Our Lady's Little Scribe

Saint Michael's Lent

2010-07-17T23:17:00.001-05:00

Saint Michael's Lent is from August 15th - September 29th.

Click title to this post to go to website to download prayers for St. Michael's Lent. Open page entitled "St. Michael's Lent." Then go to bottom of the page and click on image of St. Michael.

Please distribute these prayers or e-mail the link to as many as possible so that many will be praying during Saint Michael's Lent.

Saint Michael the Archangel

2009-07-17T15:59:00.002-05:00

The Lent of St. Michael

2009-07-17T15:30:00.001-05:00

Our Lady’s Little Portion and Our Lady of the Pearl Franciscan Fraternities invite you to join us again in prayer and fasting during the Lent of St. Michael (August 15th - September 29th).

In the writings of St. Francis, we are reminded again and again that Franciscans are called to be penitents, to pray and fast. For these reasons this ancient tradition is important to us. St. Michael’s Lent is a period of 40 days, honoring Mary and St. Michael the Archangel. It begins on the Feast of the Assumption and ends on The Feast of the Archangels.

“[H]e wished along with the most faithful Brothers . . . to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (August 15) and then prepare himself by a forty days’ fast for the Feast of St. Michael (September 29). In common with the rest of the people of the Middle Ages, Francis nourished a special devotion to this Archangel, signifer santus Michaelis, the standard-bearer of the Heavenly Host, and the one who with his trumpet was to wake the dead in their graves on the last day . . . .” (St. Francis of Assisi by Jorgensen)

Let us pray for PRIESTS in this Year of the Priest and for OUR NATION.

A Prayer for Priests

Dear Lord,
We pray that the Blessed Mother wrap her mantle around your priests and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry.
We pray that Mary will guide your priests to follow her own words,
"Do whatever He tells you" (John 2:5).
May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary's most chaste spouse.
May the Blessed Mother's own pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross.
May your priests be holy, filled with the fire of your love, seeking nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of souls. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, pray for us.

(Source: http://www.catholicbishops.org/)

Prayer for our Nation

God our Father, Giver of life,
we entrust the United States of America to Your loving care.

You are the rock on which this nation was founded.
You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Reclaim this land for Your glory and dwell among Your people.

Send Your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation´s leaders.
Open their minds to the great worth of human life
and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom.
Remind Your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking
and doing Your will.

Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of our land,
grant us the courage to reject the "culture of death."
Lead us into a new millennium of life.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

(Source: http://www.catholic.org/)

The Leonine Prayers

2009-07-17T15:25:00.001-05:00

Following are the Prayers after Low Mass which were prescribed by Pope Leo XIII who composed the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, and were reinforced by Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII to pray for the conversion of Russia. These prayers were in effect until after Vatican II. A decade later Paul VI said, "satan has entered the sanctuary." Could the elimination of these powerful prayers with a ten year indulgence have played a huge part in allowing the devil such easy access? The answer is obvious. Below the normal Leonine Prayers is the longer version of the Prayer to St. Michael, composed by His Excellency Pope Leo XIII to defend against The Great Apostasy.

THE LEONINE PRAYERS

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. (3 times)

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee to we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, our refuge and our strength, look down with mercy upon the people who cry to Thee; and by the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Joseph her spouse, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Thy mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of the Holy Mother the Church. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.

Days for Franciscans to Remember

2009-07-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

Noon August 1 - Midnight August 2nd The Portiuncular Indulgence
August 2 - The Feast of Our Lady of the Angels
August 2 - August 10 Novena to St. Clare
August 11 - The Feast of St. Clare
August 14 - The Feast of St. Maximillian Kolbe
August 15 - The Assumption
August 15 - September 29 The Lent of St. Michael
September 8 - The Feast of the birthday of Our Lady
September 14 - The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross
September 14, 1224 St. Francis receives the Stigmata
September 17 - Feast of the Stigmata of Our Holy Father Francis
September 22 - Queenship of Mary
September 29 - The Feast of the Archangels
October 2 - The Feast of the Angels
October 3 - The Transitus
October 4 - The Feast of St. Francis

(Source: http://www.ourladyofthepearl.com/)

Lt. Governor of Mississippi Backs Legal Personhood for the Unborn - Catholic Online

2009-07-13T22:39:00.001-05:00

Lt. Governor of Mississippi Backs Legal Personhood for the Unborn - Catholic Online

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What Do Secular Franciscans Do?

