April 2010 - Overview for the Month

The month of April is dedicated to The Holy Spirit. The first two weeks of the month fall during the liturgical season of Lent which is represented by the liturgical color purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart. The remainder of the month is the beginning of the Easter season . The liturgical color is white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored).

The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of April 2010

General: That every tendency to fundamentalism and extremism may be countered by constant respect, by tolerance and by dialogue among all believers. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net)

Missionary: That Christians persecuted for the sake of the Gospel may persevere, sustained by the Holy Spirit, in faithfully witnessing to the love of God for the entire human race. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net)

Feasts for April

The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of April are:

1. Holy Thursday, Triduum
2. Good Friday, Triduum
3. Holy Saturday, Triduum
4. Easter Sunday, Solemnity
5. Easter Monday, Solemnity
6. Easter Tuesday, Solemnity
7. Easter Wednesday, Solemnity
8. Easter Thursday, Solemnity
9. Easter Friday, Solemnity
10. Easter Saturday, Solemnity
11. Divine Mercy Sunday, Sunday
18. Third Sunday of Easter, Sunday
21. Anselm, Opt. Mem.
23. George; Adalbert, Opt. Mem.
24. St. Fidelis, Opt. Mem.
25. Fourth Sunday of Easter, Sunday
28. Peter Chanel (NZ, Feast); Louis Mary de Montfort, Opt. Mem.
29. Catherine of Siena, Memorial
30. Pius V; Bl. Marie de l'Incarnacion (Can), Memorial

Focus of the Liturgy

The Gospel readings for the Sundays in April are taken from St. John and St. Luke. All are from Year C, Cycle 2.

April 4th - Easter Sunday

This Gospel tells of the women's visit to the tomb.

April 11th - Divine Mercy Sunday

The Gospel relates the story of doubting Thomas.

April 18th - 3rd Sunday of Easter

The Gospel is about the miraculous draught of fish and Christ calling Peter to feed His sheep.

April 25th - 4th Sunday of Easter

In this Gospel Jesus tells us that He and the Father are one.

Highlights of the Month

As our Lenten journey comes to a close we prepare to follow Christ all the way to the cross and to witness His glorious Resurrection. Hopefully we have sacrificed and prayed so that we are now able to more fully reap the fruits of a well spent Lent. After our solemn commemoration of the last days and death of Our Lord we will spend the remainder of the month of April celebrating. As Spring breaks forth even nature will join us as buds and blooms begin to surface and we spend this month basking in the joy of the Resurrection. We continue throughout the entire month our cry, "Christ is risen, Christ is truly risen."

The saints that we will focus on this month — those who have already shared in the rewards of the Resurrection — are St. Martin I (April 13), St. Bernadette (April 16), St. Anselm (April 21), St. George and St. Adalbert (April 23), St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (April 24), St. Mark (April 25), Our Lady of Good Counsel (April 26), St. Louis Mary de Montfort and St. Peter Chanel (April 28), St. Catherine of Siena (April 29) and St. Pius V (April 30).

The feasts of St. Isidore (April 4) and St. Stanislaus (April 11), fall on Sunday. The feasts of St. Francis of Paola (April 2), St. Vincent Ferrer (April 5) and St. John Baptist de la Salle (April 7) fall during Holy Week and Easter Week and are superceded by the holy days.

A Time of New Life

April boasts the most solemn and sublime event of human history: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – the Paschal mystery. Though the way to the Resurrection was the Via Crucis, the Sacrificial Lamb of God is now and forever Christ our Light, the Eternal high priest of the New Covenant. And his sorrowful mother, the Stabat Mater of Good Friday, is now the jubilant Mother of the Regina Caeli.

We the members of Christ’s Mystical Body exalt in the mystery by which we were redeemed. If in Baptism we were buried with Christ, so also will we share in his resurrection. By his death we were reborn; “by his stripes we were healed.” (Is 53:5) Easter, the epicenter of time, is the event that links time and eternity. It is indeed “the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.” (Ps 118:24)

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful: and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Highlights
April 3
St. Mark
St. Mark, the author of the second Gospel, was the son of Mary whose house at Jerusalem was the meeting place of Christians.
Recipe of the Month
Paasbrod
It's still the Easter season so try this raditional Easter bread from Holland which will impress your friends and family.
Activity of the Month
Home Altar Hangings
Altar hangings or banners are an excellent project to help older children to know and love the Easter to Pentecost season and to realize its greater significance.

Symbols
The winged lion, ancient symbol of St. Mark, refers to his Gospel, which informs us of the royal dignity of Christ.
Writer of the Christian classic, "Cur Deus Homo." This thirty-fourth Archbishop of Canterbury, amid difficulties with royalty, guarded the spiritual independence of the Church (represented by the ship symbol).
Among many diplomatic achievements, St. Catherine is known for effecting a reconciliation between the Florentine people and the Papacy. This emblem refers to her faith and charitableness.
The patron of England, a Christian warrior who is said to have suffered martyrdom in Palestine, during the Diocletian persecution. His shield was the badge of the English from the days of Richard Coeur-de-Lion on. It is for this reason these arms are borne by the Order of the Garter.