The Hour Begins

Posted on March 20, 2008 by frangelo

Behold, the hour cometh, and it is now come, that you shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you shall have distress. But have confidence. I have overcome the world (John 16:32-33).

And he cometh to his disciples and findeth them asleep. And he saith to Peter: What? Could you not watch one hour with me? Watch ye: and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:40-41).

Tonight is the Great Hour, the Hour of the Passion, the Hour of the Mass, the Hour of the Agony. We live this hour as the zenith of all time and commemorate sacramentally in the Holy Sacrifice, which was instituted on this night. “Commemoration” is a word in English that can be easily misunderstood. The Mass is not simply a ceremonial solemnization of a memory. It is a living memory, a supra-chronological moment made present, by the will of Christ Himself, before He died. Remember that. The priesthood and the Eucharist Christ instituted before He suffered on the Cross, because this Hour, would be the archetype for all hours, for every moment, until the end of time.

From my meditations on the Rosary, the fifth Luminous Mystery, the Institution of the Eucharist:

Hail Thee who set God’s Table
The Victim is ready.
Blessed is the timeless Hour,
Commenced that night and wheel-
ing through the ages.

Holy Prostrate Communicant
We kneel with Thee
Before the altar
of living sacrifice. Continue reading →

Truce of God

Posted on March 19, 2008 by frangelo

Hear ye! Hear ye! Here ye!

Ladys and Lords of the household you are hearby ordered by decree of the King of Kings to defer all hostilities until Monday of Eastertide, being the first day of the Paschal Octave. Out of reverence for the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection all violence and revenge, domestic or otherwise, from Vespers of Spy Wednesday till daybreak of Easter Monday shall be considered reprehensible and unchristian.

Chesterton said two things that are apropos here: first, that chivalry is the baptism of feudalism, the Christianization of the military ferocity of the feudal system. The Medieval Truce of God (here, here and here, the last one is pretty funny) was an effort on the part of clerics and monks to control the knights and prevent them from amusing themselves at the peasants’ expense. Thus, the Truce was a way of preventing chivalry, which was always a delicate commodity, from being entirely undermined.

Secondly, Chesterton reminds us that the real adventure is not fighting dragons, but surviving in marriage. Here are some priceless tidbits:

“The whole pleasure of marriage is that it is a perpetual crisis.” – “David Copperfield,” Chesterton on Dickens, 1911

“Marriage is a duel to the death which no man of honour should decline.” – Manalive

“I have little doubt that when St. George had killed the dragon he was heartily afraid of the princess.” – The Victorian Age in Literature

“Marriage is an adventure, like going to war.” – (This might be a paraphrase)

Ephesians 5, gentlemen. Lay down your lives. And ladies, obey and honor your heroes.

The Easter Triduum = Ephesians 5. Think about it. Think Christ and the Blessed Mother.

Traitor!

Posted on March 19, 2008 by frangelo

Today is Spy Wednesday, so called because of the conspiracy hatched by Judas with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus for thirty-pieces of silver. Judas was paid even before he delivered Our Savior to His enemies. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him (Matt.24:16).

Much speculation is tossed around today about the fate of the miserable traitor. In spite of the almost universal agreement of the Fathers and the teaching of the likes of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure, there are those who feel it is important to depopulate hell. In spite of Our Lord’s own words: The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born (Matt. 26:24), there still those who want to rehabilitate Judas.

And then, of course, there is the National Geographic Society, that powerhouse of “scientific inquiry” that has attempted to enlighten benighted Christians to the effect that Judas is not a traitor at all, but a hero! And, of course, they so piously reserved the revelation of their “discovery” for Easter of last year.

My point is not to revel in the thought of the fact that Judas is in hell. I am all for hope, and we need much of it today; however, one of the snares in the spiritual life is to swing between presumption and despair. Hope is in the middle. It is a severe and determined realism. Judas was not a victim, and he does not deserve rehabilitation. There are virtually no signs of his salvation is Sacred Scripture. His throwing the silver pieces back at the Sanhedrin and his declaration that he had betrayed innocent blood, led not to his repentance, but to his suicide.

In moral theology a distinction is made between true contrition and defective contrition or remorse. Remorse, that is, regret for having sinned, does not necessarily amount to conversion and repentance. There is always the need to seek forgiveness and to make amends. Judas did none of this. I have no problem with rational arguments, but touchy-feely sentimentality will not aid us in the salvation of our souls.

How about this for Holy Week paraliturgical sentimentality?

In Poland, the young people throw an effigy of Judas from the top of a church steeple. Then it is dragged through the village amidst hurling sticks and stones. What remains of the effigy is drowned in nearby stream or pond.

None of this is to say that I have a right to act as though I am so far above it all, and casually blog about the reprobate God-killer. This is the Week of Mercy, and we all need it!

St. Philip Neri, the saint who at the end of his life died of love (his heart ruptured), used to pray this every morning: “O Jesus, watch over me always, especially today, or I shall betray you like Judas.”

Noble Blood Ready to Spill and Be Spilled

Posted on March 18, 2008 by frangelo

They insulted me and filled me with dread, but the Lord was at my side, like a mighty warrior (Vespers, Holy Tuesday).

Earlier today, I was reading a chapter from Léon Gautier’s work, Chivarly, on the life of of the medieval knight in his youth. Gautier asserts that the military calling was the vocation of noble blood. In the life of a noble youth, it was as though prowess and an inclination for the fight was built in, and burgeoned almost as soon as the boy could pick up a stick to wield it as a weapon.

The fighting spirit led Jesus to enter Jerusalem. His war was with the ancient dragon and He was not afraid to die. I quote at length a passage from Gautier’s Chivarly on the youthful Charlemagne, as an illustration of the noble fighting spirit: Continue reading →

Noble Behavior in Holy Week

Posted on March 18, 2008 by frangelo

The following is an account of the Holy Week piety of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Try this on for size, ladies:

Nothing can express the fervor, love, and pious veneration, with which she celebrated those holy days, on which the Church, by ceremonies so touching, and so expressive, recalls to the mind of the faithful, the sorrowful and unspeakable mystery your redemption. On Holy Thursday, imitating the King of Kings, who, on this day, rising from table, laid aside his garments, the daughter of the king of Hungary, putting off whatever could remind her of worldly pomps, dressed herself in poor clothes, and, with only sandals on her feet, went to visit different churches. On this day, she washed the feet of twelve poor men, sometimes lepers, and gave to each twelve pieces, a white dress, and a loaf.

All the next night she passed in prayer and meditation upon our Lord’s passion. In the morning, it being the day on which the divine sacrifice was accomplished, she said to her attendants, “This day is a day humiliation for all: I desire that none of you do show me any mark of respect.” Then she would put on the same dress as before, and go barefoot to the churches, taking with her certain little packets of linen, incense, and small tapers; and, kneeling before one altar, would place thereon of these, and, prostrating herself would pray awhile most devoutly, and so pass to another altar, till she had visited all. At the door of the church she gave large alms, but was pushed about by the crowd, who did not know her. Some courtiers reproached her for the meanness of her gifts as unworthy of a sovereign. But though, at other times, her alms-deeds were most abundant, so that few ever were more splendidly liberal to the poor, yet a certain divine instinct in her heart taught her, how, in such days, she should not play the queen, but the poor sinner, for whom Christ died.

The Church Militant or Impotent?

Posted on March 17, 2008 by frangelo

I just posted an entry on a tragic Holy Week real estate deal on AirMaria, and that has provoked some further reflection on my part. Holy Monday is a time to reflect humbly upon our own sinful betrayal of Jesus Christ.

The Church Militant is fighting for its identity. Leon Podles argues that our Church has been feminized and emasculated. It has become, in his words, the Church Impotent.

The closing of our Churches has many causes, and I am not here to play the blame game; however, this tragedy is reflective of the loss of our missionary spirit, and the sacrificial spirit of Holy Week. So now we can celebrate Holy Week by buying a closed Church . . . and do what with it? Partition it into an upscale apartment, like the one in the picture above? Or how about a garden show, like the one below?

Continue reading →

Holy Week and Christ the King

Posted on March 16, 2008 by frangelo

Holy Week begins with the celebration of the Palm Sunday and the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem. The traditional palm procession before the Mass in conjunction with the reading of the Passion during the Mass calls to mind the fickleness of human nature. At one moment we cry, Hosanna to the Son of David and then moments later we scream, Crucify him, Crucify him. In the Palm Sunday liturgy, the whole congregation takes upon itself the persona of both the crowd of welcome and the crucifixion mob. . . and it is true to life.

How casually we offend God. How lightly we consider it. In one moment we proclaim our fidelity to Our Lord, like Peter, and in the next we do not know Him.

