LENTCAzT 2024 – 44: Holy “Maundy” Thursday – “Do not fear”

A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Triduum discipline.

Benedict XVI speaks in a sermon for Holy Thursday about priesthood.

The Roman Station is supposed to be St. John Lateran for the Chrism Mass and the Mass of the Last Supper.  The final prayer before the beginning of the Triduum.

You can continue your video spiritual pilgrimage to today’s Roman Station, St. Mary Major HERE.

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WDTPRS – Spy Wednesday: The final prayers

Judas Vitrail_Cathédrale_de_MoulinsThe term “Spy” Wednesday is probably an allusion to Christ’s betrayal by Judas.

In the ancient Roman Church at the time of St. Pope Leo I, “the Great” (+461), there was no Mass during the day.  Instead, many of the feria days were without Mass.  There would be gatherings at “station” churches, however, where there would be vigils with preaching.  We have sermons of Leo the Great preached on several of these Wednesdays of the 6th Week, the day before the Triduum.   Mass would be offered at St. Mary Major in the evening, as if to entrust all that had been brought from Lent as well as everything upcoming to the Mother of God for its perfection.

This prayer was the Collect for this same day in the 1962 Missale Romanum. It was also in the ancient Gregorian Sacramentary in both the Hadrianum and Paduense manuscripts.

This is the final Collect before the Triduum.  It serves as a summation and a starting point.

COLLECT

Deus, qui pro nobis Filium tuum crucis patibulum subire voluisti, ut inimici a nobis expelleres potestatem, concede nobis famulis tuis, ut resurrectionis gratiam consequamur.

This is an austere prayer, a razor, cutting to the heart of the matter.

The impressive and informative Lewis & Short Dictionary informs us that patibulum (deriving from pateo, “to open, stretch out, extend”) is “a fork-shaped yoke, placed on the necks of criminals, and to which their hands were tied; also, a fork-shaped gibbet”. In turn, English “gibbet” means “an upright post with a projecting arm for hanging the bodies of executed criminals as a warning”.

The patibulum is “the stretcher”, and not in the carrying sense.

The verb subeo in its basic meaning is “to come or go under any thing” and by logical extension “to subject one’s self to, take upon one’s self an evil; to undergo, submit to, sustain, endure, suffer”. The L&S explains that “The figure taken from stooping under a load, under blows, etc.)” There are other shades of meaning, including “to come on secretly, to advance or approach stealthily, to steal upon, steal into”. Keep this one in mind.

Consequor is interesting. It signifies “to follow, follow up, press upon, go after, attend, accompany, pursue any person or thing” and then it extends to concepts like “to follow a model, copy, an authority, example, opinion, etc.; to imitate, adopt, obey, etc.” and “to reach, overtake, obtain”. Going beyond even these definitions, there is this: “to become like or equal to a person or thing in any property or quality, to attain, come up to, to equal (cf. adsequor).” I know, I know – mentio non fit expositio. Still it is helpful to make connections in the words, which often have subtle overlaps.

Remember that meaning of subeo, above?  There are shades of “pursuit” and “imitation” in the prayer’s vocabulary.

Finally, a gratia is a “favor” or “reward”, but we Christians hear in it God’s freely given gift to us which we don’t on our own merits deserve.

WDTPRS LITERAL TRANSLATION:

O God, who desired Your Son to undergo on our behalf the yoke of the Cross so that You might drive away from us the power of the enemy, grant to us Your servants, that we may attain the grace of the resurrection.

CURRENT ICEL:

O God, who willed your Son to submit for our sake
to the yoke of the Cross,
so that you might drive from us the power of the enemy,
grant us, your servants, to attain the grace of the resurrection
.

Judas TheLastSupperdetailBy our sins we are in the clutches of the enemy, who mercilessly attacks us.

Christ freed us from dire consequences of slavery to sin by His Passion.

The ancient Romans forced their conquered foes pass under a yoke (iugum), to show that they were now subjugated.

Their juridical status changed by that “going under”.

Christ went under the Cross in its carrying and then underwent the Cross in its hideous torments.

In his liberating act of salvation, we passed from the servitude of the enemy to the service of the Lord, not as slaves, but as members of a family.

