Third Sunday after Easter

May 10, 2025

Friends in Christ,

Welcome to our weekly Sunday update. This Sunday is the Third Sunday after Easter. The Gospel reading for this Sunday presents a notable example of the way in which Jesus could sometimes baffle even His closest followers. “A little while,” he tells them, “and now you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me: because I go to the Father” (John 16:16). The bewildered disciples speculate among themselves about what this might mean but can make no sense of it. Knowing what is in their minds, Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy” (John 16:20).

Our Lord spoke these words on the night of His betrayal and arrest, knowing that He was to die on the following day but would rise from the dead on the third day. His disciples could hardly be expected to understand what was about to happen: Jesus told them so that later they would remember and rejoice in the truth of that which He foretold. “So also you now indeed have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy no man shall take from you” (John 16:22).

That same joy is ours in this season of Easter, knowing already the outcome of those events observed and endured by the followers of Our Lord nearly two thousand years ago: He is risen! Alleluia! He is risen in truth!



Calendar of Special Observances

Celebrations are those listed in the Roman Missal of 1962.

DAY, DATE – FEAST (CLASS)

Sunday, May 11 – Third Sunday after Easter (II) – Commemoration of Ss. Philip and James, Apostles

Monday, May 12 – Ss. Nereus, Achilleus and Domitilla, Virgins, and Pancratius Martyrs (III)

Tuesday, May 13 – St. Robert Ballarmino, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church (III)

Wednesday, May 14 – Feria of Paschaltide (IV) – Commemoration of St. Boniface, Martyr

Thursday, May 15 – St. John Baptist de la Salle, Confessor (III)

Friday, May 16 – St. Ubald, Bishop & Confessor (III)

Saturday, May 17 – St. Paschal Baylon, Confessor (III)


Third Sunday after Easter

The links provided below can be used to download printable copies of the Proper Prayers for Third Sunday after Easter with English or Spanish translation, followed by commentary by Dr. Michael P. Foley.



Latin Mass Schedule: Sundays

Charlotte Area Latin Masses

  • 11:30 a.m., Saint Thomas Aquinas

  • 12:30 p.m., Saint Ann

Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses

  • 8:30 a.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon)

  • 9:00 a.m., Our Lady of the Angels (Marion)

  • 1:00 p.m., Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock)

  • 1:30 p.m., Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro)

Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses

  • 12:00 p.m., Prince of Peace (Taylors SC)

  • 1:00 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake (Chapin SC)

Note: Travelers are urged to consult parish websites or offices for up-to-date information regarding possible changes in the regular schedule of Sunday Mass times.


Latin Mass Schedule: Weekdays (May 11 - May 17)

Charlotte Area Latin Masses

  • Saint Ann – Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas – Thursday, 7:00 p.m.

  • Saint Ann – Friday, 7:00 a.m.

Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses

  • Our Lady of the Mountains (Highlands) – Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.

  • Saint John the Baptist (Tryon) – Friday, 8:30 a.m.

  • Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock) – Friday, 9:30 a.m.

Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses

  • Prince of Peace (Taylors SC) – Monday-Friday, 12:00 p.m.

  • Prince of Peace (Taylors SC) – Saturday 8:00 a.m.

Note: Travelers are advised to contact parish offices to confirm weekday and Saturday Mass times, since local schedules are sometimes subject to change without notice, especially on or around holidays, holy days of obligation and other special feast days.


Ascension Thursday: Thursday May 29

The following are announced Latin Masses for Ascension Thursday. If more Masses are scheduled, we will include them in future updates.

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas, 7:00 p.m.

  • Saint John the Baptist (Tryon), 6:30 p.m.

  • Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro), 6:30 p.m.

  • Our Lady of the Lake (Chapin SC), 6:30 p.m.



Announcements

Habemus Papam! – We give thanks to God that we have a new Pope! The Conclave has elected Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV, and is the first American to ever be elected. Please pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for our new Holy Father as he assumes this immense responsibility as the new Vicar of Christ. - Saint Ann Parish Email Announcement 5/8/2025. 


Prayer for Pope Leo XIV

O GOD , the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, graciously look upon Thy servant Leo whom Thou hast been pleased to appoint pastor over Thy Church: grant, we beseech Thee, that by both word and example he may edify those over whom he is set, and together with the flock committed to his care, may attain to eternal life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. – Collect Prayer for the Pope (1962)


Saint Peter of Verona Palms Available at Saint Thomas Aquinas This Weekend – April 29th, was the Feast of Saint Peter of Verona (also known as Saint Peter Martyr), a 13th century Dominican martyr. As many readers may know, there is an ancient custom for the blessing of palms on his feast day. The traditional belief is that the palms, when buried on one’s property, can help protect against natural disasters.

