Keep
your eyes open!...
April 23, 2026
(1Pe 5:8-11) Be
sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in
faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls, your brethren who are
in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his
eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will
himself perfect you and confirm you and establish you. To him be glory
and empire, for ever and ever. Amen.
ZENIT.ORG: Mexican bishops warn of a nation at risk: violence, the Cristero War, and the World Cup
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GOOD CATHOLIC: What St. John Vianney Taught About the Value of Suffering
EXCERPT CARMELITE QUOTES: The Cross: The Fullness of God — Silvio José Báez, ocd
On this Third Sunday of Easter, we
hear the beautiful story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Two of Jesus’ disciples—witnesses of his crucifixion—sad and
disillusioned, are on their way back to Emmaus.
As they walk, they talk about
everything that happened in those days in Jerusalem (Lk 24:14).
The death of Jesus—he in whom they had trusted, the one they had
followed—left them deeply disappointed. They need to talk about
it. They need to remember. They need to share what they’ve
lived through. And yet, even as they talk, they are still trapped
in the painful past. They can’t yet see any reason to hope.
Their experience brings to mind,
almost spontaneously, the recent history of the people of
Nicaragua. Eight years ago, the people rose up peacefully against
a criminal dictatorship that reacted with violence—repressing and
killing hundreds of Nicaraguans. The regime has imposed a
repressive police state that has stripped away all freedoms and left a
painful legacy of imprisonment, exile, and death. Like those two
disciples on the road to Emmaus, Nicaragua is the walking wounded—often
filled with uncertainty, but always longing for freedom, peace, and
justice.
When we carry such a painful
history on our shoulders, we run the risk of becoming discouraged,
losing hope, like the disciples of Emmaus. They were walking, but
they were still trapped in the painful events that had occurred just a
few days earlier, when they saw Jesus die, without finding a reason to
keep going.
The Risen Jesus offers reasons to
hope and new strength to keep building a better future for the people
of Nicaragua. With Jesus at our side, walking with us, the
suffering we’ve endured can become a new impetus to keep going; in our
powerlessness, we can discover the strength of God that propels us
forward; our mistakes can become a lesson that sets us back on the
right path; and our sadness and discouragement can become strength to
change history.
We mustn’t fall into the illusion
that the true victors are those who impose themselves with
weapons. Nor should we let ourselves be deceived by the distorted
reading of history put forward by those in power, who present
themselves as victims and accuse the real victims. The
Resurrection of Jesus assures us that, just as his crucifixion once
seemed like a defeat, what happened eight years ago has in fact been
the great victory of a people who are already rising again, because
they refuse to submit to unjust oppression and to the theft of their
own history.
The disciples invite Jesus to stay
with them. As they sit at table, Jesus takes the bread, blesses
it, breaks it, and gives it to them (Lk 24:30). Then the eyes of
the two disciples are opened, and they recognize him (Lk 24:31).
In that broken bread, Jesus is present—he feeds us with the strength of
his love in every Eucharist. In the Eucharistic bread, we find
the strength that sustains us and the love that guides us. The
people of Nicaragua are not only courageous, but also a people who
believe. May Jesus, the Bread of Life, always sustain our journey
and be our nourishment in moments of doubt and weariness.
Before that broken bread, the
disciples finally came to understand the meaning of history. The
Eucharist teaches us how the future is built: by becoming bread broken
for the life of the world. The people of Nicaragua must not
forget this. It’s not about seeking more victories, but about
daring to lose out of love—giving ourselves generously so that others
may live, and continuing to struggle so that a society marked by
freedom, justice, and peace may take shape, without victors or
vanquished.
RELATED NEWS
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"
5.
If you possess the gift of mourning, hold on
to it with all your might. For it is easily lost when it is not firmly
established. And just as wax melts in the presence of fire, so it is
easily
dissolved by noise and bodily cares, and by luxury, and especially by
talkativeness
and levity.
April 21, 2026
(Joh 3:14-17) And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be
lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have
life everlasting. For God so loved the world, as to give his only
begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may
have life everlasting. For God sent not his Son into the world, to
judge the world: but that the world may be saved by him.
