Day: April 6, 2026

Congressmen renew push to make Easter Monday a federal holiday – #Catholic – Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, is once more calling on Congress to pass his bill to enshrine Easter Monday as a federal holiday.“In just seven years, we mark the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That milestone will be one of the most significant moments in the history of the world. We should be preparing for it,” Moore wrote in an April 6 social media thread.TweetThe post comes a year after Moore, alongside Sen. Eric Schmitt, introduced legislation that would make the day after Easter Sunday a federal holiday. No hearings have been held on the House and Senate measures, which have been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Senate Judiciary Committee respectively.“More than 80% of Americans — Democrats and Republicans — celebrate Easter,” Moore said. “Most other Western nations already observe Easter Monday as a public holiday. The U.S. is the outlier. It’s time to fix that.”Moore also pointed out the “practical benefits” of the bill, which he named the Easter Monday Act, saying it would give families who travel for Easter “the breathing room to be fully present — with their relatives, in their churches, and at their dinner tables” rather than having “to rush home Sunday night to make it to work Monday morning.”“Just as Christ continued appearing to his apostles for 40 days after his resurrection, our celebration of Easter should not end at the strike of midnight,” he said. “Easter Monday is an invitation to carry the meaning of Easter into our daily lives — and into the public life of our nation, which has been gripped by a culture of death for far too long.”U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch responded to Moore’s post, writing: “It’s actually quite shocking Easter has never been a national holiday, owing only to the fact that it’s always on a Sunday.”Tweet“For all the reasons here, including the fact that our civilizational identity would be greatly enhanced, I hope this is given serious consideration,” Burch said.Schmitt also called for passage, writing on social media: “Christ is risen. Today of all days, we should be focused on celebrating and not the work week ahead. Let’s make a federal holiday to celebrate Easter.”Good FridayWhile Good Friday is not a federal holiday, state offices in 16 states mark the day by early- or all-day closure, including Connecticut, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, according to the Library of Congress.So far, there have been no legislative efforts to make Good Friday a federal holiday in the U.S.Good Friday is a public holiday in many countries around the world, including Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, according to Time and Date.
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Congressmen renew push to make Easter Monday a federal holiday – #Catholic – Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, is once more calling on Congress to pass his bill to enshrine Easter Monday as a federal holiday.“In just seven years, we mark the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That milestone will be one of the most significant moments in the history of the world. We should be preparing for it,” Moore wrote in an April 6 social media thread.TweetThe post comes a year after Moore, alongside Sen. Eric Schmitt, introduced legislation that would make the day after Easter Sunday a federal holiday. No hearings have been held on the House and Senate measures, which have been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Senate Judiciary Committee respectively.“More than 80% of Americans — Democrats and Republicans — celebrate Easter,” Moore said. “Most other Western nations already observe Easter Monday as a public holiday. The U.S. is the outlier. It’s time to fix that.”Moore also pointed out the “practical benefits” of the bill, which he named the Easter Monday Act, saying it would give families who travel for Easter “the breathing room to be fully present — with their relatives, in their churches, and at their dinner tables” rather than having “to rush home Sunday night to make it to work Monday morning.”“Just as Christ continued appearing to his apostles for 40 days after his resurrection, our celebration of Easter should not end at the strike of midnight,” he said. “Easter Monday is an invitation to carry the meaning of Easter into our daily lives — and into the public life of our nation, which has been gripped by a culture of death for far too long.”U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch responded to Moore’s post, writing: “It’s actually quite shocking Easter has never been a national holiday, owing only to the fact that it’s always on a Sunday.”Tweet“For all the reasons here, including the fact that our civilizational identity would be greatly enhanced, I hope this is given serious consideration,” Burch said.Schmitt also called for passage, writing on social media: “Christ is risen. Today of all days, we should be focused on celebrating and not the work week ahead. Let’s make a federal holiday to celebrate Easter.”Good FridayWhile Good Friday is not a federal holiday, state offices in 16 states mark the day by early- or all-day closure, including Connecticut, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, according to the Library of Congress.So far, there have been no legislative efforts to make Good Friday a federal holiday in the U.S.Good Friday is a public holiday in many countries around the world, including Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, according to Time and Date.

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Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, and Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, introduced legislation that would make the day after Easter Sunday a federal holiday.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 07 April 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles 2:36-41 On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other Apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.From the Gospel according to John 20:11-18 Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.John the Evangelist draws to our attention a detail that we do not find in the other Gospels: weeping near the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene did not immediately recognize the risen Jesus, but thought he was the gardener. (…) Cultivating and keeping the garden is the original task (cf. Gen 2:15) that Jesus brought to fulfilment. His last words on the cross – “It is finished” (Jn 19:30) – invite each of us to rediscover the same task, our task. For this reason, “he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (v. 30). Dear brothers and sisters, Mary Magdalene was not entirely mistaken then, believing she had encountered the gardener! Indeed, she had to hear her own name again and understand her task from the new Man, the one who in another text of John says: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Pope Francis, with the Encyclical Laudato si’, showed us the extreme need for a contemplative gaze: if he is not the custodian of the garden, the human being becomes its destroyer. Christian hope therefore responds to the challenges to which all humanity is exposed today by dwelling in the garden where the Crucified One was laid as a seed, to rise again and bear much fruit. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 19 November 2025)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
2:36-41

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

From the Gospel according to John
20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

