davidrioux.ca Open in urlscan Pro
65.181.111.151  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Skip to content
 * Bible Study Resources
 * Census
 * Links
   * The Word and Liturgy Links
   * Art Links
   * Sacred Music
   * Poetry Links
   * Sacrament of Matrimony Links
   * Catholic Education
   * Christian Legal Issues
   * Sacrament of Reconciliation Links
 * Prayer Cards
 * Starting a Schola
 * The Sacrament of Baptism
 * Funeral


FATHER DAVID RIOUX'S WEBSITE


 * JESUS WAS TRANSFIGURED BEFORE THEM, HIS FACE SHONE LIKE THE SUN… HE CHARGED
   THEM, ‘DO NOT TELL THE VISION TO ANYONE UNTIL THE SON OF MAN HAS BEEN RAISED
   FROM THE DEAD’ (MATTHEW 17)
   
   August 6th, 2024
   
   After this Transfiguration event,
   after the Passion, crucifixion, death, and glorious Resurrection of Jesus
   Christ from the dead,
   Peter, and James, and John, do testify to all these events.
   
   Peter and the Apostles hand on not devised myth, but their own eyewitness
   accounts, unto their martyrdoms (2 Peter 1:16-19).
   
   They give their testimony, in word and in writing for us, that they saw the
   Son of Man, the beloved Son of God, transfigured, glorified, in light.
   
   The Transfiguration, icon by Jonathan Pageau
   
   The natural light of the sun is obscured by the shining cloud, the shekinah
   glory, of the Holy Spirit.
   
   The voice of God the Father comes through this supernatural light, giving the
   testimony for His beloved Son, who fulfills the Law of Moses and all the
   prophecies of Elijah and all the prophets.
   
   ‘Listen to Him.’
   
   Saint Peter writes, testifies, that we will do well to be attentive to this,
   as to a lamp shining in a dark place… as a morning star, rising in our
   hearts.
   
   This is what the Transfiguration event can be for us now, a day star rising
   in our hearts.
   
   Not long ago, we commemorated the great Solemnity of Pentecost, when Christ’s
   Church on earth began in earnest, in the power of the Holy Spirit, two
   millenia ago.
   
   Since then, each Lord’s Day, we have prayed over the Gospel Word, from the
   calling of the Apostles. Peter, James, John, Andrew, all the apostles, handed
   on this Word of the Lord by their testimony. They handed on their testimony
   in unbroken lines of succession through the generations of bishops. As Saint
   Peter writes, the Gospel Word, and testimony, is not cleverly devised myth
   but simple Truth, explained to disciples, and openly sown in parables for all
   to hear, in these open, inviting, engaging stories, so that all may find in
   their fields the beautiful pearl of Truth of the Word of God.
   
   Since Pentecost, our Christian mission handed down to us by Christ, through
   all apostles and disciples, is to go, make disciples of all, and teaching all
   of the Gospel Word, following on the Way of the Lord, until we enter into the
   Lord’s heavenly wedding banquet, when we will see Christ in all His power and
   glory over heaven and earth (see the Great Commission in Matthew 28).
   
   The Way of the Lord for us in this life is to follow in virtue, in the
   beatitudes, pursuing what is true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, and
   gracious, as Saint Paul encourages (Philippians 4:8).
   
   Our Lord reminds us, that with His Holy Spirit, He is with us always, to that
   end. Just as Jesus’ raiment became dazzling white, our Baptismal white robes
   of the saved in the Book of Revelation ( 7:9,13 19:14) will be our wedding
   garment for entry into the heavenly banquet (Matthew 22).
   
   Sometimes, though, in this journey in faith, we may feel alone, struggling,
   this journey may become a slog. Our Lord is gentle, humble in heart, he
   offers to help us take up our yoke, to make our burden one of light, as in
   the light of the Transfiguration (Matthew 11).
   
   Sometimes, though, we may feel in the dark, in darkness, so in need of our
   Lord’s promise of light.
   
