Thursday, 19 February 2015

Pope Francis: Homily for Ash Wednesday - Independent Catholic News


Stational churches are the churches that are appointed for special morning and evening services during Lent, Easter and some other important days. The tradition started in order to strengthen the sense of community within the Church in Rome, as this system meant that the Holy Father would visit each part of the city and celebrate Mass with the congregation.
The first stational church during Lent is St. Sabina at the Aventine. It was built in the 5th century, presumably at the site of the original Titulus Sabinae, a church in the home of Sabina who had been martyred c. 114. The tituli were the first parish churches in Rome. St Dominic lived in the adjacent monastery for a period soon before his death in 1221. Among other residents of the monastery were St Thomas Aquinas.
For more information, see Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches, a review of George Weigel's book by Jennifer Gregory Miller, The Pontifical North American College page, theVatican's Lenten Calendar, and "Station Churches", a Lenten Journey by Fr. Bill.
   http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2015-02-18 

 St  Sabina on the Aventine Hilll 



Pope Francis: Homily for Ash Wednesday
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 Pope Francis: Homily for Ash Wednesday | Pope Francis, Basilica of St  Sabina,  Ash Wednesday
Pope Francis delivered the homily at Mass in the Basilica of St  Sabina on the Aventine Hilll in Rome on Ash Wednesday afternoon. The official English translation of the text follows: 
As God's people today we begin the journey of Lent, a time in which we try to unite ourselves more closely to the Lord Jesus Christ, to share the mystery of His passion and resurrection.
The Ash Wednesday liturgy offers us, first of all, the passage from the prophet Joel, sent by God to call the people to repentance and conversion, due to a calamity (an invasion of locusts) that devastates Judea. Only the Lord can save from the scourge, and so there is need of supplication, with prayer and fasting, each confessing his sin.
The prophet insists on inner conversion: “Return to me with all your heart” (2:12). To return to the Lord “with all [one’s] heart,” means taking the path of a conversion that is neither superficial nor transient, but is a spiritual journey that reaches the deepest place of our self. The heart, in fact, is the seat of our sentiments, the center in which our decisions and our attitudes mature.
That, “Return to me with all your heart,” does not involve only individuals, but extends to the community, is a summons addressed to all: “Gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. (2:16)”
The prophet dwells particularly on the prayers of priests, noting that their prayer should be accompanied by tears. We will do well to ask, at the beginning of this Lent, for the gift of tears, so as to make our prayer and our journey of conversion ever more authentic and without hypocrisy.
This is precisely the message of today’s Gospel. In the passage from Matthew, Jesus rereads the three works of mercy prescribed by the Mosaic law: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Over time, these prescriptions had been scored by the rust of external formalism, or even mutated into a sign of social superiority. Jesus highlights a common temptation in these three works, which can be described summarily as hypocrisy (He names it as such three times): “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them ... Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do ... And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men ... And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites. (Mt 6:1, 2, 5, 16)”
When you do something good, almost instinctively born in us is the desire to be respected and admired for this good deed, to obtain a satisfaction. Jesus invites us to do these works without any ostentation, and to trust only in the reward of the Father "who sees in secret" (Mt 6,4.6.18).
Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord never ceases to have mercy on us, and desires to offer us His forgiveness yet again, inviting us to return to Him with a new heart, purified from evil, to take part in His joy. How to accept this invitation? St. Paul makes a suggestion to us in the second reading today: “We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:20)” This work of conversion is not just a human endeavor. Reconciliation between us and God is possible thanks to the mercy of the Father who, out of love for us, did not hesitate to sacrifice his only Son. In fact, the Christ, who was righteous and without sin was made sin for us (v. 21) when on the cross He was burdened with our sins, and so redeemed us and justified before God. In Him we can become righteous, in him we can change, if we accept the grace of God and do not let the “acceptable time (6:2)” pass in vain.
With this awareness, trusting and joyful, let us begin our Lenten journey. May Mary Immaculate sustain our spiritual battle against sin, accompany us in this acceptable time, so that we might come together to sing the exultation of victory in Easter.
Soon we will make the gesture of the imposition of ashes on the head. The celebrant says these words: “You are dust and to dust you shall return, (cf. Gen 3:19)” or repeats Jesus’ exhortation: “Repent and believe the Gospel. (Mk 1:15)” Both formulae are a reminder of the truth of human existence: we are limited creatures, sinners ever in need of repentance and conversion. How important is it to listen and to welcome this reminder in our time! The call to conversion is then a push to return, as did the son of the parable, to the arms of God, tender and merciful Father, to trust Him and to entrust ourselves to Him.
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Tuesday, 17 February 2015

San Damiano cross beside Blessed Sacrament

Story of St. Francis of Assisi

Saturday, 14 February 2015

San Damiano cross beside Blessed Sacrament

COMMENT Art Essay:
In the rear chapel of our church, on one side of the tabernacle of the Blessed Sacrament, is restored the San Damiano cross.
From our camera, the pictures illustrate the details  from the helpful Wikepedia. The painting was hand made in Assisi. 


San Damiano cross

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
to right ....
The San Damiano Cross
Copy now in the original position inside the Church of San Damiano
The San Damiano Cross is the large Romanesque rood cross that St. Francis of Assisi was praying before when he is said to have received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. The original cross hangs in the Basilica of Saint Clare (Basilica di Santa Chiara) in Assisi,Italy. Franciscans cherish this cross as the symbol of their mission fromGod. The cross is of a type sometimes called an icon cross because besides the main figure it contains images of other saints and people related to the incident of Christ's crucifixion. The tradition of such crosses began in the Eastern Church and probably reached Italy viaMontenegro and Croatia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Damiano_cross#Description
Description[edit]
  
Jesus Christ is represented upright in full stature while the surrounding figures are smaller. The bright white of his body contrasts with the dark red and black around it and accentuates the prominence of Jesus. This representation contrasts with the regal Christ portrayed on the cross in earlier centuries and the suffering, dying, crucified Christ depicted generally throughout the Churchsince the beginning of the 14th century. Above the head of Christ is the inscription in Latin: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.[3]  
 
   The next largest figures are five witnesses of the crucifixion.[3] On the left side are the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist. On the right side are Mary Magdalene, Mary, Mother of James, and the centurion who in Matthew's Gospel account asks Christ to heal his servant, who is also depicted on the cross on the shoulder of the centurion (Matthew 8:5-13). Both Mary and Mary Magdalene have their hands placed on their cheeks to reflect extreme grief and anguish. The first four witnesses are saints and are therefore represented with halos. 
  
  Their names are written beneath their pictures.
Two smaller figures are located in the corners with the witnesses. On the lower left is Longinus the traditional name of the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance. He is represented here as holding the lance and looking up at Jesus. The blood running down the right arm of Jesus begins at the elbow and drips straight down and will land on the upturned face of Longinus. In the lower right is Stephaton, the traditional name for the soldier who offered Jesus the sponge soaked in vinegar wine.[3] 

 
Peering over the left shoulder of the centurion is a small face. A close look reveals the tops of the heads of three others beside him. This represents the centurion's son who was healed by Jesus and the rest of his family to show that "he and his whole household believed" (John 4:45-54).
Six angels are represented as marvelling over the event of the crucifixion. They are positioned at both ends of the crossbar. Their hand gestures indicate they are discussing this wondrous event of the death and calling us to marvel with them.
At the foot of the cross there is a damaged picture of six figures, two of whom are represented with halos. In accordance with the traditions of the day, these six are the patrons of Umbria: St. DamianSt. MichaelSt. RufinoSt. John the BaptistSt. Peter andSt. Paul.
On the top of the cross, one sees Jesus now fully clothed in his regal garments and carrying the cross as a triumphant sceptre. He is climbing out of the tomb and into the heavenly courts. Ten angels are crowded around, five of whom have their hands extended in a welcoming gesture to Jesus, who himself has his hand raised in the form of a greeting.  
 
    
At the very top of the cross is the Hand of God with two fingers extended. This is to be understood as the blessing of God the Father on the sacrifice of his Son.
On the right side of the picture next to the left calf of Jesus, there is a small figure of a fowl. Some art historians have interpreted it to be a rooster, representing the sign of Jesus' denial by Peter, mentioned in all four Gospel accounts. Other commentators see it as a peacock, a frequent symbol of immortality in Early Christian art. Along the lower right side of the shaft, there is a small animal, possibly a cat.  
Angel in the Oratory - gifted by Moyra G... RIP







San Damiano Cross  A Brief Explanation 
By: Fr. Michael Scanlon, T.O.R.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Province, USA
The San Damiano Cross is the one St. Francis was praying before when he received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. The original cross presently hangs in Santa Chiarra (St.Clare) Church in Assisi, Italy. All Franciscans cherish his cross as the symbol of their mission from God. The cross is called an icon cross because it contains images of people who have a part in the meaning of the cross. The tradition of such crosses began in the eastern Church and was transported by Serbian monks to the Umbria district of Italy.    




Lenten Message from Father Dan. - Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM talks about the "Cosmic" Christ

A Lenten Message from Father Dan


“Most high glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain  hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out Your holy and true command.”
--St. Francis of Assisi, The Prayer Before the Crucifix at San Damiano  
This simple prayer from St. Francis strikes me as so appropriate for Lent. At this time of year we’re called in a special way to deepen our awareness of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection.

