Were the good points made in the sermon you heard during your Mass of Sunday obligation and at Mass for 1 January?
Let us know.
For my part, I spoke about the figure of the prophetess Anna, who was a widow for many decades. By praying and fasting at the Temple day and night she lived the aspirations of the Psalmist: “One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.” And she did.
Anna must have wondered what was in store for her when she was widowed at such a young age. The lot of widows could be precarious in ancient times. She had a discipline of life and fulfilled the virtue of religion. God rewarded her with the sight of the Messiah. Thereupon, with joy, she shared what she had seen with others.
I added as an aside that Anna had come to the Temple “at that very hour” and saw the Lord. Hence, it is a good idea always to arrive in church on time for Mass… and see the Lord.
Of all the universes that God could have created, He created this one, into which He called us into being at a specific point in time and place. We have something to do here. It is often a mystery to us and hard to determine. But the virtue of religion and perseverance are keys.
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In our traditional (FSSP) parish we recited the Grand Prone (Part I) but the priest never explained exactly what it was or where it came from. I had never heard of it before. Maybe you could give us a little history.
One comment in particularly stood out at the homily given at the Sunday High Mass. If the Eight Amendment falls in this manipulated referendum, there will only be the Death Penalty for unwanted babies, not criminals.
Arga,
Are you Canadian (or at a Canadian parish)? The Grand Prone was traditionally read in Canada in the early 1900s. It traditionally addressed issues such the Pew Auction Results (parishes held pew auctions in order to raise funds. Families and groups of people would band together to bid on a pew, which would be their pew to sit on for the year.) It also served as a review of all the basic tenants of the Faith and reminded Catholics of the Precepts of the Church, etc.
We recited the Grand Prone one year, but it was the First Sunday in Advent when it was read (being the beginning of the Liturgical Year). I remember when our priest first mentioned that we would be “doing the grand prone on Sunday” I imagined some sort of mass prostration on the floor in the prone position and was dreading it all week. I was so happy to be wrong.
The priest talked about how there was a time when a large number of Christians were questioning whether Mary was the mother of God or just the mother of Jesus. So a council declared her to be Theotokos, God-bearer. He said that since Jesus is one person with a human nature and a divine nature, then if Mary is the mother of Jesus, then she is the mother of God.
He also talked about how he thought that it was a bad decision to change the translation of the Gospel to say that Mary was “reflecting” on things in her heart instead of “pondering” them. He talked some about the specific meaning of the word “ponder” and how it more accurately depicts the original text.
He said something similar in the homily on Sunday about the changing of the wording in the first reading from wives “submit” yourselves to wives “subordinate” yourselves to your husband. He said “submit” is a better word in that it implies that if the husband is living the virtues mentioned by Paul earlier in the reading, then the wife is able to view him as someone she can be “sent through” (if I recall correctly how he explained the Latin etymology of the word “submit”) to God.
For our Mass of the Sunday in the Octave of Christmas, Father spoke about Jesus being a sign of contradiction not only to the Jewish hierarchy at the time but continuing to every age as He continues to challenge us.
For the Feast of the Holy Family, I gave a brief homily about how the Holy Family and our families are similar. The Holy Family’s holiness was not a matter of idyllic perfection, but of seeking God first in hectic, even frantic, circumstances.
Fr. S. at a diocesan Tridentine Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent reminded us to be a CHILD of God, not the adolescent of God [haha]. Be more humble and submissive and dependent on God.
APX: thanks for your help on this. I am in a U.S. parish. I wonder if the Grand Prone is uniquely a Canadian tradition. I’d like to know more about it and where it comes from, and if it is being revived elsewhere. Also what the “prone” part means.
If people don’t learn to respect one another within the family/household unit, they will not learn how to respect anyone.
Fr. Jeff Kirby at Our lady of Grace, Indian Land, SC gave a wonderful Homily on Sunday, the feast of the Holy Family. He used the opportunity to instruct all of the men on what it means to be a Catholic man and a Catholic father. And reminded us all, clearly, of the consequences for failing our responsibilities.
Arga,
An interesting read on the Prone and the Grand Prone as it is used in America.
http://cdn.theologicalstudies.net/19/19.2/19.2.5.pdf
Thank you, APX.