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

I find it interesting to see where some of you are as you look at this blog.  Here is a little snapshot from a couple minutes ago.

Phoenix, Arizona
Mohawk, Michigan
Fhrbrck, Bayern
Assartorp, Skane Lan
Birmingham, Alabama
Houston, Texas
Albuquerque, New Mexico
San Ramon, California
San Diego, California
Houston, Texas
Valdosta, Georgia
York, UK
Wallingford, Connecticut
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Tacoma, Washington
Saint Paul, Minnesota
New York, NY
Madrid, Spain
Clearwater, Florida
Little Rock, Arkansas
Lincoln, Nebraska
Britannia, Ontario
West Lafayette, Indiana
Palmerton, Pennsylvania
Ottawa, Ontario
Tampa, Florida
Monardez, Coquimbo
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Duingt, Rhone-Alpes
Southampton, UK
Washington, DC
Dayton, Ohio
Unknown Country … Oooooo spoooooky
Florence, Kentucky
Svogerslev, Roskilde
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Greenville, South Carolina
Glenview, Illinois
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Mountain View, California
Palatine, Illinois
Spring, Texas
Jersey City, New Jersey

What do you miss? I miss this.



I shot this at the Habemus Papam exhibit at the Lateran today.  Great exhibit.

Some photos of a Pontifical Mass in Stamford (CT) using the older, pre-Conciliar rite, are posted online.  I like this one of His Excellency Bishop Cordileone (great name) of San Diego with all too rarely seen pontifical gloves:

Just in case you missed it, there was an excellent observation made in a comment in this thread, concerning His Eminence Roger Card. Mahony’s lack of interest in those who desire the so-called "Tridentine" Mass.  Here it is.

...the Archdiocese of LA boasts 5 million Catholics. If only 1% are interested in the Latin Mass as the Cardinal proposes, then that means that there will be a mere 50,000 attendees at Latin Masses every weekend. I would be happy to see the Cardinal benignly accomodate such crowds each weekend by providing the Churches and priests and resources while he focueses his efforts into the ‘vibrant’ 99% (especially the 70+% of that 99% (3,465,000+) who don’t bother to attend church anyway).

His Eminence is one record saying:

James: of our 5 million Catholics, only a handful are interested in the Latin Mass. I must focus upon the 99% who need a vibrant Mass that includes them in its celebration.

Remember, "Latin Mass" means "Mass in Latin".  It ought not be used as a term to distinguish the older rite from the Novus Ordo.

From his comments it appears His Eminence thinks the 1% to be on the wrong path.  Leaving aside the obvious problem with a lack of willingness to "go in search of the one" (Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:3-7) his comment reminds us of the sheer numbers involved in providing for celebrations of the older form of Mass.  The situation of Los Angeles suggests that priests need to be well-instructed in how to address the needs of those who have their "legitimate aspirations".

They need to be supported and encouraged when they show a willingness to move in that direction.

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  (Matthew 18:10-14)

Apparently the Lord Himself put great stock in those who had "legitimate aspirations", to borrow Pope John Paul’s description from the M.P. "Ecclesia Dei adflicta".   Think of His description of the faithful as "a little leaven" (Luke 13:21). 

A small group can have a large impact.  But they won’t if what "the 99" see when looking at them is not something they find attractive.

This might call for an examination of conscience on the part of "the 1%".  Nothing is so attractive to others who are seeking meaning and a direction as seeing joy in others who are farther along the road.  In demonstrating joy and real unity, the tiny group could have a disproportionately large influence on a great many people. 

On the other hand, bitterness and strife win over only those who tend to be happy only when they are unhappy.

It’s podcast time, so here we go again!  Let’s dig into some Augustine of Hippo on this 3rd Sunday of Lent. 

I was going simply to use the English provided in the English language breviary but the translation is SO BAD that I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I found an older translation and matched it up with the way the editors of the Liturgia horarum stiched together the second reading.  The translation is a little stiff and stylized for our ears, but it is better than the rubbish in the English language breviary.  For example, the opening phrase in Latin is:  Forma Ecclesiae, non iam iustificatae, sed iam iustificandae.  In the English book this is rendered as "She is a symbol of the Church not yet made righteous."  It is enough to make you scream.

Today we have Augustine and then we take a stroll down to the Trevi Fountain.  There are lots of bells, too.

Ex tractatu sancti Augustini episcopi in Ioannem

10. "And there came a woman." Figure of the Church not yet justified, but now about to be justified: for this is the subject of the discourse. She comes ignorant, she finds Him, and there is a dealing with her. Let us see what, and wherefore. "There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water." The Samaritans did not belong to the nation of the Jews: they were foreigners, though they inhabited neighboring lands. It would take a long time to relate the origin of the Samaritans; that we may not be detained by long discourse of this, and leave necessary matters unsaid, suffice to say, then, that we regard the Samaritans as aliens. And, lest you should think that I have said this with more boldness than truth, hear the Lord Jesus Himself, what He said of that Samaritan, one of the ten lepers whom He had cleansed, who alone returned to give thanks: "Were there not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? There was not another to give glory to God, save this stranger." Luke 17:17 It is pertinent to the image of the reality, that this woman, who bore the type of the Church, comes of strangers: for the Church was to come of the Gentiles, an alien from the race of the Jews. In that woman, then, let us hear ourselves, and in her acknowledge ourselves, and in her give thanks to God for ourselves. For she was the figure, not the reality; for she both first showed forth the figure and became the reality. For she believed on Him who, of her, set the figure before us."She comes, then, to draw water." Had simply come to draw water, as people are wont to do, be they men or women.

11. "Jesus says unto her, Give me to drink. For His disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat. Then says the Samaritan woman unto Him, How is it that you, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." You see that they were aliens: indeed, the Jews would not use their vessels. And as the woman brought with her a vessel with which to draw the water, it made her wonder that a Jew sought drink of her,—a thing which the Jews were not accustomed to do. But He who was asking drink was thirsting for the faith of the woman herself.

12. At length, hear who it is that asks drink: "Jesus answered and said unto her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink, you would, it may be, have asked of Him, and He would have given you living water." He asks to drink, and promises to give drink. He longs as one about to receive; He abounds as one about to satisfy. "If you knew," says He, "the gift of God." The gift of God is the Holy Spirit. But as yet He speaks to the woman guardedly, and enters into her heart by degrees. It may be He is now teaching her. For what can be sweeter and kinder than that exhortation?" If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink, you would, it may be, have asked of Him, and He would have given you living water." : thus far He keeps her in suspense.

16.  …  Of what water, then, is He to give, but of that of which it is said, "With You is the fountain of life"? For how shall they thirst, who "shall be drunk with the fatness of Your house"?

17. What He was promising them was a certain feeding and abundant fullness of the Holy Spirit: but the woman did not yet understand; and not understanding, how did she answer? "The woman says unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." Want forced her to labor, and her weakness was pleading against the toil. Would that she heard the invitation, "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you!" Matthew 11:28 This is, in fact, what Jesus was saying to her, that she might no longer labor: but she did not yet understand.

Et venit mulier. Forma Ecclesiae, non iam iustificatae, sed iam iustificandae; nam hoc agit sermo Venit ignara, envenit eum, et agitur cum illa. Videamus quid, videamus quare venit mulier de Samaria haurire aquam. Samaritani ad Iudaeorum gentem non pertinebant; alienigenae enim fuerunt. Pertinet ad imaginem rei, quod ab alienigenis venit ista mulier, quae typum gerebat Ecclesiae; ventura enim erat Ecclesia de gentibus, alienigena a genere Iudaeorum.
Audiamus ergo in illa nos, et in illa agnoscamus nos, et in illa gratias Deo agamus pro nobis. Illa enim figura erat, non veritas; quia et ipsa praemisit figuram, et facta est veritas. Nam credidit in eum, qui de illa figuram nobis praetendebat. Venit ergo haurire aquam. Simpliciter venerat haurire aquam, sicut solent vel viri vel feminae.
Dicit ei Iesus: Da mihi bibere. Discipuli enim eius abierant in civitatem, ut cibos emerent. Dicit ergo ei mulier illa Samaritana: Quomodo tu, Iudaeus cum sis, bibere a me poscis, quae sum mulier Samaritana? Non enim coutuntur Iudaei Samaritanis.

Videtis alienigenas: omnino vasculis eorum Iudaei non utebantur. Et quia ferebat secum mulier vasculum unde aquam hauriret, eo mirata est, quia Iudaeus petebat ab ea bibere, quod non solebant facere Iudaei. Ille autem, qui bibere quaerebat, fidem ipsius mulieris sitiebat.

Denique audi quis petat bibere. Respondit Iesus et dixit ei: Si scires donum Dei, et quis est qui dicit tibi "Da mihi bibere," tu forsitan petisses ob eo, et dedisset tibe aquam vivam.

De qua ergo aqua daturus est, nisi de illa de qua dictum est: Apud te est fons vitae? Nam quomodo sitient qui inebriabuntur ab ubertate domus tuae?

Promittebat ergo saginam quamdam et satietatem Spiritus Sancti, et illa nondum intellegebat; et non intellegens, quid respondebat? Dicit ad eum mulier: Domine, da mihi hanc aquam, ut non sitiam, neque veniam huc haurire.Venite ad me, omnes qui laboratis et onorati estis, et ego vos reficiam? Hoc enim ei dicebat Iesus, ut iam non laboraret; sed illa nondum intellegebat.

 

In a very beautiful church in Rome, on the Quirinal Hill, S. Andrea al Quirinale, you will see many beautiful things, including the tomb of St. Stanislaus Kostka.

You also see this.  Is this not absurd?

Really nice table, huh?  Aren’t those chairs something?

In the gorgeous little church they call San Carlino, designed by no one less than Borromini, this is what you see.

Any problem here?

 

And here we are at S. M. del Popolo, one of Rome’s real jewels.  Note anything?



I think you are getting my point.