Every day and every hour, every minute, walk round yourself and
watch yourself, and see that your image is a seemly one. You pass by a
little child, you pass by, spiteful, with ugly words, with wrathful
heart; you may not have noticed the child, but he has seen you, and
your image, unseemly and ignoble, may remain in his defenceless heart.
You don't know it, but you may have sown an evil seed in him and it
may grow, and all because you were not careful before the child,
because you did not foster in yourself a careful, actively
benevolent love. Brothers, love is a teacher; but one must know how to
acquire it, for it is hard to acquire, it is dearly bought, it is
won slowly by long labour. For we must love not only occasionally, for
a moment, but for ever. - Fr. Zosima, Brothers Karamazov
Francis' decision to disregard church law and wash the feet of two girls - a Serbian Muslim and an Italian Catholic - during a Holy Thursday ritual has become something of the final straw, evidence that Francis has little or no interest in one of the key priorities of Benedict's papacy: reviving the pre-Vatican II traditions of the Catholic Church.
One of the most-read traditionalist blogs, "Rorate Caeli," reacted to the foot-washing ceremony by declaring the death of Benedict's eight-year project to correct what he considered the botched interpretations of the Second Vatican Council's modernizing reforms.
"The official end of the reform of the reform - by example," "Rorate Caeli" lamented in its report on Francis' Holy Thursday ritual.
A like-minded commentator in Francis' native Argentina, Marcelo Gonzalez at International Catholic Panorama, reacted to Francis' election with this phrase: "The Horror." Gonzalez's beef? While serving as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's efforts to revive the old Latin Mass so dear to Benedict and traditionalists were "non-existent." - AP
A lone young shepherd...
After a long time he climbed a tree,
and spreading his shining arms,
and hung by them, and died,
his heart an open wound with love.
-St. John of the Cross
"The pope's washing the feet of women is hugely significant because including women in this part of the Holy Thursday Mass has been frowned on – and even banned – in some dioceses," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of "The Jesuit Guide."
"It shows the all-embracing love of Christ, who ministered to all he met: man or woman, slave or free, Jew or Gentile," he said. - Source
O spring like crystal!Being the crude, inarticulate and ignorant man that I am, that quote from St. John is the best I can do to express how I perceive the things the Holy Father is teaching us...
[The soul] says faith is like crystal for two reasons: first, because it concerns Christ, her Bridegroom; second, because it has the characteristics of crystal, being pure in its truths, strong, clear, and cleansed of errors and natural forms. - John of the Cross
This morning, Pope Francis warned Catholic priests around the world that “the reason why some priests grow dissatisfied, lose heart and become in some sense collectors of antiques or novelties” comes from seldom going out of oneself, which leads to “missing out on the best of our people”. Instead, he strongly urged priests to be “shepherds who have the smell of their sheep'.”O my God! I love you! I love the Church!
[...]
He added that “it is not in soul-searching or constant introspection that we encounter the Lord: self-help courses can be useful in life, but to live our priestly life by going from one course to another, from one method to another, leads us to become pelagians and to minimize the power of grace, which comes alive and flourishes to the extent that we, in faith, go out and give ourselves and the Gospel to others”.
[...]
He developed this theme throughout his homily, which he began by recalling that this Mass was a reminder to all priests—including himself—of the day of their ordination. In this context the Pope explained what it means to be anointed ones, to “be for” others, and he focused on the meaning of the liturgical vestments. “When we put on our simple chasuble, it might well make us feel, upon our shoulders and in our hearts, the burdens and the faces of our faithful people, our saints and martyrs, of which we have so many in our times.”[...]At the same time, he noted how “the beauty of all these liturgical things ... is not so much about trappings and fine fabrics” as it is destined to the action expected of priests. “The ointment, dear brothers, is not intended just to make us fragrant, much less to be kept in a jar, for then it would become rancid … and the heart bitter.” - VIS
It seems to me it is a mystery unfolding in our day. Perhaps I'm overreacting? Maybe I'm mistaken? At any rate, I came across the following, the address Cardinal Bergoglio made to the pre-conclave General Congregation Cardinals. Perhaps it helps us to understand better the new Pope and how he is officiating...
