Rosary & Stations of the Cross

From St Thomas Aquinas Seminary.

From the Apostolic Penitentiary:

A plenary indulgence is granted to those who piously make the Way of the Cross. The gaining of the indulgence is regulated by the following rules:

1. Must be done before stations of the cross legitimately erected.

2. 14 stations are required. Although it is customary for the icons to represent pictures or images, 14 simple crosses will suffice.

3. The common practice consists of fourteen pious readings to which some vocal prayers are added.. However, nothing more is required than a pious meditation on the Passion and Death of the Lord, which need not be a particular consideration of the individual mysteries of the stations.

4. A movement from one station to the next is required. But if the stations are made publicly and it is not possible for everyone taking part to go from station to station, it suffices if at least the one conducting the exercise goes from station to station, the others remaining in their places.

5. Those who are "impeded" can gain the same indulgence if they spend at least one half and hour in pious reading and meditation on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St Pancras of Taormina: Butler's Lives of the Saints

Liturgy of Good Friday & Compline

From St Thomas Aquinas Seminary. You may follow the Liturgy of Good Friday & the Office at Divinum Officium.

Summa Contra Gentiles Book I: There Is No Accident in God

From Contemplating History

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 7 March 1274), was a Doctor of the Church, Philosopher, Theologian, Jurist, Dominican Friar, and Priest. Known as Doctor Angelicus "Angelic Doctor," and the Doctor Communis "Universal Doctor" his writings serve as a defense and proof of the validity of Christ's authority over all. The Summa contra Gentiles (also known as Liber de veritate catholicae fidei contra errores infidelium, "Book on the truth of the Catholic faith against the errors of the unbelievers"). The Summa contra Gentiles consists of four books. The structure of Saint Thomas's work is designed to proceed from general philosophical arguments for monotheism, to which Muslims and Jews are likely to consent even within their own respective religious traditions, before progressing to the discussion of specifically Christian doctrine. Book I begins with general questions of truth and natural reason, and from chapter 10 investigates the concept of a monotheistic God. Chapters 10 to 13 are concerned with the existence of God, followed by a detailed investigation of God's properties (chapters 14 to 102). When demonstrating a Truth about God which can be known through reason, St. Thomas gives multiple arguments, each proving the same Truth in a different way. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a student of religion, or simply curious about the impact of the Roman Catholic Church on the world, this playlist is designed to provide an informative and engaging journey through its captivating past. Subscribe to the Contemplating History channel for more educational content and immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of history.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Help or Mark of the Beast?

Few things have changed the world more in the last two years than AI. But what does the Church say about it? Is it good and helpful, or dangerous and demonic? Can it be used without opening portals? Fr. Chris Alar explains.

The Holy Rosary

Friday, the Sorrowful Mysteries, in Latin with Cardinal Burke.

Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen) ~ Kingdom of of Prussia (1701–1871)

From The Romanian Monarchist

The Kingdom of Prussia (German: Königreich Preußen) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918. It played a significant role in the unification of Germany in 1871 and was a major constituent of the German Empire until its dissolution in 1918. Although it took its name from the region called Prussia, it was based in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Its capital was Berlin. The kings of Prussia were from the House of Hohenzollern. The polity of Brandenburg-Prussia, predecessor of the kingdom, became a military power under Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, known as "The Great Elector". As a kingdom, Prussia continued its rise to power, especially during the reign of Frederick II "the Great". Frederick the Great was instrumental in starting the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), holding his own against Austria, Russia, France and Sweden and establishing Prussia's dominant role among the German states, as well as establishing the country as a European great power through the victories of the powerful Prussian Army. Prussia made attempts to unify all the German states (excluding the German cantons in Switzerland) under its rule, and whether Austria would be included in such a unified German domain became an ongoing question. After the Napoleonic Wars led to the creation of the German Confederation, the issue of unifying the German states caused the German revolutions of 1848–1849, with representatives from all states attempting to unify under their own constitution. Attempts to create a federation remained unsuccessful and the German Confederation collapsed in 1866 when the Austro-Prussian War ensued between its two most powerful member states. Prussia was subsequently the driving force behind establishing in 1866 the North German Confederation, transformed in 1871 into the unified German Empire and considered the earliest continual legal predecessor of today's Federal Republic of Germany. The North German Confederation was seen as more of an alliance of military strength in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War but many of its laws were later used in the German Empire. The German Empire successfully unified all of the German states aside from Austria and Switzerland under Prussian hegemony due to the defeat of Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. The war united all the German states against a common enemy, and with the victory came an overwhelming wave of nationalism which changed the opinions of some of those who had been against unification.

Contributions of Catholic Scientists

With Jonathan I. Lunine, PhD, David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences and Chair of the Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Co-Founder, Society of Catholic Scientists.

