Mass of Dedication

I confess--I've been singing more than I've been writing. But it's all so wonderful. Last week we've been practicing for the Mass of Dedication of St. Clare of Assisi in the church building itself. These past three years we've been watching it take shape on our walks but to be inside this magnificent space set apart to worship our Lord Jesus... oh my! I've not come down from heaven from the Dedication Mass. The entire liturgy is packed with meaning. Truly, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a meeting of heaven and earth. Everything we have is a gift from Above and given that we're made in His Image we can exercise our creative gifts and offer the best to Him. Here I offer just a few pictures.

The narthex has this gorgeous piece showing the important events in the life of St. Clare of Assisi and a mosaic (made locally) of her motto. The Altar, stained glass windows, Stations of the Cross, and many more items like statues come from the Sisters of St. Francis in Pittsburg. I loved practicing (and it is all a prayer) in this space--great acoustics--and so proud of Michael chanting with the small group of professionals. To God, all the glory! 

We didn't want to leave the church after Mass but there was a lovely reception afterwards at Bishop England High School, across the street. The bells were ringing! Just imagine how beautiful it is going to be for the kids to pray here, instead of the gym. All this beauty points to our Almighty God. The liturgy itself teaches the tenets of our faith. It was a beautiful night walking home. Deo gratias!!! 

    

So fun to see St. Clare of Assisi in this journal here: New Gothic Revival Church in the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina ~ Liturgical Arts Journal

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy image in Vilnius
Eugeniusz Kazimirowski (1873-1939)

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!!! This Sunday goes by several names: Low Sunday, Quasimodo Sunday, and Divine Mercy Sunday, and it's that last one that I will focus on.

But first, we've been enjoying fresh strawberries so I couldn't resist posting a picture of the three lovely and united Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph again.

Heart of Jesus, I adore Thee.

Heart of Mary, I implore thee.

Heart of Joseph, pure and just,

in these three hearts

I place my trust.

Amen.

Sister Faustina Maria Pia of the Sisters for Life composed this Litany of Trust. May it give you child-like confidence in our Lord's unfathomable love and mercy. 

Litany of Trust

From the belief that I have to earn Your love … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear that I am unlovable … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the false security that I have what it takes … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute … Deliver me, Jesus.

From all suspicion of Your words and promises … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the rebellion against childlike dependency on You … Deliver me, Jesus.

From refusals and reluctances in accepting Your will … Deliver me, Jesus.

From anxiety about the future … Deliver me, Jesus.

From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past … Deliver me, Jesus.

From restless self-seeking in the present moment … Deliver me, Jesus.

From disbelief in Your love and presence … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being asked to give more than I have … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth … Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of what love demands … Deliver me, Jesus.

From discouragement … Deliver me, Jesus.

That You are continually holding me, sustaining me, loving me … Jesus, I trust in you.

That Your love goes deeper than my sins and failings, and transforms me …Jesus, I trust in you.

That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on You … Jesus, I trust in you.

That You are with me in my suffering … Jesus, I trust in you.

That my suffering, united to Your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next …Jesus, I trust in you.

That You will not leave me orphan, that You are present in Your Church…Jesus, I trust in you.

That Your plan is better than anything else … Jesus, I trust in you.

That You always hear me, and in Your goodness always respond to me …Jesus, I trust in you.

That You give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others …Jesus, I trust in you.

That You give me all the strength I need for what is asked …Jesus, I trust in you.

That my life is a gift … Jesus, I trust in you.

That You will teach me to trust You … Jesus, I trust in you.

That You are my Lord and my God … Jesus, I trust in you.

That I am Your beloved one … Jesus, I trust in you.

Amen.

So that you may have a greater understanding of Divine Mercy, I share these excellent links: God's Perfect Mercy - A Meditation for Divine Mercy Sunday - Community in Mission (adw.org) and The Last Hope of Salvation? - The Now Word (markmallett.com) and Two for Divine Mercy Sunday - The Catholic Thing. Pax Christi Domini!

Happy Easter!

Easter Tuesday this year is the feast of St. Gemma and our 14th anniversary of reception into Church. We love celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord for 50 days! The Easter Vigil is one my most favorite liturgies as we recount salvation history and prophecies. We begin in the dark and as the Paschal Candle is lit, the light of Christ spreads throughout the sanctuary. Our deacon chants the Exultet so beautifully! Favorite bits:

O truly necessary sin of Adam,

destroyed completely by the Death of Christ!

O happy fault
that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!

The sanctifying power of this night
dispels wickedness, washes faults away,
restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners,
drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.

I always find it fascinating that although our Lord Jesus prepared his disciples for the horror of Good Friday, they forgot that He told them He would rise from the dead. They were astonished, confused to be at the empty tomb. Unbelievable, yet TRUE!

