Catechism L5-18 Jesus is Risen and Returns to the Father

 Prayer Before Studying

Incomprehensible Creator, the true Fountain of light and only Author of all knowledge: vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to enlighten our understandings, and to remove from us all darkness of sin and ignorance. Thou, who makest eloquent the tongues of those that want utterance, direct our tongues, and pour on our lips the grace of Thy blessing. Give us a diligent and obedient spirit, quickness of apprehension, capacity of retaining, and the powerful assistance of Thy holy grace; that what we hear or learn we may apply to Thy honor and the eternal salvation of our own souls.

=== 0 ===

Holy Spirit, giver of all good gifts, enter into my mind and heart. Give me the gift of knowledge, wisdom, understanding and the grace to use it wisely. Help me in all my endeavors. Give me perseverance and fortitude. Help my memory, that I may remember what I learn and recall it when necessary. Guide me in my studies. You who are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, let me not be deceived by false teaching. Our Lady of Good Studies, pray for me. Amen.

Prayer for Lent
Lord Jesus Christ,
You have taken the sting from death
and robbed the grave of its victory.
In holy baptism, You have given us
a share also in Your risen life.
We thank You for all the good things
we have received from Your bountiful love.
We bless You for the courage
to carry our daily burdens.
We praise You for the salvation
You have won for us.
When we shall have finished
the work our Father gave us to do here,
be to us a gentle Savior.
May we seek You eagerly,
find You surely, and share in
Your unfading triumph
for all ages of ages.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Amen.

Topic/Agenda:

1.      To explain the events which took place on Easter and the following days -- Apparitions of Christ.

2.      To explain the Great Commission.

3.      To explain the significance of the Paschal Candle and others.

4.      To teach the origin and meaning of the Easter symbols.

(Dates are given for sample illustration purposes only)

The Resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 28:1-9)

28 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he^[a] lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead,^[b] and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” ⁸ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Report of the Guard

¹¹ While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² After the priests^[c] had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, ¹³ telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ 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 is still told among the Jews to this day.

The Commissioning of the Disciples

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

=================================================================

The Resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:1-12)

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they went in, they did not find the body.^{[a] 4} While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. ⁵ The women^[b] were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men^[c] said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.^{[d] 6} Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” ⁸ Then they remembered his words, ⁹ and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹ But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. ¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

³⁶ While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”^{[l] 37} They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸ He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.^{[m] 41} While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate in their presence.
⁴⁴ Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶ and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah^[n] is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses^[o] of these things. ⁴⁹ And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁵⁰ Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.^{[p] 52} And they worshiped him, and^[q] returned to Jerusalem with great joy; ⁵³ and they were continually in the temple blessing God.^[r]

=================================================================

The Resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:1-11)

16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. ⁶ But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.^[a]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

⁹ [[Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. ¹⁰ She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

¹² After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. ¹³ And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Jesus Commissions the Disciples

¹⁴ Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.^{[c] 15} And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news^[d] to the whole creation. ¹⁶ The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up snakes in their hands,^[e] and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The Ascension of Jesus

¹⁹ So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
===============================================================

The Resurrection of Jesus (John 20:1-23)

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ³ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples returned to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look^[a] into the tomb; ¹² and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,^[b] “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”


======================================================================

John 21

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. ² Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,^[a] Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards^[b] off.
⁹ When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus and the Beloved Disciple

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” ²³ So the rumor spread in the community^[c] that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”^[d]
24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. ²⁵ But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
===============================================================

Acts 1  (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE))

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning ² until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³ After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. ⁴ While staying^[a] with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹ They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”


Summary of Events in 4 Books

Meaning and Saving Significance of the Resurrection

• CCC 651 "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." 521 The Resurrection above all constitutes the confirmation of all Christ's works and teachings. All truths, even those most inaccessible to human reason, find their justification if Christ by his Resurrection has given the definitive proof of his divine authority, which he had promised.

• CCC 652 Christ's Resurrection is the fulfillment of the promises both of the Old Testament and of Jesus himself during his earthly life. 522 The phrase "in accordance with the Scriptures“ 523 indicates that Christ's Resurrection fulfilled these predictions.

• CCC 653 The truth of Jesus' divinity is confirmed by his Resurrection. He had said: "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he." 524 The Resurrection of the crucified one shows that he was truly "I AM", the Son of God and God himself. So St. Paul could declare to the Jews: "What God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son, today I have begotten you.'" 525 Christ's Resurrection is closely linked to the Incarnation of God's Son, and is its fulfillment in accordance with God's eternal plan.

• CCC 654 The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life. This new life is above all  justification that reinstates us in God's grace, "so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." 526 Justification consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and a new participation in grace. 527 It brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ's brethren, as Jesus himself called his disciples after his Resurrection: "Go and tell my brethren." 528  We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection.

• CCC 655 Finally, Christ's Resurrection - and the risen Christ himself is the principle and source of our future resurrection: "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. . . For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." 529 The risen Christ lives in the hearts of his faithful while they await that fulfillment . In Christ, Christians "have tasted. . . the powers of the age to come" 530 and their lives are swept up by Christ into the heart of divine life, so that they may "live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." 530

Human Experience: 

Resurrection of Jesus Christ vs. History of Easter:

Resurrection Holiday	Easter Holiday
Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the central event of the Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death by crucifixion. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul even goes so far to say that if Jesus Christ has not been resurrected then the Christian faith is worthless and futile	Easter was originally  derived from  the  word Eostre (Eostur, Eastar, Ostara, & Oastar).  Eostre was  the  ancient Greek goddess of spring.  It  was believed  that every  year, Eostre returned to Earth after a long, cold  winter  and brought  along with her  the light and  warmth  of Spring.
Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. The First Council of Nicaea following the March equinox. The date of Easter therefore varies between 22 March and 25 April.  Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the calendar. The Western churches (Catholic & Protestant) celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. The Eastern churches (Greek, Russian, & other forms of Orthodoxy) used the same calculation but based on Julian Calendar (on which March 21 is April 3) & a 19-year paschal cycle. Passover Easter Pascha 2013 Mar 25 - Apr 2 Mar 31 May 5 2014 Apr 14 - 22 Apr 20 Apr 20 2015 Apr 3 - 11 Apr 5 Apr 12 2016 Apr 22 - 30 Mar 27 May 1 2017 Apr 10 - 18 Apr 16 Apr 16	The  Pagan festivals  always coincided with the vernal  Equinox on  the  21st  of March every year. Equinox -- when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator. The spring equinox is fixed for this purpose as March 21 & the "full moon" is actually the paschal moon, which is based on 84-year "paschal cycles" established in the 6th century & rarely corresponds to the astronomical full moon.
The Cross -- This is the symbol for the Christian religion as Jesus was nailed to a cross but then came back to life. Lambs -- The lamb is a symbol as people thought of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who would watch over them as they were lambs. Lambs are born in spring. The Israelites also used lamb's blood to save their firstborn in ancient Egypt. Paschal Candles -- Candles give light in darkness. Jesus is seen as "eternal light" showing Christians the way from death to life. It reminds us of Jesus' Resurrection. Palm Branches -- These are used as a symbol of peace. Bread -- Unleavened flat bread is eaten to remember Jesus' sacrifice. Wine -- Red wine is drunk to remember Jesus shedding His blood for humans.	Easter Bunny -- symbol of fertility, due to rapid reproduction habits of the hare and rabbit. Egg -- symbol of new life & rebirth. Now it is a symbol of empty tomb of Jesus Christ. Chicks -- The chicks are born from eggs and are a reminder of spring and Easter. Fireworks -- These are believed to frighten away evil spirits. They also show that out of darkness comes light. The Easter Lily -- The lily was a reminder to the Christians of how Jesus came back to life. The white Easter Lily is used in many Easter services. It is supposed to be a symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary. Easter Flowers -- Such as daffodil, narcissus and the tulip. Area symbol as they bloom in the spring.

Life Application:

As a Christian on Great Commission:

·        How about you, don't you want to see and feel God's power and presence?

·        Through Baptism and faithful to God, we can ask Him to send us the His Holy Spirit.

·        How do Christian today spread the Good News (Gospel) that Jesus ask us?

o   Through missionaries like St. Patrick, St. Francis Xavier, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Isaac Jogues, Mother Theresa, the Popes, Bishop, Priest, Catechist and other Evangelists.

o   The Corporal Works of Mercy

§  Feed the hungry

§  Give drink to the thirsty

§  Clothe the naked

§  Shelter the homeless

§  Visit the sick

§  Visit the imprisoned

§  Bury the dead

o   Spiritual Works of Mercy

§  Admonish the sinner

§  Instruct the ignorant (This and the next work are extremely pertinent categories today, when so many people are confused by what the Church teaches on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, etc.)

§  Counsel the doubtful

§  Comfort the sorrowful

§  Bear wrongs patiently

§  Forgive all injuries

§  Pray for the living and the dead

Prayer to fulfill the Great Commission
Oh Lord God Almighty Father, even though we are young and inexperience. We ask for the grace and guidance of fulfilling this Great Commission that our Lord Jesus Christ had asked us to do. That whenever and wherever we are, we might evangelize Your truth and love for mankind. Not only through words but most specially through our works and actions by doing the Corporal Works of Mercy and Spiritual Works of Mercy. We pray Lord that doors will be open for us as we spread Your  truth, love and mercy. Open their minds Lord so that logic and reason will enter. Open their eyes Lord so that they could see clearly the truth plainly as you continue to open our eyes to the things unseen. And most specially open their hearts Lord so that Your love and grace can enter into their lives as You continue to heal our hearts and make it clean. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Keep our spirit strong by pouring infinitely your Holy Spirit upon us Lord. Shower us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we will bear much fruit. Keep us within You and never let us go astray. Keep us strong in our faith just as You keep Your holy apostles and Your saints before us. Keep our minds sharp, alert and aware on the things that affect us and our relation to You. Shower us with your knowledge and wisdom in both eternal and material matters. Give us the virtue of patience and persistence to pursue and continue with our faith. May we continue to seek your face and accept the sacrifice You set before us. These we ask to You Almighty Father who lives and reigns forever, in the name of Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, our savior and redeemer, and with union of the Holy Spirit. With the intercession of Mary our mother, Immaculate and Virgin, our Lady of Sorrows. With the intercession of St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Rafael and all the angels and saints in heaven. All glory to You Almighty Father forever and ever.  Amen.
-- by KASK

Prayer for the Help of the Holy Spirit
O God, I thank you for this day and the lessons that we have learned today.  May You send forth your Holy Spirit and stay forever into my heart that I may perceive and understand You more, into my mind that I may remember, and into my soul that I may meditate.  Inspire me to speak and behave with patience, piety, holiness, tenderness and mercy. Teach, guide and direct my thoughts and senses from beginning to end. By Your grace, we may live and preach on the Words that You spoke to us today. May your grace ever help and correct me, and may I be strengthened now with love and wisdom from on high, for the sake of your infinite mercy. Amen.

References:

•Holy Bible (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

•Catechism of the Catholic Church

•Wikipedia

•New Advent (www.newadvent.org)

•www.vatican.va

•http://gochristianhelps.com/dbbi/mission1/patgc.htm

CCC