John the Evangelist draws to our attention a detail that we do not find in the other Gospels: weeping near the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene did not immediately recognize the risen Jesus, but thought he was the gardener. (…) Cultivating and keeping the garden is the original task (cf. Gen 2:15) that Jesus brought to fulfilment. His last words on the cross – “It is finished” (Jn 19:30) – invite each of us to rediscover the same task, our task. For this reason, “he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (v. 30). Dear brothers and sisters, Mary Magdalene was not entirely mistaken then, believing she had encountered the gardener! Indeed, she had to hear her own name again and understand her task from the new Man, the one who in another text of John says: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Pope Francis, with the Encyclical Laudato si’, showed us the extreme need for a contemplative gaze: if he is not the custodian of the garden, the human being becomes its destroyer. Christian hope therefore responds to the challenges to which all humanity is exposed today by dwelling in the garden where the Crucified One was laid as a seed, to rise again and bear much fruit. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 19 November 2025)

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Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution – Christians in the beleaguered nation of Myanmar are facing renewed bouts of persecution at the hands of the country’s military regime. The post Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution – Christians in the beleaguered nation of Myanmar are facing renewed bouts of persecution at the hands of the country’s military regime. The post Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Open book with pages visible, set against a blurred background featuring a rainbow and natural landscape, symbolizing knowledge and inspiration.

Open book with pages visible, set against a blurred background featuring a rainbow and natural landscape, symbolizing knowledge and inspiration.

Christians in the beleaguered nation of Myanmar are facing renewed bouts of persecution at the hands of the country’s military regime.

The post Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘He is risen’ ignites faith during Randolph Easter celebration #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, joined by Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J. rejoiced in the resurrection of Christ from the dead for the redemption of the world during an Easter Sunday Mass he celebrated on the morning of April 5. Easter is the principal feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year. Father Yojaneider Garcia, Resurrection’s pastor and director of the Office of Catechesis for the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Deacon Richard Reck assisted with the liturgy. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney posted short Easter video messages in English and Spanish on social media. “On this Easter day, we rejoice with our risen Lord Jesus. We pray for peace. We pray for joy. We pray for those Easter gifts that come to us from our risen Lord,” Bishop Sweeney said in English. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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‘He is risen’ ignites faith during Randolph Easter celebration #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, joined by Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J. rejoiced in the resurrection of Christ from the dead for the redemption of the world during an Easter Sunday Mass he celebrated on the morning of April 5. Easter is the principal feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year. Father Yojaneider Garcia, Resurrection’s pastor and director of the Office of Catechesis for the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Deacon Richard Reck assisted with the liturgy. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney posted short Easter video messages in English and Spanish on social media. “On this Easter day, we rejoice with our risen Lord Jesus. We pray for peace. We pray for joy. We pray for those Easter gifts that come to us from our risen Lord,” Bishop Sweeney said in English. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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‘He is risen’ ignites faith during Randolph Easter celebration #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, joined by Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J. rejoiced in the resurrection of Christ from the dead for the redemption of the world during an Easter Sunday Mass he celebrated on the morning of April 5. Easter is the principal feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year.

Father Yojaneider Garcia, Resurrection’s pastor and director of the Office of Catechesis for the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Deacon Richard Reck assisted with the liturgy.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Bishop Sweeney posted short Easter video messages in English and Spanish on social media.

“On this Easter day, we rejoice with our risen Lord Jesus. We pray for peace. We pray for joy. We pray for those Easter gifts that come to us from our risen Lord,” Bishop Sweeney said in English.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, joined by Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J. rejoiced in the resurrection of Christ from the dead for the redemption of the world during an Easter Sunday Mass he celebrated on the morning of April 5. Easter is the principal feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year. Father Yojaneider Garcia, Resurrection’s pastor and director of the Office of Catechesis for the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Deacon Richard Reck assisted with the liturgy. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney posted short Easter video messages in English and Spanish

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JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani – In his annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO sent a warning to businesses trying to survive in NYC under radical socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The post JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani – In his annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO sent a warning to businesses trying to survive in NYC under radical socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The post JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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In his annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO sent a warning to businesses trying to survive in NYC under radical socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The post JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) – Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – including the illegal alien crime wave, the Democrat crime wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” Watch Wayne’s “America’s Top Ten Countdown” with his World-Famous “Final Four” airing every Saturday at NOON ET/9 AM PT on Real America’s Voice TV Network. The post Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) – Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – including the illegal alien crime wave, the Democrat crime wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” Watch Wayne’s “America’s Top Ten Countdown” with his World-Famous “Final Four” airing every Saturday at NOON ET/9 AM PT on Real America’s Voice TV Network. The post Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – including the illegal alien crime wave, the Democrat crime wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” Watch Wayne’s “America’s Top Ten Countdown” with his World-Famous “Final Four” airing every Saturday at NOON ET/9 AM PT on Real America’s Voice TV Network.

