Today is the feast of St. Isaiah. Yes, that is Isaiah the Prophet. Many of you might not know that great figures of the Old Testament are considered saints by the Church, though they are not remembered at the altar for Mass.
Here is the entry about Isaiah from 9 May in the Martyrologium Romanum. Maybe one or more of you you can take a crack at it? It isn’t too difficult.
1. Commemoratio sancti Isaiae, prophetae, qui, in diebus Oziae, Iotham, Achaz et Ezechiae, regum Iudae, missus est ut populo infideli et peccatori Dominum fidelem et salvatorem revelaret, ad implementum promissionis David a Deo iuratae. Apud Iudaeos sub Manasse rege martyr occubuisse traditur.
There are quite a few interesting depictions of Isaiah and one of the most dramatic moments for the great prophet, the purification of his lips by a seraph with a burning hot coal.
Here is Marc Chagall’s rendering. Note the Cross in the background to the left.
Isaiah 6 we have the calling of the prophet. In 740 BC Isaiah had a vision of Heaven while he was in the Temple. He is terrified and says (v. 5):
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
A seraph comes to him with a burning coal from the Temple altar and touches it to Isaiah’s mouth saying: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin is forgiven” (v. 7). God then asks whom he can send as a prophet to his people and Isaiah responds: “Here I am! Send me”.
First, purification. Then, then commissioning.
During Holy Mass (Vetus Ordo) the priest reads the Gospel at the altar, because the reading is also a sacrifice. Before he reads, or the deacon sings, they says two prayers, one about purification and the other about the mission of reading:
Cleanse my heart and my lips, O almighty God, who didst cleanse the lips of the prophet Isaias with a burning coal, and vouchsafe, through Thy gracious mercy, so to purify me, that I may worthily announce Thy holy Gospel. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Give me Thy blessing, O Lord. The Lord be in my heart and on my lips, that I may worthily and in a becoming manner, proclaim His holy Gospel. Amen.
I still have that painting by Chagall in my mind’s eye, with a view of the Cross, therefore the Eucharistic Sacrifice, in the background, rather, in the future.
The altar of Sacrifice is the prime locus of the raising heavenward of the Word to the Father. Ancient Greek Fathers saw a connection between the coal of Isaiah and the Eucharist and the theme of “deification”, whereby by God’s work in us we become more like God in whose image and likeness we are made. This is what the Eucharist does when received in the state of grace. We convert normal food into what we are. The food of the Eucharist converts us more into what HE is. Appropriately, we celebrated today also the Feast of the Ascension, which reminds us that our human is seated at the right hand of the Father in an indestructible bond with the Son’s divinity. St. John Damascene wrote in An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 4.13. Earlier, St. John discourses on wood and fire and charcoal. Here he is expounded on reception of the Eucharist. Note that this includes a description of Communion on the hand. HOWEVER, it also describes touching it to the eyes, etc., which indicates not so much a literal description of how Communion was received but rather a spiritualized description:
Wherefore with all fear and a pure conscience and certain faith let us draw near and it will assuredly be to us as we believe, doubting nothing. Let us pay homage to it in all purity both of soul and body: for it is twofold. Let us draw near to it with an ardent desire, and with our hands held in the form of the cross let us receive the body of the Crucified One: and let us apply our eyes and lips and brows and partake of the divine coal, in order that the fire of the longing, that is in us, with the additional heat derived from the coal may utterly consume our sins and illumine our hearts, and that we may be inflamed and deified by the participation in the divine fire. Isaiah saw the coal. But coal is not plain wood but wood united with fire: in like manner also the bread of the communion is not plain bread but bread united with divinity. But a body which is united with divinity is not one nature, but has one nature belonging to the body and another belonging to the divinity that is united to it, so that the compound is not one nature but two.
This might be a good time to remind you, before Sunday, to …
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At the Rapid and Blitz in Warsaw, the lowest rated seed, Kirill Shevchenko (a Ukrainian playing under the Romanian flag) went 3 for three to lead the pack after day 1 with a score of 6/6. Magnus and Nodirbek follow with 4/6. It is, of course, still early days. At 33 years old, Magnus is the oldest player!
Meanwhile, it’s blacks move. Mate in 3.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
I am sorting mail these days, which piled up during my Roman Sojourn. One thing I am doing is looking for things to read for a new edition of News of the Church. I immediately noticed interesting news of from the wonderful Benedictine nuns of Gower Abbey in Missouri, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. So, stay tuned.
Meanwhile, they have two new music CDs (and downloads). One of them focuses on martyrs. Here are three tiny tastes. I like that they put the famous Ut queant laxis into the collection. I did a podcast about it back in 2007!
Let’s see if we can sell out all the discs and break the downloads.
You get their music. They get more income. They open more daughter houses. More room available for vocations and happy traditional nuns.
See how that works?
Also, lest I forget, the chess.com Classic is revving up. Several of the players are also playing in Warsaw. There were real fireworks yesterday, with some spectacular blunders (which I find consoling) and missed mates (which I do often when playing fast). The highly unlikeable Hans Niemann with what was probably a mouse-slip blundered his queen. He’s out. Play continues today. Several players have already made it to Division 1 because of past performances, including Magnus.
Because this is a chess.com event, chess.com is offering discounts on premium memberships (there are free memberships, too).
There are many images of the Lord’s Ascension to heaven through history, and rightly so. With the Annunciation, the Ascension is perhaps the greatest of all the Feasts of the Lord and for our own humanity. Imagine! Our humanity, taken into an indestructible bond with the Lord’s divinity at the Annunciation, with the Ascension is seated – RIGHT NOW – at the right hand of the Father.
Now HE. Later WE.
The Ascension is an article of the Creed and it behooves us to reflect on it.
The depictions of the Ascension I like the most are the medieval illustrations which show the Apostles, often with Mary, looking upward as a pair of lordly Feet at all that remains to be seen.
The Ascension of Christ, historiated initial ‘C’, Italy, 15C (State Library of Victoria, RARES 096 IL I)
Who better to turn to for some insight into this than Ratzinger?
