RADIO VATICANA REPORT: Pope
Benedict XVI prayed the Regina coeli with the faithful gathered in the
courtyard of the Apostolic retreat in Castel Gandolfo on Easter Monday – a
bright, crisp, clear day, with an April breeze stirring the air.
Easter Monday – a day of rest and recreation in many countries, as the Holy Father noted at the beginning of his remarks to the gathered faithful ahead of the traditional Eastertide prayer of Marian devotion – a day in which people often take leisurely walks in the city, or visit the country, spending precious hours with friends and family.
The real reason for this holiday, though, is the resurrection of Our Lord – as Pope Benedict called it, “the decisive mystery of our faith.”
The Holy Father went on to note that the Gospel writers do not describe the Resurrection, itself. “The event,” he said, “remains mysterious – not as something unreal, but as something beyond the reach of our knowledge - as a light so bright the eyes cannot bear it.” The narratives begin instead by when, at dawn the day after the Sabbath, the women went to the tomb and found it open and empty.
St. Matthew speaks of an earthquake and a bright angel who rolled away the great tomb stone and sat on it (cf. Mt 28.2). The women, when they had received from the angel the announcement of the resurrection, ran full of fear and joy, to break the news to the disciples – and it was in just that moment that they met Jesus, fell at his feet and worshiped him – and Jesus said to them, “Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee: there shall they see me (Matthew 28:10).”
The Pope went on to note important role that women play in the Gospel accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus, as also in His passion and death.
“In those days, in Israel,” said Pope Benedict, “women's testimony could have no official legal value.” Nevertheless, the Pope continued, “women have experienced a special bond with the Lord, which is crucial for the practical life of the Christian community, and this always, in every age, not only at the beginning of the Church’s pilgrim journey.”
The Holy Father then called the attention of the faithful to Mary, Mother of the Lord: Sublime and exemplary model of this relationship with Jesus, especially in His paschal mystery. Precisely through the transformative experience of the Passover of her Son, the Virgin Mary becomes Mother of the Church, that is, of all believers and of their communities. “May Mary,” he concluded, “obtain for us that we too might experience the living presence of the Risen Lord, source of hope and peace.”
After the Regina coeli, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in many languages, including English.
I am pleased to welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims present today for this Regina coeli prayer. Today we continue our solemn Easter celebration, recalling with greater joy than ever our redemption from sin and death in Jesus Christ. May the Risen Lord pour out his grace upon us, and give us the courage to bring the Good News to others. I invoke Easter blessings upon all of you!
http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=578562
Easter Monday – a day of rest and recreation in many countries, as the Holy Father noted at the beginning of his remarks to the gathered faithful ahead of the traditional Eastertide prayer of Marian devotion – a day in which people often take leisurely walks in the city, or visit the country, spending precious hours with friends and family.
The real reason for this holiday, though, is the resurrection of Our Lord – as Pope Benedict called it, “the decisive mystery of our faith.”
The Holy Father went on to note that the Gospel writers do not describe the Resurrection, itself. “The event,” he said, “remains mysterious – not as something unreal, but as something beyond the reach of our knowledge - as a light so bright the eyes cannot bear it.” The narratives begin instead by when, at dawn the day after the Sabbath, the women went to the tomb and found it open and empty.
St. Matthew speaks of an earthquake and a bright angel who rolled away the great tomb stone and sat on it (cf. Mt 28.2). The women, when they had received from the angel the announcement of the resurrection, ran full of fear and joy, to break the news to the disciples – and it was in just that moment that they met Jesus, fell at his feet and worshiped him – and Jesus said to them, “Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee: there shall they see me (Matthew 28:10).”
The Pope went on to note important role that women play in the Gospel accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus, as also in His passion and death.
“In those days, in Israel,” said Pope Benedict, “women's testimony could have no official legal value.” Nevertheless, the Pope continued, “women have experienced a special bond with the Lord, which is crucial for the practical life of the Christian community, and this always, in every age, not only at the beginning of the Church’s pilgrim journey.”
The Holy Father then called the attention of the faithful to Mary, Mother of the Lord: Sublime and exemplary model of this relationship with Jesus, especially in His paschal mystery. Precisely through the transformative experience of the Passover of her Son, the Virgin Mary becomes Mother of the Church, that is, of all believers and of their communities. “May Mary,” he concluded, “obtain for us that we too might experience the living presence of the Risen Lord, source of hope and peace.”