The post Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Christ’s resurrection sparks powerful Alleluia at Paterson Easter Vigil #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Christ’s resurrection sparks powerful Alleluia at Paterson Easter Vigil #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Christ’s resurrection sparks powerful Alleluia at Paterson Easter Vigil #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI  

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French priest Henri Caffarel, founder of Teams of Our Lady, declared venerable by Pope Leo XIV #Catholic Father Henri Caffarel, a French priest whose apostolate centered on accompanying and guiding married couples on the path to holiness, is one step closer to being canonized.On March 23, Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of the newly declared venerable, who maintained that couples are made for happiness and that marriage is a path toward it.With this deep conviction, and conscious of the challenges faced by couples, Caffarel, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1903, founded the movement for marital spirituality known as “Teams of Our Lady” in Paris in 1939.The beginning of a living legacySpaniards Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, the couple in charge of the Teams of Our Lady internationally, have been married for 35 years and have three children. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, they said the ministry started “with four couples who approached Father Caffarel to ask him how they could live out their faith as a couple.”“He didn’t have an answer at that moment, so he proposed that they embark on a journey of discovery together rooted in the sacrament of holy orders and the sacrament of matrimony. And that‘s how it all began,” Alberto explained.Following World War II, the movement, which is primarily lay-led, grew rapidly; today, it is present in 92 countries and is comprised of more than 15,000 teams. Father Henri Caffarel. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno Marital communication and prayerMercedes emphasized that from the very beginning, Caffarel saw the need to foster the essentials of marital communication and prayer, convinced that by sharing their problems with one another, many couples could avoid estrangement that sometimes occurs in marriage.The priest, Alberto recalled, said that “the sacrament of matrimony is an image of God” and “probably the most perfect one there is.” The priest said married couples are called to holiness through a life of “work, personal growth, love, patience, and building a life together.”“It‘s not an overnight process but rather a journey undertaken over the course of a lifetime. Father Caffarel invited couples to embark on this path and to attain holiness through their work and their life together,” Alberto emphasized.Mercedes said the priest thought of marriage as a sign “that reflects the love of God” because the relationship of communion that exists between spouses is analogous to the relationship existing among the three Divine Persons: Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.In the priest’s view, the image of marriage allowed for a clearer expression of the idea of ​​a God who is love “and who communicates and expands within his own nature.” From this perspective, “holiness ceases to be understood as a matter of individual effort or moral perfection and is situated instead within the dynamic of love that transforms and animates life,” Mercedes explained.A continuous path of spiritual growthThe organization of the Teams of Our Lady is based on a specific methodology “that goes beyond monthly meetings,” encompassing prayer, dialogue, and personal commitment. Each team consists of five or six married couples, fostering “listening to the word, personal prayer, prayer as a couple and family prayer, and a profound dialogue in the presence of the Lord that we also have every month,” Mercedes explained.Ultimately, it is a matter of “having a rule of life, a set of elements through which you strive to improve your Christian life,” she said. There is also a yearly retreat and a specific study theme each month.Alberto emphasized that the Teams of Our Lady are, in a sense, “precursors of the synodality” promoted by Pope Francis. “It’s a movement that is very nonclerical — though, it must be said, the accompaniment of married couples by priests is essential.”He also noted that “married couples place their time, their skills, their charisms, and their gifts at the service of others in order to build community.” Mercedes, who had the opportunity to meet the now-venerable, recalled that in 1973 he stepped aside after founding the teams, convinced that “if it was a work of the Holy Spirit and possessed a charism for the Church, there was no need for him to stay on.”Leaving the ministry in the laity’s hands, he retired to a house of prayer on the outskirts of Paris, where he began his other “great work”: teaching people how to pray. Mercedes noted that “one of the things he desired most was to teach people how to draw closer to Christ and to serve as an intermediary so that every person could have a personal encounter with God.” Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, international organizers of Teams of Our Lady. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno The challenges facing married couples todayAlberto and Mercedes explained how married couples today confront new challenges stemming from the pace of life, particularly the “massive entry of women into the workforce,” which has brought different challenges, such as “finding time to be together and talk.”They highlighted Caffarel’s enduring counsel: “Seek out these moments; don’t let them slip away,” for life “sweeps us along like a fast-moving river.They also highlighted the movement’s impact in countries such as Lithuania, with a past marked by communist repression, or in African nations where the teams foster equality, participation, and changes such as abandoning polygamy. This is also true in Europe, where the Teams of Our Lady help strengthen families within increasingly secularized societies.Both highlight the universal impact of the movement: Couples from diverse cultures agree on the benefits received, particularly the “opportunity to pray together” and the realization of “how difficult it would have been without the presence of Christ in their married life.” Ultimately, this is a way of life that responds to a profound desire: Even as sacramental marriages decline, “there is no diminishing of people’s desire to live as a couple.”Mercedes also warned of a growing way of dealing with problems: “At the slightest setback, people are right off tempted to give up,” and the couple is not taught how to “persevere and forgive.” Added to this is “a great fear of commitment” and a tendency to avoid lasting bonds or communities despite the fact that, deep down, people “want to be happy and want to stay together.”For this reason, she emphasized the importance of mutual support and community life: “It‘s fundamental to allow oneself to be helped,” since in her view navigating married life in isolation “is extremely complex.”The teams offer precisely the necessary tools and support: a setting where married couples share their problems and solutions. Drawing upon their own experiences, they particularly encourage young couples to embark on this path of holiness.Both expressed their joy that Caffarel has been declared venerable, a long-awaited recognition following nearly 20 years of going through the beatification process, which continues, awaiting a miracle wrought through his intercession.