From the site Ignatius Insight, providing an excerpt from “The Ascension: The Beginning of a New Nearness,” from Joseph Ratzinger’sImages of Hope: Meditations on Major Feasts (Ignatius Press, 2006 – UK HERE). My emphases and comments:
You are surely familiar with all those precious, naïve images in which only the feet of Jesus are visible, sticking out of the cloud, at the heads of the apostles. The cloud, for its part, is a dark circle on the perimeter; on the inside, however, blazing light. It occurs to me that precisely in the apparent naïveté of this representation something very deep comes into view. All we see of Christ in the time of history are his feet and the cloud. His feet—what are they?
We are reminded, first of all, of a peculiar sentence from the Resurrection account in Matthew’s Gospel, where it is said that the women held onto the feet of the Risen Lord and worshipped him. As the Risen One, he towers over earthly proportions. We can still only touch his feet; and we touch them in adoration. Here we could reflect that we come as worshippers, following his trail, close to his footsteps. Praying, we go to him; praying, we touch him, even if in this world, so to speak, always only from below, only from afar, always only on the trail of his earthly steps. At the same time it becomes clear that we do not find the footprints of Christ when we look only below, when we measure only footprints and want to subsume faith in the obvious. The Lord is movement toward above, and only in moving ourselves, in looking up and ascending, do we recognize him.
When we read the Church Fathers something important is added. The correct ascent of man occurs precisely where he learns, in humbly turning toward his neighbor, to bow very deeply, down to his feet, down to the gesture of the washing of feet. It is precisely humility, which can bow low, that carries man upward. This is the dynamic of ascent that the feast of the Ascension wants to teach us.
In the readings for the Sunday after Ascension, what does Peter teach us? Charity covers a multitude of sins!
Let’s have a few more images of the Ascension of different styles, animi caussa!
From the Parisian Missal
With footprints on his blasting off pad.
And there is the more, “It’s a bird! It’s plane!” style.
Note the reactions…
Getting a helping hand. Christ is carrying a scroll. What could be written on it? It must mean something.
Here’s 15th c. Flemish version where we see Christ getting to the right hand of the Father. Nice!
We have lovely customs in our wonderful Roman Catholic Church, including special blessings on certain feast days, often tied to the changing of the seasons… in Rome, that is. It’s the Roman Church, after all.
Tomorrow, the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord – on THURSDAY – was and is decorated with the opportunity to bless beans.
In Rome at this time of year the “broad beans” are usually at their peak. Broad beans are best enjoyed simply with pecorino cheese and cold white wine. The combination of which is a material proof of God’s love.
The connection of this time of year in the Roman calendar with beans is ancient indeed. Remember: I am not talking here about a certain attention seeking, bomb-throwing, hopped-up would-be-theologian sociologist. I mean the vegetable. Although… the two often produce similar “after effects”.
During May in ancient Rome the master of the house would walk around the dwelling on the nights of the Lemuria (9,11, 13) waving beans to ward of evil spirits. On the Kalends of June (1 June) there was a pagan feast of the Sacrum Carnae Deae when beans and bacon were offered in sacrifice and consumed. In fact, the June Kalends were called Kalendae Fabariae. Latin faba is, of course, “bean”, and the Italian is still the same, “fave”.
The essentials don’t change much. For this feast the ancient Romans ate a mess of beans and bacon. Any excuse, right?
In his Fasti the poet Ovid writes of beany blessings:
Pinguia cur illis gustentur larda Kalendis Mixtaque cur calido sit faba farre, rogas? Prisca dea est, aliturque cibis quibus ante solebat, Nec petit adscitas luxuriosa dapes.
I enjoy Ovid… it just rolls and rolls out so effortlessly.
In any event, beans and bacon were as big back then as they are now. It’s amazing how consistent we are. You get much of the same effect with your fave and pecorino cheese (salty fat).
And don’t forget the awe inspiring fave in tegame.
The the ancient Roman cookbook complied in the 4th c. and attributed to Apicius (US HERE – UK HERE), there are various bean and pea recipes. A good one. HERE and HERE
Pisam Vitellianam sive fabam (Peas or Beans à la Vitellius)
Pisam coques lias. teres piper, ligusticum, gingiber, et super condimenta mittis vitella ovorum, quae dura coxeris, mellis uncias III, liquamen, vinum et acetum. haec omnia mittis in caccabum et condimenta quae trivisti. adiecto oleo ponis ut ferveat. condies pisam, lias, si aspera fuerit. melle mittis et inferes.
Peas or beans with yolks are made thus: cook the peas, smoothen them; crush pepper, lovage, ginger, and on the condiments put hard boiled yolks, ounces of honey, also liquamen, wine and vinegar; mix and place all in a sauce pan; the finely chopped condiments with oil added, put on the stove to be cooked; with this flavor the peas which must be smooth; and if they be too harsh in taste add honey and serve.
If you don’t have a lot of liquamen, use garum(or substitute colatura or even Vietnamese fish sauce, which is similar).
A Bean Blessing is not, alas, in the Rituale Romanum, but another blessing, for any sort of food, can be used.
Bring lots of beans, perhaps along with bacon, to Father and ask him to bless them.
Remember that the Rituale in force in 1962 says that blessings are to be done in Latin. Sorry…I’m not making that up.
I’ll give the Latin below. The intro is familiar. In the bean blessing I made plurals and used an adjective rather than genitive.
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
Bene+dic, Domine creaturas istas fabales, ut sint remedium salutare generi humano: et praesta per invocationem tui sancti nominis; ut, quicumque ex eis sumpserint, corporis sanitatem et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Lord, bless + this creature, [beans – “beany creatures”)], and let it be a healthful food for mankind. Grant that everyone who eats it with thanksgiving to your holy name may find it a help in body and in soul; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
It is sprinkled with holy water.
There is a separate blessing for bacon (“lard”… ascension of the lard?):
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. All: Who made heaven and earth. P: The Lord be with you. All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
Bene+dic, Domine, creaturam istam laridi, ut sit remedium salutare generi humano: et praesta per invocationem tui sancti nominis; ut, quicumque ex eo sumpserint, corporis sanitatem et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Lord, bless + this creature, lard, and let it be a healthful food for mankind. Grant that everyone who eats it with thanksgiving to your holy name may find it a help in body and in soul; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
It is sprinkled with holy water.
