Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Born of Christian parents about the year 331 at Tagaste in Africa, Monica was reared under the strict supervision of an elderly nurse who had likewise reared her father. In the course of time she was given in marriage to a pagan named Patricius. Besides other faults, he possessed a very irascible nature… Her marriage was blessed with three children: […]
» Read moreSaint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Virgin and Martyr. (12 October 1891 to 09 August 1942) Edith Stein was an influential German Jewish philosopher. An atheist by the time she was a teenager, she was influenced by the writings of Saint Teresa of Ávila and converted to the Roman Catholic Church. She was baptized at the age of 31. She […]
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Today in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is the feast of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (1170 – 06 August 1221), founder of the Order of Preachers, known as the Dominicans. In the Extraordinary Form calendar that my current breviary follows, this feast was last Sunday, the 4th (or would have been, had it not been a Sunday). You […]
» Read moreSantiago Apóstol Today is the feast of Saint James the Apostle, son of Zebedee and Salome of Bethsaida, brother of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist. One of the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). Santiago. On this day last year, I wrote about what we know of Saint James from scripture and tradition. That was before I had walked 500 […]
» Read moreIt’s a pretty rare thing when Kings become saints, or at least become canonized saints. I can only think of a handful off the top of my head: Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Edward the Confessor of Anglo-Saxon England, Saint Stephen of Hungary. Today is the feast of the only Emperor-Saint of which I’m aware: Saint Heinrich II, Duke […]
» Read moreBenedict! The man who saved European civilization! The man who invented western monasticism! I’ve often written of him, and of his sister Saint Scholastica. The very foundation of this blog was the monastic movement that Benedict began 1500 years ago. Frankly, you’re probably sick of hearing my blatherings. What we need is somebody way smarter than me to sum him […]
» Read moreTomorrow is the memorial of one of my favourite saints, Saint Thomas More, who died at the hands of King Henry VIII (that villain). The story of his life was (more or less) made into the wonderful movie, A Man for All Seasons, starring Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More. The script is just brilliant, and eminently quotable. The “but […]
» Read moreThe following official and semi-offical items were released today by Rome and the US Bishops: Decree from the Holy See, USCCB press release, and VIS announcement with English translations. In Eucharistic Prayer II: that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the blessed Apostles … In Eucharistic Prayer III: with the most Blessed […]
» Read moreThe redoubtable Fr. Z reports: Decades after John XXIII placed the name of Joseph in the Roman Canon, it seems that the name of the great Patron of the Dying, Terror of Demons, will be in the Eucharistic Prayers II, III and IV in the 3rd edition of the Missale Romanum. I received a copy of a document from the […]
» Read moreHow does the human brain wrap itself around the eternal and infinite love of God for His creation? How can can we even begin to comprehend the depth of love in Christ’s wounded heart as he pours Himself out for us sinners at Calvary? The truth is, we can’t. The saints and the mystics may catch glimpses, but we humans […]
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This morning I saw the news video below about a German journalist’s visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict. He has retired to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery inside the Vatican, where he “lives like a monk”. When he abdicated, Pope Emeritus Benedict said that his primary job would be to pray for the Church – indeed, that’s why the monastery was established […]
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Yesterday, while Catholics all over the planet were joining Pope Francis in an historic hour of worldwide Eucharistic Adoration, we in Tacoma were doing our little part. You may recall that we had scheduled a procession through the streets of the city (and across the Interstate), to be led by Archbishop Sartain. Your humble author was the Master of Ceremonies […]
» Read moreThis is the traditional sequence for today’s feast. Written by Saint Thomas Aquinas, this musical version was composed by the Spanish master of polyphony, Tomás Luis de Victoria.
» Read moreMary’s month of May draws to a close with the Feast of the Visitation. This feast celebrates the visit of Mary, pregnant with Jesus, to her cousin Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist (Gospel of Saint Luke, Chapter 1 verses 39 – 56). So this feast is a celebration of the very first Christian community, consisting of two pregnant mothers […]
» Read morePope Francis celebrated the vigil of the feast of Pentecost at St. Peter’s Square with members of some of the New Movements. Aside from leading a prayer service, the Holy Father also took part in a question and answer session. Below is a report from Vatican Radio. It’s long, but it’s worth reading. At 17:30 the Pope entered the square on his […]
» Read moreToday in 1917, the Blessed Virgin began appearing to three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal. She appeared on the thirteenth day of six consecutive months. In another article, I’ve already talked about the Miracle of the Sun. Regardless of miracles, Catholics are not obliged to believe these “private revelations”. Indeed, the Church is very careful to investigate these sorts of […]
» Read moreRequiem æternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis. In memoria æterna erit iustus, ab auditione mala non timebit. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord: and let perpetual light shine upon her. She shall be justified in everlasting memory, and shall not fear evil reports. Absolve, Domine, animas omnium fidelium defunctorum ab omni vinculo delictorum et gratia tua […]
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