For those who did not pick them up in prior years, Carolina Traditional Liturgy Society will have limited quantities of blessed palms at the Latin Mass information table at Saint Thomas Aquinas parish this Sunday.


Complimentary Copies of Regina Magazine – Carolina Traditional Liturgy Society is pleased to offer limited complimentary copies (while quantities last) of the recently relaunched Regina Magazine at our information tables at Saint Ann and Saint Thomas Aquinas parishes. Regina Magazine covers a variety of topics from liturgy, art, architecture and culture, complete with vibrant imagery and engaging reporting. It’s also published locally in the Carolinas. We thank Regina Magazine for offering complimentary copies and encourage readers to check them out and consider subscribing. [Regina Magazine]


Consecration of those Governing to the Blessed Virgin Mary – Fr. Chad Ripperger has composed a prayer for our nation and government, Consecration of those Governing to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which may be found at the end of this update or downloaded here.


Holy Face Devotions

Prayers of Reparation to the Holy Face of Jesus are offered each week at the following churches on the indicated days:

  • St. James (Concord) – Monday, 10-10:30 a.m. (in the cry room)

  • St. Mark – Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.

  • St. Thomas Aquinas – Tuesday, 6:00 a.m.

  • St. Ann – Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. (following 7:00 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)

  • St. Michael the Archangel (Gastonia) – Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. (following 8:00 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)

  • St. Vincent de Paul – Tuesday, 8:40 a.m.

  • Holy Spirit (Denver) – Tuesday, 10-11:00 a.m. (following the 9:15 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)

  • Saint Elizabeth of the Hill Country (Boone) – Third Tuesday May 20, at 6:45 p.m. after Mass in the Youth Room **Special Time for May**

  • St. John the Baptist (Tryon) - First Saturday, 9:30 a.m. (after 8:30 a.m Latin Mass)

Note: Days and times may be subject to change due to holidays.

“Jesus, Your ineffable image is the star which guides my steps. Ah, You know, Your sweet Face is for me Heaven on earth” (from Canticle to the Holy Face by Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, the 19th century Discalced Carmelite nun who took the name in religion, Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face).


Latin Mass and Liturgical News



Saints and Special Observances

Saint Robert Bellarmine was born Roberto Bellarmino at Montepulciano, Italy, on October 4, 1542, a quarter-century after Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses ignited the so-called Protestant Reformation. The Council of Trent, meeting in three sessions from 1545 to 1563, adopted the framework for the Counter-Reformation that Robert Bellarmine was to champion throughout his illustrious career.

Bellarmine was the third of ten children born to Vincenzo Bellarmino and Cinzia Cervini. His mother had a brother named Marcello who, after a distinguished career in service to the Church, was anointed Pope Marcellus II on April 10, 1555, only to die 22 days later. Inspired perhaps by his uncle’s example, Roberto discerned a religious vocation and expressed a desire to become a member of the Society of Jesus, a relatively new order founded by Ignatius of Loyola and his companions in 1540. Vincenzo Bellarmino, being opposed either to his son’s choice of vocation or to his desire to become a Jesuit, elicited from him a promise to wait one year. One year later, Roberto was still determined to pursue the course he had chosen, and the superior general of the Society was so impressed by the young man’s obvious potential that he counted the year of waiting as his novitiate and allowed him to make his profession of vows without further delay.

After studying philosophy for three years at the Roman College (now known as the Pontifical Gregorian University), Bellarmine studied theology at Padua, before going on to complete his studies at Louvain. Ordained at Louvain in 1570, he became the first Jesuit professor of theology there, teaching courses focused on the Catholic response to Martin Luther, John Calvin and the other leaders of the Protestant Reformation. Returning to the Roman College in 1576, he established a reputation over the next 11 years as one of the principal defenders of the Catholic Church and was called on by the Pope to serve on commissions charged with revising the Vulgate Bible and preparing a new edition of the Septuagint, for which he wrote the preface. The lectures he delivered while holding the chair of controversial theology at the Roman College led to the publication in 1586 of the first of three volumes of his Controversies, considered his most important work.