I hope you will all be “full of beans” for this Feast of the Ascension of the Lord!
The recently deceased Fr. Hunwicke – may he rest in peace – once had a fun post about Ascension Beans. HERE
He includes the blessing for grapes… “Benedic +, Domine, hos fructos novos vineae…”.
The Ritual has blessings for all sorts of food items, such as bread and pizza or cake, beer, cheese and butter, birds, eggs, lamb, oils, whatever other food (ad quodcumque comestibile).
In some places the Feast of the Ascension (which since the 4th century has fallen on a Thursday because before that it always would have been on a Thursday) has been transferred to next Sunday, thus making it “Ascension Thursday Sunday”. That’s just wrong.
The 3rd edition of the Missale Romanum of 2002 provided a Mass for the Vigil of Ascension, which wasn’t in previous editions of the Novus Ordo.
The prayers for the new Vigil of Ascension are not the same as those found in the pre-Conciliar Missale for the Vigil.
In case you don’t have the Latin texts, here are the antiphons for the Vigil. Ant. ad introitum:Regna terrae cantata Deo, psallite Domino, qui ascendit super caelum caeli; magnificentia et virtus eius in nubibus, alleluia. (Ps 67:33,35) Ant. ad communionem:Christus, unam pro peccatis offerens hostiam, in sempiterum sedet in dextera Dei, alleluia. (Cf. Heb 10:12)
COLLECT (2002MR): Deus, cuius Filus hodie in caelos,
Apostolis astantibus, ascendit,
concede nobis, quaesumus,
ut secundum eius promissionem
et ille nobiscum semper in terris
et nos cum eo in caelo vivere mereamur.
This was modified from a prayer in ancient sacramentaries such as the Liber Sacramentorum when it was used on Ascension Thursday having its Station Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The eucological formulas (the collection of prayers), for the Ascension could be the oldest prayers we have in the Roman liturgy! They are found in what was once often called the Leonine Sacramentary, which survived in one 7th c. manuscript in Verona, thus making it what modern scholars call it: the Veronese Sacramentary.
You might not immediately recognize astantibus as being from asto or adsto, which that ascendant lexicon of Latin lemmata, the Lewis & Short Dictionary, says means, “to stand at or near a person or thing, to stand by” The L&S will also inform you that asto has the synonym adsisto.
If you have ever heard the phrase “to assist (adsisto) at Holy Mass” this is the concept: you are present and actively participating.
Also, during the Roman Canon, the priest describes the people as circumstantes, “standing around”. This doesn’t mean they there around the altar with their hands in the their pockets (though that happens in the Novus Ordo). Rather, they are there morally and spiritually “around” the altar, participating each according to their vocation and capacity. So, circumstantes is used to identify the baptized who are present.
The Apostles, who were adstantes, actively participating in the Lord’s Ascension before, during and after the actual moment of the Ascension, both listened to the Lord and watched the Lord. Similarly, at Holy Mass we actively participate before, during and after the consecration, both by listening to the Lord speak through the texts and watching what the Lord does in the liturgical action.
LITERAL VERSION: O God, whose Son today ascended
into the heavens as the Apostles were standing close by,
grant us, we beseech You,
that, according to His promise,
we may be worthy both that He lives with us on earth,
and that we live with Him in heaven.
NEW CORRECTED ICEL (2011): O God, whose Son today ascended to the heavens
as the Apostles looked on,
grant, we pray, that, in accordance with his promise,
we may be worthy for him to live with us always on earth,
and we with him in heaven.
When the Second Person took up our human nature into an indestructible bond with His divinity we were thereby destined to sit at God’s right hand, first in Christ and then on our own.
Christ makes us worthy, no one else. Christ alone. It’s all His.
Because it’s His, it’s ours.
Our Lord’s Ascension brought our humanity to the right hand of the Father in glory, a first-fruit and token of what awaits us.
The Collect for the Vetus Ordo is from the 5th Sunday after Easter.
Deus, a quo bona cuncta procédunt, largíre supplícibus tuis: ut cogitémus, te inspiránte, quæ recta sunt; et, te gubernánte, eadem faciámus.
O God, from Whom all good things come, grant to Your supplicants, we beseech You, as You inspire we may think what is right, as You guide, accomplish the same.
God loves us so much that He makes us cooperators in His action. He gives us good things to do. He then makes our hands strong enough to handle them, such as His works are also our works. As Augustine says, he crowns His own merits in us.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
In chessy news… the Superbet Rapid & Blitz starts in Poland today, 8-12 May. 9 rounds of rapid, followed by 18 rounds of blitz. Magnus and Gukesh are playing.
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK HERE WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
Welcome registrant:
Chirchlady
Also, MT… you sent a donation via Zelle. Zelle doesn’t provide an email. Would you please drop me a line so I can send a thank you note?
UPDATE:
BTW… there is a chess.com tournament going on: Champions Chess Tour Chess.com Classic 2024. Big players are involved including my guy Wesley So. (YAY!) It’s Day 1 and it is the “play in” phase, for favorable placement in the next phase. They have coordinated their schedule with the Rapid and Blitz in Warsaw so that those players can also participate from afar (e.g., Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Nodirbek Abusattarov, Anish Giri). As I am watching, Wesley and Fabi drew – they share the lead.
Now that you are not in Rome and you are not going to cappuccino and a cornetto, what’s for breakfast?
I could have a cappuccino. I have a great machine. However, usually I have very strong black coffee. I’m back to mostly protein. Today, kielbasa and spicy kimchi. I’ve missed the kimchi.
HEY! vb*****@cox.net! My thank you note to you got kicked back. New email?
A a Rome Shot. It is still like a dream to see this.
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Nice people! Great service!
Meanwhile, white will soon find mate I hope. It’s there and the pattern has a name with. Go for it! White to move.
