Good Friday Videos

Check out the video I made:

                                                         
                                                           Why is it called Good Friday?

The Great build up

One of the great benefits we have living in the formation house is being able to experience and worship at daily mass. Though it may be early (630 AM meditation for some, and 7 AM prayers followed by mass), one can feel the fruits, especially during this Lenten season.

When you go to daily mass, you also realize that the Church in her wisdom likes to order the readings to build up to certain points. In the case of Lent, that point is the Triduum, and more specifically Easter.

Looking just at last weeks Gospels, the stories included Jesus saying that it was "The hour for the Son of Man to be glorified" (Sunday), "Where [He] is going [His disciples] could not come" (Tuesday), and "Whoever keeps my word will never see death" (Thursday). Can't you feel the tension building!!!!

On Saturday, we read in the Gospel that the Sanhedrin had gathered together (in their secretlair with candle light and scary music playing) and decided to capture and kill Jesus. Jesus then went near the desert. The end reads "They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, "What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?"

You can picture it! Right after this statement, there is a cut to Jesus entering Jerusalem, being greeted with cloaks and branches strewn on the road, riding in majestically on a colt, or if you're reading from John...............on a donkey!

Holy week is all about this continued build up. The Gospel for today is literally the day (or scene) after the one noted above, where Jesus is at table with his good old buddy Lazarus (who he raised from the dead), and Martha who anointed Jesus' feet with oil and dried them with her hair. We get our little hint that Judas would betray Jesus when he scolds Martha, and Jesus says to "Let her keep this for the day of my burial"......as if He knew it wasn't that far away.

During this holy week, let's sit on the edge of our seats....spiritually that is. Offer up our Lenten penance even more devoutly than the last 30+ days, to prepare for the great climax of the story of our salvation.

On another note, our Salesian vocation website has been updated recently, including now full bios of most of the guys in formation currently. Check it out at:

http://www.salesiansofdonbosco.org/

(just a warning, the home page includes a video that auto plays, so just turn down your speakers before you check it out)

"Today I desire to give you the joy of the Risen One..."

Today, my most beloved brothers and sisters, our Mother Mary calls us to that authentic joy of Her Son.

I believe this wonderful gift given to us in the Christian life can be well compared to the following scene from Sister Act 2. We can go on with our lives living in mediocrity, singing without meaning or passion. We can try to go on living on our own strength, cowarding under our own fear of inadequacy. But that won't get us far.

In fact, all it will get us are a bunch of sideways faces--persons with funny looks upon their faces, for they know that each of us was made for more. Their mind tells them, "you know, there's just something missing in those guys." And the looks on their faces help remind us to live according to who and what we were made for. So, being guided by our peers and community, we are calmed and relaxed.

Then, at the right time, with great triumph, all of us sing in harmony. Our lives connect in a great exultation of praise to the Father. Heaven meets earth when that high note is hit, when we receive our Lord and Savior in the Holy Eucharist! And, thus, our hearts are filled with great joy! But we continue to lift each other up even after. We do not stop singing. Rather, we carry that voice--the voice of God--with us wherever we go. This is the Christian joy. This is the life we are called to. And what a joyful life it is!

May you be inspired to live a life of authenticity and overwhelming joy!

Our Lady of Medjugorje, pray for us.

Posted by: Jared R.