Spring cleaning

As I am sure you know, the word 'Lent' was used to refer to the arrival of Spring which often coincides with the arrival of the Penitential Season now upon us. "Spring cleaning in February?", you might ask-well, an awful lot of people do what they refer to as 'spring cleaning' in January (quite possibly to take their minds off what many might agree can be one of the most stressful times of year), and a few would argue that the lovely weather in Britain has heralded the early arrival of Spring, but I digress-as you may have noticed I am trying to tidy up this blog in the hope that I may motivate myself to devote myself a little more consistently to it. With the word 'little', in mind (but not at all insignificant), as a footnote to my suggestion the other day, I would like to second John's suggestion to look at Recta Ratio for some good Lenten reading.

In need of Lenten reading material?

Don Marco's posts from last Lent should help you out.

Mandatum

Lucky old me (Don't worry, I am not being smug, I am being sarcastic). This evening I am going to have my feet washed, and I can't say I'm looking forward to it. It may well be accepted by all religions and cultures that the feet are probably the least attractive parts of the anatomy. Hence, the idea of a priest In Persona Christi washing my feet makes me feel more than a little uncomfortable, and I daresay the apostles weren't exactly keen on the idea when Our Lord performed this task. Let us follow the advice of Gueranger:

"the feet are those earthly attachments, which so often lead us to the brink of sin. Let us watch over our senses, and the affections of our hearts. Let us wash away these stains by a sincere confession, by penance, by sorrow, and by humility; that thus we may worthily receive the adorable Sacrament, and derive from it the fulness of its power and grace."

Gueranger, The Liturgical Year-Passiontide and Holy Week. Translated by Dom Laurence Sheppard OSB, 1929. London, Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd.

Dress code for Mass

This morning I came across an American group named the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), who happen to have a blog. Scrolling down the page, I came across a very good post on appropriate dress for Mass. Now, given the nature of their website etc, this is a good demonstration of how showing respect for the Domus Dei is not just a pre-occupation of the 'Rad-Trads'. Of course, we should not stop there. It is quite possible for even the most immaculately dressed person to behave improperly in church. Nevertheless, it is good to see how this is a concern for more than just a few Catholics. And as we are in the season when many irregular church-goers come along to liturgical celebrations, this is definitely a topical issue. And whilst I'm on the subject, I would like to ask the ladies who read this blog if they wear a mantilla (headscarf) or not in church. Rest assured that I am not setting off on an inquisition, but am interested in how many Catholic ladies do these days.

Making the most

I am told that a priest whom I know once remarked "Rather than consider what you can do for Lent, consider what Lent can do for you". I am pondering this excellent maxim and feeling rather annoyed with myself for not having made the most out of this great season. I don't know about you, but Lent seems to have whizzed by with incredible speed. Now, I could start mooching around and feeling sorry for myself, but I don't think I will be taking that path. We should always remember that it is never too late to 'make a start' in our spiritual lives, but we should also remember that we don't have much time left. And I am not just referring to Holy Week, we should always be ready to meet Almighty God, since we know not the hour nor the day. This is no reason for despair however. We should constantly pray for the gift of perseverance, and I hope that this prayer by St Alphonsus Liguori will be of help:

Our dear Redeemer,
relying on Your promises,
because you are faithful, all-powerful and merciful,
we hope, through the merits of Your Passion,
for the forgiveness of our sins,
perserverance until death in Your grace;
and at length we hope, by Your mercy,
to see and love You eternally in Heaven.

A Catholic Prayer Book, 2001 (Revised Edition), Catholic Truth Society, London.

It is not too late, but don't delay. I wish you all a prayerful Passion week. And in the meantime, I strongly recommend reading Don Marco's latest posts.

A moment of respite

Dear readers, thank you all for you prayers-they are much appreciated, but still needed. I have interrupted my temporary absence from the blogosphere in order to post a little today. A few days ago, Fr Nicholas very kindly wrote an excellent post about the Massimo miracle. Given this, I do not intend to say anything myself on the subject, but instead treat you to the description of the miracle from Antonio Gallonio's Life of St Philip Neri (An ideal Lenten meditation, I think):

in a strange way, Paolo was called back to life through Philip's prayers. He opened his eyes, and to the amazement of everyone who was present, replied to Philip in a clear voice...Philip asked him, 'Are you ready to die, or to continue longer in this life?' He replied that he wishd to die, for he knew that he had a certain place set aside or him in heaven, to enjoy the splendour of God, the Best and the Greatest, for ever. And so, in his longing for death, as if he were entering the land of the living, he breathed forth his spirit a second time, in the sight and embrace of the holy Father; this was on the 16th March, in the year 1583

The Life of St Philip Neri, Antonio Gallonio. Translated by Jerome Bertram of the Oxford Oratory. Family Publications, Oxford. 2005.

Thoughts on fasting

Fr Ray has a short but excellent post on the true purpose of fasting. About time someone reminded Cafod. I am not going to criticise anyone, but if a 'Catholic' charity forgets about why one should fast during Lent, then they are sending out the wrong message, and risk a good opportunity for their spiritual lives. We Catholics need to remember that our vocation is to know, love, and serve God in this life. If fasting can aid us in this respect, then all the better, but we should do so as penance for our sins. And as I am sure you know, our Blessed Lord has some good things to say about it:

And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.

Matthew 6:16

And what are you doing?

There isn't much time left, so in case you haven't already, it may be worth considering how to make the most of the upcoming season of Lent. At this point, I would like to share one of the most useful maxims I have heard from a priest on the subject: "Don't think what you can do for Lent, but think what Lent can do for you". I am always wryly amused when agnostics and atheists spend ages discussing what they will be giving up (well, God does work in mysterious ways). We need to remind ourselves that Lent should not be an excuse for a diet-our spiritual and temporal needs should not be confused. Having said that, Catholics seem to have forgotten about the benefits of austerity in our spiritual lives. Many people are horrified by the use of a cilice, forgetting that such mortification was practised by many people in the middle-ages. Nor was it used for masochistic purposes, another priest reminded me last year that mortification was of no value unless offered to God. Hence, if you intend to follow a gentler form of mortification (such as giving up alcohol), do so for the love of God and not for your own sake. Another suggestion is to revive the practice of a particular devotion, or invest in some spiritual reading. In order to help my dear readers, I will post a short meditation or link every few days. Stay tuned for details, and pray about it.