1. Qxg7+ Bxg7 2. Rxg7+ Rxg7 3. Nxf6+ Kh8 4. Rxf8+ Rg8 5. Rxg8# NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
I wonder if there is a place to get good kimchi in Rome. You would think that there would be, right?
In chessy news, lest you be in the dark, I read that Hikaru Nakamura has by now won in one year over $10K in the chess.com “Bullet Brawl”. In this format each play has only ONE MINUTE. Whew. I dunno.
Also, related to chess (of course) but also no, at Chess Base today there is an interesting piece about aphantasia. HERE Aphantasia is the inability to picture things in their “mind’s eye”. This would related to chess because, at the higher levels, it requires a strong visual memory. Some players can visualize positions, even many boards. Think about this… if you have aphantasia, how do you calculate? Analyze a position? How can you play chess at all? How about all the other aspects of life… like… driving?
Anyway, I struggle to visualize past a certain number of moves. This is going to hold me back a little when I start getting serious.
It is worth your time.
This is also worth your time. I am presently visualizing you clicking the link and buying some beer, even if you don’t like beer, because a) you can give it to a worthy priest and b) you want to help these great Benedictines at Norcia.
Here’s Magnus playing 5 boards simultaneously while BLINDFOLDED and facing away from the boards. Note that he plays a different opening on each board.
First, posts are still arriving on Fr. Hunwicke’s blog, may he rest in peace. He scheduled them (probably). right now there are interesting notes about Rogation days. HERE
New Oxford Review… for me is behind a paywall. I would appreciate an assist, if you get my drift. There is a piece entitled musing about Benedict XVI as the katechon: Was Pope Benedict XVI Holding Back the Destroying Flood? HERE
Last night I watched Catholic Unscripted (I pay attention to them) on YouTube. They brought up the fact that a Chicago priest did a full blown wedding for lesbians. The question is, will Rome or Cupich do anything about it? My guess is NO. But the people who want the TLM must be crushed into the gravel and kicked to the side of the road. It stands to reason. On the sham wedding HERE. BTW… the video to which I refer has a funny moment. Recommended with oak leaf cluster. HERE
I would like to collaborate with Catholic Unscripted. They have their heads screwed on in the right direction.
As I prepared mentally to leave the land of the platonic form of Chinese food for climes in which Chinese is hardly even a flicker on the wall of the back of the cave, we determined to go that way instead of Greek.
Spicy cucumbers.
Sichuan noodles.
Scallion pancakes.
Xiao long bao. Very good. However, the spoon was too small.
Eggplant with minced pork and ginger.
Crispy spicy beef. We asked them to ratchet the heat down a little for one of our august company. Truly crispy!
Chicken braised in Chinese “wine” and basil.
A good meal was had by all.
Now… packing for the last couple of flights to close the circle.
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Even though I am quite busy, I will not deny you your daily challenge.
White to move and mate in 3.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Here is your Roman JASMINE REPORT! (No, not the Jesuit.)
Thanks to The World’s Best Sacristan™.
*sigh* I should’ve stayed a few more days.
Welcome registrants:
IzaJanina Spartan76 yorkvilleguy
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK HERE WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
White to move and win.
1.a6 Rh4 2.Rd8 Kxd8 a7 and wins. Not 2.Ra3?bxa3 3.a7 axb2 (Alekhine 1933) NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
In chessy news… the 2024 Grand Chess Tour will begin with the Superbet Rapid & Blitz, May 8-12 in Warsaw: 9 rounds of rapid and 18 rounds of blitz. Who will be there? World number one Magnus Carlsen and the next challenger for the world title, Dommaraju Gukesh. Last year Carlsen won by holding a draw in a 124-move slug fest against Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.
Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Mass of obligation for the 5th Sunday Sunday after Easter? Novus Ordo – 6th Sunday of Easter.
Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.
When we are given this image of the eye and of light, we should be immediately reminded of what the Church, and ancient philosophers before her, advised about custodia occulorum, custody of the eyes.
I will be blunt.
Purgamentum init, exit purgamentum. Garbage in, garbage out.
We should not look at things that are evil or which arouse passions. Our vision is perhaps the most powerful of all the senses for shaping our inward selves. It is a common trait of us fallen human beings that we tend to desire what we see. Remember the temptation of Eve by the serpent in the Garden at the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis 3: …
The adventure continued yesterday with a visit to the now defunct Huntington Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. This was the once mighty seminary of the once mighty Diocese of Brooklyn. It had hundreds of seminarians. Then it had tens. Then it had none and was closed. Back in the 50’s, the Diocese of Rockville Centre (pretty much the entirety of Long Island) was sliced off from Brooklyn. The result was that Brooklyn was all urban and poorer by the year. The money was in Long Island. Rockville Centre got the seminary (and the landed gentry), Brooklyn’s dead bishops in crypt were translated, and eventually things petered out.
I took lots of photos (new phone… difference?) but here are a few just to provide a taste of what seminaries were, back in the day.
Look at this deeply deeply silly altar. The main altar was as wide as you can easily envisage. But, no. They had to follow the chimera, the non-existent lie-based propo after the Council, and put something barely wide enough to hold the corporal and bookstand in the nave. If there were any environment in which it is would be important to stress the concept of a sanctuary, it would be a seminary. So, that’s where they did the stupid stuff.
A small bright spot in the sacristy.
The other day I mentioned prayers to be said commanded by the local bishop. Here is an example at the bottom of the chart with vesting prayers framed on a cabinet over the vestment case.
Who would like to offer a precise and yet smooth translation of the Latin at the bottom?
This oratio imperata reveals the deep culture of prayer for benefactors. This is way, dear readers, I always mention that I pray for and say Mass for the intention of those who send donations, either monthly or ad hoc and who send wishlist items and also notes about their prayers for me. I, too, at the Mementos of the living and of the dead in the Roman Canon remember my benefactors. It is a duty and pleasure.
The bishop’s chapel in the level below the main chapel, below which there is the crypt. The chapel is decidedly eschatological and very well done. The mosaic of the reigning Christ is raised above the broken symbols of episcopal office, such as the crozier, and the human bones are a memento mori. Moreover, this is directly above the crypt the the bishop’s dead predecessors are entombed!
