The Meditation Feast of Christ the King (Comm. Twentieth Sunday After Trinity) October 29 th, 2017 A.D. Jesus Christ the Returning King By Janusz Antosz Contemporary Polish artist
2. The Introit for The Feast of Christ the King - A.D. 2017 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. (Psalm 72) Give the King thy judgements, O God; and thy righteousness unto the King s Son. Christ Our King! There will come a day when the powers of the heavens shall be shaken... and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (St. Matthew; Chap. 24, Vss. 29 & 30). This Day as St. Paul calls it, giving it no other name, will be the last of all days, the day which will decide mankind s eternity. We profess, in the Creed, our belief in Jesus Christ: who shall come again with glory, to judge both the quick [the living], and the dead. In that great hymn of praise, the Te Deum we add an urgent appeal for help: We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. * The priest, for centuries past, has sung this verse kneeling, and the whole Church kneels with him. We kneel because we are looking forward to the day when the Angel will say Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (Revelation; Chap. 14, Vs. 15). Grant, O Lord, that at thy second coming we may have a share in thy glory! We are approaching the end of the Trinity Season in the Church year. We ll soon be in Advent, whose liturgy reminds us frequently of the second coming of Christ. Today s Feast of Christ the King in one way, calls to our attention that Day, so that we may prepare for it. As the faithful in the Old Testament lived in the hope of Christ s first coming, so our life ought to be a preparation for the day on which He will return to us. The entire span of our life-time is nothing but a journey, where we are pilgrims on the road to meet our Lord when He returns in glory a glory in which we will share (and He desires us to share), provided we have followed the road faithfully. Therefore, we must keep in mind the thought of that last day always. However, we must not fixate upon it, to the detriment of the journey we are making, for during the journey we call life, God calls and uses us to assist other fellow pilgrims in the journey as He works to refine us like gold. There s no place for anxiety and worry over something only God has control of, for there s plenty of work to be done, and we humble little pilgrims, must be about this work! Jesus is coming be busy! There are today, and have always been ministers, preachers, scholars, and the like, who scrupulously study Scripture seeking to know God s mind and predict when His Son will return. We hear it frequently mentioned that we are living in the so-called end-times. Every now and
3. then, a person will declare that they have calculated exactly when Christ will come, and gathers a group of like-minded people to stand on a mountain or beach and wait but, to no avail. Their zeal may be admirable, but they are mistaken if they believe they know the time and place. That is and always will be for God Himself to know. God tells us this through His Word: of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed and watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. (St. Mark; Chap. 13, Vss. 32 & 33.) But of that day, and hour, knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only... watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come... Therefore be ye also ready. (St. Matthew; Chap. 24, Vss. 36, 42, & 44.) It would be better for us to take God s words to a more personal level, for truthfully, the world ends every day for many people as death comes to them, whether sudden or natural; their world, their journey, their life - comes to an end. We commit such souls to our prayers in the hope that they were both aware and ready that God desired them. While we have time, let us do good unto all men, and especially those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians: Chap. 6, Vs. 10) The future will take care of itself (with or without us)... sufficient are the problems and challenges of today. Let us live today for the Father! The Christian faith is unique when compared to all the faiths of the world, in that it is a faith grounded firmly in a deep and personal HOPE. The hope that is Jesus Christ the Son of God. We really can t live without this hope, because although our present lives are but a time of banishment which (thanks be to God) is not always sadness and darkness; it is still an exile. There are times when our hearts may be heavy and saddened, and we long for our home in heaven. Those are the times when we are moaning and weeping in this vale of tears. ** We do indeed feel like the poor banished children of Eve. The reminder of that last great and glorious day when we shall see Almighty God face to face, when we will experience His love like never before, will lift us up from the depths of our depression and sadness, and restore our courage and hope that we may carry on. Our whole life will become like one big Advent; a time of expectation and longing for the day when we will be with our King. We give our affirmation when we say the Lord s prayer: Thy Kingdom come, and at the closing of that beautiful anthem which is sung every evening at Compline: After this our