Meditations for the Pauline year

In case any of you didn't know, the Godzdogz are kindly writing reflections on St Paul. An ideal way to benefit from the year of St Paul.

More spring cleaning

Happy Easter!



My decision to restrict reading matter has proved very helpful recently. I also decided (somewhat spontaneously) to spend a minimal amount of time on facebook. The immediate consequence was that I had considerably more time than usual, and it was rather liberating. I've now decided to restrict my time on it as much as possible.

As hinted by the title, I intend to do some more tweaking of this blog in order to make it a little tidier and more attractive. Rest assured that I am unlikely to delete most of the links.

I dare say that my blogroll looks worryingly long. To be honest, I rarely look at more than a few each day-and likewise intend to avoid spending a long time doing so. I am not one of those who considers the internet a satanic invention (although I don't doubt that the devil makes profitable use of it) and am very much of the opinion that it has a lot to offer, especially in matters of our Faith. On the other hand, I was rather disgusted by the report that most young people spend two hours online each day-and I am almost certainly one of them. Not a good thing.

Anyway, I've also come across a characteristically sensible and edifying quote from St Teresa of Avila which has helped knock some sense into me:

I understood how great a blessing it is to make no account of anything which does not lead us any nearer to God.

God bless.

Happy Christmas!

Yes I know today is the feast of St John the Apostle, but we are still in the Christmas octave and I did not get round to wishing you a Happy Christmas earlier. As you can see, I haven't posted anything for a while (although I narrowly managed to miss Mac's cull earlier this year!)mainly because I have been without easy access to a computer and have been trying to devote more time to prayers, study, and so forth. I can't promise anything for now, but heartily recommend this honest post by Cathy. God bless you all, and I wish you all had a holy and happy Christmas!

Looking and loving

Don Marco has a particularly wonderful meditation on a painting of Christ crucified with Saints Francis, Benedict, and Romuald. I do not presume to place myself alongside dear Father Marco, but must admit I do enjoy walking around art galleries in order to look at Christian art and then meditating on what they can say to us. Enjoy!

St Catherine of Siena

The soul, who is lifted by a very great and yearning desire for the honour of God and the salvation of souls, begins by exercising herself for a certain space of time, in the ordinary virtues, remaining in the cell of self-knowledge, in order to know better the goodness of God towards her. This she does because knowledge must precede love, and only when she has attained love, can she strive to follow and to clothe herself with the truth.

Thus begins the Dialogue of St Catherine of Siena with God the Father. St Catherine is undoubtedly one of the most eminently holy children of the Church, as well as one of my favourite saints. Gueranger writes: From the very commencement, there was something heavenly about this admirable servant of God, which we fancy existing in an angel who had been sent from heaven to live in a human body.

For such a lovely saint, it is entirely appropriate that the 'secret' prayer of the Roman rite should be so marvellous:

In the virginal fragrance of the virutes of blessed Catherine, whose feast-day we are are keeping, together with the saving victim to be laid upon Thine altar, may our prayers, O Lord, mount on high to thee. Through Christ our Lord.

Happy Feast Day!

The Incorruptibles

Our venerable brother in Christ and fellow blogger Andrew has a characteristically marvellous post on the incorruptible bodies of saints with some splendid pictures and descriptions of their lives. One of these, St Jean-Marie Vianney, is mentioned in a rather interesting little story Fr Tim has treated us to. Enjoy!

The Sacrament of Love

I have been wondering lately if we take the Mass for granted. I am afraid that I have done so in the past, and in retrospect, that was-and is-a silly and sinful thing to do. I recently came across this marvellous website of Padre Pio devotions, and found a very simple yet profound remark of his:

If only we knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.

Now that is an uncomplicated dose of the truth. I do not intend to say much further on this matter other than: we should constantly thank God for the adorable Sacrament of the Altar, and always be grateful for being able to hear Mass. If you need some further inspiration, click here.

By George?