Do not be afraid to go out on
the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who
preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of
cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the
Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops. Do
not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living,
in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern
“metropolis”. It is you who must “go out into the byroads” and
invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his
people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or
indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in
private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its
light and give praise to our heavenly Father. —POPE JOHN PAUL II
PASTORAL LETTER: War, Justice, and the Cross – How Should Catholics Think Right Now?
EXCERPT CERC: “As a bishop, it is my duty to warn the West” by Robert Cardinal Sarah
Christians must be missionaries. They cannot keep the treasure of
the Faith for themselves. Mission and evangelization remain an
urgent spiritual task. And as St. Paul says, every
Christian should be able to say “If I proclaim the gospel, this gives
me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to
me if I do not proclaim the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). Further, “God
desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”
(1 Tim 2:4). How can we do nothing when so many souls do not know
the only truth that sets us free: Jesus Christ? The prevailing
relativism considers religious pluralism to be a good in itself.
No! The plenitude of revealed truth that the Catholic Church has
received must be transmitted, proclaimed, and preached.
The goal of evangelization is not world domination, but the service of
God. Don’t forget that Christ’s victory over the world is…the
Cross! It is not our intention to take over the power of the
world. Evangelization is done through the Cross.
The martyrs are the first missionaries. Before the eyes of men,
their life is a failure. The goal of evangelization is not to
“keep count” like social media networks that want to “make a buzz.” Our
goal is not to be popular in the media. We want that each and
every soul be saved by Christ. Evangelization is not a question
of success. It is a profoundly interior and supernatural reality.
The crisis of the Church is above all a crisis of the faith. Some
want the Church to be a human and horizontal society; they want it to
speak the language of the media. They want to make it
popular. They urge it not to speak about God, but to throw itself
body and soul into social problems: migration, ecology, dialogue, the
culture of encounter, the struggle against poverty, for justice and
peace. These are of course important and vital questions before
which the Church cannot shut her eyes. But a Church such as this
is of interest to no one. The Church is only of interest because
she allows us to encounter Jesus. She is only legitimate because
she passes on Revelation to us. When the Church becomes
overburdened with human structures, it obstructs the light of God
shining out in her and through her. We are tempted to think that
our action and our ideas will save the Church. It would be better
to begin by letting her save herself.But a Church such as this is of
interest to no one. The Church is only of interest because she
allows us to encounter Jesus. She is only legitimate because she
passes on Revelation to us.
FIERCELYCATHOLIC.COM: The Paschal Mystery
God the Father sent Jesus into the
world and all of his actions are saving, but it is the final events of
Jesus’ life that offer salvation and eternal life in Heaven in the most
powerful way.
The Paschal Mystery refers mainly
to the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus followed by his
glorious Ascension into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God
the Father.
Paschal comes from the word
“Pasch”, how the early Christians referred to Easter. This is the
new Passover where Jesus Christ became the Lamb who was sacrificed to
save mankind from sin and death.
This redemptive work of the Messiah
is beyond human understanding. It is a mystery revealed by God
and accepted by Catholics as truth by faith. The Paschal mystery
is a core doctrine of the Catholic Church and an essential belief of
any Christian.
By his Passion, enduring horrible
suffering for the sin of mankind, Jesus shows just how serious human
sin is, while revealing the power and intensity of God’s love for the
human race at the same time.
Even though God could have saved
mankind in some other way, Jesus chose to experience the humiliating
and painful death of Crucifixion as a man.
Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead
on the third day confirms that He is the Son of God. Those who
believe in Him and imitate his love for God the Father and for other
people can look forward to their own resurrection when He comes again
in glory.
Having ascended into Heaven, Jesus
intercedes for mankind and rules over his Kingdom that will never
end. Those who acknowledge that Jesus died on the Cross for their
sins and live according to his teaching will also ascend to Heaven to
live forever.
Because the Paschal Mystery
transcends time, Catholics participate in it and receive its saving
effects by memorializing the final events in the life of Jesus through
the celebration of the sacraments, particularly Baptism and the
Eucharist.
This redemptive work of Jesus is
celebrated and emphasized in the liturgy every day throughout the year,
but especially during Holy Week leading up to Easter.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"
4.