After the Regina coeli, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in many languages, including English.
I am pleased to welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims present today for this Regina coeli prayer. Today we continue our solemn Easter celebration, recalling with greater joy than ever our redemption from sin and death in Jesus Christ. May the Risen Lord pour out his grace upon us, and give us the courage to bring the Good News to others. I invoke Easter blessings upon all of you!
http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=578562
AMERICA : EASTER MESSAGE OF CARDINAL DOLAN
ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK RELEASE:
It’s All About Passing Over!
April 4th, 2012
In my recent Catholic New York column, I wrote about the meaning
of Easter and how it is important to pass over to a renewed life!
Here is an excerpt:
Here is an excerpt:
So, the pivotal question each Holy Week is: will I simply look at Good Friday and Easter Sunday and say, “How nice! Let’s dye eggs, buy candy, get new shoes and a hat?” Or, will I unite with Our Lord in passing over from spiritual death—sin—to new life—grace—with Him?You can read my whole column here.
Holy Saturday night, the Easter Vigil, will find thousands of people, our catechumens and candidates, passing over into the new life of Christ, in His Church, through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, and through their profession of faith.
Last Monday, early estimates say perhaps 40,000 people passed over from sin to mercy as they accepted the invitation of Reconciliation Monday and made a good confession.
Last week, as I visited Taconic Prison, I met a woman to be released from incarceration on Good Friday, now sober, with a GED, a revived faith, and a reformed attitude on life, ready to pass over from prison to freedom.
Good examples. Now, what about us? What about our lives?
Will we remain in the darkness, sin, and slavery of Egypt or pass over to the Promised Land?
AFRICA : NIGERIA : 22 KILLED AT CHURCH DURING EASTER VIGIL COLLAPSED
Collapsed church in Benue. (Photo
Courtesy LEADERSHIP)
Thirty one people also sustained serious injuries just as the fate of the survivors is yet to be ascertained as at press time.
The incident was said to have happened at an outpost of the Christ the King Parish Church Adamgbe, Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue.
Adamgbe is located on the high brow landscape of Vandeikya Local government, about 11 Kilometers away from the main Vandeikya town, few miles to the border between Benue and Cross River states.
It was gathered that the pillars of the church suddenly uprooted from the ground, leading to the collapse of the building on the multitude of worshippers. The development was said to have led to abrupt end of the E aster mass vigil.
When our correspondent visited the area yesterday, the priest in charge of the St. Robert's Catholic Mission, Rev. Fr. Cosmos Jooli, said the mass was arranged to be held under the mango trees (outside the church building).
The cleric further disclosed that the incident occurred between 8.30pm and 9pm when he had gone to his apartment to prepare for the mass, saying that heavy rainstorm forced the worshippers to rush to the church building to take refuge.
He also claimed that the cause of the collapse was as a result of the storm and not the dilapidated or old nature of the building as was being speculated, adding that the ugly situation led to the cancellation of the inauguration of a new Hilux pick up Van purchased by the church to ease the problem of transportation.
The Benue State Police Command was said to have had assisted in the evacuation of the dead bodies and rescue of those who were already trapped by the fallen roof and were seeking for help.
Two of the injured worshippers, Mrs. Grace Ube and Miss. Felicia Nyiyongo, spoke to our correspondent at the St. Elizabeth Health Care and Maternity Centre, Vandeikya, where they were receiving treatment and thanked God for sparing their lives.
The dead bodies have since been deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital in Vandeikya, while the injured are now receiving treatment at various hospitals.
SOURCE: LEADERSHIP REPORT
ASIA : CHINA : UNDERGROUND CHURCH HAS EASTER IN SILENCE
ASIA NEWS REPORT:
by Wang Zhicheng
Controls stepped up ahead of the change of leadership at the next Party Congress. A campaign to "convert" underground communities to the official Church and subject them to government policy. Arrests, "dialogue" and "study sessions".
Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Easter holiday will be "very discreetly" celebrated this year in unofficial (underground) communities in China. Many community leaders, bishops and priests, were in fact called in by the police for a "conversation" and even underwent weeks of indoctrination on the government's religious policy. Several Church observers clearly see a campaign underway to "convert" the underground Church and absorb it into the official church.