Evangelizing implies Apostolic Zeal
1. - Evangelizing pre-supposes a desire in the Church to come out of herself. The Church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the existential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents, and of all misery.
2. - When the Church does not come out of herself to evangelize, she becomes self-referential and then gets sick. (cf. The deformed woman of the Gospel). The evils that, over time, happen in ecclesial institutions have their root in self-referentiality and a kind of theological narcissism. In Revelation, Jesus says that he is at the door and knocks. Obviously, the text refers to his knocking from the outside in order to enter but I think about the times in which Jesus knocks from within so that we will let him come out. The self-referential Church keeps Jesus Christ within herself and does not let him out.
3. - When the Church is self-referential, inadvertently, she believes she has her own light; she ceases to be the mysterium lunae and gives way to that very serious evil, spiritual worldliness (which according to De Lubac, is the worst evil that can befall the Church). It lives to give glory only to one another.
Put simply, there are two images of the Church: Church which evangelizes and comes out of herself, the Dei Verbum religiose audiens et fidente proclamans; and the worldly Church, living within herself, of herself, for herself. This should shed light on the possible changes and reforms which must be done for the salvation of souls.
4. - Thinking of the next Pope: He must be a man who, from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the Church to go out to the existential peripheries, that helps her to be the fruitful mother, who gains life from “the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.” - Source
Because they would bat at the censor and the priest's cincture.Gabby told me that.
"[...] a sycophant who bows down before the anonymous power of changing moods and current fashion." Not a 'master of evil' or some scary, demoniacal figure.
"Perhaps he is jealous of any intimate relationship Jesus has that does not include him. This jealousy and revolt against a gentle, loving Jesus pave the way for the devil to enter his heart. Satan then can take over and inspire Judas to betray Jesus and hand him over." - Jean VanierWhat is perhaps more terrifying - as in terrible - is that Judas probably convinced himself his intentions were righteous, and necessary... and that somehow Jesus even approved.
He was a close companion,
an intimate friend...
How close was the friendship between us.We walked together in harmonyin the house of God.His speech was softer than butter...
His words smoother than oil...
Yet he broke his word,
harbored war in his heart...
his words taunt
- they are naked swords.
- Psalm 55
Almost. Nevertheless, he did give up property and embraced a life of voluntary poverty - in imitation of Christ.
St. Francis' encounter of service to lepers was “the point that changed his life, not giving up his property.”
"Last night Pere [Rene Voillaume talked at Holy Souls convent and stressed the need of friendship to the most abandoned. Making oneself a brother, not a benefactor." - March 11, 1959A brother, not a benefactor.
Not that it's terribly a surprise, but now it's official – Pope Francis has chosen not to live in the Papal Apartment of the Apostolic Palace, opting instead to remain in the simpler, more communitarian atmosphere of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican "hotel."
Less than two weeks since the pontiff's election, the latest move in Papa Bergoglio's Vatican "revolution" was announced by the Holy See's lead spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, confirming a report in today's La Nación, the Argentine daily of record. Francis himself spoke of the decision at today's morning Mass in the Domus chapel – which, continuing his now-daily custom, was celebrated with guests: in today's case, the permanent community in residence at the Domus.
Having reportedly remarked that the official living quarters "can fit 300 people" on his first tour of it (above), the Pope will continue to use the suite on the Palace's top floor as an office where he'll receive official visitors and handle other daytime work. - Whispers in the Loggia
The movement against gay marriage has given France a new celebrity in the form of its public face, Virginie Tellenne, a Parisian socialite who goes by the name of Frigide Barjot.
Her assumed name - a play on the name of French film star Brigitte Bardot, a sex symbol in the 1960s - translates as Frigid Loony.
"We want the president to deal with the economy and leave the family alone," Ms Tellenne said Sunday.
"We will not give up anything. We came to defend the fact that a father and a mother is better for children," said Marie, a 30-year-old protestor.
Somewhere between 340,000 and 800,000 demonstrators had flooded into the capital for an anti-gay marriage march in January.Tomorrow: The March for marriage in Washington, D.C. ...