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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French priest Henri Caffarel, founder of Teams of Our Lady, declared venerable by Pope Leo XIV #Catholic Father Henri Caffarel, a French priest whose apostolate centered on accompanying and guiding married couples on the path to holiness, is one step closer to being canonized.On March 23, Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of the newly declared venerable, who maintained that couples are made for happiness and that marriage is a path toward it.With this deep conviction, and conscious of the challenges faced by couples, Caffarel, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1903, founded the movement for marital spirituality known as “Teams of Our Lady” in Paris in 1939.The beginning of a living legacySpaniards Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, the couple in charge of the Teams of Our Lady internationally, have been married for 35 years and have three children. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, they said the ministry started “with four couples who approached Father Caffarel to ask him how they could live out their faith as a couple.”“He didn’t have an answer at that moment, so he proposed that they embark on a journey of discovery together rooted in the sacrament of holy orders and the sacrament of matrimony. And that‘s how it all began,” Alberto explained.Following World War II, the movement, which is primarily lay-led, grew rapidly; today, it is present in 92 countries and is comprised of more than 15,000 teams. Father Henri Caffarel. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno Marital communication and prayerMercedes emphasized that from the very beginning, Caffarel saw the need to foster the essentials of marital communication and prayer, convinced that by sharing their problems with one another, many couples could avoid estrangement that sometimes occurs in marriage.The priest, Alberto recalled, said that “the sacrament of matrimony is an image of God” and “probably the most perfect one there is.” The priest said married couples are called to holiness through a life of “work, personal growth, love, patience, and building a life together.”“It‘s not an overnight process but rather a journey undertaken over the course of a lifetime. Father Caffarel invited couples to embark on this path and to attain holiness through their work and their life together,” Alberto emphasized.Mercedes said the priest thought of marriage as a sign “that reflects the love of God” because the relationship of communion that exists between spouses is analogous to the relationship existing among the three Divine Persons: Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.In the priest’s view, the image of marriage allowed for a clearer expression of the idea of ​​a God who is love “and who communicates and expands within his own nature.” From this perspective, “holiness ceases to be understood as a matter of individual effort or moral perfection and is situated instead within the dynamic of love that transforms and animates life,” Mercedes explained.A continuous path of spiritual growthThe organization of the Teams of Our Lady is based on a specific methodology “that goes beyond monthly meetings,” encompassing prayer, dialogue, and personal commitment. Each team consists of five or six married couples, fostering “listening to the word, personal prayer, prayer as a couple and family prayer, and a profound dialogue in the presence of the Lord that we also have every month,” Mercedes explained.Ultimately, it is a matter of “having a rule of life, a set of elements through which you strive to improve your Christian life,” she said. There is also a yearly retreat and a specific study theme each month.Alberto emphasized that the Teams of Our Lady are, in a sense, “precursors of the synodality” promoted by Pope Francis. “It’s a movement that is very nonclerical — though, it must be said, the accompaniment of married couples by priests is essential.”He also noted that “married couples place their time, their skills, their charisms, and their gifts at the service of others in order to build community.” Mercedes, who had the opportunity to meet the now-venerable, recalled that in 1973 he stepped aside after founding the teams, convinced that “if it was a work of the Holy Spirit and possessed a charism for the Church, there was no need for him to stay on.”Leaving the ministry in the laity’s hands, he retired to a house of prayer on the outskirts of Paris, where he began his other “great work”: teaching people how to pray. Mercedes noted that “one of the things he desired most was to teach people how to draw closer to Christ and to serve as an intermediary so that every person could have a personal encounter with God.” Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, international organizers of Teams of Our Lady. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno The challenges facing married couples todayAlberto and Mercedes explained how married couples today confront new challenges stemming from the pace of life, particularly the “massive entry of women into the workforce,” which has brought different challenges, such as “finding time to be together and talk.”They highlighted Caffarel’s enduring counsel: “Seek out these moments; don’t let them slip away,” for life “sweeps us along like a fast-moving river.They also highlighted the movement’s impact in countries such as Lithuania, with a past marked by communist repression, or in African nations where the teams foster equality, participation, and changes such as abandoning polygamy. This is also true in Europe, where the Teams of Our Lady help strengthen families within increasingly secularized societies.Both highlight the universal impact of the movement: Couples from diverse cultures agree on the benefits received, particularly the “opportunity to pray together” and the realization of “how difficult it would have been without the presence of Christ in their married life.” Ultimately, this is a way of life that responds to a profound desire: Even as sacramental marriages decline, “there is no diminishing of people’s desire to live as a couple.”Mercedes also warned of a growing way of dealing with problems: “At the slightest setback, people are right off tempted to give up,” and the couple is not taught how to “persevere and forgive.” Added to this is “a great fear of commitment” and a tendency to avoid lasting bonds or communities despite the fact that, deep down, people “want to be happy and want to stay together.”For this reason, she emphasized the importance of mutual support and community life: “It‘s fundamental to allow oneself to be helped,” since in her view navigating married life in isolation “is extremely complex.”The teams offer precisely the necessary tools and support: a setting where married couples share their problems and solutions. Drawing upon their own experiences, they particularly encourage young couples to embark on this path of holiness.Both expressed their joy that Caffarel has been declared venerable, a long-awaited recognition following nearly 20 years of going through the beatification process, which continues, awaiting a miracle wrought through his intercession.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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A married couple that leads the Teams of Our Lady, founded by newly-declared Venerable Father Henri Caffarel, explains how this lay apostolate helps couples grow together in holiness.