"This year - an underground priest told AsiaNews - we will celebrate Easter in silence and discretion, without any solemnity. In other years, we had to find locations big enough so we could celebrate together. This year, we will celebrate Easter in small groups. Like every year there will also be the baptisms of adults and children. In my parish there are 10. There are less than usual this year because we wanted to raise the level of formation, and follow the rules of the Church, to give at least a year of catechism. "
According to the priest, the discretion and silence of this year is due to the fact that the police are rather restless: in October there will be a leadership change, with a new president and a new prime minister who will replace Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao.
The priest said that he and other colleagues have received an invitation from the police to call in for a "conversation" in which they promised to "be calm".
"In other parts of China - said the priest - is a bit 'more dramatic, like in Wenzhou and Tianshui".
In Wenzhou (Zhejiang), the coadjutor bishop, Mgr. Peter Shao Zhumin, and the chancellor, Fr. Paul Jiang Sunian were called by police on March 19, "invited" to a "study session" for at least a week. Bishop Shao, 49, directs the "underground" community of Wenzhou. Appointed by the Holy See and consecrated bishop in 2007, to promote integration between official and unofficial, the Holy See decided that Mgr. Shao would be the coadjutor bishop, while the ordinary is Msgr. Vincent Zhu Weifang. The two communities are still struggling to integrate. But the police are trying to "facilitate" this by pushing the underground community to become part of the official Church, by signing the accession to the Patriotic Association and the idea of a Church independent of the pope.
According to sources cited by Eglises d'Asie, the dialogue between the police, Msgr. Shao and priests have also focused on the situation of Tianshui (Gansu), where for several months, there is a new underground bishop in the person of Mgr. John Wang Ruohan, former administrator of the diocese. Since January, Msgr. Wang and some of her priests are being subjected to "study sessions" on the government's religious policy.
Similar events occurred in Hebei and Inner Mongolia. According to observers, there seems to be in a clear policy to wipeout the underground community.
On 2 March, in front of representatives of the council of Chinese bishops (official) and the Patriotic Association, a senior official from the United Front - which also controls religious affairs - claimed that the two organizations should strive to achieve good results for "the conversion of the underground community." Of course the term "conversion" means the total submission of the community to Chinese government policy directives.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Police-pressure-on-underground-community.-Easter-in-the-Church-of-Silence-24451.html
by Wang Zhicheng
Controls stepped up ahead of the change of leadership at the next Party Congress. A campaign to "convert" underground communities to the official Church and subject them to government policy. Arrests, "dialogue" and "study sessions".
Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Easter holiday will be "very discreetly" celebrated this year in unofficial (underground) communities in China. Many community leaders, bishops and priests, were in fact called in by the police for a "conversation" and even underwent weeks of indoctrination on the government's religious policy. Several Church observers clearly see a campaign underway to "convert" the underground Church and absorb it into the official church.
"This year - an underground priest told AsiaNews - we will celebrate Easter in silence and discretion, without any solemnity. In other years, we had to find locations big enough so we could celebrate together. This year, we will celebrate Easter in small groups. Like every year there will also be the baptisms of adults and children. In my parish there are 10. There are less than usual this year because we wanted to raise the level of formation, and follow the rules of the Church, to give at least a year of catechism. "
According to the priest, the discretion and silence of this year is due to the fact that the police are rather restless: in October there will be a leadership change, with a new president and a new prime minister who will replace Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao.
The priest said that he and other colleagues have received an invitation from the police to call in for a "conversation" in which they promised to "be calm".
"In other parts of China - said the priest - is a bit 'more dramatic, like in Wenzhou and Tianshui".
In Wenzhou (Zhejiang), the coadjutor bishop, Mgr. Peter Shao Zhumin, and the chancellor, Fr. Paul Jiang Sunian were called by police on March 19, "invited" to a "study session" for at least a week. Bishop Shao, 49, directs the "underground" community of Wenzhou. Appointed by the Holy See and consecrated bishop in 2007, to promote integration between official and unofficial, the Holy See decided that Mgr. Shao would be the coadjutor bishop, while the ordinary is Msgr. Vincent Zhu Weifang. The two communities are still struggling to integrate. But the police are trying to "facilitate" this by pushing the underground community to become part of the official Church, by signing the accession to the Patriotic Association and the idea of a Church independent of the pope.
