An Age Of Variety

I got here.

Again.

Alleluia.

Writing these posts about the most important event in my has always been an act of gratitude. They are a reminder to me to be thankful for the greatest natural gift God will ever give. (The greatest supernatural gift He has bestowed upon me is the gift of Faith.) And while I grumble and grouse about where I am in my life and how I got here, deep down I know how blessed I am to be alive.

Be humble or be humbled. With our fallen nature, it is the lesson we all need to learn continually. I hope you don't have as hard of a head and heart as I do. Maybe that's why I seem to be stuck. (By the way, there is a pass/fail test at the end of this class called life. Here's hoping I pass.)

What blessings or crosses God has in store for me the next twelve months is beyond my knowledge, understanding, or control. I have to be like St. Paul. There is more than enough grace to get me to it and through it.

The next year of my life begins at the moment the this post appears.

May God grant me the ability to say, "I got here. Again. Alleluia."

When that time comes next year.

June 2019 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

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

The Mode of Life of Priests. That priests, through the modesty and humility of their lives, commit themselves actively to a solidarity with those who are most poor.

A reflection for this intention is found here.

May 2019 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

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

The Church in Africa, a Seed of Unity. That the Church in Africa, through the commitment of its members, may be the seed of unity among her peoples and a sign of hope for this continent.

A reflection for this intention is found here.

2019 Easter Card

May our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, pour out abundant blessings upon you.
May the Lamb of God, slain for our salvation, bring you joy and peace.
May He Who died and rose from death grant us grace upon grace, favor upon favor.

Happy Easter, Everybody!

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

In Sacred Triplicate

The use of the number three is quite prevalent in the Church. There is, most obviously, our Triune God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and love. There is the Communion of Saints:  the Church Militant, the Church Suffering, and the Church Triumphant. There is the Holy Family:  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. There are the three temptations of Christ after His Baptism. There is the scene of the Transfiguration with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah being seen by Peter, James, and John (with this specific group of Apostles figuring prominently in other scenes). There is both Peter's triple denial of Jesus and his triple forgiveness. There were the three crosses on Calvary. And then there is something about "on the third day"....

It is prevalent during the Mass. It is heard in the Confiteor ("...through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.") and the prayer that follows. The Kyrie in the Extraordinary Form is a three-fold repetition. The Preface Dialogue has three parts. The beginning of the Sanctus praises our thrice-holy God. The end of any Eucharistic Prayer begins, "Through Him, and with Him, and in Him...", with a triple "Amen" sung at times in reply. The Agnus Dei is obvious. And when used, the Solemn Blessing at the end has three petitions.

It even has places in the Sacred Triduum. During the Good Friday liturgy, the cross used for veneration pauses three times on its way to the sanctuary. It is the same with the Paschal candle at the Easter Vigil. From there, the minimum number of readings before the Epistle and Gospel is three, with the account of the crossing of the Red Sea (the third of the seven) being mandatory. The Alleluia returns from its hiatus with a three-fold recitation. And the Church receives new members with Her three rites of initiation:  Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion.

And during the Vigil, there is one more example. It comes at the singing of the Exsultet. The opening three lines use the same melodic pattern. This unites the three expressions of joy found in the text:

Exsultet/Exult--the exultation of the angels in Heaven.

Gaudeat/Be glad--the gladness of the earth. (Notice the connection to the 3rd. Sunday of Advent, which is also known as Gaudete Sunday.)

Laetatur/Rejoice--the rejoicing of the Church. (Notice the connection to the 4th. Sunday of Lent, which is also known as Laetare Sunday.)

So may our joy at this most awesome, marvelous, and wonderful event--the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ--may be united, complete, and limitless.

May those who have the privilege to chant this bring out this joy.

The text of this prayer, in both Latin and English, is provided for your meditation.

Fulfilling The Baptist's Cry

Since Ash Wednesday, we have been preparing.

We prepared with our prayers, that we may be more receptive to God's Word. We prepared with our fasting, that we may know God will fill any void. We prepared with our almsgiving, that we make manifest God's love to the world.

Then we prepared the way into Jerusalem with our palms and cloaks. Then we prepared the body in anticipation of His death. Then we prepared to betray Him.

Now, we enter the Sacred Triduum. But we are not done with our preparation. Far from it.

We must prepare the Upper Room. We must prepare the Passover banquet. We must prepare ourselves for what is to come.

We must prepare to hand Him over. We must prepare for His trials, the two legalistic ones as well as what He endure along the way. We must prepare for His sentencing. We must prepare for His execution.

We must prepare for His death. We must prepare for His burial. We must prepare for His proper entombment.

So, there is still much to do over the next three days. I encourage you to attend as many of the liturgies and devotions as you are able. This can and should be the culmination of your preparation.

We can then hope all this preparation will help us be fruitful.

Then we shall be prepared for what happens "on the third day".

Everlasting "Words" Again

Palm Sunday is upon us again. We are seven days away from celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But in order to get to the empty tomb, we have to get to Calvary.

Once again I present to you a series of short meditations on the "Seven Last Words" of Jesus as He hung upon the Cross. His final sentences are mini-sermons, pondered upon by more brilliant minds than mine. Like my series on the "O" Antiphons, if my widow's mite inspires you to find something more substantive, then it will accomplish its mission.

As we finish Lent and head into the Triduum, let His final orations enliven your hearts and souls.

One per day for the next week, starting today.

They come at the hour of mercy, the hour of His death.

April 2019 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

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

Doctors and their Collaborators in War Torn Areas. For doctors and their humanitarian collaborators in war torn areas, who risk their lives to save the lives of others.

A reflection for this intention is found here.

Day One Of Forty

"And the morning and the evening was the first day."  (With apologies to Genesis.)

And so begins Lent. The obligations of fasting and abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday have been fulfilled. The cross made of ashes and placed on the forehead is gone. Plans to incorporate the three traditional Lenten disciplines are decided. The journey to the Triduum has started.

As I was listening to a program on a Catholic radio show earlier this week, a phrase from Scripture caught my attention:  "One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4b). The first part is also found in St. Luke's account of the temptations in the desert (4:4), the Gospel reading for this First Sunday of Lent (Cycle C). It references Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses recalls the Israelites being fed with manna.

It made me think about how much more truth is in that statement than one realizes. The word that comes from the mouth of God is none other than the Word Incarnate, Jesus. And while that Word is also found in Scripture, its most perfect manifestation is found in the Real Presence, the Bread of Life which He established in the Upper Room on Holy Thursday. Spiritually, we live on both Bread and Word.

Which leads to the question of how we will supplement this nourishment the next six weeks. Which leads to how we will pray, fast, and give alms. Which hopefully will lead to a closer union with God. Which will hopefully make our Easter triumph and joy more complete.

While God created the world in six day, let us resolve to make

March 2019 Morning Offering Prayer Intention

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

Recognition of the Right of Christian Communities. That Christian communities, especially those who are persecuted, feel that they are close to Christ and have their rights respected.

A reflection for this intention is found here.