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On Easter Monday, Pope Leo XIV remembers those ‘tormented’ by war: ‘The truth does not remain hidden’ #Catholic On his first Easter Monday as pope, Leo XIV appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace under bright sunshine and clear skies to lead the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.“Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!“ he exclaimed. “This greeting, full of wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout the week. As we celebrate this new day that the Lord has made for us, the liturgy celebrates the entrance of all creation into the time of salvation: The despair of death has been banished forever, in the name of Jesus.”He continued: “Today’s Gospel asks us to choose between two accounts: that of the women, who encountered the Risen One, or that of the guards, who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin.” The women proclaim “the victory of Christ over death,” while the guards “proclaim that death always wins, no matter what,” the pope said, illustrating two opposing versions of the same event. In the guards’ version, Christ did not rise, “but his body was stolen,” the pope recalled. From this comes the fact that “from the same event — the empty tomb — two interpretations spring forth: One is a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death,” he explained.This contrast “makes us reflect on the value of Christian witness and the honesty of human communication. Often, in fact, the telling of the truth is obscured by what we today call fake news — that is, lies, insinuations, and baseless accusations. Yet in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; on the contrary, it comes to meet us, alive and radiant, illuminating even the densest darkness,” he continued.Christ is the good news to be proclaimed to the world, he said: “The Lord’s passover is our passover, the passover of humanity, because this man, who died for us, is the Son of God, who gave his life for us.”Leo then turned his thoughts to “peoples tormented by war, to Christians persecuted for their faith, and to children deprived of education. To announce the passover of Christ in words and deeds means giving new voice to hope, otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent.”Finally, he remembered Pope Francis, “who exactly one year ago, on Easter Monday, entrusted his life to the Lord. As we recall his great witness of faith and love, let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, so that we may become ever brighter heralds of the truth.”After reciting the Marian prayer, Pope Leo XIV added a few more words: “I thank the initiatives promoted for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and I renew the appeal that sport, with its universal language of fraternity, may be a place of inclusion and peace. I thank all those who in these days have sent me Easter greetings. I am especially grateful for the prayers. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God reward each one with his gifts.” He concluded: “I wish you a joyful and faithful celebration of this Easter Monday and these days of the Octave of Easter, during which the celebration of Christ’s resurrection continues. Let us persevere in invoking the gift of peace for the whole world.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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On Easter Monday, Pope Leo XIV remembers those ‘tormented’ by war: ‘The truth does not remain hidden’ #Catholic On his first Easter Monday as pope, Leo XIV appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace under bright sunshine and clear skies to lead the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.“Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!“ he exclaimed. “This greeting, full of wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout the week. As we celebrate this new day that the Lord has made for us, the liturgy celebrates the entrance of all creation into the time of salvation: The despair of death has been banished forever, in the name of Jesus.”He continued: “Today’s Gospel asks us to choose between two accounts: that of the women, who encountered the Risen One, or that of the guards, who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin.” The women proclaim “the victory of Christ over death,” while the guards “proclaim that death always wins, no matter what,” the pope said, illustrating two opposing versions of the same event. In the guards’ version, Christ did not rise, “but his body was stolen,” the pope recalled. From this comes the fact that “from the same event — the empty tomb — two interpretations spring forth: One is a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death,” he explained.This contrast “makes us reflect on the value of Christian witness and the honesty of human communication. Often, in fact, the telling of the truth is obscured by what we today call fake news — that is, lies, insinuations, and baseless accusations. Yet in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; on the contrary, it comes to meet us, alive and radiant, illuminating even the densest darkness,” he continued.Christ is the good news to be proclaimed to the world, he said: “The Lord’s passover is our passover, the passover of humanity, because this man, who died for us, is the Son of God, who gave his life for us.”Leo then turned his thoughts to “peoples tormented by war, to Christians persecuted for their faith, and to children deprived of education. To announce the passover of Christ in words and deeds means giving new voice to hope, otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent.”Finally, he remembered Pope Francis, “who exactly one year ago, on Easter Monday, entrusted his life to the Lord. As we recall his great witness of faith and love, let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, so that we may become ever brighter heralds of the truth.”After reciting the Marian prayer, Pope Leo XIV added a few more words: “I thank the initiatives promoted for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and I renew the appeal that sport, with its universal language of fraternity, may be a place of inclusion and peace. I thank all those who in these days have sent me Easter greetings. I am especially grateful for the prayers. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God reward each one with his gifts.” He concluded: “I wish you a joyful and faithful celebration of this Easter Monday and these days of the Octave of Easter, during which the celebration of Christ’s resurrection continues. Let us persevere in invoking the gift of peace for the whole world.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Upon the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the pope also remembered Pope Francis, who died a year ago on Easter Monday.

