Confession at the Cathedral

I went to confession yesterday. 

I waited in line at the Cathedral for over an hour - the line stretched across the entire church. Two priests were hearing confessions.  I told the lady next to me that I felt how people on the Titanic must have felt waiting for the life boats before time ran out.  Confessions were to end at 5:00 PM but Fr. Ubel remained in the confessional through Mass time.  

I was able to get in before 5PM and I stayed for Mass afterwards. the afternoon turned out to be a sort of mini retreat. The priests at the Cathedral are excellent priests - Fr. Jaspers had Mass.  Our priests are so solid, so reverent, so good. 

Anyway. Go to confession - the encounter with Christ in the sacraments is overwhelming in our times. This morning I still experience the effects. Not sure if it is more of a signal grace because it is Holy Week - but He is there. Jesus is really, truly present in the sacraments, living and active.

The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. "Sacramental grace" is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior. - CCC 1129

His heart an open wound with love.

Holy Thursday

What an extraordinary pope ... 

removing his finery, going out to the streets 

to minister to those outside the walls ...

"As priests, we identify with people who are excluded, people the Lord saves."

This morning, the Holy Father first celebrated the Chrism Mass with the priests of Rome - the Bishop and his priests together ...

As priests, we are witnesses to and ministers of the ever-increasing abundance of the Father’s mercy; we have the rewarding and consoling task of incarnating mercy, as Jesus did, who “went about doing good and healing” (Acts 10:38) in a thousand ways so that it could touch everyone. We can help to inculturate mercy, so that each person can embrace it and experience it personally. This will help all people truly understand and practise mercy with creativity, in ways that respect their local cultures and families. - Homily

-source-

He “went about doing good and healing” (Acts 10:38)



Later, he celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper with refugees and immigrants - washing their feet:

Service was a major theme of the Holy Thursday liturgy: Pope Francis, in imitation of Christ at the Last Supper, performed the ritual washing of the feet of a dozen people – eleven guests of the C.A.R.A. Centre and one woman who works at the Centre for Auxilium. Four of the guests taking part in the ritual were Nigerian Catholics, three others – all three women – were Coptic Christians from Eritrea, three others were Muslims from Syria, Pakistan and Mali, and one was an Indian Hindu. - VR

What an extraordinary pope ... removing his finery, going out to the streets to minister to those outside the walls ...

Tonight, at my parish, the new, young pastor will act similarly, washing the feet of men and women parishioners who are active in parish ministries.

A blessed Triduum to all.

Art and meditation.

Agony in the Garden - Andrea Mantegna

Sleepers - George Tooker

While looking for an image to use for tonight's remembrance of the Agony in the Garden, I came upon something interesting.

I always knew American artist George Tooker was very much inspired by Renaissance painter, Andrea Mantegna, but I never connected one of his early works, Sleepers, with that of Mantegna's, Agony in the Garden.  Though it may seem an insignificant footnote to his body of work, it suggests to me Tooker was attracted early on to the Catholic Church... long before his conversion which occurred after his partner died.  The seed may lay dormant in a soul, hidden, until the grace of God causes it to sprout and grow.  "The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed ..." - Luke 17:20

Mantegna's undulating landscape 

may be more obvious in this detail.

The Gospel of Life comes alive ...

Pope Francis kisses an inmate's foot at Rome's Rebibbia New Complex Prison April 2.

 Credit: CTV

Video here.

Love one another ...

Jesus said:

I have given you an example,

that you should do likewise.

Chiara Corbella: A love story.

This is such an amazing story.

I never read her story before today, though I've seen photos and heard stories about her.  What a beautiful young woman of faith - a holy wife and mother.  I was especially moved by what she said to her husband Enrico before she died.

The day of her death, Enrico asked Chiara, if she found Christ’s promise had come true, that the cross was easy, even sweet. She smiled and said yes, it was “molto dolce.” - Story here.

We need to love one another.

The Mandatum

"This is how all will know you for my disciples: by your love for one another."

That is what it is all about, isn't it?  Loving one another.

Why can't we understand that?  Why can't I?

If the local ordinary of the place permits variations to the ritual of washing the feet of the faithful in imitation of Christ when he washed the feet of the disciples, who am I to make a big deal of it?  If the pastor of the parish I go to does it and I'm uncomfortable with it (I'm not) then I can go to another church or offer it up and pray a chaplet or something.  Getting upset or angry, or watching for errors and recording abuses is probably not the best disposition for approaching Holy Communion.

The USCCB addresses the question here:

Because the gospel of the mandatum read on Holy Thursday also depicts Jesus as the "Teacher and Lord" who humbly serves his disciples by performing this extraordinary gesture which goes beyond the laws of hospitality, the element of humble service has accentuated the celebration of the foot washing rite in the United States over the last decade or more. In this regard, it has become customary in many places to invite both men and women to be participants in this rite in recognition of the service that should be given by all the faithful to the Church and to the world. Thus, in the United States, a variation in the rite developed in which not only charity is signified but also humble service. - Read more at USCCB

"This is the latest statement of this Secretariat on the question. No subsequent legislation or instructions have necessitated a modification in the statement."

