Shears and Tears of a Lamb 
As a retro treat, we bring you Catharine Lamb's excellent piece from last year at this time in which she helps us prepare for the beginning of the Easter Triduum by giving us a better perspective of the symbolism and meaning of the rituals of Maundy Thursday and why it is called such, for Maundy means Mandatum which translates to 'Commandment' and this Christ gave us with the institution of the Blessed Sacrament gifting those worthy of His graces His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. Catharine also gives us some insight into the Office of Tenebrae and where it originated and its beautiful meaning and customs kept alive from the monks keeping Christ company overnight to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the side chapel for the faithful to keep watch. Catharine takes us through tomorrow's magnificent liturgy practiced for so many centuries by Holy Mother Church. She explains in - The Mandatum of Love
Quid Dicit Scriptura?
 
We continue to rerun Jacob Michael's excellent reflection on the Sorrowful Mysteries for Holy Week in which he continues to apply Divine Revelation in his reflections on the Sorrowful Mysteries to help us all better understand the scope of this week in his short series "Five Days of Sorrow." Jacob hopes to give each reader a better grasp of their own life and put it all in perspective. Indeed the force with which the soldiers plunged the cruel thorn-plated helmet into Christ's sacred skull would doom any man to immediate, indescribable pain and horror. Yet Christ did not give up, He did not say "Enough!" He merely remained silent as his torturers mocked and derided Him further. Talk about harassment and persecution. Think about what He went through for us the next time we feel put upon. Jacob shares some astounding medical and historical facts that make the crowning of thorns all the more horrible in scope as he provides a most inspiring meditation for Wednesday of Holy Week on
The Crowning of Thorns
Traditional Thoughts
 
Wednesday in Holy Week features the Passion Reading from St. Luke's Gospel. Following up yesterday's Passion Reading of St. Mark and the reflection on these pages editor Michael Cain reminds how Judas is again one of the main players - the major culprit in betraying Christ. From Christ's time on anyone turning their backs on Our Lord or deviating from their Catholic Faith have been considered "Judases" and more so today as Cain details. Just as God gave Judas a free will, so we also have been bestowed. How we use it will determine our future. What price is it worth? There is no temporal treasure that compares with what Our Lord has promised to those who are faithful to Him and His True Church. We ask today, how many are being truly faithful in a short reflection for Wednesday in Holy Week on The Kiss of Death
Gabriel's Clarion
  Yesterday Gabriel Garnica spoke of the five wounds. Today he continues the countdown in his series of reflections for Holy Week by sounding the clarion about the four fools, who were the most despicable jokers, all lurking and ready to pounce on Christ in the trickiest of fashions, but not taking responsibility for their dastardly deeds. Gabriel identifies the four fools as key enablers of the sorrowful Passion, equating each of these fools with a profession today and then asking us to reflect in the mirror our own actions and if we in any way personify those bad traits, to make amends for them so that, through grace and self-mortification, the faithful follower of Christ will not fall for the joker unless he falls for the folly of the four fools as Gabriel explains in his reflection Four Fools
Tuesday
Traditional Thoughts
For Tuesday in Holy Week, the Passion of St. Mark is read during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This is the longest of the Passion accounts, taking up two full chapters with 118 verses.
Editor Michael Cain provides a brief reflection on the emphasis Mark places on two apostles - Peter and Judas. Cain shows the fine line between these two men who, despite their similarities and faults, are today on opposite ends of the spectrum - one forever praised and emulated as the first Pope and keeper of the Keys, the other forever defiled and abhorred as the unrepentant sinner. Cain shows that it is a humble contrite heart that made the difference and God extends to us today that same mercy in His refreshing Font of Divine Mercy - the Confessional through the Sacrament of Penance where, once Judases, we become Peters. Cain also points out the irony of those who consider Traditional Catholics "Judases" for not going along with the heretical novelties and instead standing by what Our Lord taught and passed on to Peter. In truth the real Judases are those who have turned their backs on the Truths and Traditions by embracing a false and new religion and synthetic Masonic-Pagan rite. They have betrayed Christ and the Primacy of Peter. Cain explains in his reflection The Tale of Two Apostles who denied Christ
Quid Dicit Scriptura?
We continue to rerun Jacob Michael's excellent reflection on the Sorrowful Mysteries for Holy Week in which he employs Divine Revelation to help us all better understand the scope of this week, and the unimaginable Love God has for us that He would send His only-begotten Son to die for us so that we might live. Jacob hopes to give each reader a better grasp of their own life and put it all in perspective. Indeed Christ's terrible scourging at the Pillar, so brilliantly and vividly portrayed by Mel Gibson in his masterpiece film, is really only a hint of what Our Lord suffered. And what He suffered were the lashes of our sins - from the most inconspicuous venial sin to the most deliberate and vile mortal sin. They are all offensive to God and need to be atoned for since God operates in "Trinity Time" not linear time. Jacob reminds us to reflect on this scourging and realize every time we sin or have sinned it is another deep bruise in the precious Body of Christ as he shares a most inspiring meditation for Tuesday of Holy Week on
The Scourging at the Pillar
Gabriel's Clarion
 Gabriel Garnica continues his series of reflections for Holy Week and today focuses on the Five Wounds of Christ and, just as the Sorrowful Mother suffered with Her Divine Son, true Catholics cannot help but feel the pains of the five sacred wounds if they are truly Catholic. Gabriel points out that this entails the free will to willingly embrace the Cross and share in the pain of suffering - redemptive suffering - through assimilation of what Jesus went through to a far greater extent on our human part. Gabriel identifies the correlation of each major wound with what Catholics should consider as outrage against their Lord and Savior. Gabriel takes us through the wounds in his reflective column The Five Sacred Wounds We Face
Christ or chaos
 
This series, first submitted by Dr. Droleskey in 2003 for The Daily Catholic, is an excellent way to complement your Holy Week contemplation. That is why we annually run this magnificent meditation for your reflection each Holy Week. Dr. Thomas A. Droleskey provides his third reflection on Salvation History covering the time of the arrival of the Messias and the fulfillment of all foretold in the Old Covenant, thus placing a perfect ending to the Old in establishing the New Covenant. Tom emphasizes that by emulating Christ's life and adhering to His teachings, we, as His loyal followers, are called to be a sign of contradiction. Jesus told us through Holy Writ that if they so viciously persecute, calumniate, and attack Him, how is it only evident that they will do the same to those faithful to His teachings. Tom shows throughout Our Lord's life that He invited man to either join or reject Him, but never compromised. Today we present the next installment from "Eden to the Empty Tomb" in Part Three A Hidden Life, A Public Ministry
Monday
Gabriel's Clarion
 In this issue Gabriel Garnica begins a series of reflections for Holy Week beginning with an aftermath meditation of Palm Sunday.
The Palms have been distributed in the sacramental nature intended, but too much significance shouldn't be placed on them as Gabriel Garnica points out in his column for Monday in Holy Week. He examines the properties and symbolism and proves the the temporary status of the palm, more readily replicating the whole concept of the New Order and the emotional superficiality of the palm's purpose vs. the Traditional stability of the wood which has survived the test of time in all stages from fresh bark, to sturdy beams, to petrified wood to the trunk of the Cross on which hung the Savior of the world. Gabriel provides contemplation on which property has more meaning in our life in his column The Palm and The Wood
Quid Dicit Scriptura?
So popular last year, we rerun Jacob Michael's excellent reflection based on Holy Writ as he uses Divine Revelation to help us all better understand the scope of this week, and the unimaginable Love God has for us that He would send His only-begotten Son to die for us so that we might live. What Jacob hopes to accomplish in his series, which are basically the Sorrowful Mysteries in "Five Days of Sorrow," is to give us all a better grasp of our own lives and put it all in perspective for every drop of His Precious Blood from those first tears in Gethsemani to the last on Golgatha had a definite, specific purpose in atonement for our sins. Jacob confirms that indeed Christ did shed tears of blood in the Garden and what those tears meant as well as the necessary comfort of the angel as he shares a most inspiring meditation for Monday of Holy Week on
The Agony in the Garden
Christ or chaos
Dr. Thomas A. Droleskey provides his second reflection on Salvation History covering the time-frame from Adam and Eve to the glory of the Paschal Lamb on Easter Sunday. This series, first submitted by Dr. Droleskey in 2003 for The Daily Catholic, is an excellent way to complement your Holy Week contemplation. That is why we annually run this magnificent meditation for your reflection each Holy Week. In his second part Tom points out how the Old Testament was laying the ground work for the Coming of the Messiah, providing a blueprint which the Jews would recognize when He came. But over time they veered far from God so that when He did come, few acknowledged the Son of God. He parallels those times with today when society mirrors the same morose. Tom explains second of seven installments from "Eden to the Empty Tomb" with Part Two From Our Father-In-Faith To The Incarnation
Traditional Thoughts
Editor Michael Cain provides a brief reflection on the Proper of today's Holy Mass for Monday in Holy Week. He focuses on the journey of one of the Apostles - the one who would betray his Master: Judas Iscariot. The evangelist John illustrates in today's Gospel how he himself viewed one of his own colleagues - "he that was about to betray Him." This account at Lazarus' house after he was raised from the dead by Our Lord shows how Judas looked at the temporal treasures, which Cain equates to a drop of water compared to the everlasting ocean of treasures in eternity. John re-emphasizes this when he enforces the fact that Judas cared not for the poor, "but because he was a thief." Strong words and the beloved disciple reveals here that Christ knows exactly what is going on, even foretelling His death. Cain explains in his reflection Worldly Riches are a mere drop in the Ocean of Heavenly Riches
SUNDAY
"Qui legit, intelligat"
  In Father Louis Campbell's sermon for Palm Sunday, he emphasizes the importance of suffering, not for the sake of suffering itself but for the cleansing effect it has on the soul and for reparation of the sins of so many. He magnificently shows how Holy Writ has reinforced this and points to our own suffering today in this time when so many have sold out to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Specifically he refers to the suffering of Terri Schiavo and the cruel punishment inflicted upon her and her family, especially right now as they undergo their own harsh, but necessary earthly passion inflicted by those who abhor any kind of pain; by those who eschew suffering as a weakness, when in truth it is a strength the world will never know. It is a strength that gains so much grace through the melding of the sacraments, prayer and the self-discipline of our senses in building resistance to caving to the easy way. Pain and penance, when accepted for the Will of God, forge a beautiful soul that can withstand the scourges of satan no matter where the flagellations may come from. Father provides an inspiring prayer by the holy Doctor of the Church St. Alphonsus Liguori to bring this point home in his sermon The Refining Fire of Suffering
Christ or chaos
Dr. Thomas A. Droleskey begins a special series in which he presents from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday a reflection on Salvation History, beginning from Adam and Eve to the glory of the Paschal Lamb on Easter Sunday. This series, first submitted by Dr. Droleskey in 2003 for The Daily Catholic, is an excellent way to complement your Holy Week contemplation. That is why we annually run this magnificent meditation for your reflection each Holy Week. In his first part Tom traces the history of salvation from the fall of our first parents and the subsequent trials of God's people in the Old Testament in waiting for the Messiah. Tom provides the details in his first of seven installments from "Eden to the Empty Tomb" with Part One Life and Death Were Put Before Adam and Eve
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi
  Kevin Tierney provides a comprehensive comparison illustrating the obvious difference in rites for the Blessing of the Palms, Procession, Mass and Passion Reading of the Gospel. His documentation shows the vast gulch between what was always the norm and what today is passed off as Catholic in the Novus Ordo. Because our readership is growing and many may not have profited from Kevin's comparison of the Traditional Latin Rite with the Novus Ordo from Palm Sunday last year, we run it here again in his series "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi" which, of course, translated means roughly how one prays is how one believes. As you can see the differences between the two are as clear as black and white. One, the Latin Mass is full and reverent, the Novus Ordo sterile and bland. It needs innovation and novelty to spice things up. The Latin Mass merely depends on the Divine. Today he takes the reader through the Propers of the Traditional Latin Mass for the Beautiful ceremony of the Blessing of the Palms, Procession and Holy Mass and compares it to the abbreviated form adopted in the Novus Ordo whereby once again he points out the omissions that on the surface may not seem like much of a difference, but in content and intent are huge in one, the Traditional Rite of the Immemorial Mass being totally Catholic, and two, the New Order Rite expressing a Protestant mentality in so many ways. Kevin identifies the differences in The Disciplines of Passiontide: Palm Sunday
Pro-Life Prescriptions
 
After a long hiatus, Dr. Frank Joseph returns, weighing in on the travesty of the Terri Schiavo case for the crux of the matter is at the very essence of his subject matter column "Pro-Life Prescriptions." He asks where were the missing-in-action Democrats as Republicans go above and beyond the call of duty to live and act as pro-lifers for the sake of one person, proving the worth that even one person is worth it all for Terri Schiavo is made in the image and likeness of God. Judge Greer, Michael Schiavo, George Felos and pro-abort Democrats and those pushing euthanasia so hard don't want to hear that. They have railroaded Terri, defying writs of Habeas Corpus and other legal measures to stop the unjust justices who have trampled on the Bill of Rights and Constitution. Terri Schiavo is being treated worse than a violent criminal. The liberals rant and rave over abuse of terrorists, but turn their head the other way when it comes to the innocent. Whether it's abortion or euthanasia, it's still downright murder and there's a price to pay for killing. God said so! Frank emphasizes this in his column Dead People Tell No Tales!
