Bright Wednesday

Then beginning with Moses and the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Luke 24:27, 30-31, 35

Recognition of Jesus is through faith stirred by grace. How often has it been said that if I receive an unmistakeable sign that faith would result? But those who knew Jesus did not recognize him after the resurrection; only by grace that prompted faith could they say it is the Lord and believe in him. We must remain mindful that no intellectual deduction will allow us to recognize him and no power of will can by itself produce faith in him; his revelation of himself is a gratuitous gift.

Panis angelicus fit panis hominum; Dat panis cœlicus figuris terminum:
The angelic bread is made the bread of men; he giveth the heavenly bread, the end of figures.

O res mirabilis! Manducat Dominum pauper, servus et humilis.
O wondrous thing! The poor and humble servant consumes the Lord.

Te trina Deitas unaque poscimus: Sic nos tu visita, sicut te colimus;
Thee, three and one Deity, we beseech; do thou visit us, even as we worship.

Per tuas semitas duc nos quo tendimus, Ad lucem quam inhabitas. Amen.
Through thy ways, lead us who draw toward the light that thou inhabitest. Amen.

Bright Tuesday

"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

John 20:17

"Noli me tangere" is one of the cryptic things said by Jesus after his resurrection. "Me mou haptou" is perhaps best rendered by the NAB- "Stop holding on to me," do not cling to me- physical separation from Jesus is necessary for the sending of the Spirit and his continued presence.

It is sometimes difficult to move beyond consolations, but it is necessary because we are called to love and seek God, not the consolations of God, and only by letting go of created things can we embrace their Creator more fully.

Chorale:
Alleluia!

O filii et filiae, Rex caelestis, Rex gloriae morte surrexit hodie. Alleluia!
O sons and daughters, the heavenly King, the King of of glory, rose from death today. Alleluia!

Et Maria Magdalene, et Iacobi, et Salome venerunt corpus ungere. Alleluia!
And Mary Magdalen, and [the mother] of James, and Salome came to anoint the body. Alleluia!

Ex mane prima Sabbati ad ostium monumenti accesserunt discipuli. Alleluia!
On the first morning after the Sabbath the disciples came to the door of the tomb. Alleluia!

Et Ioannes apostolus cucurrit Petro citius, monumento venit prius. Alleluia!
And the Apostle John ran swifter than Peter, and came to the tomb first. Alleluia!

In hoc festo sanctissimo sit laus et iubilatio: benedicamus Domino. Alleluia!
On this most holy feast be praise and rejoicing: let us bless the Lord. Alleluia!

Ex quibus nos humillimas devotas atque debitas Deo dicamus gratias. Alleluia!
From which let us give thanks most devotedly and duly to God. Alleluia!

Paschal Sunday of the Resurrection

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!

Psalm 118 (Antiphon)

Victimae paschali laudes immolent Christiani.
Let Christians offer sacrificial praises to the paschal victim.

Agnus redemit oves: Christus innocens Patri reconciliavit peccatores.
The lamb has redeemed the sheep: The Innocent Christ has reconciled sinners to the Father.

Mors et vita duello conflixere mirando: dux vitae mortuus, regnat vivus.
Death and life contended in a spectacular battle: the Prince of life, who died, reigns alive.

Dic nobis Maria, quid vidisti in via? 
Tell us, Mary, what did you see on the road? 

Sepulcrum Christi viventis, et gloriam vidi resurgentis: Angelicos testes, sudarium, et vestes.
"I saw the tomb of the living Christ and the glory of his rising, The angelic witnesses, the clothes and the shroud."

Surrexit Christus spes mea: praecedet suos in Galilaeam.
"Christ my hope is arisen; into Galilee, he will go before his own."

Scimus Christum surrexisse a mortuis vere: tu nobis, victor Rex, miserere. Amen. Alleluia!
We know Christ is truly risen from the dead! On us, victor King, have mercy! Amen. Alleluia!


Notre pâque immolée c'est le Christ, rassurons-nous dans la joie un feston de Seigneur.
Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed; let us then feast with joy in the Lord.

Holy Saturday

Come, let us return to the LORD, for it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;  he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence. 

           Hosea 6:1b-2 (Office of Lauds)

Incepit oratio Hieremiae Prophetae:

Thus begins the prayer of Jeremiah the Prophet:

Recordare, Domine, quid acciderit nobis; intuere et respice opprobrium nostrum.

Remember, O Lord, what hath come upon us; consider and behold our reproach.

Hereditas nostra versa est ad alienos, domus nostrae ad extraneos.
Our inheritance is turned to aliens, our houses to strangers.

Pupilli facti sumus absque patre, matres nostrae quasi viduae.
Orphans we are made without father, our mothers are as widows.