Top photo:  Evidently there is a trend amongst Protestants of the bride and groom washing one another's feet.  I used the photo because it reminded me of Christ the Bridegroom washing the feet of his disciples.

Christ the Bridegroom

Anti-papist sentiment.

Yet nothing has changed for me.

Years ago when I returned to the Church and the sacraments, progressives and dissidents were establishing their roots.  Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady and the rosary, as well as obedience to the Holy Father were considered pre-Vatican II.  The Holy Father was often derided - especially Paul VI after Humanae Vitae - it all went downhill from there.  Odd visionaries and locutionists - ostensibly traditional Catholics, promoting devotion to Our Lady, promulgating their private revelations, and so on, also distanced themselves from the Pope, claiming the Pope had been replaced by an impostor, who allowed heresy to flourish.  Their silly messages continue to be spread, and people continue to be led astray.

I didn't follow them.

Today the same old thing is happening again - this time by faithful Catholics, who claim the rights of apostles and saints to resist the Holy Father to his face, claiming he is teaching error, that he may be a heretic, or even deranged.

I don't follow them.

At Fatima in 1917, Our Lady told the children that if her requests for conversion, penance and reparation were ignored, among other suffering, the "Holy Father will have much to suffer."  All of the Popes since the Council have had much to suffer.  For me that's pretty much a sign the Holy Father remains Christ's vicar on earth.  No matter how bad things get.

At Akita - if the message is to be believed - Our Lady said that in the end the only thing that will remain will be the sign left by her Son, and the prayers of the Rosary.  What could that sign be but the Holy Eucharist.

I have the Rosary, the Eucharist, and the Pope.  That is what I have always had since I returned to the Church.

I do not follow blogs that malign the Pope or foment doubt as to how the Holy Father is guiding the Church.  I especially do not read posts by anyone presuming to resist the Holy Father to his face or by those who have the audacity to take upon themselves the task of publicly correcting what he says, or pointing out that which he may not do.  Be they priest or layman.  Therefore, please do not embed links to such websites in my combox.  Get your own blog.

Thanks.

A blessed Triduum to all.

Just a kiss away...

The Son of Man betrayed by a kiss.

A sweet kiss of friendship.

Just a kiss.

Many years ago when I lived in Boston and was very near to falling, a Jewish kid cautioned me, "Do not sell your birthright for a meal." (As did Esau.)  At the time, someone attracted to me, had been suggesting we move in together.

It is very easy to betray Christ, through some inordinate affection, or disordered attraction.  Just one kiss... 

One little compromise for a 'greater good' - or one's 'happiness'.

It's just a kiss away, kiss away, kiss away...

Charity

Where true charity dwells, God is present there.

A friend loaned me Rome, the HBO series.  It's a disgusting film - full of sex and gore - so I haven't been able to watch the entire thing, although I appreciate the sets and costumes and historical detail.  If anything, the series helps one to understand the phrase, "the sin of the Gentiles is they lacked charity".  The hatred and lust is graphically depicted as I implied - but the complete lack of charity is so starkly depicted, it is almost startling.  It reminds me of St. Paul's letters (especially Romans) and his cautions to the new Christians.

Likewise, I think the rawness of the film helps one comprehend the complete change the coming of Christ had upon humanity.  Mercy and love literally poured out from the cross, upon civilization, down through the centuries, giving birth to a culture of love - charity. As Christianity spread throughout the world, charity increased; thus even our post-Christian era benefits from the warmth of its flame, which burns for all to see in the Catholic Church.  Although we see evidence of charity in our secularized culture today, it is very often perverted.  As society continues to decline, we see ourselves becoming more and more like pagan Rome,  We see ourselves becoming mean and selfish and full of self-love.  Yet the Church remains unchanged, and though love may not be loved, and the love of most may grow cold, it is still charity and love which sustains the world and which lasts forever.

I've noticed some really angry, nasty blog posts and comments online this week - Catholics fighting one another, ripping one another apart, about petty matters.  Perhaps there are serious concerns, and as usual at this time, matters which concern the liturgy in certain places - but the fighting and name-calling seems to me to be out of order for Holy Week, and especially now, as we enter the Sacred Triduum. 

Remember Lot's wife:

Take warning from the example of Lot's wife who, because she was disturbed at the destruction of Sodom, turned back to look at it. God punished her for this, and she was 'turned into a pillar of salt' (Genesis 19.26). This teaches you that it is the will of God, even if you were living among devils, you should so live as not to turn back in thought to consider what they are doing, but forget them utterly. You are to keep your soul wholly to God, and not to suffer the thought of this or that to disturb you. - John of the Cross

I hope to do this, I will try to do this, at least during the Triduum.  I will try to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus - who walked in peace through the midst of them, carrying his cross amidst the noise and clamour of the crowds.

   

One Dark Night...

The supper that refreshes, and

deepens love...

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Text, John of the Cross.

Art: Information unavailable.

The end of Lent.

How did you measure up? 

So, if we come to the end of Lent and congratulate ourselves for having 'done good' - we may have missed the point. 
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'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.' - Luke 17:10
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Art: Sketch for Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci