What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

It has been a hard week. But at the end of the week… it’s time to relax. It is not exactly Miller time, ... we have other ways of doing things.

Tonight I opted out of supper in the house. Instead a friend and colleague came over and, instead of going out to a restaurant, we repaired to my chambers in the fifth loggia.

We were able to fend off death by starvation by means of some Norwegian salmon and nicely chilled Colomba Platino, a Corvo from Sicily. There was also the option of some very thinly sliced San Daniele prosciutto, and a couple cheeses, a very good one I think I might have told you about, seasoned in walnut leaves, and a gorgonzola with herbs. I happened to have a bottle of grappa supplied by the Knights of Malta. There is also some McCallan single malt available.

Not a bad way to fend off starvation. And to fend off mosquitoes, there are always cigars. Tonight a Cuban Romeo Y Julietta. I am only showing the wrapper for the cigar here. It was good. I am finishing it by watching The Cardinal by Otto Preminger. Some fun traditionalist stuff in it. The consecration is going on right now. It was filmed in a church a stone’s throw from here. Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

Who better than the Germans to notice the height of this year’s papal Christmas Tree? Professional jealousy maybe?

This just in from today’s Kathpress Online-Tagesdienst

We get a 32 meter high tree this year, from a southern Italian village in Calabria named Taverna (pop. 2700). It was snipped off 1765 meter Mount Gariglione. They’ll be hoisting it the day before I am suppose to head back to the USA for Christmas.

32 Meter hoher Weihnachtsbaum für den Papst aus Kalabrien

Rom, 30.11.06 (KAP) Der Weihnachtsbaum für Papst Benedikt XVI. kommt in diesem Jahr aus dem süditalienischen Dorf Taverna. Es handle sich um eine stattliche 32 Meter große Weißtanne von den Hängen des 1.765 Meter hohen Monte Gariglione, erklärte ein Sprecher der Region Kalabrien auf Anfrage von "Kathpress". Der Baum soll am 12. Dezember in Rom eintreffen und neben dem ägyptischen Obelisken auf dem Petersplatz aufgestellt werden.  Außerdem liefert der knapp 2.700 Einwohner zählende Ort noch 30 weitere Weihnachts bäume, die für das Privatappartement des Papstes sowie für Repräsentations- und Büroräume des Vatikan bestimmt sind. Künstler aus der Region fertigen einen passenden Baumschmuck aus Seide, Kleinkeramik und Bergamottenschalen.

If, after this, the Holy Father gets so much as the sniffles, I am going to blame some people.

 

The combination of doves and Popes now makes me nervous. 

The late Holy Father’s swift and final decline began with that cold day in the window with that silly dove thing.  Requiescat.

During the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of St. Andrew the Ecumenical Patriarch gave a homily that got my attention. Remember how important the Divine Liturgy is for the identity of the Orthodox.

Frankly, I think liturgy is a serious issue for ecumenical dialogue with the East. Think about this. They look at the stupid things the Latins have done and are doing to the sacred liturgy, about how those desiring traditional liturgy from lay people to priests, are marginalized and berated. They see the leaders of a group of "traditionalists" are ecommunicated. And they are going to get closer to Rome? Would they hope that their traditions would be respected were they to give greater submission to the authority of Peter which the Pope of Rome exercises?

Here is the text of the Patriarch’s homily (my emphasis and comments).

With the grace of God, Your Holiness, we have been blessed to enter the joy of the Kingdom, to "see the true light and receive the heavenly Spirit." Every celebration of the Divine Liturgy is a powerful and inspiring con-celebration of heaven and of history. [BOOM. This concise phrase also expresses what the Latin Church thinks. This is an encounter with the transcendent. An encounter which transforms the human experience.] Every Divine Liturgy is both an anamnesis of the past and an anticipation of the Kingdom. [Holy Mass makes the historical event present in a sacramental way, which is no less "real" than the reality we sense and touch, etc.] We are convinced that during this Divine Liturgy, we have once again been transferred spiritually in three directions: toward the kingdom of heaven where the angels celebrate; toward the celebration of the liturgy through the centuries; and toward the heavenly kingdom to come. [Perfect. Beautifully put.]

This overwhelming continuity with heaven as well as with history means that the Orthodox [And Latin!] liturgy is the mystical experience and profound conviction that "Christ was, is, and ever shall be in our midst!" For in Christ, there is a deep connection between past, present, and future. In this way, the liturgy is more than merely the recollection of Christ’s words and acts. It is the realization of the very presence of Christ Himself, who has promised to be wherever two or three are gathered in His name.

At the same time, we recognize that the rule of prayer is the rule of faith (lex orandi lex credendi), [When I heard this phrase, in Latin, from the lips of the Ecumenical Patriarch I almost did a spit-take on my monitor! In my opinion, the Patriarch is letting us know one of their serious points of concern about their Western brothers. What are we doing with our liturgy? If you Latins are celebrating your Mass in the way we see you celebrating, what on earth do you believe? Do you believe what we believe?] that the doctrines of the Person of Christ and of the Holy Trinity have left an indelible mark on the liturgy, which comprises one of the undefined doctrines, "revealed to us in mystery," of which St. Basil the Great so eloquently spoke. This is why, in liturgy, we are reminded of the need to reach unity in faith as well as in prayer. Therefore, we kneel in humility [This is amazingly ironic. The Orthodox don’t kneel as much as Latins do, in one sense, as when we enter our churches. No… wait… in a lot of places you never see Latins kneel at all anymore, do you? Especially during Mass?] and repentance before the living God and our Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious Name we bear and yet at the same time whose seamless garment we have divided. We confess in sorrow that we are not yet able to celebrate the holy sacraments in unity. And we pray that the day may come when this sacramental unity will be realized in its fullness.

And yet, Your Holiness and beloved brother in Christ, this con-celebration of heaven and earth, of history and time, brings us closer to each other today through the blessing of the presence, together with all the saints, of the predecessors of our Modesty, namely St. Gregory the Theologian and St. John Chrysostom. [Good reminder.] We are honored to venerate the relics of these two spiritual giants after the solemn restoration of their sacred relics in this holy church two years ago when they were graciously returned to us by the venerable Pope John Paul II. Just as, at that time, during our Thronal Feast, we welcomed and placed their saintly relics on the Patriarchal Throne, chanting "Behold your throne!", so today we gather in their living presence and eternal memory as we celebrate the Liturgy named in honor of St. John Chrysostom.

Thus our worship coincides with the same joyous worship in heaven and throughout history. Indeed, as St. John Chrysostom himself affirms: "Those in heaven and those on earth form a single festival, a shared thanksgiving, one choir" (PG 56.97). Heaven and earth offer one prayer, one feast, one doxology. The Divine Liturgy is at once the heavenly kingdom and our home, "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev. 21.1), the ground and center where all things find their true meaning. The Liturgy teaches us to broaden our horizon and vision, to speak the language of love and communion, but also to learn that we must be with one another in spite of our differences and even divisions. In its spacious embrace, it includes the whole world, the communion of saints, and all of God’s creation. The entire universe becomes "a cosmic liturgy", to recall the teaching of St. Maximus the Confessor. This kind of Liturgy can never grow old or outdated. [Again, I ask, what must they think about what we are doing in our churches? what we are doing to those who want the traditional forms?]

The only appropriate response to this showering of divine benefits and compassionate mercy is gratitude (eucharistia). Indeed, thanksgiving and glory are the only fitting response of human beings to their Creator. For to Him belong all glory, honor, and worship: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Truly, particular and wholehearted gratitude fills our hearts toward the loving God, for today, on the festive commemoration of the Apostle founder and protector of this Church, the Divine Liturgy is attended by His Holiness our brother and bishop of the elder Rome, Pope Benedict XVI, together with his honorable entourage. Once again, we gratefully greet this presence as a blessing from God, as an expression of brotherly love and honor toward our Church, and as evidence of our common desire to continue – in a spirit of love and faithfulness to the Gospel Truth and the common tradition of our Fathers – the unwavering journey toward the restoration of full communion among our Churches, which constitutes His divine will and command. May it be so.

