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Glory Unveiled

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I’m late, but I’m back!  “Theology On Tap” and “Daughters Of The King” craziness is mostly over now so proper blogging should resume shortly…

2nd Sunday of Lent: 4th March, 2012

The Readings this Sunday are a source of encouragement to strengthen to us during this Lenten season.

In the First Reading we read the familiar story of the testing of Abraham. This patriarch was asked by God to offer what was most precious to him, his own beloved son. This Reading demonstrates the obedience of Abraham, but it also gives us a picture of the love of God the Father who “so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” – John 3:16.

The theme of Christ’s sacrifice is picked up by St. Paul in our Second Reading where he asks “[God] did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?”. 

Finally, in this week’s Gospel we read the story of the Transfiguration. Jesus, together with His “inner circle” ascend a mountain where His glory is unveiled. While transfigured, Jesus is visited by the two greatest figures in Old Testament history, Moses and Elijah.

As this Lenten season continues, let us be inspired by Abraham’s love of God, comforted by the love of the Father which made Him give His Son and humbled by the love of the Son that He would come be our redeemer. Let us too  become “transfigured”, transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ as we serve Him in the world.

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Guest Post: Holy Hunger (Part 2)

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Yesterday was the first guest post we’ve had here on this blog. I’m hoping that it’ll be the first of many to come. If you have an idea for an article which you would like to have published here, please contact me and we can try and work something out.

So yesterday, in preparation for Lent, I invited my good friend Dominic to speak to us on the subject of fasting. He gave us an introduction to the subject, spoke about some of the examples we have from Sacred Scripture and discussed the motivation behind fasting.

Today he’s going to offer some concluding thoughts…

Preparation for Fasting

We need to go into fasting with a positive attitude, knowing that fasting is the will of God and is rewarded (Matthew 6:17-18). Also since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), it is entirely appropriate for us to benefit physically as well as spiritually from fasting.

Pray for strength and take things one step at a time. Guard against spiritual attack. The Devil doesn’t like fasting and he will try to undermine you. You may feel doubts, fear, loneliness or temptations. Stand firm knowing that God loves you and rewards those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

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Guest Post: Holy Hunger (Part 1)

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Today I’m delighted to welcome Dominic Meigh to the Restless Pilgrim website.

Dominic is a good friend of mine from England. He lives in the town of Cheltenham with his wonderful wife Mary. He is an extremely knowledgeable Catholic and an active member of his parish’s music ministry. This man knows far more about liturgical chant than is probably healthy… 

This is the first guest post we’ve had here at Restless Pilgrim and I’m hoping that it’ll be the first of many to come. If you have an idea for an article which you would like to have published here, please contact me and we can try and work something out.

With Lent only a few days away, Dominic will be helping us prepare for it by speaking to us on a subject intimately related with this penitential season, the practice of fasting…

The Power of Prayer & Fasting

The Bishops of England and Wales have recently reinstated the practice of abstinence from meat on Fridays. Fasting (including abstinence) not only helps us to humble ourselves but it has also long been recognised as a powerful tool in intercession.

More and more people recognise this and are sensing God calling them to fast, particularly for ministry. But many are daunted at the prospect of going without food, fearing they cannot do it and consequently feel guilty. Fortunately, there is a more gentle way, but more on that tomorrow…

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The Kingdom Rosary

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I know I said I wasn’t going to blog any more this month, but I found some time this lunchtime to write down a few thoughts…

Last week at “Theology On Tap” Bernadine Carr gave a talk on the subject of The Beatitudes (“Blessed are the poor in spirit…”). In the run-up to her talk I was reminded of a devotional practice I followed years ago when I was living in Cheltenham…

I found myself drawn to praying with rosary beads, but at that time I didn’t feel comfortable with praying the Marian prayers of the rosary. So what I did was to replace the “Hail Mary”s and “Hail Holy Queen”s with short passages of Scripture and pray with those instead.

An example of this is found below. It is a guide to what could be dubbed the “Kingdom Rosary” or “The Rosary of St. Matthew”.

The Kingdom Rosary (MS Word) | The Kingdom Rosary (PDF)

At the beginning of this month, in preparation for Bernadine’s talk, I began this “Kingdom Rosary” and quickly fell in love with it all over again. It’s really helpful for memorizing Scripture and it’s also much shorter than a traditional Rosary, which is ideal if I’m walking just a couple of blocks to pick up a sandwich for lunch.

If any of you end up doing one of these or have any suggested alterations, please leave a comment below 🙂

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Provisions for the journey

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Dionysius The GreatIt is the Catholic practice to give Holy Communion to those who are about to die. This is known in Latin as viaticum, literally “provisions for the journey”.

I recently came across this story concerning viaticum from the third epistle from St. Dionysius The Great written in the early 3rd Century. This simple story gives us a deep look inside the life of Early Church. We see the serious consequences which were associated with apostasy (denying Christ) and we also see the ardent Eucharistic desire of one desiring reconciliation:

To Fabius, Bishop of Antioch.

I shall give an account of one particular case that occurred here. There was with us a certain Sarapion, an aged believer. He had spent his long life blamelessly, but had fallen in the time of trial [the persecution]. Often did he pray [for absolution], and no one listened to him, for he had sacrificed to idols.

He fell sick and, for three successive days, lay mute and senseless. Recovering a little on the fourth day, he called his grandchild, and said, “My son, how long will you detain me? Hurry, I beg you, and absolve me quickly. Summon one of the priests for me.” When he had said this, he became speechless again.

The boy ran for the priest; but it was night, and the man was sick, and was consequently unable to come. But I had issued an injunction, that persons at the point of death, if they requested absolution, and especially if they had earnestly sought it before, should be absolved, so that they might depart this life in cheerful hope. So the priest gave the boy a small portion of the Eucharist, telling him to steep it in water and drop it into the old man’s mouth.

The boy returned bearing the portion. As he came near but before he had yet entered, Sarapion again recovered and said, “You have come, my child, and the priest was unable to come; but do quickly what you were instructed to do, and so let me depart.” The boy steeped the morsel in water and immediately dropped it into the [old man’s] mouth.

After he had swallowed a little of it, he gave up his spirit. Is it not obvious that he was preserved in life just until he could be absolved; and, with the sin wiped away, he could be acknowledge for the many good works he had done?

– St. Dionysius The Great, Epistle 3

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