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‘Searching for the Messiah’ explores experiences of recent Jewish converts – #Catholic – The latest film from Goya Productions, “Searching for the Messiah” explores the experiences of people of Jewish origin who have embraced Jesus as the Anointed One (the Christ), in whom God’s promises to his people are fulfilled.The documentary, directed by Andrés Garrigó, is set to premiere in Spain on April 10. It is headed to Mexico and Central America later this month, followed by distribution in the United States later in the year. The film traces the journeys of figures from both the present day and recent history who, from their Jewish origins, traveled the path toward recognizing Jesus as the Messiah awaited by the people of the Old Covenant.The film takes an approach that is in keeping with the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate. That document emphasizes that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospelʼs spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”Following that declaration, St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to the Holy Land in the modern era. Subsequently, St. John Paul II visited Rome’s synagogue and established diplomatic relations with Israel. Both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz death camp. Pope Francis and Leo XIV further developed the path charted by Nostra Aetate.In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Goya Productions indicated that in the version of the film to be distributed in the United States, “only the testimonies originally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese will require dubbing” and that “more than half of the film will remain in its original English.”The U.S. version will also feature an additional testimony from Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish convert and neonatologist living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Other testimonies to be highlighted inlude those of French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj, Harvard Business School professor Roy Schoeman, Brazilian philosopher Edgar Leite Ferreira, British literary critic Robert Asch, American author Dawn Eden Goldstein, and Argentine professor of biblical pastoral studies Luciana Rogowicz.Garrigó told ACI Prensa that the subject of the film is one “that hasn’t been explored in cinema; people are a bit wary of it.” He said the idea for the film originally came from a person in Mexico. “We didn’t think it would be possible, but after reflecting on it and later conducting research, we discovered that there were amazing people who had things to say about the Messiah and about discovering [him] from the point of view of Judaism,” he said.‘Our greatest loves are Jewish’Garrigó said the central narrative theme of the film is particularly captured in a recording of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In it, the Spanish saint, during one of his well-known informal gatherings, responds to a question from a young Jewish girl whose parents will not allow her to be baptized.“As St. Josemaría himself states right there, our greatest loves are Jewish, aren’t they? They are Jesus and the Virgin,” Garrigó said.From that standpoint, “everything else is an attitude of openness; and they — the moment they discover Jesus — become deeply committed, the ones who feel called to fulfill an eternal design: that of a chosen people who in the end complete their journey,” the director said.“They still feel Jewish after their conversion, yet Jewish in a way that fulfills what Jesus had envisioned for them,” he added.“Searching for the Messiah” also explores other figures of Jewish origin who embraced the Catholic faith, particularly during the last century: Rome’s chief rabbi, Eugenio Zolli; St. Edith Stein, a German philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and was canonized by St. John Paul II, who named her a patroness of Europe and a doctor of the Church; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who before his conversion was known as one of the most staunch abortion advocates in U.S. history; and the French poet Max Jacob, whose baptismal godfather was his friend Pablo Picasso. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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‘Searching for the Messiah’ explores experiences of recent Jewish converts – #Catholic – The latest film from Goya Productions, “Searching for the Messiah” explores the experiences of people of Jewish origin who have embraced Jesus as the Anointed One (the Christ), in whom God’s promises to his people are fulfilled.The documentary, directed by Andrés Garrigó, is set to premiere in Spain on April 10. It is headed to Mexico and Central America later this month, followed by distribution in the United States later in the year. The film traces the journeys of figures from both the present day and recent history who, from their Jewish origins, traveled the path toward recognizing Jesus as the Messiah awaited by the people of the Old Covenant.The film takes an approach that is in keeping with the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate. That document emphasizes that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospelʼs spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”Following that declaration, St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to the Holy Land in the modern era. Subsequently, St. John Paul II visited Rome’s synagogue and established diplomatic relations with Israel. Both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz death camp. Pope Francis and Leo XIV further developed the path charted by Nostra Aetate.In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Goya Productions indicated that in the version of the film to be distributed in the United States, “only the testimonies originally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese will require dubbing” and that “more than half of the film will remain in its original English.”The U.S. version will also feature an additional testimony from Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish convert and neonatologist living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Other testimonies to be highlighted inlude those of French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj, Harvard Business School professor Roy Schoeman, Brazilian philosopher Edgar Leite Ferreira, British literary critic Robert Asch, American author Dawn Eden Goldstein, and Argentine professor of biblical pastoral studies Luciana Rogowicz.Garrigó told ACI Prensa that the subject of the film is one “that hasn’t been explored in cinema; people are a bit wary of it.” He said the idea for the film originally came from a person in Mexico. “We didn’t think it would be possible, but after reflecting on it and later conducting research, we discovered that there were amazing people who had things to say about the Messiah and about discovering [him] from the point of view of Judaism,” he said.‘Our greatest loves are Jewish’Garrigó said the central narrative theme of the film is particularly captured in a recording of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In it, the Spanish saint, during one of his well-known informal gatherings, responds to a question from a young Jewish girl whose parents will not allow her to be baptized.“As St. Josemaría himself states right there, our greatest loves are Jewish, aren’t they? They are Jesus and the Virgin,” Garrigó said.From that standpoint, “everything else is an attitude of openness; and they — the moment they discover Jesus — become deeply committed, the ones who feel called to fulfill an eternal design: that of a chosen people who in the end complete their journey,” the director said.“They still feel Jewish after their conversion, yet Jewish in a way that fulfills what Jesus had envisioned for them,” he added.“Searching for the Messiah” also explores other figures of Jewish origin who embraced the Catholic faith, particularly during the last century: Rome’s chief rabbi, Eugenio Zolli; St. Edith Stein, a German philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and was canonized by St. John Paul II, who named her a patroness of Europe and a doctor of the Church; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who before his conversion was known as one of the most staunch abortion advocates in U.S. history; and the French poet Max Jacob, whose baptismal godfather was his friend Pablo Picasso. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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A film that features the testimonies of people of Jewish origin who in recent times have professed faith in Jesus after coming to the conclusion that he is the long-awaited Messiah.