   So our Lord offers us this great example of a mountaintop experience, this
   peak experience. Mount Tabor is a 1,600 foot hike up an isolated rocky
   outcrop. As our late pope Benedict XVI observed, this place of ascent is ‘a
   liberation from the burden of everyday life, a breathing in of the pure air
   of creation and its beauty; it gives one an inner peak to stand on and an
   intuitive sense of the Creator’ (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth).
   
   Our Lord gives this day star to rise in the hearts of His chosen apostles, to
   help them through what comes next in their journey. To get them through
   Gethsemene, the dark of the valley at the foot of the mount of olives. To
   again quote Benedict XVI: ‘It was here that Jesus experienced that final
   loneliness, the whole anguish of the human condition… Here He was to quake
   with the foreboding of His imminent death. Here He was kissed by the
   betrayer. Here He was abandoned by all the disciples…
   because He is the Son, He sees with total clarity the whole foul flood of
   evil, all the power of lies and pride, all the wiles and cruelty of the evil
   that masks itself as life yet constantly serves to destroy, debase, and crush
   life. All this He must take into Himself, so that it can be disarmed and
   defeated in Him ’ (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth – Holy Week).
   
   Christ does this for us. He glorifies the bodily form He shares with all
   humanity, to remove the scandal of the Cross from the hearts of His
   disciples, showing the shining destiny to be fulfilled in the Resurrection
   (Preface of the Transfiguration).
   
   Christ turns Gethsemene back into the Garden of eternal life.
   
   


 * CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP WHICH I MUST DRINK AND BE BAPTIZED WITH THE BAPTISM
   WHICH I MUST UNDERGO? (MATTHEW 20:20-28)
   
   July 25th, 2024
   
   Salome, mother of James and John, wife of Zebedee, is a follower of our Lord
   Jesus Christ, unto the foot of His Cross, unto His burial in the tomb (Mark
   15:40-16:1).
   
   She seeks salvation for her sons, that they may be at the Lord’s right and
   left hand in His Kingdom.
   
   ‘Can you drink the Chalice of My Blood, to be poured out for you and for
   many, for Salvation? Can You be Baptized with My Baptism?’
   
   ‘We can.’
   
   James became the first sharer of Christ’s Chalice:
   
   > About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to
   > the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he
   > saw that it pleased the Jewish authorities, he proceeded to arrest Peter
   > also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread…
   > 
   > Acts 12
   
   To be at the Lord’s left and right hand, to drink the Chalice of the Lord, to
   become the friends of God (Communion antiphon), is to serve, as a witness to
   Life, with one’s life.
   
   With Saint Paul (2 Corinthians 4:7-14), while we live, we witness to Christ
   with our life. ‘We believe, and so we speak, knowing that the one who raised
   the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us in His presence.’
   
   Saint James shows us the Way, with this el Camino, Baptizing us along the
   Way, with his symbol, his seashell…
   
   


 * FEAST OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE, APOSTOLORUM APOSTOLA (JOHN 20)
   
   July 22nd, 2024
   
   ‘The Gospels then tell us that the women, unlike the Twelve, did not abandon
   Jesus in the hour of his Passion (see Matthew 27: 56, 61; Mark 15:40).
   Among them, Mary Magdalene stands out in particular.
   Not only was she present at the Passion, but she was also the first witness
   and herald of the Risen One (see John 20:1, 11-18).
   
   It was precisely to Mary Magdalene that Saint Thomas Aquinas reserved the
   special title, “Apostle of the Apostles” (apostolorum apostola), dedicating
   to her this beautiful comment: “Just as a woman had announced the words of
   death to the first man, so also a woman was the first to announce to the
   Apostles the words of life”‘ (Benedict XVI, General Audience 14 February
   2007).
   
   Mary Magdalene, Apostola Apostolorum (John 20:10-18), by Br. Emmaus
   O’Herlihy, OSB
   
   Encountering the risen Jesus Christ (recognized by Magdalene only when
   hearing him speak her name, as referenced in her exposed ear) heightens
   Magdalene’s sense of crisis by her realization that she can no longer relate
   physically to Jesus. Magdalene’s figure in the painting is blown forward; the
   energy of the Spirit drives her onwards to announce Jesus’ resurrection to
   the Apostles.
   