exile, show unto us the Blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. *** This longing for The Kingdom of Heaven must become an essential part of our lives. We must realize and accept as Christians, that we are only pilgrims travelling along the way to eternal joy and everlasting glory. We must include in our aspirations the arrival to that divine country just as the crew of a ship at sea looks forward to the safe and distant port for which the ship is bound. Life, for us, will be merely a passage from earthly time to eternity, and we shall cling less and less to perishable things. The things of the earth and its attachments in which we too often set our hearts, will seem less important. As we draw ourselves closer to the perfection of our King Jesus Christ and the hope of heaven, the things of the world, the pleasures of sin, and the magnet of ego will all be seen as illusions, mirages if you will and will grow dimmer and dimmer in view of the great light and
4. joys that are yet to come. Our hearts will become ever more focused on the Divine goal, leaving all those things of the earth as distant memories. Almighty and everlasting God, who hast exalted thy beloved Son to be King over all worlds, and hast willed in Him to make all things new: mercifully grant that the kindreds of earth which are wounded and dispersed by sin: may speedily be knit together under His righteous sovereignty. Who livest and reignest with thee, in the Unity of the Holy Ghost, one God. Throughout all ages of ages. World without end. Amen. **** Meditation Notes: * Te Deum Laudamus: a Latin hymn to the Father and the son, in a rhythmical prose. Tradition assigned its composition to Saints Ambrose and Augustine of Hippo at the latter s baptism. It is used in the offices of all families within the Benedictine Order: (Benedictines, Cistercians, Carthusians, Camaldolese, etc.) and other orders as well. It is primarily sung as an integral part of Mattins (Vigils- the early morning office), on Sundays and Feasts. It is used in the Traditional Anglican 1928 Book of Common Prayer at Mattins (see pgs. 10 & 11 of the 1928 BCP), with the canticles Benedictus es, Domine, or Benedicite, omnia opera, Domini as alternatives. **The Salve Regina (Latin: Hail Holy Queen): This is one of the oldest of the Marian Anthems (Anthphons) which is recited or sung in the Western Churches at the end of the daily canonical hours... Compline, the last office of the day before retiring. It s one of the most widely used Catholic prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, owing its popularity to its tender devotional language and beautiful plain-song. The earliest manuscripts date it to the 11 th century in France. Authorship is uncertain, but it has been attributed to Hermanus Contractus (1013-1054)+ with the final stanzas ( O clement, O loving, O sweet, Virgin Mary) attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux. From 1135, the Salve Regina was frequently sung in processions of houses belonging to the Benedictine family, but it soon found its way to the Dominicans. It is very much in use today. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII ordered that it be said after Low Mass, and in the Roman, Anglican, and Monastic Breviaries it is recited from First Vespers of Trinity Sunday till None of the Saturday before Advent Sunday. *** Salve Regina (see prev. notation) Here it is in its entirety: Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy. Hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To you do we send up our sighs, Mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then again, most gracious Advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us. After this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. **** The Collect for the Feast of Christ the King + More about him in the next issue of the Meditation.
5. Priory Kalendar For the week of: October 29 th to November 5 th A.D. 2017 In the Trinity Season Nine Day period of Masses and prayers for the Departed (Beg. Nov 1 st.) Sunday, October 29 th...... Feast of Christ the King Comm.Twentieth Sunday After Trinity Constitution of the Camaldolese Order Approved - 1072 Comm. Martyrs of New Guinea - 1942 Monday, October 30 th...... Feast of Relics: Veneration of all Holy Relics of Saints of the Benedictine Order that are kept in Benedictine Churches (Mass and Offices of Saints) Tuesday, October 31 st...... Vigil of All Saints; all Hallows Eve - Hallowe en Wednesday, November 1 st.. All Saint s Day. Novena of the Departed Commences 2-Day Thursday, November 2 nd... All Soul s Day..Novena of the Departed Friday, November 3 rd...... Octave of All Saints; Comm. St. Winnifred Novena of Departed Saturday, November 4 th.... St. Charles Borromeo; Card. & Conf....Novena of Departed Sunday, November 5 th..... Twenty-First Sunday After Trinity In the Octave of All Saints Comm. St. Elizabeth, Mother of St. John the Baptist November 1 st November 2 nd November 4 th All Saint s Day All Souls Day St. Charles Borromeo
KALENDAR KEY 6. 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: www.ourladyofsorrows.org 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 email to make an appointment.
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8. It s Not too late to participate!
