Two weeks ago I made an urgent appeal for my dearest sister Mary in her our of need. All of you responded with an avalanche of prayers! Let me thank you for your kindness and for your Faith.
Mary came through her surgical procedure and is doing well in spite of the diagnosis of a chronic problem that is at the very least debilitating. I believe she is still with us because of the prayers of those who truly care about this great lady.
Mary will continue to need prayers as she tries to continue her Prayer and Rosary Ministry. Without your help with this, it will not be possible. I am asking that particularly during these 40 days that we keep Mary in our prayers that she may be able to pray for all the souls who need it just as desperately. Let us continue to beg favor with Our Lord that she have the health to continue to make the world’s most beautiful Rosaries and Faith Jewelry that give honor to Our most Blessed Mother.
Please consider joining her in her project “Paters for Peace” on FB. AS usual, my dearest sister always puts Our Lord first. I promise to keep all of you in my prayers daily (as I do now) in thanksgiving for your generosity in praying for her.
Thanks so much for all the kind prayers and concern .. it’s truly very much appreciated. Although the biopsy for temporal arteritis was negative (as is over 60+%), it unfortunately doesn’t mean it’s POSITIVELY negative lol … It can also be giant cell ateritis, but I think they’re leaning more towards trigeminal neuralgia at this point. I think we’re just waiting for things to either go away or get worse while we pursue more diagnostic tests … I’m hoping the sed rate is normal next time they take blood Time will tell .. meanwhile, I feel like I have a gazillion hands all over my head and face, just about touching. Kind of how you’d feel after a slap in the face actually. Some intermittent pains here and there all over, but nothing we can’t handle, praise God. Trying to stagger the steroids, so no additional problems come about … good timing for trials though I’d also like to encourage folks to look into living the Divine Will and participating in the Hours of the Passion that can be found here: http://www.passioiesus.org/en/horasdelapasion/distribucion.htm
This devotion has been heaven sent as far as I’m concerned. The perspective and insight into the Passion is much greater than anything I’ve ever experienced and makes you never want to leave His Side. Praise be His Holy and magnificent Name! Again .. thanks so much for the prayer, kind thoughts and concern … to Sofia & Sean for posting and for all that have participated in storming heaven on my behalf … you all remain in my daily 3pm’s. Blessings!
~Mary
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
FOR LENT 2012
“Let us be concerned for each other,
to stir a response in love and good works” (Heb 10:24)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.
This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews:“ Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works”. These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord “sincere in heart and filled with faith” (v. 22), keeping firm “in the hope we profess” (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of “love and good works” (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters. The author states that to sustain this life shaped by the Gospel it is important to participate in the liturgy and community prayer, mindful of the eschatological goal of full communion in God (v. 25). Here I would like to reflect on verse 24, which offers a succinct, valuable and ever timely teaching on the three aspects of Christian life: concern for others, reciprocity and personal holiness.
1. “Let us be concerned for each other”: responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.
This first aspect is an invitation to be “concerned”: the Greek verb used here is katanoein, which means to scrutinize, to be attentive, to observe carefully and take stock of something. We come across this word in the Gospel when Jesus invites the disciples to “think of” the ravens that, without striving, are at the centre of the solicitous and caring Divine Providence (cf. Lk 12:24), and to “observe” the plank in our own eye before looking at the splinter in that of our brother (cf. Lk 6:41). In another verse of the Letter to the Hebrews, we find the encouragement to “turn your minds to Jesus” (3:1), the Apostle and High Priest of our faith. So the verb which introduces our exhortation tells us to look at others, first of all at Jesus, to be concerned for one another, and not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for “privacy”. Today too, the Lord’s voice summons all of us to be concerned for one another. Even today God asks us to be “guardians” of our brothers and sisters (Gen 4:9), to establish relationships based on mutual consideration and attentiveness to the well-being, the integral well-being of others. The great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognize in others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts. The Servant of God Pope Paul VI stated that the world today is suffering above all from a lack of brotherhood: “Human society is sorely ill. The cause is not so much the depletion of natural resources, nor their monopolistic control by a privileged few; it is rather the weakening of brotherly ties between individuals and nations” (Populorum Progressio, 66).
Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is “generous and acts generously” (Ps 119:68). The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of “spiritual anesthesia” which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus’ parables by way of example. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite “pass by”, indifferent to the presence of the man stripped and beaten by the robbers (cf. Lk 10:30-32). In that of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man is heedless of the poverty of Lazarus, who is starving to death at his very door (cf. Lk 16:19). Both parables show examples of the opposite of “being concerned”, of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters? Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of “showing mercy” towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. “The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it” (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of “those who mourn” (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.
“Being concerned for each other” also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church or in those communities that are truly mature in faith, those which are concerned not only for the physical health of their brothers and sisters, but also for their spiritual health and ultimate destiny. The Scriptures tell us: “Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it. Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more” (Prov 9:8ff). Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin (cf. Mt 18:15). The verb used to express fraternal correction – elenchein – is the same used to indicate the prophetic mission of Christians to speak out against a generation indulging in evil (cf. Eph 5:11). The Church’s tradition has included “admonishing sinners” among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the good of the other. As the Apostle Paul says: “If one of you is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should set that person right in a spirit of gentleness; and watch yourselves that you are not put to the test in the same way” (Gal 6:1). In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. Scripture tells us that even “the upright falls seven times” (Prov 24:16); all of us are weak and imperfect (cf. 1 Jn 1:8). It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord’s ways. There will always be a need for a gaze which loves and admonishes, which knows and understands, which discerns and forgives (cf. Lk 22:61), as God has done and continues to do with each of us.
2. “Being concerned for each other”: the gift of reciprocity.
This “custody” of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community! The Apostle Paul encourages us to seek “the ways which lead to peace and the ways in which we can support one another” (Rom 14:19) for our neighbour’s good, “so that we support one another” (15:2), seeking not personal gain but rather “the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:33). This mutual correction and encouragement in a spirit of humility and charity must be part of the life of the Christian community.
The Lord’s disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love have a social dimension. This reciprocity is seen in the Church, the mystical body of Christ: the community constantly does penance and asks for the forgiveness of the sins of its members, but also unfailingly rejoices in the examples of virtue and charity present in her midst. As Saint Paul says: “Each part should be equally concerned for all the others” (1 Cor 12:25), for we all form one body. Acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters – as expressed by almsgiving, a practice which, together with prayer and fasting, is typical of Lent – is rooted in this common belonging. Christians can also express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor. Concern for one another likewise means acknowledging the good that the Lord is doing in others and giving thanks for the wonders of grace that Almighty God in his goodness continuously accomplishes in his children. When Christians perceive the Holy Spirit at work in others, they cannot but rejoice and give glory to the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:16).
3. “To stir a response in love and good works”: walking together in holiness.
These words of the Letter to the Hebrews (10:24) urge us to reflect on the universal call to holiness, the continuing journey of the spiritual life as we aspire to the greater spiritual gifts and to an ever more sublime and fruitful charity (cf. 1 Cor 12:31-13:13). Being concerned for one another should spur us to an increasingly effective love which, “like the light of dawn, its brightness growing to the fullness of day” (Prov 4:18), makes us live each day as an anticipation of the eternal day awaiting us in God. The time granted us in this life is precious for discerning and performing good works in the love of God. In this way the Church herself continuously grows towards the full maturity of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). Our exhortation to encourage one another to attain the fullness of love and good works is situated in this dynamic prospect of growth.
Sadly, there is always the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our own good and for the good of others (cf. Mt 25:25ff.). All of us have received spiritual or material riches meant to be used for the fulfilment of God’s plan, for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation (cf. Lk 12:21b; 1 Tim 6:18). The spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not advance inevitably regress. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the invitation, today as timely as ever, to aim for the “high standard of ordinary Christian living” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31). The wisdom of the Church in recognizing and proclaiming certain outstanding Christians as Blessed and as Saints is also meant to inspire others to imitate their virtues. Saint Paul exhorts us to “anticipate one another in showing honour” (Rom 12:10).
In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10). This appeal is particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter. As I offer my prayerful good wishes for a blessed and fruitful Lenten period, I entrust all of you to the intercession of the Mary Ever Virgin and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.
When Dolores Hart, 73, walks the red carpet at this year’s Academy Awards as planned, no interviewer will need to ask who made her dress. She will be wearing her nun’s habit from the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Conn., where she lives a life of contemplation and hospitality and is mother prioress.
Mother Dolores, as she is now known, is the subject this year of an Oscar-nominated documentary short, “God Is the Bigger Elvis,” which airs April 5 on HBO. The documentary chronicles her life as a nun after a Hollywood career that saw her costar with Elvis Presley (“Loving You” in 1957 and “King Creole” in 1958), Anthony Quinn (“Wild Is the Wind,” 1957) and George Hamilton (“Where the Boys Are,” 1960). Her favorite is “Lisa,” from 1962, in which she played a Jewish refugee after World War II. Before the documentary, she last appeared on the big screen in 1963′s “Come Fly With Me,” a comedy about flight attendants looking for love.
Not only does “God Is the Bigger Elvis” explore Mother Dolores’ life in Hollywood and at the monastery, but it also chronicles the day-to-day life of the nuns at the abbey, which is also a working farm. Like Mother Dolores, a lot of the nuns had previous occupations, including the law and science, before they changed vocations.
For the rest of the post vist Mary’s Blog by clicking HERE…
Before the Mass, the ashes obtained by burning the branches of olive and other trees blessed the preceding year, are now blessed. When None has been said in choir, the priest, vested in alb, stole, and purple cope, stands at the epistle corner of the altar, on which is placed a vessel containing the ashes to be blessed. The choir sings the following antiphon:
ANTIPHON ¤ Ps. 68.17
Exaudi nos, Domine, quoniam benigna est misericordia tua: et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum repice nos, Domine. — Salvum me fac, Deus: quoniam intraverunt aquae usque ad animam meam. V.: Gloria Patri . . . — Exaudi nos, Domine . . . Hear us, O Lord, for Thy mercy is kind: look upon us, O Lord, according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies. — (Ps. 68. 2). Save me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul. V.: Glory be to the Father . . . — Hear us, O Lord, for Thy mercy is kind . . .
Afterwards the priest, standing at the epistle side, without turning towards the people, with his hands joined, says:
V.: Dominus vobiscum. V.: The Lord be with you.
R.: Et cum spiritu tuo. R.: And with thy spirit.
Oremus. — Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, parce paenitentibus, propitiare supplicantibus, et mittere digneris sanctum Angelum tuum de caelis, qui bene†dicat, et sancti†ficet hos cineres, ut sint remedium salubre omnibus nomen sanctum tuum humiliter implorantibus, ac semetipsos pro conscientia delictorum suorum accusantibus, ante conspectum divinae clementiae tuae facinora sua deplorantibus, vel serenissimam pietatem tuam suppliciter, obnixeque flagitantibus: et praesta per invocationem sanctissimi nominis tui; ut quicumque per eos aspersi fuerint, pro redemptione peccatorum suorum, corporis sanitatem, et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R.: Amen. Let us pray. — O almighty and everlasting God, spare those who are penitent, be merciful to those who implore Thee; and vouchsafe to send Thy holy Angel from heaven, to bless † and hal†low these ashes, that they may be a wholesome remedy to all who humbly implore Thy holy Name, and who accuse themselves, conscious of their sins, deploring their crimes before Thy divine mercy, or humbly and earnestly beseeching Thy sovereign goodness: and grant through the invocation of Thy most holy Name that whosoever shall be sprinkled with them for the remission of their sins may receive both health of body and safety of soul. Through Christ our Lord.
R.: Amen.
Oremus. — Deus, qui non mortem, sed paenitentiam desideras peccatorum: fragilitatem conditionis humanae benignissime respice; et hos cineres, quos causa proferendae humilitatis, atque promerendae veniae, capitibus nostris imponi decernimus, bene†dicere pro tua pietate dignare: ut, qui nos cinerem esse, et ob pravitatis nostrae demeritum in pulverem reversuros cognoscimus; peccatorum omnium veniam, et praemia paenitentibus repromissa, misericorditer consequi mereamur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R.: Amen. Let us pray. — O God, who desirest not the death, but the repentance of sinners, look down most graciously upon the frailty of human nature; and in Thy goodness vouchsafe to bless † these ashes which we purpose to put opon our heads in token of our lowliness and to obtain forgiveness: so that we who know that we are but ashes, and for the demerits of our wickedness are to return to dust, may deserve to obtain of Thy mercy, the pardon of all our sins, and the rewards promised to the penitent. Through Christ our Lord.
R.: Amen.
Oremus. — Deus, qui humiliatione flecteris, et satisfactione placaris: aurem tuae pietatis inclina precibus nostris; et capitibus servorum tuorum, horum cinerum aspersione contactis, effunde propitius gratiam tuae benedictionis: ut eos et spiritu compunctionis repleas, et quae iuste postulaverint, efficaciter tribuas; et concessa perpetuo stabilita, et intacta manere decernas. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R.: Amen. Let us pray. — O God, who art moved by humiliation, and appeased by satisfaction: incline the ear of Thy goodness to our prayers and mercifully pour forth upon the heads of Thy servants sprinkled with these ashes the grace of Thy blessing: that Thou mayest both fill them with the spirit of compunction, and effectually grant what they have justly prayed for: and ordain that what Thou hast granted may be permanently established and remain unchanged. Through Christ our Lord.
R.: Amen.
Oremus. — Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui Ninivitis in cinere et cilicio paenitentibus, indulgentiae tuae remedia praestitisti: concede propitius; ut sic eos imitemur habitu, quatenus veniae prosequamur obtentu. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R.: Amen. Let us pray. — O almighty and everlasting God, who didst vouchsafe Thy healing pardon to the Ninivites doing penance in sackcloth and ashes, mercifully grant that we may so imitate them in our outward attitude as to follow them in obtaining forgiveness. Through Christ our Lord .. .
R.: Amen.
The priest then sprinkles the ashes thrice with holy water, singing the anthem Asperges me . . . and incenses them thrice. After which, having first received the ashes on his own head, from the highest in dignity of the clergy, he proceeds to place them, in the form of across, on the heads or foreheads of the clergy and people, saying to each:
Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris. (Gen. 3. 19) Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.
Meanwhile the choir sings the following anthems and responses:
ANTIPHON ¤ Joel 2. 13
Immutemur habitu, in cinere et cilicio: ieiunemus, et ploremus ante Dominum: quia multum misericors est dimittere peccata nostra Deus noster. Let us change our garments for ashes and sackcloth: let us fast and lament before the Lord: for plenteous in mercy is our God to forgive our sins.
ANOTHER ANTIPHON ¤ Joel 2. 17
Inter vestibulum et altare plorabunt sacerdotes ministri Domini, et dicent: Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo: et ne claudas ora canentium te, Domine. Between the porch and the altar, the priests, the Lord’s ministers, shall weep and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare Thy People: and close not the mouths of them that sing to Thee, O Lord.
RESPONSE ¤ Esther 13; Joel 2
R.: Emendemus in melius, quae ignoranter peccavimus: ne subito praeoccupati die mortis, quaeramus spatium poenitentiae, et invenire non possimus. * Attende, Domine, et miserere: quia peccavimus tibi. R.: Let us amend for the better in those things in which we have sinned through ignorance; lest suddenly overtaken by the day of death, we seek space for repentance and are not able to find it. * Attend, O Lord, and have mercy: for we have sinned against Thee.
V.: Adiuva nos, Deus salutaris noster: et propter honorem nominis tui, Domine, libera nos. * Attende, Domine. V.: Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. * Attende . . . V.: (Ps. 78. 9). Help us, O God, our savior: and for the glory of Thy Name, O Lord, deliver us. * Attend, O Lord . . . V.: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. * Attend . . .
When all have received the ashes, the priest says:
V.: Dominus vobiscum. V.: The Lord be with you.
R.: Et cum spiritu tuo. R.: And with thy spirit.
Oremus. — Concede nobis, Domine, praesidia militiae christianae sanctis inchoare ieiuniis: ut contra spiritales nequitias pugnaturi continentiae muniamur auxiliis. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R.: Amen. Let us pray. — Grant us, O Lord, to begin with holy fasts the campaign of our Christian warfare: that, as we do battle with the spirits of evil, we may be protected by the help of self-denial. Through Christ our Lord.
R.: Amen.
Holy Mass
INTROIT ¤ Wisdom 11. 24, 25, 27
Misereris omnium, Domine, et nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti, dissimulans peccata hominum propter poenitentiam et parcens illis: quia tu es Dominus Deus noster. — Miserere mei, Deus, miserere mei: quoniam inte confidit anima mea. V.: Gloria Patri . . . — Misereris omnium, Domine . . . Thou hast mercy upon all, O Lord, and hatest none of the things which Thou hast made, overlooking the sins of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing them: because Thou art the Lord our God. — (Ps. 56. 2). Have mery on me, O God, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in Thee. V.: Glory be to the Father . . . — Thou hast mercy upon all, O Lord . . .
The Gloria in Excelsis is not said until Maundy Thursday.
COLLECT
Praesta Domine fidelibus tuis: ut ieiuniorum veneranda solemnia, et congrua pietate suscipiant, et secura devotione percurrant. Per Dominum . . . Grant, O Lord, to Thy faithful people, that they may undertake with fitting piety the venerable solemnities of fasting, and complete them with steadfast devotion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost . . .
EPISTLE ¤ Joel 2. 12-19
Lesson from the Prophet Joel.
Lectio Ioelis Prophetae.
[Almighty God is rich in mercy and clemency to those who are converted to Him in fasting, in weeping and in mourning.]
Haec dicit Dominus: Convertimini ad me in toto corde vestro, in ieiunio, et in fletu, et in planctu. Et scindite corda vestra, et non vestimenta vestra, et convertimini ad Dominum Deum vestrum: quia benignus et misericors est, patiens, et multae misericordiae, et praestabilis super malitia. Quis scit, si convertatur, et ignoscat, et relinquat post se benedictionem, sacrificiam, et libamen Domino Deo vestro? Canite tuba in Sion, sanctificate ieiunium, vocate coetum, congregate populum, sanctificate Ecclesiam, coadunate senes, congregate parvulos, et sugentes ubera: egrediatur sponsus de cubili suo, et sponsa de thalamo suo. Inter vestibulum et altare plorabunt sacerdotes ministri Domini, et dicent: Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo: et ne des haereditatem tuam in opprobrium, ut dominentur eis nationes. Quare dicunt in populis: Ubi est Deus eorum? Zelatus est Dominus terram suam, et pepercit populo suo. Et respondit Dominus, et dixit populo suo: Ecce ego mittam vobis frumentum, et vinum, et oleum, et replebimini eis: et non dabo vos ultra opprobrium in gentibus: dicit Dominus omnipotens. Thus saith the Lord: Be converted to Me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning. And rend your heats and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil. Who knoweth but He will return and forgive and leave a blessing behind Him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather together the people, sanctify the Church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones and them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed and the bride out of her bride chamber. Between the porch and the altar the priests, the Lord’s ministers, shall weep and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare Thy people; and give not Thine inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God? The Lord hath been zealous for His land, and hath spared His people. And the Lord answered and said to His people: behold I will send you corn and wine and oil, and you shall be filled with them: and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations: saith the Lord almighty.
GRADUAL ¤ Ps. 56. 2, 4
Miserere mei, Deus, miserere mei: quoniam in te confidit anima mea. V.: Misit de coelo, et liberavit me: dedit in opprobrium conculcantes me. Have mercy on me, O Lord, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in Thee. V.: He hath sent from heaven and delivered me: He hath made them a reproach that trod upon me.
TRACT ¤ Ps. 102, 10
Domine, non secundum peccata nostra, quae fecimus nos: neque secundum iniquitates nostras retribuas nobis. V.: Domine, ne memineris iniquitatum nostrarum antiquarum, cito anticipent nos misericordiae tuae: quia pauperes facti sumus nimis. O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities. V.: (Ps. 78. 8, 9) O Lord, remember not our former iniquities, let Thy mercies speedily prevent us: for we are become exceeding poor.
V.: Adiuva nos, Deus salutaris noster: et propter gloriam nominis tui, Domine, libera nos: et propitius esto peccatis nostris, propter nomen tuum. [Here kneel.]
V.: Help us, O God, our Savior: and for the glory of Thy Name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us our sins for Thy Name’s sake1
GOSPEL ¤ Matth. 6. 16-21
† Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.
† Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum.
[It is not our garments that we shuld rend as a sign of sorrow, as the Pharisees did, but rather our hearts, for it is not to men that we should appear to fast, but to our Father, who sees into the secret place of our souls, and who will repay us.]
In illo tempore: Dixit Iesus discipulis suis: Cum ieiunatis, nolite fieri sicut hypocritae, tristes. Exterminant enim facies suas, ut appareant hominibus ieiunantes. Amen dico vobis, quia receperunt mercedem suam. Tu autem, cum ieiunas, unge caput tuum, et faciem tuam lava, ne videaris hominibus ieiunans, sed Patri tuo, qui est in abscondito: et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi. Nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in erra: ubi aerugo, et tinea demolitur: et ubi fures effodiunt, et furantur. Thesaurizate autem vobis thesauros in caelo: ubi neque aurugo, neque tinea demolitur; et ubi fures non effodiunt, nec furantur. Ubi enim est thesaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum. At that time Jesus said to His disciples: When you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their face, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face, that thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay Thee. Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.
OFFERTORY ¤ Ps. 29. 2, 3
Exaltabo te, Domine, quoniam suscepisti me, nec delectasti inimicos meos super me: Domine, clamavi ad te, et sanasti me. I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me, and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me: O Lord, I have cried to Thee, and Thou hast healed me.
SECRET
Fac nos, quaesumus Domine, his muneribus offerendis convenienter aptari: quibus ipsius venerabilis sacramenti celebramus exordium. Per Dominum . . . Fit us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to offer worthily these gifts, by which we celebrate the opening of this venerable Mystery. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost . . .
PREFACE
Preface for Lent
Vere dignum et iustum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus. Qui corporali ieiunio vitia comprimis, mentem elevas, virtutem largiris et praemia: per Christum Dominum nostrum. Per quem maiestatem tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt Potestates. Coeli, coelorumque Virtutes, ac beata Seraphim, socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut admitti iubeas deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes: It it truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who by this bodily fast, dost curb our vices, dost lift up our minds and bestow on us strength and rewards; through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat Thee that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted while we say with lowly praise:
COMMUNION ¤ Ps. 77. 29, 30
Qui meditabitur in lege Domini die ad nocte, davit fructum suum in tempore suo. He that shall meditate day and night on the law of the Lord, shall bring forth his fruit in due season.
POSTCOMMUNION
Percepta nobis, Domine, praebeant sacramenta subsidium: ut tibi grata sint nostra ieiunia, et nobis proficiant ad medelam. Per Dominum . . . May the Sacraments we have received afford us help, O Lord, that our fasts may be pleasing unto Thee, and profitable unto us for healing. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth . . .
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Oremus. Humiliate capita vestra Deo. — Inclinantes se, Domine, maiestati tuae, propitiatus intende: ut qui divino munere sunt refecti, caelestibus semper nutriantur auxiliis. Per Dominum . . . Let us pray. Bow down your heads before God. — Look graciously, O Lord, upon us who bow down before Thy majesty: that we who have been refreshed by Thy divine Gift may ever be sustained by Thy heavenly aids. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son . . .
Indulgence of 500 days. — Plenary, under the usual conditions, if this invocation is daily recited during a month.
