Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Sermon by Br, Barry

Terce 2 Feb 2013 View Window
Foundation Day

Ordinary Time: February 2nd

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

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----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Br.  Barry  ...
Sent: Saturday, 2 February 2013, 8:31
Subject: Presentation

PRESENTATION 2013.

‘Forty days have passed since we celebrated the joyful feast of the Nativity of the Lord’. The Christmas Season has come and gone. The days after Epiphany were followed by the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Although part of Ordinary Time, the Baptism can be seen as the climax of the revelations of Christmastide because of its dramatic revelation of the Divine Persons of the Most Holy Trinity.

The Presentation of Jesus by Mary and Joseph occurred decades before the Baptism. Does that mean that the Trinity has no place or, at best, only a place in the background of today’s feast ?

The Father is present for ‘ the Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord whose throne is in heaven ( psalm 10 ). The Son, the Logos, is there of course, an infant in his mother’s arms. What of the Holy Spirit ? As is to be expected in Luke’s gospel, the Spirit features prominently. But notice a strange thing. Mary, bride of the Spirit is there. Her Son, conceived by the Spirit is there. St. Joseph, spouse of Mary is there.

Yet it is Simeon whom the Evangelist associates with the Holy Spirit.

Simeon is prompted by the Spirit to go the Temple in the first place. Movement is a proper characteristic of the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Trinity, the Father is said to generate the Son but the Spirit ‘proceeds’ from the Father and the Son.

Saint Albert the Great, no less, has tried to say something about this procession of the Spirit from the Father and the Son, albeit in the strange language of the medieval scholastics: ‘the term’ procession’ indicates locomotion and voluntary motion. To proceed simply by such motion befits the Holy Spirit because love and spirit proceed voluntarily.’ You have to think about that one.

Against this should be set the wise words of St. Gregory Nazianzus, ‘What then is Procession ? You tell me what is the Unbegotteness of the Father and I will explain to you the Generation of the Son and the Procession of the Spirit, and we shall both be frenzy- stricken for prying into the mystery of God’.

Simeon, then, moves through the Temple prompted by the One who is always associated with movement.

Next, still under the influence of the Spirit, he recognises the Saviour in Mary’s child. This is a perfect example of St. Irenaeus’ famous formula: ‘ just as there is no knowing the Father without the Son, so there is no knowing the Son without the Spirit’. Simeon then directs his talk to Mary. His attention is on Jesus, his talk with Mary, Simeon is a model of devotion.

He introduces a note of the Cross, ‘a sword shall pierce your own soul’: the Spirit has revealed to Simeon that all his marvellous privileges: his prophetic knowledge of the future, his setting eyes on the Saviour, his friendship with God have their source in the Cross.

Just why has the Evangelist linked the Holy Spirit with Simeon in these ways. It is clear that readers and listeners to this Gospel passage are meant to identify with Simeon. He is the most prominent character even if not the most important one. So for us too there is no knowing the Son without the Spirit, there is no friendship with God, nor any of the supernatural graces, without the Spirit.

The feast of the Presentation has also been the World Day of Consecrated Life since 1997. The Presentation is about a total offering of a life. In his Apostolic Exhortation on the Consecrated Life, Pope John Paul the Second wrote ‘ the consecrated person points to Christ loved above all things and to the mystery of the Trinity……. as the ultimate goal of every religious journey’.

That would make Simeon a model religious.

______________________________________________

Dom Donald's Blog: Presentation Feb 2nd - Nunraw anniversary 1946

02 Feb 2011

Presentation Feb 2nd - Nunraw anniversary 1946. Candlemass, the Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord. The Rite of the Blessing of the Candles was celebrated in the early morning Cloister, We carried the lighted ...

http://nunraw.blogspot.com/

COMMENT: Angels in Common Preface II

612 The Order of Mass

COMMON PREFACE II

Salvation through Christ

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks,

Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For in goodness you created man

and, when he was justly condemned,

in mercy you redeemed him,

through Christ our Lord.

Through him the Angels praise your majesty,

Dominions adore and Powers tremble before you.

Heaven and the Virtues of heaven and the blessed Seraphim

worship together with exultation.

May our voices, we pray, join with theirs

in humble praise, as we acclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts . . .

Mass - Angels and Archangels

Friday 1 February 2013  

Friday of week 3 of the year   

Listening to the Mass this morning, the voice of the Presiding priest was clear, 

and at that point I was riveted to the words of Angels and Archangels,

Thrones and Dominions, all hosts and Powers. 

Leads me back to the classic history and theology of Danielou - the picture right.

Then N. mentioned to me that the BBC Songs of Praise are to feature 

the author of 'Angels in My Hair' by Lorna Byrne.  

