This blog is simply an exercise in self-expression which has been yearning for an outlet for some time. It’s called TiPSI Mom because I’m joining my husband (the TiPSI Dad) in blogging about being a family of Two Parents on a Single Income raising seven kids.
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Monsignor Furretti is, at the moment, top cat. It seems to be a pretty fluid arrangement – sometimes one appears to be in the ascendant, then the other. Anyway, Furretti has been monopolising my bed, the top of the wardrobe, and the cat beds. Miaowrini has had to try and find herself other spots; however, each time she identifies somewhere comfortable, Furretti decides that
she
wants it. The exception is when I’m in bed – Furretti likes the attention, and so sleeps with me. So far, the only spot Miaowrini has been unchallenged is on the chair by my computer… and given that Furretti has ousted her from all the other spots, I haven’t got the heart to move her.
I’ve found that I’m actually checking to see if the cat is out so that I can sit down at my computer… If she’s already curled up on the chair, I leave her alone (apart from tickling her on the tummy as I pass – she likes that!) Today, I managed to get to the chair first, so she had to slum it on the sofa…
Meanwhile, Monsignor Furretti has been ill. I noticed her drooling a lot on Thursday, and on Good Friday morning found that the spot she had been sleeping on was pretty wet. She felt a bit thinner than usual, and her fur suddenly looked scraggy, as if she hadn’t been grooming herself. I also noticed that, when I fed her a couple of her absolute-favourite-go-mad-for-cat-treats, she spent rather a lot of time licking her chops.
I was rather worried, and phoned a local vet. The nurse reassured me, and advised me to leave it another day – not least because the basic examination fee, not including treatment, was pretty astronomical. Nevertheless, given that Furretti was obviously hungry, but off her food at the same time (a weird combination, I know) I decided to go to the local supermarket after Stations to get some smoked salmon. It’s the feline equivalent of chicken soup, in my opinion, and I was worried. I thought that I could be forgiven for going shopping on Good Friday since it was for the cat, and not for myself…
By the time I got home, Furretti was out. I called her name through the catflap, and, after a brief delay (ten minutes during which I had visions of a dead or dying cat under a bush) she came in, closely followed by Miaowrini. I distracted Miaowrini with a large piece of salmon, and proceeded to feed Furretti her share in tiny slivers. They disappeared pretty quickly, and Furretti brightened up considerably. I have to say that, not having eaten anything myself, the feeding of smoked salmon to two cats proved to be quite an arduous penance.
When I got back home after the Afternoon Liturgical Action of the Passion, Furretti had obviously been grooming herself, she looked a lot less scraggy, and she even managed to eat some cat biscuits. She had a good night, and didn’t drool as far as I could see, and so I decided to forego the trauma of the vet…
When I got home after the Vigil this evening, Miaowrini was looking a little sorry for herself. There was evidence that she had thrown up a furball, but it looked as though she’d lost dinner too. Out came the rest of the smoked salmon, and I found myself feeding small slivers to the two cats, one after the other. Much purring and guzzling of salmon ensued. Both cats looked rather pleased with themselves, and have now gone out of the catflap.
It occurred to me that I’m being played for a mug…
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Support Stephen Woodworth’s motion to strike a committee to study when human life actually begins. Let’s at least put some limits on abortion, if not ban it completely.
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One of global Catholicism’s most prominent chroniclers, Rocco Palmo has held court as the “Church Whisperer” since 2004, when the pages you’re reading were launched with an audience of three, grown since by nothing but word of mouth, and kept alive throughout solely by means of reader support.
A former US correspondent for the London-based international Catholic weekly The Tablet, Palmo’s served as a church analyst for The New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, BBC, NBC, CNN, National Public Radio and many other mainstream print and broadcast outlets worldwide.
A native of Philadelphia, Rocco Palmo attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 2010, he received a Doctorate of Humane Letters honoris causa from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St Louis.
