A Penitent Blogger

Mindful of my imperfections, seeking to know Truth more deeply and to live Love more fully.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? Quem patronum rogaturus? Cum vix iustus sit securus?
Recordare, Iesu pie, Quod sum causa tuae viae: Ne me perdas illa die...

Sunday, November 28, 2010

You know the time

it is the hour now
for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now
than when we first believed;
the night is advanced,
the day is at hand.

Let us then
throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly
as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision
for the desires of the flesh.

(Today's Epistle Romans 13:11-14)

Happy Advent

It is the beginning of the season
in which we prepare for the coming of Christ
and the celebration of Christmas.

It is the beginning of another year of worship.

"Come, God-with-us!
Free your captive people
That mourns in exile,
Deprived of God's Son.

"Rejoice! Rejoice!
God-with-us
shall be born for you,
O People of God!

"Come, O Wisdom!
Who sets in place all things thus;
Come, so you may teach the path
of prudence and of glory.

"Rejoice! Rejoice!
God-with-us
Shall be born for you,
O People of God!

"Come! Come, Israel's Lord,
Who from atop Sinai
Gave people the law
In glorious majesty.

"Rejoice! Rejoice!
God-with-us
Shall be born for you,
O People of God!

Veni veni, Emmanuel
captivum solve Israel,
qui gemit in exsilio,
privatus Dei Filio.

Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel,
nascetur pro te Israel!

Veni, O Sapientia,
quae hic disponis omnia,
veni, viam prudentiae
ut doceas et gloriae.

Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel,
nascetur pro te Israel!

Veni, veni, Adonai,
qui populo in Sinai
legem dedisti vertice
in maiestate gloriae.

Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel,
nascetur pro te Israel!


(from a previous post)

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Agimus tibi gratias,
omnipotens Deus,
pro universis beneficiis tuis,
qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.

Fidelium animae,
per misericordiam Dei,
requiescant in pace. Amen.


We give Thee thanks
for all Thy benefits,
Almighty God,
Who livest and reignest forever.

May the souls of the faithful (departed),
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace. Amen

Sunday, November 21, 2010

It's good to be king

Today’s Gospel (Luke 23:35-43) reminds us of what is so good about Christ being King.

His greatest throne on earth was the Cross.

And the most powerful way He exercises His Kingship is our salvation.

Above him there was an inscription that read,
"This is the King of the Jews."

Now one of the criminals hanging there
reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."

The other, however, rebuking him,
said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."

Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me
when you come into your kingdom."

He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."

(Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, be merciful to me – a sinner.)

What the Pope really said about condoms

Many news reports are distorting what the Holy Father said about condoms in the book-length interview being released. Catholic World Report has the full excerpt.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

"Lo, the day is coming..."

"...blazing like an oven,
when all the proud
and all evildoers
will be stubble,
and the day that is coming
will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.

"But for you who fear my name,
there will arise
the sun of justice
with its healing rays."

(Today's first reading - Malachi 3:19-20a)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, be merciful to me - a sinner

Sunday, November 07, 2010

Be encouraged

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself
and God our Father,
who has loved us
and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts
and strengthen them
in every good deed and word.

Finally, brothers and sisters,
pray for us,
so that the word of the Lord
may speed forward and be glorified,
as it did among you,
and that we may be delivered
from perverse and wicked people,
for not all have faith.

But the Lord is faithful;
he will strengthen you
and guard you from the evil one.

(from today's Epistle 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5)

Monday, November 01, 2010

Those whose memory we venerate

One of the things that makes the first Eucharistic Prayer special is its listing of saints.

Often, however, we hear these names rattled off like reading a telephone directory or priests taking the option of not reading all of them.

And yet each name is deep with meaning, for each was chosen by the early Church in the city of Rome, whose memory of these holy people was especially dear and in some ways still very fresh.

As the Christians of Rome heard these names, these blessed memories came back and as they gathered before the table of the Lord on earth, they felt specially united with these brothers and sisters who were already gathered before the throne of God in heaven.

These names also brought them courage, for many of these saints were marytrs, who endured great suffering rather than turn away from Christ.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints today, it is good for us to take a little time to go beyond just the names from the first Eucharistic Prayer and to look more closely at each of these heroes of our faith, our brothers and sisters who already stand before the throne of God.

* * * * *

First and foremost of these believers in Christ was




...the glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ....




And, after Christ, closest to her would be...





...blessed Joseph, her Spouse ...




And then...
blessed Apostles and Martyrs...

beginning with the princes of the Apostles...

...Peter and Paul...























(and then the rest of the Eleven)






...Andrew...
(brother of Simon Peter, crucified on an X-shaped cross)

















...James...
(brother of John)









...John...
(the beloved disciple, entrusted with Christ’s mother)










...Thomas...













...James...

(first bishop of Jerusalem)

















...Philip...

(the disciple of John the Baptist who brought Bartholomew to Christ)








...Bartholomew...
(reportedly martyred by being skinned alive)













...Matthew...
(the tax collector called to become an apostle and evangelist)












...Simon...
(reportedly martyred by being sawed alive)












...and Jude
;
(like his brother James, a relative of Christ, and who reportedly resembled the Lord)






(After the Apostles, the early Church in Rome remembered Peter’s immediate successors as their bishop: all of whom also followed him in martyrdom for Christ.)





...Linus...

(Peter’s immediate successor as Bishop of Rome – mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:21)






...Cletus...

(the 3rd Pope -- also known as Anacletus – converted by St. Peter himself)






...Clement...

(the 4th Pope - wrote an important post-Apostolic letter to the Corinthians)








...Sixtus...

(Pope less than a year in the 3rd century – affirmed that baptism does not depend on virtue of minister)







...Cornelius...

(the 21st Pope – who reconciled the “fallen away”)





(...and then other martyrs whose memory was especially beloved by the Christians of Rome)




...Cyprian...

(North African bishop and theologian who worked with Cornelius)








...Lawrence...

(deacon of the Church of Rome under Sixtus – martyred by burning)







...Chrysogonus...

(an early 4th century martyr and patron of an ancient church)










...John and Paul...

(brothers and imperial servants martyred by a 4th century apostate emperor, patrons of a Roman basilica)







...Cosmas and Damian...

(twins and physicians martyred in the 4th century)]











...and all God's saints.

* * *

Then, later...

To us, also, your servants,
who, though sinners,
hope in your abundant mercies,
graciously grant some share and fellowship
with your holy Apostles and Martyrs...







with John the Baptist...
















...Stephen...

(the first Christian martyr)










...Matthias...

(chosen to replace Judas as an Apostle)










...Barnabas...

(companion of St. Paul)












...Ignatius...

(bishop of Antioch, mauled by animals in the 2nd century)











...Alexander...

(martyred with his brothers and mother in 2nd century)









...Marcellinus, Peter...

(a priest and an exorcist of the Church in Rome, martyed in the early 4th century)







...Felicity, Perpetua...

(maid and noblewoman in north Africa, mauled by beasts and then beheaded)












...Agatha...

(virgin martyr - disfigured and tortured)












...Lucy...

(virgin martyr - blinded then martyred - patron saint of eyes)









...Agnes...

(virgin martyr - martyred around the age of 12)










...Cecilia...

(virgin martyr - patron of music)













...Anastasia...

(wife of a pagan - martyred in the early 4th century)






...and all your Saints:
admit us, we beseech you,
into their company,
not weighing our merits,
but granting us your pardon,
through Christ our Lord.



Happy All Saints Day!


(updated from a previous post)

What shall we pray for this month?

The Holy Father's general prayer intention for November is for Victims of Addiction.

"That through the support of the Christian community, all victims of addiction may find in the power of our saving God strength for a radical life change."

His mission intention is for mission in Latin America.

"That the Latin-American Churches may move forward with the continent-wide mission proposed by their bishops, assuming their share of the universal missionary task of God's people"