Blog by-the-Sea

Waiting by the Tomb

Picture: The women waiting at the tomb, Station 14, Stations of the Cross, Church of the Nativity, Rancho Santa Fe, California.  Stations by Max DeMoss.  Photo by me.

Our God Has a Heart of Flesh

"Our God is not a remote god, untouchable in His beatitude; our God has a heart. He has a heart of flesh. He took on flesh precisely to be able to suffer with us and be with us in our sufferings. He became man to give us a heart of flesh and to awaken in us love for those who suffer and are needy."

- Pope Benedict XVI, After the Via Crucis

The Vatican's page on Holy Week 2007 includes links to the Presentation and Meditations from last night's Via Crucis, in various languages.  In the future, pictures of the celebration will be added.  That address now appears on that page only in Italian, and other languages probably will be added later.  The translation above is from Teresa Benedetta.  A translation is also available from Zenit.

The Women of the Passion

Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, delivered the homily at the conclusion of the Gospel reading during yesterday's Liturgy of Our Lord's Passion at St. Peter's Basilica.  Pope Benedict XVI presided.

An article is available from Catholic News Agency.  Translations are available from Zenit, from Teresa Benedetta on Papa Ratzinger Forum, and from Denis Barrett on Father Cantalamessa's Website.

Father Cantalamessa spoke about the women at the cross, describing them as "Mothers of Courage."  He said that all of the people who wanted Jesus dead were men, and no women are described among them in the Gospels.  Even Pilate's wife distanced herself from the sentence.  They were the first to see the resurrected Jesus, he said, because they were the ones who never left him, and even when he was dead, they came to bring spices to the tomb.  Jesus explained their motivation in describing the woman who bathed and kissed his feet in Luke 7:47: "She has shown great love."

Here are excerpts on what he had to say about women and the Church, from Denis Barrett's translation:

"On all sides the need is arising for us to give more scope to women. We don’t believe that “the eternal feminine will save us”[W. Goethe, Faust, finale of part II: “Das ewig-Weibliche zieht uns hinan"]. Everyday experience shows that woman can 'lift us to the heights', but can also plunge us into the depths. Woman too needs to be saved by Christ. But it is clear that once she has been 'set free', on the human level, of all the old subjections, she will be able to do much to save our society from certain inveterate evils that threaten us: violence, the will to power, spiritual aridity, the lack of regard for life. . . ."

So he came and took his body.

"After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body.  Nicode'mus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight." - John 19:38-39 (RSV)

- Picture:  "The Deposition" by a follower of Roger van der Weyden, Netherlandish, about 1490, photo by me.  Museum information.

There was darkness over all the land

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"  And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "This man is calling Eli'jah."  And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink.  But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Eli'jah will come to save him."   And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit." - Matthew 27:45-50 (RSV)

Picture: "Christ on the Cross" by El Greco, Greek/Toledo, Spain, 1600-1610, photo by me.  Museum information.

To open that kingdom to them He wills to die on the cross.

"How did Jesus love His disciples and why did He love them?  Ah!  It was not their natural qualities that could have attracted Him, since there was between Him and them an infinite distance.  He was knowledge, Eternal Wisdom, while they were poor ignorant fishermen filled with earthly thoughts.  And still Jesus called them his friends, His brothers.  He desires to see them reign with Him in the kingdom of His Father, and to open that kingdom to them He wills to die on the cross, for He said: 'Greater love than this no man has than that he lay down his life for his friends.'" [John 15:13]

- St. Thérèse of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul, ICS Publications, Manuscript C, Chapter 10.

Picture: "The Crucifixion" by a Westphalian master, England, abour 1490-1500, photo by me, taken at the Getty (lent by the Berger Collection).  I could not find it presently on the Getty website.  More information here.

The Theology of Baptism in Priestly Ordination

The Easter Triduum begins today with the Chrism Mass in each cathedral.  Asia News has an article about the Mass at the Vatican, with the Pope's Chrism Mass homily, blessing of the oils, and priests' renewal of their ordination vows.  He spoke about the theology of baptism and the role of a priest.

Full translations of that homily are available from the Vatican and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum.

Here is an excerpt from the Pope's homily from Teresa Benedetta's translation:

"This theology of Baptism returns in a new way and with new insistence in priestly ordination. As in Baptism, there is an 'exchange of garments', a change of life, a new existential communion with Christ. In the priesthood, one undergoes a change: in administering the sacraments, the priest acts and speaks in persona Christi.
 
"In the sacred mysteries, the priest does not represent himself, he does not speak to express himself, he speaks for the Other - for Christ. So the Sacraments make dramatically visible what being a priest means, in general: what we expressed by our "Adsum" - I am here, I am ready - during our priestly consecration: I am here so you may dispose of me.
 
"We make ourselves available to Him who "died for everyone, so that those who live no longer live for themselves" (2 Cor 5,15). To put ourselves at the disposition of Christ means we allow ourselves to be drawn into His 'for everyone' - being with Him, we can truly be 'for everyone'."

"I saw how different was my piercing."

"After Communion, I saw our Lord most distinctly close beside me; and He began to comfort me with great sweetness, and said to me, among other things: 'Thou beholdest Me present, My daughter,—it is I.   Show me thy hands.'   And to me He seemed to take them and to put them to His side, and said: 'Behold My wounds; thou art not without Me.   Finish the short course of thy life.'   By some things He said to me, I understood that, after His Ascension, He never came down to the earth except in the most Holy Sacrament to communicate Himself to any one.  He said to me, that when He rose again He showed Himself to our Lady, because she was in great trouble; for sorrow had so pierced her soul that she did not even recover herself at once in order to have the fruition of that joy.  By this I saw how different was my piercing.    But what must that of the Virgin have been?   He remained long with her then because it was necessary to console her."

- St. Teresa of Avila, On the graces received at Salamanca at the end of Lent, 1571, from Relation IV.

 

Picture: "The Entombment" by Rubens, Flemish, about 1612, photo by me. Museum information.

Images of the Passion of Jesus

Hat tip Bénédictus.

The Ever-Present Reality of God's Saving Power

In today's General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the meaning of the various services of Holy Week, from today's observance of Spy Wednesday through Saturday evening's Easter Vigil.   

An article with quotations is available from Asia News.  Full translations are available from the Vatican, Zenit and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum (scroll down).

Here are two excerpts from the Zenit translation:

"In the coming days, we will commemorate the supreme battle between Light and Darkness, between Life and Death.  
 
"We also have to place ourselves within this context -- aware of our own "night," of our sins and responsibilities -- if we want to spiritually benefit again from the paschal mystery, if we want to bring light to our hearts, by way of this mystery, which is the center point of our faith. . . .

"These liturgical celebrations are not mere commemorations of past events; they introduce us to the ever-present reality of God's saving power. Today too, Christ's love triumphs over evil, sin and death. Truly, as Saint Paul says, 'if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him" (Rom 6:8).'"

The Way of the Cross 2007 by Msgr. Gianfranco Ravasi

The Vatican website has posted this year's meditations for the Way of the Cross, written by Msgr. Gianfranco Ravasi.  Pope Benedict XVI will preside at the procession in the Colloseum on Good Friday, when those meditations will be read for each of the stations of the cross.  The website's meditations are each illustrated by such artwork as that of Nicola da Bologna (1370), from the Vatican Apostolic Library, Cristofor de Predis (15th Century) from the Ambrosian Library.

The 14 stations in Msgr. Ravasi's meditations differ somewhat from the traditional stations.  Compare, for example, this year's Via Crucis with last year's.  Msgr. Ravasi does not include meditations for Jesus meeting his mother, Jesus falling 3 times, and Veronica wiping his face with her veil.  Those stations are sometimes criticized, particularly by Protestants, because their source is not in Scripture.  The 14 stations in Msgr. Ravasi's meditations begin with Jesus in the Garden of Olives, while a more traditional Way of the Cross would begin when Jesus was condemned to death.  Jesus' death on the cross is this year's 13th station, and is traditionally the 12th.

This less common sequence for the stations was first used by Pope John Paul II in the 1991 Via Crucis and has been used in some other years since then.

His light alone, which is the glory of God

"If I want my interior city to have some similarity and likeness to that 'of the King of eternal ages' and to receive this great illumination from God, I must extinguish every other light and, as in the holy city, the Lamb must be 'its only light.'

"Here faith, the beautiful light of faith appears.  It alone should light my way as I go to meet the Bridegroom.  The psalmist sings that He hides Himself in darkness,' then in another place he seems to contradict himself by saying that 'light surrounds Him like a cloak.'  What stands out for me in this apparent contradiction is that I must immerse myself in 'the sacred darkness' by putting all my powers in darkness and emptiness; then I will meet my Master, and 'the light that surrounds Him like a cloak' will envelop me also, for He wants His bride to be luminous with His light, His light alone, 'which is the glory of God.'"

- Bl. Elisabeth of the Trinity, Last Retreat, 4th Day, from Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity, Vol. I, ICS Publications.

Picture: "Christ Crowned with Thorns" by Garrit van Honthorst, Dutch, about 1620, my photo.  Museum information.

The Easter Triduum Liturgy Explained

Msgr. Lawrence Purcell is devoting his writing in our parish bulletin to an explanation of the Easter Triduum liturgy.  On March 18, he wrote about Holy Thursday and the Eucharistic adoration that follows Holy Thursday Mass.  On March 25, he wrote about Good Friday, and on April 1 about Holy Saturday and the Solemn Easter Vigil.  These are carefully written explanations for parishioners from an excellent teacher.

Many people find Father Purcell's writing very helpful.  I am often amazed that he is able to write in one page of understandable English something I might have taken pages to explain.  Thus, I am providing links to download the bulletins, originally posted on the Church of the Nativity parish website.

Download 3-18-07 on:Holy Thursday.pdf (See Page 4)

Download 3-25-07 on Good Friday.pdf (See Page 4)

Download 4-1-07 on Holy Saturday.pdf (See Page 4)

Pope John Paul II: The "Hosanna" and the "Crucify Him" Measure How One Conceives of Life

"Looking at Jesus in his passion, we see humanity's sufferings as well as our personal histories reflected as in a mirror. Although there was no sin in Christ, he took upon himself what man could not endure: injustice, evil, sin, hatred, suffering and finally death. In Christ, the humiliated and suffering Son of Man, God loves everyone, forgives everyone and confers the ultimate meaning on human life.

"We are here this morning to receive this message from the Father who loves us. We can ask ourselves: what does he want of us? He wants us to look at Jesus and be willing to follow him in his passion in order to share in his Resurrection. At this moment we recall Jesus' words to his disciples: "The cup that I drink, you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized" (Mk 10:39). "If any man would come after me, let him ... take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Mt 16:24-25).

"The "hosanna" and the "crucify him" thus become the way to measure how one conceives of life, faith and Christian witness: we must not be discouraged by defeat nor exalted by victory because, as with Christ, the only victory is fidelity to the mission received from the Father. "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name" (Phil 2:9)."

- Pope John Paul II, Homily for Palm Sunday, 1999, Section 2.

Picture: "The Crucifixion" by the master of Dreux Budé (a high royal functionary) and thought by some to have been the central panel of a tryptique, Flemish, 15th century.  More information (French).  Photo taken at the Getty, but I do not see it on the museum website at this time.

Father Cantalamessa's Lenten Homilies 2007

Father Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher of the Pontifical Household, has begun this year's series of Lenten homilies given to Pope Benedict XVI and the Roman Curia.  The first homily of a series of four was given Friday in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel of the Apostolic Palace.  The Scriptural source for the series is the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), picking up where he left off in the Advent homilies preached in December, 2006.

Links to Zenit's translations of Father Cantalamessa's Advent homilies can be found on his own website's page on homilies in the papal household and in an earlier post on this blog, "Father Cantalamessa's Advent Sermons and Reflections" (See "Blessed are you who weep now" and "Blessed are the peacemakers").

I will add links to this post for future Lenten homilies by Father Cantalamessa for this Lenten season, and will move it to the top whenever each week's Zenit translation becomes available.  Father Cantalamessa's meditations on the Sunday readings will be a separate post this time because it is a little bit confusing to look back at the posts later if the meditations on the readings and the homilies are together in one list.

First homily for Lent 2007: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.

Second homily for Lent 2007: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land.

Third homily for Lent 2007: Blessed are you who hunger, for you will be satisfied.

Fourth homily for Lent 2007: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy.

Picture: Ecce Homo, showing Jesus when Pilate presented Him to the people, saying: "Behold, the man!", artist unknown, around 1500, photo by me, museum page here.  Click on picture for full size.

Reflections by Father Cantalamessa: Who Jesus Truly Is

Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher of the Pontifical Household, has begun a series of reflections on the Sunday Gospels for each week of Lent.  Zenit has posted an English translation of his reflection for this Sunday (tomorrow) and will probably provide translations of each week's reflection.  As for previous Lenten and Advent reflections, I will add links to this post each week and move the post up to the top.  In the first reflection, Father Cantalamessa stated his theme for Lent:

"Faced as we are with attacks on the historical veracity of the Gospels from every quarter and with the continual manipulation of the figure of Christ, it is more important than ever that the Christian and the honest reader of the Gospel know the truth of the teachings and reports that the Gospel contains.

"I have decided to use my commentaries on the Gospels from the beginning of Lent to the Sunday after Easter for this purpose. Taking each Sunday Gospel as our point of departure, we will consider different aspects of the person and the teaching of Christ to determine who Jesus truly is, whether he is a simple prophet and great man, or something more and different than these."

Reflection on the readings for the First Sunday of Lent:  He was tempted by the devil.

"Jesus did not go into the desert to be tempted; his intention was to go into the desert to pray and listen to the voice of the Father."

Reflection on the readings for the Second Sunday of Lent: He went up to the mountain to pray.

The attempt of some scholars and critics to reduce Jesus to a normal Jew of his time, who would not have in fact said or done anything special, is in total contrast to the most certain historical data that we have of him. Such views can only be understood as guided by a prejudicial refusal to admit that something transcendent could appear in human history. These reductive approaches to Jesus cannot explain how such an ordinary being became -- as these same critics say -- 'the man who changed the world.'"

Reflections on the readings for the Third Sunday of Lent (Year C): He preached about conversion.

"The word with which Jesus begins his preaching resounds in this Gospel passage: conversion. I would like to point out, however, that conversion is not only a duty, it is also a possibility for all, almost a right. It is good and not bad news! No one is excluded from the possibility of changing. No one can be regarded as hopeless."

Reflections on the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year C): He described God as a forgiving Father of a prodigal son.

"But the novel and unheard of thing in the relationship between Jesus and sinners is not his goodness and mercy toward them. This can be explained in a human way. There is, in his attitude, something that cannot be humanly explained, that is, it cannot be explained so long as Jesus is taken to be a man like other men. What is novel and unheard of is Jesus' forgiveness of sins."

Reflections on the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent (Year C): Jesus came to bring marriage back to its original beauty.

"All of the doubts about Jesus' attitude toward the family and marriage will fall away if we take into account the whole Gospel and not only those passages that we like. Jesus is more rigorous than anyone in regard to the indissolubility of marriage, he forcefully confirms the commandment to honor father and mother to the point of condemning the practice of denying them help for religious reasons (cf. Mark 7:11-13)."

Reflections on the readings for the Palm Sunday: He died for religious reasons, described in political terms to gain Roman approval.

"Let us leave aside historical questions now and dedicate a moment to contemplating him. How did Jesus act during the Passion? Superhuman dignity, infinite patience. Not a single gesture or word that negated what he preached in his Gospel, especially the beatitudes. He dies asking for the forgiveness of those who crucified him."

Picture: Christ Carrying the Cross, Albrecht Altdorfer, pen and black ink and grey wash over black chalk, about 1510 to 1515.  Probably part of a series, this was a design for a stained glass window.  The actual window no longer survives.  Photo by me.  More here.

Internet TV and Radio from Now to Easter

Here is a schedule of some of the events you can see and hear by internet from now through Easter.  To watch online, follow these links:

EWTN

Vatican Radio

Vatican Television (CTV)

To double-check schedules and for more information about the broadcasts, follow the links below:

Thursday,  March 29:

Pope Benedict XVI presides at a Penance Service for the young people of Rome:
Live EWTN, Vatican Radio, Vatican TV  8:30 a.m. Pacific, 11:30 a.m. Eastern, 5:30 p.m. Rome;
Rebroadcast EWTN 6:00 p.m. Pacific, 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Video of this event is available for viewing online in the archives of KTO (Click on "Regarder la video.")

Passion According to St. Matthew, composed by Bishop Hilarion Alfeev of Vienna, Russian Orthodox Church, concert from Rome, EWTN, 12:00 noon Pacific, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time; 7:30 p.m. Pacific, 10:30 p.m. Eastern.

Palm Sunday, April 1:

Solemn Mass from the Vatican, Live EWTN, Vatican TV 12:30 a.m. Pacific, 3:30 a.m. Eastern, 9:30 a.m. Rome;
Rebroadcast EWTN 5:00 p.m. Pacific, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Monday, April 2:

Close of the diocesan process of the beatification of Pope John Paul II, Live Vatican TV, Vatican Radio, KTO (French)  3:00 a.m. Pacific, 6:00 a.m. Eastern, 12:00 noon Rome.

Mass for Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's Basilica, Live EWTN, Vatican TV, Vatican Radio 8:30 a.m. Pacific, 11:30 a.m. Eastern, 5:30 p.m. Rome. 
KTO:  I think the broadcast will actually be live at the same time as EWTN anad Vatican TV, but check the KTO website for updates.  The KTO website now gives the broadcast time as 7:30 p.m. (19.30) Paris, while the Vatican TV website gives the time for its live broadcast as 17.30.  Paris and Rome are in the same time zone.
Rebroadcast, EWTN 6:00 p.m. Pacific, 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Rosary with Youth in the Vatican Grotto, Live (The Pope will not participate in the rosary) Vatican TV, Vatican Radio,  KTO 12:00 noon Pacific, 3:00 p.m. Eastern, 9:00 p.m. Paris/Rome

Holy Thursday, April 5:

Chrismal Mass from the Vatican, Live EWTN, Vatican Radio, Vatican TV, 12:30 a.m. Pacific, 3:30 a.m. Eastern, 9:30 a.m. Rome.

"In Coena Domini" Mass from the Vatican, live EWTN, Vatican Radio, Vatican TV, 8:30 a.m. Pacific, 11:30 a.m. Eastern, 5:30 p.m. Rome;
Rebroadcast EWTN 9:00 p.m. Pacific, 12:00 midnight Eastern.

Choral Meditations and Solemn Mass of the Lord's Supper from the Basilica, Washington, D.C., EWTN 2:30 p.m. Pacific, 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Good Friday, April 6:

Commemoration of Our Lord's Passion from the Vatican, EWTN, Vatican Radio, Vatican TV, KTO, 8:00 a.m. Pacific, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. Rome;
Rebroadcast EWTN 9:00 p.m. Pacific, 12:00 midnight Eastern.

The Way of the Cross (Via Crucis) at the Colosseum in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI presiding, Live Vatican Radio, Vatican TV, KTO, 12:10 p.m. Pacific, 3:10 p.m. Eastern, 9:10 p.m. Rome
Rebroadcast EWTN 5:00 p.m. Pacific, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Way of the Cross from Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.  Live KTO TV, 6:00 a.m. Pacific, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 3:00 p.m. Paris -- and will be available to watch later.

Holy Saturday, April 7:

Easter Vigil at the Vatican, Live EWTN, Vatican Radio, Vatican TV, KTO, 1:00 p.m. Pacific, 4:00 p.m. Eastern, 10:00 p.m. Rome (Vatican TV coverage begins 10 minutes earlier);
Rebroadcast EWTN 9:00 p.m. Pacific, 12:00 midnight Eastern.

Easter Vigil at the Basilica, Washington D.C., EWTN 5:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Easter Sunday, April 8:

Solemn Mass of Easter at the Vatican, Live EWTN, Vatican Radio, Vatican TV, KTO, 1:30 a.m. Pacific, 4:30 a.m. Eastern, 10:30 a.m. Rome;
Rebroadcast EWTN 9:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 noon Eastern; .

Urbi et Orbi Blessing from Pope Benedict XVI, Live EWTN, Vatican Radio, Vatican TV, 3:00 a.m. Pacific, 6:00 a.m. Eastern, 12:00 noon Rome.
Rebroadcast EWTN 10:30 a.m. Pacific, 1:30 p.m. Eastern.

Easter Mass from Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, KTO, 9:30 a.m. Pacific, 12:30 p.m. Eastern, 6:30 p.m. Paris

Picture: "Christ Carrying the Cross" attributed to Marco d'Oggiono, Italian, 1495-1500, photo by me.  Museum information.

Baptismal Promises and Holy Water in Lent and Easter

Rite Magazine has an article in the current issue titled Water and Promises about the use of holy water in the liturgies of Easter, especially the liturgy of the Easter Vigil.  In that article, Rev. Paul Turner writes about the history and proper use of holy water and its connection with the Sacrament of Baptism and the renewal of our baptismal promises each year at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.  Here is an excerpt:

"The renewal of baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil is directly related to our observance of Lent. Lent has a twofold purpose.   It prepares the unbaptized to celebrate the rites of initiation by immersing them in a period of spiritual preparation, and it engages the faithful in a period of repentance and renewal.  The holy water of Easter, then, also performs a twofold purpose. It baptizes the catechumens, and it seals the period of renewal for the faithful.  It brings to a head the spiritual journey of Lent."

From an earlier edition available online, the same magazine has an article by Mary Birmingham titled Baptism, Repentence, about the baptismal and repentent themes of Lent.   Her article's focus is the history and practice of the preparation of catechumens for baptism, and the preparation of the faithful for baptismal renewal, during Lent.  Here is an excerpt:

"The elect inquire of God and themselves: Where is conversion still needed before they enter into this new life? Where does sin still lurk in their lives? In what way do they still contribute to social sin by their actions, attitudes and behaviors? The faithful not only echo those same questions, but they are invited to discern even further: In what way have they authentically lived their role as priest, prophet, and king during this past year? Are they willing to stand with the elect at Easter and for yet another year commit to living a renewed baptismal life? The Lenten baptismal rites assist us in this discernment."

The Annunciation

The "Yes" of Jesus and Mary

Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the Annunciation in his reflection today before praying the Angelus.   The Annunciation is usually celebrated on March 25.  Because March 25 falls on a Sunday of Lent this year, it will be officially observed tomorrow.  He also brought to mind yesterday's Day of Prayer for Missionary Martyrs.

An article is available from Asia News.  Full translations are available from the Vatican, Zenit and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum (scroll down). 

As an interesting aside, perhaps today's reflection was one of those times when Benedict has used a text that was originally written for John Paul II and was not used 2 years ago because of his illness.  The Vatican website's text reflection has John Paul II's name at the top and not Benedict's.  I don't know how long it will stay that way, but it is here.

Here is an excerpt from Teresa Benedetta's translation:

"The Yes of Jesus and Mary is renewed in the Yes of the saints, especially of the martyrs, who are killed because of the Gospel. . . . They did not seek martyrdom, but they were ready to give their lives to remain faithful to the Gospel. Christian martyrdom is justified as a supreme act of love for God and for all men."

She who took into her arms the lifeless body of the one who truly loved his own

"From the Annunciation to the Cross, Mary is the one who received the Word, made flesh within her and then silenced in death. It is she, lastly, who took into her arms the lifeless body of the one who truly loved his own "to the end" (Jn. 13:1).

"Consequently, every time we approach the Body and Blood of Christ in the eucharistic liturgy, we also turn to her who, by her complete fidelity, received Christ's sacrifice for the whole Church. The Synod Fathers rightly declared that "Mary inaugurates the Church's participation in the sacrifice of the Redeemer."  She is the Immaculata, who receives God's gift unconditionally and is thus associated with his work of salvation. Mary of Nazareth, icon of the nascent Church, is the model for each of us, called to receive the gift that Jesus makes of himself in the Eucharist."

- Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, 33, "The Eucharist and the Virgin Mary"

Picture: The Pietà, from the Circle of Fernando Gallego, Spanish, 1490 to 1500, photo by me, museum information.

Lenten Conferences: What Is Truth?

KTO Catholic Television is broadcasting a Lenten series from Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris.  The broadcasts are in French and can be viewed online here.

The first broadcast aired last Sunday and will remain available for listening online, on the subject "Truth of Faith and Truth of Reason."  The speakers were Pierre Manent, philosopher and director of studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) and Father Michel Fédou, a Jesuit and president of the Centre Sévres in Paris.  Professor Manent also teaches in the Department of Political Science at Boston College in the U.S. 

Today's conference will be available in archives shortly on the subject "To Make Memory: Truth and History?" featuring historian Philippe Boutry -- from the Center of Research in 19th Century History at the University of Paris -- and Father Gérard Pelletier -- doctor in history, professor at the Studium Notre Dame (the seminary of Paris) and head of the Maison Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile (one of 8 houses of seminarians of the seminary of Paris).

Here is a schedule for future topics: 

March 11 -- "To Communicate: Truth and the Media?" with Francis Balle and Bruno Frappat
March 18 -- "To Create: Art and Truth?"  with Valère Novatoire and Jérôme Alexandre
March 25 -- "To Act: To Each His Truth?" with Monette Vacquin and Father Alain Mattheeuws
April 1 --     "A Truth That Loves" with Archbishop André Vingt-Trois

Gianfranco Ravasi: Author of This Year's Via Crucis

Earlier this week, the Vatican announced that Msgr. Gianfranco Ravasi, prefect of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, will write the meditations for Good Friday's Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) this year.  Pope Benedict XVI will preside at the Via Crucis on April 6 in the Roman Colosseum.  Msgr. Ravasi is also professor of Biblical exegesis at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Italy in Milan, and a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. 

A short article from Free Republic says he was born in 1946 and ordained in the Diocese of Milan in 1966.  He has written more than 50 books on biblical and scientific arguments, and he writes for the Italian Catholic newspaper . Avennire.  Msgr. Ravasi's bibliography is available from the Biblioteca Ambrosiana website.  An author search for his name on AbeBooks.com provides a list of 265 copies of his various books in several languages.  However, little of his writing is readily available in English.

Here are links to a few of his writings that I found available online in English translation:

The Master in the Bible, Part I: The Old Testament Parable of Teaching, from the Acts of the International Seminar on "Jesus the Master", October 14-24, 1996.

The Master in the Bible, Part II: Jesus, Divine Master.

The Master in the Bible, Part III: The Teaching Church.

From Childhood a Face Began to Reveal Itself - from "And Who Do You Say That I Am", Tertium Millennium, July, 1997, in preparation for the Jubilee Year of 2000.

The Prayer "Coloured Alphabet of Hope" - from "The Year of Jesus Christ: Witnesses and Images", Tertium Millennium, December, 1997, in preparation for the Jubilee Year of 2000.

Lenten Observations and Advice

From Bénédictus:

Happy bosses.

Lent is no doubt profitable to them.  Employees who do their work better and seek perfection are more faithful to their professional obligations, instead of going on the internet, at last, they work!  Bosses are asking Rome to extend Lent throughout the whole year!

From Philadelphia Cardinal Rigali's You Tube Video from the First Sunday of Lent:

From Denver's Archbishop Chaput, in an interview with Catholic News Agency:

CNA:  From your pastoral experience, what do you think US Catholics need the most to make of Lent a fruitful time of conversion?

Arch. Chaput:  We need silence, more than anything.  If people can create some time every day -- even just an hour -- when they eliminate all the distracting noise of American life, their spirit will naturally begin to grow.  Daily life in the United States is so filled with appetites and tensions stimulated by the mass media that turning the media off almost automatically results in deeper and clearer thinking.  And that interior quiet can very easily lead us to God,

The Planting of the Lord

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion--to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."

- Isaiah 61:1-3

Photo: Lake Gregory, California.

Looking at Christ, let us feel that He is looking at us.

As Pope Benedict XVI prepared to begin a Lenten retreat today, he spoke of Lenten meditation on Christ pierced by an unknown Roman soldier, remembering the theme of the Pope's Lenten message for this year, taken from John 19:37, "They will look upon Him whom they have pierced."  He asked for prayer for the retreat, saying he would return it with meditation.  An article is available from Asia News.  Full translations are available from the Vatican, Zenit and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum (scroll down).

Here is an excerpt from Teresa Benedetta's translation:

"During these days of Lent, let us not take our hearts away from this mystery of profound humanity and high spirituality. Looking at Christ, let us feel at the same time that He is looking at us. He whom we ourselves have pierced with our sins does not tire of pouring into the world an inexhaustible torrent of merciful love."

Lenten Prayer

Carl Olsen at Insight Scoop has written a post titled "Lent and the 'Our Father'" about reflecting, during Lent, upon what we pray.  He wrote, in a short excerpt from the essay, which waspreviously published in Our Sunday Visitor:

"As we travel those forty days and as we struggle with our weaknesses and sinfulness, we should hunger and thirst more deeply for God.  But we should also know that our heavenly Father not only wishes to satisfy our thirst, He thirsts for us.  "'Whether we realize it or not,' the Catechism states, 'prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with ours.  God thirsts that we may thirst for him."

St. Peter: Accepting Jesus in the Truth of His Mission

February 22 is the feast day of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, symbolic of Church unity.  For information and links to English translations of Benedict XVI's catecheses about St. Peter during the 2006 General Audience series on the Apostles, see this post on St. Peter.

From the Holy Father's words in the General Audience, May 17, 2006:

"Peter wanted as Messiah a 'divine man' who would fulfil the expectations of the people by imposing his power upon them all:  we would also like the Lord to impose his power and transform the world instantly. Jesus presented himself as a 'human God', the Servant of God, who turned the crowd's expectations upside-down by taking a path of humility and suffering.

"This is the great alternative that we must learn over and over again:  to give priority to our own expectations, rejecting Jesus, or to accept Jesus in the truth of his mission and set aside all too human expectations."

From tomorrow's readings, Matthew 16:13-18 (RSV):

"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do men say that the Son of man is?'  And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'  He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'  Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'  And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'"

Picture:  Sir Anthony Van Dyck, The Apostle Simon, around 1618.

The Lenten Fast: Freeing the Believer from the Slavery of His Own Self

Asia News has an article about the Holy Father's homily at this afternoon's Ash Wednesday Mass at Rome's Santa Sabina Basilica.

Here is an excerpt from the homily, from Asia News, speaking of the practice of fasting during the 40 days of Lent:

"Fasting, which the Church invites us to do during this demanding time, is certainly not motivated by physical or aesthetic reasons. It stems man’s need to purify himself from within and detoxify himself from sin and evil. It teaches him to accept the beneficial renunciatory practices that free the believer from the slavery of his own self. It makes him listen more attentively to God and more available to Him and to serve his brothers. For this reason fasting and other Lenten practices are seen in the Christian tradition as spiritual ‘weapons’ in the fight against evil, wicked passions and vices.”

Ash Wednesday: An Intense Spirit of Meditation and Reflection

Asia News has an article about this morning's General Audience at the Vatican.  Full translations are available from the Vatican, Zenit and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum (scroll down).

As has happened at least 2 other times recently, the audience was held partly in St. Peter's Basilica and partly in Pope Paul VI Hall in order to accommodate more people.  In today's audience, the Pope explained Ash Wednesday as "a particular day, characterized by an intense spirit of meditation and reflection.” Recalling that the Early Church observed Lent as a time of preparation for baptism for new Christians, he spoke of the Lenten season, which begins today, as a time for seeking God, with reflection, penitence, prayer and fasting as “spiritual paths to follow to return to God in response to the continued calls of conversion in today’s liturgy.”

From the Ash Wednesday prayer, procession, and Mass in Rome, a full translation of the Pope's homily from the Mass and imposition of ashes is available from the Vatican.

The Vatican's Page on Lent has a schedule, information on each of the stational churches, Lenten music, and a page where you can find each of the Pope's messages during this Lent.

Sacred Space Lenten Resources

The Irish Jesuits have a new page for Lent this year.  The Sacred Space Lenten Retreat for 2007 includes a page of information about the nature of Lenten preparation for Easter and the purpose of a Lenten retreat.  The retreat is available in English, Hungarian and Spanish, and you can either follow it online with a suggested schedule for the day, or you can download it in Word or .pdf format.

Penitence seeks and finds him.

"Mark, I pray you, Theotimus, the well-beloved Magdalen, how she weeps with love: They have taken away my Lord, says she, melting into tears; and I know not where they have laid him [John 20:13], but having with sighs and tears found him, she holds and  possesses him by love. Imperfect love desires and runs after  him, penitence seeks and finds him; perfect love holds and clasps him. It is with it as is said to be with Ethiopian rubies, whose fire is naturally very faint, but when they are dipped in vinegar it sparkles out and casts a most brilliant lustre: for the love which goes before repentance is ordinarily imperfect; but being steeped in the sharpness of penitence, it gains strength  end becomes excellent love."

- St. Francis de Sales, Treatise on the Love of God, Book II, Chapter XX.

Pictures (left to right):  (1) Titian, Penitent Magdalene, (2) Artimesia Gentileschi, Penitent Magdalene (3) Giovanni Girolamo Savo, St. Mary Magdalene at the Sepulchre.  All photos by me.  More here.

Ash Wednesday in Rome

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 21.  The Vatican's Ash Wednesday schedule includes the General Audience at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter's Basilica and Pope Paul VI Hall.  In the afternoon, there will be a moment of prayer at 4:30 p.m. at the Church of Sant'Anselmo, followed by a penitential procession to the Church of Santa Sabina, concluding with the Eucharist and distribution of ashes.

Vatican Radio has the schedule posted for its special programming that day.  You can listen online from this page or watch the television broadcast from the Vatican Television Center here or here.  EWTN will broadcast the General Audience and Mass with English commentary.  Broadcast times for EWTN will include a live broadcast at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time (7:30 a.m. Pacific Time) and repeat broadcast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern (6:00 p.m. Pacific).  EWTN is available live online with English or Spanish commentary.

Benedict XVI's Message for Lent 2007

The Vatican has posted Pope Benedict XVI's Message for Lent 2007 in 10 languages, including English.  Asia News comments that it "follows in the path of the encyclical Deus Caritas Est  to reflect about the how and why of God’s love for man and about the response of the creature to the Creator."  Father Z at What Does the Prayer Really Say? said, "This message is strongly theological, providing starting points. Messages in the past were strong practical, exploring themes like “Marginalization of the Poor” (1977) and “World Hunger” (1996)."

The Scriptural theme is John 19:37: "They shall look on Him whom they have pierced."

Here is an excerpt:

"'They shall look on Him whom they have pierced.'  Let us look with trust at the pierced side of Jesus from which flow “blood and water” (Jn 19:34)!  The Fathers of the Church considered these elements as symbols of the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist.  Through the water of Baptism, thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, we are given access to the intimacy of Trinitarian love.  In the Lenten journey, memorial of our Baptism, we are exhorted to come out of ourselves in order to open ourselves, in trustful abandonment, to the merciful embrace of the Father (cf. Saint John Chrysostom, Catecheses, 3,14ff). Blood, symbol of the love of the Good Shepherd, flows into us especially in the Eucharistic mystery: “The Eucharist draws us into Jesus’ act of self-oblation … we enter into the very dynamic of His self-giving” (Encyclical Deus caritas est, 13).  Let us live Lent then, as a 'Eucharistic' time in which, welcoming the love of Jesus, we learn to spread it around us with every word and deed."

Picture: Corpus from a crucifix, ca. 1600