Baldwin of Ford (?-c.1190), Cistercian abbot, then Archbishop of Canterbury The Sacrament of the altar, 3, 2 (SC 94 rev.)

Statue of Baldwin of Forde from the exterior of Canterbury Cathedral

           

Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Tuesday of the Second week in Ordinary Time

"The Sacrament of the altar"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:23-28.

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, 

At this the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?" 

He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?

How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?" 

Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.

That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."   

Commentary of the day : 

Baldwin of Ford (?-c.1190), Cistercian abbot, then Archbishop of Canterbury 

The Sacrament of the altar, 3, 2 (SC 94 rev.) 

"The sabbath was made for man"

Blessed repose and a holy satisfaction are what make for true beatitude and of this the Sabbath and the manna are symbols. When he had given rest and satiety to his people with the Sabbath and the manna, thus prefiguring the true blessedness he will give to those who obey, the Lord rebukes for his disobedience the man who might cause them to lose these most desirable possessions: “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and laws?” (Ex 16,28). 

After this question of the Lord's, Moses invites his brethren to consider God's gifts: “Take note! The Lord has given you the Sabbath. That is why on the sixth day he gives you food for two days so that you may consent to serve him.” This warning means that God will give rest for their labours to his elect and the consolations of this present life in addition to those of the life to come. 

But in addition to this, two forms of life are suggested to us by this passage: the active life in which we now have to work, and the contemplative life for which we are working and in which we shall be completely available to the contemplation of God. For although the contemplative life belongs especially to the world to come, yet it must be represented even in this life by the holy Sabbath rest. Concerning this rest Moses adds: “On the Sabbath day everyone is to stay home and no one is to go out.” In other words: Everyone is to rest in their house and not go out for any kind of work on the Sabbath. 

This teaches us that during times of contemplation we should remain within ourselves, nor go out by means of forbidden desires but collect our whole intention “in purity of heart” [as Saint Benedict says] to think on God alone and love him only.

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The Church should follow St Charbel’s example and fix its eyes on the Blessed Sacrament

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2013/07/22/who-is-saint-charbel/

Who is St Charbel?

The Church should follow St Charbel’s example and fix its eyes on the Blessed Sacrament

By FR ALEXANDER LUCIE-SMITH on Monday, 22 July 2013

IN THIS ARTICLE

Ayatollah Khomenei, Ravenna, St Apollinaris, St Charbel

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A priest preaches in a northern Lebanese village with a painting of the beloved Saint Charbel in the background Photo: CNS

Who is St Apollinaris? According to the Ordo – the special little book which tells you which feast to celebrate – his optional memorial is July 20. Naturally, I celebrated his memorial, as I celebrate all memorials, optional or not, as a matter of course. As it happens I have been to the saint’s basilica which is outside Ravenna, and called Sant’ Apollinare in Classe. Once this church stood at the sea’s edge, where the Roman imperial fleet (classis) lay at anchor. Now the sea has receded, and all that is left of its maritime character is the name. There is also a basilica dedicated to the saint in Ravenna itself. Both are famous for their mosaics.

Ravenna, as most readers will know, is home to the world’s most wonderful mosaics – better than Rome, better than Constantinople – a relic of the relatively brief time when this now small town was the capital of the Western Empire. The Empire was then in its decadence, but clearly it was flourishing artistically. Ravenna, especially on a freezing cold day when snow lies on the ground, which was how I saw it, is immensely worth visiting.

To answer the question posed above, St Apollinaris, first Bishop of Ravenna, is a martyr of ancient times who has only recently been restored to the general calendar. Very little is known about him for sure. I am not altogether clear why he was restored to the General Calendar in 2002, but there we are.

On July 24, there occurs the optional memorial of another saint who may be unfamiliar to most, and who has also been placed in the general calendar recently, and that is St Charbel the Miracle-Worker. To most, not all. Every Lebanese will be familiar with this saint of the nineteenth century, a Maronite monk and hermit, who was famous for his devotion to contemplative prayer, and whose image is found on virtually ever street corner in the Christian parts of Lebanon. In fact a large picture of St Charbel or his statue usually announces the confessional allegiance of the quarter you happen to be entering. Just as the Maronites revere St Charbel, so the Shia revere the late Ayatollah Khomenei, and decorate their quarters with his picture, or at least they did when I was last in Lebanon about fifteen years ago. The only other place I have been to where confessional allegiance is so clearly marked is, of course, Northern Ireland.

But there is another place where St Charbel is equally revered, and that is Mexico. Embedded in its vast population is a small community of Lebanese Maronite immigrants, the most famous of whom is Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest man. The Maronite incomers brought with them their devotion to St Charbel, and this is why virtually every Mexican church has a picture or a statue of the saint, which is the focus of much devotion. This is remarkable considering St Charbel was canonised as recently as 1965.

St Charbel deserves attention, not simply because of his reputation as a miracle worker, but because he is a fine example of prayer. In his picture his eyes are always cast down, and for the last decades of his life he practised strict custody of the eyes, only raising them to look at the Tabernacle and the Eucharist. The Church too, like Charbel, needs to keep its eyes fixed on what really matters: the Divine, and more specifically, the Blessed Sacrament.

One eternal Liturgy of the Eucharist

13th July - flowering from shrubbery at the nearest back door.

 

Eucharistic tabernacle, workshop of Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525).

• Magnificat.com, June 2013-06-2013 

The Eucharistic Trinity

 https://www.magnificat.net/english/popup_couv.asp.

 The works of Andrea della Robbia (Florence, 1435-1525) are consistently composed around three key elements: a setting, often adorned with flowers, that highlights the liturgical dimension of the subject; a uniform background of deep blue, created with pigments of precious lapis lazuli, representing heaven; and figures in resplendent white, that is, chosen ones who are the blessed actors in a sacred story. Here, however, the celestial blue background is draped by a curtain that stretches open to reveal the gray, cloud-swept sky of earth. And within this sky, as if in response to an epiclesis, the Holy Spirit appears in the form of a dove. The point of view in this scene, therefore, is completely reversed vis-à-vis all of della Robbia’s other works, where the visible universe (the standpoint of the faithful) contemplates the invisible universe (where the divine promises to the faithful are fulfilled). This work is unique, for it invites us to gaze upon the Eucharistic species through the eyes of the Father.

What does the Father see? For the first time since the creation of the world, he sees a man who has accomplished his will on earth as it is in heaven—a man who has thus become, by the power of the Holy Spirit, a living sacrifice of praise to his glory. On the threshold of heaven, the Father sees the Son, true man in Flesh and Blood, delivered into the hands of death for us. Through him the Father sees humanity ransomed and saved. With him he sees Adam cross through death, his eternal destiny restored. In him he sees the New Adam create the new man, the man-for-others: Eucharistic man. In this bread and wine that angels adore, and that we are invited to share—to eat and to drink—the Father sees the extent of the gift he made of his beloved Son, so that we might enter into communion with God forever.

Pierre-Marie Dumont 

 Eucharistic tabernacle, workshop of Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), glazed terracotta, Cité de la céramique de Sèvres, France. © RMN-Grand Palais (Sèvres, Cité de la céramique) / Martine Beck-Coppola.

 

Portiuncula Indulgence is today!

http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2006/08/portiuncula-indulgence-is-today.html

Wednesday, August 2, 2006    

Portiuncula Indulgence is today!

Posted by Matthew

What is Portiuncula? The following is an excerpt from Major Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure.

" The Portiuncula was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which was abandoned . Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly in order to repair it. He heard that the Angels often visited it, so that it was called Saint Mary of the Angels, and he decided to stay there permanently out of reverence for the angels and love for the Mother of Christ.

He loved this spot more than any other in the world. It was here he began his religious life in a very small way; it is here he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.

This was the place where Saint Francis founded his Order by divine inspiration and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel.

This meant that he progressed from material things to more spiritual achievements, from lesser to greater, in due order, and it gave a prophetic indication of what he would accomplish later.

