Tag: Catholic

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Sixth Sunday of Easter 2020

light filtering through trees and person walking through Satchari national park habiganj sylhet

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
Responsorial: Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20
Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:15-18
Gospel: John 14:15-21

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051720.cfm
deacon rudy’s notes

Brothers and sisters, have you ever randomly opened up the Bible and found the perfect verse? Today’s readings are like that for us. You see, these readings weren’t picked. They are part of the regular sequence for Year A for the Sixth Sunday of Easter. You will find these same readings used in the year 2017. While all the readings are a treasure, this year these readings have special resonance for us.

Today’s Gospel message is part of the farewell discourse given during the Last Supper. The Church gives us this piece of Gospel now so that we can unpack its meaning in these weeks leading up to Pentecost. But in the light of the pandemic, these readings give us insight into the meaning of a life of discipleship.

Jesus says to us, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot accept,” (John 14:15-17). Jesus will not leave us as orphans, powerful message, (John 14:18).

The world seems to begin emerging from this pandemic. We cannot all be leaders, scientists, and medical professionals, so we have to trust others. Unfortunately, the mixed messages and even contradictory statements fuel the darkness of uncertainty and confusion.

It is encouraging to see people turning to prayer, but there is still this underlying – well fear I guess would be the right word that seems to shroud some people I know in a sort of darkness. How should we disciples respond? Well, our first reading from Acts helps us, I think. You see, earlier in this same chapter we read from today, the church at Jerusalem is subjected to persecution at the hand of Saul (who will become Paul). The disciples are scattered. I would call that a period of uncertainty and fear, wouldn’t you? How did the disciples respond?

Acts tells us that those who were scattered went about preaching the Good News, (Acts 8:4). The deacon Philip (see Acts 6:5), makes his way to Samaria and begins to preach and perform all sorts of miracles. Remember, the Samaritans were regarded as mixed blood heretics who did not worship at Temple in Jerusalem, (Kurz, loc. 2829). Philip went there nonetheless, and many were converted. This was no fluke! Peter and John themselves go to Samaria to lay hands on the converts and pray that the Spirit be upon them. This image not only underscores apostolic authority in full support of legitimate evangelization efforts, but this also introduces the sacrament of confirmation. These things happen during a time of crisis and uncertainty and fear in the early church.

The message for all of us, I believe, is that we should be more willing than ever to share the light of our faith – to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with our family and friends who have fallen away from the faith or those who have never known Jesus. Peter reminds us that one of the ways we can do that is by being ready to offer an explanation of our faith to anyone who asks about the Good News. What’s the Good News? That God sent Jesus to walk among us. That Jesus suffered and died for you and for me so that death would no longer have a hold over us.

The gates of heaven are open to all believers. We no longer have to fear, no matter what life throws at us. That is good news and it melts the darkness away! It’s a powerful message that so many people need to hear. Will this news be well received? No, I don’t think so. Peter warns us that we will be ridiculed for our beliefs. But even that’s okay. Peter says, “For it is better to suffer, for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.”

Yes, this can be a daunting task, but my brothers and sisters, we are not alone! God has sent the advocate to be with us always. The Spirit within us can be a source of incredible courage to have the tough conversations or even like Philip to go to places where others wouldn’t even consider. Who in your life is someone who is unusually afraid of this virus or a resurgence? Perhaps that is the person you should approach to share the peace and joy of Jesus you have on your heart. Sharing the light of Christ in your heart might disperse the darkness of their world.

Homework! Having been nourished by the Word of God proclaimed and in the Eucharist for those fortunate enough to go to mass or an Act of Spiritual Communion for those who still can’t get into mass, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions.

  1. First, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. What commandments do I struggle to keep? How can I avoid temptations?
  2. Second, I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. When have I felt abandoned or lost? What has strengthened and comforted me?
  3. Third, In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. Where do I see God present and active in the world? How can I help others see God?

I think doing our homework will help us face the challenges of discipleship. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Art for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0. A person walking through Satchari National Park, located in far eastern Bangladesh. Satchari means “seven streams.” From the jury: “the light is magic.” Photo by Abdul Momin.