Aquam nostram pecunia bibimus, ligna nostra pretio comparamus.
Our water at a price we have drunk, our wood at a price we have purchased.

Cervicibus minamur nostris; lassis non datur requies.
By our necks we are dragged, weary and not given rest.

Aegyptiis dedimus manum et Assyriis, ut saturaremur pane.
We have given our hand to the Egyptians and Assyrians, that we might be satisfied by bread.

Patres nostri peccaverunt et non sunt, et nos iniquitates eorum portamus.
Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.

Servi dominantur nostri; non est qui redimat de manu eorum.
Servants have rules us; there is none who redeems us from their hand.

Vitae nostrae periculo afferimus panem nobis a facie gladii in deserto.
At peril of our life we brought bread, because of the sword in the desert.

Converte nos, Domine, ad te, et convertemur; innova dies nostros sicut a principio.
Convert us, O Lord, to thee, and we shall be converted: renew our days, as from the beginning.

Holy Tuesday

"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow me later. Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times."

John 13:36, 38

We must experience the love of God before we can follow Jesus with an undivided heart. Peter loved Jesus and earnestly desired to follow him, but he did not yet know the depth of Jesus' love for him and his own love had not yet matured through suffering. Jesus' first instruction to his disciples after he commanded them love one another as I have loved you was watch and pray, to remain close to him although he would be taken away. This is our instruction also, our induction into the school of love, to watch and pray, remaining by Jesus' side before and above all else.

Chant:

Ave verum corpus, natum de Maria Virgine, vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine,
Hail, true Body, born of the Virgin Mary, having truly suffered, sacrificed on the cross for mankind,

cuius latus perforatum fluxit aqua et sanguine: esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine.
whose pierced side flowed with water and blood: be for us a foretaste [of Heaven] in the trial of death.

O Jesu dulcis, O Jesu pie, O Jesu, fili Mariae.
O sweet Jesus, O loving Jesus, O Jesus, Son of Mary.

Holy Monday

Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.    John 12:3

Acts of penance cannot impress the Lord or win pardon for sins; it is only as signs of a contrite and humbled spirit that the actions accompanying our repentance are pleasing sacrifices.

Psalm 51 [50]
Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam; 
Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. 

et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam.
and according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my iniquity.

Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea et a peccato meo munda me. 
Wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 

Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco, et peccatum meum contra me est semper.
For my iniquity I know, and my sin is before me always.

Tibi soli peccavi et malum coram te feci, ut iustificeris in sermonibus tuis et vincas cum iudicaveris. 
To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judged. 

Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum, et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.
For behold in iniquities I was conceived, and in sins did my mother conceive me.

Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi. 
For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me. 

Asperges me hysopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam, et exultabunt ossa humiliata.
To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness, and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice. 

Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis et omnes iniquitates meas dele.
Turn away thy face from my sins, and all my iniquities blot out.

Cor mundum crea in me, Deus, et spiritum firmum innova in visceribus meis. 
A clean heart create in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within my bowels. 

Ne proicias me a facie tua et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
Cast me not away from thy face and thy holy spirit take not from me.

Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui et spiritu principale confirma me. 
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit. 

Docebo iniquos vias tuas, et impii ad te convertentur.
I will teach the unjust thy ways, and the wicked shall be converted to thee.

Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae, et exsultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam. 
Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall extol thy justice. 

Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
O Lord, thou wilt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

Quoniam si voluisses sacrificum, dedissem utique; holocaustis non delectaberis.
For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted. 

Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus; cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non dispicies.
A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a heart contrite and humbled, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion; ut aedificentur muri Hierusalem. 
Deal favorably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae, oblationes et holocausta; tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.
Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings; then shall they lay calves upon thy altar.

Festum!

Hodie est Festum Nativitatis Beatae Mariae Virginis! (And I'm ready for the quiz!)

In honor of the Nativity of Mary, we had a day off from studies and took a trip up to Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire. The family of Fr. Ed Broom, an associate at the Oblate parish in Los Angeles, hosts an annual picnic for the OMV postulants at their lakeside home. It was great not only to escape Latin drills but to have hiking, kayaking, swimming, tennis, and barbecue.

 

Domus magnus apud lacum (the large house at the lake).

Conflictio epica inter tamais et sciurus in dispensatoribus aviarius cibi (epic chipmunk vs. squirrel face off at the bird feeder).

Excitus super navigatione in caiac! (excited about kayaking!)

I might never have wanted to come back to the city, but a fortuitously timed downpour got us on the road at the right time; late enough that I escaped having to make dinner (the postulants have assigned weekends to prepare evening meals) but early enough to eat it! Br. Jerry, a brother from the Philippines, was kind enough to do my job, prepared an excellent Italian-style dinner, and even had a birthday cake.