Thursday, March 22, 2007
Stational Church: Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent


Today's Stational Church is the Church of Sts. Sylvester and Martin. For information on this devotion, see the Stational Churches of Lent Homepage. I will post on each Stational Church for Lent.

Dom Gueranger writes: "The Station is at the church of Saints Sylvester and Martin, which is one of the most venerable in Rome. It was originally built by Pope St. Sylvester, and still bears his name: but in the sixth century, it was consecrated to St. Martin of Tours. In the seventh century, it was enriched with the relics of Pope Saint Martin, which were brought from Chersonesus, where he had died a martyr a few years before. This church was the first Title of St. Charles Borromeo. It was also that of the learned liturgiologist, the Blessed Joseph-Mary Tommasi, whose body is now venerated in this church, and has been miraculously preserved, even to this day, in a state of incorruption."

Information is from the Canon Regulars of St. John Cantius:
Near this church the penitents used to pass through one of the most infamous of places, near the crossroads of Mercury and the Serbian walls, where there was the merulana necropolis (cemetery). That was where pagan Rome left the bodies of slaves and criminals to rot in the open, until the Christians built a chapel with the aim of venerating the Christian martyrs.

Two weeks from today, the Church will celebrate the mystery of the living and life-giving Bread, the first source of life and health. "For he that eats this Bread shall have life everlasting." "And unless you eat this Bread you shall not have life in you."

Preceded by two stational saints, the first Confessors, who were given public veneration in the Church — St. Sylvester and St. Martin — we will go to God's altar, to the Mystery of Life, to Him who will say also to us:" I say to thee, arise!"

Let us pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who are chastised by fasting, may rejoice with holy devotion, and that our earthly affections being weakened, we may, more easily understand the things of heaven. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
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Irreverence To Jesus in the Eucharist

As readers will remember, I am currently reading "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ" according to the visions by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich. I recently came into contact without another Traditional Catholic, who sent me an excerpt from a different book containing some of her visions. I feel that while the following excerpt is graphic and horrifying, it illustrates the need to immediately stop irreverence wherever it exists.


Taken from "The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary", Chapter 1: Our Lady's Ancestors; the Vision of the Feast of Our Lady's Conception, page 68

"My heavenly Bridegroom said to me, pointing round me as He spoke; 'See far more evil that befalls Me every day at the hands of many throughout the world.' And as I looked about me into the distance, many things came before my soul which were indeed still more dreadful than that sacrifice of children; for I saw Jesus Himself cruelly sacrificed on the Altar by unworthy and sinful celebrations of the Holy Mysteries. I saw how the blessed Host lay on the altar before unworthy degenerate priests like a living Child Jesus, whom they cut and terribly mutilated with the paten. Their sacrifice, though an efficacious celebration of the Holy Mysteries, appeared like a cruel murder."
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Words of Inspiration: March 22

"Today bring to Me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice" (Paragraph 1226, Our Lord to St Faustina).

"Keep strongly and constantly united to God, consecrating all your affections, torments, and your entire self to Him, patiently awaiting the return of that beautiful sun, whenever the Spouse is pleased to visit you through trials of aridity, desolation and darkness of spirit" (St. Padre Pio, Letters III, p. 674.)
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Midterms

This week I am taking my midterms, and I would greatly appreciate any prayers offered on my behalf.

God Bless!
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Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Stational Church: Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Lent

Photo (c) A Catholic Life Blog 2016

Today's Stational Church is the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Today is the Feria of the Great Scrutiny.  Information is from the Canon Regulars of St. John Cantius:
At one time, a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Paul in this Lenten penitential procession took on an exceptional character in view of the riches of doctrinal teaching, which has come down to us from the Apostle to the Gentiles. For this reason, it used to happen, that in this particular Lenten Station, the Pope carried out a "third scrutiny" for the baptismal candidates—that is, for those catechumens, who wanted to be baptized in water.

In this church, at the tomb of this great convert-exemplar, the catechumens, turning westward—towards darkness—renounced Satan, his pomps and his works. Then, turning eastward—towards the light—they pledged their loyalty to Christ and His Church.

Here at the tomb of the Apostle, who was "the salt of the earth," the catechumens received a morsel of salt. Accipe sal sapientiae—Receive the salt of wisdom! Receive the taste for the doctrine of God. Hereafter, speak no longer the language of the flesh, but let your conversation be heavenly.

Let us pray: O God, who grantest to the just the reward of their merits, and to sinners pardon through their fasts, have mercy on Thy suppliant people, that the confession of our guilt may enable us to obtain the forgiveness of our sins. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
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Tuesday, March 20, 2007
My Great Grandmother May be Dying

Update in late 2007: She has died.  Unfortunately she was never baptized and never rejected our atheistic ways.

Update: Today she was given a life expectancy of three more days by her doctor. Please pray for her soul.

