Stational Church: Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent

Today's Stational Church is the Church of St. Cecilia in Trastevere. For information on this devotion, see the Stational Churches of Lent Homepage. I will post on each Stational Church for Lent. Information is from the Canon Regulars of St. John Cantius:

In the heart of Transtiber Rome, entered by way of a Baroque gateway portal and a cheerful courtyard, towers the splendid church of St. Cecilia, in which is buried St. Cecilia, the virgin-martyr. In the fifth century, this church was one of the most celebrated churches in Rome.

On Ash Wednesday, the church was St. Sabina, the martyr-matron. On Wednesday of the first week of Lent, we visited St. Mary Major. On this third Wednesday, it is again a woman—the virgin-martyr and "glory of the early Church," St. Cecilia, who leads us to "the Son of Man, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

One reason why Christians often are lacking in joy and holy enthusiasm is their lack of purity. We know how the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. The two cannot live in the same house. One of the two must go. St. Cecilia knew no compromise. Her baptismal garment was never stained by impurity.

Let us pray: O God, the restorer and lover of innocence, turn towards Thee the hearts of Thy servants; that being inflamed with the fervor of Thy Spirit, they may be found both steadfast in faith and fruitful in good works. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

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The Passion of the Whole Christ

~by St. Augustine

Lord, I have cried to you, hear me. This is a prayer we can all say. This is not my prayer, but that of the whole Christ. Rather, it is said in the name of his body. When Christ was on earth he prayed in his human nature, and prayed to the Father in the name of his body, and when he prayed drops of blood flowed from his whole body. So it is written in the Gospel: Jesus prayed with earnest prayer, and sweated blood. What is this blood streaming from his whole body but the martyrdom of the whole Church?

Lord, I have cried to you, hear me; listen to the sound of my prayer, when I call upon you. Did you imagine that crying was over when you said: I have cried to you? You have cried out, but do not as yet feel free from care. If anguish is at an end, crying is at an end; but if the Church, the body of Christ, must suffer anguish until the end of time, it must not say only: I have cried to you, hear me; it must also say: Listen to the sound of my prayer, when I call upon you. Let my prayer rise like incense in your sight; let the raising of my hands be an evening sacrifice.

This is generally understood of Christ, the head, as every Christian acknowledges. When day was fading into evening, the Lord laid down his life on the cross, to take it up again; he did not lose his life against his will. Here, too, we are symbolised. What part of him hung on the cross if not the part he had received from us? How could God the Father ever cast off and abandon his only Son, who is indeed one God with him? Yet Christ, nailing our weakness to the cross (where, as the Apostle says: Our old nature was nailed to the cross with him), cried out with the very voice of humanity: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

The evening sacrifice is then the passion of the Lord, the cross of the Lord, the oblation of the victim that brings salvation, the holocaust acceptable to God. In his resurrection he made this evening sacrifice a morning sacrifice. Prayer offered in holiness from a faithful heart rises like incense from a holy altar. Nothing is more fragrant than the fragrance of the Lord. May all who believe share in this fragrance.

Therefore, our old nature in the words of the Apostle, was nailed to the cross with him, in order, as he says, to destroy our sinful body, so that we may be slaves to sin no longer.

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Changes in Bishops: Provost & Farrell

Today Pope Benedict XVI formally appointed Monsignor Glen Provost to be the third bishop of the Diocese Lake Charles, Louisiana. Since June 2005, the Diocese of Lake Charles has been without a bishop when Bishop Edward K. Braxton became bishop of Belleville, Illinois. Provost has lead Our Lady of Fatima parish in Lafayette since 1998. Photos of Provost are available at the source for this story. (Source)

In addition, Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop Charles Grahmann of the Diocese of Dallas. In July, he offered his resignation upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Pope Benedict XVI has named Bishop Kevin Farrell to succeed Grahmann as Bishop of Dallas. Bishop Farrell has served as auxiliary bishop in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. since 2002. (Source)

I am not familiar with either of these bishops. If you are from either of these dioceses, I especially welcome your opinions and comments.

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Stational Church: Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent

Today's Stational Church is the Church of St. Balbina.  For information on this devotion, see the Stational Churches of Lent Homepage. I will post on each Stational Church for Lent. Information is from the Canon Regulars of St. John Cantius:

The Station today is at the sanctuary of St. Balbina—a Roman virgin, who lived in the second century and whose remains, along with those of her father, the martyr St. Quirinus, lies under the altar. This church stands on a slope of the Aventine Hill.

St. Balbina followed Christ. To Him she gave her home that it might henceforth be His home where He would "have mercy on His people according to His great mercy and blot out their iniquity" and where they would seek His face, and finding it, "relate all His wonders, and be glad and rejoice and sing praise to the name of the Most High." I seek Your face! Your face, O Lord, will I still seek. Turn not away Your face from me.