Saturday
The Sanity of Sanctity
    How fitting that this year the Double of the First Class Solemnity of St. Joseph concludes Passion Week and so appropriately immediately follows the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph's chaste protector. It also serves as the lead-in to Holy Week. Though Joseph had been called to Heaven well before that fateful week, he knew intuitively the sorrows Mary was going through, and what was in store for his foster-Son Jesus. Is it not reasonable to think that when Jesus was suffering and near collapse, one of the human factors that kept Him from faltering was the wise and loving counsel of His beloved protector Joseph. So also the saints down through the ages and we today can call on this great saint who, after the Blessed Mother, holds more veneration and titles than any other saint. Today, when Christ's Mystical Body is so battered and tortured, we call on the Patron of the universal Church in a special tribute of Devotions to Saint Joseph
Gabriel's Clarion
On this feast of the holy Joseph, Patron of the Sick, Patron of a happy death, and Solace of the Afflicted, none is more persecuted than Terri Schiavo whose rights have been stripped from her in the same manner Christ was stripped of His garments as Gabriel Garnica so clearly compares in showing the parallels between Our Lord and Savior and one of His faithful, suffering children who, in her own way, is a victim soul, and whose body has been rendered totally a victim to the cruel agenda of the Euthanasiastics who are dead set on seeing her dead from the stubborn and very hostile judge to her estranged and strange husband who long ago abandoned his marriage vows in favor of the world, the flesh and the devil. And the devil is in control in directing those who insist on one man's fabrications as the cornerstone of their case to remove Terri's feeding tube. Gabriel lays out the comparisons between the Passion of Jesus and Terri's Passion
Friday
The Straight Stuff
 
Griff Ruby turns his attention this week to the poor in spirit for rich is their reward. Why? Drawing upon Christ's teaching and His Own actions, being born among the poorest, raised among the poor by a carpenter, always sympathetic to those who had little but gave much, and Who has sent His Sorrowful Mother over the centuries to the poor peasants such as Juan Diego, Bernadette Soubirous, the La Salette and Fatima visionaries; all poor but pure in heart. That is the key for those very poor in spirit, whom Our Lord referred to in His Sermon on the Mount on the Beatitudes. They are often those lacking this world's goods for they are saved from temptation into which most of the wealthy are plunged. That is another reason why seeking the spiritual riches of poverty voluntarily is a richness beyond compare; why many religious take the vow of poverty. This treasure of poverty is truly a blessing in disguise as Griff explains in his column Power and Spiritual Riches in Poverty
Traditional Thoughts
 Editor Michael Cain impresses on readers the importance of the Feast of the Seven Sorrows in Friday of Passion Week as he takes the reader on a journey through Mary's life on earth, identifying each sword mystically piercing Her Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart. He poses the question: Why is Our Lady so sorrowful? Because She is a Mother and She continues to weep because so many do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Her Divine Son. Wouldn't you weep too? Cain illustrates how Our Lady was so perfectly in sync with the Divine Will that without this cooperation many souls might be even more lost considering the ravaging perpetuated by Her Divine Son's Adversary in these trying, troublesome times. We need to heed her strong motherly advice, meld our sorrows with Hers and do as she asks, take our cares, concerns, anxieties, worries and woes and lay them at the foot of the Cross to be washed in His Most Precious, Cleansing Blood. Cain explains in his meditative essay
Seven Sorrows of the Immaculate Heart
Thursday
The Sanity of Sanctity
In honor of Saint Paddy's Day, we present today the sole story behind Saint Patrick's soul-saving mission for the Trinity. Tradtionally we strive to bring you on this feast this special diary compiled by the "Apostle of Ireland" himself, which delves into his mindset and heart, revealing to all the inate and unaldulterated pure and simple holiness of this determined cleric who dared to do great things for God and who single-handedly brought Catholicism to a pagan island in the 5th Century. Since that time the emerald isle remained one of the staunchest bastions of the Roman Catholic Faith in the world until just recently when, having no modern emulators of good St. Patrick left, satan slithered back into the Olde country through the divorce, abortion and relaxed disciplines of the Novus Ordo agendas. Prior to Vatican II, Ireland had provided more priests for America than any other country. Today they are a dying breed. Pray for a modern St. Patrick to rise up and drive the serpents of evil out, reconverting the Gaelic nation, and for that grace to rub off on America so that the Truths and Traditions can be restored and God once again returned as the Focal Point of lives everywhere. For St. Patrick's own inspirational, humble and revealing diary, we invite you to read the entire awe-filled Confessions of a Humble Apostle
Catholic PewPOINT
  Editor Michael Cain proves its no blarney - two editorials in one week. But he cannot pass up an editorial for St. Paddy's Day and this traditional day of wearin' o' the green on this good Bishop's Double Feast makes Cain see red for too many buffoons harm this saint's good name and purpose. March 17 annually brings out the best and worst of mankind. Those who are truly Irish in heart, who truly realize what the shamrock represents, who truly understand the infrangible truths of the Faith are embarrassed by the sad fact that this glorious day has been given over to driveling druids who use it as a license for debauchery and drunkenness. He points out the ironies and secularization of this feast like so many others which the world, the flesh and the devil have commandeered to suit mammon. By gorrah, Cain and Traditional Catholics are mad, and they didn't need whiskey or green beer to rile them up, just the disrespect shown to God that has them ready to swing the shillelaghs and drive the vipers out in much the same manner as a certain bishop did a millennium and a half ago. Cain explains in his editorial
A bit o' legend, a bit o' lore, and a lot o' the good olde faith!
