The Meditation. Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity October 15 th A.D. Christ and the Pharisees

Transcription

1 The Meditation Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity October 15 th A.D. Christ and the Pharisees By Ernst Georg Zimmerman ( ) German painter For the Gospel of the Day: St. Matthew; Chapter 22, Vs

2 2. The Collect for the Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity A.D L ord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the only God. Through Jesus Christ thine only Son. Who liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost. Ever one God. Throughout all ages of ages. World without end. Amen. How timely is our Collect for this Sunday s Mass, and at the same time, how timeless! The Priest, at Mass in the Offertory prayer, prays: Receive, O Holy Father, Almighty and everlasting God, this spotless Host, which I, thine unworthy servant now offer unto thee, my God, the living and the true, for all my countless sins, wickedness, and negligences; and for all here present; as also for all the faithful in Christ, both living and departed ; that to me and to them it may avail for our salvation unto life eternal. Amen. * We can see how Holy Church represents the world, and offers its sacrifice in the name of all its members. When the priest says: for my countless sins he also means for the sins of the entire world. The Mass is one sacrifice with that of the Cross of Calvary. Jesus dies again mystically, for the expiation of all the sins mankind commits. If somehow, we could penetrate this great mystery of the mass, we would know something of the love which caused Jesus Christ, the Savior of all mankind to institute it. We ought to thank God in our daily prayers for this Divine Sacrifice, and beg His grace every hour of the day, in our intentions. Let us ask that within the spotless Host, our sins and negligences, and those of all the world be blotted out. Let us stand before our Lord sinful and sorrowful and with contrite hearts. Christ came down to earth to save mankind from eternal damnation by His Passion and Death; a sacrifice which was sufficient to obtain the forgiveness of sins through all the ages. Yet, He still dies mystically every day for the sins into which we all fall. St. Augustine of Hippo writes: The Holy Mass is as true a sacrifice as that of the Cross, of which it is a symbol. At the Consecration, by the mysterious presence of Christ s Body and Blood, we celebrate His death, and it is the mysterium fidei the mystery of faith. As truly as Jesus mystically dies in every Mass, so truly He dies for our sins, and offers Himself as an infinite satisfaction for all our guilt. **

3 3. Jesus Christ, on the cross, merited all graces for all mankind, but they were not at that moment applied to each one. In uniting ourselves in the Eucharistic sacrifice, we make for our own, all the homage Jesus offered unto His Father, and all the power of His prayer and His expiation. Our participation, while desired (by love), but not mandated, merits for us those graces we desperately need. One of the articles that came from the famous Council of Trent ( ) held in order to clarify the teachings of the Church Catholic, and to repudiate the many erroneous protestant teachings of the time was: By the unbloody sacrifice of the altar, we receive, in full measure, all the fruits of the sacrifice of the Cross. Clearly, a declaration that Catholics of every stripe today would call a no-brainer but a necessary statement for the times, that however remains relevant for all time. Could there be any greater consolation for us sinners... especially now, at a time many feel so helpless? When the priest, with his host, along with the hosts for the people, are placed on the paten, both he and we are offered with them, for my countless sins. The priest, speaks for us, but we would do well to be attentive and offer ourselves as well in silence from our heart. And when, at the great Consecration, Jesus offers Himself to His Father for the sins of the world, He allows us to offer ourselves along with Him. Here lies that awesome moment when that mysterium fidei occurs and we become partakers in that great mystery. We ll receive all the graces of reconciliation for ourselves and for those for whom we pray, when we live the Mass with intensity. Here, our prayers ought to be universal as well as personal. We should include all sinners and those who claim to be Christians but live otherwise.

4 4. We should offer for all throughout our nation and the world who are suffering. We should offer for; our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts. ** We should pray for those who seek to insult, blaspheme, and persecute the Church, its clergy and people. We should pray for those who don t know Christ and the true peace that He brings. The list dear friends, is endless. If we live the Mass via our prayers throughout the day, we unite ourselves with others wherever the Mass is being celebrated in the world at that very hour. Our prayers, our work, our lives will become one unceasing sacrifice to obtain forgiveness for ourselves, and for the whole world. When you think of it this way, what a powerful action we become part of! We, who may feel we contribute nothing to better the lot of mankind, are doing something that goes far beyond our understanding, for what we are taking part in is on a Sacred and mystical level a level where our loving Creator resides. Awesome indeed! An older and still useful clock in which to determine where the Mass is being Celebrated in the world. U.S. The times are given on Central time, so add 1 hr for the Eastern time zone.

5 5. Let us thank our Blessed Lord Jesus, in our prayers for the most Holy Sacrifice that is the Mass... the un-bloody renewal of His Great Sacrifice. Let us ask to be granted the grace to be deeply penetrated by the thought of its infinite value. May our lives become as one long Mass, in which we adore and thank Him and beg him to forgive us our sins, and the sins of the world. Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, please beg your Son to grant us this grace! Meditation Notes: *Ref: The Anglican Missal-American Edition, Pg. B-14 - The People s Anglican Missal, Pgs The English Missal (Missale Anglicanum), Pg Missale Romanum ( 1964 Edition), Pgs to name just a few sources where this prayer can be found. **St. Augustine: Sermo ***Excerpt from the Litany in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Pgs A good practice to institute for ourselves each Sunday might be to privately pray this Litany before we attend Mass, either at home or in church.

6 6. Priory Kalendar For the week of: October 15 th to October 22 nd - A.D In the Trinity Season Sunday, October 15 th... Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity Comm Our Lady of Walsingham Comm St. Theresa of Avila; V. & Doct., O.C.D th cent. Spain. Monday, October 16 th... St. Hedwig: Wid. & Nun O.C.O. 13 th cent Germany & Bohemia Comm. St. Gall; Abt. O.S.B. & founder of St. Gallen Abbey 7 th cent. Switz. Foundation Day of the Servants of the Holy Family Community A.D Tuesday, October 17 th... St. Etheldreda; Q. Vir. & Abs. O.S.B. - 7 th cent. Britain Comm. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque; V., O.V. 17 th cent. Burgundy Comm. Bl. Gilbert the Great; 7 th Abt. of Citeaux - 12 th cent France. Wednesday, October 18 th... St. Luke; Ev. & Myr. 1 st cent. Antioch & Rome Thursday, October 19 th...st. Fredeswide; V. O.S.B. 8 th cent. Oxford, England Friday, October 20 th... St. John Cantius; Conf. 15 th cent. Germany Saturday, October 21 st... St. Hilarion: Abt. - 3 rd cent. Alexandria, Palestine, & Cyprus. Comm. St. Ursula & companions; V.V. & Myrs.- 4 th cent. Germany Sunday, October 22 nd... Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity Comm. Martyrs of New Guinea October 15 th October 16 th October 18 th Our Lady of Walsingham St. Hedwig St. Luke

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9 9. Feasts, Fasts, and Other Things By Br. A. Chip Munk, O.S.B. Br. Chip went underground this week: (No, he really went underground as this photo by Br. Raymond shows!). He s noticed the change in the weather and is getting ready to move some of his things to his winter hermitage. Jack the Cat has taken the opportunity to tease Br. Chip by chasing him around whenever Chip pops his head out. These madcap events just highlight how silly things get around here. If Br. Chip isn t back next week, perhaps we can get Jack to stop playing around long enough to write an article. Sooner or later Chip is going to get tired of Jack s shenanigans and put a stop to them! Guess, we ll see. Feasts, Fasts, and Other Things from: The Chipmunk s Nutshell Library is presented by Br. A. Chip Monk, O.S.B. a munk of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine, USA KALENDAR KEY Abt. = Abbot, Abs. = Abbess, Abp = Archbishop, Anc. = Anchorite, Ancs. = Anchoress, Ap. = Apostle, Bl. = Blessed, Br. = Brother, Bp. = Bishop, Card. = Cardinal, C. or Conf. = Confessor, Comm. = Commemoration/Commemorate, Dcn. = Deacon, Doct. = Doctor of the Church, Ev. = Evangelist, H. = Hermit, LBr. = Lay Brother, LSr. = Lay Sister, K. = King, Mat. = Matron, M. = Monk, M.M. = Month s Mind ( Requiem for the recently departed on the 30 th day after death or burial). Myr. = Martyr, N. = Nun, Obl. = Oblate, P. = Priest, Po. = Pope, Pr. = Prior, Prs. = Prioress, R. = Recluse, RM = Requien Mortuorum, ( Mass and Offices for the departed once a month as designated on Kalendar). SDcn. = Sub Deacon, Q. = Queen, Ven. = Venerable, Vir. = Virgin, W. = Widow.

10 10. FASTING KEY: A = Abstinence, F = Fast, F & A = Fast and Abstinence RELIGIOUS ORDER ABBREVIATIONS: C.O = Congregation of the Oratory (Oratorians), C.P. = Congregation of the Passion (Passionists), C.S.J. = Congregation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Er. Cam. = Camaldolese Hermits, F.P. O. = Franciscans of the Primitive Observance, O. Car. = Carmelite Order, O. Cart. Carthusian Order, O.C.D. = Order of Discalced Friars (Carmelites), O.F.A. = Augustinian Order, O.F.M = Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), O.F.M. Cap = Capuchin Order, O.P. = Order of Preachers (Dominicans also called Blackfriars ), O. Praem. = Order of Cannons Regular (Norbertines), O.S.B. = Order of St. Benedict (Benedictines), O.Ss. S. = Bridgettines, O.S.U = Ursulines, O.C.O. = Order of the Cistercian Observance (Trappists/Trappistines), O.C.S.O. = Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists/ Trappistines). Tert. = Tertiary (Third Order religious). About the Meditation and About Us The Meditation is an online apostolate of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine, USA. We are an Anglican-Catholic Benedictine contemplative community that follows the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, the 5 th century Father of Western Monasticism. We are resident within the Diocese of the Northeast (DNE), of the Anglican Church in America (ACA), a member of the worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC). The Meditation is a weekly online offering that is sent out free of charge to anyone who desires to receive it. Subscribers may copy and pass along The Meditation to their families and friends, or send us their e-address (with their permission) to add to our subscription list so they may receive it directly from us. Each issue is sent out as a BCC (Blank Copy) in respect to subscriber privacy and online security. To subscribe, contact us at: klamarre@maine.rr.com To read past issues of the Meditation, please go to our website at: and you can find them in the section marked Meditations on the homepage. PLEASE NOTE: In respect to our contemplative vocation and the animals in our rescue and rehab center, we do not have guest or bathroom facilities and do not regularly receive visitors. Fr. Kevin is available to hear confessions and give spiritual direction by appointment only. Please contact via to make an appointment. Busy Week at The Priory: a new arrival see page 13!

11 12. New Paschal Candle holder for our Chapel! By. Br. Raymond A. Crowe, O.S.B. This past week, Fr. Kevin finished and placed in our chapel a lovely and stately paschal candle holder. It s Medieval in its design, which blends it well with the decorum of our chapel, and its Medieval Monastic style. It took Fr. Kevin the better part of the summer to build this as he hand-shaped the center column using a draw-knife he made himself when he had a blacksmithing forge. The other pieces came from wood that he scrounged and fitted. He s a great scrounger and maintains a fine stock-pile of wood

12 13. of all kinds that he picks up wherever. The wooden candle basin came from the local Goodwill store and in a previous life was probably a bowl of some sort. The current candle in it is a 2 inch Paschal candle, but Father has plans to melt down all the many candles donated from our good parishes to make one very large one. How large? He just won t say, and we re not sure he even knows at this time! Just one more reason to stay tuned, and yes, keep sending us your used up candles the more we get, the more it will keep our good Father figuring, which is a good thing in itself! His brain needs the workout! It really does! - Br. Raymond Animal News Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. We were delighted to finally take ownership of Pirate s Cove on Wednesday of this week. Pirate is an 8 year old, 16.2 hand (a hand = 4 roughly the width of a person s hand) tall, Thoroughbred, gelding (Neutered male horse) who was raced until an injury forced his retirement last year. This Kentucky bred horse earned his owner a great sum of money and somehow managed to maintain an even disposition and quick brain. Most race horses are ridden and raced far too young, (2years old) even before their bones are completely formed in their legs. Their feet pound on hard ground, they slip on wet tracks and therefore their usual life span in racing is a very short time. They are retired when they stop making money usually around 4-5 years old. If they are lucky, and have no lameness or other health or mental issues, they may be sold to be repurposed as hunter/jumpers, steeple chasers (more leg abuse) or for dressage mounts. If their owners lose too much money and are fed up with the horse or if the horse is injured and therefore unsound they are sent off to the slaughter house. Pirate was raced until he was 7 and a half. He was raced with injuries until his injuries became too serious. He wound up with a chipped sesamoid bone (a weight bearing bone in the ankle area) and suspensory ligament ( the one that keeps their ankle off the ground), tears as well as stringhalt (where the joints in the hock area lock up temporarily) Obviously this was the end of his long and lucrative racing career. Now what to do.. This beautiful animal, who had given everything he had and more for his owner was sent off to the New Holland kill pens which is a holding area for horses that are going to be shipped to slaughter. He was starved while there and had rain rot (a fungus on the skin) which is very painful. They do not treat injuries in these places.

13 14. Start by doing what is necessary, then do what s possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible. (St. Francis.) Very luckily for Pirate, he was bailed by a woman from New Hampshire just before his time ran out. She brought him to her place and then to a temporary foster home. His rain rot was treated and he was fed but didn t like their food so he had a hard time gaining weight. They tried to place him, with no takers for nearly a year. The foster home needed their stall back and were threatening to send him back to New Holland so the original rescuer took him back to her place again. Sr., who does a lot on line trying to help people do what is best for their animals when they are in a bind, saw the pictures of Pirate on line and recognized him from the past winter and contacted the rescuer. She was ecstatic that someone was showing interest in him, as she was almost to the point of having him euthanized. We are happy to say that in spite of all his difficulties, he is here and safe. He is going to need a lot of food and some suppliments, lots of patience and love too. If you have men who will exclude any of God s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men. (St. Francis) Every year, thousands upon thousands of these majestic creatures are tortured and killed for no other reason than their humans are tired of dealing with them. Some are unwanted babies and some are very old. Horses can live to be 30+ years old and in our disposable society, when they outlive their usefulness, they are sent away to die, just like many humans are. There are many healthy horses right now who are 20+ who are waiting for retirement homes who will, most likely wind up in New Holland or the equivalent. Our barn is very small having been originally built to house goats. It has been morphed many times to make room but we can only do so much as we fund 95% of this ourselves. We can t save them all, in fact, in the grand scheme of things, we can t save many but we can save one at a time and for that animal, it makes a difference. We are asking for your help with this one, as with all the others in our care. You can have a part in the life of this magnificent animal. Please feel free to share this story with your friends that love animals and we pray for your thoughtful support one time, or throughout the fall and winter months especially. Can you help? Do you know someone who loves animals who would like to be an Animal Angel? Won t you join us? All donations are tax deductible and acknowledged with a receipt and card. You can keep up with the animal s progress through our meditation. God bless you all and may you continue to be a blessing to those around you. Sr. Mary Francis, OSB

14 15. Pirate arrives at the Priory and takes his first step into a new life He has gone from this.

15 16. To this. To this

16 17. And here is where he is at this time. Note: Rhea Vendt of Patch Wood Farm in Sandown, New Hampshire is credited with the original rescue and beginning rehab of this horse. She brought Pirate to us at no charge. We wish her great success in her continuing works of mercy to these lovely creatures. PEACE

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