   


 * MEMORIAL OF SAINT BONAVENTURE
   
   July 15th, 2024
   
   
   
   Christ on the Cross – Stella Maris Church, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish,
   Diocese of Saint John, NB
   
   > On the Cross,
   > Christ’s head is bowed in reverence,
   > offering His Grace in mercy, and compassion to His brothers and sisters,
   > bringing us into a fraternity which the world’s isolating ‘equality’ cannot
   > offer.
   > Arms outstretched, that he might embrace us.
   > Hands open, to enrich us.
   > Hands, feet, nailed, that He may stay there with us and for us,
   > He will not leave us.
   > His side is open for us, to enter into His Church,
   > Word, water, wine, given for us.
   > 
   > See Bonaventure’s Soliloquium, I.39.
   
   The Prayer of St. Bonaventura – Francisco de Zurbarán
   


 * THE MEDAL OF SAINT BENEDICT
   
   July 11th, 2024
   
   Saint Benedict’s name means blessing, and the cross of Saint Benedict brings
   blessings that curse evils.
   
   Face of Saint Benedict medal
   
   The image of Saint Benedict has the Cross in his right hand and his rule for
   a way of life in his left hand.
   
   A shattered cup with a serpent recalls a poisoned cup intended for Benedict
   shattering when he blessed the cup with the Sign of the Cross: ‘Crux s.
   patris Benedicti,’ ‘The Cross of our holy father Benedict.’
   
   The raven similarly recalls the carrying away of a poisoned loaf of bread
   intended for Benedict.
   
   Saint Benedict survived these attempts on his earthly life, to die peacefully
   with this brother monks in his Montecassino chapel after receiving Holy
   Communion.
   
   ‘Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur!,’ ‘May we be strengthened by his
   presence in the hour of our death!’
   
   Cross of Saint Benedict medal
   
   The Cross of Saint Benedict also offers blessings, and blessings against
   curses, with the initials:
   Circled C S P B: Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti, the Cross of our holy father
   Benedict.
   C S S M L: Crux sacra sit mihi lux, May the holy cross be my light.
   N D S M D: Nunquam draco sit mihi dux, May the dragon never be my guide.
   
   The Cross above all offers Christ’s PAX, Peace.
   
   Around the edges of the medal, the initials of a prayer of exorcism:
   
   V R S N S M V: Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Begone Satan!
   Never tempt me with your vanities!
   
   S M Q L I V B: Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! What you offer me is
   evil. Drink the poison yourself!
   
   Painting of Saint Benedict by Francisco de Zurbarán
   
   Order of Saint Benedict description of the Saint Benedict Medal
   
   Pints with Aquinas video of Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks describing the
   Medal of Saint Benedict
   
   Pope Benedict XVI\’s description of Saint Benedict, the patron of his
   pontificate (General Audience 9 April 2008)
   
   Saint Benedict Medal vector images
   
   


 * ‘MY LORD AND MY GOD’ (JOHN 20)
   
   July 3rd, 2024
   
   ‘On the evening of that day, the first day of the week…’ The Lord’s Day.
   
   ‘Where the disciples were in fear…’ (John 20).
   
   ‘ Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When
   He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side.
   Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.’
   
   His wounds remain for us, eternally, for our contemplation, from His
   once-for-all perfect Sacrifice, in our Saving Lord’s perfect love for us, for
   our salvation.
   
   Thomas was not with them. ‘Unless I see the wounds I will never believe.’
   
   The next Lord’s Day. ‘Peace be with you.’ ‘See my hands and my side.’
   ‘Do not disbelieve, but believe.’
   
   ‘My Lord and my God.’
   
   As with Saint Pius X we might pray with each elevation of the Blessed
   Sacrament of the Altar, the Lamb of God, standing, as though it had been
   slain (Revelation 5).
   
   Thomas’ journey in faith is ours.
   
   We recall Thomas asking: ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can
   we know the way?’ (John 14:5).
   Our Lord explains: I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life.
   Following on the disciples’ way, Jesus goes to Lazarus, back to Jerusalem, to
   the place where He will be sacrificed, along the way of the Cross
   (John 11). ‘So Thomas said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we
   may die with him.”’
   
   There may be courage in dying with, alongside, but it may be harder for
   Thomas, for us, to die after, not seeing…
   
   Continuing in the Gospel: ‘Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of
   the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so
   that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
   believing you may have life in His Name’ (John 20:30-31).
   
   That we may know the Way, in Truth, to Life eternal, with our Lord and our
   God.
   
   Saint Thomas the Apostle, mosaic.
   


 * OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST DESTROYED DEATH AND BROUGHT LIFE TO LIGHT THROUGH THE
   GOSPEL (ACCLAMATION)
   
   June 29th, 2024
   
   God did not make death, God forms us in His image and likeness, God sustains
   us in being (Wisdom 1-2).  “But by the envy of the devil,
   death entered the world, and they who belong to his company experience it.”
   
   The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter, Gabriel Max
   
   ‘Illness, in both the girl and the woman suffering from a hemorrhage, tends
   towards death, and death imposes itself in all its terrible reality.
   Saint Mark (5:21-43) brings us to experience this in his very vivid accounts
   of these events.
   And they help us to listen to Jesus Christ, who is asking us to have faith.
   For without faith we cannot understand these miracles, since not only do they
   lead us to observe that the cure of the woman with a hemorrhage and the
   resurrection of Jairus’ daughter have taken place, but we must confront the
   faith option in order to arrive at our own cure and our own resurrection’
   (from the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers,
   “The Gospel of Health,” 1996).
   
   


 * LET US SING THE SACRED MUSIC OF THE MASS
   
   June 27th, 2024
   
   
   WHAT IS THE MASS, WHAT IS SACRED MUSIC, WHAT IS THE SACRED MUSIC OF THE MASS?
   
   The following sections address each of these questions.
   
   
   WHAT IS THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS?
   
   In the presence of Christ,
   by the power of His Word and His Spirit,
   we, the body of Christ on this earth,
   re-enter through anamnesis into Christ’s one eternal self-Sacrifice –
   His crucifixion on the Cross at Calvary –
   for the sake of our salvation
   (Catechism of the Catholic Church §1358-). 
   
   From His Sacrifice,
   Christ gives us His very self, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity,
   through Holy Communion, in the same way that the Apostles received them from
   the hands of Jesus Christ Himself
   (General Instruction of the Roman Missal §72). 
   
   With all that is concentrated into this perpetual gift of the Eucharist, the
   Sacrament from which all other sacraments flow,
   we should always be in awe of the Mystery of our Faith. 
   We should offer our thanks, in a dignified celebration worthy of Christ’s
   Sacrifice.
   
   
   WHAT IS SACRED MUSIC?
   
   “The more closely a composition for church approaches in its movement,
   inspiration, and savour the Gregorian melodic form, the more sacred and
   liturgical it becomes; and the more out of harmony it is with that supreme
   model, the less worthy it is of the temple” (Saint Popes John Paul II and
   Pius X).
   
   Pope Francis, addressing the Italian Saint Cecilia Association in 2019,
   offered that Sacred Music is Holy Music, for the liturgical rites which are
   holy.  Sacred music is to be adorned with nobility of art, because we must
   give our best to God.  And it must be universal, that is Catholic, so that
   everyone can understand and participate. Especially it should be well
   distinct and separate (holy) from music used for other purposes. Sacred music
   must be joined with the beauty of the Mass in a harmonious and devout
   synthesis.  
   
   Pope Francis exhorted them, and us, to devote ourselves to the Sacred Music
   that is an  integral part of the Liturgy, with Gregorian chant inspiring us
   as the first model. “ Take care together for artistic and liturgical
   preparation, and promote the presence of the schola cantorum in every parish
   community.” 
   
   Saint Gregory Stained Glass at Saint Michael’s Basilica
   
   To hold the title of Basilica, a church must have a  schola cantorum. This is
   to help the whole parish.  As Pope Francis said in his address: ‘sacred music
   builds bridges, brings people closer, even those far away; it knows no
   barriers of nationality, ethnicity, skin color, but draws in everyone, in a
   higher language, and always succeeds in bringing into harmony people and
   groups, even of very different origins. Sacred music brings people closer,
   even with brothers to whom we sometimes do not feel close. For this reason,
   the singing group in every parish is a group where there is an atmosphere of
   availability and mutual help.’ 
   
   Saint Pope John Paul II, who conferred the title Minor Basilica to Saint
   Michael the Archangel Church in 1989, agreed that sacred music must possess
   the proper sense of prayer, dignity, and beauty – in order to not preclude
   entry into the sacred liturgy.
   “From the smooth coordination of all – the priest celebrant and the deacon,
   the acolytes, the altar servers, the readers, the psalmist, the schola
   cantorum, the musicians, the cantor and the assembly – flows the proper
   spiritual atmosphere which makes the liturgical moment truly intense, shared
   in and fruitful. The musical aspect of liturgical celebrations cannot,
   therefore, be left to improvisation or to the arbitration of individuals but
   must be well conducted and rehearsed in accordance with the norms and
   competencies resulting from a satisfactory liturgical formation”
   (Chirograph§8). 
   
   This is not simply papal preference, this is the Law and teaching of the
   Church, through its Second Vatican Council, in Sacrosanctum Concilium §116:
   “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman
   liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of
   place in liturgical services.” 
   For the purpose of Sacred Music is “the glory of God and the sanctification
   of the faithful”(SC§112).
   
   Saint Caecilia Stained Glass at Saint Michael’s Basilica
   
   The General Instruction of the Roman Missal instructs us on the Liturgy and
   the Word to be offered each day, along with the ministries to be served and
   the vestments to be worn, down to the colour.  Music can be no different.
   
   The Church’s instruction includes a section on the importance of singing the
   Mass (GIRM§§39-41): ‘The main place should be given, all things being equal,
   to Gregorian chant, as being proper to the Roman Liturgy… to  foster the
   participation of all the faithful.’  
   
   The oft-heard phrase ‘full, active, conscious, participation’ in the Mass
   actually refers to the singing of the Mass parts in Gregorian Chant (see the
   first use of the phrase in the papal document Tra le sollicitudini). 
   
   
   
   
   WHAT IS THE SACRED MUSIC OF THE MASS?
   
   Bishop Kemme offers a beautiful exhortation, in his recent letter, Let us
   Sing with the Lord: “my humble guidance is to turn our attention toward the
   texts of the Mass, which the Church herself invites us to sing. For example,
   just as the Church proposes texts for us to sing for the Responsorial Psalm
   and Alleluia, we also have proper texts intended to be sung at the Entrance,
   Offertory, and Communion processions.”
   
   “These scripture verses, commonly called the Entrance, Offertory, and
   Communion Antiphons, are chosen by the Church to help reveal the particular
   mystery being celebrated. Therefore, rather than agonize over which hymn to
   choose, it seems fitting and preferable to use the texts provided by the
   Church as they are found in the Roman Missal and the Roman Gradual.”
   
   “At first, singing the antiphons may seem like a significant shift; however,
   it is a form of singing that we are already familiar with since singing the
   antiphons with their Psalm verses resembles the singing of the Responsorial
   Psalm. The antiphons, with their Psalm verses, are a part of Christ’s prayer
   to the Father, and when we sing them in the liturgy, we unite our voice to
   the voice of Christ.”
   
   “What I desire most for sacred music in the liturgy is to shift our mindset
   from singing AT Mass to singing THE Mass. This may seem like a minute
   distinction, but I believe it is crucial. Utilizing the texts Christ has
   given us through the Church, we can restore the sacred and transcendent
   nature of the liturgy, emphasizing three important principles: the sanctity
   of sacred music, the intrinsic beauty of sacred music, and the universality
   of sacred music.”
   
   
   A CONCLUSION
   
   Picture Christ and His apostles at the Last Supper, before Gethsemene, before
   Golgotha, before His Crucifixion. “Father, take this chalice from Me, but not
   My will, but Yours, be done…” (Luke 22:40–46; Matthew 26:36–46; Mark
   14:32–42).
   
   What music is worthy of this moment that we are entering into?
   Sacred Music.
   
   The Last Supper, as depicted within the Privileged Altar of Saint Michael the
   Archangel Basilica. Photo by Oji Thomas.
   