A characteristic of those who are still progressing
in blessed mourning is temperance and silence of the lips; and of those
who have made progress- freedom from anger and patient endurance of
injuries;
and of the perfect- humility, thirst for dishonours, voluntary craving
for involuntary afflictions, non-condemnation of sinners, compassion
even
beyond one's strength. The first are acceptable, the second laudable;
but
blessed are those who hunger for hardship and thirst for dishonour, for
they shall be filled with the food whereof there can be no satiety.
April 15, 2026
(1Th 5:1-7) But
of the times and moments, brethren, you need not, that we should write
to you: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord shall so
come as a thief in the night. For when they shall say: Peace and
security; then shall sudden destruction come upon them, as the pains
upon her that is with child, and they shall not escape. But you,
brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a
thief. For all you are the children of light and children of the day:
we are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep,
as others do: but let us watch, and be sober. For they that sleep,
sleep in the night; and they that are drunk, are drunk in the night.
CRISIS MAGAZINE: Are We in the End Times? by Fr. Joseph Gill
MARK MALLET BLOG: 10 Reasons the Fuse is Short
AI Summary of the blog post: "10 Reasons the Fuse is Short" by Mark Mallett
The central message of the post is that we are living in a special,
prolonged "time of mercy" — a period of extraordinary grace extended by
God (as revealed to St. Faustina Kowalska in 1937) — but this time has
an expiry date. It will soon give way to the "Day of Justice" (also
called the "Day of the Lord"), a purifying event where God will judge
wickedness and fulfill promises to the faithful. The author argues that
the "fuse" of this merciful period is growing very short, supported by
10 converging reasons drawn from Scripture, Church teaching, private
revelations, and current world events.
Here are the 10 reasons outlined in the article, with brief explanations:
1. Joel Prophesied This Hour
The massive explosion of prophecies, Marian apparitions,
locutions, and visions in recent generations matches the biblical
prophecy of Joel (quoted in Acts 2:17–21) about the last days, when God
pours out His Spirit, leading to widespread prophesying, dreams,
visions, and signs before the great Day of the Lord.
2. The Magisterium’s Warning
Successive popes (from Leo XIII to John Paul II) have used
strikingly prophetic language to describe our era — speaking of
widespread apostasy, the "Son of Perdition," spirits of error, and the
need for "watchmen" to announce Christ's coming — aligning closely with
end-times prophecies.
3. The “sense of the faithful”
The baptized share in Christ's prophetic office (Catechism
n. 897) and many faithful (laity and clergy alike) report a powerful,
growing interior sense of urgency to convert and prepare as global
signs intensify.
4. The General Signs — Man-Made?
The "birth pains" Jesus described (wars, earthquakes,
famines, plagues — Matthew 24) are increasingly man-made or
human-amplified (e.g., record conflicts, engineered disasters,
weaponized diseases), suggesting humanity itself is forging the
instruments of its own potential destruction.
5. Idolatry
Modern society has created a new "golden calf" through
worship of technology and AI, which increasingly replaces human
relationships, work, and even spiritual guidance — echoing the original
temptation to "be like gods" through forbidden knowledge.
6. Playing God
Humanity's unchecked pursuit of cloning, genetic
engineering, designer babies, and weather manipulation crosses moral
boundaries and attempts to usurp God's role, as warned by Pope Benedict
XVI.
7. Existential Threats
Rapidly advancing dangers — AI approaching singularity
(potentially by 2026), nuclear World War III risks, and lab-created
lethal pathogens — place humanity on the brink of self-annihilation.
8. The Culture of Death
Abortion, euthanasia, endless wars, and widespread
starvation constitute sins that "cry out to heaven," spilling innocent
blood in a way that echoes Cain's crime and invites divine justice (as
emphasized by St. John Paul II in *Evangelium Vitae*).
9. The Emerging Global Slavery
The push toward cashless societies, digital IDs, and
centralized control by governments/financial elites is creating a
system of total surveillance and restricted freedom — described as a
form of "global Communism" achieved through orchestrated chaos.
10. The Great Scattering of the Church
The Church faces a final, severe trial that will
shake the faith of many, scatter the flock, and involve apostasy even
"from the top" — fulfilling prophecies about doctrinal confusion,
indifferentism, and the Church's purification before the end.
Overall tone and perspective: The post is written in an urgent,
prophetic, and eschatological style typical of Mark Mallett's writing.
It blends Catholic tradition, Scripture, approved private revelations
(especially Faustina and Fatima), papal teachings, and contemporary
headlines to argue that the signs are converging rapidly — calling
readers to recognize this "time of visitation," repent, and prepare
while mercy is still extended.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"
3. Repentance is the cheerful deprival of every
bodily comfort.
April 12, 2026 DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
(Eph 2:4-7) But
God (who is rich in mercy) for his exceeding charity wherewith he loved
us Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ
(by whose grace you are saved) And hath raised us up together and hath
made us sit together in the heavenly places, through Christ Jesus. That
he might shew in the ages to come the abundant riches of his grace, in
his bounty towards us in Christ Jesus.
YOUTUBE: Divine Mercy Sunday Grace Completely Summarized in One Place by Father Chris
THE CATHOLIC THING: Mercy’s Wondrous Exchange
THE DIVINE MERCY: Why is Divine Mercy So Important?
The Lord makes clear in Scripture
that when He returns He's not going to deal with sin, because He's done
that once and for all. When He comes again, it's "to bring
salvation to those who eagerly await Him" (Heb 9:28).
So when people ask me why is the
message of Divine Mercy important for the world today, the answer is
simple: Through the message of Divine Mercy, our Lord is preparing us
for His final coming.
He told the great prophet of Divine
Mercy, St. Maria Faustina, in one of a series of revelations in
the 1930s: "Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My
Mercy" (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 300).
Helena Kowalska, known today
throughout the world as St. Maria Faustina (1905-38), was
designated by Our Lord Himself as the "Secretary" and "Apostle" of His
Mercy. The Lord told her: "You will prepare the world for My
final coming" (Diary, 429).
The mission the Lord gave her was
not only to remind the world of the great mercy of God as revealed in
Sacred Scripture, but also to teach us new forms of devotion to The
Divine Mercy and to initiate a movement of apostles of The Divine Mercy
who show a childlike trust in God and love of neighbor.
CHURCHPOP ON DIVINE MERCY
CATHOLIC DAILY REFLECTIONS: The Inexhaustible Depths of Divine Mercy
In the year 2000, the Octave of
Easter took on a new focus when Saint Pope John Paul II instituted the
Solemnity of Divine Mercy on the eighth day of Easter. This was
done in response to Jesus’ personal request, communicated to the Church
through a humble cloistered Polish nun. Canonized in 2000, she is
known as Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.
Between 1931 and 1938, Sister
Faustina received numerous mystical visions that she recorded in six
notebooks, now referred to collectively as Divine Mercy in My Soul:
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. Almost two years before
her death, Sister Faustina recorded the following entry in her diary:
On one occasion,
I heard these words: “My daughter, tell the whole world about My
inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge
and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On
that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out
a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My
mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy
Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and
punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which
grace flows are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even
though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind,
be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all
eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very
depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me
will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast
of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My
desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after
Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount
of My Mercy” (Diary #699).
When we reflect on this beautiful
private revelation in the light of today’s Gospel, we are invited to
consider that even though the Gospels present us with all we need to
know in order to come to faith in Christ and share in the new life He
bestows, the treasure of His Divine Mercy is inexhaustible. Just
as “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that
are not written in this book,” so also the depths of His ongoing work,
His Divine Mercy, will only be seen in Heaven.
Divine Mercy Sunday is a day on
which we are to profess our belief in this Mercy. To do so, we
must ponder these inexhaustible treasures, probe their depths with the
aid of Saint Faustina’s private revelations, and then allow our Lord to
reveal them to us within the depths of our souls.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 7- "On Joy-Making Mourning"
1. Mourning according to God
is sadness of soul
and the disposition of a sorrowing heart, which ever madly seeks that
for
which it thirsts; and when it fails in its quest, it painfully pursues
it, and follows in its wake grievously lamenting. Or thus: mourning is
a golden spur in a soul which is stripped of all attachment and of all
ties, fixed by holy sorrow to watch over the heart.
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