Windows Double Glazed Nunraw Oct 2012

17 Oct 2012.
Views in the double-glazing windows installation operation.
Pictures in hand.

 

COMMENT: Seven Letters of Ignatius of Antioch

Year of Faith - Icon, Crete

http://silouanthompson.net/library/early-church/ignatius/

COMMENT:

The very popular Letter of St. Ignattius of Antioch gives me the idea of a compulsive writer. It is even more compulsive in the ‘distraction’ to his pending martyrdom.

How explain compulsion of writing by unlikely so many authors?

I should be asking, ‘how explain this Blog writing?’ Does it serve a therapy or a hobby or any other purpose?

The interest comes to the fore, as e.g., today’s connection to know more on the Seven Letters of Ignatius.

Donald

Home » The Letters of Ignatius of Antioch

The Letters of Ignatius of Antioch

1.       To the Ephesians

2.       To the Magnesians

3.       To the Philadelphians

4.       To the Romans

5.       To the Smyrnaeans

6.       To the Trallians

7.       To Polycarp

8.       The martyrdom of Ignatius

The significance of these seven letters lies in their being intimate, familiar, and popular. They do not, in the first instance, reveal a set of ideas though they are not lacking in thoughtfulness. Rather  they reveal a man. So much of early Christian literature is impersonal that it is refreshing to stumble upon letters reminiscent of the frank and personal note of Paul’s correspondence.

The conditions under which Ignatius’ letters were written did not make for careful reflection. They are the letters of a prisoner on his way to martyrdom. Their religious character is popular rather than deep. Their style is compressed and turbulent, reflecting the brusque and impetuous nature of their author (Trall., ch. 4), as well as the irritation of a captive subjected to brutality (Rom. 5:1). Their metaphors change with alarming abruptness, and are often more striking than apt (Eph., ch. 9). Their grammar is not free from carelessness. Yet for these very reasons they have a peculiar value. They disclose a real person, expressing himself in the moment of crisis, and so making clear the ruling passions of his life.

Our knowledge of Ignatius is confined almost entirely to these letters.

St Ignatius of Antioch (+ c 107

  Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time  

Night Office Reading	A letter to the Romans by St Ignatius of Antioch

I am God's wheat and shall be ground by the teeth of wild animals

I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.

  No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.

  The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my brothers. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God. Do not, then, hand me back to the world. Do not try to tempt me with material things. Let me attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human being. Give me the privilege of imitating the passion of my God. If you have him in your heart, you will understand what I wish. You will sympathise with me because you will know what urges me on.

  The prince of this world is determined to lay hold of me and to undermine my will which is intent on God. Let none of you here help him; instead show yourselves on my side, which is also God’s side. Do not talk about Jesus Christ as long as you love this world. Do not harbour envious thoughts. And supposing I should see you, if then I should beg you to intervene on my behalf, do not believe what I say. Believe instead what I am now writing to you. For though I am alive as I write to you, still my real desire is to die. My love of this life has been crucified, and there is no yearning in me for any earthly thing. Rather within me is the living water which says deep inside me: “Come to the Father.” I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world. I want only God’s bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed of the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.

  I am no longer willing to live a merely human life, and you can bring about my wish if you will. Please, then, do me this favour, so that you in turn may meet with equal kindness. Put briefly, this is my request: believe what I am saying to you. Jesus Christ himself will make it clear to you that I am saying the truth. Only truth can come from that mouth by which the Father has truly spoken. Pray for me that I may obtain my desire. I have not written to you as a mere man would, but as one who knows the mind of God. If I am condemned to suffer, I will take it that you wish me well. If my case is postponed, I can only think that you wish me harm.

Responsory

Nothing will be hidden from you, if you are perfect in your faith and love towards Jesus Christ, for these are the beginning and end of life: faith is the beginning and love is the end.

Arm yourselves with gentleness and renew your faith, which is the flesh of the Lord, and your love, which is the blood of Jesus Christ. Faith is the beginning and love is the end.

---

Let us pray.

