Half way there!

Today marks the halfway point of this Lenten season. I am posting this upcoming Sunday, the 4th of Lent, today because we are going to be away this weekend. We are going to Cleveland to "The Catholic Family News" conference. We will be hearing some very interesting speakers, including John Vennari, the editor of "The Catholic Family News"; and Fr. Nicholas Gruner, the Fatima priest. The conference is entitled, "The Kingdom of God vs. the kingdom of Satan." It should be very good. I will report later on this. We will also be enjoying Masses said by Fr. Robert Jackson of the SSPX. It will be nice for me personally, because, since my conversion in 1982, I have been serving and teaching how to serve Mass since the Ecclesia Dei indult Mass started. I really like to see servers doing what they are suppose to do. Maybe I will get to serve. I did the last time we went. It's quite a thrill for me to do so. If only the boys could see that they GET to serve, instead of "I have to serve", it would be much more fulfilling for them. We're really looking forward to getting out of Dodge for even a few days.

I would like to end this post with some stanzas from the Triodion of the Greek Church. Some good sentiments for mid-Lent. Enjoy, and remember, we have some work to do.

'We have passed one half of our journey through the holy fast; let us, then, as it behooves us, joyfully complete what remains. Let us anoint our souls with the oil of good works, that we may be made worthy to celebrate the divine sufferings of Christ our Lord, and to be brought to his venerable and holy Resurrection.

Jesus, he that planted the vine and hired the laborers, is near at hand. Come, ye brave fasters! let us receive the reward; for he that pays us is rich and merciful. After our short favors, he will requite our souls with his mercy.

O God! thou Giver of life! open to me the gate of penance. My spirit keepeth watch in thy holy temple; but the temple of the flesh, which I have to carry with me, is defiled with many sins. Have pity on me, notwithstanding; and in thy tender mercy, cleanse me.

Come, let us, who are in the mystic Vine, produce fruits of penance. Here laboring, let our feasting be, not in meat and drink, but in prayer and fasting and good works. Our Lord, being pleased with our labor, will pay us with that, whereby he, the one God, rich in mercy, will forgive us the debt of our sins.'

Lord, Have mercy on us

3rd Sunday of Lent

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Lent. Apparently, in the primitive Church, it was call 'Scrutiny Sunday'. This was because that this was the day when catechumens were examined for their preparing of Baptism on Easter night. All the faithful were invited to assemble in the church, in order that they might bear testimony to the good life and morals of the candidates. The catechumen who is now expecting the grace of Baptism, and the penitent who is looking forward to the day of his reconciliation, express, in the Introit of today, the ardor of their longings. They humble confess their present misery; but they are full of hope in Him, who is soon to set them free from the snare.

In the Gospel today, Jesus casts out a devil from someone who is dumb. 'As soon as Jesus had cast out the devil, the man recovered his speech, for the possession had made him dumb. It is an image of what happens to a sinner, who will not, or dare not, confess his sin. If he confessed it, and asked pardon, he would be delivered from the tyranny which now oppresses him. Alas! how many there are who are kept back, by a dumb devil, from making the confession that would save them! The holy season of Lent is advancing; these days of grace are passing away; let us profit by them; and if we ourselves be in the state of grace, let us offer up our earnest prayers for sinners, that they may 'speak', that is, may accuse themselves in confession and obtain pardon.' From "The Liturgical Year".

The following is from the Mozarabic breviary:

Having now passed the fourteenth day of this season, which forms the tithe of our year, we lift up our eyes to thee, O Lord, who dwellest in heaven. Show mercy to the miserable, and heal them that are wounded. Grant that the journey we have begun may be prosperous. Direct our hearts in the way of thy commandments. Through thee may we find the way of light; through thee, may we be inflamed with the bright burning of thy love. Grant rest to our labours, and a home to us that labour; that having gained thy good pleasure by our observance of these days, we may deserve to be partakers of thy glory.

The Annunciation

Today is the day of the Annunciation to Our Lady that she is to be the Mother of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Can you imagine what the Angel Gabriel thought, being the one to bring her this great news. According to the "City of God", the Holy Trinity was present at this event, knowing that she would say "yes"! I can only imagine the joy of that day. It is just awesome to think about. The world is going to have, after all these years, the One Who is to come, the CHRIST!

I would like to add this sequence from the middle ages, from the Mass of the Annunciation:

God, the lover of man, sends to the Virgin no less an angel than him who is called God's Strength, the Archangel Gabriel.

May this strong messenger be speedily at his work; may he stay the rights and laws of nature in the Virgin's delivery.

May the King of glory, when born, triumph over nature; may he reign and command; may he take away from the midst of men all leaven and rust.

May he humble proud heads; may this God, mighty in war, trample in his power on the necks of the haughty.

May he cast forth the prince of this world; and make his Mother share with him the empire which his Father has given him.

Go forth, messenger of God, announce these gifts; lift up, by the virtue of thy Annunciation, the veil of the ancient Scripture.

Approach, tell thy announcement: say, when thou art in her presence, "Hail!" Say: "O full of grace!" Say: "The Lord is with thee!" And then: "Fear not!"

Receive, O Virgin! the divine deposit; by him fulfill thy chaste purpose, and keep thy vow.

The Maid hears and accepts the announcement; she believes and conceives, and brings forth a Son, but he is the Admirable.

The Counsellor of mankind, God and Man, Father of the world to come, the Prince of peace.

May his firmness render us firm, lest human frailty should make us stumble into the abyss.

But may the giver of pardon, granting us pardon and grace, obtained by the Mother of grace, swell within us.

May he that grants us pardon of our sins, wipe away all our guilt, and give us the country in the starry heaven. Amen.

I would like to add an interesting quote from an older book I got, "The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ." It was reproduced into English in 1944, and was written by the Most Rev. Alban Goodier, S.J. It is in a two volume set, of which I only found the second book, which is dealing with the last teachings of Christ until His death on the Cross. If anyone should find the first volume, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, please let me know. Anyway, here is the statement which I found most amusing, seeing what is going on in the world today. He is refuting the Sadducees and Pharisees, who are becoming more furious every minute, because He is in 'their' temple.

"...The people heard Him and were glad. They may not have understood; they were trained by their teachers to obey, not to understand..."

Do you think this is happening today, to make us sheep, following along without questioning anything?

Lord, have mercy on us and instill in us the gift of understanding.

2nd Sunday in Lent

Today is the 2nd Sunday in Lent, when we shall all about the Transfiguration of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Apostles who went with Him up to Mt. Tabor knew Him very well, and yet did not perhaps fully understand what He was all about. They fall asleep while He is praying! Let us not fall asleep when He shall make His presence known to us. Let us be ever awake concerning things of this world, and be ever vigilant in our daily duties. We shall ask His blessed mother, Mary, to help us and pray for us in our lives.

Hail Mary!

This is Saturday; let us have recourse to Mary, the refuge of sinners. Let us put under her maternal protection the humble penances we are now going through; for this end we may make use of the following sequence, taken from the Cluny missal:

Hail Mary, full of grace! dear Mother of Jesus, and hope of the world!

O gate of heaven!O temple of God! O haven of the sea, where sinners confidently seek shelter and repose.

Thou art the worthy bride of the great King, and, by thy powerful prayers, thou art kind and loving to all.

Thou art light to the blind, and a sure path to such as are lame. Thou art, by thy loving affection, both Martha and Mary to the needy.

Thou wast the flower among the thorns; the flower that, by its rich graces, bloomed to the divine Flower, thy Jesus.

Thou didst speak thy word, and then conceivedst the Word; thou didst give birth to the King of kings, thou that wast a pure Virgin.

Thou wast ever faithful to this King, thy Chile; and using a mother's privilege, thou didst feed Him at thy breast.

Now, thou art united with Him, and in reward for thy merits, thou art made the Queen of heaven and earth.

Then pray for us, O Queen, to Him that our King, beseeching Him to pardon us poor fallen sinners.

Show us thy wonted clemency, and, having obtained us the new life of remission of our sins, bring us to the kingdom, there to reign for ever. Amen.

40 days--1st Sunday of Lent

40 seems to be a very important number throughout history, especially in scripture. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai, and returned with the Law. Elias spent 40 days on Mount Horeb, then came down and is a figure of future prophets. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert prior to beginning his public teachings. The Church has never forgotten these figures, and now 'sends us out into the desert, that there we may learn from our Lord Jesus how we are to fight. Let us go; let us learn, from the temptations of our Divine Master, that the life of man upon earth is a warfare, and that, unless our fighting be truceless and brave, our life, which we would feign pass in peace, will witness our defeat. That such a misfortune may not befall us, the Church cries out to us, in the words of St. Paul(from his epistle to the Corinthians): BEHOLD! NOW IS THE ACCEPTABLE TIME. BEHOLD! NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION. Let us, in all things, comport ourselves as the servants of God, and keep our ground inflinchingly to the end of our holy campaign, God is watching over us, as He did over His beloved Son in the desert.'

Lord, teach us to do Your holy will!

Eternal rest grant unto him

I lost my best friend last night. Please pray for his soul. His name is Jim MacInness. Thank you.

Ashes to Ashes

"Remember, O man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou shalt return!"

Let us remember during this Lenten season, not just to give up something like candy and sweets, but to pray and fast in addition to these things. These penances, these satisfactions (which the indulgence of the Church has rendered so easy), being offered to God unitedly with those of our Saviour Himself, and being rendered fruitful by that holy fellowship which blends into one common propitiatory sacrifice the good works of all the members of the Church militant, will purify our souls, and make them worthy to partake in the grand Easter joy. Let us not, then, be sad because we are to fast; let us be sad ONLY because we have sinned which makes fasting a necessity.

Kyrie, eleison

Lord, that I may see

Today is Quinquagesima Sunday. Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. How much easier can it get than: "Lord, that I may see"? May we strive to see Christ and His Church clearer this Lent. If we ask, we can receive.

I'm bummed out lately. My best friend(outside of my wife), is dying. He has had the big "C" for a year, had a tumor removed, thought he had recovered, only to have it come back with a vengeance. He has two more tumors, which are incurable and inoperable, and is now pretty confined to a hospital bed in his living room. Doctors have told him that this type of cancer is just 'bad luck'. I sincerely hope that he can some kind of relief in his final days, knowing that Jesus loves him, even when he suffers because it brings him closer to Christ's sufferings, which He undertook for us. Please pray for him. His name is Jim.


I would like to end with a part of the canon from yesterday. It is called, the 'Complaint to Mary', composed by a monk named Euthymius, and is used in the Greek liturgy. It sums up our thoughts and feelings about our sins, I think.

"O blessed Lady! how shall I worthily lament over my impure life, and the multitude of my grievous sins? I know not how to address thee, most chaste Virgin! I tremble with fear; but do thou help me.

I will speak of my wickedness and my hateful sins; but where shall I begin? Alas! what will become of me, a wretched sinner? Do thou, O blessed Lady, have compassion on me before my departure from this life.

I, having gone in every path that sinner ever trod, how shall I find now the way of salvation, O Immaculate Virgin? Yet have I recourse to thy goodness; despise me not for I repent from my heart.

My thoughts are ever on the hour of death, and yet an evil habit violently tempts me to sin. O most pure Virgin, do thou help me.

The deadly enemy of all that is good, seeing me poor and naked, without patron or protector, and most destitute of heavenly virtue, rushes forward that he may devour me. O bless Lady! forbid him, and drive him far from me.

Alas, unhappy man! in the arrogance of my soul, I have defiled the image of God that was in me. Whither shall I now turn? Hasten to my assistance, O Virgin ever holy!

The choirs and hosts of Angels, the heavenly Powers, tremble in the presence of thy all-powerful Son, O Immaculate Mother! and I, who have nothing wherein to hope, am so devoid of fear!

Suffer me not, O blessed Lady! to perish in the pit of my sins, into which I have fallen. The cruel enemy sees me struggling in despair, and mocks me. Do thou stretch forth thy hand, that can so well deliver me.

Awful is the judgment of God, unhappy senseless soul! and everlasting is the punishment. But turn thee, whilst yet there is time, and prostrate in prayer before the Mother of thy Judge and Lord. Why wouldst thou despair?

O Immaculate Virgin! the multitude of my grievous sins has set a thick darkness around me; the eyes of my soul, and my understanding, are blinded. Wherefore, I beseech thee, quickly lead me, by the brightness of thy light, to sweet freedom from my passions.

Grant me an unceasing sorrow, O blessed Lady, and a fount of tears, that I may wash away my countless sins and wounds, and gain eternal life.

Lo! I thy servant, most sinless Virgin! approach thee in deep reverence and love, for I know the power of thy prayer. Great, indeed, with her Son, is the power of the Mother's prayer, and His heart is moved when she asks, O most blessed Mother!

O Mother worthy of the whole world's praise! thy Son will be to me a merciful and compassionate Judge. Despise me not, but let me find favour in His sight, that He may set me on the right hand of His most just tribunal; for in thee have I put my trust."