According to sources cited by Eglises d'Asie, the dialogue between the police, Msgr. Shao and priests have also focused on the situation of Tianshui (Gansu), where for several months, there is a new underground bishop in the person of Mgr. John Wang Ruohan, former administrator of the diocese. Since January, Msgr. Wang and some of her priests are being subjected to "study sessions" on the government's religious policy.
Similar events occurred in Hebei and Inner Mongolia. According to observers, there seems to be in a clear policy to wipeout the underground community.
On 2 March, in front of representatives of the council of Chinese bishops (official) and the Patriotic Association, a senior official from the United Front - which also controls religious affairs - claimed that the two organizations should strive to achieve good results for "the conversion of the underground community." Of course the term "conversion" means the total submission of the community to Chinese government policy directives.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Police-pressure-on-underground-community.-Easter-in-the-Church-of-Silence-24451.html
EUROPE : EASTER VIGIL HOMILY OF ARCHBISHOP NICHOLS
IND. CATH. NEWS REPORT:
Archbishop
Vincent Nichols gave the following homily during the Easter Vigil Mass at
Westminster Cathedral.
This evening, the darkness of this Cathedral was filled with a glorious light. Inch by inch the light of the new Paschal candle, the light of Christ himself, filled this vast space. The light penetrated the darkness; it overcame the darkness.
The light we celebrate this evening is the truth of the Son of God’s resurrection from the dead in our human flesh; a truth prefigured, as we heard, in the sacrifice of Abraham; in the liberty from slavery won for the people of Israel and celebrated, in anticipation, by Isaiah.
St Paul spells it out clearly: ‘Christ, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died, he died once and for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God.' The victory is complete.
What is more, you will have noticed, that the light filled this cathedral because it was passed among us, from person to person. We are partakers in the light. We are its bearers. If the light is to spread, it relies on us to do it.
St Paul explains: ‘When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised into his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life.'
So we who rejoice in the resurrection, also share in its fruit. It changes our lives.
How does this come about?
The darkness is like a blank wall. It blocks out the light. There is no way through. Our lives can sometimes take on that same impression. Today, many of us may feel surrounded by difficulties: times are hard, economically and socially; problems seem intractable, especially in difficult relationships in which we think we’ve run into a dead-end.
The light of the Resurrection breaks through that wall. Suddenly we see beyond it, beyond our darkness, our confinement. We glimpse our true destiny, the glory for which we have been made: the very glory of God! And that light, which floods through into our darkness, opens for us entirely new horizons, new hopes. It is those
which now guide our actions. It is that light which now warms our hearts and enlightens our minds.
The risen Christ stands before us. He cries out: ‘See, I am making all things new!' We hear and our hearts are thrilled. New promises are there, a new hope is born within us.
The Book of Revelation is full of those promises: ‘I shall give you the crown of life for your prize' (2.10); ‘I will give water from the well of life free to anyone who is thirsty' (21.6); ‘See I am standing at the door and I am knocking. If anyone opens the door I shall come in and dine with them and they with me.' (3.21)
These promises reshape our lives. For in our daily deeds we try to signal here on earth the kingdom we hope to inherit.
As we pass to one another the light of the Easter candle, we express our desire for Christ to work through us, that his grace may enable us, quietly and confidently, to drive away the darkness, to assure one another of the reality of his promises.
Christ has won the great victory. Our task is to fashion the small victories, the single candles which share in that same light.
In recent days we have heard of the extent of the burden of dementia. Tonight we thank God for the numerous families and friends who spend their time and energy caring for those with that disease. Governments may understandably speak of the economic value of this care. We salute it as a sign of God's goodness and as crucial for our well-being.
We hear of the agonies of personal illness and trauma. Yet in response we know that there is a great wave of prayer, seen with unusual publicity in the case of the young footballer Fabrice Muamba. This prayer, our prayer, can always support and transform personal distress. It is a true sign of the light of the Risen Christ in our lives.
Our attention returns, again and again, to the seemingly intractable difficulties in the Holy Land, apparently yet again in deadlock, as well as the grave challenges facing the wider region. Tonight we also recall those who work persistently, quietly, for deeper mutual understanding, for step by step economic progress, for justice and
peace for all. I think of the University in Bethlehem and charities such as Friends of the Holy Land; I think of OneVoice and, here at home, the Council for Christians and Jews. In this slow and steady work between Arab and Israeli, between Jew, Muslim and Christian, the light of a new start is slowly passed from hand to hand, kindling
hope even in the face of real darkness.