Almighty, ever-living God,

  the sufferings of the martyrs adorn the Church,

  which is the Body of Christ.

As we celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Ignatius of Antioch,

  grant that it may be for us a constant source of strength,

  as it was for him the entry into glory.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

  one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

---

Let us bless the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.

St. Margaret Mary Alacouque

Reading (Breviary):                          A Letter by St. Margaret Mary Alacouque

WE must know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge

It seems to me that our Lord’s earnest desire to have his sacred heart honoured in a special way is directed toward renewing the effects of redemption in our souls. For the sacred heart is an inexhaustible fountain and its soul desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure.

  From this divine heart three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of mercy for sinners; it pours into their hearts sentiments of contrition and repentance. The second is the stream of charity which helps all in need and especially aids those seeking perfection to find the means of surmounting their difficulties. From the third stream flow love and light for the benefit of his friends who have attained perfection; these he wishes to unite to himself so that they may share his knowledge and commandments and, in their individual ways, devote themselves wholly to advancing his glory.

  This divine heart is an abyss of all blessings, and into it the poor should submerge all their needs. It is an abyss of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows. It is an abyss of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an abyss of mercy for the wretched, an abyss of love to meet our every need.

  Therefore, you must unite yourselves to the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, both at the beginning of your conversion in order to obtain proper dispositions, and at its end in order to make reparation. Are you making no progress in prayer? Then you need only offer God the prayers which the Saviour has poured out for us in the sacrament of the altar. Offer God his fervent love in reparation for your sluggishness. In the course of every activity pray as follows: “My God, I do this or I endure that in the heart of your Son and according to his holy counsels. I offer it to you in reparation for anything blameworthy or imperfect in my actions.” Continue to do this in every circumstance of life. And every time that some punishment, affliction or injustice comes your way, say to yourself: “Accept this as sent to you by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ in order to unite yourself to him.”

  But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the divine heart. In this way his will can carry out for us whatever contributes to his glory, and we will be happy to be his subjects and to trust entirely in him.

St. Hedwig, Religious (1174-1243)

Tuesday, 16 October 2012       St. Hedwig, Religious (1174-1243)

Saint Raphael Arnaiz Baron

Dear Wiiliam,   

You noticed Saint Raphael's quote for 23 June 2012 from the DGO.

And now for the Memorial of Saint Hedwig, again, the DGO has favoured the selection from  St. Raphael - as below.

Yours 

Donald.

To: Donald...
Sent: Saturday, 23 June 2012, 20:30
Subject: DGO extract - Raphael Arnaiz Baron

Raphael Arnaiz Baron - DGO extract -  

from William.     

GOSPEL Lk. 11:37-41.
Commentary of the day : 

Saint Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938), a Spanish Trappist monk 
Spiritual writings, 04/03/1968 (trans. Mairin Mitchell, 1964 alt.) 
 
You purify the outside but God is found on the inside

If the world that seeks my God were to know, if those learned men who seek for God in science and endless discussion were to know, if people did but know where to find God, how many wars would be prevented, what peace there would be in the world, how many souls would be saved! Unreasoning and stupid that you look for God where He is not! Listen, and be filled with awe: God is in our hearts, I know it. God lives in the human heart when this heart lives withdrawn from all that is not Him, when this heart heeds God's knock at its door (Rv 3,20) and, sweeping and cleaning all its rooms, makes itself ready to welcome him who alone truly satisfies.

How sweet it is to live like this, with God in the heart. What sublime peace to find oneself filled with God!... What little trouble it is; rather it should be said, there is no trouble in doing what He wishes, since we love His will, and even pain and suffering are His peace, since we suffer for love. Only God fills the soul, and fills it wholly. Let scientists go on asking: Where is God? He is where those clever ones, arrogant in their knowledge, cannot reach.

Saint Teresa of Jesus, Poem, Benini

Thank you, Fr. Edward, 

to celebrate St. Teresa's 'arrow of burning charity'. (Bernini).

I join in the wonder of the still point of the Iceland horizons.  |

domdonald.org.uk 

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresaby Bernini, Basilica of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome.

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: edward ...
To: Donald ....
Subject: Your blog and some lines

Dear Father Donald,

Thank you for the Email and the account of Jubilees st Nunraw..I hope
that the year of faith will bring you new subjects prepared to
penetrate into the Unknown, which is near to all of us.

I offer you a poem on Saint Teresa which I wrote last night, having
firstly in mind the Sclerder Carmelites, and also the Quidenham
Carmelites who have agreed to a consecrated hermit from here
(originally Lithuanian) going to live with them..
I also include the poem which I thought you would not like - inspired
by the rapid movement of the sun at the horizons here.

....

Blessings in Domino,

fr Edward O.P.

[Our Lady of Light
Carmelite Monastery   SclerderLooe Cornwall PL13 2JD

www.sclerder-abbey.org] 

The arrow-launch and some of its effects

At the Escorial they showed

a bound manuscript propped up in a perspex box,

opened out to display

her scratchy busy writing.

They were the letters she wrote to King Philip;

they contained projects described like arrow-shots,

seeking help to finance convents:

the foundations which her discalced Sisters

chose to make their way with speed directly

within the spiritual structure of the Church

creating austere and joyous houses.

Teresa stressed the long preparation before the Lord awoke her

to tumultuous thinking.

Bernini fashioned an arrow of burning charity poised for despatch

into her deepest heart:

a reward for zeal-driven unwaveringness

in labour unlimited.

Practical there must be

but secured in contemplation:

running after the ointments

which the now undying Christ

disposes of to draw with power

his intensest still and wide open-eyed aspirants

finding among themselves Mothers begetting grace in spiritual daughters,

exploring the Castle's protected rooms,

finding their pace,

whether in common or uncommon graces -

who can here judge?

Alertness and awareness,

connatural, arrow-swift desires,

unwasted efforts.

All articulated

in a new-minted style supported only

by depths untold,

having the dispositions at their deepest

to catch the All of their desires.

Stykkishólmur

14 October 2012

Iceland Skies Tonight

Map showing the dates of midnight sun
at various latitudes (left) and the
total number of nights.

    

Subduing planetary geometrics

The heavens do not sink

nor the orbits of our planets rise.

The heaven of the sun from its brief sinking below the horizon

of polar north to antipodean south

may suffer a slight deviation from its elliptical course,

yet its course can be supposed as deviating from a geometrical

and predictable inner planetary transit

We see ourselves at the still point of a turning world;

the motions outside us,

biological variations in colour are normed against

an axial deviation of the earth itself

as in the local features of weather:

cloud-gathering, snow, hail and rain precipitation,

local and thereby passing,

micro-climactic.
Parallax in an assertion made against geometry

by personal and evident exclusion.

Yet the patterned geometrical tucks into the surface geography

supported by a geometry assumed but delusive,

holding beauty captive,

macroscopically and microscopic.

And all is contained in the inner multiple in unity

Spirit of power and of truth.

Stykkishólmur

12 October

Knox Bible republished today

Knox Bible republished today
Baronius Press has announced the launch of the Holy Bible – Knox Version (also known as the Knox Bible) for the first time in more than 50 years, stating that the translation’s clarity and beauty will help Catholics deepen their knowledge of scripture in this Year of Faith. Welcoming the return of the Bible, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor said: “I welcome the publication of this new edition, as his remarkable work is likely to continue to be of interest for many years to come. I sincerely hope that many will read and profit from this new edition.” Read More ...
Posted: Sunday, October 14, 2012 9:05 pm

“ ...Get one of your angels to put them(words) into poetry. " HE AND i

HE AND i, Gabrielle Bossis.

Month of Rosary quote...

1942

October 8 -  Le Fresne church.

