“Don’t waste time in your life trying to get even with your enemies. The grave is a tremendous equalizer. Six weeks after you all are dead, you’ll look pretty much the same. Let the Lord take care of those whom you think have harmed you. All you have to do is love and forgive. Try to forget and leave all else to the Master.”
- Mother Angelica
As a wise man once said, “Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday”…
“Just as priests and religious lay prostrate as they make their vows to God, we felt called also to make this act of love during our wedding. As one of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal C.F.R. chanted the Litany of the Saints, both Cristina and I laid prostrate (Cristina with a little difficulty in her dress!) as we vowed to take on the cross that we had each previously carried as singles. Lying there defenseless, we both committed our lives and souls to God by entrusting them to our spouse. We committed our dreams and goals and our past and future in sacrifice to one another”
“As long as we live, we fight, and as long as we are fighting, that is a sign that we are not defeated and that the good Spirit dwells within us. And if death does not meet you as the victor, he should find you a warrior” - St. Augustine
There are a number of common themes found among the Reading for Mass this week. Death is the subject our First Reading from the Book of Wisdom and it is found again in our Gospel. The theme of Faith in God’s saving power is also present. In our psalm we sing “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me” and in our Gospel Reading we hear of two such individuals who reached out to Jesus in faith and were blessed.
As we come to the Eucharist this week, let us fall at the feet of Jesus, reach out with expectant faith, praying for the Lord to restore us to the fullness of life.
In times of spiritual cooling and laziness, imagine in your heart those past times when you were full of zeal…remember your past efforts and the energy with which you opposed those who wished to obstruct your progress. These recollections will reawaken your soul from its deep sleep, will invest it anew with the fire of zeal, will raise it, as it were, from the dead and will make it engage in an ardent struggle against the devil and sin, thus returning to its former rank. -St. Isaak of Syria
“Abide With Me” by Henry Lyte is probably one of my all-time favourite hymns:
We sang it at my grandfather’s funeral. It seems appropriate for Maundy Thursday…
| 1. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. |
2. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see— O Thou who changest not, abide with me. |
| 3. I need Thy presence every passing hour; What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. |
4. I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness; Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me. |
| 5. Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies; Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me |
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It was announced today that Kim Jon-il is dead. It’s appropriate therefore that today we hear a little bit from “Tales of Mere Existence” on the subject of “Death”…
Today I’d like to look at one of the most misunderstood doctrines of the Catholic Faith: Purgatory.
I’m not going to try and give a thorough theological treatment of this doctrine; others infinitely more qualified than I have done that. Rather, I would just like to offer a few thoughts that have helped me in my own acceptance and understanding of this teaching.
The doctrine of Purgatory is something that a lot of non-Catholics struggle with, yet in an odd twist, it was actually one of the first Catholic doctrines I came to hold during my return journey to the Catholic Church. I came to believe in it because it’s a doctrine that is beautiful, Scriptural and profoundly logical.
Unfortunately, it’s also one of those doctrines which is often poorly understood. For example, I’ve come across Catholics and ex-Catholics who were under the impression that Purgatory is basically Hell, or that Hell is still a possibility for those in Purgatory. The Catholic Catechism denies both of these ideas, saying:
“[Purgatory is a] purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven… [It is experienced by those]…who die in God’s grace and friendship, but [who are] still imperfectly purified… This final purification of the elect…is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” – CCC 1030-1031
The common objection you hear from non-Catholics is “But ‘purgatory’ isn’t even mentioned the Bible!” And they’re right. The word “purgatory” does not exist in the Bible, but then again, neither does “Trinity” nor “Hypostatic Union”, yet all mainstream Christians believe in both of these doctrines. A simple word-search is not enough to understand this teaching…
