THE SAINTS SPEAK TO US ABOUT THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS ​​CHRIST

“Christ reigned from the wood of the tree; the cross is his throne, and from there he subdued the whole world, not by the force of arms, but by the power of love.”

(Saint Augustine of Hippo)

“The blood of Christ shed on the cross is the price of our redemption; by it we were bought, by it we were rescued from the power of the devil.”

(Saint Leo the Great)

“The cross of the Lord is the hope of Christians, the resurrection of the dead, the way of those who were lost, the staff of the lame, and the comfort of the poor.”

(Saint John Chrysostom)

“Contemplate the crucified Lord and learn how much he has loved you: his nailed hands, his pierced feet, his open side, and his blood shed for the salvation of the world.”

(Saint John Chrysostom)  (Saint Augustine of Hippo)

“Through the tree of paradise, death entered the world; through the tree of the cross, life has been restored.”

(Saint Irenaeus of Lyons)

“Christ stretched out his hands on the cross to embrace all humanity and gather into one the scattered children of God.”

(Saint Athanasius of Alexandria)

“Do not be ashamed of the cross; through it, the heavens were opened, death was destroyed, and the devil was vanquished.”

(Saint Cyril of Jerusalem)

“On the cross, the Lord offered the true sacrifice, and his shed blood purified the whole world.”

(Saint Cyril of Alexandria)

“The blood of Christ speaks better than the blood of Abel; the former cried out for vengeance, the latter implores mercy for sinners.”

(Saint John Chrysostom)

“On the cross, the Lord bowed his head to kiss us and opened his side to receive us into his heart.”

(Saint Augustine of Hippo)

“The cross, which was an instrument of torture, became Christ’s trophy and the sign of victory over hell.”

(Saint Leo the Great)

“Christ was lifted up on the cross to raise up the world that had fallen through sin.”

(Saint Gregory Nazianzen)

“On the cross we see the Lamb slain for our sins and his blood shed for our salvation.”

(Saint Ephrem the Syrian)

“The Lord was nailed to the cross, but with those nails he fixed the enemy and destroyed the power of sin.”

(Saint John Chrysostom)

“The blood of Christ is medicine for souls, ransom for captives, and pardon for sinners.”

(Saint Ambrose of Milan)

“The Lord’s cross is the altar upon which was offered the sacrifice that reconciled the world to God.”

(Saint Gregory Nazianzen)  (Saint Leo the Great)

“Christ was stripped on the cross to clothe us with divine grace.”

(Saint Gregory of Nyssa)

“The open arms of the Crucified One show that He willed to die embracing the world.”

(Saint Athanasius of Alexandria)

“Through the cross the curse was destroyed, and through the blood of Christ the blessing came to us.”

(Saint John Chrysostom)

“The open side of Christ poured forth blood and water, the source of the sacraments and the life of the Church.”

(Saint Augustine of Hippo)

“The cross is the tree of life planted in the midst of the world.”

(Saint Ephrem the Syrian)

“Christ conquered the enemy not with human power, but with the humility of the cross.”

(Saint Leo the Great)

“The Lord accepted death to destroy death, and shed His blood to give life to the world.”

(Saint John Chrysostom)  (Saint Athanasius of Alexandria)

“On the cross, the forgiveness of the world was written with the blood of the Redeemer.”

(Saint Ambrose of Milan)

“The cross of Christ is the gate of paradise that was closed since Adam.”

(Saint Cyril of Jerusalem)

“The Lord was lifted up on the cross like a physician who offers himself as a remedy for the sick.”

(Saint Gregory Nazianzen)

“The blood of the Lord shed on Calvary purifies the earth and sanctifies the world.”

(Saint John Chrysostom)

“On the cross, the Lord paid our debt with his own blood.”

(Saint Augustine of Hippo)

“Christ bore our sins on the wood to give us back life.”

(Saint Irenaeus of Lyons)

“The cross is the standard of the crucified King and the terror of demons.”

(Saint Irenaeus of Lyons)  (Saint Ephrem the Syrian)

“The Passion of Christ is the price of the world’s freedom.”

(Saint Leo the Great)

“The Blood of Christ is the drink of immortality for the faithful.”

(Saint John Chrysostom)

“The Cross is the throne of divine love from which Christ rules hearts.”

(Saint Augustine of Hippo)

“The death of Christ destroyed death, and His Blood opened the way to heaven.”

(Saint Athanasius of Alexandria)

“The Cross is the glory of Christ and the salvation of the world.”

(Saint Cyril of Alexandria)

The Sin That Finances Human Trafficking… With a Simple Click

For decades the modern world has tried to present pornography as nothing more than a private form of entertainment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Behind that seemingly harmless screen lies one of the darkest and most lucrative industries of our time: the systematic exploitation of the human person.

Catholic moral doctrine has always taught that sins against purity are not a minor matter nor merely a private issue. They degrade man, destroy families, and corrupt society. But today we know something more: the consumption of pornography directly fuels networks of exploitation and human trafficking.

The pornographic industry generates billions of dollars. That money does not come out of thin air. It comes from the constant demand of consumers. And where there is demand, there will always be someone willing to “supply” the material… even if it requires coercion, deception, or the misery of women or kids trapped in networks of exploitation.

Civil investigations have repeatedly shown that the line between pornography and human trafficking is often nonexistent. Victims of human trafficking end up being exploited in the production of pornographic material. In other cases, minors are manipulated, pressured, or directly forced to participate.