A campaign orchestrated by the Catholic Church and belatedly backed by the mainstream centre-right opposition has steadily gathered momentum. - Source
On March 26th the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Perry case, which will determine if Proposition 8 – the citizens initiative approved by the people of California in 2008 to protect marriage – is constitutional or not. More importantly, the question of same-sex “marriage” and the right of Americans to protect marriage will be decided. We believe it is imperative that political leaders, the media, and the culture see that we care about protecting marriage enough to stand up and march for it.Here's a thought:
[...]
The March is being organized by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) alongside a broad coalition of pro-family organizations, state partners, African-American, Latino, Catholic and Protestant leaders. Please check the Sponsors page for an up-to-date list of co-sponsoring organizations and the Speakers page for a list of confirmed speakers. - More here.
H/T Thomas Peters for the movement.
"Those of us who favor preserving the traditional understanding of marriage do not do so because we want people who experience attraction to their same sex to suffer. We recognize and respect the equal human dignity of everyone. Everyone should be treated equally, but it is not discrimination to treat differently things that are different. Marriage really is unique for a reason." - Archbishop Cordileone
And when God gave me brothers, no one showed me what I should do, but the Most high revealed to me that I should live according to the form of the holy gospel. I had it written in few words and simply, and the lord pope confirmed it for me. And those who came to receive life gave all that they had to the poor and were content with one tunic patched inside and out, with a cord and trousers. And we did not wish to have more.From the Rule of St. Clare:
[...]
The brothers must be careful not to accept any churches, poor dwellings, or anything else constructed for them unless these buildings reflect the holy poverty promised by us in the rule. We should always live in these places as strangers and pilgrims. I firmly command all the brothers, by the obedience they owe me, that wherever they are they should not dare to ask either directly or through an intermediary for any letter from the Roman court to secure a church or any other place, to protect their preaching, or to prevent persecution of their bodies; but wherever they are not received, they should flee into another land and do penance with God's blessing.
[...]
And I firmly forbid my brothers, both clerics and laymen, to place glosses on the rule or say, "This is what it means." But just as the Lord gave me the power to compose and write both the rule and these words simply and purely, so you must understand them simply and without gloss and observe them by holy action until the end. - Last Will and Testament
Poverty.
Shortly before his death he once more wrote his last will for us that we--or those, aswell, who would come after us--would never turn aside from the holy poverty we hadembraced. He said: "I, little brother Francis, wish to follow the life and poverty of ourmost high Lord Jesus Christ and of His holy Mother and to persevere in this until theend; and I ask and counsel you, my ladies, to live always in this most holy life andpoverty. And keep most careful watch that you never depart from this by reason ofthe teaching or advice of anyone."Just as I, together with my sisters, have ever been solicitous to safeguard the holypoverty which we have promised the Lord God and Blessed Francis, so, too, theAbbesses who shall succeed me in office and all the sisters are bound to observe itinviolably to the end: that is to say, by not receiving or having possession or ownershipeither of themselves or through an intermediary, or even anything that might reasonablybe called property, except as much land as necessity requires for the integrity andproper seclusion of the monastery, and this land may not be cultivated except as a gardenfor the needs of the sisters.
[...]
Let the sisters not appropriate anything, neither a house nor a place nor anything atall; instead, as pilgrims and strangers in this world who serve the Lord in poverty andhumility, let them confidently send for alms. Nor should they be ashamed, since theLord made Himself poor in this world for us. This is that summit of the highest povertywhich has established you, my dearest sisters, heiresses and queens of the kingdomof heaven; it has made you poor in the things [of this world] but exalted you in virtue.Let this be your portion which leads into the land of the living (cf. Psalm 141:6).Clinging totally to this, my most beloved sisters, do not wish to have anything else forever under heaven for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and His most holy Mother. - Holy Rule
Q: What about financial means: food, medicines, material goods?In order to accomplish his work, Christ emptied himself, having no place to lay his head, he embraced poverty. The saints continue to follow him, clinging to him alone, in love. Dependent upon and confident in God's providence. "The poverty of Christ is a footstep to follow,” explained one Capuchin Franciscan.