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Pope Leo XIV: Every vocation is a ‘path of beauty’ – #Catholic – The Vatican has published Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 26, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, or Good Shepherd Sunday.Titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father in the message reflects on the interior dimension of vocation, understood as “the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts.”In his message, the pope refers to vocation as “a path of beauty” — one along which, if traveled, life becomes “truly beautiful.” He notes, however, that to perceive this beauty, it is necessary to cultivate one’s interior life.“The distinctive trait of the saint is the luminous spiritual beauty that radiates from his or her life in Christ,” the pope affirms.Citing the experience of St. Augustine, the Holy Father invites everyone to discover the presence of God in the innermost recesses of the soul by cultivating prayer and silence. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the gift of vocation is “never an imposition or a one-size-fits-all model to which one merely conforms; instead, it is an adventure of love and happiness.”“Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer, and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world,” he noted.The pope also reminds us that God “knows us profoundly” and points out that this knowledge must be mutual: “We are invited to know God through prayer, listening to the word, the sacraments, the life of the Church, and works of charity for our brothers and sisters.”He clarifies that this is not a matter of abstract intellectual knowledge or academic learning but rather of “a personal encounter that transforms one’s life.”“Dear young people, listen to this voice! Listen to the voice of the Lord who invites you to a full and fruitful life, calling you to put your talents to use (cf. Mt 25:14-30) and to unite your limitations and weaknesses with the glorious cross of Christ.”The pope recommends dedicating time to Eucharistic adoration and meditating on the word of God in order to come to know the Lord and give oneself fully to one’s vocation — whether it be to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated or religious life.Life is a continual act of ‘trusting in the Lord’To know the Lord, Leo XIV continues, means “above all learning to entrust oneself to him and to his providence.” He proposes St. Joseph as a model of this trust and encourages the faithful to cultivate it without ever yielding to despair: “We must overcome fears and doubts, confident that the Lord of history — both of the world and of our own personal story — is risen.”“He does not abandon us in our darkest hours but comes to dispel every shadow with his light. Through the light and strength of his Spirit, even amid trials and crises, we can see our vocation grow and mature, reflecting ever more fully the beauty of the One who has called us — a beauty shaped by fidelity and trust, despite our wounds and failures,” he affirms.At the conclusion of his message, the Holy Father recalls that a vocation “is not a fixed point” but rather “a dynamic process of maturation.” Therefore, he explains, the “places” where God’s will is revealed — and where we experience his infinite love — are “often the authentic and fraternal bonds we establish throughout our lives.”Consequently, he underscores the need to have a good spiritual guide and, finally, encourages everyone — especially young people — to cultivate their personal relationship with God. “Pause, listen, entrust yourselves. In this way, the gift of your vocation will mature, bringing you happiness, and yielding abundant fruit for the Church and for the world.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV: Every vocation is a ‘path of beauty’ – #Catholic – The Vatican has published Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 26, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, or Good Shepherd Sunday.Titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father in the message reflects on the interior dimension of vocation, understood as “the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts.”In his message, the pope refers to vocation as “a path of beauty” — one along which, if traveled, life becomes “truly beautiful.” He notes, however, that to perceive this beauty, it is necessary to cultivate one’s interior life.“The distinctive trait of the saint is the luminous spiritual beauty that radiates from his or her life in Christ,” the pope affirms.Citing the experience of St. Augustine, the Holy Father invites everyone to discover the presence of God in the innermost recesses of the soul by cultivating prayer and silence. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the gift of vocation is “never an imposition or a one-size-fits-all model to which one merely conforms; instead, it is an adventure of love and happiness.”“Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer, and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world,” he noted.The pope also reminds us that God “knows us profoundly” and points out that this knowledge must be mutual: “We are invited to know God through prayer, listening to the word, the sacraments, the life of the Church, and works of charity for our brothers and sisters.”He clarifies that this is not a matter of abstract intellectual knowledge or academic learning but rather of “a personal encounter that transforms one’s life.”“Dear young people, listen to this voice! Listen to the voice of the Lord who invites you to a full and fruitful life, calling you to put your talents to use (cf. Mt 25:14-30) and to unite your limitations and weaknesses with the glorious cross of Christ.”The pope recommends dedicating time to Eucharistic adoration and meditating on the word of God in order to come to know the Lord and give oneself fully to one’s vocation — whether it be to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated or religious life.Life is a continual act of ‘trusting in the Lord’To know the Lord, Leo XIV continues, means “above all learning to entrust oneself to him and to his providence.” He proposes St. Joseph as a model of this trust and encourages the faithful to cultivate it without ever yielding to despair: “We must overcome fears and doubts, confident that the Lord of history — both of the world and of our own personal story — is risen.”“He does not abandon us in our darkest hours but comes to dispel every shadow with his light. Through the light and strength of his Spirit, even amid trials and crises, we can see our vocation grow and mature, reflecting ever more fully the beauty of the One who has called us — a beauty shaped by fidelity and trust, despite our wounds and failures,” he affirms.At the conclusion of his message, the Holy Father recalls that a vocation “is not a fixed point” but rather “a dynamic process of maturation.” Therefore, he explains, the “places” where God’s will is revealed — and where we experience his infinite love — are “often the authentic and fraternal bonds we establish throughout our lives.”Consequently, he underscores the need to have a good spiritual guide and, finally, encourages everyone — especially young people — to cultivate their personal relationship with God. “Pause, listen, entrust yourselves. In this way, the gift of your vocation will mature, bringing you happiness, and yielding abundant fruit for the Church and for the world.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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In a message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father reflects on the interior dimension of one’s vocation.