Already, after dream of chaos I was asking the Angels to guide thoughts, 

and felt the words from the Common Preface I speaking even more clear.

+ + +

The Order of Mass

COMMON PREFACE I

The renewal of all things in Christ

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks,

Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,

through Christ our Lord.

In him you have been pleased to renew all things,

giving us all a share in his fullness.

For though he was in the form of God, he emptied himself

and by the blood of his Cross brought peace to all creation.

Therefore he has been exalted above all things,

and to all who obey him,

has become the source of eternal salvation.

And so, with Angels and Archangels,

with Thrones and Dominions,

and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,

we sing the hymn of your glory,

as without end we acclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts . . .

  http://www.universalis.com/static/mass/orderofmass.htm  

St. Bridgid of Ireland (+ 523)

Brigid's Cross
courtesy fisheaters.com

Friday, 01 February 2013 St. Bridgid of Ireland (+ 523) SAINT BRIDGID Abbess, and Patroness of Ireland (c. 453-523) Santa_Brigida_dIrlanda-di_Cell_Dara-I         Next to the glorious St. Patrick, St. Bridgid, whom we may consider his spiritual daughter in Christ, has ever been held in singular veneration in Ireland. She was born about the year 453, at Fochard in Ulster. During her infancy, her pious father saw in a vision men clothed in white garments pouring a sacred unguent on her head, thus prefiguring her future sanctity. While yet very young, Bridgid consecrated her life to God, bestowed everything at her disposal on the poor, and was the edification of all who knew her. She was very beautiful, and fearing that efforts might be made to induce her to break the vow by which she had bound herself to God, and to bestow her hand on one of her many suitors, she prayed that she might become ugly and deformed. Her prayer was heard, for her eye became swollen, and her whole countenance so changed that she was allowed to follow her vocation in peace, and marriage with her was no more thought of. When about twenty years old, our Saint made known to St. Mel, the nephew and disciple of St. Patrick, her intention to live only to Jesus Christ, and he consented to receive her sacred vows. On the appointed day the solemn ceremony of her profession was performed after the manner introduced by St. Patrick, the bishop offering up many prayers, and investing Bridgid with a snow-white habit, and a cloak of the same colour. While she bowed her head on this occasion to receive the veil, a miracle of a singularly striking and impressive nature occurred: that part of the wooden platform adjoining the altar on which she knelt recovered its original vitality, and put on all its former verdure, retaining it for a long time after. At the same moment Bridgid's eye was healed, and she became as beautiful and as lovely as ever. ......................

« Morning Prayer 2.1.10, St. Brigid (Bride), Abbess of Kildare, c. 523

Evening Prayer 2.1.10, St. Brigid (or Bride) of Ireland, c. 523

St. Bride's, London, designed by Christopher Wren

February 1, 2010 by Josh   

From the rising of the sun to its setting my Name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to my Name, and a pure offering; for my Name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.Malachi 1:11

Kindling Our Lamp - Symeon the New Theologian

Sanctuary Lamp glow and flickering
Cleft in the Log (Cleft in the Rock, Moses,Elijah)

MAGNIFICAT.COM

Last day of January

Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

MASS

Alleluia, alleluia! You will shine in the world like bright stars because you are offering it the word of life. AIleluia!

• A lamp is to be put on a lamp-stand, The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given .•

A reading from

the holy Gospel according to Mark       4:21-25

JESUS SAID TO his disciples, "Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light.

If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this." ...

MEDITATION OF THE DAY

Kindling Our Lamp

God is fire and he is so called by all the inspired Scripture (cf. He 12:29).

The soul of each of us is a lamp.

Now a lamp is wholly in darkness, even though it be filled with oil or tow or other combustible matter, until it receives fire and is kindled.

So too the soul, though it may seem to be adorned with all virtues, yet does not receive the fire-in other words, has not received the divine nature and light-and is still unkindled and dark and its works are uncertain.

All things must be tested and manifested by the light (cf. Ep 5:13).

The man whose sours lamp is still in darkness, that is, untouched by the divine fire, stands the more in need of a guide with a shining torch, who will discern his actions.

As he has compassion for the faults he reveals in confession he will straightway straighten out whatever is crooked in his actions.

Just as he who walks in the night cannot avoid stumbling, so he who has not yet seen the divine light cannot avoid falling into sin.

As Christ says, "If any­one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees this light.

But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because he has not the light in him" (In 11:9- 10).

When he said "in him", he meant the divine and immaterial light, for no one can possess the physical light in himself.

SAINT SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN +1022

The Discourses (Classics of Western Spirituality) [Paperback]

C. J. De Catanzaro (Author), Symeon (Author)

   4.8 out of 5 stars      See all reviews

 (5 customer reviews) Amazon com Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 1980 | Series: Classics of Western Spirituality

Father George Maloney in his introduction to this volume focuses directly on the special importance of St. Symeon and on how similar the religious situation of his era is to our own. "Concretely, the battle of two opposing views of theology centered around St. Symeon and his mystical apophatic approach of the experiencing of God immanently present to the individual, as opposed to the "head trip" scholastic theology as represented by Archbishop Stephen of Nicomedia, the official theologian at the court of Constantinople. Stephen represented the abstract, philosophical type of theologizing while Symeon strove to restore theology to its pristine mystical tendency as a wisdom infused by the Holy Spirit into the Christian after he had been thoroughly purified through a rigorous asceticism and a state of constant repentance."

This great spiritual master of Eastern Christianity was an abbot, spiritual director of renown, theologian and important church reformer. These Discourses which form the central work of his life were preached by St. Symeon to his monks during their morning Matins ritual. They treat such basic spiritual themes as repentance, detachment, renunciation, the works of charity, impassiblity, remembrance of death, sorrow for sins, the practice of God's commandments, mystical union with the indwelling Trinity, faith and contemplation.   

February is dedicated to the Holy Family

February, 2013 - Overview for the Month

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR FEBRUARY

VATICAN CITY, 31 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for February is: "That all peoples may have access to water and other resources needed for daily life".
  His mission intention is: "That the Lord may sustain the efforts of health workers assisting the sick and elderly in the world's poorest regions".
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/                    VIS 20120131 (70)


http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/02.cfm

The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family. The first two and a half weeks of February fall within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green, the symbol of hope, is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The remaining days of February are the beginning of Lent. The liturgical color changes to purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart.

The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of February 2013

General: That migrant families, especially the mothers, may be supported and accompanied in their difficulties.

Missionary: That the peoples at war and in conflict may lead the way in building a peaceful future. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net)

Feasts for February

The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of February are:

2. Presentation of the Lord, Feast
3. Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
5. Agatha, Memorial
6. Paul Miki and Companions, Memorial
8. Jerome Emiliani; Josephine Bakhita, Opt. Mem.
10. Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
11. Our Lady of Lourdes, Opt. Mem.
14. Cyril and Methodius, Memorial
17. First Sunday of Lent, Sunday
21. Peter Damian, Opt. Mem.
22. Chair of St. Peter, Feast
23. Polycarp of Smyrna, Memorial
24. Second Sunday of Lent, Sunday

Focus of the Liturgy

The Gospel readings for the Sundays in February are taken from St. Luke and are from Year C Cycle 1 of the readings.

February 3rd - Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time	In this Gospel Jeus is rejected by his own townfolk.
February 10th - Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time	This Gospel is about the miraculous catch of fishes after Peter and the Apostles had fished all night.
February 17th - First Sunday of Lent	Jesus is tempted by the devil in the desert.
February 24th - Second Sunday of Lent	The Gospel relates the story of the Transfiguration of Christ.

Highlights of the Month

The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. Between the events which marked Christmas and the beginning of Christ's public life the Church has seen fit to recall the example of the Holy Family for the emulation of the Christian family.

The Feast of the Presentation (February 2) or Candlemas forms a fitting transition from Christmas to Easter. The small Christ-Child is still in His Mother's arms, but already she is offering Him in sacrifice. February 12, Shrove Tuesday, will find us preparing for Ash Wednesday.

The saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are St. Agatha (February 5), St. Paul Miki & Companions (February 6), St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8), Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11), Sts. Cyril and Methodius(February 14), Peter Damian (February 21), Chair of St. Peter (February 22) and St. Polycarp(February 23).

The feast of St. Blaise (February 3), St. Scholastica (February 10) and the Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites (February 17), will not be celebrated this year because they are superseded by Sunday.

From Feast to Fast

Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity, for it typically begins in one Liturgical Season (Ordinary Time), ends in another (Lent), and contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons (Christmas and Easter)! In addition, the faithful may receive in February three of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles, the blessing of throats and blessed ashes.

The Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save his people from their sins.” Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day, as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy.

"The Light of Revelation" shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence – exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion – propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday (February 22) and plunge ourselves into the major exercises of Lent – fasting, prayer, almsgiving – laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son.

COMMENT: Essence of Prayer

COMMENT:  

The ‘Mellifluous’ St. Bernard, as in the previous Reading, can be rather prolix.

What follows, a very much writing from Sr. Ruth Burrows is accessible in attractive words,  - not having the book!

from MAGNIFICAT.com

MEDITATION OF THE DAY

SISTER RUTH BURROWS, O.CD.

