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Yes folks, this is another of my posts riddled with p’s, and I’m not even mentioning Popple this time (oops– too late).

What I do have is pictures and a podcast from Easter Sunday when my daughter and I joined the Portageurs who are making a pilgrimage with the Ark of the New Covenant from Midland to Quebec City for the International Eucharistic Congress in June.

The music throughout the podcast is the Theme Song of the International Eucharistic Congress, God’s Gift.

You can follow the progress of the portageurs on their blog.

You can see media coverage of the pilgrimage in midland from AChannel Barrie, and on Salt and Light TV.

My daughter and I took lots of pictures. Here is an overview of the afternoon.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (23.5MB)

I started my 40 Days of Catholic Media blog/ podcasting project on Ash Wednesday to explore the intersection between new media and faith communities. I did not make a distinction between blogging, podcasting, or video in this project. I just set out to explore the great variety of Catholic blogs, podcasts, musicians and resources on the internet. I also conducted about 20 interviews with podcasters, priests, musicians and ordinary folks about how they enrich their spiritual lives during Lent, about places of spiritual significance and of how they use the new media to find Catholic community.

I am blogging and podcasting this carnival simultaneously in the hope that it will foster some crossover between the Catholic blogging and podcasting communities I have become a part of. The blog carnival entries are all listed in this post and I have added some comments within the podcast. I apologize for the untidiness of the links below but I worked on a fabulous blog post all weekend which vanished into the internet in a tragic cut and paste mishap.

Anyways, here we go for Take 2 of the Easter edition of the Catholic Blog Carnival.

Bah-da bah-da-da-da
Bah-da bah-da-da-da
Bah-da bah-da-da-da

Maundy, Maundy, so good to me
Maundy mornin’, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Maundy mornin’, Maundy mornin’ couldn’t guarantee
That Maundy evenin’ you would still be here with me

Over at Play the Dad? No, be the Dad!,Matthew S presents Maundy, Maundy, a reflection on Holy Thursday which includes a rewrite of the Mamas and the Papa’s classic song.

Shamelle presents It Doesn’t Cost Much To Consult With God posted at Enhance Life.

Denise Hunnell presents A New License For Teens–And It Is Not For Driving! posted at Catholic Matriarch in my Domestic Church aka Catholic Mom.

Kate Wicker presents Why I Nurse at the Mall and at Mass posted at Kate Wicker.

Catholic musician and lay minister, Bryan Murdaugh presents Why is the Cross So Important?, a theme he explored earlier on his song, We Need the Cross, which is on his album, ‘with everything i know its a long way home’.

Jay at Deo Omnis Gloria offers some thoughts on Reinventing Christianity in Your Own Image, just a post pondering those who use Christianity to push a theologythat looks nothing like Christian Truth.

Mary DeTurris Poust presents So Much for Free Thought posted at Not Strictly Spiritual.

Jason presents 1796: Mastro Titta’s first execution of many posted at Executed Today. I had trouble finding where to fit this post in the Catholic carnival because it is a historical biography of the executioner for the Papal States in the 19th century. We must not forget the historical failings of even people high up in the church. This is a reminder that individuals and the church as a whole must always strive to live out the whole of the gospel and respect human life at all its stages.

Mary’s Aggies have a timely post called Attacks on Human Life Getting Bolder in which they discuss the Incarnation, Easter, The Dignity of the Human Person and the fight for human life in all of its forms.

On Easter Sunday, at from the field of blue children Cathy Adamkiewicz wrote and posted a lovely poem entitled, In Your Shadow.

Fred presents sola fides sufficit posted at Deep Furrows.

Ian presents Top Ten Favorite Quotes from John Milton?s Paradise Lost posted at Musings from a Catholic Bookstore.

E.L. Core at The Blog from the Core continues an Easter custom by presenting Newman for Easter: a list of Ven. John Henry Newman’s Easter-related sermons.

Fellow Canadian, Steven R. McEvoy at Book Reviews and More has an essay about Cursillo 50 Years of Challenge In North America.

HMS Blog presents LET THERE BE LIGHT: A reflection on the readings for the Easter Vigil Mass, focusing on Christ’s resurrection as the light of the new creation.

A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars presents A Word about being a Good Catholic Parent in which she offers some thoughts on how to be a good example for our children to carry on the traditions of our faith and keep them Catholic.

In Journey to Jesus, Part 3 at Just another day of Catholic pondering, guest blogger Heather shares how Mary is a very real part of her conversion through an experience with her daughter.

Suzanne presents Friday Poetry: Goodly Fere on Good Friday posted at Adventures in Daily Living . This is part of a weekly Poetry Friday project which is a great way to build up the blogging community.

Over at Catholic Fire Jean is talking about The Feast of Divine Mercy and Its Extraordinary Graces. She presents a brief but detailed description of this grace – filled feast day and God’s promises to us

On Saturday after the Easter vigil, I joined Rob from the Tupelo Catholic Blog and Podcast on Ustream along with a bunch of his other virtual friends as he ended his Lenten fast. In his post he looks at the Week Ahead where he points out that this Wednesday is a starting date for Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday.

A Catholic Mom in Hawaii brings us Sacramentals in the Home: A Catholic Tradition, in which she discusses different kinds of sacramentals to enrich a Catholic home.

I’m going to close my 40 Days of Catholic Media project exactly as I started it, by playing Race You to the Tomb by Karl Kohlhase. Karl Kohlhase is a Contemporary Christian, Catholic songwriter from Minnesota who has released 7 CDs of his original music for free download at his website k4communications.com. He writes:

“You may burn as many copies of the CDs as you like for family and friends. I only ask that you give them away free of charge. Freely you have received, so freely give…“

Update:

I made a newbie Catholic Carnival mistake. I forgot to check my spam folder to check if any submissions got there by mistake and there were five. I’m sorry for the omissions.
Teresa’s Two Cents shares about going to The Easter Vigil with a boy who can’t sit still. I can understand the sentiment. We took our daughter to all of the Triduum services except the vigil. We got a babysitter for that one.

Julie at Adoro te Devote reminds us that we are Pilgrims on a Journey. We are citizens of Heaven, here on a journey. The world is not our home and there is a reason our hearts are restless.

Chris at Catholic Converts reminds us that April 13 is a 24 Hour Rosary: World Day of Prayer for Vocations. In his World Day of Prayer for Vocations message Pope Benedict XVI’s said, “The Church prays everyday to the Holy Spirit for the gift of vocations. Gathered around the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles, as in the beginning, the ecclesial community learns from her how to implore the Lord for a flowering of new apostles, alive with the faith and love that are necessary for the mission.” Catholic Converts invites everyone to join in 24 Hours of the Rosary for Vocations on April 13, 2008. We are asking people to sign up for as little as 30 minutes of continuously praying the Rosary for Vocations.

Over at Apostolate of the Laity David discusses, Judgement, It’s a good thing.

Ho Kai Paulos gives us A light from the shadows shall spring. How is it that last Friday was called “Good”? It seems wrong, somehow, to celebrate that day, when so many evil beings were celebrating – the pharisees, the Romans, the Devil. He discusses briefly, using some poetry from Tolkein, what makes it a good day.

I have always been reticent about making a public witness to my faith, preferring to let my actions and my character be a witness to my faith. (I still think this is the best witness).

Over the past couple years, by participating in the online community around Rosary Army and Catholic podcasting, and with this blog and podcast, I’m becoming more comfortable sharing my faith in public.

Yesterday, we had 2 bishops preside over Easter Mass at our parish as part of the opening ceremonies for the pilgrimage of the Ark of the New covenant (see yesterday’s post for more information on that). A reporter from AChannel, the local TV station out of Barrie was there to report on the service and the pilgrimage.  After mass, she asked me to explain the significance of Easter. I gave it my best shot. You can see the video on the AChannel site.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of my home Parish of St. Margaret’s. Today on Easter Sunday we are hosting the Pilgrimage of The Ark of the New Covenant which is on a walking pilgrimage from the Canadian Martyr’s Shrine to The International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City in June. There will be an Easter mass concelebrated by Auxilliary Bishops from Toronto and Quebec City, followed by a walking pilgrimage about 7 miles to the Canadian Martyr’s shrine. It will be a very special celebration for our parish. The Eucharistic Congress has a wonderful website and there is ongoing coverage of the pilgrimage and the congress at ECDQ.tv, the new media portal fro the diocese of Quebec. This diocese is doing exciting things with blogs, audio and video on the net to spread the good news. Unfortunately for me, most of the media is in French but it is still an amazing example of what a local diocese can do with new media tools.