According to Pius XI, Christ is King both by nature as the Son of God, and by right of conquest through the power of His victory on the Cross. On Palm Sunday, the crowd welcomed the Son of David because of what He had to offer them, such as miracles and hope of deliverance from the Romans. The people were prepared to acknowledge His “kingship by nature” because they thought they had something to benefit by doing so. They were not, however, prepared to accept Our Blessed Lord’s “kingship by right of conquest.” The cross, as St. Paul says, is indeed both a scandal and foolishness to those who are indisposed to take the rights of a King seriously.

How lightly we consider Our Lord’s Kingship. We much prefer the idea of Our Lord as friend. It is much more causal. Indeed, He is our friend. We are heirs to His Kingdom, but there is nothing casual about it.

Our Lord’s throne is the Cross. It is interesting to note that the oldest crucifixes always show Christ standing erect on the cross, eyes wide open and with little sign, if any, of his suffering. These images compress the death and resurrection of Our Lord into one visual moment. More importantly, though, such images remind us of the true nature of Christ’s Kingship. Our Lord reigns as priest and victim. This is how He must be adored, and He will have it no other way. At His name and beneath His Cross, every knee must bend!

Servants of the Great King, do not take this lightly! Do not think that there is anything casual about the service of your King. Holy Week has begun.

Christ yesterday and today, the Beginning and the end, Alpha and Omega. All time belongs to Him, and all the ages. To Him be glory and power through every age for ever. Amen (Easter Vigil).

The kingdom is at hand. The honorable and courteous thing to do for the King of Courtesy is to make a good confession if you have not already done so. Accept the Kingship of Christ and His jurisdiction over your heart. He has won it by right of conquest. You have no other honorable course of action but to surrender.

St. Joseph, Knight of Our Lady

Posted on March 14, 2008 by frangelo

The Solemnity of St. Joseph is transfered to March 15, because the 19th is within Holy Week. This is the perfect ocassion to read this great article by Stratford Caldecott called “The Chivalry of St. Joseph.”

It’s all here: the Marian basis for chivalry; St. Joseph as the Knight of Our Lady (of Lepanto); the connection between chivalry, the Holy Grail and Mary. Just what what MaryVictrix ordered for the Solemnity of St. Joseph.

Let me know what you think.

The Real St. Patrick

Posted on March 13, 2008 by frangelo

Lough Derg

From the Golden Legend:

On a time as Saint Patrick preached in Ireland the faith of Jesu Christ, and did but little profit by his predication, for he could not convert the evil, rude and wild people, he prayed to our Lord Jesu Christ that he would show them some sign openly, fearful and ghastful, by which they might be converted and be repentant of their sins. Then, by the commandment of God, Saint Patrick made in the earth a great circle with his staff, and anon the earth after the quantity of the circle opened and there appeared a great pit and a deep, and Saint Patrick by the revelation of God understood that there was a place of purgatory, in to which whomsoever entered therein he should never have other penance ne feel none other pain, and there was showed to him that many should enter which should never return ne come again. And they that should return should abide but from one morn to another, and no more, and many entered that came not again. As touching this pit or hole which is named Saint Patrick’s purgatory, some hold opinion that the second Patrick, which was an abbot and no bishop, that God showed to him this place of purgatory; but certainly such a place there is in Ireland wherein many men have been, and yet daily go in and come again, and some have had there marvellous visions and seen grisly and horrible pains, of whom there be books made as of Tundale and others.

Every Lord and Lady of Lepanto should have the guts to make a real retreat: Continue reading →

Did Tolkien Object to Narnia on Doctrinal Grounds?

Posted on March 13, 2008 by frangelo

Steve found this article some time ago and asked me to comment. It’s an extremely interesting topic to me, so I’ll give it a go.

If you are really interested in this topic you can also follow this thread on Mark Shea’s blog from last month. (I have a terrible time getting a link to Shea’s blog to work permanently . Follow the link provided above and then scroll down the page to An Interesting (and Pretty Persuasive) Essay on the Anti-Catholicism of C.S. Lewis and Why It Bugged Tolkien. There are about thirty comments.)

The article, by Eric Seddon, is entitled Letters to Malcolm and the Trouble with Narnia: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Their 1949 Crisis. Anyone who is familiar at all with the friendship of these two literary giants knows that while they both shared an appreciation for mythic literature and for much of each other’s literary work, Tolkien had no use whatsoever for The Chronicles of Narnia, and he made Lewis acutely aware of his distaste for it. In fact, Tolkien’s frankness on the matter seems to have put somewhat of a damper on their relationship, or at least was a contributing factor to its cooling. Continue reading →

Mary Victrix

Monthly Archives: March 2008