Called on by the Pope to assume diplomatic duties, Bellarmine proved to be an uncompromising defender of the interests of the Church, alienating powerful princes who blocked any chance that he would be considered papabile at a future date. Appointed rector of the Roman College in 1592, he was named provincial superior of the Jesuit Province of Naples in 1594, only to be summoned by Pope Clement VIII to serve as his theological advisor two years later. Contrary to his own wishes, the pope made him a cardinal on March 3, 1599; then, to his surprise, Clement appointed him Archbishop of Capua in 1602. When Paul V succeeded to the papacy in 1605, he asked Bellarmine to remain in Rome where he made use of him as a member of several Vatican commissions.

Ever adhering to the spiritual life prescribed by the Society of Jesus, Cardinal Bellarmine would make use of the 30-day retreats each year to write his works on spirituality. In 1597 and 1598 he published a Catechism in two versions that would be translated into 60 languages and serve as the official teaching of the Catholic Church for centuries. His later works written for the spiritual benefit of the faithful included, among others, The Mind’s Ascent to God by the Ladder of Created Things, The Art of Dying Well and The Seven Words on the Cross.

Cardinal Bellarmine’s request that he be allowed to retire was refused by both Paul V and his successor, Gregory XV. The latter subsequently relented, allowing the future saint to retire to the Jesuit novitiate of Sant’Andrea just days before his death on September 17, 1621, at the age of 78. The cause for his canonization was initiated in 1627 but did not reach its successful conclusion for three hundred years due to political considerations that included both the opposition of secular authorities and Bellarmine’s involvement in the ecclesiastical cases of the heretical apostate, Giordano Bruno, and the astronomer Galileo Galilei. Canonized on June 29, 1930, by Pope Pius XI, who proclaimed him to be one of the foremost figures in the history of the Church, Saint Robert Bellarmine was named a Doctor of the Universal Church the following year. His remains remain on display in his cardinal’s red robes in the Church of St. Ignatius, the chapel of the Roman College. His feast day is listed on the traditional Roman Calendar as the 13th of May.


Closing Commentary

We close with a commentary from Servant of God Dom Prosper Guéranger about the ancient Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph (once commemorated during the third week of Easter) and excerpted from his monumental The Liturgical Year, adding the hope that our readers will assist the cause for Guéranger's canonization with their prayers. A link to the full text of the commentary follows the excerpt.


Third Sunday After Easter: The Patronage of St. Joseph

The Easter mysteries are superseded today by a special subject, which is offered for our consideration. The holy Church invites us to spend this Sunday in honoring the Spouse of Mary, the Foster-Father of the Son of God. And yet, as we offered him the yearly tribute of our devotion on the 19th of March, it is not, properly speaking, his Feast that we are to celebrate today. It is a solemn expression of gratitude offered to Joseph, the Protector of the Faithful, the refuge and support of all that invoke him with confidence. The innumerable favors he has bestowed upon the world entitle him to this additional homage. With a view to her children’s interests, the Church would, on this day, excite their confidence in this powerful and ever ready helper.

Devotion to St. Joseph was reserved for these latter times. Though based on the Gospel, it was not to be developed in the early ages of the Church. It is not that the Faithful were, in any way, checked from showing honor to him who had been called to take so important a part in the mystery of the Incarnation; but Divine Providence had its hidden reasons for retarding the Liturgical homage to be paid, each year, to the Spouse of Mary. As on other occasions, so here also; the East preceded the West in the special cultus of St. Joseph: but in the 15th Century, the whole Latin Church adopted it, and, since that time, it has gradually gained the affections of the Faithful. We have treated upon the glories of St. Joseph, on the 19th of March; the present Feast has its own special object, which we will at once proceed to explain.

The goodness of God and our Redeemer’s fidelity to his promises have ever kept pace with the necessities of the world; so that, in every age, appropriate and special aid has been given to the world for its maintaining the supernatural life. An uninterrupted succession of seasonable grace has been the result of this merciful dispensation, and each generation has had given to it a special motive for confidence in its Redeemer. Dating from the 13th century, when, as the Church herself assures us, the world began to grow cold—each epoch has had thrown open to it a new source of graces. First of all came the Feast of the Most Blessed Sacrament, with its successive developments of Processions, Expositions, Benedictions and the Forty Hours. After this followed the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus (of which St. Bernardine of Sienna was the chief propagator), and that of Via Crucis or Stations of the Cross, with its wonderful fruit of compunction. The practice of frequent Communion was revived in the 16th century, owing principally to the influence of St. Ignatius and the Society founded by him. In the 17th was promulgated the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was firmly established in the following century. In the 19th, devotion to the Holy Mother of God has made such progress as to form one of the leading supernatural characteristics of the period. The Rosary and Scapular, which had been handed down to us in previous ages, have regained their place in the affections of the people; Pilgrimages to the Sanctuaries of the Mother of God, which had been interrupted by the influence of Jansenism and rationalism, have been removed; the Archconfraternity of the Sacred Heart of Mary has spread throughout the whole world; numerous miracles have been wrought in reward for the fervent faith of individuals; in a word, our present century has witnessed the triumph of the Immaculate Conception—a triumph which had been looked forward to for many previous ages.