References:
1. Martin, Francis and William M. Wright IV. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2015.
2. Keating, Daniel. First and Second Peter, Jude. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011.
3. Kurz, William S. Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.
4. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
5. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
1. Titles of the Holy Spirit, 243, 388, 692, 729, 1433, 1848
2. Suffering for the sake of Christ, 520, 556, 1435, 1967
3. Promise of the Spirit, 729
4. Church as communion with Jesus, 788-89
5. Missionary call of the Church, 849-56
6. Invoking the Holy Spirit, 1083, 2670-72
7. Baptism and the Holy Spirit, 1226
8. Confirmation, 1285-1305
9. Exorcism, 1673
10. Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper, 2746-51

Sixth Sunday of Easter
Mass readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051720.cfm
Lectionary: 55

Reading 1
ACTS 8:5-8, 14-17
Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem
heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent them Peter and John,
who went down and prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
for it had not yet fallen upon any of them;
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid hands on them
and they received the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial
Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2
1 Peter 3:15-18
Beloved:
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence,
keeping your conscience clear,
so that, when you are maligned,
those who defame your good conduct in Christ
may themselves be put to shame.
For it is better to suffer for doing good,
if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.

Alleluia
John 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
John 14:15-21
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

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Mother’s Day 2020

Mom with three children

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Fifth Sunday of Easter Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 6:1-7
Responsorial: Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-9
Gospel: John 14:1-12

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051020.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Peace be with you on this fifth Sunday of Easter, and a great big shout out to moms everywhere on this Mother’s Day! Even if today is not Mother’s Day in your culture, I think we can all agree that we don’t need a special occasion to lift up mothers everywhere both our own mothers and the mothers of our children!

I think so much about our world today is geared toward the individual. As Mycroft says in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, “he’s all me, me, me, isn’t he?”

But moms are different, aren’t they? A mom opens her heart and her life to her children – doesn’t matter whether they are natural or adopted. It’s the ideal image of service that we see described in our first reading from Acts. I know that reading is the first evidence of deacons in the early church, but what better role models for the clergy than the moms in our lives?

And it doesn’t matter whether she works and travels all the time or is a stay-at-home-mom, whether it’s an extravagant manor or a simple tent on the side of the road, moms put their hearts into creating a home. Moms create a space for us to live and to work. In fact, a home becomes such a comfortable place for many of us. In a way, it’s easy to relate the work our moms do to make a home to what Jesus says, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places,” (John 14:2).

That feeling we have when we walk through the door of our home – whether our current home or our childhood home – is joy. It’s not really an emotion. It’s just for want of a better term that feeling deep within us that means we are totally comfortable, totally at peace. It’s easy to associate our moms with the living stones we hear about in the second reading today from First Peter. It’s their presence that makes the house a home.

What does it mean to live with the Father? Thomas asks Jesus in today’s Gospel, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (John 14:5) I don’t think it’s hard to blame Thomas for asking Jesus this question. For many of us, trying to wrap our minds around what heaven will be like is difficult.

But I think that feeling we have when go home – that feeling of welcome and comfort – might be like what heaven feels like. And of course, that makes sense, doesn’t it? If God is love, then that all encompassing feeling of love that our moms wrap around us is God.

Our moms work doesn’t end there. How many moms pray their children home? Look at St. Augustine? He was quite the playboy. But his mother, St. Monica, constantly prayed for his conversion. It probably didn’t happen as quickly as she would have liked, but in the end, Augustine converted and eventually became one of the most important leaders in the history of the Christian faith.

That’s what mom’s do, isn’t it? More often than not in too many households, it is mom who keeps the faith. And like Mary our spiritual mother, it is mom who leads us to Jesus Christ. That’s important because Jesus says, “No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6). Moms are the backbone of our faith leading us to Jesus who in turn leads us to the Father.

We have so much to be thankful for in all the moms around us. We may never fully appreciate the great blessing of God for a creating both men and women – equal in dignity, but with complementary natures. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. May God bless moms everywhere, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Homework! Having been nourished by the Word of God proclaimed and an Act of Spiritual Communion, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions.

  1. Do not let your hearts be troubled. How can I be force for calm and peace in a world changed by COVID-19?
  2. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Where do I feel the presence of God most strongly? Where do I pray most often?
  3. I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father other than through me. Do I help lead others to God through my words and actions in all my interactions – in speech, writing, and on social media?

