Saturday of Our Lady 7 Sept. 2013

http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/335/Mary_and_the_Church__Isaac_of_Stella.html

Mary and the Church Isaac of Stella This excerpt from a sermon of Blessed Isaac of Stella (Sermo 51: PL 194, 1862-1865) is used in the Roman Catholic Office of Readings for Saturday of the Second Week of Advent with the accompanying biblical reading being taken from Isaiah 29:1-8).

7 Sept. 2013 Saturday of Our Lady

A Reading about Mary and the Church, and the Soul,
from a Sermon by Isaac of Stella.

The Son of God is the first-born of many brothers.

Although by nature he is the only-begotten, by grace he has joined many to himself and made them one with him.

For to those who receive him he has given the power to become the sons of God.

He became the Son of man and made many men sons of God, uniting them to himself by his love and power, so that they became as one.

In themselves they are many by reason of their human descent, but in him they are one by divine rebirth.

The whole Christ and the unique Christ – the body and the head – are one: one because born of the same God in heaven, and of the same mother on earth.

They are many sons, yet one son. Head and members are one son, yet, many sons.

In the same way, Mary and the Church are one mother, yet more than one mother; one virgin, yet more than one virgin.

Both are mothers, both are virgins.

Each conceives of the same Spirit, without concupiscence.

Each gives birth to a child of God the Father, without sin.

Without any sin, Mary gave birth to Christ the head for the sake of his body.

By the forgiveness of every sin, the Church gave birth to the body, for the sake of its head.

Each is Christ’s mother, but neither gives birth to the whole Christ without the cooperation of the other.

In the inspired Scriptures, what is said in a universal sense of the virgin mother, the Church, is understood in an individual sense of the Virgin Mary.

And what is said in a particular sense of the virgin mother Mary is rightly understood in a general sense of the virgin mother, the Church.

When either is spoken of, the meaning can be understood of both, almost without qualification.

In a way, every Christian is also believed to be a bride of God’s Word, a mother of Christ, his daughter and sister, at once virginal and fruitful.

These words are used in a universal sense of the Church, in a special sense of Mary, in a particular sense of the individual Christian.

They are used by God’s Wisdom in person, the Word of the Father.

This is why Scripture says: I will dwell in the inheritance of the Lord.

The Lord’s inheritance is, in a general sense, the Church; in a special sense, Mary; in an individual sense, the Christian.

Christ dwelt for nine months in the tabernacle of Mary’s womb.

He dwells until the end of the ages in the tabernacle of the Church’s faith.

He will dwell forever in the knowledge and love of each faithful soul.

Isaac of Stella (1100-1169): Sermon 51: PL 194, 1862-1863.1865 from the Office of Readings for Saturday of the Second  Week of Advent @ Crossroads Initiative.

Isaac of Stella. The ecclesiology of Isaac has its roots in the theology of Saint Augustine. He sees the mystery of Christ as dynamic and ever present today, for the mysteries of Christ's life are continued in the mystery of the Church. The divine motherhood of Mary may be compared with the motherhood of the Church.

[Alternative Translation by Lancelot C. Sheppard in Henri de Lubac, S.J. Catholicism, London 1950, 249-260].

You will catch people, Fr. Nivard

----- Forwarded Message -----

Rowan Tree in enclosure

From: Nivard . . ..

Sent: Thursday, 5 September 2013, 11:01
Subject: You will catch people

Dear All, many thanks for recent Skype calls. Great to hear about your holiday in the West. Donald and I sure miss out in absence of an annual summer holiday.. Fr L...  and I will attend Mass and Celebrations for 150 yrs of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Edinburgh on Saturday D.V. . . .

Love and Blessings. Nivard 

Daily Reading & Med, Adapted  (c) 2013 Don Schwager   22 Thur 5 Aug 2013 You will catch people. Lk 5:1-11

   God chooses ordinary people, like you and me, as his ambassadors. He uses the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives to draw others into his kingdom. We will "catch people" for the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. God wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live, speak, and witness the joy of the gospel. Paul the Apostles says, "Thanks be to God, we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." (2 Cor. 2:15).

Father, fill our hearts with love and compassion for those who do not know you or follow you, through Christ our Lord.

Night Office

First Reading from Amos 4: 1-13

From a sermon by Ogerius  

Sermo 10, 13-14: PL 184, 927-928

It is those he loves that God strikes and chastises, for he chastises every child he accepts. Chastisement now is the lot of those destined to rejoice in eternity. Those who complain 0 their harsh treatment, however, cannot approach the Most High: on the contrary, if they fail to endure the chastisement of their heavenly Father with patience and love, their inheritance of heavenly joy will be forfeited. All who grumble at being scourged by the Lord should know for certain that they will incur the punishment due to grumblers.

So, my dear brethren, do not complain about the chastisement that comes to you from our Lord, nor grow weary when he rebukes you. Of course, discipline is never pleasant; at the time it seems painful, but afterward it bears the fruit of peace and goodness in those who have been trained by it. The Lord's discipline weakens sensuality, and strengthens spiritual virtues:the flesh loses what it can well spare, and the spirit gains virtues it lacked.

 . . . . .

Ogerius (c. 1205-1214)
A disciple of St. Bernard of ClairvauxSome of his sermons to his monastic community are among the works of Saint Bernard.

After Communion

After Communion - Gabrielle Bossis, HE AND i 19 July 1939

1939 July - 19  -   After Communion.

"For love I gave myself into the hands of men who did with Me as they wished. Now, I give Myself up in the Eucharist, and once again you do with Me what you wish. This is for love too. Right to the end. Right to the end of time. "

St. Cuthbert of Channelkirk, Scottish Borders

At 

 

CHANNELKIRK WALL HANGING  

   http://oxtonchannelkirk.com/local-information/channelkirk-parish-church/channelkirk-wall-hanging/

At the Community Mass this morning, 

Fr. H. reminded us of the nearest local Saints are, St. Baldred of the Bass Rock, North Berwick, and, South of our Lammermuirs, St. Cuthbert of Channelkirk, Oxton, Lauder.  And we are conscious of the prayer of the Saints in our equally challenging times.  

Previous Post:        

Dom Donald's Blog: Saint Cuthbert of Channelkirk

04 Sep 2012

COMMENT: Cuthbert of Channelkirk. The Day of St. Cuthbert, 4th September. At Eucharist Community, the Bidding Prayers included for the families at Channelkirk. Interesting LINK: and the LINKAGE may follow Candlekirk, ...

http://nunraw.blogspot.com/

  http://nunraw.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/cuthbert-of-lindisfarne.html   

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Cuthbert of Lindisfarne

4th September A Reading about the life of St Cuthbert.

Cuthbert was born in Northumbria about the year 634. We are told he had a normal and happy childhood, and was noted for his high spirits. As a lad tending sheep on the Lammermuir hills he had a vision: St Bede says that on the death of St Aidan, Cuthbert saw 'with his mind's eye a soul of exceeding brightness' being carried heavenwards by angels. Perhaps this had an influence on him when he later became a monk, probably in his late teens, at Melrose under St Eata. Cuthbert's years as a monk was filled with a great deal of apostolic activity.

He would often be away from his monastery for several weeks at a time, working to keep the spirit of the Gospel alive among the people of the remoter parts between Berwick and Galloway. (Present day Kirkcubright means‘the Church of Cuthbert'). It was said that none could resist Cuthbert's winning manner, and no one could conceal from him their secret sins. When Cuthbert accompanied St Eata to Lindisfarne in 664, he extended his work southward to Northumberland and Durham.

In spite of his travels and apostolic work, Cuthbert was by nature a solitary. In 676 he retired to the desolate islet of Farne. But it was typical of Cuthbert that, when his solitude was disturbed by the many visitors who sought his advice, he built a house to accommodate them. He took it ‘to be another kind of prayer' if he could help others in their difficulties.

In 684 Cuthbert was called to be bishop of Hexham. Almost at once he exchanged his see with St Eata for that of Lindisfarne, and, as Bishop, he continued the same work among the people that he had done there before.

Cuthbert is of special appeal today because he was a man who had a great interest in the ways of birds and animals, as had St Godric, St Hugh, and St Francis. The ample sources we have of his life and character show us a man of extraordinary charm and of practical ability who profoundly moved people by the attraction of his holiness. It is not for nothing that Bede so often refers to him as 'the child of God'.

Cuthbert's life as a bishop was cut short by a premature death in 687. When he felt the end approaching he withdrew to his retreat on Farne. He died there during the night 'in the very act of praising God'.

Saint Gregory the Great, pope, 3 September 2013

St Gregory the Great
Carlo Saraceni (c. 1580-1620)

iBreviary

Tuesday, 3 September 2013

Tuesday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING   

From a homily on Ezekiel by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
(Lib. 1, 11, 4-6: CCL 142, 170-172)

For Christ's love I do not spare myself in speaking of him

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Note that a man whom the Lord sends forth as a preacher is called a watchman. A watchman always stands on a height so that he can see from afar what is coming. Anyone appointed to be a watchman for the people must stand on a height for all his life to help them by his foresight.