Wednesday
Gabriel's Clarion
  
Gabriel Garnica turns to Passiontide mode as he brings us an essay in this issue on the wicked and the foolish. It was the noble bard William Shakespeare who penned the words "something wicked this way comes" in his macabre melodrama Macbeth and we would be foolish to think those words are fiction for the crisis in today's world proves the Bard was on to something and we will be as well if we discern "to be or not to be" among those who relish wickedness or among those who practice virtue. The truly foolish would opt for the former, the fools for Christ would choose the latter. That, Gabriel points out, is what we need to be, fools for Him no matter what the world thinks or does. He shows how the axis as been turned to represent evil as good and virtue as evil. If we are alert, we will don the Highest Court's silks of the true fool for Christ and honor the King of kings no matter the ridicule, as Gabriel explains in his column The Wicked and the Foolish
Making Sense of Sensus Catholicus
 
Father James F. Wathen, the pioneering traditional author of The Great Sacrilege, presents a treatise this week on the Gospel of St. John, chapter 9 on the Pharisees and the Blind Man whom Jesus healed. Father magnificently shows how the Pharisees in this passage replicate the modern Pharisees who reject the Truths and Traditions of what always was taught in favor of the novelty of the times. He brings the scriptures to life with meditative thoughts that will only strengthen one's faith and one's resolve to continue the good fight in preserving and upholding the faith of our fathers. He illustrates how the Pharisees intimidated so many in Christ's time and why they hated Him so because He felt no compunction in exposing their hypocrisy. In Father's thoughts about the blind man's parents he shows how afraid even the blind man's flesh and blood were. Because of these heartless rulers, they feared expressing their overwhelming joy in their son's complete healing. He equates the same intimidation of the New Order rulers today who go out of their way to hunt down those who would dare follow what Christ taught and handed down through Divine Revelation and Tradition. Father explains in his brief commentary sent by Maria Hughes. The Man Born Blind
Tuesday
Catholic PewPOINT
 Editor Michael Cain equates the situation of these times, this month, this very day with the fall of the mighty Caesar 2049 years ago. Caesar and so many emperors before and after him, empires, kingdom and nations before and after have come and gone, but only one Ruler and one institution He established continues after two millennia. That would be Christ and His Mystical Bride which has been ravaged and raped by the enemies of the Church who come in all sizes and shapes of togas, all the better to conceal their daggered agendas until the time to strike from within and without in attempting to inflict the mortal wound to His holy Church. Though they have flailed and failed, they have still weakened the Church and society by not standing strong against the hideous crimes of today's society. Cain emphasizes the futility and folly in placing trust in man while neglecting what God wills, all because of political correctness and man's determined agenda to expunge God from the equation. The mighty Caesar is still referenced to this day, perpetuated in Sacred Scripture by Our Lord's words which tripped up the Scribes and Pharisees who sought to trap Christ. Today man is trapped because he has betrayed his Savior yet still expects to be saved. What pride! What gall! Cain explains in his editorial for the Ides of March
"Beware the 'Hideous' of March!"
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Terri's Watch is a special feature we will run daily in bringing you news and articles on Terri's physical welfare during this most crucial time when her life and America's soul hangs in the balance:
With Passiontide upon us, we reprise Father Lawrence Smith's series of poetic reflections of the Way of the Cross which he composed for readers of The Daily Catholic last year in order to enhance our meditation along with a pertinent scriptural reading to read and contemplate in making Passion Week and the ensuing Holy Week leading to the Paschal Triduum ever more meaningful with 
The 2005 Nominations are now open for the Second Annual Good, Bad and the UGLIES Recognition