I think doing our homework will help us refocus our lives of discipleship as we emerge from sheltering in place. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Art for this post: PUBLIC DOMAIN. Migrant Mother 02 by Dorothea Lange, 1936. This image is a work of an employee of the United States Farm Security Administration or Office of War Information domestic photographic units, taken as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain in the United States. Original caption: “Destitute peapickers in California; a 32-year-old mother of seven children. February 1936.”

References:
1. Martin, Francis and William M. Wright IV. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2015.
2. Keating, Daniel. First and Second Peter, Jude. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011.
3. Kurz, William S. Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.
4. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
5. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
1. Christ the mediator and fullness, 65-66, 846
2. Believing in Jesus, 151, 1698, 2614, 2466
3. Jesus’ mysteries, 516
4. The Church as a spiritual temple, 756, 1179
5. The Church as the people of God, 781-86
6. A chosen race, a royal priesthood, 782, 803, 1141, 1174, 1269, 1322
7. Heaven, 1025-27
8. Common priesthood of the faithful, 1141, 1268, 1546
9. Deacons, 1554, 1569-71
10. Jesus teaches us how to pray, 2614, 2746-51, 2825

Fifth Sunday of Easter
Mass readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051020.cfm
Lectionary: 52

First Reading
ACTS 6:1-7
As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Responsorial
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Second Reading
1 PT 2:4-9
Beloved:
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it says in Scripture:
Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.
Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,
and
A stone that will make people stumble,
and a rock that will make them fall.
They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises” of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Alleluia verse
John 14:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father, except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
John 14:1-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”

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ATC 15 The Bishop

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Pope Francis said, “Bishops are the pastors of the People of God. Follow them with trust and courage.”

He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Thank you for joining me for All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. If you have a question that you’d like me to address, please use the comment form on the website, or by email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org. I have some good news! I have been accepted to the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching program at Aquinas Institute in St. Louis! Praise God! As I prepare to begin my studies, All Things Catholic will move to the first Wednesday of the month and will be supplemented with occasional bonus episodes. Of course, I will still post the weekend edition every Sunday since it closely correlates with my doctoral studies.

On today’s episode, we’re going to talk a little bit about bishops. The bishops have taken a bit of beating in recent years, especially in the light of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Who are they and what do they do?

While the role of bishops is not restricted to the Catholic faith, the Catholic bishop has often been the focus of novelists and included in many stories, like Bishop Myriel in Les Misérables who gives Jean Valjean a new start, or the sinister Cardinal Richelieu of The Three Musketeers who desires power for himself, or the calculating Cardinal Wolsey of the Tudors, or scheming Bishop Aringarosa of The Da Vinci Code. But who are the bishops really? Who are these guardians of our ancient tradition? That’s our focus today.

The role of the bishop is rooted in the early life of the church. We briefly touched on the topic of “apostolic succession” in the All Things Catholic episode 1, “On What Authority.” As a quick refresher, Peter announced that the “office” left empty by Judas needed to be filled, (Acts 1:20-21). Acts also clearly describes the authority of the disciples at Jerusalem as the great evangelical task in human history begins. Paul, who is an apostle by the hand of Jesus, submits to the will of the disciples at Jerusalem. Acts also describes the role of the Council of Jerusalem in resolving the circumcision controversy (Acts 15). Later Paul directs Titus to appoint “elders” in every town (Titus 1:5). Clearly there is a hierarchy at work in Scripture. <1>

Now I know some of you will say that my description of authority is partially true. It is true that Scripture describes some level of authority, but the fact is the duties which today are assigned to bishops, priests and deacons are not distinct in Scripture – and you would be correct. Some of these roles and even the language used to describe these “offices” seems at time interchangeable to some extent.

But for a variety of factors, the distinct roles of bishops, priests and deacons is much more clear end of the 90s and well into the third century. We find proofs for this development in the writings of Clement of Rome, who died in 100 A.D. (1 Clem 42; 44:1), in the Didache which was a collection of teachings – perhaps the first catechism. It’s full title is The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. We find additional writings in the works of Ignatius of Antioch and in the Apostolic Tradition written by Hippolytus of Rome, who died around 236 A.D.

The point is that the idea of hierarchy – of leadership roles in the church – is absolutely biblical and the specific title of bishop clearly emerges from the early church.