This night is the feast of hope! On Thursday we celebrated the virtue of faith as we received again the gift of the Eucharist. On Good Friday our focus was on charity, for only through the total love given by Christ on the cross are we set free. Now, as we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, we are filled with hope, that virtue by which
we desire the Kingdom of God and eternal life as our true happiness, placing our trust in God's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the Holy Spirit. On this foundation, with this inspiration, in this grace, do we build up our friendships, our families and our society. And how our world needs such builders,
such workers of hope!
I wish you all a very happy Easter! I encourage you all to be steadily and confidently Catholic, strong in faith, generous in love, firm in hope, for in that way you embody the resurrection of our Saviour and spread his light that so shines in our midst. Amen
+Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=20188
|
This evening, the darkness of this Cathedral was filled with a glorious light. Inch by inch the light of the new Paschal candle, the light of Christ himself, filled this vast space. The light penetrated the darkness; it overcame the darkness.
The light we celebrate this evening is the truth of the Son of God’s resurrection from the dead in our human flesh; a truth prefigured, as we heard, in the sacrifice of Abraham; in the liberty from slavery won for the people of Israel and celebrated, in anticipation, by Isaiah.
St Paul spells it out clearly: ‘Christ, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died, he died once and for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God.' The victory is complete.
What is more, you will have noticed, that the light filled this cathedral because it was passed among us, from person to person. We are partakers in the light. We are its bearers. If the light is to spread, it relies on us to do it.
St Paul explains: ‘When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised into his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life.'
So we who rejoice in the resurrection, also share in its fruit. It changes our lives.
How does this come about?
The darkness is like a blank wall. It blocks out the light. There is no way through. Our lives can sometimes take on that same impression. Today, many of us may feel surrounded by difficulties: times are hard, economically and socially; problems seem intractable, especially in difficult relationships in which we think we’ve run into a dead-end.
The light of the Resurrection breaks through that wall. Suddenly we see beyond it, beyond our darkness, our confinement. We glimpse our true destiny, the glory for which we have been made: the very glory of God! And that light, which floods through into our darkness, opens for us entirely new horizons, new hopes. It is those
which now guide our actions. It is that light which now warms our hearts and enlightens our minds.
The risen Christ stands before us. He cries out: ‘See, I am making all things new!' We hear and our hearts are thrilled. New promises are there, a new hope is born within us.
The Book of Revelation is full of those promises: ‘I shall give you the crown of life for your prize' (2.10); ‘I will give water from the well of life free to anyone who is thirsty' (21.6); ‘See I am standing at the door and I am knocking. If anyone opens the door I shall come in and dine with them and they with me.' (3.21)
These promises reshape our lives. For in our daily deeds we try to signal here on earth the kingdom we hope to inherit.
As we pass to one another the light of the Easter candle, we express our desire for Christ to work through us, that his grace may enable us, quietly and confidently, to drive away the darkness, to assure one another of the reality of his promises.
Christ has won the great victory. Our task is to fashion the small victories, the single candles which share in that same light.
In recent days we have heard of the extent of the burden of dementia. Tonight we thank God for the numerous families and friends who spend their time and energy caring for those with that disease. Governments may understandably speak of the economic value of this care. We salute it as a sign of God's goodness and as crucial for our well-being.
We hear of the agonies of personal illness and trauma. Yet in response we know that there is a great wave of prayer, seen with unusual publicity in the case of the young footballer Fabrice Muamba. This prayer, our prayer, can always support and transform personal distress. It is a true sign of the light of the Risen Christ in our lives.
Our attention returns, again and again, to the seemingly intractable difficulties in the Holy Land, apparently yet again in deadlock, as well as the grave challenges facing the wider region. Tonight we also recall those who work persistently, quietly, for deeper mutual understanding, for step by step economic progress, for justice and
peace for all. I think of the University in Bethlehem and charities such as Friends of the Holy Land; I think of OneVoice and, here at home, the Council for Christians and Jews. In this slow and steady work between Arab and Israeli, between Jew, Muslim and Christian, the light of a new start is slowly passed from hand to hand, kindling
hope even in the face of real darkness.
This night is the feast of hope! On Thursday we celebrated the virtue of faith as we received again the gift of the Eucharist. On Good Friday our focus was on charity, for only through the total love given by Christ on the cross are we set free. Now, as we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, we are filled with hope, that virtue by which
we desire the Kingdom of God and eternal life as our true happiness, placing our trust in God's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the Holy Spirit. On this foundation, with this inspiration, in this grace, do we build up our friendships, our families and our society. And how our world needs such builders,
such workers of hope!
I wish you all a very happy Easter! I encourage you all to be steadily and confidently Catholic, strong in faith, generous in love, firm in hope, for in that way you embody the resurrection of our Saviour and spread his light that so shines in our midst. Amen
+Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=20188
AUSTRALIA : PERTH ARCHBISHOP COSTELLOE AT LORD'S SUPPER MASS
ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH REPORT: 05 Apr 2012
Article and Photos by Fr R CrossIn a near capacity Cathedral, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper together with Bishop Donald Sproxton and eleven priests and deacons.
In his homily, Archbishop Costelloe referred
to the Letter of St Paul to the Philippians where St Paul says, “In your minds
you must be the same as Christ Jesus”.
The Archbishop went on to talk about how St
Paul in his Letter to the Philippians speaks eloquently of Christ as the one who
“. . . did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the
condition of a slave and became as men are.”
We are called to have the mind and heart of
Jesus and empty ourselves and put on Christ, the Archbishop said.
After his homily, the Archbishop echoed what
he had just proclaimed. He took off his chasuble and put on the apron of a
servant and washed the feet of twelve men. This symbolic act recalled how Christ
stripped himself of his garment, of his glory, and assumed the condition of a
slave, washing the feet of his apostles.
Archbishop Costelloe said that we who are of
the mind and heart of Jesus are called to strip ourselves of glory and be
servants of love.
After Mass there was a procession of the
Eucharist to the Altar of Repose in Our Lady’s Chapel of the Cathedral, where
those attending the Mass were invited to stay a while with Christ in memory of
his agony in the garden.
TODAY'S SAINT : APRIL 9 : ST. MARY CLEOPHAS
St. Mary Cleophas
MOTHER OF ST. JAMES THE LESS AND JOSEPH
Feast: April 9
|
Information:
|
|
This title occurs only in John, xix, 25. A comparison of the
lists of those who stood at the foot of the cross would seem to identify her
with Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joseph (Mark 15:40; cf. Matthew
27:56). Some have indeed tried to identify her with the Salome of Mark, xv, 40,
but St. John's reticence concerning himself and his relatives seems conclusive
against this (cf. John 21:2). In the narratives of the Resurrection she is named
"Mary of James"; (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10) and "the other Mary" (Matthew 27:61;
28:1). The title of "Mary of James" is obscure. If it stood alone, we should
feel inclined to render it "wife of (or sister of) James", but the recurrence of
the expression "Mary the mother of James and Joseph" compels us to render it in
the same way when we only read "Mary of James". Her relationship to the Blessed
Virgin is obscure. James is termed "of Alpheus", i.e. presumably "son of
Alpheus". St. Jerome would identify this Alpheus with Cleophas who, according to
Hegesippus, was brother to St. Joseph (Hist. eccl., III, xi). In this case Mary
of Cleophas, or Alpheus, would be the sister-in-law of the Blessed Virgin, and
the term "sister", adelphe, in John, xix, 25, would cover this. But there are
grave difficulties in the way of this identification of Alpheus and Cleophas. In
the first place, St. Luke, who speaks of Cleophas (xxiv, 18), also speaks of
Alpheus (6:15; Acts 1:13). We may question whether he would have been guilty of
such a confused use of names, had they both referred to the same person. Again,
while Alphas is the equivalent of the Aramaic, it is not easy to see how the
Greek form of this became Cleophas, or more correctly Clopas. More probably it
is a shortened form of
Cleopatros.
|
source: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmarycleophas.asp#ixzz1ratqr0YW
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : EASTER MONDAY APRIL 9, 2012
| Matthew
28: 8 - 15
| |
| 8 | So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. |
| 9 | And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. |
| 10 | Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." |
| 11 | While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. |
| 12 | And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sum of money to the soldiers |
| 13 | and said, "Tell people, `His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' |
| 14 | And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." |
| 15 | So they took the money and did as they were directed; and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. |
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