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The one wing from the back of the sprawling place.
We headed over the the house where President Theodore Roosevelt died. Alas, it was closed.
Nice people! Great service!
Supper: We stopped at a local butcher in what seemed like a shabby bodega in a not so appealing area. Great butcher! Friendly and helpful. Happy to talk about the cut, fat content, etc. High quality meats. Always chat with the butcher. My experience is that even in grocery stores they are often the most helpful, in fact eager to. It makes their day a lot more pleasant and they are, in general, happy to cut something special for you. These guys had various steaks cut, but we asked for something thicker. Here is a shot with a dry rub I often use. It’s about 1 3/4″.
In the pan with clarified butter.
Simple greens and tomato and garlic vinaigrette. A good, sturdy Zin.
Speaking of altars, this is fun. Note the image over this altar. It is a riff on a theme.
If you were building a home chapel, and could pick any image to put above your altar, what image would you choose? pic.twitter.com/xLYO0teoZw
In chessy news, it looks like another chess movie may be coming out, this time based on the huge cheating controversy from the Sinquefield Cup a couple years ago. Magnus Carlson abruptly left the tournament levelling an accusation of cheating against the rather unlikeable Hans Neimann.
Frankly, I am amazed that more chess related movies and shows haven’t been produced lately, given the huge and growing popularity of chess around the world.
Also, The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has invited private bids for the 2024 World Championship. Get this: Minimum total budget $8,500,000, minimum total prize fund $2,500,000, FIDE fee $1,100,000. I dunno. Chess is growing. One of these days large sponsors will get involved, as they have in other sports.
Black to move and mate in 4.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Chrissue Lulu Helengrace3712
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I was out with priest friends in deepest Queens last night for Chinese food, which is plentifully lacking in Rome. Good Chinese that is. We had a little group that would meet at a place where, after they got to know us and with a little encouragement and forewarning, would give us the real thing rather than what is usually served in Italy. Anyway, no problem with that in Queens.
First things first. Xiao long bao aka Shanghai soup dumplings.
I used to go to a place, often, not too far from LGA, called Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao. The logo was great. They had about the best XLB I’ve ever had. Then COVID Theatre struck and they turned over, redecorated in the most appalling taste, added deeply stupid items like chocolate XLB and ruined the menu while providing mediocre food with a hint of undeserved pretention. I mourn the loss of the old place.
Really spicy hot cumin lamb. Not as good as China Cafe on 37th, but satisfying. I did feel a bit for my dining companions. Until the capsicum did its thing, they endured with a measure of surprise.
Eggplant with garlic sauce was a hit. It had some sweetness. I suspect the addition of a little honey.
Singapore noodles. I was underwhelmed. This needed more “goodies” in it.
Twice cooked pork. On the salty side, but a true and pleasing contrast to the sweetness of the eggplant.
You can see an edge of the chicken with vegetables.
Nice people! Great service!
A nice supper with great conversation. It was nice to have a change of palate.
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I have to brag a little. I had an online game against one of the chess.com 2000 rated bots. This is what happened.
Pippo the Florist. If you visit Rome, and you go the Campo de’ Fiori during the day, stop at Pippo’s get some flowers for your hotel room, and say “Hi!” from “don John”.
Hey! s*****41@nc.rr.com My thank you note got kicked back as undeliverable. New email?
Meanwhile, white to move and mate in 2. Honestly, how long did it take for you to solve this (if you did)? It took me a couple minutes get it down to 2. I got three pretty fast, but that’s not the puzzle!
#2 1. Bb6 axb6 2. Qa8#
Nice people! Great service!
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Interested in learning? Try THIS. In fact, I had an email that one of you readers did, in fact, try something from Remote Chess Academy. Thanks for using my link. This fellow is a good teacher. He has helped my game in several ways.
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In chessy news… in Malmo, in a tournament I am not following, there are several players and some of them are winning and some of them are drawing and some of them are losing. That’s about it. However, there is an article at chess.com today about openings with black for beginners that some of you might want to check out. HERE
I am now also a chess.com affiliate. Sign up! Maybe we can get something going. I’m especially interested in priestly chess players.
Now that I am back in these USA – where the next summer of stupid seems to be warming up, I can at least share something of the non-Italian fare I’ve happily engaged since disembarking.
Firstly, whereas there was practically nobody in lines at FCO in Rome, there were vast throngs in the lines at JFK for passports, etc. Since indicated waits of over an hour. Happily I was able to into a different line and go through rapidly. Whew.
Then, an old return- Stateside custom was observed. Cheeseburger. Yup.
Meanwhile, in Rome, the sun rose at 06:02 and set at 20:13.
The Ave Maria Bell would have run, if it were rung, at 20:30.
It was the Feast of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor (+373).
There is an interesting piece – interesting because it was in the first place written and published – from the AP about the shift among younger Catholics to “conservative” and even – gasp – traditional ways. HERE
‘A step back in time’: America’s Catholic Church sees an immense shift toward the old ways
The title doesn’t capture the reality. The shift toward “the old ways” is really a step forward into the future.
Much of the article seeks to fill in the background for readers not so well informed. The meat of it, however, is going to irritate quite a few of those who hold the positions of power in the US Church and perhaps also in Rome.
The fact is, and this article points to this reality, that there is a vast demographic sink hole opening up under the Church. I’ve written and warned about this for many years now. In the end, there was be a few strong identity groups left active in the Church. They will, of necessity and survival for institutions, find each other and integrate. While there will be some frictions to work out, I believe the result could be amazing.
It will be amazing, in fact. This is precisely why some who hold power in the Church are desperately trying to stomp the life out of one of these strong identity groups: those who adhere to the Church’s Tradition. In fact, it is this group that will provide the solid foundation for everything that will survive the inexorable slide into the sink hole and the collapse of many Church entities. What I have, in the past, called “The Biological Solution”, that is, the ever-ticking clock, is changing the landscape around the and within the sinkhole. The article points this out with a couple of quotes, including one from a priest of my native place who used to address us in seminary: “They say they’re trying to restore what us old guys ruined.”