How the Seed Bears Fruit

I am totally convinced that our God, the God we see in Jesus, is all-love, all-compassion and, what is more, is all-gift; is always offering God's own Self as our perfect fulfilment. I believe, through Jesus, that we were made for this, and that it is divine Love's passion to bring it to perfect fulfilment in us. So when I set myself to pray I am basing myself on this faith and refuse to let it go. I just take it for granted that, because God is the God of Jesus, all-love, who fulfils every promise, this work of love is going on, purifying and gradually transform­ing me. What I actually experience on my conscious level is quite unimportant. In fact I experience nothing except my poor, distracted self.

From ‘Essence of Prayer’ 2006 by Sister Ruth Burrows is a Carmelite nun at Quidenham in Norfolk, England.

_________________________

The Essence of Prayer: 

Foreword by Sister Wendy Beckett

Ruth Burrows OCD

1 Review

Continuum International Publishing Group, 1 Jul 2006 - Religion - 224 pages

Prayer is a word we take for granted but what do we mean by prayer? Almost always when we talk about prayer we refer to something we DO. But Burrows argues that our Christian knowledge assures us that prayer is essentially what God DOES.
And what God is doing for us is giving us the Divine Self in love. This is the vision of a contemplative nun who contradicts the heresy of so much modern spiritual writing. The growing fascination in the contemplative and monastic life is evidence of the profound appeal of this approach.
For this there is a real hunger. Ultimately, we live for God and not for ourselves.

The Aqueduct - St Bernard

Scotland's longest and tallest aqueduct,
crosses the River Avon (Falkirk) 

Ordinary Time: January 30th

Wednesday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time

Holy Gospel Saint Mark 4:1-20.

...

And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 
Hear this! A sower went out to sow...

Commentary of the day : 
Saint Bernard (1091-1153), Cistercian monk and doctor of the Church 

Sermon for the Nativity of Mary « The Aqueduct », §13, 18

"The sower sows the word"

Brethren, we must take care that the Word who came forth from the Father's mouth and came down to us through the mediation of the Virgin Mary does not return back empty (Is 55,11) but that we return grace for grace to him through this same Virgin. Let us then call to mind unceasingly remembrance of the Father for as long as we are left to sigh after his presence. Let us make the torrents of his grace rise back to their source that they may return to us even more abundantly...

You keep the Lord in mind, therefore do not refrain from speaking, do not keep silent about him. Those who are already living in his presence do not need this warning...; but those who are still living in faith must be exhorted not to answer God with silence. For “the Lord speaks; he proclaims peace to his people”, to his holy ones, to those who return to themselves (Ps 85[84],9). He hears those who hear him; he will speak to those who speak to him. Otherwise he, too, will keep silent if you do not speak, if you do not proclaim his glory. “O you who are to remind the Lord, take no rest and give no rest to him until he re-establishes Jerusalem and makes of it the pride of the earth” (Is 62,6-7). For sweet and lovely is the praise of Jerusalem...

But whatever the offering you bring before God, remember to entrust it to Mary that grace may rise up to its source through the same channel that brought it down to us... Have great care to present God with the little you have to offer him through Mary's hands, those most pure hands, worthy of receiving the best welcome.

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq2/yq351.htm 

Q: Can you comment on St. Bernard’s comparison of Mary to a channel?

At this point Bernard explains Mary’s mission to be the channel, which provides the fountain of life giving waters. She is the aqueduct connecting the Father, 'the heavenly source’, to the Son, who is the fountain. The aqueduct in itself cannot do anything but because of its connectedness, the aqueduct is always filled and ready to give. The aqueduct moreover is never as strong as the fountain or the original source, yet it is able to provide enough moisture for the needy. This indeed is the function of a well to be empty of self and constantly available to be used and consumed in the service of others. 

Now what is this fountain of life if it be not Christ the Lord? … For the ‘Fountain is conveyed abroad’ in a stream even to us; its waters flow ‘in the streets’ although ‘the stranger partake not of them’. This stream from the heavenly source descends to us through an Aqueduct; it does not indeed exhibit all the fullness of the Fountain but it serves to moisten our dry and withered hearts with some few drops of the waters of grace, giving more to one, less to another. The Aqueduct itself is always full, so that all may receive of its fullness, yet not the fullness itself.  You have already divined, dearest brethren, unless I mistake, to whom I allude under the image of an Aqueduct which, receiving the fullness of the Fountain from the Father’s heart, has transmitted to us, if not as it is in itself, at least in so far as we could contain it. Yea, for you know to whom it was said: “Hail, full of grace.”