Per Christum

As much as I love hearing the Gospel readings proclaimed in the liturgy, sometimes they are hard to hear. Usually this is because something Our Lord says cuts to the heart of my own self-righteousness and pride. The Passion narrative read today, however, is the hardest reading for me all year. And not just because of what I hear, but for what I and the rest of the congregation say:

“He deserves to die!”

“Prophesy for us, Christ: who is it that struck you?”

“Let him be crucified!”

And as I say these things, I’m wishing that this was the only time I said them…wishing I hadn’t said them with my life and sins many times over.

But, miracles of miracles, after this I am given the grace to stand and confess my faith in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and in the Church, the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection. I am invited to call God Father and pray as Jesus taught us. Christ, the betrayed, abused and crucified Lord, does not turn me away, but gives me his peace. He gives Himself, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, and dwells with one who is not worthy to receive him.

These gifts make the Passion narrative bearable in the same way Easter Sunday makes Good Friday good.

“Truly, this was the Son of God!”

Hello dear readers. Greetings from my first Lent as a Catholic. Whew…it’s harder than it looks. How many days til Easter?

I’ve been listening to archived recordings of Our Father’s Plan, an old EWTN program featuring Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins. Something Hahn said in the first talk really stuck out to me. He said his source was Thomas Aquinas. The subject is sin and punishment for sin. I’m not sure if he’s correct, but I tried to transcribe what he said accurately in order to study it. Here’s the summary:

God is a loving father, and He desires that we reach the end for which we were made. BUT over and over we sin, and our loving father gives us the punishment that fits the crime. Regarding that punishment, Aquinas says:

Sometimes, it is God’s mercy that causes us to get arrested, fined, or caught. As is often testified to by the many prodigals out there, we discover God’s love when we hit rock bottom. In preventing sinners from prospering in their sin, by forcing us, involuntarily sometimes, to come face to face with the real moral consequences of sin in our marriages, families, friendships, etc…, God shows us that his law is the prescription for our spiritual fitness, and the virtues he calls us to express are essential to mature as sons and daughters of God our Father.

I’d never heard it explained this way, so I figured some of you may not have either. I would enjoy your thoughts and comments.

Image by Danny Hahlbohm

Pope Leo the Great on Lent:

Relying, therefore, dearly-beloved, on these arms, let us enter actively and fearlessly on the contest set before us: so that in this fasting struggle we may not rest satisfied with only this end, that we should think abstinence from food alone desirable. For it is not enough that the substance of our flesh should be reduced, if the strength of the soul be not also developed. When the outer man is somewhat subdued, let the inner man be somewhat refreshed; and when bodily excess is denied to our flesh, let our mind be invigorated by spiritual delights. Let every Christian scrutinise himself, and earth severely into his inmost heart: let him see that no discord cling there, no wrong desire be harboured. Let chasteness drive incontinence far away; let the light of truth dispel the shades of deception; let the swellings of pride subside; let wrath yield to reason; let the darts of ill-treatment be shattered, and the chidings of the tongue be bridled; let thoughts of revenge fall through, and injuries be given over to oblivion. In fine, let “every plant which the heavenly Father hath not planted be removed by the roots.” For then only are the seeds of virtue well nourished in us, when every foreign germ is uprooted from the field of wheat. If any one, therefore, has been fired by the desire for vengeance against another, so that he has given him up to prison or bound him with chains, let him make haste to forgive not only the innocent, but also one who seems worthy of punishment, that he may with confidence make use of the clause in the Lord’s prayer and say, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.” Which petition the Lord marks with peculiar emphasis, as if the efficacy of the whole rested on this condition, by saying, “For if ye forgive men their sins, your Father which is in heaven also will forgive you: but if ye forgive not men, neither will your Father forgive you your Sins.”

Pope St. Leo the Great, Sermon XXXIX: On Lent I

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. I haven’t had the time today to come up with some meaningful reflection, but fortunately, we have some great saints who have done it for us. I give you this prayer of Saint Ambrose to help you begin Lent:

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore Thee,
a heart to delight in Thee,
to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ’s sake, Amen
From Lent Prayers and Collects - ChurchYear.Net

Also a reminder for all Latin Rite Catholics (Eastern Catholics too?). Today is a fast day, as is Good Friday. The Fridays of Lent are abstinence days. All of this means:

The minimum the Catholic Church expects is fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstinence on the Fridays of Lent. Fasting means eating only one full meatless meal on that day. However, one may still eat a breakfast and even a lunch in addition to a full meal if the two additional small meals do not add up to a second full meal. Snacking is not allowed. Drinking coffee, tea, juices, etc, between meals is permitted on fast days. Abstinence requires abstaining from meat for the entire day. Meat is defined as the “flesh meat of warm-blooded animals.” This is the reason why Catholics often eat fish on Fridays, but anything meatless works. The requirements are slightly different for those of certain ages. Fasting is only required of those from ages 18-59, and abstinence is required of all people 14 and older, although parents are expected to teach their children the reasons behind their fasting, etc. Those with health conditions are excluded. Note that some Eastern Catholic Rites have different fasting guidelines. These are simply the minimum expectations. Additional forms of self-denial, within reason, can also be spiritually beneficial.

Image from: markdroberts.com

No, it’s not Lent yet, but it is coming soon! So if you are interested, the Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan has been updated for 2008. The Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan Lite has been updated as well, for those of us who would rather read a little less. This devotion has been popular in past years, especially since many Christians want to read the Church Fathers, but seem to put it off in these busy times. The Church Father readings revolve around the Lenten fast, which runs 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, minus Sundays (so you get a break from reading on Sundays). The readings have remained the same as the two previous years. Maybe in the future, we’ll get a few other reading options available.

I will mention this again nearer to Lent, but I thought I would post it for those who like to think ahead. Also, if you notice any errors, please let me know. I updated it using my trusty Liturgical Desk Calendar, but I may have messed up a date or two.

(Mission) Prelude
(Mission) On Death
(Mission) On Judgement(Mission) On Hell
(Mission) On Heaven

I am not going to pull any punches - this is old-school and hard hitting. It will take some time, it will make you uncomfortable at times. It hit me between the eyes when I heard it. Give it a chance.

Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all”. Christ answered him: “And with your spirit”. He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light”.

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

From the Sermon of an anonymous Eastern Church Father. Traditionally read during the Liturgy of the Hours on Holy Saturday in the Western Church. Image taken by David Bennett.

In the West, yesterday (Palm Sunday) began Holy Week. Holy Week is the final week of Lent leading up to Easter, and recalls the final events of the life of Jesus, including his death on a cross. Holy Week is a busy time for most Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox, Lutherans, and others.

I wish everyone a blessed and meaningful Holy Week. May we truly experience in symbol the crucifixion and death of Christ as we prepare for the Easter season, when we celebrate his resurrection and victory over death.

“Remember man you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

For those unfamiliar with Ash Wednesday, this phrase is what the priest says when he places ashes on your forehead during the Ash Wednesday service. This phrase is not exactly affirming and I doubt you will hear it come from a self-help guru on Oprah, but it is true.

Ash Wednesday injects a little reality into our heads as we begin the penitential season of Lent.

I wish everyone a blessed and fulfilling Lent. Keep the self-flagellation to a minimum please!

I want to remind our readers of some of our Lenten resources, including the materials at ChurchYear.Net. We have updated the Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan for 2007. We now have a brand new “lite” version of the same reading plan, for those who don’t want all of the reading: Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan LITE. This plan was pretty popular last year, and we hope everyone interested in being introduced to the Church Fathers checks it out. We also have some Lent Prayers for those interested. We have some suggestions on what to give up for Lent too. There are more resources on our main Lent page.

Lent is a good time to spiritually “clean house.” It is a time of reflection, penitence, and sacrifice. Anybody have any thoughts on what to give up? I haven’t decided yet.

A blessed Lent to all of you.

By the way, it seems Anglican conservatives have won a bit of a victory at Tanzania. We shall see if the resolutions are enforced, but it seems like the Anglican Communion means business. Is this a Lenten gift to reasserter Anglicans? Seems so.