{"id":723,"date":"2016-12-25T02:57:46","date_gmt":"2016-12-25T02:57:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=723"},"modified":"2021-01-07T18:47:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T18:47:48","slug":"good-news-of-great-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/good-news-of-great-joy\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Good News of Great Joy&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adoration_of_the_Shepherds\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160719ff\/20161223-723px-Brooklyn_Museum_The_Adoration_of_the_Shepherds_James_Tissot_crop-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/201508ff\/ChristmasDawnMass20151225sauk-centre-329.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\" \/>The Christmas Mass marathon \u2014 that&#8217;s <strong>not<\/strong> what it&#8217;s called \u2014 started yesterday with the Vigil Mass. Mass During the Night was next, followed by Mass at Dawn and Mass During the Day.<\/p>\n<p>I didn&#8217;t go to all four, I don&#8217;t know how many folks do, but I looked up the Gospel readings for each:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Vigil Mass\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVA.HTM#GOSP.MAT.1.1\">Matthew 1:1<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVA.HTM#GOSP.MAT.1.25\">25<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Mass During the Night\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.1\">Luke 2:1<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.14\">14<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Mass at Dawn\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.15\">Luke 2:15<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.20\">20<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Mass During the Day\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#GOSP.JOH.1.1\">John 1:1<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#GOSP.JOH.1.18\">18<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/gabriel-joseph-and-mary\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160719ff\/20161212-John_William_Waterhouse_-_The_Annunciation-329.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>We heard parts of the Vigil Mass Gospel last week. That&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVA.HTM#GOSP.MAT.1.18\">Matthew 1:18<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVA.HTM#GOSP.MAT.1.24\">24<\/a>, when Joseph learns why Mary is pregnant.<\/p>\n<p>The Vigil Gospel includes one of our Lord&#8217;s genealogies. The other one is in Luke. (<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/gabriel-joseph-and-mary\/#son\">December 18, 2016<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>This weekend&#8217;s readings from Luke, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.1\">Luke 2:1<\/a> through <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.20\">20<\/a>, are the familiar &#8220;Christmas story,&#8221; starting with Caesar Augustus ordering a census. That census was why Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, and our Lord&#8217;s first crib was a manger. Come to think of it, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/browse\/crib\">crib<\/a> also means manger or grain bin.<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"do\"><\/a>&#8220;Do Not be Afraid&#8221;<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Annunciation_to_the_shepherds\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160719ff\/20161223-547px-The_Shepherds_and_the_Angel-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>The first <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shepherd#Origins\">shepherds<\/a> lived roughly three millennia before our Lord&#8217;s birth.<\/p>\n<p>By the time <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Judea\">Judea<\/a> became a Roman <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Judea_(Roman_province)\">province<\/a>, they didn&#8217;t own the sheep; although they were still important in the regional economy.<\/p>\n<p>Most of them were unmarried men, paid to look after someone else&#8217;s sheep. My guess is that today&#8217;s equivalent, in terms of status, would be night watchmen or janitors.<\/p>\n<p>Some of these near-the-bottom-of-the-ladder folks got the Messiah&#8217;s birth announcement. So did the Magi, but we won&#8217;t meet them until later.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;<sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#$3HW\">4<\/a><\/sup> Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.<br \/>\n&#8220;The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.<br \/>\n&#8220;The angel said to them, &#8216;Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.<br \/>\n&#8220;<sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#$3HX\">5<\/a><\/sup> For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.<br \/>\n&#8220;And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.'&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.8\">Luke 2:8<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.12\">12<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>We don&#8217;t know if the shepherds said anything to the angel. Even if one of them had been chatty, there apparently wasn&#8217;t time for a long conversation:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:<br \/>\n&#8220;<sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#$3HY\">6<\/a><\/sup> &#8216;Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.13\">Luke 2:13<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.14\">14<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>You know the rest. They said something like &#8216;you heard God&#8217;s message: let&#8217;s go see what&#8217;s happening.&#8217; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.15\">Luke 2:15<\/a> has them conversing in a somewhat more formal manner, and maybe they did. I don&#8217;t know, I wasn&#8217;t there.<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"bethlehem\"><\/a>Bethlehem &#8220;and the Infant Lying in the Manger&#8221;<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flight_into_Egypt#Image_gallery\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/201508ff\/20160102Adam_Elsheimer_-_Die_Flucht_nach_Agypten_Alte_Pinakothek_2-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>Anyway, they made good time getting to Bethlehem &#8220;and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger;&#8221; like it says in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.16\">Luke 2:16<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.<br \/>\n&#8220;All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.<br \/>\n&#8220;And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.<br \/>\n&#8220;Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.17\">Luke 2:17<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.20\">20<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>We don&#8217;t learn how Joseph was taking all this. I&#8217;m quite sure this isn&#8217;t how he imagined things working out, back when he and Mary got betrothed.<\/p>\n<p>Life would get even more \u2014 interesting \u2014 soon, and I&#8217;m getting ahead of the story.<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"light\"><\/a>&#8220;The Light Shines in the Darkness&#8221;<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/mercy-still-practicing\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/201508ff\/20151208YearOfMercyCalendarImage-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"From Calendar of Major Events, Jubilee of Mercy, 2015; used w\/o permission.\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Two millennia later, we&#8217;re still praising God for what has been told to us.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;<sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#$3PZ\">1<\/a><\/sup> <sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#$3Q0\">2<\/a><\/sup> In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.<br \/>\n&#8220;He was in the beginning with God.<br \/>\n&#8220;<sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#$3Q1\">3<\/a><\/sup> All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be<br \/>\n&#8220;through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;<br \/>\n&#8220;<sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#$3Q2\">4<\/a><\/sup> the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#GOSP.JOH.1.1\">John 1:1<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#GOSP.JOH.1.5\">5<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It&#8217;s easier, sometimes, to notice darkness. &#8220;Destruction and violence, &#8230; strife, and clamorous discord&#8221; were happening off and on long before Habakkuk asked &#8220;How long, O LORD?&#8221; \u2014 and haven&#8217;t let up all that much since. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PUD.HTM#PROPHB.HAB.1.2\">Habakkuk 1:2<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PUD.HTM#PROPHB.HAB.1.3\">3<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s look at what the angels said again:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:<br \/>\n&#8220;<sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#$3HY\">6<\/a><\/sup> &#8216;Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#GOSP.LUK.2.14\">Luke 2:14<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWL.HTM#$3HY\">footnote<\/a> explains that this &#8220;peace&#8221; is more than the pax Augusta&#8217;s absence of war. Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds could have remembered the security and well-being that came with peace in the Old Testament.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus said we could expect trouble. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVP.HTM#GOSP.MAT.16.24\">Matthew 16:24<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVP.HTM#GOSP.MAT.16.25\">25<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWS.HTM#GOSP.LUK.9.23\">Luke 9:23<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWS.HTM#GOSP.LUK.9.24\">24<\/a> make that clear. But our Lord also said we shouldn&#8217;t &#8216;let our hearts be troubled.&#8217;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;<sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PXM.HTM#$3WK\">1<\/a><\/sup> <sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PXM.HTM#$3WL\">2<\/a><\/sup> &#8220;Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.<br \/>\n&#8220;Peace <sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PXM.HTM#$3WV\">12<\/a><\/sup> I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PXM.HTM#GOSP.JOH.14.1\">John 14:1<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PXM.HTM#GOSP.JOH.14.27\">27<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4><a name=\"best\"><\/a>The Best News Humanity&#8217;s Ever Had<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mus%C3%A9e_de_Grenoble\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/20150404-Stom_Matthias_-_Le_repas_d-Emmaus-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>For me, the trick is remembering the big picture; not the current speed bump.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus died on Golgotha.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/good-news-of-great-joy\/#1\">1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>But that didn&#8217;t last.<\/p>\n<p>He was back, alive, a few days later.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/good-news-of-great-joy\/#2\">2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Ever since, we&#8217;ve been in &#8220;the last hour,&#8221; passing along to anyone who will listen the best news humanity\u2019s ever had.<\/p>\n<p><strong>God loves us, and wants to adopt us. All of us.<\/strong> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#GOSP.JOH.1.12\">John 1:12<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX9.HTM#GOSP.JOH.1.14\">14<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PXB.HTM#GOSP.JOH.3.17\">3:17<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PYW.HTM#NTLET.ROM.8.14\">Romans 8:14<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PYW.HTM#NTLET.ROM.8.17\">17<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_P127.HTM#CATHL.2PET.1.3\">Peter 1:3<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_P127.HTM#CATHL.2PET.1.4\">4<\/a>; Catechism of the Catholic Church, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/prologue.htm#1\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p1s1c1.htm#27\">27<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p1s1c1.htm#30\">30<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p1s1c2a1.htm#52\">52<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c1a7.htm#1825\">1825<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c3a2.htm#1996\">1996<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve accepted God&#8217;s offer, which comes with a job that&#8217;s not even close to being finished. I&#8217;m expected to love God, love my neighbor, and see everyone as my neighbor. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVE.HTM#GOSP.MAT.5.43\">Matthew 5:43<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVE.HTM#GOSP.MAT.5.44\">44<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVV.HTM#GOSP.MAT.22.36\">22:36<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVV.HTM#GOSP.MAT.22.40\">40<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWE.HTM#GOSP.MAR.12.28\">Mark 12:28<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWE.HTM#GOSP.MAR.12.31\">31<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWP.HTM#GOSP.LUK.6.31\">Luke 6:31<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWT.HTM#GOSP.LUK.10.25\">10:25<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWT.HTM#GOSP.LUK.10.27\">27<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWT.HTM#GOSP.LUK.10.29\">29<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWT.HTM#GOSP.LUK.10.37\">37<\/a>; Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s2c2.htm#2196\">2196<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s not just about me, of course. Learning that &#8216;everyone is my neighbor&#8217; means <strong>everyone,<\/strong> no exceptions; and that respecting the &#8220;transcendent dignity&#8221; of humanity, and each person, matters \u2014 isn&#8217;t easy. But it&#8217;s necessary. (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c2a3.htm#1929\">1929<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>I think we are learning. Slowly.<\/p>\n<p>Building a better world for future generations is hard work, starting within each of us, within me, with an ongoing &#8220;inner conversion.&#8221; (Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c2a1.htm#1888\">1888<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c2a3.htm#1928\">1928<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p3s1c2a3.htm#1942\">1942<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>But like I said, the trick is looking at the big picture.<\/p>\n<p><strong>We won. The war is over.<\/strong> This world&#8217;s renewal is in progress, and nothing can stop it. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PVP.HTM#GOSP.MAT.16.18\">Matthew 16:18<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWI.HTM#GOSP.MAR.16.6\">Mark 16:6<\/a>; Catechism, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p122a5p2.htm#638\">638<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ccc_css\/archive\/catechism\/p1s2c2a7.htm#670\">670<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;last hour,&#8221; two millennia and counting:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/gabriel-joseph-and-mary\/\">Gabriel, Joseph, and Mary<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(December 18, 2016)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/jesus-and-expectations\/\">Jesus and Expectations<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(December 11, 2016)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/advent-and-being-prepared\/\">Advent and Being Prepared<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(November 27, 2016)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/authority-superstition-progress\/\">Authority, Superstition, Progress<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(October 30, 2016)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wait-for-it\/\">&#8216;Wait For It&#8217;<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(October 2, 2016)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><sup><a name=\"1\"><\/a>1<\/sup> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PW0.HTM#GOSP.MAT.27.26\">Matthew 27:26<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PW0.HTM#GOSP.MAT.27.54\">54<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWH.HTM#GOSP.MAR.15.34\">Mark 15:34<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PWH.HTM#GOSP.MAR.15.39\">39<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX6.HTM#GOSP.LUK.23.14\">Luke 23:14<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX6.HTM#GOSP.LUK.23.47\">47<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PXR.HTM#GOSP.JOH.19.1\">John 19:1<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PXR.HTM#GOSP.JOH.19.40\">40<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><sup><a name=\"2\"><\/a>2<\/sup> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX6.HTM#GOSP.LUK.23.46\">Luke 23:46<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/archive\/ENG0839\/_PX7.HTM#GOSP.LUK.24.53\">24:53<\/a>) is a pretty good place to read what happened. I&#8217;ve talked about our Lord&#8217;s resurrection before:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/advent-and-being-prepared\/\">Advent and Being Prepared<\/a>&#8221; (November 27, 2016)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/advent-and-being-prepared\/#death\">Death<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/advent-and-being-prepared\/#meetings\">Meetings, Doubts, and Standing Orders<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/advent-and-being-prepared\/#move\">Move Out!<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Christmas Mass marathon \u2014 that&#8217;s not what it&#8217;s called \u2014 started yesterday with the Vigil Mass. Mass During the Night was next, followed by Mass at Dawn and Mass During the Day. I didn&#8217;t go to all four, I &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/good-news-of-great-joy\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[215],"tags":[109,27,90,69,153,166,161],"class_list":["post-723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-being-catholic","tag-christmas","tag-history","tag-holidays","tag-jesus","tag-joy","tag-peace","tag-salvation"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Dwtw-bF","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=723"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2077,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723\/revisions\/2077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}