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Joseph went to a children’s Stations of the Cross at our parish Church on Good Friday, and they were also running some Good-Friday-appropriate activities for children too; a make-a-cross craft, and colouring-in, and a telling of the Easter story.
In the afternoon after the Good Friday liturgy we came home and made a Divine Mercy Novena counter. I thought, dear Joseph, that you are probably old enough to take part in some way in the Divine Mercy novena, which begins on Good Friday, and that this was a good way for you to get involved. Each morning, for the next 9 days we will say the Divine Mercy novena prayers after breakfast, and it is your job to move the Jesus figure one place along the counter to keep track of which day we are on for the novena.
We had a hot cross bun in the evening (Leo you wolfed down two!) and the fact we gave some away to neighbours meant that there were calls for mamma to make another batch of a dozen to enjoy the next day too!
On Holy Saturday Joseph you helped make a traditional
, ready to be eaten after our Easter Sunday feast! You were very good; only sneaking 2 of the glacee cherries! We also learned the difference between raisins, sultanas and currants! (basically, the type of grape they are from).
We also decorated Easter eggs; one was boiled with red onion skin to make a marbled effect, and the the rest we drew on with wax crayons and then rolled in food colouring!
You boys are now both tucked up in bed, and the table downstairs is laid with the best table cloth upon which are your Easter baskets filled with a big chocolate egg and other surprise goodies. I’ll be making a special breakfast of pancakes and Super Berry smoothies, and then into the garden, if it’s not raining, to pick wild flowers to decorate our crown of thorns.
Then off to morning Mass to truely celebrate the resurection of Our Lord!
We’ll then bake some simple Easter biscuits after Mass before heading to see Nonna for an Easter feast!
Yey! Easter!
For my own future reference, here is the Divine Mercy printable
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Comme à chaque printemps, le Peuple chrétien se rassemble, durant la Sainte Semaine, autour de la croix, du pain et du vin, du feu nouveau et de l’eau baptismale. Il y puise aux sources de sa vie : le cœur ouvert du Crucifié, fontaine inépuisable capable d’assouvir nos soifs les plus angoissantes qui sans cesse aspirent vers une vie qui nous fuit.
Depuis le repas d’un certain Jeudi soir, la table est prête et le vin est versé. « Prenez et mangez, ceci est mon corps livré et rompu pour vous. Buvez, ceci est mon sang versé jusqu’à la dernière goutte pour vous » (Matthieu 26,26-29). Le raisin écrasé est devenu sang généreux et don de vie (Jean 15,1ss).
Depuis le coup de lance au cœur, la source jaillit, généreuse, au centre de l’Église. « Aussitôt, il en sortit du sang et de l’eau » (Jean 19,34). Du côté du Nouvel Adam endormi surgit l’Église. L’eau du baptême et le sang de l’eucharistie sont pour toujours les rendez-vous de la fête et de la vie.
est né pauvre, n’ayant qu’une crèche pour l’accueillir et des gens méprisés pour l’admirer. Il a travaillé de ses mains pour gagner sa vie. Il a multiplié les paroles et les gestes de miséricorde. Puis ridiculisé, bafoué, renié, abandonné, il est mort sur une croix. Mais il est ressuscité!
Le grain de blé enfoui en terre s’est relevé épi, communauté (Jean 12,24). L’abandonné sur la croix s’est relevé peuple immense. Le Vendredi Saint et Pâques sont devenus fêtes d’une vie donnée en abondance. Oui, aux sources de la vie, tout un peuple vient puiser.
De ses plaies suinte ma guérison. Son dernier cri me donne le pardon. Son souffle m’envahit. Une folle soif me hante : le voir face à face, lui, le Ressuscité et en témoigner dans ce monde qui se sent si seul.
Mais il me redit sans cesse qu’il me faut d’abord le reconnaître défiguré et caché sous les espèces de l’affamé, de l’assoiffé, de l’étranger, du malade, du prisonnier. Toute personne opprimée, c’est Jésus Crucifié. Et, pour ressusciter, il attend de moi un regard de tendresse sur sa face défigurée.