2009-07-07T15:45:00.002-05:00

Secular Franciscans live the gospel in fraternal community by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi. They are both active and contemplative, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel. Their call embraces a call to evangelization. (www.ourladyofthepearl.com)

Falling in Love with God: The Greatest Romance - Catholic Online

2009-07-01T07:44:00.001-05:00

To fall in love with God is the greatest of romances, to seek Him the greatest adventure, to find Him the greatest human achievement. (St. Augustine)

Falling in Love with God: The Greatest Romance - Catholic Online

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We Are The World

2009-06-28T12:11:00.001-05:00

I'm Proud To Be An American

2009-06-23T09:06:00.000-05:00

Feast Day of St. Thomas More
June 22, 2009

Come go with me, as I share my journal of this day's thoughts, all sparked by watching the video of the homecoming of an American soldier who gave his life for his country. As the mind goes here and there, especially when inspired by the nobility of others, so shall we go here and there, if you will go with me.

I have been reading an assortment of books this year. Recently I read Render Unto Caesar (Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life) by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap (the second Native American to be ordained bishop in the United States). What a great book! In fact, this book is so good, I have begun reading it again. It is a power-packed mini-course in American history, politics, citizenship and constitutional law and suitable for all people of Christian faith.

Our country has a monumental heritage! How tragic and how dangerous that studies show that Americans have a poor sense of our history. America was born Protestant, not a secular state. If we cut God out of our public life, we also cut the foundation out from under our national ideals. Being ignorant of our history, probably many are surprised to learn that the common metaphor "separation of church and state" is not found in our Constitution but was coined in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists on January 1, 1802, when he was trying to calm their fears. The metaphor was used exclusively to keep the state out of the church's business, not the other way around.

Being good students of the 50's, many of us know that the First Amendment's religion clause merely states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." It bars any official federal religion. Think Church of England. In addition, at the time of the framing of the Constitution and the First Amendment, various states had tax-supported established churches and wanted to keep them. Some continued to support their churches for decades after the Constitution took effect. The "establishment clause" does not and cannot mean for religious believers and communities to be silent in public affairs.

As to being silent, did you know that tolerance is not a Christian virtue and that tolerating grave evil within a society is itself a form of serious evil? (Examples of Christian virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope and charity.) Christians should not be silent in the public square about serious matters because of some misguided sense of good manners. Convictions should be expressed peacefully, legally and respectfully.

II.

I'm writing this on the feast day of St. Thomas More, June 22, 2009. Perhaps you have seen the movie about him, "A Man For All Seasons." I have a copy which my husband and I watched this year. More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children and chancellor of England. He was an intensely spiritual man, devoted to prayer and penance. He believed that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church. It cost him his life. He did not compromise his own moral values in order to please the king, knowing that true allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. He was beheaded on Tower Hill, London, July 6, 1535, when he refused to approve Henry VIII's divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England.

III.

Going on to the next books I am reading this year, as always, I have a book nearby on St. Francis. One of the good biographies is The Perfect Joy of Saint Francis by Felix Timmermans. St. Francis who impacted the social, economic, political, military and religious forces of his day - St. Francis who saw the imprint of God upon all creation and was an environmentalist long before the term was used - St. Francis who reached out to the Muslim world in respect and to the lepers in love and care - St. Francis who gave up everything to become everything. Second only to Jesus Christ, no other individual has ever made such a positive influence on the Church and the world we live in. He could change our world as he did his own.

