Sequence on the Virgin Mary: 11th Century: Raby, The Oxford Book of Medieval Latin Verse, pp.162-163

 

Sequence on the Virgin Mary: 11^th  Century: Raby, The Oxford Book of Medieval Latin Verse, pp.162-163

 

HODIERNAE lux diei

celebris in matris Dei

  agitur memoria.

 

Decantemus in hac die

semper virginis Mariae

   laudes et praeconia.

 

Omnis homo, omni hora

ipsam ora et implora

   eius patrocinia;

 

Psalle, psalle nisu toto

cordis oris, voce, voto:

   'ave, plena gratia.'

 

Ave, domina caelorum

inexperta viri torum,  

   parens paris nescia;

 

Fecundata sine viro

genuisti more miro

   genitorem filia,

 

Florens hortus austro flante,  

porta clausa post et ante,

   via viris invia ;

 

Fusa caeli rore tellus,

fusum Gedeonis vellus

   deitatis pluvia.

 

Salve, decus firmamenti,

tu caliginosae menti

desuper irradia;

 

Placa mare, maris stella,

ne involvat nos procella

et tempestas obvia.

 

In the light of this day, today, we celebrate the memorial of the Mother of God. Let us on this day sing the praises and the fame of Mary Ever-Virgin.  Every man, at every hour, pray and implore her patronage. Sing, sing with all the strength of the mouth of the heart, the voice, with prayer: ‘hail, full of grace’. Hail, Lady of the heavens, never experiencing a man’s bed, you give without knowing a husband.  Made fruitful without man, you gave birth in a wondrous way, being the daughter of the child, who created you. A garden flourishing under the south wind, its gates closed after and before, the way impassable for men. The dew of heaven poured down upon the earth, flowed upon the fleece of Gideon, the downpour of divinity. Hail, splendor of the firmament, do thou shine from above upon the darkness of our minds. Calm the sea, O Star of the Sea, let not the storms and tempests overwhelm our path.

ROMANO GUARDINI: The Lord

 

ROMANO GUARDINI: The Lord

 

The old commandment, fifth of the Ten from Sinai, runs: Thou shalt not kill. Jesus seizes upon the wickedness that is expressed by murder and traces it back to its origin in the murderer's heart. What breaks out in violence is already present in the evil word or intent, or rather, everything that follows is the result of that intent. The intent then, not the deed that expresses it, is decisive. Notice that Jesus does not even mention downright hatred; a brother's irritation or having "anything against thee" is enough to sow the dragon-seed of evil. From irritation grows anger; from anger the word; from the word the deed. . . .

 

The Old Law used justice as its norm of human behavior. As others treat you, so shall you treat them. Violence may be returned for violence, evil for evil. The justice of the day consisted in not returning more evil than the amount received, and naturally one was allowed to protect oneself from anything that seemed threatening. Christ says: That is not enough. As long as you cling to "justice" you will never be guiltless of injustice. As long as you are entangled in wrong and revenge, blow and counterblow, aggression and defense, you will be constantly drawn into fresh wrong. Passion, by its very definition, surpasses measure—quite aside from the fact that the claim to vengeance in itself is wrong because it lies outside our given role of creature. He who takes it upon himself to avenge trampled justice never restores justice. The moment discussion of wrong begins, wrong stirs in one's own heart, and the result is new injustice.

 

If you really want to get anywhere, you must extricate yourself from the whole embroilment and seek a position far removed from all pro's and con's. You must introduce a new force, not that of self-assertion, but of selflessness; not so-called justice, but creative freedom. Man is really just only when he seeks more than mere justice. More not merely quantitatively, but qualitatively. He must find a power capable of breaking the ban of injustice, something strong enough and big enough to intercept aggression and disarm it: love.

 

Our Father Prayer in English

This is the common version of this prayer in English:

"Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen."

For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen." 

 For thine is the kingdom ...   this a latter addition, favored by Protestants.

Pater Noster in Latin

This is the Latin.

"PATER NOSTER, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen."

THE USE OF THE LATIN LANGUAGE

 

There is no altercation like liturgical altercation. I have reached the conclusion that I and the Vatican Radio alone have correctly interpreted Vatican II, because we read the Office in Latin.

 

 

THE USE OF THE LATIN LANGUAGE

 

Undoubtedly, Latin is the language that has the most longevity in the Roman Liturgy: It has been in use for over sixteen centuries, that is to say, from the time when the official liturgical language of the Church went from Greek to Latin – a change completed under Pope Damasus (+384). The official liturgical books of the Roman Rite are still published in Latin today (editio typica).