Original Post: Her name is Lucille, and she is very ill and currently at a hospital. I would appreciate any prayers for her health, so that, if it be God's will, she will improve. But, most of all, I ask you to pray for her soul. She has held atheistic views all of her life. Please pray for her soul so that she might repent and believe like the Good Thief while she bears her final cross.
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Into the Great Silence

If you are a reader of The New Liturgical Movement blog, you would have undoubtedly read about the opportunity to order a copy of "Into the Great Silence" as well as been able to see a few truly amazing pictures from the film.

However, if you have not done so, I would like to post about "Into the Great Silence". The movie is a documentary of a Carthusian monastery in France produced by filmmaker Philip Gronin. "Into the Great Silence" reveals the austere life that the monks like.

In the 169-minute film, talking does not appear until roughly 20 minutes into the movie. The film does contain the chanting of the monks, which they do daily, and viewers can watch the lives of one of the strictest Christian, monastic orders. Contemplative silence governs the life of the monks.

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Charity by Pope St. Leo the Great

This excerpt is especially important to read during the penitential days of Lent:

On Charity

~by Pope St. Leo the Great


In John’s gospel the Lord says: By this love you have for one another, everyone will know you are my disciples. In a letter by John we read: My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love.

So the faithful should look into themselves and carefully examine their minds and the impulses of their hearts. If they find some of the fruits of love stored in their hearts then they must not doubt God’s presence within them, but to make themselves more and more able to receive so great a guest they should do more and more works of durable mercy and kindness. After all, if God is love, charity should know no limit, for God himself cannot be confined within limits.

What is the appropriate time for performing works of charity? My beloved children, any time is the right time, but these days of Lent provide a special encouragement. Those who want to be present at the Lord’s Passover in holiness of mind and body should seek above all to win this grace. Charity contains all other virtues and covers a multitude of sins.

As we prepare to celebrate that greatest of all mysteries, by which the blood of Jesus Christ destroyed our sins, let us first of all make ready the sacrificial offerings — that is, our works of mercy. What God in his goodness has already given to us, let us give it to those who have sinned against us.

And to the poor also, and to those who are afflicted in various ways, let us show a more open-handed generosity so that God may be thanked through many voices and the needy may be fed as a result of our fasting. No act of devotion on the part of the faithful gives God more pleasure than the support that is lavished on his poor. Where God finds charity with its loving concern, there he recognises the reflection of his own fatherly care.

Do not be put off giving by a lack of resources. A generous spirit is itself great wealth, and there can be no shortage of material for generosity where it is Christ who feeds and Christ who is fed. His hand is present in all this activity: his hand, which multiplies the bread by breaking it and increases it by giving it away.

When you give alms, do not be anxious but full of happiness. The greatest treasure will go to the one who has kept the least for himself. The holy apostle Paul tells us: He who provides seed for the sower will give bread for food, provide you with more seed, and increase the harvest of your goodness, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
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Stational Church: Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Lent


Today's Stational Church is the Basilica of St. Lawrence the Deacon. Dom Gueranger writes, "The Station is in the church of Saint Laurence in Damaso; so called, because it was built, in the fourth century, in honour of the glorious archdeacon of Rome, by Pope St. Damasus, whose body rests here." 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:
We celebrate the holy mysteries in spirit in the church of St. Lawrence in Damaso, built by the "poet-Pope" and "lover of the catacombs," St. Damasus, whose remains rest in this venerable edifice.

Mother Church points today to two leaders: Moses and Christ — figure and fulfillment. Both of them were unappreciated by their flock. Both of them were unmoved in their consecration to God and their holy calling. Their people were superficial, proud and selfish, while they, the leaders, were filled with the spirit of prayer, humility and the love of God.

In the spirit of our prayerful, humble and God-loving leader, St. Lawrence, let us make a sincere oblation of ourselves. Then the Divine Victim, through the prayers of this holy deacon, will increase in our souls what is so strikingly expressed in today's Mass:

1. Humility— "With expectation I have waited for the Lord and he was attentive to me."

2. Prayerfulness— "And He heard my prayer."

3. Love— "And He put a new canticle in my mouth, a song to our God."

Let us pray: Hear, O God, my prayer and despise not my supplication. Be attentive to me and hear me. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
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Words of Inspiration: March 20

Blessed Mother Teresa:

"Am I convinced of Christ's love for me and mine for Him? This conviction is like sunlight which makes the sap of life rise and the buds of sanctity bloom. This conviction is the rock on which sanctity is built. What must we do to get this conviction? We must know Jesus, love Jesus, serve Jesus. I must not attempt to control God's actions; I must not count the stages in the journey He would have me make. I ask Him to make a saint of me, yet I must leave to Him the choice of that saintliness itself and still more the choice of the means which lead to it."

St. Padre Pio:

"If you suffer with resignation in doing His will, you do not offend Him but love Him. And your heart will find great comfort in remembering that in your hour of pain Jesus Himself suffers in you and for you. He did not abandon you when you fled from Him; why should He abandon you now that you are proving your love for Him by the martyrdom of your soul?" (GF, 174).

Let us remember to continue practicing prayer, almsgiving, and fasting (voluntarily throughout the week not just on Fridays) as we continue our Lenten journey.
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