There was a rather extensive article in today's Telegraph about St George's Day. I am sure that the non-British readers of this blog will be aware that for many years now, there has been considerable demand for St George's Day (April 23) to be made a national holiday in Britain. Now, I am in favour of this to be done, but am rather disgruntled with the attitudes of some people behind it. I seem to remember the London celebrations last year of St Patrick's day to have fallen on the Sunday. Now just how many of the people celebrating then were actually of Irish extraction? And just how many of them were practising Catholics?
I wouldn't be surprised if more than a few of the crowd were of the 'not keen on organised religion' persuasion, and there were probably a few people there who didn't exactly feel warm towards the Church, forgetting that it is thanks to the Church that St Patrick's Day even exists. Like it or not, St George's Day (or any other saint's day) is a religious feast, not just an excuse for getting drunk and having a day off from work. It has been established by Holy Mother Church so we can thank God for having provided us with such a courageous saint and martyr. It's time for us to win back this day from the secular missionaries!

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 thought on the rumour

With the blogosphere buzzing for the last few months with the rumour of a Motu Proprio being granted in order to lift restrictions on the Traditional Roman Rite, I had resolved to keep quiet (I was not ignoring the elephant in the room, I was wasn't giving it attention), but have decided to finally share my thoughts with you on this matter.
We have had a number of rumours and suggestions from from credible sources which suggest that the Motu Proprio is imminent. Most of these however, are just unconfirmed rumours and have not been made in writing. The general consensus appears to be that it is a matter of "when, not if". Whilst this may well be the case, we simply cannot be sure. With this in mind, I am convinced that we should stop speculating on when it is going to appear. Instead, we must pray for the Supreme Pontiff and for the Holy Church, and we must also be patient-I know perfectly well that this is not easy, but by supporting the Holy Father through prayer, we will achieve more.
Our Blessed Lady, Seat of Wisdom and St Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.

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.

Update

Dear readers, thank you very much for the much-needed and much-appreciated prayers, they are still needed. Since my last post, everything is still difficult and I will be unable to blog regularly over the next two weeks. Again, please accept my apologies. In the meantime, I have several appeals:

1. I am sure that most of my readers are committed Catholics who already pray daily for the intentions of the Holy Father (as we all have a duty to do), but I am sure you will agree that His Holiness is especially in need of further prayer at the moment.

2. On March 19th we will celebrate the feast of St Joseph. Please do not neglect to commemorate this feast in some way, either by attending Mass, saying the Rosary, or by some form of private devotion to St Joseph. He is of course, the patron saint of a happy death (which we should pray for daily), but we should also use the opportunity to pray for the intentions of Holy Mother Church, since St Joseph is also patron of the Universal Church.

3. Finally, I would like to ask for your prayers again, although I know perfectly well that both the Holy Father and the Church take priority over my intentions (and the former are also merited), but I am still in need of your prayers.

Thank you all for your charity and support, which although undeserved, are still greatly appreciated.

A Bitchy Bulgarian Bishop

Ad Jesu per Mariam has just brought a debacle in Bulgaria to my attention. One of the youngest Orthodox bishops has called the Supreme Pontiff a heretic. Bad move Nickolay. Whether or not the Pope appeals to you, you don't insult God's representative on earth. Furthermore, Cardinal St Robert Bellarmine demonstrated that the Pope cannot be a heretic. No-one is impressed by this impertinent outburst, so let's change the subject.

The miracle which confounds sceptics

For this corruptible must put on incorruption; and this mortal must put on immortality

1 Corinthians 15:53

Mac has a highly readable and intelligent post about the undecayed bodies of saints (to be fair, I've never known any of her posts which aren't readable and intelligent). This is one of those occcassions when I am instinctively moved to thank God for his gifts of nature and grace. I have never seen a saint's body as incorrupt as St Bernadette's, but last year I was visiting Assisi and was able to see the preserved body of St Clare. St Clare's body showed no signs of decay for a few days after her death, but when they soon appeared, they applied wax to her corpse, and so it has been unchanged for over 700 years. Deo Gratias!