 I said, "We are here all by ourselves, as though we were locked in. " 

 "All the month of the rosary, call My mother 'Our Lady of Love' and say, 'Our Lady of Love, give me love.' How can you make progress all by yourself? Let yourself be carried in stronger arms, just as you did when you were little. Don't be ashamed of being weak and imperfect. Be smaller still; I'll only love you the more. Don't lose sight of the path of  spiritual childhood. Cultivate your confidence; let it blossom as a flower. You can trust Me, can't you? Look back. . . don't you find that I'm worthy of it? My friend, don't put any limits to your feelings for Me. I put none to  Mine for you. Come to Me, little by little, your heart on fire at the moment of death. Find a sweeter name for death. Call it 'The Meeting' and even now, even though you can scarcely see Me in the twilight of time, you will stretch out your arms to Me. Oh, the charm of an impatient heart longing to be enfolded in Mine!"

"Lord, my little words for You are so poor. Get one of your angels to put them into poetry. " 

 "My love listening to them makes them sublime. "

[Le Fresne-sur-Loire is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is around 25 km west ofAngers,and around 50 km east of Nantes.]

THE RICH YOUNG MAN (Matt. 19:16 – Mark 10:17-30)

 

Homily 

Fr. Raymond - Organ  

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Raymond . . .  
Sent: Sunday, 14 October 2012, 12:15
Subject: 

Sun 28 B 

THE RICH YOUNG MAN  (Matt. 19:16 – Mark 10:17-30)

Sometimes in the Gospel scenes we find the same story told by more than one of the Evangelists.  The stories are obviously about the same incident but each of the different accounts has its own point of view, its own emphasis, its own peculiar details that aren’t found in the others.  This is true of the story we have in today’s Gospel – the “Story of the Rich young man” It’s only when we put the two stories together that we get the full flavour of the incident.

Today’s version is that of St Mark.  He gives us a much more vivid description of the initial encounter between the young man and Jesus.  Matthew simply tells us that once, a man came up to Jesus.  Mark on the other hand tells us that he actually came running up to Jesus and he knelt down before him.  There is a note of youthful enthusiasm and of beautiful humility brought into the scene by these two words “running” and “knelt”.  It is only from Mark too that we learn that the man was young but it is only at the very end of the story that he tells us that.

Both the Evangelists then tell us that the young man addresses Jesus in terms that use the word “Good”. “Master, what good must I do to  possess eternal life”, we read in Matthew; and “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” we read in Mark.  In either case the Young man is presuming that Jesus is in himself the personification and teacher of goodness.  When Jesus answers: “Why call me good?  No one is good but God alone.” He doesn’t so much deny his goodness as give a veiled reference to his divinity by suggesting to the young man that he look into his heart and consider why he is so assured of the goodness of the one he is speaking to. He is inviting him to consider: What is this overwhelming sense of goodness that shines forth in this man before me?

Jesus, obviously doesn’t expect the young man to be able, then and there, to realise his divinity, but he is planting a seed that will, hopefully, blossom in due time into such a realisation in faith.   We can remind ourselves here of Jesus saying to his disciples “You cannot understand just now what I am talking about but, after I have risen and ascended to heaven, I will send my Spirit to you to make all things clear to you.”

Jesus then goes on to answer the young man’s question more directly:  “To gain eternal life you must keep the commandments – you know them all” and when the young man answers in simple sincerity that he has kept them all from his youth, then Jesus seems to be, humanly speaking, overwhelmed by this simple sincerity and he gazes on him with love – perhaps even with an astonished love. –remember how he was astonished at the faith of the Centurian.

We know that Jesus looks on every one of us with love, but, like every true human being there were those whom he loved in a special way.  Apart from his blessed Mother, of course, there was John, the beloved disciple, who leaned on his breast at the last supper, and then there was Lazarus whom he raised from the dead, and Martha and Mary his Sisters, and there was Mary Magdalen to whom he appeared first after his resurrection.  Yes, Jesus did have his special loves, just like any of us, and perhaps this young man was one of them.

But finally we have to consider the sad, sad ending of this story.  Here was this young man.  Spiritually speaking, had everything going for him.  He was so innocent and pure, so zealous and enthusiastic, and so humble.  And yet, when Jesus calls him to leave everything and follow him, he turns away sadly because of his great possessions.  What a frightening picture this gives us of the power of the good things of this life to come between us and God.