Epistle: 1 John 5:4-10 Gospel: John 20:19-31 Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who have completed the Easter holy days, may, through Thy imparting, retain these effects in our ways and our life. – From the Collect for Low Sunday This Sunday could be called the Sunday of Many Names. Along with Low…
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Gospel: Mark 16:1-7 O God, who on this day, through Thine only-begotten Son, hast conquered death, and thrown open to us the gate of everlasting life, give effect by Thine aid to our desires, which Thou dost anticipate and inspire. – From the Collect for Easter Sunday The long wait is…
Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11 Gospel: Matthew 26:36-75; 27:1-66 Almighty and everlasting God, by whose ordinance our Savior took flesh and suffered crucifixion to give mankind a pattern of humility, grant us this boon, that, with the lesson of His endurance before us, we may be found worthy to have fellowship in His resurrection. – From the…
Sunday was my thirteenth day in coronavirus quarantine. I must confess that although I have done some liturgical sewing and have spent more time than usual exercising, cooking, and praying, most of this precious downtime has slipped by without anything of note transpiring. But Sunday was different. My church — a small Melkite parish —…
Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-15 Gospel: John 8:46-59 Look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, O Lord, upon Thy family; by Thy governance may we be outwardly protected in body; by Thy favor may we be inwardly strengthened in heart and mind. – From the Collect for Passion Sunday This Sunday is Passion Sunday, which begins the…
In the article “Porneia and Communion in the Hand” that was recently posted on 1P5, I explored the connections among porneia, the abuse crisis in the modern Church, and the immodesty toward our Lord’s Eucharistic body. Scripture speaks just as frequently of “spiritual porneia” as “spiritual harlotry” as it does of porneia as physical immorality.…
We press our lips against the foreheads of our loved ones, we tell them just how beloved they are, and we suit up for war. The world, the flesh, the devil, our own fallen nature, the wounds of Original Sin that none can escape — we are never in want of enemies. When will sinful…
Epistle: Galatians 4:22-31 Gospel: John 6:1-15 Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds justly deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved. – From the Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday in Lent, also known…
The theme of my conversation is: The new scenarios in Italy and in Europe during and after the Coronavirus crisis. I will not speak about this theme from a medical or scientific point of view as I do not have this competence. I will instead consider the argument from three other points of view: the…
Epistle: Ephesians 5:1-9 Gospel: Luke 11:14-28 Humbling ourselves before Thee, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, favorably to regard the desires of our heart: and in our defense to stretch forth the right hand of Thy Majesty. – From the Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent Lent is a time of battle. On the First…
Dr. Peter Kwasniewski argued in a recently republished article at 1P5 that it is not appropriate for women to be lectors at Mass because putting them in that position disrupts and contradicts the symbolism of the liturgy. While I agree with Dr. Kwasniewski’s argument, I would like to add some precisions regarding the biblical basis…