IV.

At the moment, I am reading The Longest Day (The Classic Epic of D-Day, June 6, 1944) by Cornelius Ryan. What tragedy and sorrow there is in these pages for humankind and the loss of lives. Again I am reminded of St. Francis and that he wanted to become a knight during his youth. He could relate to our fallen warriors. In fact he participated in one of the bloodiest battles of his time when he was 20 years old in the year 1202. The war was between Perugia and Assisi.

The Battle of Collestrada that November was a massacre. The hills were covered in blood. Assisi was beaten. The slaughter was great. Assisi was appalled, and everywhere there was weeping and mourning for those who were lost – the brightest and the best, the old and the young, the noble and the common. Many from Assisi were taken prisoner, including Francis. He was released after about a year and was sick for a very long time. All in all, he was one of the lucky ones as he came home alive.

Today I watched the video of the homecoming of Staff Sgt. John Beale to Georgia. I wept. (Mary Jane Kelly Heisterkamp, who sent me the link to the video, was fortunate in that she was present to see his homecoming and the tribute made.) War is not good. But I was proud too as I watched. I was proud to be an American. The video exhibited some of the best traits of this country, often found in small towns of mostly simple folk, but no less so in our cities. As I finished watching, I thought a while and then began writing here, in this stream of consciousness, to conclude that each generation stands at the crossroads and must choose its path. Let us "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls'." (Jeremiah 6:16).

For myself, I am

a member of a family
a Catholic
a Franciscan
an American

and though family, Church, Order and Country have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, I am not ashamed for God is love and I am his child, walking down the ancient paths.

An American Soldier Comes Home

2009-06-23T07:47:00.004-05:00

All –

We live in Henry County, Georgia. Our county is named for Patrick Henry, one of our founding fathers and a one of our nation’s greatest patriots. The citizens of this county understand the patriot’s heart.

Last week Nelle, a neighbor and I were discussing how we are always amazed at the patriotism, valor and honor our servicemen demonstrate every day and how proud we are of their service.

A couple days later we heard that we recently lost one of our own in Afghanistan. SSG Beale.

He served proudly while his family and our communities prayed for his safety waiting nervously for his return. Last week he came home a hero. An American patriot. An inspiration and a solemn testament to the great sacrifices some must make each generation for the next.

When we heard of SSG Beale’s return, the citizens of our county rose up, stood on their feet and gathered at every street corner along the nearly 20 mile course from Falcon Field in Peachtree City in Fayette County to McDonough in Henry County.

Our neighborhood gathered at the corner with our flags waving and our hearts pounding as much with pride as sorrow as we ushered the procession down Jonesboro Road.

There were no community organizers. We didn’t need them. We instinctively know what to do. It’s a small thing to gather a few flags and a few friends together and stand in honor of a hero. A patriot. A neighbor.

Our communities are a wonderful blend of ethnic, religious and political orientations. On that day there were no whites or blacks, no Jews or Gentiles, Christians or Muslims, Democrats or Republicans, Liberals or Conservatives. We were all Americans. We understand the patriot’s heart. It beats in our chests.

The link below is a video shot from one of the patrol cars in the procession. This video will never win an award. But it’s a powerful testament to a community of citizen patriots, a tribute to our home town hero and the family who loaned him to our country as a down payment for the freedoms so many don’t appreciate.

Tears welled up in my eyes as SSG Beale’s procession passed – and again each time I watch this video.

Most of the people standing along the procession’s course probably didn’t know SSG Beale. But we knew his heart. We stand proudly in support of his family and raise them in our prayers.

You have a voice – the voice of a patriot. Stand proud and speak clearly. You are an American. You are not alone.

