We are back in violet this Sunday, as Pre-Lent begins in the traditional Roman Rite.
Here’s a poll. Anyone can vote, but only registered and approved participants can comment. ALL comments are moderated.
Keep in mind that Septuagesima could fall as early as 18 January, which would overlap with the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time.
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It is the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time in the Novus Ordo and Septuagesima in the Vetus Ordo. Such confusion. All so unnecessary.
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.
Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?
I have a few thoughts about the orations in the Vetus Ordo for Septuagesima: HERE
Yes. They should be reinstated. I grew up attending the Novus Ordo Mass and had never heard about these Pre-Lent Sundays until I was an adult and exploring the Faith more. Since incorporating them, it has made a world of difference in my Lenten preparations.
Our NO priest said there are two kinds of Christians: thermometer one who go up and down as current opinions do and there’s thermostat Christians who help to warm the faith and to cool down distress. He advocated for the latter.
Secular economies are founded on scarcity; the divine economy is grounded in plenitude. Think and act in keeping with God, not man.
We had the other of our two diocesan priests who offer the TLM. He started off explaining the Pre-Lent Sundays, then spoke about the labourers who complained, before ending with something I hadn’t heard or thought of before – the labourers who were hired at the eleventh hour had been standing all day, waiting to be hired. What they experienced while waiting was probably worse than working in the vineyard and heats all day.
Visiting priest from out-of-state. Touched on a number of things, but particularly “God’s work” – how God doesn’t just snap a finger and move us to an end point, but that we are a work (in progress), God moving us step by step. He shared a couple of stories of his youth and vocation discernment and different stages of his priesthood that illustrated this.
Also, I was very pleasantly surprised to learn I had a prior connection to this priest – just a couple of degrees of separation – through my late father. A happy memory or two there.
We were given a very hard (but kind) homily on pre-Lent and Lent and why both are done by faithful Catholics. TLM. Meat and potatoes homily that makes you think.
One of the TLM we attend is a Diocese Church that does both the NO and the Latin Mass. Father knew some of the NO parishioners had come to the TLM and said, “Please stay, You will experience a beautiful Mass full of tradition and spirituality.
No one left.
God Bless these two Priest. There have also been 3 Priestly vocations from this Parish. All being trained in the Latin Mass.
We got a whiff of Septuagesima at the Cathedral’s NO. We were reminded of the proximity of Lent and exhorted in strong terms to avoid the traps of Pelagianism (which was briefly and cogently explained) and of Activistism, and to focus on what will intensify our relationship with the Lord. Father went so far as to say “most of the penances Catholics practice during Lent are stupid!” He encouraged prayer and practicing silence.
We also had an extra opportunity for almsgiving: a seminarian who grew up in the Cathedral parish is going to theromeexperience.org this summer, provided he raises the funds to pay for it.
Went to a hospital chapel since I was working this weekend. There was nothing memorable in the homily. I think PreLent makes you think and eases you into Lent.
Alexander Schmemann’s book, Great Lent, explains this wonderfully. The other concept , that of the Bright Sorrow leading to repentance and a life of grace is also explained. I have in all honesty, forgotten on occasion that it was Ash Wednesday and nearly eaten bacon or something. Pre-Lent gets you thinking and praying. I think Ember Days and Rogation Days need to be reinstituted.
On a better note, my best experience recently was Candlemas in the EF. I brought my 1962 Missal and my 1945 Missal. I did this since often the second confiteor is said locally. To my pleasant surprise, the blessing of the candles was done with Violet vestments and folded chasubles.The violet vestments was in the 1945. The 1962 Missal says the blessing is to to be done with a white cope. I think one of the prayers is omitted in the 1962 as well. Father Cipolla gave a great homily. I am still basking in that glow so to speak.
The Septuagesima Mass I attended online featured a Homily that I found to be highly inspirational as well as being a masterpiece of intertextuality to the point that I have revisited the Homily at least thrice and sent it to a friend.
The Homilist intertwined the Gospel and the Epistle with references from Genesis and Augustine, topped with a metaphorical bow of Our Lady as the ultimate spiritual athlete.
I received inspiration from his able reminder that we will all be satisfied with our wages from laboring in Our Lord’s vineyard, whether we labored lightly for an hour or labored heartily for our entire lives.
Reading Assignment: Read Genesis before Lent commences.
I first became acquainted with the Gesima family as an Anglican. Then I moved to Novus Ordo Catholic worship with its Ordinary Time. But I soon discovered the TLM and was happily reunited with the Gesimas.
A record turnout at our chapel last Sunday: They had to bring in chairs as there weren’t enough pews. We’re gonna need a bigger chapel.
Our young newer priest had a great take on the gospel about the 11th-hour hires in the vineyard. He pointed out a connection between it and several other parables:
– the father who threw a party for the repentant prodigal son;
– the king who offered his spurned wedding feast to commoners (if only they were thankful enough to dress for it);
– the householder who carefully prepared a promising vineyard, entrusted it to tenants, and left;
– the king who initially forgave (from pity) the entire debt of the unmerciful servant;
– the master who rewarded the shrewd steward who discounted the master’s own debts.
The point was that we are usually so distracted and upset by the interactions of the players that we tend to overlook the persistent underlying theme: the father figure in each story had access to unlimited wealth and an almost ridiculous generosity in his willingness to share it — but only on *his* rather unusual terms. These were not particularly advisable practices” from a worldly point of view but the focus is not on the money, but rather on the overwhelming kindness of the father to bring others to his level and not count the cost.
Originally your poll said I had already voted in this poll (a “no” – which I strongly disagree with), but once I logged in it allowed me to vote. Very strange.
The pre-Lenten Sundays are an extremely important way of preparing for Lent. Back before I had the opportunity to attend the TLM, Lent always caught me off guard. Now my Lent is considerably more fruitful because of Septuagesima.
I guess the Gesimas operate on the same principle as traffic lights. They never change abruptly from green to red. You always get a few seconds of amber as a warning.