"Pope Benedict XVI declared a year dedicated to St. Paul, beginning on June 28, 2008, the eve of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and continuing through June 29, 2009. The Holy Father said that the year, marking the 2000th anniversary of the saint's birth, should be used to heighten appreciation for the Apostle to the Gentiles and to his project of promoting the Christian faith and the unity of believers."
Only three birthdays are celebrated in the Catholic Church. We celebrate the birth of Christ around the time of the winter solstice, after which the days increase in length in the regions of early Christendom. John the Baptist was born around the time of the summer solstice, after which the days decrease. This reminds us of the words of the last of Christ's prophets:
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
John the Baptist is usually depicted as pointing, because he points towards Christ, as in this Titian masterpiece:
Titian.St. John the Baptist. c.1540. Oil on canvas. Gallerie dell' Accademia, Venice, Italy
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." John 6:51 -58
Jesus Christ in the eucharist--body, blood, soul, and divinity--is unique to the Catholic faith; it is, in fact, central to it. During the Last Supper Christ shows us how to fulfill what He says in the above passage. The priests of the Catholic Church have repeated it continuously ever since.
The Truth of the eucharist is what brought me fully into the Catholic faith. The Church, the Body of Christ on earth, will stumble, but it will never be abandoned by the Holy Spirit; people will sin, but we will never be separated from God. I, too, forgive and am forgiven, endure and am renewed because of the eucharist.Here is art depicting the eucharist:
The Institution of the Eucharist by Joos van Wassenhove,
c.1474 (50 Kb); Oil on panel; Gallery of the Marches, Ducal Palace, Urbino, Italy
Disputa (Disputation over the Sacrament) by Raphael, 1510-1511. Fresco. Vaticano, Stanza della Segnatura, Rome.
Though the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible, it is filled with many passages demonstrating its reality. In fact, we are baptized as Matthew describes:
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.'" Matthew 28:18-20.
Jesus said, "...in the name of..." rather than, "...in the names of..." And there are many, many more.
This is a wonderful example of Catholic Sacred Tradition; it does not create doctrine, but rather reflects a deepening of our understanding through the Holy Spirit. The origins of the Holy Trinity to describe the relationship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit go back to St. Theophilus when he uses the word Triad around the year 180.
Here is some artwork relating to the Holy Trinity.
The Holy Trinity by El Greco, 1577, paint on canvas, Museo del Prado, Madrid
Trinity is the towering centerpiece of a major renovation at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Trinity by Andrei Rublyov c. 1411, tempera on panel, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow (An example of the Byzantine representation of the the Holy Trinity as three men)
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
1290s, Fresco, Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi
COME, Holy Ghost,
send down those beams,
which sweetly flow in silent streams
from Thy bright throne above.
O come, Thou Father of the poor;
O come, Thou source of all our store,
come, fill our hearts with love.
O Thou, of comforters the best,
O Thou, the soul's delightful guest,
the pilgrim's sweet relief.
Rest art Thou in our toil, most sweet
refreshment in the noonday heat;
and solace in our grief.
O blessed Light of life Thou art;
Fill with Thy light the inmost heart
of those who hope in Thee.
Without Thy Godhead nothing can,
have any price or worth in man,
nothing can harmless be.
Lord, wash our sinful stains away,
refresh from heaven our barren clay,
our wounds and bruises heal.
To Thy sweet yoke our stiff necks bow,
warm with Thy fire our hearts of snow,
our wandering feet recall.
Grant to Thy faithful, dearest Lord,
whose only hope is Thy sure word,
the sevenfold gifts of grace.
Grant us in life Thy grace that we,
in peace may die and ever be,
in joy before Thy face.
Amen. Alleluia.
This poem, Come Holy Spirit, was likely written by Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton (d. 1228), and is regarded as one of the greatest pieces of sacred Latin poetry. Here is the Latin version. It is known as the Golden Sequence, used as the sequence for Mass on Pentecost Sunday.
Scenes from the Life: Pentecost of Christ by Giotto
1304-1306, Fresco, Capella Scrovegni, Padua
VENI, Sancte Spiritus,
et emitte caelitus
lucis tuae radium.
Veni, pater pauperum,
veni, dator munerumveni,
lumen cordium.
Consolator optime,
dulcis hospes animae,
dulce refrigerium.
In labore requies,
in aestu temperies
in fletu solatium.
O lux beatissima,
reple cordis intima
tuorum fidelium.
Sine tuo numine,
nihil est in homine,
nihil est innoxium.
Lava quod est sordidum,
riga quod est aridum,
sana quod est saucium.
Flecte quod est rigidum,
fove quod est frigidum,
rege quod est devium.
Da tuis fidelibus,
in te confidentibus,
sacrum septenarium.
Da virtutis meritum,
da salutis exitum,
da perenne gaudium,
Amen, Alleluia.
Oremus Hymnal has the words and midi tune to a hymn based on this poem.
Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful blogging homeschooling moms!
"...why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as you have seen him going into heaven." Acts 1:11
The artwork is John Singleton Copley, The Ascension 1775, oil on canvas. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Today is the National Day of Prayer.
Let us pray for our country and its leaders.I pray we may become an example for religious freedom around the world.
The photograph is Joe Rosenthal, American Marines Raising American Flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo JimaGelatin silver print, 1945, Wide World/Associated Press
May is also devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary.Read about the origins of this devotion at Catholic Culture.
The artwork is Boticelli Madonna of the Magnificat, c.1485; Tempera on Panel, in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence
Holy Week was unique and glorious at our parish.Thank you Fr. S, Fr. D, Sr. J, and Paul, a deacon-in-training.I will miss being at church so much.
Though I planned and did a lot to examine my conscience and grow closer to God during Lent, He gave me a message I did not even know I needed.Of course He did; I am glad I was listening.I gave up my well-paying job, my drive for a career that I prepared for through my education, my lifestyle.Don’t I trust in the Lord, huh, don’t I, don’t I?
I guess I’m just a control freak, and the Lord set me straight.
Perhaps if I were more quiet, more contemplative, more prayerful I wouldn’t need a crisis to realize that I need to change what I am doing.Perhaps I should kneel in prayer before, and constantly seek His will while, preparing our lessons.Now isn’t that a silly question.
For those of you who do not subscribe to the Catholic Culture newsletter (it's free and I highly recommend it), Dr. Jeff Mirus has posted links to readings for each day of the Triduum. The whole site is a wonderful wealth of Catholic information, education, and suggestions.
Yesterday we colored Easter eggs with our co-op group. It was fun to have an ad hoc activity where we all just figured things out as we went along. We went to Mass last night--Tuesday night Mass is one of the wonderful things our parish has that allows the whole family to attend together. I brought the kids again this morning. During the small morning Mass we all stand around the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist and receive both species of Christ.
Finally, a morning at home to relax! I am having friends over this afternoon to play board games--it's a good day for it with all the rain. I am reading through the PACE book and so far I really like it...
-----Avatar is "Muse" by Henri Martin-----
Muse...1: to become absorbed in thought; especially: to turn something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively
2. archaic: WONDER, MARVEL. Transitive senses: to think or say reflectively.
Day five of the Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts
