The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday
Audrey Assad, "Spirit of the Living God" from Fortunate Fall (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"O Spirit of the living God, thou Light and Fire Divine,
Descend upon Thy Church once more and make it truly Thine,
Fill it with love and joy and power, with righteousness and peace,
Till Christ shall dwell in human hearts, and sin and sorrow cease.…

"So shall we know the power of Christ, Who came this world to save,
So shall we rise with Him to life which soars beyond the grave,
And earth shall win true holiness which makes Thy children whole,
Till, perfected by Thee, we reach creation's glorious goal!"

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Easter Feaster Edition

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Ascension o' the Lord

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (transferred)
Taizé, "Jesus, Remember Me" from Laudate Omnes Gentes (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Easter Feaster Edition

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

Saints + Scripture: Eastertide

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fátima (apparitions 13 May-13 October 1917).

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter seventeen, verses fitten & twenty thru chapter eighteen, verse one;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-eight (R/. "Heaven and Earth are full of Your glory;" or, "Alleluia"), verses one & two, eleven & twelve, thirteen, & fourteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter sixteen, verses twelve thru fifteen.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to guide the Church through time. “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”

Since Jesus is the Son of God, it is impossible for us adequately to interpret him through our own powers of perception. We require a divine pedagogue through which the speech of the Father is to be understood. This is the advocate we call the Holy Spirit.

The words of today’s Gospel are almost unbearably profound, for they speak not only of the inner life of God but of the central dynamic of the Church’s life. The Father indeed spoke the fullness of his life, being, and truth in the Son, but the Church, in its earliest days, was incapable of taking that fullness in.

What was (and still is) required is the ongoing influence of the Spirit, the divine interpreter of the Word, who does his work gradually and powerfully as the Church journeys across space and time.

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S.C.C.B.): Easter Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fátima
The Book of Isaiah, chapter sixty-one, verses nine, ten, & eleven;
Psalm Forty-five (R/. eleven; or, "Alleluia"), verses eleven & twelve, fourteen & fifteen, & sixteen & seventeen;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eleven, verses twenty-seven & twenty-eight.

Commentary: Memorial Readings.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the VI Sunday o' Easter

The Sixth Sunday of Easter
Francesca Battistelli, "Holy Spirit" from If We're Honest (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: We're not to Pentecost, yet, but today's readings are about the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity: In Acts, the Apostles bring the Holy Ghost to imcompletely catechized Christians who had only been baptized in the Name of Jesus; in 1 Peter, the first pope reminds us how the Holy Ghost will bring us New Life; & in John's Gospel, the Lord Jesus instructs His Apostles about the Holy Ghost, another Advocate Who will stand with us against the accuser.

Saints + Scripture: VI Sunday of Easter

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Popish Plot
"Mother's Day: Marian Title"

'Tis the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Latin: Pascha): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Sixth Sunday of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter eight, verses five thru eight & fourteen thru seventeen;
Psalm Sixty-six (R/. one; or, "Alleluia"), verses one, two, & three; four & five; six & seven; & sixteen & twenty;
The First Letter of Peter, chapter three, verses fifteen thru eighteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fourteen, verses fifteen thru twenty-one.

Commentary: Sunday Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to accompany 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.”

Just a moment before, Jesus had identified himself as the Truth and as, essentially, one with the Father. Thus we find in this first reference to the “Advocate,” the parakletos, a fairly clear proto-Trinitarian formula. As Jesus reflects the Father’s being, so this third seems to reflect the mutuality of Jesus and the Father, since both are involved in his sending.

The role of the parakletos is that of animating the Church, which Jesus, at least in the ordinary sense, is about to leave. More precisely, he will lead the followers of Jesus into the fullness of truth, maintaining a vibrant continuity with the Lord and hence with the Father:

“The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Notice the densely-packed coinherence that obtains among the three, a one-in-the-otherness into which the Church itself is being invited.

Video reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire): Sunday Sermon.

Video reflection by Fr. Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U.S.C.C.B.): Easter Reflection.

Saints + Scripture: Eastertide

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter sixteen, verses one thru ten;
Psalm One Hundred (R/. two[a]; or, "Alleluia"), verses one[b] & two, three, & five;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses eighteen thru twenty-one.

Commentary: Easter Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us to expect persecution. But do not be afraid, because in Jesus Christ, we are connected to the very power of God, to that which is here and now creating the universe. No matter how much violence and mayhem is going on, we have a place of safety.

How wonderfully Jesus expresses this: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” The body passes, but the soul, that place where you are in contact with the living God, lasts forever. So get your fears in right order: “Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28).

Now think of the saints, especially the martyrs. They might be defined as those rare human beings who had rightly prioritized their fears. Of whom were they afraid? Not the wickedest human beings around them. Rather, they feared God. They worried not about what people wanted them to do but about what God wanted them to do.

None of these great figures lived a serene life, a life free of worry, threat, persecution. Instead, they found courage in the struggle. Their courage got them through the negativity.

Video reflection by Paul Jarzembowski (U.S.C.C.B.): Easter Reflection.

Saints + Scripture: Eastertide

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Popish Plot
"Ich bin der Kaiser und ich will Knödel!"

'Tis the Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter fifteen, verses twenty-two thru thirty-one;
Psalm Fifty-seven (R/. ten[a]; or, "Alleluia"), verses eight & nine, ten & twelve;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses twelve thru seventeen.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us his friends.

Psychologists tell us that a true friend is someone who has seen us at our worst and still loves us. If you have encountered me only on my best days, I have no guarantee that you are my friend. But when you have dealt with me when I am most obnoxious and you still love me, then I am sure that you are my friend.

The old gospel song says, “What a friend we have in Jesus!” This is not pious sentimentalism; it is the heart of the matter. What the first Christians saw in the dying and rising of Jesus is that we killed God, and God returned in forgiving love. He saw us at our very worst and loved us anyway.

Thus they saw confirmed in flesh and blood what Jesus had said the night before he died: “I no longer call you slaves. . . . I have called you friends.” They realized, in the drama of the paschal mystery, that we have not only been shown a new way; we have been drawn into a new life, a life of friendship with God.

Video reflection by Deacon Bernard Nojadera (U.S.C.C.B.): Easter Reflection.

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Easter Feaster Edition

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the V Sunday o' Easter

The Fifth Sunday of Easter
Melanie Rea & Daniel Schmit, "This Is Jesus" from It Is Well: A Collection of Hymns (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Easter Feaster Edition

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the IV Sunday o' Easter

The Fourth Sunday of Easter
Marty Haugen, "Shepherd Me, O God (Psalm 23)" from Shepherd Me, O God (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Easter Feaster Edition

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the III Sunday o' Easter

The Third Sunday of Easter
Duvall, "Jesus Never Leaves Me" from Volume & Density (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Easter Feaster Edition

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Divine Mercy Sunday

The Second Sunday of Easter (The Sunday of Divine Mercy)
Mike Hilliker & Melanie Rea, "Lord, Have Mercy" from the Mercy: Songs for Holy Week (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Easter Octave Song o' the Day

Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Sarah Kroger, "O God Beyond All Praising" from Origin: A Beauty Initiative within F.O.C.U.S. (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Easter Octave Song o' the Day

Friday in the Octave of Easter
O.C.P. Session Choir, "O God Beyond All Praising" from Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 27 (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Easter Octave Song o' the Day

Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Daniel Schmit, "Christ Is Risen" from Mercy: Songs for Holy Week (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)