Let us pray: Of Thy goodness, we beseech Thee, O Lord. Continue to help us in the observance of this holy fast, that having learned our duties from Thee, we may accomplish them by the help of Thy grace. Through Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

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Words of Inspiration: March 6

"Even if you lacked mortal sins, to go often to Confession would be beneficial counsel. To those who are sorry for what they have done and confess, our kind and generous God not only grants the forgiveness of sins that they need, but even adds more grace" (St. Thomas of Villanova).

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Stational Church: Monday in the Second Week of Lent

Today's Stational Church is the Church of St. Clement. For information on this devotion, see the Stational Churches of Lent Homepage. I will post on each Stational Church for Lent. Information is from the Canon Regulars of St. John Cantius:

This stational church is built above the very house of the third successor of St. Peter, whose name is found in the Roman Canon — St. Clement. This parish church of Rome established in the fifth century is a most faithful example of the old Roman basilicas. Under the high altar are the remains of the martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, as well as, St. Clement.

Sts. Clement and Ignatius are true heroes, as their martyr-blood became the "seed of Christians." Clement and Ignatius—kindness and fire—symbols of Him, who is kindness to men of good will, though their sins be red as scarlet; kindness and forgiveness to all, who in the spirit of Daniel, turn to Him and pray: "We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, O Lord, against all Thy justice. Let Thy wrath and Thy indignation be turned away, I beseech Thee, from Thy city Jerusalem and from Thy holy mountain … for it is not for our justification that we present our prayers before Thy face, but for the multitude of Thy tender mercies."With St. Clement we will offer "the Sacrifice of propitiation and praise. May it render us worthy of God's protection."

Let us pray: Grant we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that Thy family, while afflicting the flesh by fasting from food, may follow justice and abstain from sin. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

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Stational Church: Second Sunday of Lent

Today's Stational Church is the Church of St. Mary in Dominica. For information on this devotion, see the Stational Churches of Lent Homepage. I will post on each Stational Church for Lent. Information is from the Canon Regulars of St. John Cantius:

In the Piazza della Navicella (which gets its name from the fountain built around the marble model of a ship) is the Church of St. Mary in Dominica—an ancient church founded around the year 600.

The purpose of this Holy Season is to transfigure us. The transfiguration of Christ, the Head, is the beginning and source of the transfiguration of His Body, the Church, and of every member of the Church.

The stational protectress today is our glorious Mother herself—Sancta Maria in Dominica—the grandest "transfiguration" accomplished by Christ, the Savior. To her maternal love and prayers we commend ourselves and so keep this second Sunday of Lent that we may merit to hear also from her lips: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

Let us pray: O God, who sees that we have no power whatever from ourselves, keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities, which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts, which may hurt the soul. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Dom Gueranger writes of this stational Church:

The Station at Rome is in the church of St. Mary in Dominica, on Monte Celio. Tradition tells us that in this basilica was the diaconicum of which St. Laurence had charge, and from which he distributed to the poor the alms of the Church.

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Living Lent: The Second Sunday by Cardinal Rigali

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The Lost Tomb of Jesus?

I did not want to add any additional publicity to this blasphemy, but in light of recent news and in hopes that this post will help combat this new heresy, I have decided to write on the program that will air tomorrow on the Discovery Channel. This program is called the "Lost Tomb of Jesus".

The blasphemous "Lost Tomb of Jesus" is a documentary produced by James Cameron, director of the motion-picture Titanic and others. This documentary claims that archaeologists have found the bones of the family of Jesus including Jesus, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalen (again falsely claimed to be his wife), and a child who they claimed was Jesus's son! All of this is blasphemy against all the Catholic Church has represented for over 2000 years! Also, note that the tomb is not a new discovery - it was discovered 30 years ago in Jerusalem.

The problem is that people will never find the remains of Jesus, Mary, or Jesus's son. First, Jesus never had a son! Secondly, Mary and Jesus are now in Heaven body and soul. Our Lord ascended into Heaven forty days after His Resurrection. Mary was assumed body and soul into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. The doctrines of the Ascension and Assumption have been cornerstones of Christian belief since the time of the Apostles!

An inscription at the tomb is claimed to read in Aramaic: "Jesus the son of Joseph". However, experts including Richard Bauckham, David Mavorah and Amos Kloner have responded by asserting the name of Jesus was common in archaeological inscriptions. Kloner, professor of archaeology at Bar-Ilan University in Israel who wrote the original excavation report on the site, has said, "I published all the details in...1996, and I didn't say it was the tomb of Jesus' family." Even some secular scholars are not backing the ridiculous claims of the documentary.

A very extensive rebuttal of this heresy is available at Extreme Theology. Secondly, I am not going to waste my time and watch this program. I have written The Discovery Channel and complained about this program. I ask others to do likewise.

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Bishop Cordileone Celebrates Tridentine Mass

This photo from the blog, "The Inspired Traditionalist", is of Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Diocese of San Diego, California celebrating a Tridentine Mass on Februrary 25, 2007, at St Mary's Church in Stamford, Ct.

For more photos see the Inspired Traditionalist at the original and second post. For those photos and more as well as explanations of the Mass, see The New Liturgical Movement.

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