9. Feasts, Fasts, and Other Things By Br. A. Chip Munk, O.S.B. Little-known Benedictines: St. Winifrid; Abbess Very Old depiction of St. Winifrid St. Winifrid or St. Winefride (Welsh: Gwenffrewi; Latin: Vinefrida) was a 7 th century Welsh Christian woman around whom many historical legends have formed. A healing spring at the traditional site where she was martyred is now a shrine of pilgrimage called St. Winefride s Well, in Holywell, Flintshire, Wales, and is known as the Lourdes of Wales because of the healing power of the spring. Winifrid was of noble birth, but desired to live the life of a Benedictine contemplative. She spurned the efforts of a noble suitor named Cardadog who flew into a rage and tried to slay her with his sword. She miraculously survived the attempt but bore on her neck a deep scar of the act for the rest of her life. She entered Benedictine convent near Holywell, the site of her attempted murder. She lived at this abbey for eight years and then sought retirement to the hermetic life, but not before making a pilgrimage to Rome. The pilgrimage evidently had some bearing on her determination of becoming a hermit, for when next we hear of her, she is the abbess of Gutherine Abbey in Wales. She died about 660. Exact record of her life is scanty and infused with legend. Whatever truth about her life may be, Winifrid has been venerated as a saint since the time of her death. Since that time, too, her Well at Holywell has been a place of pilgrimage and healing the only such place in Britain with a continuous history of public pilgrimage for over 13 centuries. Not even the English Reformation touched the site, which is remarkable indeed, a tribute perhaps to this saint s influence and protection, and the rugged spirit of independence of the Welsh toward the English! The well itself, originally came from a mountain
10. spring, and is housed in a shrine to St. Winifrid. It s regarded as one of the finest surviving examples of medieval holy wells in Britain. There are other springs in Britain that have been attributed to her presence: one near Oswestry, in Shropshire, England, and another between the towns of Tattenhall and Clutton in Cheshire, England. A spring on Lansdown Hill, in Bath is known as St. Winifrid s Spring. All of these springs are well known for their healing properties. A Norman-period Church dedicated to St. Winifrid can be found in the village of Branscombe, in Devon, England. St. Winifrid s well, Holy Well, Wales St. Winifrid s feast day was originally on November 2 nd, but that day being All Soul s Day, her feast is translated to the next day, November 3 rd. Winifrid is officially recognized by the Roman Catholic, Anglican Catholic, and Eastern Churches as a saint. As a first milleneum saint, she was recognized by popular acclimation rather than having been formally canonized. The same holds true of her nearmartyrdom. St. Winifrid s remains are believed to have been kept at Shewsbury Abbey but may have been removed to Holy Well when the Abbey was surpressed by Henry VIII. To those familiar with the famous Brother Cadfael series written by Ellis Peters, Br. Cadfael, a Welsh monk living at an English Abbey has a kind of special understanding with St. Winifrid, whom he affectionately calls the girl. Her relics get frequent mention throughout the series! 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
11. Goin Nutz with Brother Sylvester By Brother Raymond A. Crowe, O.S.B. We don t get many Hallowe en visitors here at the priory. The numbers range from none to an all-time record of 6! We do keep candy on hand just in case. Br. Sylvester always does his part by showing up in costume to brighten the evening up. Here s a sneak preview of what he ll be wearing this year. We noticed that he has Jack the Cat on his bag... and wouldn t be surprised in the least, if Jack was hiding in that bag, just waiting for his cut of the loot! A safe Hallowe en to all both young and old! Goin Nutz with Br. Sylvester is an occasional article written by our very own Br. Raymond A. Crowe. Br. Raymond keeps an eye on things around the Priory from above, and is often treated to some pretty silly goings-on. He enjoys sharing with you, our dear readers, some of the lighter things that take place here on what seems to be a rather regular basis!
12. Animal News by Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. Pirate takes it easy on a fine late October afternoon! Pirate, the horse, continues to surprise us with his very gentlemanly demeanor in spite of all that he has been through. He is very afraid of sudden movements but reacts in a way that is consistent and predictable which is good for all concerned. He is eating well and continuing to very slowly gain some weight. His grain and carrots are his favorite things.oh and Oliver his pony friend. We are in this for the long haul with this amazing animal and are keeping our fingers crossed for a complete comeback on his part. Pirate is a big horse and eats lots of food.constantly. We can really use your help now and throughout the winter and beyond. Good results do not happen by magic they happen by the grace of God, an animal s particular will to live and thrive, hard work on our part and your financial support. We cannot do this without your kindness. May God continue to richly bless you all.
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14. Making progress..can we say Pirate s Progress?! Fr. Kevin who loves to give all the critters here nicknames calls Pirate; The Good Captain! a sure sign of affection and respect! Jack the Cat and friend