As he was living there by the church of Our Lady, Francis prayed to her who had conceived the Word, full of grace and truth, begging her insistently and with tears to become his advocate. Then he was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of mercy and he brought it to fruition.

He embraced the Mother of Our Lord Jesus with indescribable love because, as he said, it was she who made the Lord of majesty our brother, and through her we found mercy. After Christ, he put all his trust in her and took her as his patroness for himself and his friars."

Today the chapel of Portiuncula is situated inside the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels roughly 5 km from Assisi, Italy.

The Indulgence:

"The Portiuncula indulgence is the first plenary indulgence that was ever granted in the Church. There were indeed indulgences at all times, but they were only partial, and only a partial remission of the temporal punishments could be obtained by them. But, as already remarked, he who gains the Portiuncula indulgence is freed from all temporal punishments and becomes as pure as after holy baptism. This was also the reason why Pope Honorius was astonished when St. Francis petitioned for the confirmation of this indulgence, for such an indulgence, up to that time, bad been entirely unknown. It was only after he had come to the conviction that Jesus Christ himself wished it, that he granted the petition of the saint and confirmed the indulgence" (Source)

August 2nd is the feast of Portiuncula. A plenary indulgence is available to anyone who will

1. Receive sacramental confession (8 days before of after)

2. Receive the Holy Eucharist at Holy Mass on August 2nd

3. Enter a parish church and, with a contrite heart, pray the Our Father, Apostles Creed, and a pray of his/her own choosing for the intentions of the Pope.

Please tell every Catholic person you know that remission of the punishment for all sins committed from the day of baptism to the reception of the indulgence is available.

More Information:


Fr. Seraphim Beshoner is a third order Franciscan priest who does the podcast, Catholic Under the Hood, and he recently discussed this feast on one of his shows. Please check it out and pass the word along to everyone.

May the Merciful Jesus fill your heart with His gentle peace!

Note: An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. More information can be found at Indulgences. 

BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL Liverpool

Among Postcards from a friend, there followed discussion on the illustration of the special Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in the Liverpool Cathedral.

The print of the Postcard obscured the painting or structure above the Tabernacle. The lower section is a mural painting, abstract colours. The upper section suggested line drawing of a canopy on the wall.

Closer examination of pictures from the Website makes it is perfectly clear..

The Visitors’ Tour gives better commentary.

See before.

On the main axis, the BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL, the largest of the peripheral chapels, contains the tabernacle by Ceri Richards in which the Sacrament 

is reserved.   Richly ornamented in gilt metal, glass and enamels, the centre door symbolises the glory of God, depicted by the heavens and constellations, with the side doors showing the chalice and host.   The great triangular windows and the reredos, also by Richards, are together with the tabernacle part of a triptych of colours.   

The bronze figure of the Risen Christ is by Liverpool born Arthur Dooley

Blessed Sacrament Chapel at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool

         

One of Links
http://news.architecture.sk/2010/02/christ-the-king-ceri-richards.php 

From the Website

http://www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk/

On the main axis, the BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL, the largest of the peripheral chapels, contains the tabernacle by Ceri Richards in which the Sacrament
is reserved.   Richly ornamented in gilt metal, glass and enamels, the centre door symbolises the glory of God, depicted by the heavens and constellations, with the side doors showing the chalice and host.   The great triangular windows and the reredos, also by Richards, are together with the tabernacle part of a triptych of colours.
The bronze figure of the Risen Christ is by Liverpool born Arthur Dooley. 

The Historic Churches Commission has refused to authorise the reordering of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool. The change would have involved siting a new, smaller altar at a lower level.It is difficult to say whether Frederick Gibberd had an underlying geometrical plan for the Blessed Sacrament Chapel that might explain the proportions and position of individual elements. Unity is provided by the combination of colour, line, light and relief in Ceri Richards’ great painted reredos, tabernacle doors and stained-glass windows. The original intention was that Richards would produce an altar frontal as part of the scheme. This was never executed.