We are not merely household servants (famuli), we are accorded the status of children of the master of the house, able to inherit what He already has.

So, there’s that Collect.

However, at the end of the ferial Masses during Lent and Passiontide we have also had a final final Collect in the guise of the Oratio super populum, the Prayer over the People.   This is the last oration of the Mass before the Triduum begins.  It lines up well with the Collect we looked at, above.

Réspice, quaésumus, Dómine, super hanc famíliam tuam, pro qua Dóminus noster Iesus Christus non dubitávit mánibus tradi nocéntium, et Crucis subíre torméntum:

Even more than the 2nd Collect from the Spy Wednesday Mass, above, this oration serves as a summing up of all of Passiontide as well as the stepping off point for the whole of the Triduum.  This oration will be repeated throughout the Triduum at the end of Tenebrae and in other moments such as in the much abbreviated, austere prayers at table for meals during the Triduum.

You already have the vocabulary notes for subeo, above.

Bl. Ildefonso Schuster writes of this terse prayer…

The Blessing over the people is so beautiful that the Church uses this collect during the three following days at the conclusion of each hour of the divine office: “Look down, we beseech thee, upon this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ hesitated not to be delivered up into the hands of wicked men and to undergo the torment of the cross.” There is no better way of moving our heavenly Father to pity for us than by reminding him of the Passion of his only-begotten Son, and more especially of the immense love with which he loved us.

 

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ROME 24/3– Day 7: Oooops!

Sunrise: 05:59. Sunset: 19:33.

Ave Maria… still 18:45.  The 15 minute shift is coming up.

The Roman Station is Santa Maria Maggiore.

Welcome registrant:
Michael Joseph

Last night, the full Moon over the Campo de’ Fiori.  This is the full Moon after the Vernal Equinox.

A midday meal.  Bread, butter, anchovies.

Last night ossobuco at humble but reliably good place which hasn’t ever disappointed except when they are closed and I want to go there.

The altar of repose is ready.

Mass was celebrated for my monthly benefactors for whom I am so grateful.  I ask your prayers as well.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful. 

There are slots available for the TLM pilgrimage in September if God wills (and few more sign ups).

Meanwhile, black to move and mate in 4.


1… Ng4+ 2. fxg4 Rf8+ 3. Ke3 Qf4+ 4. Kd3 Qd4#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

 CLICK!

I am now a chess.com affiliate.   So, click and join!   Maybe we can build a fun and active Catholic Chess Club within Chess.com.

In chessy news, there is a tournament going on in Karlsruhe, Germany, the GRENKE Classic, which has been on hold for several years.  It’s a double round-robin, with two rounds per day. Games are “fast-classical” time control, 45 minutes with a 10-second increment.  Yesterday, Magnus blundered against Richard Rapport, who then drew with Ding Liren.  Rapport is on top so far.

The oooops.


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LENTCAzT 2024 – 43: Spy Wednesday of Holy Week – He dared everything.

A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.

Fulton Sheen talks about the Good Thief and Jesus. Fr. Troadec considers the reading of the Passion according to Luke at Holy Mass today.

You can continue your video spiritual pilgrimage to today’s Roman Station, St. Mary Major HERE.

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ROME 24/3– Day 6: Quiet Day

Today sunrise was at 6:01. Sunset will occur at 19:32. Ave Maria 18:45 for a few more days.

The Roman Station is Santa Prisca on the Aventine Hill. Today in the Vetus Ordo we read the Passion according to Mark.

I’ve had a rather quiet day. I’ve been mostly at home, writing something for my weekly contribution at One Peter Five. Better to do it now than in the midst of the busy Triduum. Also, my right knee is killing me. This often happens in my first few days in Rome.  So, supper with friend tonight at a nearby solid place.

IVY REPORT: A couple days back I posted a shot of the ivy on the wall of the (pretty good) restaurant on the P.za della Quercia.  It’s coming in.

Not ivy at all, here’s a delightful little 1963 Fiat 500 Giannini.  The 1962 Missal was in force and things hadn’t gone totally nuts yet, but they were getting there.