† Roger Ébacher
Évêque émérite de Gatineau
Originally posted here:
hat is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great
silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was
in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the
ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.
Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to
visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the
prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and
Adam’s son.
The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam,
the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out
to all: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And
with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O
sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your
descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth,
and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.
‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner
in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man,
work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go
hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.
‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your
form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under
the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead;
for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and
crucified in a garden.
‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order
to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my
cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own
image.
‘See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load
of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for
a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil
one.
`I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in
paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your
side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked
the sword which was turned against you.
‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of
paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of
heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am
united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would
slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.
“The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and
waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting
houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been
opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages.“
A reading from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday
Taken from -
Consider a moment of clarity from my own experience. In Governor John Engler’s first few months in office in 1991 he pushed to eliminate a state program called General Assistance (GA). It was a welfare program for the able-bodied. Engler was eventually successful, and today many Michiganians would not even remember there was such a program. But in those days the debate was fierce.I was on leave from Hillsdale College at the time to serve as Deputy State Treasurer for Taxation and Economic Policy, and as such was with the governor at an event at the Detroit Athletic Club. After the speech, Engler was interviewed by a reporter from The Economist magazine.
“Governor, what are you going to say to the Michigan people when the first person who no longer gets General Assistance freezes to death?”asked the reporter.
My reaction was: “Gee, governor, what are you going to say?”
But Engler’s answer was right on point. “I will ask where this person’s family was?” he replied.
from
Remember, a couple of summers ago, when there was a heat wave in France? and hundreds of elderly people died in their apartments. The reason? no one checked on them. Their children were all off vacationing and no one called to see if they were okay. How our hearts grow cold.
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The corpse of Christ is a shocking image, but one which we need to see–much as we need to see Gibson’s Passion, and just as we need to see the starved victims of Auschwitz, the dismembered remains of aborted babies or the dead babies thrown in the trash. We need to see the starving children of Africa and the emaciated faces of crackheads and drunks and homeless people.
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This morning I was awakened by a text message on my phone that read: Something Strange is happening! Immediately I knew who sent the message; it was from my friend Michael. Ever since we were friars together in formation we would relish the Liturgy of the Hours of Easter Saturday morning which includes a powerful ancient homily about Christ’s descent into Hell to free Adam. It is so powerful and poignant. I hope you enjoy it.
Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.
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We were extremely fortunate to be able to have a Solemn High Mass for Palm Sunday. The Palm Sunday liturgy isn’t for the faint-hearted, though – with the blessing of palms, the outdoor procession and the chanting of the St. Matthew Passion it is just over two and a half hours long. It’s such an amazing visual and aural feast that it doesn’t
feel
like it’s that long, but it does require some advance planning for lunch…
The photos are just a little late in getting uploaded – actually, I did upload them a few days ago, but needed the Senior MC to check my descriptions. Using two cameras, one on BST and one on GMT, meant that the photo order got a little muddled. However, you can see a few more over on
.
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Life at the friary here in Syracuse does have some interesting perks. One of these perks is getting the New York Times every day. A few days ago I was reading the Time’s coverage of the Pope’s Chrism Mass homily (April 5, 2012). It presented the homily as a shockingly direct rebuke to some priests in Austria who were daring to challenge the authority and teaching of the Church. Here is how the NYT characterized B16’s homily:
Striking a characteristically inquisitive yet uncompromising stance, he asked whether such moves were aimed at “true renewal,” or “do we merely sense a desperate push to do something to change the church in accordance with one’s own preferences and ideas?”
I have to admit that if I was one of the priests who had started this movement and heard the Pope directly speak about me at the Chrism Mass I would probably be soiling my pants about now. And yes, it was a rather direct message. If you’ve never actually read any of B16’s (or Joseph Ratzinger’s) writings you would not know that he often does write in a very simple and direct fashion. He can be quite surprising in his questioning and reflection.
