In Search of
The Authentic Life
“Pater Meus Servat Vineam”
The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus started yesterday (you can still do it!) and the one to the Immaculate Heart of Mary starts today. Find a novena you like. Here’s a great resource:
There’s never been a more important time!
It is the Octave of Pentecost and also the Ember Days of Summer this week. Why not print our Pentecost prayers from the Mass in the previous post, and incorporate them into your prayers this week? You can easily combine the Octave with the prayerful Ember Days!
[Edited since posting.]
Here is our Ascension Rosary Meditation, written some time ago…
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, has risen triumphantly from the dead, but the Story is not over yet. He appeared to his Mother and the Apostles for forty days, preparing them to cross the threshold, the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth through the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. When this task was sufficient, as the Apostles looked on, "He was raised up: and a cloud received Him out of their sight." (Acts 1:9) The Ascension of Our Lord is paralleled only by His Coming at the End of Time, wholly unique events in human history, singular in glory, majesty and wonder. In the Old Law, the Father condescends to come to earth, as when He speaks to Moses in the Burning Bush and the institution of the Ten Commandments. Now the Son, establishing the New Law, rises up, showing us how real and attainable Heaven is. Our Lord opened access to Heaven on the Holy Cross and in His Ascension, He makes the leap Himself. He wants us to follow Him there-that was the whole purpose of His life on earth and the whole purpose of our own lives. To ensure we get there, He creates the physical, visible bridge to Heaven, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
A number of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary involve the meeting of Heaven and earth. The Ascension, the Assumption and the Crucifixion each traverse the distance from earth to Heaven. The Descent of the Holy Ghost, the Annunciation, the Baptism of Our Lord and the Transfiguration each involve Heaven coming down to earth. Heaven also meets earth in the miracles and apparitions of the Church. Lourdes is unique in that the miraculous water stays with us to this day and Fatima was unique in the witnessing of the "Miracle of the Sun" by thousands. Our Holy Church calls down the powers of Heaven in every sacrament. Our Lord's Ascension was His final sign that we are free to enter Heaven with Him, through the Church that could be built only upon His departure.
Heaven and earth are not just places. They represent the relationship between God and His children. As any parent/child relationship, it is bound to be difficult. It’s difficult for the child to see the wisdom of the parent and it’s difficult for the parent to let the child go when it is time. We can easily see the similarity here in how we perceive God. But can we see how God perceives us? As much as we love our own children and grieve over their absence, how much more does the Father love and grieve over us? So much, that He sent His only Son to die for us. The wrenching a parent feels when setting the child free, is only a faint hint of what the Father feels over one lost soul. That is why He cannot leave us alone. That is why He keeps interfering. From the manna in the desert to the Bread of Life, He cannot bear to leave His children starving. How much longer will He allow the innocent to spiritually starve in this corrupt culture? The Ascension tells us there is another world He has prepared for us, that Heaven is our true home, sainthood our natural state.
Though our Blessed Lord rose away from earth on that day when the Apostles saw him lifted up to the sky, He remains with us always. He has established His perennial Presence in the Holy Eucharist, residing in every tabernacle throughout the world. He has built His Church, preserving all His precepts. What more could He have done for us? The Gospel of Saint Matthew ends with these words: "...teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (Matt 28:18-20) The angels say, "This Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into Heaven," foretelling the Second Coming at the End of Time. (Acts 1:11) Dearest Jesus, Who ascended in glory to show me Heaven, may I always trust that Thou remain with me in this world, even in my most difficult moments. Amen.
Here is also, our PDF Litany of the Ascension, also written previously, but just new & improved…eventually we will try to get Imprimaturs…we have consulted with a canon lawyer and internet publishing of original prayers is allowed…
+++ LITANY OF THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD PDF +++
AND DON’T FORGET…The Pentecost Novena to the Holy Ghost starts tomorrow! Here is one version…
Integrity must be extremely strong when one is alone with oneself, when one is alone with one’s own thoughts and being. Because out there, all the winds and slippery streets, will tend to cause us to lose our footing.
I wanted to share something I discovered when reading the traditional Good Friday “Adoration of the Cross,” which is the third of four parts of that day’s liturgy.
There is a text shortly after the beginning of the Adoration, which reads:
O holy God! O holy strong One!
O holy immortal One, have mercy upon us.
I’m sure this is very familiar to all of you, the words of the prayer at the end of the Divine Mercy Chaplet:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Assuming Saint Faustina wrote those words, we now know where she most likely got it!
Some chaplet pamphlets will include an additional prayer from Faustina’s diary, “A Prayer for Divine Mercy.” Saying it this past week, I have been continually struck by the beauty of the last sentence:
“For Jesus is our Hope: through His merciful Heart as through an open gate,
we pass through to Heaven.”
It is fitting for this to be said during Paschal Time, as the Hebraic word “pasch” means “Passover” or “passage.” This originally referred to passing over the Red Sea. The idea of passage relates to so many facets of our Faith. There is a recurring theme of death leading to new life. Even nature sings this song, as the fallen leaves fertilize the ground for the next Spring. The sacramental life is all about various passages. The Passion, Resurrection and Ascension is all a flowing passage. It is an interwoven tapestry which gives us a lifetime of meditation upon these mysteries.
Tomorrow, Easter Friday is a solemnity, as is every day in the Octave of Easter. Therefore, there is no Friday penance required.
However, the Major Rogation Day (or Greater Litanies) of April 25th still stands in the trad calendar, which typically IS a day of penance. Saint Mark’s feast is not celebrated. So, how do we deal with the conundrum of a joyful Easter Week solemnity, in addition to a day of penance?
Just so happens, I found the perfect answer to this question at Catholic Culture. They gave an excerpt from Dom Prosper Gueranger’s The Liturgical Year, a 15-volume work written in the 19th century. Here’s an excerpt of the excerpt…
“We gather from an expression of St. Gregory the Great that it was an ancient custom in the Roman Church to celebrate, once each year, a Greater Litany, at which all the clergy and people assisted. This holy Pontiff chose April 25 as the fixed day for this procession…The question naturally presents itself—why did St. Gregory choose April 25 for a procession and Station in which everything reminds us of compunction and penance, and which would seem so out of keeping with the joyous season of Easter? [He explains the history of all this, see Catholic Culture link above for full piece]…
But there was a striking contrast resulting from this institution, of which the holy Pontiff was fully aware, but which he could not avoid: it was the contrast between the joys of Paschal Time and the penitential sentiments wherewith the faithful should assist at the procession and Station of the Great Litany. Laden as we are with the manifold graces of this holy season, and elated with our Paschal joys, we must sober our gladness by reflecting on the motives which led the Church to cast this hour of shadow over our Easter sunshine…”
It seems that Holy Church in her wisdom gives us the occasional reminder, when this date is within the Octave of Easter, that we are not to get too caught up in festivities. Even after the long, penitential Lent, we must remain vigilant in this brief life, when our actions will determine our eternal fate. This is what I glean from Gueranger’s analysis. Read his words and see what you think.
Gueranger goes on to say that on this day, in Italy and France, there was abstinence from meat. In France, it was also deemed a day of rest. The Litany of the Saints would be prayed as well, through the centuries. There was however, no fasting.
So the answer seems to be: Yes, be joyful, but give yourself a reminder of the Lent you just experienced. Do not run to the opposite extreme and forget Our Blessed Lord on the Cross. Do not abandon him, as did so many others.
So who was this intriguing Dom Gueranger, who wrote so eloquently? Adoremus has an article written by Joseph O’Brien, a Catholic homesteader in Wisconsin (he’s quite the writer himself) on the book by Dom Guy Marie Oury: Dom Gueranger: A Monk at the Heart of the Church. Here’s a portion…
“Dom Guy Marie Oury’s [book]…is an important book, if only because it offers our dying culture a road map to recovery…It should come as a surprise to no one that our culture—and Western Civilization as a whole—is dying. I say this not as a matter of pessimism. Nor am I discounting divine intervention. But there are symptoms enough to show that our culture is very much like the ‘patient etherized upon a table’ in T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’…
The answer is right before our eyes—and present to our other senses as well—in the sacred liturgy [he follows with facts about the life and times of Gueranger]…
Dom Gueranger: A Monk at the Heart of the Church provides a fully drawn…portrait of the man who had almost singlehandedly renewed the liturgy as the cultural heart of the Church. It also provides a living example of how Catholics can save civilization, one celebration of the Holy Mass at a time.”
Isn’t it wonderful to revive these traditions that connect us, like a golden thread, with the Body of Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, through the ages?
“I have no doubt that one day Catholicism will return to its place in this world, to which it alone holds the secret.”
Dom Prosper Gueranger
From the FSSP Liturgical Ordo:
“April 27, 2025, Divine Mercy Sunday: A plenary indulgence is granted to those who take part in the prayers and devotions held in honor of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or in the tabernacle, recite one Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus. Those who for a just cause cannot get to church can gain the same indulgence by reciting one Our Father, the Creed, and a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus before an image of the Divine Mercy.”
Note: The usual conditions for plenary indulgence (see link above) also apply. See if your parish is celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday with special devotions and use that opportunity to obtain the indulgence. Let your pastor know you appreciate this.
+++ Station at Holy Cross in Jerusalem +++
Pray for Peace in the Holy Land.
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy upon us!
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us!
And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
Amen.
From the New Marian Missal:
“The faithful who, on Good Friday during three hours, shall meditate, in public or in private, the sufferings of Our Lord on the Cross, and shall remember the words He spoke on the Cross, or say some psalms, hymns or other mental prayers, can gain: Plenary Indulgence after confession and Communion on Maundy Thursday or during the Octave of Easter with a prayer for the intentions of His Holiness.”
There is also a Divine Mercy Sunday Plenary, which will be posted here next week!
Stay tuned for some Easter Triduum thoughts from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, as well.
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence ~ Caitelen Schneeberger
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand,
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of Kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of Lords, in human vesture,
In the Body and the Blood,
He will give to all the faithful,
His own Self for heav’nly food.
Rank on rank the host of Heaven,
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of Light descendeth,
From the realms of endless day,
That the pow’rs of Hell may vanish,
As the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the Presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
From Liturgy of St. James, Early Church Era
Translation by Gerard Moultrie, 1864
***ALERT: Divine Mercy Novena starts today! See Home page for further info.
SAINT PATRICK, PRAY FOR US!
From today’s trad Mass:
O God, Who didst deign to send blessed Patrick, Thy confessor and bishop, to preach Thy glory to the nations, grant, through his merits and intercession, that those commands which Thou dost set before us we may by Thy mercy be able to fulfill.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that, giving thanks for the favors we have received, we may, by the intercession of blessed Patrick, Thy confessor and bishop, obtain blessings still greater. Amen.
~ ~ ~
I belong here because I am here.
~ ~ ~
When you look beyond the horizon, the obstructions collapse.
~ ~ ~
Envy is the inability to receive another person’s gifts, which were meant for you.
~ ~ ~
The mystic surrenders his life to the Mystery.
The thoughts shared here which are not in quotes, are recent meditations of mine which I have crystallized into simple ideas. All writing on this site is by CF Mathews, unless otherwise noted.
A new feature we recently started is monthly homeschool activities (see topic to the right>>>). In Part 1, our reader Jenna gave some ideas on how to observe the monthly devotions, so we will use some of those…
Homeschool Activities for March
Can you find a 9-day novena to Saint Joseph? Do you think you can pray it this month or sometime during Lent? Try to get all 9 days in a row! (Mothers, you might want to abbreviate the prayers for young children.)
Write a short prayer to Saint Joseph and memorize it.
Which feast in honor of Mary do we celebrate this month? Where is this account found in Holy Scripture?
For more information on traditional monthly dedications, see the link below from Catholic Online. History and indulgences are discussed. Below is an excerpt of the month of March…
“St. Joseph (feast, 19 March); indulgences, three hundred days daily for those who privately or publicly perform some pious practice in honour of St. Joseph, during the month, a plenary indulgence on any day of the month under the usual conditions ( Pius IX, "Rescript Congr. Indulg.", 27 April, 1865). This month of devotions may commence in February and be concluded 19 March ( Pius IX, 18 July, 1877). March can be replaced by another month in case of legitimate impediment (Raccolta, 404). The practice of a triduum [A time frequently chosen for prayer or for other devout practices, whether by individuals in private, or in public by congregations or special organizations in parishes, in religious communities, seminaries, or schools. The form of prayer or devotion depends upon the occasion or purpose of the triduum. The three days usually precede some feast, and the feast then determines the choice of the pious exercises.] before the feast of St. Joseph has been recommended by Leo XIII (Encycl. "Quamquam pluries", 15 August, 1889).”
And here is a post from June, 2016…we now have a full 10 years of posts here…
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