 

Our pastor spoke about what a strange religion it is, from God becoming a Baby, born of a Virgin Mother, who allows Himself to be tortured and put Himself to death, who rises, and gives a way to remain with us substantially--His Real Presence in the Eucharist. We celebrate this because it's TRUE!!! And if it's true, nothing else matters. Watching grown men and women make their desire known, to be part of the biggest family on earth, that of the Catholic Church, fills me with so much joy. They have taken the same journey we have--of questioning, of studying, of accepting by faith all the truths of the Catholic faith. Alleluia!!! A most blessed Eastertide to all. And if you have little ones, might I recommend Ten Easter Eggs by yours truly?

O Agony and Dying

Our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is Sacrifice: This is MY Body, given up for you. 
But He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by His wounds we are healed.
We adore You O Christ and praise You! Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Crucifixion by Matthias Grunewald

King's College Cambridge Easter O Sacred head Sore Wounded JS [Bach] [2011] - YouTube

This poem is attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux. There are several different renditions of it and they all make me weep with sorrow and gratitude. "O Agony and Dying! O Love to sinners free! Jesus all grace supplying, O turn Thy Face on me!" Some years ago, a choir member gifted me His Sacred Head crowned with thorns. I keep it near me, grateful to have a small share in His Passion.

 

1 O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only crown!
O sacred Head, what glory,
what bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call thee mine.

2 What thou, my Lord, hast suffered
was all for sinners’ gain.
Mine, mine was the transgression,
but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
’Tis I deserve thy place.
Look on me with thy favor,
and grant to me thy grace.

3 What language shall I borrow
to thank thee, dearest Friend,
for this, thy dying sorrow,
thy pity without end?
Oh, make me thine forever,
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love to thee.

4 Be near when I am dying,
oh, show thy cross to me,
and for my rescue, flying,
come, Lord, and set me free!
These eyes, new faith receiving,
from Jesus shall not move,
for one who dies believing
dies safely, through thy love.

Judas

Judas Iscariot by Giotto

I've been pondering Judas. Why did our Lord Jesus choose him as an apostle knowing that Judas would betray Him, and with a kiss, no less? Our Lord says, "The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Matt 26:24. Wow! Because the only tragedy I can think of not making it to heaven. There are only two options--heaven or hell. And clearly Judas is in hell. Not because he betrayed our Lord, but because he despaired and took his own life instead of running to Jesus. He was remorseful and tried to return the 30 pieces of silver to the Sanhedrin. He could've fallen to his knees at the Cross and begged forgiveness for the worst sin ever--Deicide--and Jesus would've saved him, opened the gates of paradise to him. But instead, he tried to save himself. We cannot save ourselves. Yet our Lord will not save us without our consent, unless we accept His Mercy. But I still wonder why Jesus chose Judas knowing what a traitor he'd be. God is love. I know our Lord loved Judas. 

I wonder what Judas was thinking. We know he was a thief, stealing the money the disciples collected for the poor. But when did he stop loving our Lord? Why did Judas continue to stay with this little band of people who followed Jesus? I ask these questions because I wonder about myself too. How I betray Jesus, and for what? Michael and I have been reading St. Thomas Aquinas' Lenten Meditations daily and they give so much insight into both the nature of Christ's sacrifice and our own human condition.   

As we enter the Sacred Triduum, I pause and ponder my faith and pray that I may never ever be separated from our dear Lord Jesus. Why the Incarnation? Why the Crucifixion? Why the Eucharist? One drop of His Precious Blood at His Circumcision could've saved us all. Instead every last drop of His Precious Blood is drained from His Body. He gives us His all. And He continues to give Himself in the Holy Eucharist. It is impossible for my poor heart to imagine a love so deep. And so I pray and praise and petition my Lord Jesus to let me grow in His Love. To be more like Mary of Bethany and less like Judas Iscariot. All these ponderings at the beautiful full moon last night at Breach Inlet after Maundy Thursday Liturgy with the commandment to imitate Him. Perhaps the next book we read together will be Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.

Mary Anointing Jesus by Daniel Gerhartz

After a Long Hiatus

 I've been home for two months now and getting ready to go on another trip. Lots to catch up on. While I was gone, my review of He Leadeth Me: An Extraordinary Testament of Faith by Fr. Walter Ciszek was published in the Advent-Christmas 2022 issue of The Star, our parish newsletter (reproduced below). And I turned in my Apologia essay, Falling, for The Lamp. I was hoping it'd be published in the Easter issue but they did one better and it's in the Lenten issue that's dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI. May he rest in heavenly peace! I can't wait for my own copy.

And it just arrived in today's mail, so lookie!!!

End of an Era

Our dear Pope Benedict XVI died yesterday morning. He was 95 years old. We were received into the Church during his pontificate so I have a special affection for him. What a great man who wrote clearly about Christ and His Church. He's been suffering and praying for Holy Mother Church. We will definitely offer a Requiem Mass for the repose of his soul. May he rest in heavenly peace. I've edited to add his Spiritual Testament, that the Vatican released, written a year after he was elected Pope. "Stand firm in the faith! Do not be confused!" Wow! It's so prophetic. Here's the rest of the paragraph. 

Stand firm in the faith! Do not be confused! Often it seems as if science - on the one hand, the natural sciences; on the other, historical research (especially the exegesis of the Holy Scriptures) - has irrefutable insights to offer that are contrary to the Catholic faith. I have witnessed from times long past the changes in natural science and have seen how apparent certainties against the faith vanished, proving themselves not to be science but philosophical interpretations only apparently belonging to science - just as, moreover, it is in dialogue with the natural sciences that faith has learned to understand the limits of the scope of its affirmations and thus its own specificity. For 60 years now, I have accompanied the path of theology, especially biblical studies, and have seen seemingly unshakeable theses collapse with the changing generations, which turned out to be mere hypotheses: the liberal generation (Harnack, Jülicher, etc.), the existentialist generation (Bultmann, etc.), the Marxist generation. I have seen, and see, how, out of the tangle of hypotheses, the reasonableness of faith has emerged and is emerging anew. Jesus Christ is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life - and the Church, in all her shortcomings, is truly His Body.

AMEN! 

The word placed upon my heart this year is TRUTH. For fun, I enjoy getting a saint and inspirational word from Jennifer Fulwiler's Saint Generator. St. Lucy and FLY for A.D. 2023. 

Brace yourselves. It's going to be a challenging New Year! But we were made for a time such as this. All glory to God!!! 

The Christmas Octave

I hope everybody is having a lovely Christmas holiday. Today is the feast of the Holy Family. The Lord could've come into this world any way, but He chose to come in poverty as a defenseless Baby, in a human family, thereby sanctifying family life. I know it's not always easy being part of a family--my own was fractured--and I'm away from home to help with my brother's. It's not easy, but I keep the hope that the Lord will bind up our wounds, heal us, and make us whole again. Please pray for us. 

Despite the winter storm, my sister-in-law, my niece, and my sister and brother-in-law made it over for Christmas. It was good to be all together. The future is uncertain, but we place our trust in the Lord Jesus, that He will resolve everything according to His will. I live by Romans 8:28.    

I got some lovely mail--The Visitation by Gandolfi from a dear friend and a postcard from Dagny. It makes being apart from loved ones easier. This year I missed sending out cards, but I look forward to reading the Christmas letters when I am home. 

Longing

I long so much for the words of the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us: Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven to come true. Now! How long, O Lord? For consolation I listen to Miserere mei (Psalm 50/51) and sing the beautiful Advent hymn, Rorate Caeli to myself all the time and for a truly beautiful polyphonic setting by William Byrd of the first verse (Ne irascaris Domine) listen to Voces8. 

I'm in Texas. This young woman is flying the nest--I'm so proud of her.

Latin	English
Roráte caéli désuper, et núbes plúant jústum.	Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness.
Ne irascáris Dómine, ne ultra memíneris iniquitátis: ecce cívitas Sáncti fácta est desérta: Síon desérta fácta est, Jerúsalem desoláta est: dómus sanctificatiónis túæ et glóriæ túæ, ubi laudavérunt te pátres nóstri.	Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: thy holy city is a wilderness, Sion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation: our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee.
Peccávimus, et fácti súmus tamquam immúndus nos, et cecídimus quasi fólium univérsi: et iniquitátes nóstræ quasi véntus abstulérunt nos: abscondísti faciem túam a nóbis, et allisísti nos in mánu iniquitátis nóstræ.	We have sinned, and are as an unclean thing, and we all do fade as a leaf: and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away: thou hast hid thy face from us: and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
Víde Dómine afflictiónem pópuli túi, et mítte quem missúrus es: emítte Agnum dominatórem térræ, de Pétra desérti ad móntem fíliæ Síon: ut áuferat ípse júgum captivitátis nóstræ.	Behold, O Lord, the affliction of thy people, and send forth him whom thou wilt send; send forth the Lamb, the ruler of the earth, from Petra of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion: that he may take away the yoke of our captivity.
Vos testes mei, dicit Dóminus, et servus meus quem elégi; ut sciátis, et credátis mihi: ego sum, ego sum Dóminus, et non est absque me salvátor: et non est qui de manu mea éruat.	Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know me and believe me: I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Saviour: and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
Consolámini, consolámini, pópule méus: cito véniet sálus túa: quare mæróre consúmeris, quia innovávit te dólor? Salvábo te, nóli timére, égo enim sum Dóminus Déus túus, Sánctus Israël, Redémptor túus.	Comfort ye, comfort ye my people; my salvation shall not tarry: why wilt thou waste away in sadness? why hath sorrow seized thee? Fear not, for I will save thee: For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.