In the spirit of St. Francis, we at Franciscan Media work daily to spread the Good News that is Jesus Christ, helping Christians grow closer to God. We publish St. Anthony Messenger, books, and online digital resources of all kinds. All these efforts are a partnership with you, our loyal benefactors. Your contribution is a key part of our effort to spread the Gospel.

Will you help us? Would you consider donating $50, $75, $100 or more so that we may continue to evangelize in the spirit of St. Francis? Your tax-deductible contribution in any amount touches thousands with the Good News every day.
Use our secure online donation form or mail a donation, payable to the Franciscans, to Franciscan Media, 28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. If you prefer, you may phone in a credit-card donation for our evangelization ministries at (513) 241-5615, ext. 3 or in the U.S., 800-488-0488, ext. 3.

Peace and every blessing,


Fr. Dan Kroger, O.F.M.
Publisher, Franciscan Media
Copyright © 2015 Franciscan Media, All rights reserved.


Cross of San Damiano in Assisi learning more ....

Saturday, 14 February 2015

San Damiano cross beside Blessed Scrament

COMMENT Art Essay:
In the rear chapel of our church, on one side of the tabernacle of the Blessed Sacrament, is restored the San Damiano cross.
From our camera, the pictures illustrate the details  from the helpful Wikepedia. The painting was hand made in Assisi. 


San Damiano cross

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
to right ....
The San Damiano Cross
Copy now in the original position inside the Church of San Damiano
The San Damiano Cross is the large Romanesque rood cross that St. Francis of Assisi was praying before when he is said to have received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. The original cross hangs in the Basilica of Saint Clare (Basilica di Santa Chiara) in Assisi,Italy. Franciscans cherish this cross as the symbol of their mission fromGod. The cross is of a type sometimes called an icon cross because besides the main figure it contains images of other saints and people related to the incident of Christ's crucifixion. The tradition of such crosses began in the Eastern Church and probably reached Italy viaMontenegro and Croatia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Damiano_cross#Description
Description[edit]
  
Jesus Christ is represented upright in full stature while the surrounding figures are smaller. The bright white of his body contrasts with the dark red and black around it and accentuates the prominence of Jesus. This representation contrasts with the regal Christ portrayed on the cross in earlier centuries and the suffering, dying, crucified Christ depicted generally throughout the Churchsince the beginning of the 14th century. Above the head of Christ is the inscription in Latin: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.[3]  
 
   The next largest figures are five witnesses of the crucifixion.[3] On the left side are the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist. On the right side are Mary Magdalene, Mary, Mother of James, and the centurion who in Matthew's Gospel account asks Christ to heal his servant, who is also depicted on the cross on the shoulder of the centurion (Matthew 8:5-13). Both Mary and Mary Magdalene have their hands placed on their cheeks to reflect extreme grief and anguish. The first four witnesses are saints and are therefore represented with halos.
  
  Their names are written beneath their pictures.
Two smaller figures are located in the corners with the witnesses. On the lower left is Longinus the traditional name of the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance. He is represented here as holding the lance and looking up at Jesus. The blood running down the right arm of Jesus begins at the elbow and drips straight down and will land on the upturned face of Longinus. In the lower right is Stephaton, the traditional name for the soldier who offered Jesus the sponge soaked in vinegar wine.[3] 

 
Peering over the left shoulder of the centurion is a small face. A close look reveals the tops of the heads of three others beside him. This represents the centurion's son who was healed by Jesus and the rest of his family to show that "he and his whole household believed" (John 4:45-54).
Six angels are represented as marvelling over the event of the crucifixion. They are positioned at both ends of the crossbar. Their hand gestures indicate they are discussing this wondrous event of the death and calling us to marvel with them.
At the foot of the cross there is a damaged picture of six figures, two of whom are represented with halos. In accordance with the traditions of the day, these six are the patrons of Umbria: St. DamianSt. MichaelSt. RufinoSt. John the BaptistSt. Peter andSt. Paul.
On the top of the cross, one sees Jesus now fully clothed in his regal garments and carrying the cross as a triumphant sceptre. He is climbing out of the tomb and into the heavenly courts. Ten angels are crowded around, five of whom have their hands extended in a welcoming gesture to Jesus, who himself has his hand raised in the form of a greeting.  
 
   
At the very top of the cross is the Hand of God with two fingers extended. This is to be understood as the blessing of God the Father on the sacrifice of his Son.
On the right side of the picture next to the left calf of Jesus, there is a small figure of a fowl. Some art historians have interpreted it to be a rooster, representing the sign of Jesus' denial by Peter, mentioned in all four Gospel accounts. Other commentators see it as a peacock, a frequent symbol of immortality in Early Christian art. Along the lower right side of the shaft, there is a small animal, possibly a cat.