Regular confession

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. The first epistle of St John 1:9

Recently, Terry of Abbey Roads 2 wrote a rather thoughtful post about the sacrament of confession and its fruits.
It seems to me that more young Catholics are going to confession these days, and I find this very encouraging (especially with the catechetical crisis which still plagues the Church). Of course, we must remember that there are still too few Catholics going to confession, which is ultimately to their own spiritual loss. Well, what can we do about it? By first of all adopting a healthy and mature approach towards receiving this sacrament on a regular basis, before we recommend the practice to our brethren. Here are some suggestions for those whom find it especially difficult, or are nor used to regular confession:
1. Invest in a copy of A Catechism of Christian Doctrine (also known as the Penny Catechism), which is available from CTS and Tan Books. Remind yourself what the ten commandments are, what sin is, what is a mortal sin etc.
2. Before going to bed, examine your conscience, and if you have committed a sin-be it venial or mortal-then express your sorrow before God in the form of an Act of Contrition.
3. Adopt the practice of receiving this sacrament on a regular basis ie once a month, which will make it easier.
4. Don't rush straight to the confessional after entering the church, but first of all prayerfully and carefully examine your conscience, pray to Our Lady, or your patron saint to make a good confession.
5. Afterwards, remember to thank God for the gift of His grace and mercy, and perform the penance your confessor has given you (and don't hesitate to say more prayers as further penance).

The saintly student

Reading Antonio Gallonio's Life of St Philip Neri this morning, I came across this wonderful description of our Holy Father's life as a student, and thought I would share it with you:

"While Philip was occupied in his secular education, he did associate with his fellow students from time to time, and had long discussions and arguments with them about obscure points of natural science, but he was at the same time extraordinarily fond of being alone, and spent long periods in nightly vigil. As Saint Paul recommends, he discerned the invisible things of God through the means of visible things, and scrutinised His eternal power and divinity to the furthest extent possible for a mortal man doomed to die.
He often did the round of the Seven Churches of Rome, with no one to keep him company: these churches were the ones most distinguished for their liturgyand the indulgences granted by the Popes...Whenever an opportunity occurred to curb the irrational desires and longings of his mind, he seized upon it eagerly, striving always to gain mastery over himself. That is why he was always advising his sons to try to conquer themsleves even in the most trivial matters , if they wanted to be able to overcome in the greater struggles."

This is thought to be the earliest known life of St Philip, and is a fairly recent translation by Fr Jerome Bertram of the Oxford Oratory (it is also the first English translation). The Life of St Philip Neri is published by Family Publications, Oxford. Warmly recommended!

The Conversion of St Paul

Praedicator veritatis, et doctor gentium in fide et veritate.

Preacher of the truth, and teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.

I wish all readers a very happy feast of the Conversion of St Paul. Fr Zuhlsdorf has posted an excellent meditation for today's feast. Deo Gratias!

St Raymund

Os justi meditabur sapientam, et lingua ejus loquetur judicium; lex Dei ejus in corde ipsius.

The mouth of the just shall speak wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgement: the law of God is in his heart.

Today is the feast day of St Raymund of Pennafort (1175-1275). St Raymund was the author of a Summa on morals and conscience, for which he was given the title 'Eminent minister of the Sacrament of penance'. Whilst he died at an unusually old age for a saint, he was not unusual amongst them in knowing of when he was to leave this world, and spent the last 35 years of his life preparing for his death. St Raymund, pray for us.

St Bernardine

Against all heresies has a very interesting post on St Bernardine of Siena, another neglected and forgotten hero of the Church. Tolle legge!

St Robert Bellarmine

I recently enjoyed a delightful CTS pamphlet about St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), which I found in a second-hand bookshop. This little gem by Robert Gallagher S J may unfortunately be out of print now. Saint Robert is probably most known nowadays for his links to the policy of sedevacantism, which the Rev. Gallagher's book does not discuss. Instead, we learn of the saint's love for theology, his ardent defence of the Holy Catholic Church in a time of crisis, his reluctance to be made a Cardinal, his uncompromising search for truth in matters of Faith, and his remarkable sanctity. Over the last forty years or so, a number of Catholics seem unjustly embarrassed about the history of the Church, particularly during the so-called 'Counter-Reformation', which has unfortunately resulted in a lack of knowledge of Church history, and even worse, of many of the saints whom the Lord gave us at this critical time. St Robert Bellarminem, pray for us.