Yesterday at the parish new members were inducted into the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity and the Pilgrims, including this time the first priest member in who know how many years who isn’t a member ex officio.  In the sacristy of the parish there are four large paintings showing the activities of the members, especially with St. Philip Neri the founder.  In this detail you see well the habit of the archconfraternity for lay members (right) and priests (left) which is a portrait of St. Joseph Calasanz, Universal Patron of all Christian popular schools in the world.

Membership in the Archconfraternity is open to practicing Catholics, lay men and women,  who are 18 years old, and in communion with the Roman Church. Residency in Rome is not required. Sponsorship by a current member is required.  Members enjoy also the indulgences granted to the Archconfraternity.  Requests for aggregation of a confraternity can be sent to the “mothership”.  Drop me a line.  NB: This is for already existing confraternities dedicated to the Trinity, the Blessed Sacrament, and works of mercy, not for individual membership.  That’s another thing.

Next…

“I know I can! I know I can!”.  On the way to the market for set up.

Thanks to readers, I have flowers.  A special shout to long-time reader Zephyrinus.

Meanwhile, black to move and mate in 3. Not all that hard. However, for bonus points, name the winning technique.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

CLICK!

I am now a chess.com affiliate.   So, click and join!   Maybe we can build a fun and active Catholic Chess Club within Chess.com.

In chessy news, Magnus said in a podcast that he thinks that either Fabiano Caruana or Hikaru Nakamura will win the upcoming Candidates tournament to challenge reigning Ding Liren for the title of World Champion.  Magnus is not playing. He also said, “I don’t particularly hope for anybody. I feel like anybody who is going to be classical world champion who is not me, is always going to be a bit weird.”

Sure will be.

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LENTCAzT 2024 – 42: Tuesday of Holy Week – The silence of Jesus

A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.

Today, I present a summary of how, since Septuagesima, we are being prepared – pruned – in our liturgical rites.   Fr. Troadec tells us about the silence of Jesus in His Passion.

You can continue your video spiritual pilgrimage to today’s Roman Station, Santa Prisca HERE.

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ROME 24/3– Day 5: Getting stoffa

Today sunrise, with crystal clear skies and low temp of 42F, was at 6:02. Sunset will come at 18:30, 15 minutes before the Ave Maria Bell should ring to signal the end of the day’s business.

It is Monday in Holy Week. The Feast of the Annunciation is postponed to after the Easter Octave. It is the Feast of St. Dismas the Good Thief. As I write the clouds have moved in and it is 60F.

Today The World’s Best Sacristan™ and I marched over, first, to the Campo de’ Fiori.  I had promised my fruttarola – vegetable vendor – a palm from the Sunday procession. I brought one of the small woven decorative crosses. She was, of course, quite pleased. I was also pleased to see that there were FAVE! I was on a mission from God, so I couldn’t get any at the moment. Tomorrow. She’s been there at that stand for over 60 years. Hard times. Good times. Weather in. Weather out.

Through the little passage way to the Largo del Pallaro.

I understand that the old proprietor of the Pallaro restaurant passed away.  I think some American seminarians went there.  They almost always tended to focus on the wrong places because other seminarians had gone there.  I digress.  The food wasn’t great, rather basic, but he was devout.  R.I.P.

Palazzo Massimo, where St. Philip Neri raised the son of the Principe from the death.

Largo Argentina.  Yes, there are still cats, including the tail-less black critter limping along in the foreground.

At Gammarelli, TWGS™ and I looked into the fabric for a possible set of black vestments for the parish. 

Last year, a few of you incredible, dear readers, stepped up and got 7 sets of matching red Roman sets for the priests who would come and say their daily Masses.  HERE

There were quite a few people who pledged donations for the red, but their pledges weren’t needed right away.

At the time I mentioned that there would be a couple more projects.   The parish is also in need of BLACK VESTMENTS.   In fact, in the mornings, quite a few priests need to use black, because they – as earthly life goes on for us and not for others – have Requiem Masses to say.   The parish’s black vestments are also in disarray.

Whaddya say?  Ready for another round?  SEE UPDATE BELOW

Don’t send money yet.  This is pledge time.  Directions will follow.