This gorgeous homily gives us serious food for thought. You would have to be pretty darn hard of heart not to rethink any cold resistance you might have to anyone who have entirely legitimate aspirations for traditional expressions of the Church’s ongoing grateful worship of Almighty God.

Also, apply what the Patriarch said about your parish and your manner of participation. 

Here is a liturgical question that wound up in the ASK FATHER Question Box, which I moderate.

AFQB - The ASK FATHER Question Box: Liturgy, Music & The Seven Sacraments: Should they give blessings? By hermitmcdermit on Sunday, November 19, 2006 – 10:41 pm:

Father:

In our parish the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion give "blessings" to children not old enough to recieve, and to people in the line who do not receive Communion but come up for a blessing. A new Associate Pastor corrected a EMoHC and the Pastor got angry with him and said that lay people should be "included" in these types of liturgical actions. What is the truth concerning this practice?

By Fr. J.T. Zuhlsdorf (father_z) on Friday, December 01, 2006 – 9:20 am:

Anything that confuses the roles of lay people and priests (or deacons) should be avoided. While it is true that any person can ask God to bless anyone else, and while it is true that parents should bless their children, lay people cannot bless in the manner of priests. Lay people ought not do anything which resembles blessing in the manner of the priest, such as making the sign of the Cross over people as a priest would do.

To suggest that lay people bless in the manner of a priest reveals a lack of understanding of their roles and dignity. Many people think that for lay people to have "dignity" or "equality" in the Church, they must do things that pertain to the priest. Is this anything other than saying that lay people have no dignity of their own unless they are made to imitate priests?

This isn’t "inclusion", this is a subtle form of condescension.

Another thing. This is my personal opinion, and I know a lot of priests have a different approach, but I don’t think the moment of Holy Communion is the proper time to give blessings. There is nothing wrong with blessings. Blessings are good! However, in the sacred action of the Mass, there are times for things in proper order. Communion time is for Communion. The old adage is "ubi maior, minor cessat... where the greater things is, the lesser thing gives way." At the end of Mass the priest imparts the blessing. That is the time for blessing people during Mass.

The bottom line is that anything confusing the roles of laity and priests should be avoided. This is confusing the roles. This should be avoided.

Fr. Z

 

I should add another note.  In a way this might be a sad result of two factors, the elimination of a longer Eucharistic fast and row by row Communion. 

Once upon a time, when the fast was longer, if a person stayed in the pew and didn’t not go forward for Communion, the reason could have been that he ate breakfast, or something.  Now, the fast is so short (one hour before the time of Communion… not before the beginning of Mass), that there is barely any reason not to assume that the person is properly physically disposed.  So, if he stays in the pew he must have committed a sin!  Moreover, the row by row process of Communion puts head pressure on people.  Everyone in the pew is to get up and go at the same time.  While this is orderly, I think it "forces" people to go so as to not create an obstacle or to avoid embarassment.  While Communion here is Italy can be a little disorganized, people chose the if and when to go forward.  It is not obvious that you are refraining.

PS: I sure wish I could get a couple more solid priests who would help answering questions in the ASK FATHER Question Box!

Many Old Testament figures are numbered among the saints by the Catholic Church. You can find them listed in the Martyrologium Romanum.

1. Commemoratio sancti Nahum, prophetae, qui Deum praedicavit cursum temporum regentem et populos in iustitia iudicantem.

 

Yes, folks, once again today is the feast of St. Nahum, whose book is betwixt Micah and Habakkuk.

We don’t know much about this figure, historically. He was from the town Alqosh close to the end of the Assyrian reign. Like Johan, Nahum warns Ninevah of its destruction (612 BC).

Whenever I hear about Assyrians I think of a poem by Byron called the Destruction of Sennacherib which, though occuring earlier than Nahum, nevertheless concerns a biblical event recounted in 2 Kings. Read it aloud for some real fun!

THE ASSYRIAN came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,	5
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.
For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;	10
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!
And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,	15
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.
And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.	20
And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

And some people think our guardian angels are like those girly men in the cute pictures. 