Sister Nirmala: Absolutely nothing is lacking. God provides-- everywhere in India as well as abroad. You know, that is the promise of God for us. When Mother started the society and Mother was called, she did not start on her own, Jesus called her to start this congregation. He wanted her to be poor and the poorest of the poor. He wanted her to be empty-handed and serve the poorest of the poor free. It is such a paradox, isn't? He said: I will provide. That was Mother did, and that is what we are continuing to do: trusting in God's Providence, serving the poorest of the poor, free. And God does it. His promise is fulfilled every day. All we need to do is to keep being faithful to our commitments, to answer the call of God, everything else follows.
Q: But Sister, what would you tell those people who are so afraid of lacking the "indispensable?
things every day, or those who want to possess more material things?
Sister Nirmala: Trust in the Lord and do your best. Let the kingdom of God in your lives and he will provide everything.
Q: How does the Order cope with all the financial and economical demands?
Sister Nirmala: By trusting in God, and he is providing. We never ask for things. People just come and give. Everywhere they want to carry out fundraising activities, we say: "Please don't
fund-raise; we don't want to use Mother's name. No."
We want people acting on their own. We want their spontaneous collaboration. But if somebody is going around fundraising in Mother's name, we don't accept it. We want to depend on God's providence--only. - Source
Reminder: Benedictines take a vow of stability, and depending upon the monastic, can pretty much manipulate that to mean whatever they want/need it mean, just as some religious do with their vows of poverty. God love them.Then of course, there isDorothy Day, poverty wasn'texactly a sentimental journeyfor her either.
In the Protoevangelion of James, there is first a “pre-annunciation” scene, in which Mary goes to the well to fetch water. There she hears a voice saying: “Greetings, favoured one. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” Mary looks around but does not see anyone. Frightened, she goes back inside and, “taking up the purple, she sat down in her house and began to spin.”At the moment when the the Angel of the Annunciation revealed himself, the Virgin is depicted weaving the veil of the Temple - in purple and red - the liturgical colors for Lent and Holy Week.
The angel then appears visually to her, telling her initially not to be afraid: “You have found favour in the sight of the Lord of all.”
The Annunciation story then continues along the same narrative outline found in the Gospels according to Saint Matthew and Saint Luke until the author returns to the story of Mary’s role in weaving the temple veil: “And she finished the purple and the scarlet and took them up to the high priest.” - continue reading here.
This is the Annunciation scene that appears on the “royal doors” of the iconostasis of almost every Orthodox church.
Mary is depicted either standing or sitting, with purple or red skeins falling from her fingers. The threads Mary is holding reveal that she wove the Temple veil that later was rent from top to bottom when Christ died on the cross. Her acceptance of God’s will in this and in all things is represented by her upraised and open hand or, in some cases, by placing her hand upon her heart.
Saint Andrew of Crete, in his Great Canon, sang to her: “As from purple silk, O undefiled Virgin, the spiritual robe of Emmanuel, His flesh, was woven in thy womb. Therefore, we honour thee as Theotokos in very truth.” - ibid
"In my little way there are only very ordinary things; it is essential that little souls should be able to do everthing I do." - Therese of LisieuxArt: Icons and paintings representing scenes from the life of the saints, documenting physical and spiritual realities, as well as the saint's teaching and witness to the Gospel, stand alone, not only as objects of devotion and veneration, but as teaching tools. Likewise modern artists work in their particular medium to illustrate and re-present the lives of the saints, often taking poetic and artistic licence to do so. A fine example of such work was accomplished by film makers in the mid 20th century: The Italian maestros, Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini, in the film, The Little Flowers of St. Francis, and two decades later, by the maestro of set design and costume for La Scala, film director Franco Zeffirelli, literally bringing to life some of the best iconography of the Italian Medieval period, to portray the life of St. Francis for the youth of the late '60's, early '70's in his film, "Brother Son, Sister Moon". Similarly, the so called Peace Prayer of St. Francis** is a poetic lesson inspired by Franciscan spirituality, composed in the first part of the 20th century. These creative expressions serve to inspire, edify and introduce the saint(s) to each generation and those unfamiliar with hagiography and Catholic veneration of the saints.
cti
) legenda,
(lesson) to be read, from Latin, feminine gerundive of legere,
to read; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]