Here’s the stoffa, the fabric.


UPDATE:

I have enough pledges already! If something comes up, I’ll open it up again. THANK YOU to

BB, SK, TP x2, TK, TS, AG

If you are still anxious to participate in a vestment project for the parish in Rome, let me know.  They have in the works a white solemn set which will probably be rather costly because of the very fine fabric.


Heading to the other side of the Largo Argentina, we made the terrible mistake of stopping in at what used to be a good bar.  Tre Effe – FFF.  The gal at the cash register’s rudeness was matched only by her excessive and poorly conceived make-up.  The cornetto was inedible and the cappuccino diminutive, due to the cups.   Don’t ever stop at Tre Effe on the edge of the Largo Argentina.

Speaking of get stuff, today a box arrived with something I had ordered.  The only thing that rivals my annoyance for cheap styrofoam or glitter in Christmas cards has to be this.

Meanwhile, black to move and mate in … 5?


1. … Qh3+ 2. Kh1 Qf3+ 3. Kg1 Rg8+ 4. Rg6 Rxg6+ 5. Kf1 Bh6#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

 CLICK!

I am now a chess.com affiliate.   So, click and join!   Maybe we can build a fun and active Catholic Chess Club within Chess.com.

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE  Interested in learning?  Try THIS.

And speaking of “fruttarola”, my favorite of the old Roman singers, Claudio Villa.

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25 March 1991- Archbp. Marcel Lefebvre – Requiescat in pace

On this day in 1991 Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre died.

Lefebvre was a great churchman, an astoundingly effective missionary.   Much of the Church in French speaking Africa even today owes a great deal to his work.  I find it not unusual at all that the African Church reveals strong fidelity to certain moral teachings which are lately under attack.

I learned of Lefebvre’s death in an interesting way. That morning I was opening up our office (the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei“) because I was the first to arrive.  As I was switching on lights and machines, the doorbell rang.   Thinking it was our secretary, who might not have the key handy, I opened the door to find… then-Card. Ratzinger.  He gave me the news that Lefebvre had died. He had just received a phone call about his death and stopped at our office on his way in to the Congregation.  I got on the phone to our own Cardinal right away.

Here are shots of Lefebvre’s memorial card, which I have kept these years.

In your charity, you might say a prayer for him.

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25 March: Feast of St Dismas – So good a thief that he “stole heaven”

Titian_Christ_Good_Thief_Dismas_smIf it were not Monday of Holy Week, today would be Lady Day, the Feast of the Annunciation, the instant of the Incarnation.

However, 25 March is also the Feast of the Good Thief, St. Dismas!

Fulton Sheen famously quipped of this thief-saint that he “stole heaven”.  A good thief indeed!

Many saints have their feast days assigned to the day when they were born into heaven (read: died).  There is a tradition that that first Good Friday was on the same day as the Annunciation, 25 March.

Luke 23:39-43:

And one of those robbers who were hanged, [Gesmas] blasphemed him, saying: If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other [Dismas] answering, rebuked him, saying: Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art condemned under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done no evil. And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise.

It makes the heart ache, to read these words addressed to that penitent sinner.  Would that they were address to each one of us.

But wait!  They can be.

Holy Church has the Lord’s own authority to forgive sins, to loose and to bind! It is exercised by His bishops and priests!

GO TO CONFESSION!  

There is, by the way, a legend that, during the Holy Family’s flight from Herod to Egypt, they ran into Dismas, who was exercising his trade of thievery.

Dismas was going to rob them, but seeing the Infant Jesus, he instead gave them shelter in his lair and let them go on their way without harming them.  Dismas would continue to be a nefarious ne’er-do-well.  His intellect still darkened by sin on Calvary kept him from recognizing Christ’s Mother.

This is another proof that sin makes you stupid.

Finally, Fathers, mark on your calendar that in the back of your traditional Missale Romanum there is a Mass formulary for the 2nd Sunday of October  in honor of the Good Thief for use in prisons and in houses of reform of mores and of the discipline of amendment.

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LENTCAzT 2024 – 41: Monday of Holy Week – What a prodigy of infinite love!

A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.

Today, even though the Feast of the Annunciation is transferred, we hear from Fr. Troadec about Mary’s “yes”.  We are also reminded to be resolute about our resolutions.

You can continue your video spiritual pilgrimage to today’s Roman Station, Santa Praxedes HERE.

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25 March is Dantedì… Dante Day.

I would be remiss were I not to mention in Italy , today, 25 March is Dantedì… Dante Day.  A national holiday.  25 March, is when Dante started his journey in The Divine Comedy, Holy Thursday night, before Good Friday, to the Wednesday after Easter in the spring of 1300.

It nigh on impossible to convey the importance of Dante’s work the tri-partite La Divina Commedia.

What I can do here, and you who know not Dante or know little will thank me, is point you to a good translation and some fun music.

For good translations, try the late, great Inkling Dorothy Sayers’ translation.  She died while working on the Paradiso, but her assistant did an admirable job in completing the Part 1, Inferno, US HERE – UK HERE).

Another good translation is by Anthony Esolen. Part 1, Inferno- US HERE – UK HERE).

Do NOT make the mistake of reading only the Inferno.  The really good stuff comes later in the Purgatorio and Paradiso.

Be smart in your approach to Dante.  Read straight through a canto to get the line of thought and story and then go back over it looking at the notes in your edition.  Sayers has good notes.  Esolen has great notes.  Dante was, I think, the last guy who knew everything.  Hence, every Canto is dense with references.  You will need notes to help with the history, philosophy, cosmology, poetic theory, politics, theology, etc.  Really.

You. Will. Need. Help.  Take it.

There are many online sites.  For example HERE.

For some good music to play while reading your Dante.

The Dante Troubadours

Lo Mio Servente Core: Music at the Time of Dante

Dante and the Troubadours

There are volumes of commentaries by Charles S. Singleton. Not cheap but good for advanced work.

CLICK ME

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A BIG CME IS COMING

From SpaceWeather.

A BIG CME IS COMING: Two sunspots erupted at once on March 23rd, producing a powerful X1-class solar flare. A bright halo CME is now heading for Earth. Models suggest it could reach our planet during the early hours of March 25th, bringing a chance of strong geomagnetic storms and mid-latitude auroras. Follow this developing story @ Spaceweather.com.

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Your Sunday Sermon Notes – Palm Sunday 2024

It is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.

Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Sunday Mass of obligation?

Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass. I hear that it is growing. Of COURSE.

Did you have a procession with palms or olive branches?

Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?

Here’s a taste of my longer thoughts over at the other place HERE

[…]

First, to bear Christ to where He wants you to take Him, you must be a good donkey colt yourself, obedient, docile, patient.  Mary said, “Let it be done to me” and Christ humbled Himself to death.  We have the examples of saints.  Be a good donkey and carry Christ to where He must go.  Don’t be a froward ass.

[…]

 

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ROME 24/3– Day 4: Palms and Procession

The time of the rising of the sun upon Rome today was 06:04. It also set on schedule at 18:29. The Ave Maria bell is in the 18:45 cycle. Tomorrow is the Full Moon, first after the Vernal Equinox. The Feast of the Annunciation, ordinarily tomorrow, is postponed because it is Holy Week.

Today’s Roman Station was at St. John Lateran.

Welcome registrants:
St Michael
martial

In church today we had the blessing of palms and olive branches, of course.   Such beautiful prayers.

Distribution.

Here’s mine.

I think I will get more photos from the day from the pro photographer.  But for now, here are some glimpses.

After Mass on the way out to lunch with friends, including The Great Roman™ and  TGR’s Wife™, I spotted this.

At lunch I spotted these.

Meanwhile, can you spot the mate in four for white?   Good luck!


1. Nf7+ Ke8 2.Qxe6+ Nxe6 3. Ng5+ Kd8 4. Nxe6#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

CLICK!

I am now a chess.com affiliate.   So, click and join!   Maybe we can build a fun and active Catholic Chess Club within Chess.com.

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE  Interested in learning?  Try THIS.

You could enjoy some excellent wine made by the traditional Benedictines of Le Barroux.  OPPORTUNITY – 10% off with code: FATHERZ10

In chessy news, I finally got to see the end of the American Cup women’s section. ALICE LEE!!! It was down to blitz tie breakers.