Mike

Sources: Letter from Mike received in an E-mail; tribute video made by Rep. Steve Davis. Link below.

http://blip.tv/play/AYGJ5h6YgmE

2009-05-25T11:31:00.004-05:00

Download PDF copy for distribution: http://www.davidmacd.com/downloads/when_does_life_begin_5x7.pdf

David MacDonald

Veilleurs dans la Nuit

2009-05-17T11:21:00.003-05:00

Veilleurs dans la Nuit

STUNNING DVD - The Monks of Le Barroux
The fine monks of Saint Mary Magdalene Monastery in Le Barroux, France are traditional Benedictines in full communion with the Holy See. They have produced a video DVD on their way of life. Le Barroux is a truly beautiful place with an amazing Catholic identity. At this monastery, all the monks who are priests say Mass only in the older, traditional form.

Order Information.

Fr. Corapi on Notre Dame Scandal

2009-05-08T17:50:00.001-05:00

At A Time of Disappointment

2009-04-26T10:25:00.003-05:00

O Jesus ! My Eucharistic Lord
you alone truly know me -you search the depths of my very soul ,
you know all my perplexities and fears....
I trust you, I trust you !
You know the longings and deepest desires of my heart,
I bow before your Holy Will, for all prayer is not of me,
but is your Spirit whispering within me.
Your silent NO is born of your LOVE!
I trust that your answer then will be at a better time, a greater grace, or a better gift.
I trust you...
Receive all my tears and transform them into blessings
for souls !!

Source: Poor Clare Colettines TMD

The Feast of Mercy

2009-04-19T09:57:00.003-05:00

During the course of Jesus' revelations to Saint Faustina on the Divine Mercy He asked on numerous occasions that a feast day be dedicated to the Divine Mercy and that this feast be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. The liturgical texts of that day, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, concern the institution of the Sacrament of Penance, the Tribunal of the Divine Mercy, and are thus already suited to the request of Our Lord. This Feast, which had already been granted to the nation of Poland and been celebrated within Vatican City, was granted to the Universal Church by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the canonization of Sr. Faustina on 30 April 2000. In a decree dated 23 May 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments stated that "throughout the world the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come."

These papal acts represent the highest endorsement that the Church can give to a private revelation, an act of papal infallibility proclaiming the certain sanctity of the mystic, and the granting of a universal feast, as requested by Our Lord to St. Faustina.

Concerning the Feast of Mercy Jesus said:

Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (Diary 300)

I want the image solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it. (Diary 341)

This Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies. (Diary 420)

On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.* On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will I contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary 699)

Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to our neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it. (Diary 742)

I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy. (Diary 1109)

As you can see the Lord's desire for the Feast includes the solemn, public veneration of the Image of Divine Mercy by the Church, as well as personal acts of veneration and mercy. The great promise for the individual soul is that a devotional act of sacramental penance and Communion will obtain for that soul the plenitude of the divine mercy on the Feast.

*The Cardinal of Krakow, Cardinal Macharski, whose diocese is the center of the spread of the devotion and the sponsor of the Cause of Sr. Faustina, has written that we should use Lent as preparation for the Feast and confess even before Holy Week! So, it is clear that the confessional requirement does not have to be met on the Feast itself. That would be an impossible burden for the clergy if it did. The Communion requirement is easily met that day, however, since it is a day of obligation, being Sunday. We would only need confession again, if received earlier in Lenten or Easter Season, if we were in the state of mortal sin on the Feast.

Source: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/index.htm

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R.

2009-04-18T10:11:00.002-05:00

Website of National Seelos Shrine & The Seelos Center, click here.

Prayers to Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R.

2009-04-18T09:59:00.003-05:00

O My God, I truly believe You are present with me.
I adore Your limitless perfections.
I thank You for the graces and gifts
You gave to Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos.
If it is Your holy will, please let him be declared a saint of the Church
so that others may know and imitate his holy life.
Through his prayers please give me this favor ...
(HERE MENTION YOUR SPECIAL INTENTIONS)

Composed by Byron Miller, C.Ss.R.:

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer,
let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in Your sight.
I offer praise to You for the grace You have bestowed
on Your humble missionary, Father Francis Xavier Seelos
May I have the same joyful vigorthat Father Seelos possessed during his earthly life
to love You deeply and live faithfully Your gospel.
Amen.

