

But now he saw it. Now he understood. The soul had to be transformed. Faith had to be accompanied by love. Grace did not merely cover the soul—it made it new.

And he… he had done nothing.

And at that moment, he understood the Parable of the Talents. He understood the words of Christ:

— “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink.” (Matthew 25:41-42)

He had believed that God would demand nothing more than faith. But now he saw that God expected fruits.

And he had none.

And for the first time in his existence, terror filled him.

The voice spoke one final time.

— If you love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

The book closed.

And the man, who had died believing himself justified, fell into the abyss.

⸻

Epilogue: The Lesson

The Protestant error is a fatal error. One that sounds pious, but is the greatest betrayal of Scripture.

The man who trusts in forensic justification, in a righteousness that does not change him, is living a lie.

Because God does not call just what remains unjust.

Because faith without works is dead.

Because grace does not merely cover—it transforms.

Because God created us without us, but He will not save us without us.

The man at the Judgment realized it too late.

But you, who have read this, still have time.