But the problem I have is this. I did not only read the NYT that day. As is my custom, I begin every day with an online review of much of the news: Reuters, CBC, CTV, LaPresse, Toronto Star, Twitter, New.va, Whispers in the Loggia, and I had already read the Pope’s entire homily online. I was shocked by how biased a presentation the news reports were making of the homily. Yes B16 was quite direct about the intentions of people challenging the Church. Here’s the main passage about this:
Recently a group of priests from a European country issued a summons to disobedience, and at the same time gave concrete examples of the forms this disobedience might take, even to the point of disregarding definitive decisions of the Church’s Magisterium, such as the question of women’s ordination, for which Blessed Pope John Paul II stated irrevocably that the Church has received no authority from the Lord. Is disobedience a path of renewal for the Church? We would like to believe that the authors of this summons are motivated by concern for the Church, that they are convinced that the slow pace of institutions has to be overcome by drastic measures, in order to open up new paths and to bring the Church up to date. But is disobedience really a way to do this?
BUT… that’s not all he said. Read some of the rest:
But let us not oversimplify matters. Surely Christ himself corrected human traditions which threatened to stifle the word and the will of God? Indeed he did, so as to rekindle obedience to the true will of God, to his ever enduring word. His concern was for true obedience, as opposed to human caprice.
Let us ask again: do not such reflections serve simply to defend inertia, the fossilization of traditions? No. Anyone who considers the history of the post-conciliar era can recognize the process of true renewal, which often took unexpected forms in living movements and made almost tangible the inexhaustible vitality of holy Church, the presence and effectiveness of the Holy Spirit. And if we look at the people from whom these fresh currents of life burst forth and continue to burst forth, then we see that this new fruitfulness requires being filled with the joy of faith, the radicalism of obedience, the dynamic of hope and the power of love.
The Church is not about inertia or the fossilization of traditions! Wow. Really, Pope Benedict said that? Yes, he’s a much more complicated person than most imagine and not easily stuffed into a neat little box. He makes me nuts when he wears his fiddle-back vestments and lace of the Tridentine liturgy but he equally makes the extreme traditionalist crazy by refusing to turn back the clock on the vision of Vatican II.
So, a word of caution. Don’t believe everything you read in the papers. Read many sources and find out the truth for yourself!
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Originally posted here -
My column on Easter, and the longer monologue I delivered on the same theme on The Arena on Good Friday. The column is syndicated across the entire Sun chain in Canada.
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Here is the reading today from the office of readings, an ancient homily for Holy Saturday. Liturgically speaking, Holy Saturday is the quietest day of the year- the time between Jesus’ death, and his resurrection which takes place at the Easter Vigil, technically Easter Sunday. I found it on the Vatican Website. It has long been one of my favorite homilies, because Holy Saturday has always seemed to be such a quiet day in the midst of a very busy week – especially when I try to put myself into the shoes of the apostles, who would have distinctly felt the emptiness and loneliness. I bring it forward each year, because it’s so much clearer and deeper than what I myself could write.
“What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.
Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam’s son.
The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.
‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.
‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.
‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.
‘See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.
`I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.
‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.
“The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages.”
Original post:
Voici quelques photos du Chemin de la Croix d’hier; here are some photos from yesterday’s Way of the Cross (thanks to Heri Riesbeck).
* * * * * *
ANCIENNE HOMELIE POUR LE SAMEDI-SAINT
Mais que se passe-t-il donc ? Un grand silence règne aujourd’hui sur la terre, un grand silence et une grande solitude ; un grand silence parce que le Roi dort. La terre a tremblé puis s’est calmée parce que Dieu s’est endormi dans la chair, et il a réveillé ceux qui dormaient depuis des siècles.
Dieu est mort dans la chair et il a ébranlé les enfers. Il s’en va bien sûr chercher le premier père, comme la brebis perdue. Il veut aller visiter ceux qui sont assis dans les ténèbres et dans l’ombre de la mort : Adam le captif, Ève la captive, à qui il va pour les délivrer de leurs douleurs, lui leur Dieu et leur fils. Le Seigneur a pénétré jusqu’à eux brandissant l’arme de sa victoire : la Croix.
