The Meditation. The Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity September 23 rd, A.D Lord, I am not worthy... speak but the word and I shall be healed.

Transcription

1 The Meditation The Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity September 23 rd, A.D Lord, I am not worthy... speak but the word and I shall be healed. Christ and the Centurion of Capernaum Painting by Franz Christoph Janneck ( ) Austrian Baroque painter 1

2 The Introit (Entrance) Verse for the Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity Righteous art thou, O Lord, and true is thy judgement: O deal with thy servant according to thy loving mercy. Blessed are those undefiled in the way: who walk in the law of the Lord. Psalm 119 The Great Sacrament of Penance Penance is a disposition of the soul, an interior attitude that is intimately connected with Christianity. Christ, in His first sermon, emphasizes this when He says: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (St. Matthew; Chap. 4, Vs. 17). Repentance is a change of outlook, a fresh orientation of thought, spiritual combat, and deed. It means putting off the old Adam (man, as Scripture says), with his purely human values and wants, and putting on Jesus Christ, with His values and ambitions. Penance isn t an affair of only a given moment, of any one day; it s an attitude to be maintained all though out our lives. The practice of making a weekly confession as imposed by the rule on all contemplative religious, is really an act of penance that is raised to the rank of a sacrament. Each visit to the confessional is an act of a new orientation towards Almighty God, a return to the road that leads a soul to heaven. Jesus, on the eve of His Passion (Maundy Thursday), gave us the Blessed Eucharist, [1] likewise, on the day of His Resurrection, He gave us the sacrament of Penance. [2] Two great and powerful gifts; the gift of His love, followed by the gift of His mercy. Our Lord showed such great mercy, even during the hours of His Passion. Mercy to Peter, who had declared that he didn t even know Him[3] ; mercy to the penitent thief, who when he turned his head towards the dying Saviour, turned his heart to God [4] ; mercy to Judas the traitor, whom He met with the words: Friend, wherefore art thou come?[5] ; and to those who condemned and nailed Him to the Cross [6]. Did not all these pardons show that He forgives as He loves to the very end ad usque in finem? Yet, Christ, when He passed on His divine power to His Apostles, made one condition. The words by which Jesus instituted this Sacrament show us that this pardon was given only when the Church (Christ s Bride), was prepared to give hers. According to St. John, the words of that institution were; Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose so ever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose so ever sins ye retain, they are retained. (St. John; Chap. 20, Vss ). Christ forgives sins only when the priest, through valid apostolic succession, and thus a bona fide member in the Church Catholic, is ready to forgive them. This is very important to remember, for it is a great responsibility that the Son of Almighty God entrusts to His Church, a responsibility No confessor should ever take lightly, for his own salvation may well depend upon that. 2

3 Christ is so completely in union with His Church that it s impossible to offend Him without offending His Church as well. There are those who believe that they can have one without the other, but they only fool themselves, for the very Holy Scripture they hold dear confirms this mystical union. Sin not only wrongs God, but it wrongs His Church, and Christ esteems these wrongs done to her so great that not until it has been expiated does He grant His forgiveness. Part of today s Alleluia Verse serves as a good reminder to all of God s power, and how small we are before it: By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth. (Psalm 33, Vs. 6). This serves to show us, how real our membership in the mystical body is, and how great the social and personal meaning is of this sacrament, as of all the others. The whole body is sanctified by the confession of the individual. It s an occasion of real reparation, not for our sins and faults only, but also for the shortcomings of many others. Confession, the sacramental act of penance [7] does not only re-orientate ourselves, but also the whole community, whether it be a little priory, large abbey, parish, diocese, or the whole Church. We build up the Church by our confessions; which strengthen the Vine, and strengthen all its branches. Believing souls become strengthened, and even strangers to the faith are influenced. Let us pray that the Lord may always be in our hearts and upon our lips, so that our confessions may be worthy and pleasing to God. May they be such that, united to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints, to the good which is done, and the evil which is overcome, they may obtain for us the pardon of sin, the increase of grace, and the reward of eternal life. In Christ s Holy Name we ask this. Meditation Notes: [1] Ref: St. Matthew: Chap. 26, Vss , St. Mark; Chap. 14, Vss , St. Luke; Chap 22, Vss , & 1 Corinthians; Chap. 11, Vss [2] Ref: St. John; Chap. 20, Vss [3] Ref: St. Matthew: Chap. 26, Vss , St. Mark; Chap. 14, Vss , St. Luke: Chap. 22, Vss , & St. John; Chap. 18, Vss [4] Ref: St. Luke; Chap. 23, Vss [5] Ref: St. Matthew: Chap. 26, Vss , & St. Luke: Chap 22, Vss [6] Ref: St. Luke; Chap. 23, Vs. 34a 3

