Fr. Z's Blog

In my desire to get my ears and mind around the new encyclical, Lumen fidei, of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, to sort the “voices” and get to know the trajectory of its arguments, I decided to read it aloud. Wanna hear?  Some prefer to listen rather than to read and I know that quite a few of you use my PODCAzTs when driving, etc. In reading, I did not read the footnotes, but I did include the intra-textual references, such as Scripture verses.  I read the abbreviation “cf.” as “confer”.  I did not include the brief sub-headings within each chapter.  However, I include the paragraph numbers so that you can quickly find your place in the text. Please forgive errors. I read pretty much straight through and I had a few interruptions.  Furthermore, at a certain point my head was turning to mush! I also found a couple typos in the text! Also, since moving, I don’t have a good physical recording location, with decent acoustics and my table/desk situation is a complete disaster, so it is hard to get the microphone well-situated.  All those things aside, however, I hope these files will be useful. I have a file each for the introductory section and the four chapters. There are times when the “voice” is entirely that of Benedict.  At other times I think I can hear a new voice speaking, that of Francis, especially when touching on certain themes.  Can you? UPDATE: I had a note from Libreria Editrice Vaticana asking me to remind you that Liberira Editrice Vaticana has the copyright to the text of Lumen fidei and that you may not reproduce or sell Lumen fidei.  Their exact text to me: La invitiamo per questa volta, ad inserire come referenza il copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana e che la riproduzione e la vendita sono vietate. So, don’t sell the text to anyone. Share/Bookmark

From 2011: Today is the feast of St. Bernardine of Siena (+1444) in both the Extraordinary and the Ordinary Forms of the Roman Rite, and therefore I use this opportunity to offer something from one of his discourses about the Most Holy Name of Jesus. St. Bernardine was famous for his preaching about the Holy Name and against the horrible sin of blasphemy. We hear today a short selection from St. Bernardine’s Discourse 49, about the glorious Name of Jesus chosen for today’s Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours.  I read a bit of the Italian… sorry, it’s modern Italian… I don’t have the original version, alas, and then English. Then I rant for while. The piece is very thought provoking and useful for an examination of conscience.  We are made in the image and like of God, brought into being by the Word, now the Word made flesh.  We are made to speak with words.  But we so often fail in speech to live up to our dignity as images of God.  At least I do.  We occasionally lapse, but sometimes people fall into habits of speech, sometimes even habits of blasphemy which causes scandal making it easier for others to sin. We have to examine closely our habits of speech and not by our speech disfigure the image of God, the Word made flesh. Share/Bookmark

Today is Holy Saturday.  Tonight the Triduum ends. This podcast is longer, so that we can look at a few more dimensions of this special day. We hear today about the ancient Roman Station, thoughts from St. Ambrose, St. Leo, Benedict XVI, a comparison of prayers for the blessing of the fire and of the Collects in both the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms. I include some audio from this year’s, today’s, singing of Tenebrae by the Benedictines in Norcia, Italy.  You will hear the beginning of Tenebrae, and the end with the “Terraemotus“. From Benedict XVI: Gregory of Tours recounts a practice that in some places was preserved for a long time, of lighting the new fire for the celebration of the Easter Vigil directly from the sun, using a crystal. Light and fire, so to speak, were received anew from heaven, so that all the lights and fires of the year could be kindled from them. This is a symbol of what we are celebrating in the Easter Vigil. Through his radical love for us, in which the heart of God and the heart of man touched, Jesus Christ truly took light from heaven and brought it to the earth— the light of truth and the fire of love that transform man’s being.  He brought the light, and now we know who God is and what God is like.  Thus, we also know what our human situation is: what we are and for what purpose we exist. Pray for Pope Francis. Subscribe in iTunes (I hope) HERE. Share/Bookmark

Today is Good Friday.  Today’s podcast is a little longer, so that we can look at a few more dimensions of this special day. We hear today about the ancient Roman Station and a great insight about it by Bl. John Henry Newman, several thoughts from Benedict XVI and the opening prayers for Good Friday service. From Benedict: Let us ask ourselves: But what have we done with this gift?  What have we done with the revelation of the face of God in Christ, with the revelation of God’s love that conquers hate? Pray for Pope Francis. Subscribe in iTunes (I hope) HERE. Share/Bookmark

Today is Holy Thursday.  Today’s podcast is a little longer, so that we can look at a few more dimensions of this special day. We hear today about the ancient Roman Station, several thoughts from Benedict XVI and the Collects for the Masses of the Chrism and of the Last Supper. From Benedict: After Peter was converted, he was called to strengthen his brethren. It is not irrelevant that this task was entrusted to him in the Upper Room. The ministry of unity has its visible place in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Dear friends, it is a great consolation for the Pope to know that at each Eucharistic celebration everyone prays for him, and that our prayer is joined to the Lord’s prayer for Peter. Only by the prayer of the Lord and of the Church can the Pope fulfill his task of strengthening his brethren – of feeding the flock of Christ and of becoming the guarantor of that unity which becomes a visible witness to the mission which Jesus received from the Father.. Pray for Pope Francis. Subscribe in iTunes (I hope) HERE. Share/Bookmark

Today is Spy Wednesday of Holy Week. We hear today about the ancient Roman Station, a thought from Benedict XVI about about the rending of the veil in the Temple, and something from Lactantius. From Benedict: At the end of the Passion, as Jesus dies, the veil of the Temple is torn in two—so the Synoptics tell us—from top to bottom . Probably it is the inner of the two Temple veils that is meant here, the one that seals off the Holy of Holies from human access. Only once a year is it permitted for the high priest to pass through the veil, to enter the presence of the Most High, and to utter the Holy Name. Pray for Pope Francis. Subscribe in iTunes (I hope) HERE. Share/Bookmark

Today is Tuesday of Holy Week. We hear today about the ancient Roman Station, a thought from Benedict XVI about priesthood, and something from St. Jerome. From St. Jerome: Happy is he who carries the Cross, the Resurrection, and the place of Christ’s birth and Ascension in his heart! Pray for Pope Francis. Subscribe in iTunes (I hope) HERE. Share/Bookmark

REPAIRED! 17:53 GMT Today is Monday of Holy Week. We hear today about the ancient Roman Station, a scene of many murders, a thought from Benedict XVI about the Cross as a sign of torture and of hope, and something from St. Gregory Nazianzus, which just might scare you … a lot. From St. Gregory: I am terrified by the left hand of the divine Judge, the goats, and his rebukes from his seat on the throne: they are judged and put at his left not because they stole, committed sacrilegious robberies or adulterous acts, or perpetrated some other forbidden act, but because they did not take care of Christ in those in need. Pray for Pope Francis. Subscribe in iTunes (I hope) HERE. UPDATE: I am sure people will ask about the chant.  These glorious chants for Palm Sunday are from an album in English now called Gregorian Chants / Liturgy for Holy Week by the Choeur Gregorien De Paris. (Click to buy. For those of you in the UK and Canada cut and paste “Choeur Gregorien De Paris” into the appropriate search box at the bottom of the blog.) It is – simply put – one of the best Gregorian chant albums eh-vur… period. It is stunning. Share/Bookmark

Today is Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins. We hear today about the ancient Roman Station, which belonged to the losers, a thought from Benedict XVI about who ascent and the gravitational forces that draw us in different directions – it is interesting to see how often Benedict spoke about ascent, even before he “retired”, and something from Theophilus of Alexandria, and the usual collects. From Benedict XVI: All the inventions of the human spirit are ultimately an effort to gain wings so as to rise to the heights of Being and to become independent, completely free, as God is free. Mankind has managed to accomplish so many things: we can fly! We can see, hear and speak to one another from the farthest ends of the earth. And yet the force of gravity which draws us down is powerful. Pray for Pope Francis. Subscribe in iTunes (I hope) HERE. UPDATE: I am sure people will ask about the chant.  These glorious chants for Palm Sunday are from an album in English now called Gregorian Chants / Liturgy for Holy Week by the Choeur Gregorien De Paris. (Click to buy. For those of you in the UK and Canada cut and paste “Choeur Gregorien De Paris” into the appropriate search box at the bottom of the blog.) It is – simply put – one of the best Gregorian chant albums eh-vur… period. It is stunning. Share/Bookmark

Today is Saturday in the 5th Week of Lent, Passion Week. We hear today about the ancient Roman Station, the site of an attempted murder, a thought from Benedict XVI about who can ascend the mountain of the Lord, something from St. Basil on fasting like a champ, and the usual collects. From St. Basil: Like worms that germinate in the intestines of children and need to be driven out by the bitterest of medicine, so sins that abide in the depths of the soul are killed by fasting—provided it is truly worthy of being called such—as soon as it touches the soul. Pray for Pope Francis. Subscribe in iTunes (I hope) HERE. UPDATE: Some people want to know more about the bluegrass selection I used. This is by Blue Highway on their album Wondrous Love (that’s the mp3 download link – CD HERE – and those of you in the UK and Canada can paste the album name into the search box at the bottom of the blog for a good link). It’s spiffy! Enjoy listening to it with some Mystic Monk Coffee! It’s swell! Share/Bookmark

Here is my reading of the Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, composed by Joseph Card. Ratzinger, once Pope, now His Holiness Benedict XVI, for the 2005 Good Friday observance at the Colosseum in Rome. I love the St. Alphonsus Stations, but I think it would be a nice gesture in some parishes to use Papa Ratzinger’s Stations on Fridays this Lent. The text is English, though I use Latin responses and prayers between the Stations.http://www.wdtprs.com/prayercazt/080318_stations_ratzinger.mp3 I appreciate the support you have given to me and to this blog.  This is a token of my esteem. ALSO: Way of the Cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori (voice and with chant)   Share/Bookmark