Something Strange 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. These are the opening sentences of the non-scriptural reading in today’s Office of Readings. Tradition calims St. Melito of Sardis as the author, but we don't know … Continue reading Something Strange is Happening: Holy Saturday
Is it I, Lord? – Good Friday
When Jesus says to them, “You will all fall away” (Matthew 26:31), he’s not speaking only to his Apostles, but to all of us who have been his disciples in the millennia since, as well as all those in the years to come.
O Sacred Head Surrounded: A Hymn For Holy Week:
What's not as well known is that Bach is author of neither the basic melody nor the words. The composer merely incorporated into his composition (with some significant adaptation) what was already a familiar hymn called O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden ("O Head Full of Blood and Wounds"). The music, which dates from about the year 1600, was composed by Hans Leo Hassler.
“Let it Be” – The Annunciation and Us
Let It Be Done Unto Me Let it be done unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38) I often used to admire a stained-glass window that looks down on the altar in the cathedral where I used to attend Mass with my family. The scene in the window is the Annunciation. It depicts the young … Continue reading “Let it Be” – The Annunciation and Us
The Stench of Death: 5th Sunday of Lent
The Stench of Death The Stench of Death pervades the liturgy on this 5th Sunday of Lent. And not just figuratively. Consider today's Gospel. Jesus approaches the tomb of his friend Lazarus, who had been buried four days earlier. When Jesus instructs those present to move away the stone sealing the tomb, Lazarus' sister Martha … Continue reading The Stench of Death: 5th Sunday of Lent
Laetare, Jerusalem: 4th Sunday of Lent
Laetare Sunday represents more than a break midway through Lent. It's a demarcation, showing us that something is changing. It's a last breath of fresh air and a final glimpse of sunlight before plunging into the depths of Passiontide. We have a reminder of God's promise as we walk with Jesus on the Way of the Cross.
Let’s Keep the Confessional Open
God could simply forgive any and all sins any time we ask for it in prayer, but instead he tells us through his Holy Scripture: "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed." (James 5:16) There is a reason that the Word chose to become Flesh.
What’s Up With Chocolate and Lent?
The last thing we need is conflicting messages, don't you think? Especially when it concerns the State of our Souls. Imagine my dismay, then, when I came across two different signs at two different churches telling me to do opposite things to observe Lent. . . . one tells me to give up chocolate, the other says the opposite. Well now, should I or shouldn't I?
Well and Rock: 3rd Sunday of Lent
Allegorically, as St. Paul tells us, the Rock represents Jesus. Jesus himself tells us in the passage from John that the "water" he provides is, in fact, eternal life. The moral meaning of the Moses story is that, even when things look hopeless, God will provide. Anagogically, that only Jesus can provide true life, eternal life.
Anti-Hypocrite and Martyr: St. Philemon the Actor
In the ancient world actors such as Philemon used to wear masks . . . but the Lord can see through any act: there are no masks before the throne of God.