Divine Physician,
You infused Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos
with the gift of Your healing.
By the help of his prayers,
sustain in me the grace to know Your will
and the strength to overcome my afflictions.
For love of You, make me whole.
May I learn from the example of Father Seelos
and gain comfort from his patient endurance.Amen.
Bountiful God,
in Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, You have given Your people
a model for those who labor joyfully in Your earthly kingdom.
May his smile dwell on those who find life burdensome.
In him, our eyes continually behold the gentleness of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
Amen.

http://www.seelos.org/index.html

Ring All the Bells of Easter

2009-04-12T16:20:00.002-05:00

On Easter morning, 1799, the Austrian citizens of Feldkirch awoke to find their peaceful village besieged by the army of Napoleon. Knowing that the town’s defenses could not withstand an attack, those in authority hastily called a meeting to decide if they should hoist the white flag in surrender to the enemy.

The dean of the church rose first and addressed the somber assembly. "This is Easter Day," he said in a trembling voice. "This is the day of our King’s Resurrection. We must have one moment of triumph. Let us at least ring the bells. If the town falls, it falls; but we must ring all the bells of Easter."

His counsel prevailed, and soon, from the church towers the bells rang out their joyous sound; the vibrant music reverberated through the valleys and hills of Feldkirch, filling the frosty air with gladness.

The invaders, massed outside the gate, were confounded. Why should there be such celebration? Concluding that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to relieve the town, the French broke camp and were in full retreat before the bells stopped ringing.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T10:03:00.004-05:00

"The Exsultet is a poem, elements of which go back to St. Ambrose (+397). It is to be sung by a deacon (or priest or cantor) during the Easter Vigil as a hymn of praise to God for the light of the Paschal Candle. The text became part of the Roman liturgy around the 9th century. The text is theologically packed. It contains a summary of Easter’s mystery. Christ is risen: we too can rise in Him. This was prepared for from the fall of man, directed by a loving Father, and awaits only the end of the world, although our baptismal character allows us to live the reality now: Already, but not yet! "

Exsultet_2005.MP3 (15 MB)http://wdtprs.com/blog/podpress_trac/feed/6419/0/Exsultet_2005.MP3

Source: What Does The Prayer Say?

Exsultet from Easter Vigil Mass

2009-04-12T10:00:00.002-05:00

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God's throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.

Deacon: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Deacon: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Deacon: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is the night
when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night
when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father,
in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

(For it is fed by the melting wax,
which the mother bee brought forth
to make this precious candle.)

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

PASSOVER

2009-04-10T08:11:00.001-05:00

History of Passover video. (click to view video)
What is Passover? (click to view video)

Passover is a Jewish holiday which began this year at sundown on Wednesday April 8 and ends at nightfall on Thursday April 16 in the Diaspora (Wednesday April 15 in Israel).

All Jewish holidays begin at sundown because the Bible says it was evening and morning, the first day. Passover is special because it is central to the whole Jewish religion and marks the birth of the Jewish people as a nation led by Moses over 3000 years ago. It commemorates the departure of the nation of Israel from Egypt. The highlight of Pesach is the observance of the Seder, a unique ceremony performed on the first two evenings of Passover. At the Seder, different special foods are eaten and the story of the departure from Egypt is told. There is singing and special prayers.

According to the biblical account, the Hebrews were enslaved for four centuries in Egypt. God liberates them through a series of extraordinary plagues on the Egyptian people, their livestock and their land to break the will of Pharaoh. On the final night before the exodus, the Jews were told to slaughter a lamb, eat it, and put the blood of the lamb on the door posts so that the angel of God would know which houses are Hebrew houses. The angel passed over these houses, but killed the first born of the Egyptian homes. At dawn, the Hebrew nation made their exodus. The purpose of Passover is to remember this moment in the formation of the Jewish people.

The seder is a meal that commemorates the first night of Passover. The ritual meal includes food that carries special meaning. For example, herbs mark the bitterness of slavery. Matzah, the unleavened bread of the poor, represents the dryness of life under slavery. It represents the idea that the Jews had to prepare the meal in haste because they were leaving at dawn and there was no time to bake bread. There is a bone from the lamb to represent the lamb that was sacrificed on the eve of the exodus.

Source: click here

High Holy Days of Christianity and Easter Triduum

2009-04-10T08:08:00.002-05:00

This last Sunday was Palm Sunday. It marked the beginning of Holy Week, the time when Christians all over the world celebrate those events that constitute the central doctrines of our faith. On Palm Sunday, the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on the back of a lowly donkey. Jesus comes as a king whose rule is not about being served but serving.

The Easter Triduum occurs within Holy Week and is the culmination of the entire liturgical year, full of symbolism and sacred mysteries, mystery because the meaning is so profound as to be beyond any single explanation. It is a three-day period and celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ. The three days are counted as the Hebrews counted their days, from dusk to dusk. Therefore, the three days of the Easter Triduum are from dusk on Holy Thursday to dusk on Good Friday (day one), dusk on Good Friday to dusk on Holy Saturday (day two), and dusk on Holy Saturday to dusk on Easter Sunday (day three). Each of those days "tells" a different part of the story. We come to church at various times during those days, and when we are not in church, we try to live a quieter, simpler life, focusing more of our attention on Christ and less on the secular world.

Holy Thursday marks the end of Lent and the beginning of the Triduum. [click here for liturgical year] There is a service in the Church, centered around the story of the observance of Passover by Jesus and his followers before his crucifixion on Friday. There is a wonderful account of this Passover in the Gospel of John. Read and consider here the description of this extraordinary God. This God of humble love who dwells in inaccessible light and who came to dwell among us – this God who washes feet, pouring himself out for loving service, like water in a basin. On this night, he institutes the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood. He becomes the Lamb of God, broken bread and poured out wine, no longer bread but His Body, no longer wine, but His Blood.We remember his prayers and suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. Was this not where the battle was fought and the humanity of Christ cried out, "Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." What cup, we wonder. The Fourth Cup not consumed during the Passover but on the cross of Good Friday when Jesus is executed in the manner of the common criminal of his day.

Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence. We recall the suffering of Jesus in the scourging, the crowning with thorns, and the carrying of his cross down the Via Dolorosa. We remember his crucifixion and that something monumental has happened. God has died that we might live. We memorialize this in a Church service again. The service is a continuation of what began on Holy Thursday.

The Easter Triduum reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, celebrated on Saturday night. We recite the words: “Night truly blest when heaven is wedded to earth and man is reconciled with God!” This celebration is a long one. We proclaim with fire and song that Christ is risen. We listen to the Scripture stories of God's interaction with humankind from creation through to the resurrection. The joy continues on with Easter services on Sunday morning and songs of praise, “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”

Sources or other interesting links:
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=33089 http://www.nativity.org/Triduum.html http://www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2003/03-03-24triduum.htm http://www.zenit.org/article-25544?l=english

Holy Thursday: The God Who Washes Feet

2009-04-09T20:06:00.003-05:00

By Deacon Keith Fournier4/9/2009
Catholic Online (http://www.catholic.org/)

This God, before whom all the Nations will one day bend the knee, bends His human knee and washes feet.

CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) – On this Holy Thursday as we begin the great Triduum, the Three Days, we will read this wonderful account in the Gospel of St. John which reveals the depth of the Love of Jesus Christ and invites us into to a new way of living our lives now in Him: (continued reading here)

True Worship of God is the Cure for Insanity

2009-04-06T12:35:00.001-05:00

True Worship of God is the Cure for Insanity

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