I hope to post pictures, and maybe interviews of the event over the next few days.

From http://www.cei2008.ca/en/32

1000 km on foot to Quebec City for the International Eucharistic Congress

The 2008 International Eucharistic Congress invites all media, as well as the public, to join in launching the final pilgrimage of the Ark of the New Covenant. A dozen “portageurs” will begin the 1000 km pilgrimage on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008 in Midland, Ontario. The pilgrimage will take them to Quebec City in preparation for the most important religious celebration during the city’s 400th anniversary, the 49^th International Eucharistic Congress.

All those interested are cordially invited to join the “portageurs” (those following the Ark) on Easter day. A Eucharistic celebration will take place at St. Margaret Church in Midland, ON, where the Ark’s pilgrimage will start towards the Canadian Martyrs’ Shrine. Once this 5.5 km distance will be covered, there will be a blessing with the relics of the Martyrs in memory of the first Jesuits.

Following is the detailed schedule of activities for Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008 in Midland, Ontario:

• 10:30 a.m. – Arrival of the portageurs and the Ark of the New Covenant at St. Margaret Church, Midland, ON.
• 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon – Easter Eucharistic celebration with Bishop Peter Hundt, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Toronto & Bishop Pierre-André Fournier, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Quebec at St. Margaret Church.
• 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Lunch. All are invited to join the portageurs for their meal; however, lunch is not provided.
• 1:00 p.m. – Departure on foot from St. Margaret Church.
• 3:00 p.m. – Arrival at the Martyrs’ Shrine, Blessing and Departure Ceremony.

This historic pilgrimage enhances the liturgical Easter season and the foundation of the Church in Canada. The International Eucharistic Congress website at www.cei2008.ca will allow for people to follow the pilgrimage step by step. After a 64-day journey, the Ark will arrive in Quebec City May 25, 2008 for the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Follow the portageurs online

Many years ago, I was able to spend Easter at Madonna House. Several of us stayed up all night after the Easter Vigil, then made a pre-dawn hike up a mountainous hill to get to Ascension Rock– a large outcropping overlooking the Madawaska River Valley for sunrise. We made a slight miscalculation. The cliff faces west, so we saw the sun rise over the trees we had just hiked through. Nonetheless, at dawn one of our group proclaimed, “Christ has Risen”, and we responded boisterously with the ancient response, “Truly He has risen!”

Sunrise. Such an ordinary event. It happens every day. But any time I’ve taken time to notice and take in a sunrise I’ve always been overcome with awe at the peace and beauty of the moment. It is commonplace and ordinary but always miraculous.

So too is this miracle we celebrate today. Jesus Christ has died and he is risen. He has died for us all, and overcome death to give us the same gift. Miraculous indeed. The Greatest of Miracles. But we commemorate this miracle every Easter, every Sunday. We must be every mindful that we never take this miracle for granted, and treat it as commonplace.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (26.5MB)

Today is a day of preparation and waiting. The 40 days of Lent is almost over. We wait with the church as Christ waited in the tomb. At the Easter Vigil tonight we will celebrate the risen Christ.

But you have all waited enough for me. The podcast file today is an early listen to my For the Sake of the Song episode with Kyle Heimann from Popple. I will not be releasing it on For the Sake of the Song until April 20.

Enjoy

The Crucifixtion: Andrea Mantegna (c. 1431 – September 13, 1506). Andrea Mantegna – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.7MB)

Today I talk with Rob and Kristen Williams from the Tupelo Catholic Podcast.  I had a brief 1 min interview with Rob at the beginning of Lent, but we thought we would have a longer conversation.