This Good Friday, Cook Fish Like Jesus Did for His Friends

As much as I love my fish fingers, according to my doctor & my cardiologist, they aren't good for me, so broiled fish is the way I have to go.

From Aleteia

By Rebecca Cherico

Biblically Broiled Fish is a recipe from my mom's cookbook, "A Continual Feast." It brings up youthful memories of spending time with her in the kitchen.

Many of the things we teach our children initially seem to make our lives more difficult, not less. When your child first starts walking, you go slower: Toddlers aren’t known for speed walking on their chubby little legs, and then there are all the distractions the world has to offer (birds! stoops! brightly colored trash!), which further slows things down. Learning to tie shoes is a similar scenario -- as anyone who has had to wait for a child to cross those bunny ears can attest.

Cooking is the same story: When you first try cooking with a kid, you may wonder who it was who came up with this bright idea. Preparing a meal for a minor is already a challenge, given the notorious pickiness of most kids these days.

Cooking with kids

I’m the first to admit it: Cooking with kids is messier, slower, and -- disclaimer -- can sometimes result in little accidents, and disappointments. But it really is worth the hassle for many reasons. First off, kids tend to get less picky when they’re involved in making meals. They see what it takes to prepare food for people, and that makes them more invested in the outcome and more appreciative of the effort. Over time, it really opens them up.

Second, it brings parents and kids together in a collaborative process where you all get to learn something. Seasoned cooks need to break down the steps of what is second nature for them, while amateurs get to learn a new skill together.

Another amazing benefit of cooking with your kids is that you can eventually get them to cook for you. If you’re lucky, they will even make things you don’t know how to make yourself: One of my daughters has become an expert at cookie making and another creates spectacular charcuterie boards.

John Touhey | Aleteia

A passion shared

Yes, I have been very blessed, but I also know that cooking together is an investment that is worth the time and effort. I know this from experience. Growing up, my mom worked a full-time job as a professor, but decided to write a cookbook when I was a teenager in a way that connected her professional expertise with her home life.

Happily, A Continual Feast is still in print. It features traditional foods tied to Catholic celebrations and feast days. Her kids were her guinea pigs as Mom tried recipes and discovered traditions (that she, as a convert to the faith, hadn’t grown up with herself). It was both interesting and entertaining, and impressed upon all of us that cooking was fun. It was also a very tangible way of expressing a love which -- especially in certain seasons of a child’s life -- isn’t always easy to put into words.  The sense of food as an adventure has never left me, and I will be forever grateful to my mom for that.

Always learning and risking

My experience with my own kids tells the same story. One of the great things about “helping” my mom with her cookbook was that she was learning, too. Mom is a great cook and extraordinarily competent, but she didn’t know everything and didn’t pretend she did. Working with her gave me tools for the rest of my life, which I’ve been able to use to explore cuisines that my mother wasn’t familiar with.

Preparing meals together is messy, time-consuming and sometimes a bit risky -- like life itself. But at the end of the day, you have something to eat -- and a person you love to eat it with. Sounds like a win-win to me.

BIBLICALLY BROILED FISH

This Lenten recipe comes from "A Continual Feast." My mother’s introduction notes the beautiful story of Jesus appearing to the apostles on the shore of Lake Tiberias and preparing fish for his apostles after his resurrection (John 21:5). Preparing and eating food together is one of the most basic and immediate ways of communicating our love, as Christ reminds us here.  While we do not have any recipes from the time of Christ, we do know what foods were available and used by the Jews of Palestine during his lifetime. This recipe uses that background for inspiration.

Ingredients

2 lbs. of any fresh or defrosted fish; smaller fish or filets or steaks can be left whole while larger fish should be split

4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

Salt (to taste)

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar or lemon juice (see note below)

Lettuce

Greek or other strongly flavored olives

Optional: chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions: Clean, rinse, and salt the fish. Rub with garlic, and brush with oil. Preheat the broiler. Place the fish in an oiled pan (you can add parchment or foil before oiling for easy cleanup). For smaller fish, broil fish about 3 inches from the flame (the higher rack) or about 5 inches (the lower rack) for larger fish. Split fish should be broiled skin side down. While cooking, base generously with olive oil and a little vinegar or lemon juice.

When ready, remove the fish from the oven and serve on a bed of lettuce, surrounded by olives. Naan or pita bread would be a natural companion to the dish.

Note: The Lemon juice is less authentic than the vinegar: Lemons were rare and expensive at the time of Christ and verjuice (the juice of sour grapes or other sour fruit) or vinegar provided tartness where that was desired. So do whichever you prefer– but I do find the vinegar very tasty on this broiled fish.