Restoration
Column: Lent and Easter
This column contains articles related to the Catholic Church's observance of Lent and celebration of Easter.
Easter: A Call to Action — by Catherine Doherty. Christ is Risen. Truly he is risen. Alleluia! Alleluia! What are we going to do about it? For if we truly believe in his incarnation, his life on earth, his death on the cross and his resurrection,... (April 25, 2008)
Algebra and Easter: A Symphony in D Minus? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. Sister Clare Marie was trying to be gentle as she explained my D minus grade in Algebra, the only unacceptable grade I had ever gotten in high school. "My advice, Patrick, is that you avoid higher... (April 04, 2008)
A Pathway to Hope — by Catherine Doherty. You hear all the beautiful readings in the liturgies during the Easter Season that say that Christ is risen, the bonds of sin have been broken, and the world has been renewed. And in our nitty-gritty way,... (April 02, 2008)
I’m OK? You’re OK? Happy Easter? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. "Did you read it?" My therapist was referring to the latest pop book in the field of psychology, I’m OK—You’re OK, which he thought would be good for me to read. This was in 1969, and... (March 26, 2008)
An Easter Icon — by Pope Benedict XVI. The Easter icons of the Eastern Church show how Christ enters the world of the dead. He is clothed with light, for God is light....... (March 24, 2008)
Holy Saturday — by Catherine Doherty. The stone was heavy. It took strong Roman soldiers to roll it across the entrance. The cave was cold. There wasn’t a chink that let in any light. The walls were hard. There was so little air,... (March 22, 2008)
Wrapped in Christ’s Shroud — by Catherine Doherty. Last night it came to me that if I wrap myself up in Christ’s shroud and meditate on his death, I become more alive. So I wanted to nestle into that shroud. I wanted it to cover... (March 21, 2008)
How Much Do I Love? — by Catherine Doherty. Let us face it frankly: how much love do we have? Love for God, and love for man?... (March 20, 2008)
The Scapegoat — by Fr. Bob Wild. Denounce him; let us denounce him.... They fetched stones to throw at Jesus.... These are just a few of the many scriptural statements describing the sufferings of the Son of Man.... (March 17, 2008)
Entering the Gates of Jerusalem — by Fr. David May. If you have followed with seriousness the journey from Ash Wednesday to Holy Week, you will notice that there is a very distinctive turn of the season come Palm Sunday.... (March 14, 2008)
It Was Me; I Did It — by Fr. Bob Wild. There is an Eastern Rite prayer that we pray every day at Lauds (morning prayer) during Lent at Madonna House. "Lead me on the path of salvation, O Mother of God, for I have profaned my... (February 27, 2008)
Lent: A Path to Joy — by Pope John Paul II. When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Mt 6:6). This is, therefore,... (February 18, 2008)
Repenting of Virtues — by Irma Zalesky. About twenty five years ago during a visit to London, I met a great teacher and one of the most exciting men I had ever known, Anthony Bloom, the Russian Orthodox Metropolitan of Sourozh. I had several... (February 11, 2008)
Did Jesus Laugh? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. When you fast do not put on a gloomy face like the hypocrites do (Mt. 6:16). It was the loudest doorbell I had ever heard. And when I pushed the little black button a second time,... (February 08, 2008)
A Time to Plumb the Depths — by Catherine Doherty. Lent is a time to go into the depths of yourself, to really advance in the "journey inward" that everyone must undertake to meet the God who dwells within. This Lent should be a time to ask... (February 06, 2008)
The Cosmic Explosion — by Pope Benedict XVI. The Resurrection is not just some miracle from the past, the occurrence of which could ultimately be a matter of indifference to us. It is a qualitative leap in the history of "evolution" and of life... (April 08, 2007)
This is the Night — by Irma Zaleski. Of all the wonderful moments that the Church provides for us in its great annual cycle of feasts and celebrations, there is one that that moves me perhaps the most deeply. That is the moment during the... (April 07, 2007)
How an Old Man Got New Eyes: An Easter Story — by Jude Fischer. Once there was an old man. He was very unhappy and didn’t enjoy life very much. As things were never right, he grumbled and complained. He grumbled that he had to get up in the morning. Then... (April 06, 2007)
A Lenten Lifestyle (Part 2) — by Alexander Schmemann. Part 1 talked about creating in the home a Lenten atmosphere, a "climate" conducive to an inner life. Part 2 gives suggestions about creating such a climate in our life outside the home. What could be the... (March 21, 2007)
The Only Sign We Need — by Pope Benedict XVI. The Fourth Sunday of Lent, traditionally known as Laetare (rejoice) Sunday, is permeated with a joy which, to some extent, attenuates the penitential atmosphere of this holy season. We spontaneously ask ourselves: but why should we... (March 16, 2007)
The Search for Burning Bushes — by Fr. Pat McNulty. Have you ever wished for a mystical experience? The following is a reflection on the story of Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15), the First Reading for March 11th, the Third Sunday in Lent.... (March 12, 2007)
A Lenten Lifestyle — by Alexander Schmemann. In order for our Lenten efforts to be effective and meaningful, we need a style of life which is not in contradiction with them, which does not lead to a "split existence." In the past, in Orthodox... (February 23, 2007)
Good News for Dust and Ashes — by Fr. Pat McNulty. One Ash Wednesday, the ashes on Fr. Pat’s forehead began a change in a young woman’s heart. "No thanks, I only smoke filters," she said as I offered her a cigarette. She was smoking filtered Kools.... (February 21, 2007)
Expect a Miracle — by Fr. David May. If you took a survey of people in Madonna House, Combermere, you would probably find very few who would pick February as their favorite month. Usually by the time it has begun, we have already had... (February 19, 2007)
I Have Destroyed Death — by Bishop Melito of Sardis (2nd Century). The Lord, though he was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of those who suffer; he was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie... (April 17, 2006)
The Night of Nights — by Catherine Doherty. This is the night of nights. This is the apex of the love story. The first part came to us as the cry of a Child. The second, as the hammering and planning of wood by a... (April 15, 2006)
Awake, O Sleeper — An ancient homily. Something strange is happening. There is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the king is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen... (April 14, 2006)
Entering Holy Week — by Catherine Doherty. This is the hour of faith. We are going to need faith, because Holy Week, in a manner of speaking, will show us the reign of the prince of darkness, who rejoiced on Good Friday because he... (April 11, 2006)
What is Really Happening? — by Fr. Denis Lemieux. “The glamour is gone.” As I woke up yesterday, slowly and painfully crawling up from unconsciousness, this thought arose, unbidden and incomprehensible from some depth of my subconscious mind. It was the first waking thought of... (April 09, 2006)
Opening Up to God — by Pope John Paul II. “Penitence,” in the evangelical sense, above all means this: “to be converted.” The real purpose of it is interior purification, which is necessary in order to be able to meet “in the secrecy of the... (March 27, 2006)
Sister Ruth and the Bells — by Fr. Pat McNulty. I love bells—bells of every kind: ding-bells, dong-bells, bing-bells, and especially booooooong-bells. Bells can be a sign of hope and a source of life. They certainly were for me when I was growing up. Three times... (March 24, 2006)
Renewing the Culture — by Tom Kluger. It was early Lent last year, and the weather was soggy and overcast. The combination of the two could hardly be more depressing. I was working away in the cheese house at St. Benedict’s Acres, the Madonna... (March 20, 2006)
The Joy of Repentance — by Irma Zaleski. We can never achieve perfection. We cannot really be “good,” for only God is good (Mk 10:19). We cannot achieve perfect prayer, perfect trust, perfect forgiveness, or perfect love. We cannot have one totally unselfish thought, emotion,... (March 10, 2006)
Can You Weigh Desire? — by Catherine Doherty. Preparation for Lent begins with desire. Can you weigh desire? Can you measure it with a yardstick? Can you unwrap it and know the chemical content? No, my friends, you can’t. Desire is like a flame; it... (March 08, 2006)
What Is Your Address? — by Fr. Denis Lemieux. Here is a composite of a series of conversations I’ve had recently: Ring, ring... (Standard corporate North America telephone routine begins.)... push one-push two, working my way through the voice-mail maze... music, waiting... “Your call is... (March 03, 2006)
Bigger Than the Big Screen — by Fr. David May. In the Church’s Office of Readings for Ash Wednesday, there is an excerpt from the letter of Pope St. Clement to the Corinthians. The passage chosen begins as follows: “Let us fix our attention on the... (March 01, 2006)
The Challenge of Eastertime — by Fr. Bob Wild. Thanks be to God Lent is over, and there’s no more need for conversion! The readings of the Easter Season just invite us to a time of peaceful meals with the Lord at table and on... (April 02, 2005)
The Feast of Feasts — by Catherine Doherty. Catherine often told us about her childhood in Russia, not because she loved to reminisce (which, perhaps, she did), but to give us glimpses, concrete pictures, and a vision of a culture in which life and faith... (March 26, 2005)
Pursued by Love — by Jean Lafrance. (Perhaps) you have a climber’s mentality, and every day you set off to storm God, to overcome him by sheer force. Or maybe you ask God to come to you, reminding him politely that he seems to... (March 16, 2005)
The Detour — by S. E. M. The father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him” (Lk 15:22). “No, father,” the son said. “No. I cannot accept. Treat me like one of your hired hands.”... (March 14, 2005)
Love Stops at Nothing — by Cheryl Ann Smith. The first time I watched Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ—last year during Lent—I was devastated. I couldn’t talk; I could only weep. But I had asked for it. Only too aware of how consistently... (February 01, 2005)
The Coin That Redeems — by José de Vinck. Perhaps after his message about love, the most astounding revelation Christ made to the pagan world was his message about pain. Without that message, pain is simply something to be avoided by any means. The will... (February 01, 2005)
The Bright Sadness — by Catherine Doherty. In the Russia of my childhood we felt deeply that the way to the cross—to Golgotha—is always filled with a “bright sadness,” for Christ is etched on the cross against a fantastic light, an explosion, a transfiguration:... (February 01, 2005)
A Pathway to Joy — by Jean Fox. One word has been coming to me throughout this past week. It is an unexpected word, considering that Ash Wednesday and the Lenten time have come to us, and that the world is in extremely dark times.... (February 01, 2005)