How hard it is for me to say this, for by these very words I denounce myself. I cannot preach with any competence, and yet insofar as I do succeed, still I myself do not live my life according to my own preaching.

I do not deny my responsibility; I recognize that I am slothful and negligent, but perhaps the acknowledgment of my fault will win me pardon from my just judge. Indeed when I was in the monastery I could curb my idle talk and usually be absorbed in my prayers. Since I assumed the burden of pastoral care, my mind can no longer be collected; it is concerned with so many matters.

I am forced to consider the affairs of the Church and of the monasteries. I must weigh the lives and acts of individuals. I am responsible for the concerns of our citizens. I must worry about the invasions of roving bands of barbarians, and beware of the wolves who lie in wait for my flock. I must become an administrator lest the religious go in want. I must put up with certain robbers without losing patience and at times I must deal with them in all charity.

With my mind divided and torn to pieces by so many problems, how can I meditate or preach wholeheartedly without neglecting the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel? Moreover, in my position I must often communicate with worldly men. At times I let my tongue run, for if I am always severe in my judgments, the worldly will avoid me, and I can never attack them as I would. As a result I often listen patiently to chatter. And because I too am weak, I find myself drawn little by little into idle conversation, and I begin to talk freely about matters which once I would have avoided. What once I found tedious I now enjoy.

So who am I to be a watchman, for I do not stand on the mountain of action but lie down in the valley of weakness? Truly the all-powerful Creator and Redeemer of mankind can give me in spite of my weaknesses a higher life and effective speech; because I love him, I do not spare myself in speaking of him.

 

Gregory might well be writing the words,
"The preacher must dip his pen into the blood
of his heart; then he can also reach
the ear of his neighbour."
(E. Lev)

   

RESPONSORY

He drew his moral and mystical teaching from the source of holy Scripture;
through him the life-giving streams of the Gospel flowed out to all nations.
– Though he is dead he still speaks to us today.

As a soaring eagle sees all on the earth below,
so he cares for both the great and small with his all-embracing charity.
– Though he is dead he still speaks to us today.

Lacordaire – he achieved mononymity before his death.

COMMENTS:

Henri-Dominique Lacordaire at Sainte-Sabine Rome, by Théodore Chassériau(1840), Musée du Louvre

MEMO:

 Henri Dominique Lacordaire is known principally in the English-speaking world as a brilliant pulpit orator who packed NotreDame in Paris for his Lenten and Advent, conférences.

Mgr. Knox remarks somewhere that you can achieve mononymity without getting into trouble police, you can translate the Bible. You can also, he added, he  a preacher of renown, ... for long he has been known simply as Lacordaire – he achieved mononymity before his death.

Lacordaire was known by the Cure de’Ars. 

Pere Lacordaire did in fact visit Ars. After his celebrated conferences in Notre-Dame in Paris and his restoration of the Dominicans in France he was one of the best-known priests in that country. It is certainly true to say that Abbe Vianney was another. Pere Lacordaire spent Sunday, 4 May 1845, in Ars. Abbe Vianney was overjoyed to see him, got out the best vestments for his Mass and did everything possible to make him welcome. In the presence of his visitor the Cure preached in the morning at high Mass on the Holy Spirit and made a great impression. Lacordaire sang Vespers the same evening and preached, much to the disappointment of the pilgrims, who had come to hear Abbe Vianney and were not to be satisfied with a substitute, however eminent. The Cure's comment on the day's proceedings was characteristic: "Two extremes met in the pulpit of Ars today," he remarked, "extreme learning and extreme ignorance! "

      (Portrait of Parish Priest, St. John Vianney, the Curé d’Ars, p.151 L.C. Shepphard),

 

    

Previous Posts om Lacordaire;  

Dom Donald's Blog: Lacordaire (2)

04 Nov 2009

Lacordaire on God's Inner Life. The name of Lacordaire has always had some fascination. It took many years actually coming at this point to have the compulsion to learn more. To begin the Magnificat Missalette had a ...

http://nunraw.blogspot.com/

Dom Donald's Blog: Lacordaire Truth Beauty

24 Jan 2010

Gospel according to Luke 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21 . . . "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing'. The readings of the entire Pentateuch were covered in a three year cycle, much like our Christian lectionary today.

http://nunraw.blogspot.com/