And they sure did. The ruin they brought about was devastating. But emergence from the ruin is not only possible, it is happening. Think of the redecoration (at quite an expense) of wrekovated churches (which our forebears paid for with sweat and money) just to implement a modernist agenda woven from systematic lying and brutal clericalist oppression.
There are signs of life, indeed. But there is still oppression. It’ll take awhile longer, but “Change is gonna come”, as Sam Cooke once sang.
I invite you to read the article and comment on it.
In my opinion, his wonderful blog should be left intact. Also, if there are such capabilities through Blogger, it should be downloaded and preserved.
In your charity, please pray for his soul and for his family members and friends.
Requiescat.
He will not be forgotten. Requiem aeternam dona eum, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eum.Very sad news: Fr John Hunwicke of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, died on Tuesday. A man of wit and scholarship, 'fortes in fide', and a great support to the work of@latinmassuk… pic.twitter.com/prodBm3L6c
At 06:04 the sun rose over Rome. At 20:02 the sun will sink past the horizon.
The Ave Maria Bell…. poor thing… 20:30.
Thank you, Lord, for this 122nd day of this year of Salvation.
It is the Feast of St Jeremiah the Old Testament Prophet. St Joseph the worker displaced Sts. Philip and James, Apostles. The Month of May is dedicated to Mary.
The Mary altar in church was beautiful today.
Also, it had the only image of St. Joseph in the church. From now on there will always be fresh flowers from Pippo in the Campo de’ Fiori.
On the way to the airport this morning, I spotted this jasmine in Trastevere near Santa Dorotea.
There was virtually nobody in lines at check in or security. I strolled through, practically.
From curb to lounge in maybe 20 minutes. And they have some decent offerings. The French oven is even Le Creuset.
We will board another half hour or so. Very little traffic today since it is “labor day”. No lines. Decent lounge. So far so good.
My mention of a “minor exorcism” the other day prompted a minor flood of email questions. Some of them deal with how people today seem to see or imagine exorcisms.
I answered a question a while back along these lines, which I repost now for your opportune knowledge.
From a reader….
QUAERITUR:
I saw the really good posts that Father Tim Finigan and Father John Hunwicke put on their blogs and the comments. Why, Father Z, do you think people today freak out so much over the idea of exorcisms? It’s like their brains shut down.
You ask a good question.
I’ll open with this.
It is obvious to me that performing exorcisms should be one of the most normal and natural things that priests do. We are constantly at war with the world, the flesh and the Devil. Demons are relentless. Priests aren’t ordained to be “nice guys” or to be “facilitators” or “administrators”. Priests are ordained, first and foremost, to offer the Sacrifice of Calvary and administer the sacraments. Priests are ordained to forgive sins. Priests are ordained to intercede in prayer. Priests are ordained to bless and to reconcile, to purify and to protect from spiritual harm. Yes, priests are also ordained to teach and to govern or administer the goods of the Church. Fine. BUT… others can do that too, whereas only priests can consecrate and bless and exorcise as priests, as alter Christus.
So, I say again, it seems to me the most normal of activities for priests to exorcise and to bless people, places and things. It is the common and ordinary work of the common, ordinary priest and it shouldn’t raise an eyebrow.
Except for today, a time infected with the eroding virus of modernist immanentism, the tendency to reduce the supernatural to the natural.
This modernist, immanentist prevailing tendency, accounts for part of the negative reactions of some to the concept of exorcism.
The post-Conciliar Church pretty much abandoned the use of our rites and blessings which require exorcisms before blessings, consecrations or sacraments are administered. Slowly but surely – because we are our rites – the loss of familiarity with the two-stage process of sanctifying has lead to fear. And this fear is rooted in the fact that such rites bring us into contact with, remind us of the reality of, mystery, the mystery with power to transform. That’s, ultimately, what the traditional rites were designed and polished to accomplish: bring people into transformative contact with God, who is mystery. And the purpose of that, ultimately, is to prepare us for death, to help us deal with fear of death.
That little ramble is a preamble to more.
The part about exorcism before blessings, etc. needs more electrons. Here are a few examples of the pattern of purification before sanctification that was so much a part of the Roman way of offering sacred worship to God.
Nota bene: To get this at all, you must first believe that the Enemy, the Devil, exists, is a personal being, legion, malicious and relentless in trying to keep souls from God and the bliss of heaven. The diabolical enemy, demons, fallen angels, can attach themselves to places, things and people because they are summoned explicitly or because certain sins summoned them and then “permitted”, in a kind of legalistic sense, them to attach. The Lord Himself talks about the “Prince of this world” (John 12:12; 14:30; 16:11), who is the Devil and the Enemy of the soul. Since the fall of our First Parents, the Enemy dominates the created cosmos. Exorcism breaks the hold of the enemy. Blessings and consecrations then rededicate the freed, place, person, or thing to the King.
This isn’t pretend. This is real.
In the traditional rite of baptism, the one to be baptized is, before anything else, exorcized. The Enemy is commanded to depart from the person. Salt which has been exorcised and then blessed is placed in the person’s mouth. There is an explicit exorcism that must be in Latin. There is another exorcism upon entrance to the baptistry. After the renunciation of Satan, then and only then is the one to be baptized anointed with Oil of Catechumens. Actually baptism follows after another interrogation. The whole rite shows the Church’s understanding of how the Enemy exercises a domination over the material cosmos and has a kind of claim on it because of the Fall.
I mentioned the exorcism and blessing of salt. Many things, before they are blessed, are first to be exorcized. Holy Water is a good example. In the traditional rite, salt is exorcized and then blessed, then water is exorcized and then blessed. They are combined with a Trinitarian form and the solution blessed again. In the exorcism the priest addresses the salt and the water as if they are sentient creatures: I exorcize you, O creature of salt… creature of water…. This was standard practice in all sacristies on Sundays before the principle Mass when there was to be an Asperges or Vidi Aquam. Take away these rites, and priests themselves slowly but surely start to forget about the Enemy and the constant spiritual warfare being waged for our souls, the reason why we have sacramentals. St. Benedict medals, by the way, are also exorcized and addressed as “you”.
In the rite of consecration of a church, again there are exorcisms before blessings. Outside the church the bishop exorcizes on three levels, each with a procession around the building, twice counter-clockwise and once clockwise, then entering the church the process is repeated. After the exorcisms come the blessings of the floor and walls and eventually the altar. The exorcisms are performed before the people are admitted to the church. An echo of this could be found in the Offertory rite at Holy Mass in the traditional form. The incense is blessed with a special blessing that invokes the one who bound Satan with the chain, St. Michael the Archangel and all of his elect. Then the thurible is swung over the host and chalice, twice counter-clockwise and once clockwise, before the altar is incensed on three levels, above to the back, to sides and the front and beneath. That blessing and that process, that echoes the tearing of things away from the Enemy and their consecration, was eliminated from the Novus Ordo.
Speaking of the traditional Holy Mass, before the Gospel, the priest or deacon says two prayers. The first prayer begs for the cleansing of the lips and heart invoking the image of the angel who brought the burning coal to Isaiah’s mouth before he was given the prophetic office. After that first prayer, then the second prayer, which was kept in the Novus Ordo, is said. It includes the request for the blessing. First, purification. Then, blessing. If these things are eliminated from the Mass, over time priests simply are unaware not just of the details of the rites, but the concepts behind them. Their identity is eroded or never enriched with them in the first place. That, in itself, is reason enough for every single seminarian to be taught how to say the Traditional Latin Mass.
One of the reasons why, in the confessional, you ask the priest for his blessing before making your confession is to bind the Enemy so that he or they won’t attack and distract from your making a good and complete confession. This is something confessors should know and do: quietly say a minor exorcism of some kind as penitents enter and bless them as they begin.
Moving into our contemporary context, imagine a clergy and the vast majority of lay people who still think about their Catholic Faith at all, who have been systematically and purposely deprived of catechesis about and exposure through ritual to concepts like exorcisms.
Then, all of a sudden, they hear about such things.
There could be a little bit of embarrassed titillation or perhaps unaccountable fear, either of the unfamiliar (maybe with some guilt because they know they ought to know about it) or else because oppressing demons are prompting their worst impulses to shun the holy. The more violent reactions are probably due to the latter: demonic influence.
A couple more things about exorcisms. Here is an interesting fact.
Have you ever been to Rome? If you have been, surely you visited St. Peter’s Basilica and have walked in the Square. In the center of the piazza is a mighty obelisk. It had once been the spina or center point of the Circus of Gaius Caligula, where Peter was martyred. In the time of Sixtus V it was moved to the center of the piazza as part of a project both to rearrange the medieval and ancient pathways for the sake of traffic, city planning, but also to reclaim ancient pagan civic objects away from the demons attached to them and turn them over to God. Thus at important points in his city plan he erected ancient columns with statues of saints, etc. The St. Peter’s obelisk got special treatment. Sixtus himself exorcised it, carved a cross into it, went around it and threw holy water on it to bless it and put a bronze cap with a Cross on the top that contains a fragment of the Cross, the bronze reminiscent of the brazen serpent in the wilderness. On the base supporting the obelisk, on the sides, left and right as you face it and the basilica, are inscriptions about who put it there, etc. On the front and back, however, there are Latin inscriptions taken from the … wait for it… rite of exorcism. Any priest who has ever recited Chapter 3 of Title XI of the Rituale Romanum, known sometimes as the “longer St. Michael prayer”, instantly recognizes the lines.
ECCE CRUX DOMINI – FUGITE PARTES ADVERSAE – VICIT LEO DE TRIBU IUDA
Behold the Cross of the Lord – Let the Enemy flee – The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is victorious.
The obelisk, once a pagan thing and an object of demons, stands now like a exorcising sentinel before the basilica where the tomb of the Apostle is, where countless pilgrims come. And if you have spent time in Rome, especially around St. Peter’s, you see a lot of strange things happen as some people approach that obelisk.
Frankly, the exorcism of the obelisk should be renewed now that a ritual object of a demonic idol cult was placed on the altar over the bones of Peter. But I digress.
Speaking of Title XI Chapter 3 of the Roman Ritual, a couple things. First, it is possible for priests to recite this privately. It is more efficacious with the permission of the bishop, when it can also be recited publicly. If priests want recordings of the Latin, see HERE.
It is often explained that while Chapter 2 is the full, big, exorcism rite for people, Chapter 3 is more about places and things. While that is true, Chapter 3 also concerns people. There are references to people within the rite. They are right there in black and white. Moreover, those references are surely in there because there were sects doing the Devil’s work against the Church in the political sphere.
In any event, it seems to me that people “freak out” at the idea that priests might be doing exorcisms because they fear what they – victims of the prevailing immanentism – don’t understand, they feel guilt because they know they should understand it and believe it (and don’t), and because they are being prompted by demons who have got their claws into them.
Some people do not realize that many figures of the Old Testament are considered saints by the Catholic Church. They are not celebrated on our main liturgical calendar but they are in the Roman Martyrology, which is one of our official liturgical books.
Today is not only the feast of St. Joseph the worker, but also the feast of the prophet Jeremiah.
Here is the text of the 2005 MartRom, which I will leave to you readers to work through animi caussa (just for fun)!
Commemoratio sancti Ieremiae, prophetae, qui, tempore Ioachim et Sedeciae, regum Iudae, Civitatis Sanctae eversionem populique deportationem monens, multas persecutiones passus est, quam ob rem Ecclesia eum habuit ut Christi patientis figuram. Novum aeternumque insuper Testamentum in ipso Christo Iesu consummandum praenuntiavit, quo Pater omnipotens legem suam in imo filiorum Israel corde scriberet, ut esset ipse iis in Deum et essent illi ei in populum.
My final full day in Rome is also the final day of April. The sun rose at 6:05. It will set at 20:10, to chase the cycle of the Ave Maria Bell, which, like a tease, is to be rung – but won’t be – at 20:30.
In the Vetus Ordo today we celebrate S. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctrix. In the Novus, we celebrate Pope St. Pius V (+1 May 1572) whose body is in the Sistine Chapel of S. Maria Maggiore. It is also the Feast of St. Quirinus, Martyr (s. III) and St. Peter the Levite (+605).