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LENTCAzT 2024 – 40: Palm Sunday – How to participate in the sacred mysteries

A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.

Today, I speak about how to participate in and benefit from the sacred mysteries of Holy Week and the Triduum. Fr. Troadec looks into the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

You can continue your video spiritual pilgrimage to today’s Roman Station, St John Lateran HERE.

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WDTPRS – Palm Sunday: transforming example

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week.  The Sacred Triduum (triduum from tres dies – “three day space”) were once days of obligation when people were freed from servile work so that they could attend the liturgies, once celebrated in the morning.  In the 17th century, however, the obligation was removed under the influence of changing social and religious conditions.  As a result, the faithful lost sight of these beautiful liturgies and in general only priests and religious in monasteries knew them.

In 1951 Pope Pius XII tried to restore the Triduum liturgies to prominence. He mandated that the Easter Vigil be celebrated in the evening.  In 1953 Mass was permitted in the evening on certain days.  A reformed Ordo for Holy Week was issued in 1955 which took effect on 25 March 1956.   That is when the Sunday of Holy Week came to be called “The Second Sunday in Passiontide, or Palm Sunday”.  Matins and Lauds (Tenebrae, “shadows”) was to be sung in the morning of, for example, Holy Thursday rather than Wednesday night.  Holy Thursday Mass was not to begin before 5 p.m..  The idea was to make it easier for people to attend these all important liturgies.

The principal ceremonies of the Palm Sunday Mass include the blessing of palm branches (or olive branches in some parts of the world, such as Rome) and a procession around and into the church.  In the present Missale Romanum an interesting rubric about the procession hearkens to ancient times:

“At a suitable hour the “collect” is made (fit collecta) in a lesser church or in another appropriate place outside the church toward which the procession marches.”

Here is our word “collect” used to describe a gathering of people.   This harks to the practice of the Roman Stations.

In the rubrics there is something helpful for our understanding of “active participation”:

“Then as is customary the priest greets the people; and then there is given a brief admonition, by which the faithful are invited to participate actively and consciously (actuose et conscie participandam) in this day’s celebration.”

Those words actuose et conscie are very important.  The Second Vatican Council, when using the term actuosa participatio or “active/actual participation”, meant mainly interior participation, the engaging of the mind, heart and will.  The Council Fathers did not mean primarily exterior participation.  Exterior participation should be the natural result of interior participation: we seek to express outwardly what we are experiencing within.  While the two influence each other, there is a logical priority to interior participation, which is by far the more important.

At the end of the procession, when everyone is gathered in the church, the priest says the…

COLLECT (2002MR):

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus,
qui humano generi, ad imitandum humilitatis exemplum,
Salvatorem nostrum carnem sumere
et crucem subire fecisti,
concede propitius,
ut et patientiae ipsius habere documenta
et resurrectionis consortia mereamur.

The vocabulary of today’s Collect is incredibly complex.  We can only scratch at a fraction of what is there.

Our prayer was in older editions of the Missale Romanum and, before them, in the Gelasian Sacramentary.  In the Gelasian there is an extra helpful et: Salvatorem nostrum et carnem sumere, et crucem subire.  Wonderfully alliterative!  The editor of the Gelasian excludes a comma, which makes sense to me: qui humano generi_ad imitandum…. There may be a touch of St. Augustine’s (+430) influence in the prayer.  In Augustine humilitatis appears with exemplum on close conjunction with documentum (ep. 194.3) and with documentum and patientiae in proximity to exemplum (en. ps. 29 en. 2.7).  In the context of the Passion Augustine says: “Therefore, the Lord Himself, judge of the living and the dead, stands before a human judge (Pilate), offering us a decisive lesson of humility and patience (humilitatis et patientiae documentum), not defeated, but giving the soldier an example of how one wages war (pugnandi exemplum): …”

There are two words for “example” here: exemplum…documenta. These words appear together in numerous classical and patristic texts.

Our startlingly useful Lewis & Short Dictionary informs us that our old friend exemplum means, “a sample for imitation, instruction, proof, a pattern, model, original, example….”  Exemplum is a term in ancient rhetoric, an inseparable part of the warp and weft of the development of Christian doctrine during the first millennium.

For Fathers of the Church, all well-trained in rhetoric (how we need those skills today), exemplum identified a range of things including man as God’s image, Christ as a Teacher, and the content of prophecy.   In Greek and Roman rhetoric and philosophy, an exemplum could have auctoritas, “authority”, the persuasive force of an argument.  When we hear today’s prayer with ancient ears, exemplum is not merely an “example” to be followed: it indicates a past event with such authoritative force that it transforms him who imitates it.  Today we hear humilitatis exemplum, the authoritative model of humility who is Christ – Christ in action, or rather Christ in Passion, undergoing His sufferings for our sake.  This becomes the foundational and authoritative pattern of the Christian experience: self-emptying in the Incarnation and Passion leading to resurrection.   Exemplum is augmented later in the prayer by documentaDocumentum is also a “pattern for imitation” like exemplum but also in some contexts having the meaning of “a proof”, that is, a concrete demonstration that what is asserted is true: evidence.   In this case it is a paradigm after which we are to pattern and shape our own lives.  But this pattern or model itself actually has power to shape us.  Christ transforms us the baptized who are made in his image and likeness, after his perfect exemplum, and who imitate His exempla and documenta, His words and deeds.

Consortium (from con-sors… having the same lot/fate/destiny with something or someone) classically is a “community of goods” and “fellowship, participation, society.”

Habeo has a vast entry in the L&S. The common meaning is “have”, but it also indicates concepts like “hold, account, esteem, consider, regard” as well as “have as a habit, peculiarity, or characteristic.”  The infinitive habere is doing double-duty with two objects, documenta and consortia. This is why I use both “grasp” for the first application of habere and “have” for the second.  The meanings of the two different objects draw our two different senses of habere.

Patientia is from patior, “to bear, support, undergo, suffer, endure”, and it carries all its connotations as well as the meaning “patience”.  This is where the word “Passion” comes from.  Today is Second Passion Sunday.  We could say here, “examples of His long-suffering” or “exemplary patterns of His patient forbearance.”  Finally, note that nostrum goes with Salvatorem and not with carnem: caro, carnis is feminine and the form would have to have been nostram carnem.

SLAVISHLY LITERAL RENDERING:
Almighty eternal God,
who, for the human race,
made our Savior both assume flesh and undergo the Cross
for an example of humility to be imitated,
graciously grant,
that we may be worthy both to grasp both the lessons of His forbearance
and also to have shares in the resurrection.

CURRENT ICEL (2011):
Almighty ever-living God,
who as an example of humility for the human race to follow
caused our Savior to take flesh and submit to the Cross,
graciously grant that we may heed his lesson of patient suffering
and so merit a share in his Resurrection
.

More can be said about that phrase patientiae ipsiusIpse, a demonstrative pronoun, is emphatic and means “himself, herself, itself”.  Could we personify patientia to mean, “grasp the lessons of Patience itself” or even “of Patience Himself”?   That would be poetically sublime.

In the fullness of time the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, the eternal Word through whom all things visible and invisible were made, by the will of the Father emptied Himself of His glory and took our human nature up into an indestructible bond with His own divinity.  He came to us sinners to save us from our sins and teach us who we are (cf. Gaudium et spes 22).  This saving mission began with self-emptying (in Greek kenosis).

Fathom for a moment the humility of the Savior, emptying Himself of His divine splendor, submitting Himself to His humble and hidden life before His public ministry.

When the time of His years and His mission was complete He gave Himself over again, emptying Himself yet again even to giving up His very life.

Every moment of Jesus’ earthly life, every word and deed, are conditioned by humility.   This is our perfect example to follow, an example so perfect that it has the power to transform us.

As Holy Week begins and the Sacred Triduum is observed, come to the sacramental observance of the sacred and saving mysteries with humble self-emptying.  Make room for Christ.

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ROME 24/3– Day 3: Buttery Blossoms

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Today in Rome the the chariot of Helios graced the view at 6:06. I was asleep for another 24 minutes. The Helios leaves our view at 18:28. Not that it matters to anyone who really should care a great deal, but the Ave Maria ought to ring at 18:45.

