Above: The Visitation by Flemish painter Willem Vrelant (d. 1481). Today, July 2, is the usus antiquior feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast was instituted in 1389 by, in a way, two popes—Pope Urban VI as the one who intended to institute it, in hopes of obtaining the end of…
On this 6th Sunday after Pentecost, we return to Epistle readings from the letters of Paul. Last week we had a reading from a letter of Peter, historically brought in on that Sunday because of the gravitational pull of the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. From now on we continue in the time after…
The 20th century liturgical commentator Pius Parsch thought that the 2nd and 3rd Sundays after Pentecost showed God’s love inviting us (the Parable of the Supper) and His seeking us (Parable of the Lost Sheep). On the 4th Sunday, God revealed in the calling of Peter and the Apostles the instruments of administering His love…
In earlier days in the Roman Church one of the calendrical milestones of the liturgical year was the “birthday” of the Apostles Peter and Paul, that is to say, the feast of their martyrdom and birth into new life in Heaven, 29 June. The imagery of being born is commonly used in reference to the…
Rome can be hot during the summer. Blazing hot and breezy, a recipe for fire. Rome had recorded 6 great fires in its history. However, on 18 July of 64 AD, a fire started near the vast chariot area, the Circus Maximus. According to the ancient historian Tacitus (56-120), who was in Rome at the…
This week’s offering presented a dilemma. In many places the Vetus Ordo Feast of Corpus Christi will be observed on Sunday as an “external solemnity”. Corpus Christi falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and, in the Vetus Ordo, it had to be celebrated on that day. However, it is permitted to repeat the Mass…
"The God of the Old Testament was pretty particular about how he wanted to be worshiped."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 234 says that the doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity is the “central mystery of Christ faith and life. It is the mystery of God in Himself.” We might want to get this one right. The other mysteries of our faith revolve around what God does and has done. …
For this mighty Feast of Pentecost we first scrabble after some context to enrich our participation. The sacred liturgical celebration of the mysteries of our salvation make us present to them and them to us. Sacramental reality is not inferior to sensible reality. Indeed, it embraces and elevates it and us, it transforms us. In…
The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, forty days after His Resurrection, was once graced with its own Octave. In 1955 Pius XII suppressed all but the Octaves of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. These three remain now in the Roman Church’s Vetus Ordo. However, the Octave of Ascension dated back only to the 15th…
We now move into the next phase of the seven-week Easter Season. The first stage looked back to the Resurrection and reflect upon the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist. In this stage, which began last Sunday, we look forward to the Lord’s Ascension, the Spirit’s Descent and we consider the Sacrament of Confirmation. Like last…