For this reasons it is worth recalling an old moral truth that the common sense of the Christian people expressed simply: “he who kills the cow sins just as much as the one who holds its leg.”

The consumer is not an innocent spectator.

Every click sustains the industry. Every visit generates profit. Every viewing keeps running a machinery that degrades human dignity and turns the body into merchandise. Whoever consumes pornography—even in the apparent solitude of his room—ends up cooperating with a system that enslaves others.

There is also a grave responsibility placed upon parents. Allowing children and adolescents to navigate the internet without supervision is to expose their innocence to a world that thrives on corrupting it. Educating, watching over, and forming the conscience of one’s children is a serious duty of justice and charity.

Christian purity—so despised by modern culture—thus appears in its true light: it is not repression, but the defense of human dignity. Rejecting pornography not only saves the soul of the one who avoids it; it also weakens an industry that feeds on the degradation of one’s neighbor.

Because when the human body becomes merchandise, someone is always paying the price with his freedom. And far too often, with the destruction of a healthy childhood.

It is worth recalling the warning of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which resounds with force:

 “But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

(Matthew 18:6)

Catholicity Note: Although there are different degrees of responsibility, it cannot be denied that pornography and human trafficking exist because there is a clear demand and a close relationship between the two; therefore, the consumer also bears a very significant responsibility.

THE ANGELS ARE PRESENT AT MASS

 THE ANGELS ARE PRESENT AT MASS:

“The angels surround and help the priest when he is celebrating Mass.” ~ St. Augustine

While we kneel before the altar, countless angels are present, adoring Christ and assisting in the most sacred act that takes place on earth. 

They stand in reverence at the moment of consecration as the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Our Lord.

 At every altar, heaven and earth meet.

OFFERING

“Behold the Heart that has so loved mankind… Behold it, my children, satiated with reproaches, in this Host where It beats, amidst fires of charity, for you… only for you! And unable to bear any longer the burnings that consume It, I have willed to offer It to the very world that has pierced It with the dart of ingratitude and suffering… This is the supreme and last recourse of My redemption…

Here is My Heart: I give it to you, I offer it to you without reservation, in exchange for your sinful and ungrateful Heart… Oh, I thirst, I thirst immensely to be loved, in this Sacrament of the Altar… In it I have been until now the King of silence, the Monarch of oblivion… But the hour of My triumphs has arrived… I come to reconquer the earth… Yes, I must subdue it, despite the strife of hell, and I will save it by the omnipotence of My Heart.”  Accept me, I beg you… extend your hands and your souls to receive this supreme gift of my redeeming mercy… I come to bring fire to the earth, fire of life, of boundless love, fire of holiness, fire of sacrifice, and what else could I desire but that it burn?…

Fix your eyes upon my wounded breast… there you have the Heart that loved you even in the anguish of Bethlehem… and more; even in the humiliations and darkness of Nazareth… much more still; even in the shameful agonies of Calvary… This is the same Heart that ceased to beat on Golgotha, yes, the same one, that continues to love in the inextinguishable fire of the altar… of the Holy Eucharist.

And you do not love me!

Meditation taken from the HOLY HOUR. Composed by Father Matthew Crawley-Boevey (1875-1960).

THE LAST WORDS

 The Last words of Saint Padre Pio :

"JESUS, MARY! JESUS, MARY!!...

I WILL GIVE YOU REST

Matthew 11:28-30

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

A FAMILY THAT PRAYS THE ROSARY TOGETHER DAILY IS MORALLY GUARANTEED ITS ETERNAL SALVATION

Do you want your whole family to be reunited in Heaven? Read these lines.

Do you want to achieve this sublime aspiration? Do you want every single member of your family to be in Heaven? I'm going to give you the formula to achieve it: pray the Rosary as a family every day of your life. A family that prays the Rosary every day is morally guaranteed its eternal salvation, because it is morally impossible for the Blessed Virgin, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, who is also our Queen and most loving Mother, not to graciously listen to a family that invokes her every day, saying to her fifty times with fervor and trust: “Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” It is morally impossible, ladies and gentlemen, I state this categorically in the name of Catholic theology.

The Virgin Mary cannot abandon that family. She will ensure they live Christian lives and obtain for them the grace of repentance should they ever have the misfortune to sin. It is true that whoever dies in mortal sin is condemned, even if they have prayed the rosary many times during their life. That is certain. Whoever dies in mortal sin is condemned, even if they have prayed the rosary many times. Ah, but what is morally impossible is for someone who prays the rosary often to end up dying in mortal sin. The Virgin Mary will not allow it. If you pray the rosary daily and fervently, if you invoke the Virgin Mary with filial trust, she will ensure that you do not die in mortal sin. You will turn away from sin; you will repent, you will live Christian lives, and you will die in God's grace.

The rosary, prayed well daily, is a guarantee of eternity, an assurance of heaven! This is not coming from an enthusiastic Dominican because Saint Dominic was the founder of the rosary.  This is not it. I tell you this in the name of Catholic theology, gentlemen.

Pray the rosary as a family every day of your life, and I assure you absolutely, in the name of the Virgin Mary, that you will succeed in reuniting your entire family in heaven! What great joy it will be to be together again, never to be separated again!

“THE MYSTERY OF THE AFTERLIFE”
Antonio Royo Marín, O.P.