Now, devotion to Mary could never go on increasing as it has done without bringing with it a fervent devotion to St. Joseph. We cannot separate Mary and Joseph, were it only for their having such a close connection with the mystery of the Incarnation:—Mary, as being the Mother of the Son of God; and Joseph, as being guardian of the Virgin’s spotless honor, and Foster-Father of the Divine Babe. A special veneration for St. Joseph was the result of increased devotion to Mary. Nor is this reverence for Mary’s Spouse to be considered only as a just homage paid to his admirable prerogatives: it is, moreover, a fresh and exhaustless source of help to the world, for Joseph has been made our Protector by the Son of God himself. Hearken to the inspired words of the Church’s Liturgy: “Thou, O Joseph! art the delight of the Blessed, the sure hope of our life, and the pillar of the world!” Extraordinary as is this power, need we be surprised as its being given to a man like Joseph, whose connections with the Son of God on earth were so far above those of all other men? Jesus deigned to be subject to Joseph here below; now that he is in heaven, he would glorify the creature to whom he consigned the guardianship of his own childhood and his Mother’s honor. He has given him a power which is above our calculations. Hence it is that the Church invites us, on this day, to have recourse, with unreserved confidence, to this all-powerful Protector. The world we live in is filled with miseries which would make stronger hearts than ours quake with fear: but let us invoke St. Joseph with faith, and we shall be protected. In all our necessities, whether of soul or body—in all the trials and anxieties we may have to go through—let us have recourse to St. Joseph, and we shall not be disappointed. The king of Egypt said to his people, when they were suffering from famine: go to Joseph! the King of Heaven says the same to us: the faithful guardian of Mary has greater influence with God than Jacob’s son had with Pharaoh.

As usual, God revealed this new spiritual aid to a privileged soul, that she might be the instrument of its propagation. It was thus that were instituted several Feasts, such as those of Corpus Christi, and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the 16th century, St. Teresa (whose Writings were to have a worldwide circulation) was instructed by heaven as to the efficacy of devotion to St. Joseph: she has spoken of it in the Life (written by herself) of Teresa of Jesus. When we remember that it was by the Carmelite Order (brought into the Western Church in the 13th century) that this devotion was established among us—we cannot be surprised that God should have chosen St. Teresa, who was the Reformer of that Order, to propagate the same devotion in this part of the world. The holy solitaries of Mount Carmel—devoted as they had been, for so many centuries, to the love of Mary—were not slow in feeling the connection that exists between the honor paid to the Mother of God and that which is due to her virginal Spouse. The more we understand St. Joseph’s office, the clearer will be our knowledge of the divine mystery of the Incarnation. As when the Son of God assumed our human nature, he would have a Mother; so also, would he give to this Mother a protector. Jesus, Mary and Joseph—these are the three whom the ineffable mystery is continually bringing before our minds.

The words of St. Teresa are as follows: “I took for my patron and lord the glorious St. Joseph, and recommended myself earnestly to him. I saw clearly … that he rendered me greater services than I knew how to ask for. I cannot call to mind that I have ever asked him at any time for anything which he has not granted; and I am filled with amazement when I consider the great favors which God hath given me through this blessed Saint; the dangers from which he hath delivered me, both of body and soul. To other Saints, our Lord seems to have given grace to succor men in some special necessity; but to this glorious Saint, I know by experience, to help us in all: and our Lord would have us understand that, as he was himself subject to him upon earth—for St. Joseph having the title of father, and being his guardian, could command him—so now in heaven he performs all his petitions. I have asked others to recommend themselves to St. Joseph, and they too know this by experience; and there are many who are now of late devout to him, having had experience of this truth.” [Third Sunday after Easter - Patronage of St. Joseph]



We wish our readers a blessed Eastertide. Christus Resurréxit! Resurréxit Vere!