 

The Code of Canon Law (canon 928) stipulates: “The eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in the Latin language or in another language provided that the liturgical texts have been legitimately approved.” Taking into consideration the present situation, this canon translates in a concise manner the teaching of the Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council.

 

The well-known number 36 of Sacrosanctum Concilium established the following principle:

 

“Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites”(§ 1).

 

In this sense, the Code affirms first of all: “The eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in the Latin language.”

 

In the sections which follow, Sacrosanctum Concilium admits of the possibility of using also the vernacular languages:

 

“But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters. (§ 2)

 

“These norms being observed, it is for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2, to decide whether, and to what extent, the vernacular language is to be used; their decrees are to be approved, that is, confirmed, by the Apostolic See. And, whenever it seems to be called for, this authority is to consult with bishops of neighboring regions which have the same language. (§ 3)

 

“Translations from the Latin text into the mother tongue intended for use in the liturgy must be approved by the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned above.” (§ 4)

 

On the basis of those subsequent sections, the Code adds: “or in another language provided that the liturgical texts have been legitimately approved.”

 

As can be seen, likewise according to present norms, the Latin language still holds primacy of place as that language which, based on principle, the Church prefers, even though she recognizes that the vernacular can be useful for the faithful. In the present concrete situation, liturgical celebrations in Latin have become rather rare. Hence, a motivation for using Latin is because in the Papal Liturgy (but not only in the Papal Liturgy), Latin should be safeguarded as a precious inheritance of the Western liturgical tradition. Not by chance did the Servant of God, John Paul II recall that:

 

“The Roman Church has special obligations towards Latin, the splendid language of ancient Rome, and she must manifest them whenever the occasion presents itself” (Dominicae cenae, n. 10).

 

In continuity with the Magisterium of his Predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, besides wishing that there would be a greater use of the traditional Latin language in liturgical celebrations, especially during international gatherings, wrote:

 

“Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant” (Sacramentum Caritatis, n. 62).

The Soul's Love-Book attributed to our brother, Henry Suso.

 

This Votive Office contains many elements from the medieval Dominican offices dedicated to aspects of our Lord’s Passion. It is usually celebrated on May 4, but may be used at other times.

 

From The Soul's Love-Book attributed to our brother, Henry Suso.

To follow the Passion of Christ.

 

O Eternal Wisdom, you are the reflection of the glory and the expression of the Father' s being, who created all things out of nothing. You descended to this miserable earth to lead the human race back to the joys of Paradise by your own gracious example. As a meek lamb you offered yourself to the Father as an expiation for the sins of all. By your precious blood open my heart that I may behold you, King of kings and Lord of lords, with the eyes of faith.

 

O heavenly strength and constancy of my soul, most sweet Jesus Christ, when you were cruelly led to the house of Annas, you were questioned about your teaching by him and the Jewish leaders who were sitting around the fire. You meekly answered and were repaid by a savage blow to the head. O reflection of the eternal light and spotless mirror, they blindfolded your clear eyes, soiled your adorable face with spittle, and struck your blameless head with repeated blows.

 

O superabundant salvation of the world, most sweet Jesus Christ, after you had endured a night of unspeakable cruelty in the house of Annas. thereby bearing witness to and manifesting your charity to the world, you were led like a thief to the house of Caiphas. When you stood so humbly before the judge, you were falsely accused. Although you were Son of God. with harsh voices they cried out that you were guilty of death.

 

O only sovereign and origin of all that is, Lord of all the hosts of angels. most sweet Jesus Christ, your arms were cruelly stretched, you were 'bound naked to the hard pillar and violently scourged with whips, you were clothed in purple, crowned with thorns, mocked and struck in the face, with your face covered with blood, your head crowned with thorns, and wearing the purple cloak, you were led before the crowd. A sentence of' death was pronounced upon you, the author of life, by a mortal judge.

 

But I know one thing and I hold this one thing to be true: you suffered all this to draw me to your love; you who are the supreme good submitted to savage blows for love of me.

 

Now, my soul, behold his adorable face which he has made red with drops of blood. In him you possess the fullness of all grace. Behold his pierced head with cruel thorns from which fountains of blood flow.

 

O my king, now grant your servant to enter into your passion, to bear evils, to be crucified with you and to be reborn with you unto eternal life, Amen.

 

 

St. John Chrysostom

 

St. John Chrysostom is a doctor of the Church, a bishop from the fifth century whose fiery and powerful preaching earned him the name "Chrysostom," meaning “golden mouth.”

He was born in 347 in Antioch, Syria, the only son of the commander of imperial troops. His father died when he was still a child, thus John was raised by his mother, who modeled for young John a truly Christian life, devoting herself to a life of piety while upholding her family obligations.