   ‘The whole point of our life in this world is to get us ready for Heaven. We
   have to be capable of the life of Heaven. Sacred music is one of the key ways
   we are able to do that. The beauty of sacred music opens our heart to the
   beauty of God. Spending time with God gets us ready for Heaven.’ (Archbishop
   Salvatore J. Cordileone, quoted from the Square Notes podcast season 6
   episode 13).
   
   WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT GREGORIAN CHANT?
   
   Gregorian plainchant is wholly concentrated on the text of Sacred Scripture,
   the Word of God, not on external musical structures.
   Chant is naturally, rhythmically, free, unrestricted by rigid musical
   structures. Chant is exalted, elevated speech, beyond the mundane, providing
   ritual impact.
   
   Gregorian Chant actually fosters participative singing. It is authentic
   dialogue, in a natural flow, simple to hear and learn by ear. It is what we
   do with the Psalms, chanting one verse back, in response to the verses
   chanted by the cantor or choir. Responding in chant is more authentic than
   disjointed, jarring, interruptive music.
   
   Gregorian Chant also fosters an appreciation of what God wishes to speak to
   us through Sacred text, without disruptive musicality interrupting and
   distracting from the Word.
   
   WHAT ABOUT PRAISE AND WORSHIP MUSIC?
   
   Great. We need it. We need to hear it, to celebrate it, to praise God, to
   lift our spirits with music.
   
   But not at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Christ’s self-offering to God the
   Father in the Holy Spirit, the fruits of which we experience in Holy
   Communion. In the Mass, we are to enter into what Christ asks us to do, in
   “Remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19–20; Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24).
   
   Praise and worship is not necessarily true to the Biblical and liturgical
   texts of the Mass; that is not its intent. Praise and worship is about
   experiencing and living and ‘feeling’ the faith in the here and now… not
   about the Transcendence of the timeless anamnesis of the Eucharistic
   Sacrifice.
   
   


 * HIS NAME IS JOHN (LUKE 1:63)
   
   June 24th, 2024
   
   This day, we observe the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, the only
   birthday the Church celebrates other than the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
   Mary, and the Nativity of Jesus Christ, Christmas.
   
   Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Lord and Saviour, praised John’s birth: ‘Truly,
   I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than
   John the Baptist’ (Matthew 11:11).
   
   John the Baptist, forerunner for Christ, constantly bore witness to the
   Truth. He called out the ruler of his day, King Herod, for Herod’s scandals
   and an adulterous relationship.
   
   We hear Herod was afraid of John for speaking the Truth (Mark 6:20).
   
   Under pressure, Herod tries to silence Truth by imprisoning and then killing
   John.
   
   Ultimately Truth wins out. Truth cannot be concealed, all will be revealed,
   all will be known (Matthew 10:26; 2 Peter 3:10).
   
   After Herod was deposed, that king could no longer make anyone celebrate his
   scandals or his birthday.
   
   We observe the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist’s fearless witness to the
   Truth, to this day.
   
   


 * ‘LORD, DO YOU NOT CARE THAT WE ARE PERISHING?’ (MARK 4:35-41) YES. GOD RESTS
   IN CARING FOR US.
   
   June 22nd, 2024
   
   ‘A great windstorm rose up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was
   beginning to fill with water.
   But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.
   The disciples woke him and said to Him,
   “Do you not care that we are perishing?”
   He rose up, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be stilled.”
   Then the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
   He said to them,
   “Why are you afraid?
   Do you not yet have faith?”
   And they were terribly afraid and said to one another,
   “Who is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:35-41)
   
   Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee, by Rembrandt
   
   Jesus Christ demonstrates His Godly nature, His lordship over all creation,
   as in our Psalm (107): He hushes the storm to a gentle breeze, the billows of
   the sea are stilled…
   
   When God created heaven and earth, and all to be good, very good.
   God rests, and God blesses and hallows the seventh day for us (Genesis 1-2).
   
   But God never abandons us to ourselves.
   At every moment, God upholds us and sustains us in being (Catechism of the
   Catholic Church § 301).
   
   God rests in caring for us.
   
   

1 2 3 … 13
Next Page→