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Why the Catholic Church celebrates Easter Monday under the title ‘Monday of the Angel’ – #Catholic – On Easter Monday, the Catholic Church celebrates what is called “Monday of the Angel.” In many countries in Europe and South America, this day, also known as “Little Easter,” is a national holiday.In a Vatican Radio recording in 1994, Pope John Paul II gave an explanation for Monday of the Angel.“Why is it called that?” the pope asked, highlighting the need for an angel to call out from the depths of the grave: “He is risen.”These words “were very difficult to proclaim, to express, for a person,” John Paul II said. “Also, the women that were at the tomb encountered it empty but couldn’t tell ‘he had risen’; they only affirmed that the tomb was empty. The angel said more: ‘He is not here, he has risen.’”The Gospel of St. Matthew puts it this way: “Then the angel said to the women in reply, ‘Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you” (Mt 28:5-7).Angels are servants and messengers of God. As purely spiritual beings, they have intellects and wills. They are personal and immortal. They surpass all visible beings in their perfection.Christ himself gave testimony to the angels when he said: “The angels in heaven always see the face of my father who is in heaven!” (Mt 18:10).Christ is the center of the universe and angels belong to him. Even more so, because he made them messengers of his plan of salvation: An angel announced his conception to the Blessed Mother at the Annunciation and an angel proclaimed his resurrection to Mary Magdalene.From Easter Monday until the end of Easter at Pentecost, the Church prays the Regina Caeli instead of the Angelus at the noon hour.On Monday of the Angel in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said the text of the Regina Caeli “is like a new ‘Annunciation’ to Mary, this time not made by an angel but by us Christians who invite the Mother to rejoice because her Son, whom she carried in her womb, is risen as he promised.”He continued: “Indeed, ‘rejoice’ was the first word that the heavenly messenger addressed to the Virgin in Nazareth. And this is what it meant: Rejoice, Mary, because the Son of God is about to become man within you. Now, after the drama of the Passion, a new invitation to rejoice rings out: ‘Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia, quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia’ — Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. Rejoice because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia!”Regina Caeli (English)V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.R. For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.V. Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of thy son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ, Our Lord.R. Amen.Regina Caeli (Latin)V. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.V. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.V. Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.R. Amen.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, then translated and adapted by the National Catholic Register on March 4, 2021, and updated for EWTN News English on March 28, 2024, and again on April 5, 2026.
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Why the Catholic Church celebrates Easter Monday under the title ‘Monday of the Angel’ – #Catholic – On Easter Monday, the Catholic Church celebrates what is called “Monday of the Angel.” In many countries in Europe and South America, this day, also known as “Little Easter,” is a national holiday.In a Vatican Radio recording in 1994, Pope John Paul II gave an explanation for Monday of the Angel.“Why is it called that?” the pope asked, highlighting the need for an angel to call out from the depths of the grave: “He is risen.”These words “were very difficult to proclaim, to express, for a person,” John Paul II said. “Also, the women that were at the tomb encountered it empty but couldn’t tell ‘he had risen’; they only affirmed that the tomb was empty. The angel said more: ‘He is not here, he has risen.’”The Gospel of St. Matthew puts it this way: “Then the angel said to the women in reply, ‘Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you” (Mt 28:5-7).Angels are servants and messengers of God. As purely spiritual beings, they have intellects and wills. They are personal and immortal. They surpass all visible beings in their perfection.Christ himself gave testimony to the angels when he said: “The angels in heaven always see the face of my father who is in heaven!” (Mt 18:10).Christ is the center of the universe and angels belong to him. Even more so, because he made them messengers of his plan of salvation: An angel announced his conception to the Blessed Mother at the Annunciation and an angel proclaimed his resurrection to Mary Magdalene.From Easter Monday until the end of Easter at Pentecost, the Church prays the Regina Caeli instead of the Angelus at the noon hour.On Monday of the Angel in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said the text of the Regina Caeli “is like a new ‘Annunciation’ to Mary, this time not made by an angel but by us Christians who invite the Mother to rejoice because her Son, whom she carried in her womb, is risen as he promised.”He continued: “Indeed, ‘rejoice’ was the first word that the heavenly messenger addressed to the Virgin in Nazareth. And this is what it meant: Rejoice, Mary, because the Son of God is about to become man within you. Now, after the drama of the Passion, a new invitation to rejoice rings out: ‘Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia, quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia’ — Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. Rejoice because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia!”Regina Caeli (English)V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.R. For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.V. Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of thy son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ, Our Lord.R. Amen.Regina Caeli (Latin)V. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.V. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.V. Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.R. Amen.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, then translated and adapted by the National Catholic Register on March 4, 2021, and updated for EWTN News English on March 28, 2024, and again on April 5, 2026.

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In many countries in Europe and South America, Easter Monday, also known as “Little Easter,” is a national holiday.

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