Dès qu’il l’a vu, Adam le premier père, saisi de stupeur, s’est écrié en se frappant la poitrine : « Mon Seigneur soit avec tous ». Et le Christ a répondu à Adam : « Et avec ton esprit ». Et lui prenant la main, il a dit : « Réveille-toi, toi qui dors, lève-toi d’entre les morts, et tu seras illuminé par le Christ ».
Je suis ton Dieu, qui pour toi s’est fait ton fils, pour toi et ceux qui naîtraient de toi. Et voici que maintenant, à ceux qui se trouvaient dans les liens, j’ordonne avec puissance : « sortez ».
À ceux qui étaient plongés dans les ténèbres je déclare : « à vous la lumière» ; et à ceux qui s’étaient assoupis je dis : « debout ». Je te le commande : Éveille-toi ; toi qui dors : je ne t’ai pas créé pour les liens de l’enfer. Lève-toi d’entre les morts ; moi, je suis la Vie des morts. Debout, toi qui es l’œuvre de mes mains. Debout, ton visage est le mien ; tu as été créé à mon image. Lève-toi, sortons d’ici ; car tu es en moi et je suis en toi. Nous sommes une seule personne ; on ne peut nous séparer.
À cause de toi, moi ton Dieu, je me suis fait ton fils. À cause de toi, moi, ton Maître, je me suis présenté comme ton esclave ; moi qui habite au dessus des cieux, je suis venu sur la terre et sous la terre. À cause de toi, ô homme, je me suis fait homme ; j’ai renoncé à tout secours, ne trouvant plus de liberté que chez les morts. Pour toi qui sortis jadis du jardin, j’ai été livré aux Juifs dans un jardin et crucifié dans un autre.
Vois sur mon visage, les crachats que j’ai reçus pour te rendre ton visage, celui du souffle originel. Vois les traces des gifles sur mes joues : il me fallait refaire à l’image de la mienne ta face corrompue. Regarde sur mon dos les marques de la flagellation que j’ai endurée pour te décharger du poids de tes péchés. Vois mes mains percées de ces clous qui m’ont fixé au bois, parce que tu avais tendu la main vers le bois pour le mal.
Je me suis endormi sur la croix, et la lance a percé mon côté parce que tu t’es endormi au Paradis ; Ève était alors sortie de ton flanc. Mon sommeil t’arrachera à celui de l’enfer. Mon glaive détournera celui qui te menaçait.
Debout, sortons d’ici. L’ennemi t’a arraché du Paradis. Moi, je te donne place, non plus au Paradis, mais sur un trône céleste. Lui t’a fermé l’accès à l’arbre de vie. Mais moi qui suis la Vie dont l’arbre était le type, je ne fais plus qu’un avec toi. J’avais établi les chérubins pour ton service. Désormais, ils te comprendront dans le culte qu’ils doivent à Dieu.
Le trône a donc été dressé au dessus d’eux. Les porteurs sont là, disponibles. On a installé le lit. Les mets ont été apprêtés. Les tabernacles et les demeures de l’Éternité ont été ornés, les trésors qui contiennent tous les biens sont ouverts et le Royaume des Cieux qui fut préparé avant les siècles est devant toi.
* * * * * *
NEW ENGLISH EXSULTET FOR EASTER VIGIL
RESTORES REFERENCES TO BEES
A interesting notice from the New Liturgical Movement website:
Recently one of our priests sent in some photos with a brief note about a Paschal candle that he, himself, undertook to design for his parish. He commented to me that “in honor of the return of the bees to the Exsultet” he incorporated them into the design.
What he is referring to, of course, is the absence of the references to the bees in the former English translation of the Exsultet in the previous English edition of the OF Missal. They are back — though they never left the Latin text itself of course. Here are the relevant parts of the newly revised and corrected English translation:
This is the night of which it is written:
The night shall be as bright as day, dazzling is the night for me,
and full of gladness.