Today is Ash Wednesday. Lent begins in the Latin, Roman Church.Many of you are, today, bound to both fast and abstain from eating flesh, meat. Plan accordingly. Allow yourself to feel hunger. Consider giving alms.
Today is not a Holy Day of Obligation, but it is good to attend Mass to make a good beginning. If you are not in the state of grace and cannot receive Holy Communion, you can nevertheless receive the ashes. Don’t forget confession and make a plan about Stations of the Cross on Friday.
As I have said before, I make chicken and andouille gumbo (or turkey!) throughout the year. But seafood gumbo is reserved for special occasions, like Christmas. One reason that we save the seafood gumbo for special occasions is that it is so expensive to make. But now I think I have found a variation of seafood gumbo that I can make more often. It’s a Louisiana favorite: Shrimp & Okra Gumbo. It’s still more expensive than chicken & andouille, but it’s not too expensive. I was able to pick up some fresh Gulf shrimp today for $4.75 / pound. Not bad.
The Roux
But what makes gumbo a gumbo? Well, as all good cajuns and creoles know, a gumbo always starts with a roux, which is equal parts flour and oil. Roux has two purposes: it colors the gumbo and it thickens it. And since gumbos are always thick and rich, rouxs are oh so important.
But, I have to tell you that making a roux is an act of love. It takes time.
If you ask several different cooks from south Louisiana how long it takes to make a roux, you’ll get answers that range from “two beers” to “two Bloody Marys” to “two sides of a Louis Armstrong album.” Everybody has a different approach. But since it is so easy to burn a roux, you can’t leave it. I used to take the easy road… I’d keep the burner on medium-low. But that took WAY too long. Like four beers too long. And since that’s not good for your health, I had to make a change. Now I make my rouxs at medium-high heat and it usually takes about 15 minutes. A roux for a gumbo has to be the color of dark chocolate. You want to take it to the gates of burndom and then add the “trinity.”
You’ll hear lots of Louisiana cooks talking about the “trinity.” They’re not talking theology. Down here, when it comes to cooking, the trinity means onions, green bell peppers, and celery… The basic ingredients to lots of Cajun dishes.
Why Okra?
OK. Gotta state this up front: Okra is slimy.
Some cooks want to “cook the slime out” of the okra before adding it to the gumbo. But, here’s the deal… Okra is an excellent thickener. Even if you try to “cook the slime out” before adding it to the gumbo, it doesn’t matter. Adding it raw is just the same. The “slime” will “cook out” after being added to the gumbo. In this recipe, I do “brown” the okra before adding it to the gumbo (in bacon grease, which is like a gift from heaven!), but that’s just because I wanted to bathe the okra in the delicious goodness of bacon. Everything – and I do mean everything – tastes better with bacon!
Editor’s Note: for the recipe you gotta click HERE to go to Jeff’s site The Catholic Foodie!
THE BEST OF THE REST…Tonight’s supper here in Madison, Wisconsin…Happy Mardi Gras!
One day while reading a colleague's blog, I was moved by his "raison d'etre"The quote from Thomas Storck, [The Catholic Milieu] struck a resonant chord within me. I have forever reasoned that all we do in life must be "Always Catholic" and here, finally was the succinct explanation. "Our entire daily lives cannot be occupied with purely religious practices;all of us have to eat, and most of us have and want to do many other activities besides. So though we cannot always be religious in this sense, we can always be Catholic, that is, the round of our daily activities can be conducted in such a way as to express and be in harmony with our Faith. And [this] can involve more than avoiding sin and exercising virtue.”
Two weeks ago I made an urgent appeal for my dearest sister Mary in her our of need. All of you responded with an avalanche of prayers! Let me thank you for your kindness and for your Faith.Time will tell .. meanwhile, I feel like I have a gazillion hands all over my head and face, just about touching. Kind of how you’d feel after a slap in the face actually. Some intermittent pains here and there all over, but nothing we can’t handle, praise God. Trying to stagger the steroids, so no additional problems come about … good timing for trials though
