Bl. Victor Emilio Moscoso-Cárdenas (Feast Day May 4) 

April 21, 1846 – May 4, 1897 

Victor Emilio Moscoso-Cárdenas was born in Cuenca in Ecuador on April 21, 1846. He studied law in college but felt drawn to the religious life, so he abandoned his studies in order to join the Jesuits in 1864. He began his novitiate in Cuenca where the Jesuits had settled since the order was forced to leave Quito due to the anti-religious sentiment and persecution at the time. Moscoso studied in the San Luis college where he did his philosophical studies. 

Moscoso first began his duties as a priest and as a teacher. He was known for his kind and generous personality and a serene, simple, and humble character. In 1895 the Liberal Revolution broke out in Ecuador, which triggered a series of persecutions and a wave of anti-religious sentiment against religious orders and priests. On May 4, 1897, the soldiers who were authorized to take priests as prisoners, barged into the church, killed several people, and broke the tabernacle. The men proceeded to throw the hosts to the ground and drink the wine mocking the sacraments. They found Moscoso in a room kneeling. There, he was shot and killed. On February 5, 2019, Pope Francis -- himself a Jesuit – approved his beatification and declared that he had been killed “in odium fidei” (in hatred of the faith). 

·    Why was it necessary for God to send his Son into the world to die for our sins?

·       What does Jesus mean when he says that whoever believes in him will not be condemned?

·       In today’s Gospel, Jesus refers to himself as “light” and says that some prefer darkness to light. Why would someone prefer darkness (to do evil works) rather than follow Jesus?

·       Where do you see darkness and light in the story of Bl. Victor Emilio Moscoso-Cárdenas?

Flashlight Tag

To remember that Jesus is the light shining in the darkness, play a game of flashlight tag tonight. When it starts to get dark, select one person to be "it." The person who is “it” gets a flashlight and counts to 50 with their eyes closed. While he or she is counting, everyone else hides. When the person is finished counting, he or she has to find the others by shining the flashlight on them. The next person who becomes “it” is either the first or the last person found. 

Potato Garlic Soup with Rosemary Butter

We can take comfort in knowing that God sent his Son to save us. Enjoy this comfort food today!

4-5 cups chicken broth or bone broth for extra protein

6 whole garlic cloves, peeled

4-5 large russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chunked

1 cup whole milk 

salt to taste 

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary

¼ cup Butter

Place broth, garlic cloves and potatoes in pot. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer until potatoes are tender. Carefully blend ingredients with immersion blender or slightly cool to puree in batches in blender until smooth. Add milk and salt and pepper to taste. Prepare garnish by adding rosemary to butter.

Garnish with generous dollop of chopped fresh rosemary butter.

Breastplate of St. Patrick

The breastplate of St. Patrick reminds us that Christ is always with us. Pray it together as a family.

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness

of the Creator of creation.

During Lent, those preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil participate in three rites called the Scrutinies, which happen on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent. The Scrutinies and the readings for these Masses offer a special chance for personal reflection and self-examination for those preparing for baptism.

Make a John 3:16 sign and place it in a prominent place in your home. Invite each family member to memorize John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."

Christians started holding “John 3:16” signs at sports stadiums beginning in the late 1970s as a way to spread the Gospel. The phrase explains the God’s saving work in a nutshell.