The sanctifying power of this night dispels all wickedness,
washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners,
drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.
On this, your night of grace, O holy Father,
accept this candle, a solemn offering,
the work of bees and of your servants’ hands,
an evening sacrifice of praise, this gift from your most holy Church.
But now we know the praises of this pillar,
which glowing fire ignites for God’s honour,
a fire into many flames divided,
yet never dimmed by sharing of its light,
for it is fed by melting wax,
drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious.
* * * * * *
The Solemnity of Easter (Year “B”) – April 8, 2012
THE RISEN JESUS MISSIONS MARY MAGDALENE
[Texts: Acts 10.34a, 36-43 [Psalm 118]; Colossians 3.1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5.6b-8; Mark 16.1-8, John 20.1-18 or 1-9]
The Easter celebration begins at the Vigil when the gospel reading is Mark’s account of the discovery of the empty tomb. This text may also be proclaimed at day-time Masses.
Mark says the faithful women who went to anoint Jesus’ body “fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid”. If, as I believe, this is how Mark’s gospel ended—without resurrection appearances—it leaves readers wondering how the gospel message of Jesus’ resurrection became known.
Mark’s abrupt ending challenges people to make a personal decision regarding the truth implied by the discovery of the empty tomb. Other explanations for the empty tomb–the disciples stole the body and perpetrated a hoax in proclaiming the resurrection or someone else took the body of Jesus away–must yield to the Christian conviction that Jesus has risen from the dead.
Christian readers believe the Good News that Jesus rose from the dead “on the third day”. They have heard, too, that the apostles proclaimed the gospel and some were martyred for the faith. They understand that what Jesus had promised the night before he died had truly come to pass (“after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee” [14:28]). Jesus reunited his followers in Galilee and sent them on mission.
As Peter says in the reading from Acts, “God raised [Jesus] on the third day and allowed Him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead”.
Perhaps the open-ended conclusion to Mark’s gospel should be seen, then, as an invitation to readers to believe the message of the resurrection. During Eastertide, Christians contemplate the disciples’ meetings with Jesus and His commissions. They must imagine themselves being called by Christ today to put into action in their lives their belief in a Lord who is simultaneously the crucified (“you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified”) and risen Lord (“he has been raised”).
At Masses on Easter morning, the gospel reading is generally taken from John’s gospel. In its shorter form, Mary Magdalene informs Peter and the Beloved Disciple (“the other disciple”) her suspicion that someone has stolen the body of Jesus (“they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him”).
After running to the tomb and reaching it first, the Beloved Disciple hesitated before entering. In keeping with his headstrong personality, Peter entered immediately and—we must imagine—remained wondering at “the linen wrappings lying there” and the cloth “that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself”. Unlike Lazarus, who had to be helped with his linen wrappings (cf. John 11.44), Jesus simply left the trappings of death behind at his resurrection.
This shorter version concludes with the Beloved Disciple coming to faith in the resurrection of Jesus, even though “as yet they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead”. The other disciple “saw and believed” that Jesus had triumphed over death and the ruler of this world (cf. John 12.31; 14.30; 16.33). The rest would come that evening when Jesus would breathe the Holy Spirit upon the apostles (20.19-23).
In the longer form of the gospel story, the appearance of the Risen Lord to Mary—during which he calls her by name—is narrated. Staying behind after Peter and the other disciple had left the tomb, Mary received personal knowledge of her risen Lord (“Mary”… “Rabbouni”). In his address as the Good Shepherd, Jesus claimed to know his own and that they knew him (John 10.14). Told now not to cling to him, because his glorification was as yet incomplete, Mary received the commission that remains her glory as the ‘apostle to the apostles’.
Jesus charged her, “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’”. The evangelist tells us that, unlike what we know of the frightened women in Mark’s gospel, Mary did as she was told by Jesus.
