PM: Special Edition--Feast Of The Transfiguration

When I did my meditations on the Propers in 2016, I omitted some of the feast days as they did not fall on a Sunday. Since this one does this year, it would be a good time to "catch up" on the "neglected" ones.

Of you my heart has spoken:  Seek his face. It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face from me.

V. The Lord is my light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear?

Ps. 26:8, 9; V. 1

One of the two Introits for the Second Sunday of Lent as well (as the Gospel Reading that day is the same). While it is our sins that cause us to hide our face, God still calls us from hiding.

Your beauty surpasses that of all the children of me; grace is poured out upon your lips.

V. My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my works to the King; my tongue is like the pen of an agile scribe.

Ps. 44:3; V. 2

Rarely heard, this Graduale is from the Second Sunday after Christmas (as the Solemnity of the Epiphany instead is celebrated in parts of the world). When we seek and find the face of the Lord, where truth, beauty, and goodness come together, our lips proclaim what our heart speaks.

He is the splendor of eternal light, an unspotted mirror and the image of His goodness.

Wisdom 7:26

This obviously speaks of the Son. And as Jesus said, He can only reflect what He sees the Father doing.

You have crowned him with glory and honor, and you have placed him over the work of your hands, O Lord.

Ps. 8:6,7

This originally refers to humanity. It finds its true fulfillment in Jesus after His Death and Resurrection, where His Divinity and Humanity are one.

As for the vision you have seen, tell no one until the Son of Man has risen form the dead.

Matt. 17:9

He is Risen indeed! And we should proclaim the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets in Him.

August 2017 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

Here is the intention for this month when reciting the Morning Offering:

Artists.  That artists of our times, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.

A reflection for this intention is found here.

Life At The Speed Limit

It's that time of the year again.

It's that time of my life again.

Another candle on the cake. (No jokes about if I need a fire extinguisher. Inquire when I reach 100.)

And while the status quo is still status quo, there are some things that have changed.

Some not so good. The slight bulge in my disc between the 4th. and 5th. lumbar vertebrae, causing the back problems that will be with me for the rest of my life. Between that and my tendonitis in my right elbow, my limited ability to do manual labor, and to do it for any length of time. The anxiety that is causing regarding my working career, as I still seek a full-time position that will utilize my talents without stressing those joints. The worry about the meager income I do earn, knowing it's not close to meeting my financial needs. (And, no, I am not asking for monetary help. I had that already. And to this day, it is still appreciated.)

In a word, I am a little more than a little scared.

But then, there are some things that not changed.

Those are good. I am still fighting to earn my place in the working world with the right job. I still have belief in my abilities. I still have hope my patience and perseverance will be rewarded. I still have plans and dreams and goals and schemes. Although it is being tried and tested, I still have faith I will come through this.

In a word, I am not letting this beat me.

"With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world." It is. I am grateful to still be among the living, enjoying the gift of life which God has bestowed. While there are times my negative emotions betray the stoic in me, I still hold true to the phrase of St. Irenaeus. And while I may cloud that glory with pessimism and fear, it may be the end of the poem "Footprints" is right now more a reality than even I realize.

Over the past few months I have developed a new catch phrase. While the first part of it is always of grateful praise, the second half could be left open to interpretation, based on apprehension or anticipation. I use it to mark the end of a significant part of my life, no matter how small.

Today, I use it to mean I am ready (willing and able are different matters) to "Go Forward".

"Thank you, God. What's next?"

Let's see "what's next" in the next twelve months.

1-5-O, Canada

A very happy sesquicentennial to our neighbors to the north.

A brief explanation of just what they are celebrating. (Quite a civics lesson.)

May you see many more years.

And may we continue to be good neighbors.

July 2017 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

Here is the intention for this month when reciting the Morning Offering:

Lapsed Christians.  That our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayers and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life.

A reflection for this intention is found here.

There is also this note:

Pope Francis has decided to keep one monthly prayer intention. He is no longer proposing an urgent prayer intention. However, on every Sunday on which he gives an Angelus Address, he asks for prayers for specific people and situations that are of deep concern to him.

Deja Vu

"I hope it doesn't happen again for a long time."

That was the final remark of this event.

Well, it seems "a long time" is just over seven years.

Yesterday, it happened again.

This time it was at the other parish where I apply my musical skills. I had just arrived (having cantored at my home parish) just as the "Gloria" was being sung. After the Opening Prayer had been recited, we waited for the Lector to proceed to the ambo. The only problem was that there was no Lector.

The situation was eerily similar to what had happened back in 2010. The solution was the same, however. After looking around, I made eye contact with the deacon (as there was a visiting priest celebrating the Mass) and tapped my hand on my chest while mouthing, "I'll do it." Once I got to the ambo, everything proceeded as usual (only this time I just had the readings to proclaim).

My only concern was that of being presumptuous. Since I am not a member of that parish, I would have preferred someone else stepping forward. But there had been enough of an awkward time lapse. I just did the right thing.

Shall I prepare for this sometime in 2024?

June 2017 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

Here is the intention for this month when reciting the Morning Offering:

National Leaders.  That national leaders may firmly commit themselves to ending the arms trade, which victimizes so many innocent people.

A reflection for this intention is found here.

May 2017 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

Here is the intention for this month when reciting the Morning Offering:

Christians In Africa.  That Christians in Africa, in imitation of the Merciful Jesus, may give prophetic witness to reconciliation, justice, and peace.

A reflection for this intention is found here.

2017 Easter Card

May the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ bring you eternal joy. May He Who once was dead but now is alive bring you infinite peace. May the Son of God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, bring you everlasting love.

He Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter, Everybody!

This Candle's Perfect Praises

If one really thinks about it, there are no words that can truly describe the joy the soul feels about being redeemed. How can our limited minds understand what has really happened? What finite expression could adequately describe an event of infinite love and mercy?

It is Grace; Sanctifying Grace to be most specific. It is a free, unmerited gift from God. He Who bring us into and sustains our existence by His will grants us the privilege to be called adopted children of His through the life, death, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We are heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven if only we cooperate with this unfathomable power.

Our response to this is also a gift. I am sure one could comb Scriptures to find appropriate promptings inspired by the Holy Spirit. That same Spirit has also led many a saint to convey some sense of this ecstasy. May I submit, however, that the closest we come to the most sincere heart- and soul-filled reply we could have is found in the Exsultet.

Having had the humble honor of proclaiming this text, even though I am more unworthy than the clerics whose rightful duty it is, it is still in its intonation the closest we can come to joy unbridled. This hymn of glory, laud, and honor to our Redeemer King makes our sweet "Hosanna" ring. It is the true affirmation in our Profession of Faith. It is faith, hope, and love animated completely.

May those who have this role tonight bring forth that joy and set the stage for the rest of the Easter Vigil.

The text, in both Latin and English, is provided.