From one of the little churches I stepped into yesterday. S. Nicola di Bari. It had been a Dominican place, as the art at the side altars suggested (St Thomas Aquinas, etc.). This was way up above the little organ in the loft.
I am packing, going systematically from one end of the place to the other, tidying, readying things for storage, sorting for disposal. Tonight, my “carrellino” will go back to its waiting place. I’ll finalize my dishes and leftovers, probably have a walk, and try to get to bed a little early.
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HEY! a*****.w****@erickson.com My thank you note to you got kicked back with an “undeliverable” message. Did you update your email? Let me know!
Yesterday I ran a couple of errands in the afternoon, including a stop at a couple of clerical shops and a phone place.
Can you identity these?
I determined that I was going to have filetti di baccalà yesterday, deep fried reconstituted cod. I hadn’t been for quite a while. This is a classic place. They have a small menu and they do quite a bit of take away.
To order take away, go to the very back, to the kitchen.
They needed hotter oil, I think. Deep frying is tricky. They could do better.
I also got some puntarelle.
Summary: Come here if you want a taste of Roman Friday of Lent. Otherwise, run, don’t walk… to a better place. This ain’t what it used to be. The puntarelle were fresh but the dressing was not inspiring. I was able to dress it up a bit at home. The filetti… waaaaay to salty. It may have been an off evening. However, my desire for filetti – from that place – has been slaked for the next 10 years or so. Too bad. I used to enjoy them.
Someone should open up a place and give them competition. Seriously.
In happier news: The Jasmine Report (Not about the Jesuit).
I was walking along a usual route in the evening and suddenly… that distinct smell. Looking on the far side of the bush…
Just in time. It’s like Rome is saying, “AÒ!”
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In chessy news, Magnus Carlsen opined about official world champ Ding Liren, who hasn’t been playing much and who hasn’t done very well.
“The question is whether he is sort of permanently broken from the last world championship that he played. I’m not sure, but I think there is a possibility that he could be,” said Carlsen.
Meanwhile, white to move and mate in 5. 1. Rg7+ Kf7 2. Qe7+ Rf7 3. Rg1+ Kh8 4. Qe5+ Rg7 5. Qxg7# NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
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UPDATE:
Just a little something to make you laugh. They’re serious, but… really?
You couldn't make this up: for "Deaconess Day +plus" in Speyer, Germany—which demands that "all offices in the Church be opened to women"—the Liturgy of the Word was accompanied by clown dancing. Yes: clown dancing! „Clowntheologie“, brought to you by literal clowns…! ? https://t.co/emMS2twhYapic.twitter.com/EGP4MHoM6i
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“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
JacobWall on YOUR URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS: “For a recently baptized goddaughter and godson (young adult mother and her 6-year-old son). They face serious obstacles as they…”
SursumCorda17 on YOUR URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS: “I’ve been away from the blog for a couple weeks and was just thinking earlier today, “I wonder if Fr.…”
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Eoin OBolguidhir on Omnium gatherum: “Regarding the wedding, isn’t the priest in question excommunicated automatically for simulating a sacrament? What about the poor souls who…”
WillP on Fr John Hunwicke – R.I.P.: “I’ve been surprised at just how hard I’ve taken the news of his death. We only met once, and that…”
Woody on Omnium gatherum: “Father Anderson’s discussion of the royal passion bearers is here: https://instituteofcatholicculture.org/events/st-nicholas-the-passion-bearers”
Everyone, work to get this into your parish bulletins and diocesan papers.
The most evident mark of God’s anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the hands of clerics who are priests more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds.
St. John Eudes
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“Until the Lord be pleased to settle, through the instrumentality of the princes of the Church and the lawful ministers of His justice, the trouble aroused by the pride of a few and the ignorance of some others, let us with the help of God endeavor with calm and humble patience to render love for hatred, to avoid disputes with the silly, to keep to the truth and not fight with the weapons of falsehood, and to beg of God at all times that in all our thoughts and desires, in all our words and actions, He may hold the first place who calls Himself the origin of all things.”
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“He [Satan] will set up a counter-Church which will be the ape of the Church because, he the devil, is the ape of God. It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content. It will be a mystical body of the anti-Christ that will in all externals resemble the mystical body of Christ. In desperate need for God, whom he nevertheless refuses to adore, modern man in his loneliness and frustration will hunger more and more for membership in a community that will give him enlargement of purpose, but at the cost of losing himself in some vague collectivity.”
“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops.”
“The modern habit of doing ceremonial things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender's inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for every one else the proper pleasure of ritual.”
- C.S. Lewis
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As for Latin…
"But if, in any layman who is indeed imbued with literature, ignorance of the Latin language, which we can truly call the 'catholic' language, indicates a certain sluggishness in his love toward the Church, how much more fitting it is that each and every cleric should be adequately practiced and skilled in that language!" - Pius XI
"Let us realize that this remark of Cicero (Brutus 37, 140) can be in a certain way referred to [young lay people]: 'It is not so much a matter of distinction to know Latin as it is disgraceful not to know it.'" - St. John Paul II
Grant unto thy Church, we beseech Thee, O merciful God, that She, being gathered together by the Holy Ghost, may be in no wise troubled by attack from her foes. O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people making supplication unto Thee,and turn away the scourges of Thine anger which we deserve for our sins. Almighty and Everlasting God, in whose Hand are the power and the government of every realm: look down upon and help the Christian people that the heathen nations who trust in the fierceness of their own might may be crushed by the power of thine Arm. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
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20:02 the sun will sink past the horizon.
My mention of a “minor exorcism” the other day prompted a minor flood of email questions. Some of them deal with how people today seem to see or imagine exorcisms.
Some people do not realize that many figures of the Old Testament are considered saints by the Catholic Church. They are not celebrated on our main liturgical calendar but they are in the Roman Martyrology, which is one of our official liturgical books.
JacobWall on YOUR URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS: “For a recently baptized goddaughter and godson (young adult mother and her 6-year-old son). They face serious obstacles as they…”
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