Hey!

c******65@gmail.com
david.************@tasis.ch
d*****@reagan.com
s********@sismodos.com

I sent you a note but the mail got kicked back as undeliverable for one reason or another.

Walking home from supper last night.

A “nasone”, so called because of the shape of the spigot.

I read recently that three NEW ones were installed near the Colloseum and that there are only three of the 1874 originals left, which have three spouts in the shape of a dragon’s head.  One of them is in the P.za della Rotonda in front of the Pantheon.  When I go by there, probably on Monday because of an errand to Gamarelli and Barbiconi, I’ll get a shot of it.

The water in Rome is very tasty and it is entirely safe to imbibe from this fountains.  They have a hole in the top of the spout such that if you plug the end with your finger the water shoots up so you can drink from the stream.

This fountain doesn’t do that.

Roman water makes GREAT coffee.

Meanwhile, white to move and mate in 2.  Lana caprina.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

CLICK!

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Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE  Interested in learning?  Try THIS.

The sacred Triduum is coming up. The wonderful nuns of Gower Abbey, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, have a disc and digital download of the RESPONSORIES of Tenebrae for all three days of the Triduum.  They are, arguably, the most beautiful chants of the entire liturgical year.

Tenebrae at Ephesus

 

US HERE – UK HERE

UPDATE:

I got flowers for the apartment, thanks to a kind reader.   Some freezia and alstroemeria.  Of course I went to Pippo at the Campo.

And speaking of flowers, at a nearby bar friends and I had a snack: bread, butter and anchovies.  Nice presentation of the butter!

 

 

 

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LENTCAzT 2024 – 39: Saturday in Passiontide – Death proves that life has meaning

A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.

Today, Fulton Sheen talks about death.  Different kinds of martyrdom.

You can continue your video spiritual pilgrimage to today’s Roman Station, St John at the Latin Gate HERE.

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ROME 24/3– Day 2: Quiet, sort of, Stations and meals

In Rome the sunrise was at 06:07 and it set at 18:27. The Ave Maria bell ought to ring at 18:45 in this cycle. But it won’t. Too bad. We need more Ave Maria bells and less … whatever it is we are getting.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

Today was a quiet day.  I had some writing to do.  I went for errands and then tried to solve the problem of not having hot water.  The gizmo that heats the water seemed to be functioning.  It turns out that… oh well… I’ve got it.

Me looking at the heater, while scaffolds are being assembled in the internal courtyard.  You can’t believe the noise.

Ivy is starting up.

Breakfast.

What I did not choose at this Sicilian place.

Lunch, fast.  Tuna, capers, fresh tomatoes, garlic, pepperoncino.  More carbs today than in a week back home.

Stations of the Cross at the parish tonight.

After Stations members of the Archconfraternity finishing singing before a relic of the Cross.

After Stations The Great Roman™ joined me and friends for some non-meat fare at a good Roman Sicilian place.  Appetizer… moscardini.

Mine, a sort of soup of mixed shells.

Meanwhile, white to move and mate in 4.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

CLICK!

I am now a chess.com affiliate.   So, click and join!   Maybe we can build a fun and active Catholic Chess Club within Chess.com.

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE  Interested in learning?  Try THIS.  Helped my game.

I’m kinda tired.  Please use my links to the wonderful people I support.  Please?  Tell them I sent you.  You know who they are.

Today I said Mass for my Roman donors.

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LENTCAzT 2024 – 38: Friday in Passiontide – Our Lady of Sorrows

A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.

Today,  Fr. Troadec points out that we are one week out from Good Friday and talks about the Sorrows of Mary on this her Feast day.

You can continue your video spiritual pilgrimage to today’s Roman Station, Santo Stefano Rotondo HERE.

The Benedictines of Gower Abbey sing to us.  [US HERE – UK HERE]

They also have this,

Tenebrae at Ephesus

US HERE – UK HERE

These are the RESPONSORIES of Tenebrae for all three days of the Triduum.  They are, arguably, the most beautiful chants of the entire liturgical year.

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