Now, Vatican II gives us two key documents that help define the role of the bishop in the modern world. Those documents include the Lumen Gentium or the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, and Christus Dominus or the Decree on the Pastoral Office of the Bishops in the Church.

Now, there’s lots of technical information out there, like the qualifications for a bishop, how bishops are selected, etc. But here are the basics. The Pope, who himself is a bishop, appoints the bishops of the world. There are archbishops, bishops, coadjutor bishops, and auxiliary bishops. The Church has organized the world into geographic areas called provinces. The province is lead by an archbishop. The province is further subdivided into geographic units called dioceses. The diocese is lead by a bishop. While the archbishop leads the province, he does not have authority over the bishops except in questions of faith and morals. The bishops are under the direct authority of the Pope. For this podcast, I’ll use the generic term “diocese” to refer to both archdioceses and dioceses, and I’ll use the generic term “bishop” to refer to all types of bishops.

Some bishops are stretched pretty thin either because of the large numbers of Catholics in their dioceses or a large geographic area of their diocese. In these situations, the bishops might ask the Pope to send appoint auxiliary bishops to assist them. The Pope does not always fulfill these requests. The Pope might also appoint coadjutor bishops. Sometimes, but not always, the Pope will send a coadjutor bishop to a diocese, usually when there is a forecasted or planned transition like a retirement. The coadjutor serves along side the bishop to begin the process of transition.

As we discussed earlier, the bishop is a living successor to apostles. A bishop is responsible for all of the souls in his diocese – not just the Catholic ones and not just the Christian ones! And the bishop has the fulness of ordination. What does that mean? That means that the bishop is the only person in the diocese who can exercise all seven sacraments. For example, only a bishop may ordain priests and deacons.

Now, can a bishop do everything by himself? No, of course not. The Apostles couldn’t do it by themselves. That’s why in Acts chapter 6 they appointed the first seven deacons. And the bishops today can’t do everything by themselves, that’s why they ordain priests and deacons. Now this is important if not obvious. There can be no priests or deacons without bishops. The bishop, who has the fulness of ordination, shares some of sacred duties when he ordains priests and the bishop shares some of his sacred duties when he ordains deacons. There are no lone rangers in ministry. So, whenever you encounter a priest or a deacon while they exercise their ministry, you encounter the power of Christ flowing through Peter and the Apostles, and down through our bishops today through the priest or the deacon.

The Second Vatican council describes the three primary roles of bishops as sanctifiers, teachers and governors. As sanctifiers, the bishop is responsible for the sacraments, and we just described how the bishop ordains men to the priesthood and diaconate to assure public access to the sacraments. As teacher, the bishop is responsible to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the people and to teach the beliefs of the Catholic Church. As governor, the bishops is responsible for administering the diocese, which includes managing finances and personnel, and overseeing the myriad of Catholic organizations and initiatives at work in the diocese. <2>

The bishops wear many hats. But the key and most important role of the bishop is what Pope Francis described as a pastor. Our pastors should lead is in the worship of God. A pastor is like a firmly rooted rock protecting the People of God against the raging waters of modernity and relativism. A pastor looks out for lost sheep and should lead our evangelization effort for the conversion of souls. Our pastors should lead us in service to the poor. <3>

I hope this primer in the role of the bishop has been helpful. Now, go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to All Things Catholic. If you have a question you’d like me to discuss, please use the comment form on the website, or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org.

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join us again next time and don’t forget to check out the weekend edition where we break open the Word. He is RISEN! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Notes:
<1> See Deacon Rudy Villarreal, “On What Authority,” https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/atc-1-on-what-authority/
<2> Fichter, Stephen J., et al, Catholic Bishops in the United States: Church Leadership in the Third Millennium, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
<3> See Bishop Robert Barron on the Three Essential Elements of the Church, https://youtu.be/O9m-pNsFPV0.

References:
1. Fichter, Stephen J., et al. Catholic Bishops in the United States: Church Leadership in the Third Millennium. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
2. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.
3. Vatican Council II. Christus Dominus. Vatican.va. 28 October 1965. Accessed 8 May 2020. http://w2.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651028_christus-dominus_en.html.
4. Vatican Council II. Lumen Gentium. Vatican.va. 21 November 1964. Accessed 8 May 2020. https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
1. Peter and his successors, 85