Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Wisdom! Advent is drawing to its close, and it’s time again for the O Antiphons. These antiphons are part of the prayers at the liturgical hour of Vespers for the 17th through the 23rd of December – the 24th is of course the Christmas Vigil itself. They are ancient prayers, possibly dating back to the earliest days of the Christian […]
» Read moreIn paradisum deducant te Angeli: in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem. May Angels lead you into paradise; may the Martyrs receive you at your coming and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem. May a choir of Angels receive you, […]
» Read moreThis morning, the second reading from the Office of Readings struck me, so I thought I’d share it with you. It reminds me of the Dark Night of the Soul of Saint John of the Cross, as well as many of the psalms of longing. It’s beautiful. From the Proslogion by Saint Anselm, bishop Desire for the Vision of God […]
» Read moreRev. Vincent Beuzer, S.J., my sometime spiritual advisor, died on Sunday 13 November 2011 in Spokane at the age of 84. Please pray for the repose of his soul. Lux æterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in æternum, quia pius es. Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine; et lux perpetua luceat eis ; cum Sanctis tuis in æternum, quia pius es. […]
» Read moreThe antiphon for today’s Invitatory prayer is Come, Let us worship God who brings the world and its wonders from darkness into light. It turns out that this has a much greater impact if you actually pray the Hours at their proper times. This morning, I prayed Vigils as the sun was rising. You can see what I mean. Might […]
» Read moreLet’s talk Purgatory. We have to, to make any sense at all out of today’s feast. Today is officially “The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed”, but like most folks, I’ll stick with the simple version – All Souls’ Day. Over the years, I’ve heard numerous homilies and essays that mix this day up with yesterday, All Saints’ Day. As […]
» Read more
Back in high school, a group of us did an extensive report on the events of this day for my freshman history class. We had flip chart maps, reenactments, and gave three separate papers. For on this day in 1571, the naval forces of a Holy League, consisting of several maritime Catholic countries, met the main Ottoman fleet at the […]
» Read more
Nearly everybody knows about Saint Francis. He’s the plaster birdbath guy, right? The saint who hung around with fuzzy pastel animals. Well, sort of. “Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.” (Saint Francis of Assisi) I very nearly took “Francis” as my confirmation name. It might have been awkward, though, what with being engaged to Francine at the time. Reading […]
» Read moreToday is officially the “Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels” or, in the old calendar, the “Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel”. Whatever you call it, the most common name is Michaelmas. It is one of several harvest festivals celebrated throughout Christian Europe. In England this is one of the “quarter days”, which was marked […]
» Read moreThe Stabat Mater is a thirteenth century sequence variously attributed to Pope Innocent III and Jacopone da Todi. Here’s the beginning: Stabat Mater dolorosa Iuxta crucem lacrimosa Dum pendebat Filius Cuius animam gementem Contristatam et dolentem Pertransivit gladius At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last Through her heart, his sorrow […]
» Read moreO God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain. We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here— the heroic first-responders: our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port […]
» Read moreThis is the fourth installment in a series of short articles I wrote/adapted/edited for my parish bulletin. I will publish the others as they they appear. The new Mass translation is coming in Advent! Back in 2000, Blessed Pope John Paul II issued the third edition of the Roman Missal. After more than ten years of consultation and work, the […]
» Read moreDear Saint Monica, troubled wife and mother, many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime. Yet, you never despaired or lost faith. With confidence, persistence, and profound faith, you prayed daily for the conversion of your beloved husband, Patricius, and your beloved son, Augustine; your prayers were answered. Grant me that same fortitude, patience, and trust in the Lord. Intercede […]
» Read more
On this, the Feast of Saint Benedict, I thought I’d ruminate on the meaning of “reform”. Typically, when the Church, or some organization within the Church, has talked about reform, the word pretty specifically meant clearing out the laxness and shortcuts that had appeared in practices, devotions, and liturgy. The fact is, all organizations staffed by humans tend to get […]
» Read moreIf I had to guess, I’d say you’ve never heard of Rev. John Corapi, SOLT. I first saw Fr. Corapi on EWTN, preaching a series of TV programs on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He is a dynamic speaker and a gifted teacher. His talks helped me to understand some of the more impenetrable language and dense wording of […]
» Read moreThree thoughts for today, a day of convergence. Today is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a feast of particular importance to the Jesuits, and a subject on which I’ve written recently. (A Wounded Heart) We attend a Jesuit parish and Rev. Kenneth Baker, S.J. appropriately celebrated his first Mass there today as our new interim pastor. […]
» Read moreToday the Church celebrates one of her oldest feasts, commemorating the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. I prayed at the tombs of these apostles during my time in Rome in 2005. With the body of Blessed John Paul II mere feet from me, I knelt near Peter’s tomb at the high altar of the dark and nearly empty Vatican […]
» Read more