The Meditation. Sexagesima Sunday. February 19 th - A.D The Battle of Carnival and Lent. Painting by Peter Brueghel the Younger ( )

Transcription

1 The Meditation Sexagesima Sunday February 19 th - A.D The Battle of Carnival and Lent Painting by Peter Brueghel the Younger ( )

2 2. The Collect for Sexagesima Sunday - A.D O Lord God, who seest that we put not our trust in anything that we do: mercifully grant that by thy power, we may be defended against all adversity. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth in the Unity of the Holy Ghost, One God. Throughout all ages of ages. World without end. Amen. Purest charity Sympathy for others during their times of trial and trouble is an essential part of what it is to be a Christian and not merely proof of having a kind heart or being a good person. St. Paul used it to win souls for Jesus Christ: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended and I burn not? [with indignation] - ( II Corinthians; Ch 11, Vs. 29). He who spent himself for souls has a right to say so, and to bid all those called to works of mercy: Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. (Romans: Ch. 12, Vs. 15). Jesus taught us by His example the true practice of Christian charity. He spent His nights in prayer, and his days in the service of others. He never allowed Himself any vacation or rest. Rich and poor alike came to Him and He welcomed them all, and all left His presence helped and comforted. Even after a heavy day s work, despite the protests of His disciples, Jesus received the little children whom their mothers brought to Him, teaching, embracing, and blessing them. His preference was always for the poor and suffering who most needed His love and charity, but He also saw in the rich and privileged hurt, sickness, and broken-ness as well. The Jews themselves said of Jesus: He hath done all things well. (St. Mark: Ch. 7, Vs. 37). The charity that Christ asks of us must be practical, just as His own was. It must consist in deeds rather than just words or wishes; not only in sympathy and pity, but in material and spiritual help. St. James admonishes: What doeth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doeth it profit? (St. James; Ch. 2, Vss ). Self-sacrifice and self-denial are the very essence of love. Any good parent perhaps understands this best. True love finds its happiness in that of others and in the services rendered to them. Christ, being our great Example, said of Himself: the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (St. Matthew; Ch. 20, Vs. 28). And again: I am among you as he that serveth. (St. Luke; Ch. 22, Vs. 27).

3 Good St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, gives us a wonderful and very useful commentary on the previous two texts: 3. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you; bless and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans: Chap. 12, Vss. 9 21). Nothing can give us a better idea of the disposition in which corporal and spiritual works of mercy should be performed if they are to be apostolic and acts of true virtue. There is no fear, in that case, of our external activity endangering our interior (spiritual) life, or leading us into the heresy of works without faith or vice versa. It is love performed without self-love, which is the highest kind of perfection; the goal of every Christian. The final proof of our charity should lie in our care for those who need it most, our tender compassion for their pain, which we make our own. Our love must be an obliging love, a love that is not waiting to be asked, or just friendly and courteous, or disinterested. God loves a cheerful giver, and so a giver who does what they say, will win all hearts, and at the same time, souls for God. Those people who follow a Religious Vocation and live under a Rule, are expected by the world to live lives of selfless charity, seeking no financial gain, no material benefit a charity which has nothing to do with altruism or satisfaction of the senses. It is the kind of charity that is so strong that it finds such a person ready, if need be, to give their life for the brethren (Ref: I St. John; Chap. 3, Vs. 16.) * This is clearly illustrated by the life of St. Maximillian Kolbe ( ), a Polish Franciscan friar-priest who offered his life in exchange for the life of a stranger at Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Such heroism is not just reserved for those under vows, but should be expected of every Christian who is seeking the total perfection of Jesus Christ. The many lay-christians in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, who have been murdered by Islamic radicals offer us all present-day examples of purest charity.

4 4. Let us include in our prayers, a petition to our Lord asking Him to teach us to follow His example, to sympathize with all those who are in spiritual or corporal need. May we consider it the highest honor to serve the poor and infirm, the sick and the suffering. Let us ask Him to teach us to love children as He loved them, for themselves, and for God, without letting ourselves be led by personal affections or gains. Let us not live in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. ( I St. John; Chap. 3, Vs. 18 ) *I St. John: Ch. 3, Vs.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Priory Kalendar For the week of: February 19 th to February 26 th - A.D In Septuagesimatide Septuagesima: 70 days before Easter Kalendar designation : LXX Sexagesima: 60 days before Easter Kalendar designation: LX Quinquagesima: 50 days before Easter Kalendar Designation: L Quadragesima: 40 days before Easter First Sunday in Lent Kalendar Designation: XL

5 5. This time in the Church Year is called Septuagesimatide or, the Pre-Lenten Season. The Sundays that fall within this season are popularly known as the Gesima or Gessie Sundays. This season unofficially takes in the First Sunday in Lent, as the old Missals, Service-Books, and Breviaries actually listed Lent as Quadaegesima, or Quadragesima-tide. This little season is the perfect time for the Christian to plan how they will observe their Lenten practices, abstinences, and obediences. If one is not sure, contacting their friendly neighborhood priest will insure assistance and direction! Shrovetide Within the Pre-Lenten Season which we discussed last week, is a period of time known by an old name: Shrovetide. This week we offer a Part 2 in our study of the time before the Lenten season and its importance to Christians. The Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, in the old calendars, was known as Shrovetide. These two days were traditionally set aside for both people and clergy to make their confessions before the time of Great Lent fell. In the old Anglo-Saxon language; swyde* translates to mean: to write ( compare with the German: schreiben and Dutch: schrijven.) the word used in Medieval English; shrive or write down. A priest in Medieval England, would hear a confession, and in theory, if not in practice, would write down or prescribe an appropriate penance for the person to be performed immediately, or as part of their discipline for Lent. It largely depended upon the priest himself. After giving the penitent Absolution, the person was said to have been shriven. ** Shrovetide is traditionally the time for spring cleaning, and just as we clean our houses we also clean our souls during these days, in preparation for Lent, through the Sacrament of Confession so we can enter the penitential season strong and fresh. Shrove Tuesday (the last day before Lent began), as part of the spiritual and bodily cleansing, was also the last day for preparing dishes containing eggs, milk, and cooking fat or butter foods that were forbidden during the Great Lent fast. These ingredients were used up by this day in pancakes or similar recipes. The day, in France, was called mardi gras, Fat Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday was also the last day for eating meat before Lent. (Latin, carnis: flesh ), hence the name carnival and related words in the Romance languages: (French carnival, Italian carnevale, or carnelasciare, Medieval Spanish carnestolendas, and Catalonian carnestoles), conveying the idea of taking away or ceasing to eat flesh-meat. This last hurrah before Lent began became synonymous with revelry associated with the lost opportunity of self-indulgence before beginning the rigors of Lent. Lenten observances, in those times, were taken very seriously, even by those who marginally practiced their faith The tradition of carnival has continued in many of the Romance language countries, but sadly the observance has succumbed to secular influence as the day has degenerated into a day of excessive partying and sexual license.

6 6. Many Parishes observe Shrove Tuesday by having a pancake supper in the evening. It s a great time for fellowship and the invitation of neighbors to meet the Parish as well as raise a few dollars for the parish coffers. It s not known how many Parishes offer the Sacrament of Confession on both Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday in addition to the pancake supper, but what a great idea to return to this ancient, and very much needed custom so souls can go into Lent both with a clean soul and a full belly! We encourage our readers to bring this up at their own parishes if not for this year, then next. Ever ancient... ever new... the hallmark of our Catholic Faith! *This is as close as our computer can come to producing the word as we do not possess a font in Old English! **It s worthy to note that in Medieval England the literacy rate was much higher than other places in Europe. If this were not so, the confessor would be wasting his time in writing out penances to folks who could not read nor comprehend. The large number of personal books of Hours, breviaries, and misc. prayer-books that existed in the 15 th century alone speaks of a well-churched people who not only knew, prayed, and practiced their faith, but understood the language of the Church at the time Latin, as well as their own English. Something protestant factions have been trying to deny in order to justify the radical steps they took to rid the Church of its Catholic heritage and practices. Our title-page art work this week features a painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger entitled; The Battle of Carnival and Lent. Part of the painting has been oversized here so we can see the portly figure of Lent on the left, leading a procession of plenty, opposing the procession on the right led by the gaunt figure of Lent and its austerities. Note the pretzels and flat breads at Lent s feet.

7 7. Sunday, February 19 th... Sexagesima Sunday (LX) - comm. St. Benedicti in spinis Monday, February 20 th... feria in Septuagesimatide. Tuesday, February 21 st.. feria in Septuagesimatide Last day in which LXX can fall. Wednesday, February 22 nd... St. Joseph of Aramathea; C. 1 st cent. Judea Thursday, February 23 rd... St. Peter Damian; Bp. Abt. & Doc. O.S.B. 11th cent. Italy (Note 1) Friday, February 24 th St. Matthias; Ap. & Myr. 1 st cent. Saturday, February 25 th feria in Septuiagesimatide. Sunday, February 26 th Quinquagesima Sunday (L) Kalendar Notes Note 1: Thursday, Feb. 23 rd : commemoration of the Feast of St. Polycarp, Bp. Of Smyrna, 2 nd cent. Some calendars give precedence to St. Polycarp on this day. Those following the Benedictine Rule are granted the privilege via ancient custom to honor their own primary saints at various times in the year as we are doing with St. Peter Damian,O.S.B. KALENDAR KEY Ab. = 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,

8 8. RM = Requien Mortuorum, ( Mass and Offices for the departed once a month as designated on Kalendar). S Dcn. = Sub Deacon, Q. = Queen, Ven. = Venerable, Vir. = Virgin, W. = Widow. 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). 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 affiliated 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 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.

9 9. Animal News Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. The snowbanks are getting taller than Sr. Mary Francis and although this isn t saying much, being that she is so short, even Jack is finding it formidable to get around. We thank those animal angels who are helping us out this winter as more snow storms means more time inside for the large animals which means more supplies being used. We are truly grateful for you all! Stay warm and safe. PAX

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