4 [7] This means Auricular Confession before a Priest in the privacy of the confessional where all sin is disclosed, counsel given, penance imparted, and absolution granted. Not a General Confession as presented in the Confetior of the Mass, or General Confession as in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Pgs. 75&76, or general confession as administered by the priest-preacher during a Parish Mission. A printable prayer-card for use against venial sin It s difficult for all of us to not commit some venial sin each day. It is bound to happen as we live our lives day to day. Things can sometimes get the best of us, and there we go, committing some small sin through thought, word, or deed. There s something positive we can do every time this happens, however. We can take that thought, word, or act and turn it from one of sin to one repentance and grace, by making an act of Contrition through prayer. Here s a printable version of the Act of Contrition Prayer that you can cut out and keep with you for instant use. Better yet, memorize this prayer, and you ll have it ready in your mind, should you need it, and need it you will, for the devil tries and tempts all who seek to imitate Jesus Christ! Repeated sickness must have repeated medicine. You will show your gratitude to the Lord by not refusing what the Lord offers you. You have offended but still can be reconciled. You have One Whom you may satisfy, and Him always willing. Tertullian: On Repentance - 3 rd cent. 4

5 Priory Kalendar For the week of: September 23 rd to September 30 th A.D In Trinity Season Sunday, September 23 rd... Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity See Note 1 Comm. St. Linus; Po. & Myr. & St. Thecla; V. & Myr. -1 st cent. Monday, September 24 th... Our Lady of Clemency (Ransom) Tuesday, September 25 th... St. Ferminius (Fermin); Bp. & Myr. - 2 nd /3 rd cent. Gaul Wednesday, September 26 th... Martyrs of North America - 17 th cent. missionaries Thursday, September 27 th... Sts. Cosmas & Damian; Myrs. 4 th cent. Asia Minor. Friday, September 28 th......st. Wenceslas; Pr. & Myr. -10 th cent. Bohemia. Saturday, September 29 th.... St. Michael and All Angels (Michalmas) Sunday, September 30 th.... Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity Comm. St. Jerome; C., Hermit, & Doct. -3 rd /4 th cent. September 24th September 26 th September 29 th Our Lady of Clemency Martyrs of North America St. Michael & All Angels 5

6 KALENDAR NOTE: Note 1: Dog Days Officially End for this year NOW! Cumberland Fair Begins today in Cumberland, Maine. Runs Sept 23 rd to 29 th. The Priory is putting in many entries this year. Support local agriculture go to a Fair near you! 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. 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. 6

7 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 or to make us aware of your needs, concerns and intentions for our prayerful attention. It is our privilege to pray for you. PLEASE CONSIDER REMEMBERING US IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING Contact Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. for more information via our address He Does it every Summer! By Brothers Chip, Sylvester, and Raymond Roll out those lazy, crazy, hazy days of Summer, Those days of soda, and pretzels, and beer... Those are the first lines to a Summertime song made popular by singer/musician Nat King Cole. It has become the anthem for Summer over the years, and we heartily agree with that. Here at the Priory, certain regular occurences happen in Summer that lie outside the words of this song. For example: Br. Sylvester tries to prove he s got flying squirrel blood in him and takes flight: unsuccessfully. Br. Chip helps Sr, Mary-Francis at Tassel Top Park to all the goodies he can beg at the gate house! And, Br. Raymond tries to soar with the eagles... the bald eagles who live near Frye s Leap, who don t appreciate having a crow steal their limelight! These are just some of the events that herald Summer here at the Priory. Oh wait! There s one more! The best one of all... Our beloved Prior s annual tangle with the electric fence in the pasture! Yes folks, instead of having a horse wrangler here at the Priory, we ve got our very own Fence Tangler! Sorry, Father We just couldn t resist! Sr. Mary-Francis s farming experience has taught that a good well-maintained electric fence will serve to both keep in and protect horses at the same time. She and Fr. Kevin have installed a 7 wire electric fence that encircles the pasture. All the horses that have come through here learned right off that the fence is something to stay clear of, even though they may not realize it s for their own good. While horses don t get out, we ve seen deer slide themselves between the wires in the evening in order to help themselves to pasture grass and left-over hay from the days feeding, and thoroughly enjoying themselves at that! Electric fences require occasional maintenance. Fr. Kevin walks the fence line from time to time to make sure nothing has tried to climb through the fence, which can break wire strands or dislodge them from their insulators. He also keeps an eye on the growth of the grass under the lowest strands, for if the grass becomes too tall and thick, the fence grounds out through the grass and over time loses its effectiveness, despite the fact that we have a very powerful electric fencing transformer! Remember that part! This summer has been rather exceptional in that we have had a good mixture of sun, rain, and heat that has caused the grass to grow quickly and thickly around and under the fence. Fr. Kevin 7

8 has made no less than two forays out with the lawn mower to cut down this undergrowth. He sets the wheels of the mower to a height that will place the mower under the lowest strand and off he goes happily mowing away. Mowing along the fence line... Here s where the fun begins. we mean, things begin happen. We don t really know if Fr. Kevin gets lost in some deep thoughts about what he s going to write, or is offering some prayers, or his mind just wanders off, which it easily does, but at some point, we think he forgets to keep an eye on both the mower and the wires... and makes contact with one or more wires. If the mower makes contact with just one wire, he gets a mild jolt reminding him to pay attention. If there s lots of grass grounding out the fence, it s not a bad jolt, but wakes him up! However, if he s really not paying attention, just as he was on one certain day, then he gets bit by the fence, and bitten bad! This time he failed to notice that the bottom strand had been pulled to the ground, and was hiding in the thick grass where it got caught up in the mower shaft. This wire, to top it all off, was connected to a feeder wire from the upper strands which serve to boost the charge to the lower wires! The inevitable moment of contact... 8

9 Well friends, the wire wrapped itself around the shaft of the rapidly turning mower, and every second or so Fr. Kevin got a big jolt of juice. He couldn t let go of the mower because of the connection made and says for about ten seconds got pretty-well lit-up. The wet ground upon which he stood only made for an optimum completion of the circuit. Lucky for him, the wire finally broke, and so did the connection, giving Fr. Kevin the break he needed to pull away. He s pretty certain he shouted out a few words of adult declaration, and later walked over to the neighbors to apologize, in case they heard him! They hadn t, but he felt better in making the apology. This isn t the first time this has happened to Fr. Kevin, and most likely won t be the last. He s told us that electricity and he don t seem to get along well. He s electrocuted himself on house current as well as the electric fencing, and when working at Frye Island hooked up to a 440 volt line one afternoon and his boss, had to poke him with a stick to break the connection! He still laughs about it, but Sr. Mary-Francis well, not so much as she s not too sure how much juice Fr. Kevin s heart should be subjected to since his heart attack. Funny thing, Fr. Kevin s Dad was an electrical engineer! We re awful glad he went into theology instead. Anyways, after the afore-mentioned event took place in the pasture, Br. Raymond happened to be flying overhead, and noticed Fr. Kevin wandering around in the pasture in a sort of daze just smiling. Hmmm. He seemed to be all right by supper time, however and ate heartily. Now, from our own weird imaginations:... The call is made! 9

10 We know that messing around with electricity is not something that should be taken lightly. We re very glad that our beloved Prior comes out of these occasional scrapes more bruised than burned, and always with a smile on his face. He says he tries not to take himself or his mistakes seriously... that s o.k. by us, but we wish he d at least pay more attention when he s working around this place. Especially when our in-house care-giver (Sr. Mary-Francis) is not here! So as a friendly reminder to Fr. Kevin... We placed this notice in the shed over the lawn mower... How an Electric Fence works 10

11 Fr. Kevin s response is a simple one... O.K. we know the song, but you still have to be careful, Father, The Good Lord s only going to give you just so many free passes!!! This little article is the first literary collaboration by our three brothers for the Meditation. As the reader can see, they are keen observers in their own rights and in this one instance decided to pool their talents in order to give proper place to an event that happens annually here at the Priory. It s sort of like a Moveable Feast in the church calendar; it doesn t happen on the same day every year, but it WILL occur at some point in the Summer, sometimes more than once! We hope our readers have enjoyed this little chuckle as we share a little of slice of life here at The Magic Monastery in Raymond. There s more going on here than meets the eye sometimes! We all dearly love Fr. Kevin who, along with Sr. Mary-Francis takes such good care of us; but doggone it, he s also lots of fun to watch as well! Br. Chip Br. Raymond Br. Sylvester 11

12 Animal News By Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. 12

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