2 Kings 19:35-36: And that night the angel of the LORD went forth, and slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennach’erib king of Assyria departed, and went home, and dwelt at Nin’eveh.

In any event, you might sit down with Nahum today and read for a while.

Remember, there is an indulgence available for reading Sacred Scripture!

A reading from the Prophet Nahum:

1: An oracle concerning Nin’eveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
2: The LORD is a jealous God and avenging, the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.
3: The LORD is slow to anger and of great might, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4: He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither, the bloom of Lebanon fades.
5: The mountains quake before him, the hills melt; the earth is laid waste before him, the world and all that dwell therein.
6: Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by him.
7: The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
8: But with an overflowing flood he will make a full end of his adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
9: What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a full end; he will not take vengeance twice on his foes.
10: Like entangled thorns they are consumed, like dry stubble.
11: Did one not come out from you, who plotted evil against the LORD, and counseled villainy?
12: Thus says the LORD, "Though they be strong and many, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.
13: And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds asunder."
14: The LORD has given commandment about you: "No more shall your name be perpetuated; from the house of your gods I will cut off the graven image and the molten image. I will make your grave, for you are vile."
15: Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah, fulfil your vows, for never again shall the wicked come against you, he is utterly cut off.

Even so, we hear the prophecy of the Savior.

I said I would fill you in occasionally with details and photos of my daily routine.

Today started early and, as most days, it was rather long. I was at it by 0630. After Mass, office, scanning news, catching up on the Pope in Turkey, lunch with a friend (a fellow staff member of the COL Forum) I have been on the fly until meeting some folks for supper… mercifully at a place near where I live. It is nearly 1 am now.

Lunch was at one of my favorite places for its balance of high quality food, friendly folks, and good prices and great location. You will rarely go wrong at Polese. If you go, tell ‘em Fr. Z sent you.

Today’s bonus was the surprise that they had some telline. Telline are tiny little clams, smaller and with a different flavor than the usual clams one gets here, vongole.

This is what telline look like:

Eating these little things is like eating the ocean. They have a much more intense flavor that the vongole. Alas, they are becoming very rare. I don’t remember the last time I saw them in Rome, though I would get them more often down in the castelli romani. Just to give you some scale…

See how small they are? They are a lot of work, but worth it. And if you want to wash ‘em down, try a cold Orvieto…

The only problem is that after such a pleasant lunch you then have to go back to work!

This afternoon found me back in the reference room of the library of the Augustinianum, the Patristic Institute located next to St. Peter’s Square.

You can see my little notebook computer on the table.

 

I made my way through St. Ambrose’s funeral oration for the Emperor Theodosius this evening, Here is a snip:

Ambrose is talking about the mother of Constantine, St. Helena and how under the influence of the Holy Spirit she found the instruments of the Passion. She had one of the nails put into a diadem for Constantine and another into the bridle for his horse. It is interesting to read this and think about how Pope Benedict is trying to remind people of the authentic roots of Europe. In any event, Ambrose says:

48. Wisely did Helena act who placed the cross on the head of sovereigns, that the Cross of Christ might be adored among kings. That was not presumption but piety, since honor was given to our holy redemption. Good, therefore is the nail of the Roman Empire. It rules the whole world and adorns the brow of princes, that they may be preachers who were accustomed to be persecutors. Rightly is the nail on the head, so that where the intelligence is, there may be protection, also. On the head, a crown; in the hands, reins. A crown made from the Cross, that faith might shine forth; reins likewise from the Cross, that authority might govern, and that there might be just rule, not unjust legislation. May the princes also consider that this has been granted to them by Christ’s generosity, that in imitation of the Lord it may be said of the Roman emperor: ‘Thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.’ (Ps. 20.4)

Here is the entrance to the Augustinianum after the close of the library.

 

After a walk home of about a half hour, catching up on some e-mail, some reading, more office, some phone calls and a change of clothes, I hit the cobbles again to meet people for supper. Tonight for supper (no camera, sorry) it was rigatoni all’amatriciana followed by very rare entrecôte accompanied by a sturdy Primitivo from Puglia.