Link:
Chemin de la Croix d’Ottawa Way of the Cross (Photos) – Le Samedi saint – Easter Sunday (Year "B")
One of our blog’s faithful
recently recommended Hemingway’s “
” in one of his
, and I decided to check it out just to show that we really do appreciate our readers’ comments. It is a short play concerning the conversation between three soldiers who were on guard during the crucifixion of Jesus. I find it quite an interesting read. All three soldiers bring intriguing perspectives in their own rights, but I will focus on the third soldier.
Throughout the entire play, he suffers from some kind of a stomach pain. He pleads with the other two to return to the barracks with him because he “feel(s) like hell tonight”, but stresses that it is neither because of the drinks nor the boys’ night out; he simply feels like hell. We can make an educated guess that he is referring to how he feels after what transpired during the day, that is, the crucifixion.
I find Hemingway’s portrayal of the third soldier very striking: it touches upon a key aspect of the Holy Saturday, one which is highlighted by the theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. In his book Prayer, von Balthsar writes that to “… contemplate Holy Saturday is to contemplate the collapse of heaven into the horrors of the nether world”. It is literally like having the ground fall away under you. Imagine that. A hopeless free fall into nothingness.
It is tempting for us to dodge this feeling of the third soldier, to “feel like hell” because our Saviour has died. Just quickly gloss over it, utter it under our breath before quickly arriving at His Resurrection where sin and death no longer have the final word. We can also see everything through “linear time” and treat it as a mere historical event: “Yes, it has happened. A few tears were shed. But why dwell on it when the Lord has resurrected?”
We can only speak of the Resurrection of Christ because of His dying on the Cross. If we believe that Christ truly descended into hell after His death, then we must follow His path; but in what sense? Von Balthasar comments that we as the Church must, in some way, begin to contemplate this mystery of the Holy Saturday if we are serious about following Christ. This void of feeling like hell has its place in our own lives, both individually and as a part of the mystical Body of Christ.
Perhaps it is worth taking a few quiet moments today to sit with this aspect of Holy Saturday – to be like the third soldier – so to better comprehend in an incarnate way what the Resurrection means to us.
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April7
Our first idea for this month’s theme is our tried and true (my favorite) idea. Over the years I take photos of youth group events. Many of our students attend youth group from grade 6 – 12 so I have lots of pics! When it comes time for them to graduate I:
Make cards for them using pictures from all their years at youth group.
HOW:
Collect photos of each of your grads. Arrange them in a full one-sided one-page document that says “Con’grad’ulations, Matthew!!!” (or whatever their name is) in bold across the top. Somewhere on the page I also include this piece of clip art. I then colour-print the document onto a piece of card stock. On the last night of youth group I put all the “grad cards” out on tables with plenty of pens. I encourage all the youth members and leaders to sign the back of the cards for our grads (they usually run out of room and start signing between the pictures on the front, but that’s ok!)
** EXTRA NOTES: Make sure you sign them all too!! And be sure to mail/deliver the cards to any graduates who missed that last night of youth group!**
WHY:
Because you love your kids, you’re going to miss them like mad-crazy and you want them to have a nice reminder of their youth group years.
Even more than that, having reminders like this are super-important. Over and over again I talk to youth who have graduated from our ministry who are disappointed because there is nothing out there quite like youth group for them, as adults. Youth group is an incredibly important time in their lives when they are close to Jesus, close to the church and even close to themselves. It’s great for them to have a tangible reminder of the years and stages they went through.
Plus, people write really sweet and encouraging things on their grad-cards. Very few of our students go to the same school (our YG members come from all over the city and beyond), so having something slightly akin to a yearbook that their YG friends can sign is great!
Original source:
On March 17, 2012, 39 young women, representing one person for each year of legalized abortion in America, set out to walk nearly 250 miles of open road for a 21-day journey from the nation’s largest abortuary located in Houston,TX, to the federal courthouse in Dallas, TX where Roe v Wade was born.
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