Miscellaneous Information
The Station for the Saturday of Ember Week is always at the great basilica erected by Constantine and rebuilt by the Popes in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries on the hill of the Vatican on the spot where St. Peter died on the cross and where his body rests. Besides the Gospel is about the Transfiguration of which St. Peter was the chief witness.
It was in this basilica that ordinations took place, preceded, during the night, by twelve lessons of which we have a trace in those occurring in the Mass for today. The Introit verse alludes to this nocturnal vigil : "I have cried in the day and in the night before Thee."
Like the Apostles selected to be present on Mount Thabor at the manifestation of the divine life of Jesus (Gospel), the new Priests will ascend the steps of the altar to enter into communication with God. It is they who in His name will exhort us to prayer, to patience and to charity. If we abstain during Lent from even the appearance of evil, our souls, and our bodies will be preserved unstained for the day of the eternal Pasch, when Christ (Epistle) will allow us to participate in the glory of His Transfiguration for all eternity.
Let us pray to God to fortify us with His blessing so that, during this Lent, we may never depart from His holy will (Prayer over the People).
Background on Today's Mass
EMBER SATURDAY IN LENT
Violet Vestments
Missa "Intret oratio mea"
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Reflecting on the Ember Saturday of Lent: A Journey Through Scripture
Building the Kingship of Christ
—modified from Google AI 2025
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
And you should love your neighbor as yourself.”
To build up the Kingship of Christ as a Catholic you must recognize Christ as King, then engage in activities like: regular prayer, attending Mass, receiving sacraments, actively participating in your parish community, performing acts of charity, sharing your faith with others, studying scripture, serving in a ministry, and living a life of virtue by following the teachings of Jesus; essentially, integrating your faith into your daily life through actions that reflect your love of God and acknowledgment of Christ as King through love and compassion towards others.
Key aspects of building the Kingdom of Christ:
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Spiritual practices:
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Love God and acknowledge Christ as King
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Daily prayer (including the rosary, pray before meals even in public using the sign of the cross, morning/evening prayers), novenas
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Regular confession
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Studying scripture (from a Catholic Bible)
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Eucharistic adoration
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Fasting during Lent, for Ember/Rogation Days, meatless Fridays
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Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and other devotions
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Parish involvement:
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Attending Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation
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Participating in parish ministries (e.g., teaching catechism, helping with outreach programs, assisting with liturgy)
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Joining/starting a bible study group or other Catholic faith-sharing groups
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Volunteering at church events
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Participating in a pilgrimage
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Acts of charity:
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Donating to charitable causes
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Offering prayers for family, friends, and strangers
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Visiting the sick or elderly; serving meals at a soup kitchen
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Providing support to those in need within your community
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Sharing your faith:
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Participate in community/society events and vote for Catholic values
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Engaging in conversations about faith with others
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Inviting friends and family to church
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Participating in evangelization efforts
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Learning apologetics—how to defend your faith
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Living a virtuous life is living the Great Commandment:
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Practicing forgiveness
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Showing kindness and compassion
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Promoting justice and peace
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Being a positive role model for others
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Practicing humility and dressing modestly
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Below is from Daniel Payne, Catholic News Agency Staff, November 24, 2024.
When the feast of Christ the King was established, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops notes on its website, “In Mexico, Russia, and some parts of Europe, militantly secularistic regimes threatened not just the Catholic Church and its faithful but civilization itself.”
Pope Pius XI argued that the “manifold evils in the world were due to the fact that the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives” and that “as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations.”
“If we ordain that the whole Catholic world shall revere Christ as king,” the pope wrote, “we shall minister to the need of the present day and at the same time provide an excellent remedy for the plague which now infects society.”
Additional Reading
The Encyclical "Quas Primas” Given by His Holiness Pope Pius XI, December 11, 1925
More about authentic Catholic Culture: www.fisheaters.com and click on “Being Catholic”
“The Kingship of Christ starts within you and spreads socially.”
Now on the 100th anniversary of instituting the Feast of Christ the King by Pope Pius XI, the statement then of world affairs seems as revelent today as when it was made in the year 1925.
We must renew our vigor to have the mind, body, and soul to live out God's Will for the Kingship of Christ, working first in our own hearts, then our families, our communities, and our nation.
May God reward you richly for your presence here today!
--From the Steering Committee of the 13th Annual Lenten Pilgrimage, March 15, 2025