John's mother provided the best education possible for her son, and John learned rhetoric from the master orator of Antioch, Libanius. Even as a young man, John outperformed the other students, and even surpassed his teacher in style and talent. In fact, as legend has it, Libanius was on his deathbed and asked who should follow him in leading the school. “John would have been my choice,” he said, “if the Christians had not stolen him from us.”

After completing his education, John poured his dynamic energy into pursuing a monastic life. He joined the community of hermits and monks living in the mountains near Antioch. John spent four years under close spiritual direction from a monk, and another two years living in solitude and prayer in a cave.

The harsh monastic diet of a hermit caused great harm to his stomach, forcing John to return to Antioch and plaguing him with ill health for the rest of his life. Upon his return to the city, he was ordained a deacon and assigned to assist the bishop with preaching at liturgy. For twelve years, he served the Christian community of Antioch through his preaching. Continually, he encouraged the Christians of Antioch to be a witness to their status-obsessed pagan neighbors and to provide radical love and hospitality to the poor. His homilies on Luke's parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man are particularly poignant examples. John Chrysostom was never afraid to venture into political territory during his homilies, and more than once he called out the imperial family on their lavish lifestyle and decadence. To John, Christianity was not simply a private affair in the hubbub of public urban life. In John's eyes, Christians were called to transform the metropolis.

In 398, John, against his wishes, was named bishop of Constantinople, the capital of the new Roman empire. As bishop, he scandalized the elite of the city through his Spartan lifestyle. Eschewing dinner parties and fine clothing, John provided for the poor and supported the relatively new invention of urban public hospitals. John particularly encouraged a Eucharistic devotion among his people, urging them to receive Communion as often as they could. John highlighted the Eucharist as the banquet of the heavenly city where rich and poor could meet as equals in Christ.

He was known for being able to speak to the hearts of people who felt stuck in sin—“If you have fallen a second time, or even a thousand times into sin,” he said, “come to me, and you shall be healed.” John converted many with his intuitive compassion for others, and his firm calls to repentance.

John spent his last years in exile for speaking out once too often against the sumptuous lifestyle of the Empress Eudoxia and the imperial capital. In revenge for his criticisms, the emperor and empress conspired with a faction of bishops who opposed John and had him removed from office and exiled deep into the region of Anatolia in present-day Turkey. Forced to march for three months to his exile, John suffered greatly on this journey, as the harsh elements and rough treatment taxed his already frail health. He kept up his correspondence until the end; his letters to his friend the deaconess Olympias are a precious record of his last days. He died on Sept. 14, 407.

John's storied last words to his congregation were: “Violent storms encompass me on all sides. Though the sea roar and the waves rise high, they cannot overwhelm the ship of Jesus Christ. I fear not death, which is my gain; nor banishment, for the whole earth is the Lord’s; nor the loss of things, for I came naked into this world, and I can carry nothing out of it.”

In 1204, crusaders looted his relics from Constantinople and bore them to Rome. In 2004, Pope John Paul II returned some of these relics to the Eastern Church. Other relics of his rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, where he is also depicted in two stained glass windows. One of these windows shows him contemplating a vision of St. Paul, whose writings were a favorite subject of his preaching. Additionally, John Chrysostom is portrayed in a stained glass window in the library of Moreau Seminary, below a symbol for the Eucharist, which he encouraged devotion to among his flock.

An overwhelming number of John Chysostom’s homilies have been preserved throughout the millennia since his death. He is considered the greatest preacher in the history of Christianity. The liturgy most often celebrated by Eastern Rite Catholics and Christians comes from St. John Chrysostom's Eucharistic Prayer--his words have shaped liturgical worship for millions over many centuries. As a doctor of the Church, he joins the ranks of thirty-five other saints who are honored for how well they taught the faith in words and deed.

St. John Chrysostom, golden-mouthed doctor of the Church, who eloquently challenged your people to serve Christ in the outcast of society—pray for us!

Iste confessor Domini sacratus

 

1  Iste confessor Domini sacratus

Festa plebs cuius celebrat per orbem,
Hodie letus meruit secreta,
Scandere Cœli.

2  Qui pius, prudens, humilis, pudicus,
Sobrius, castus fuit et quietus
Vita, dum presens vegetavit ejus
Corporis artus.

3  Ad sacrum cuius tumulum frequenter,
Membra languentem modo sanitati,
Quo libet morbo fuerint gravata,
Restituuntur.

4  Unde nunc noster chorus in honorem
Ipsius hymnum canit nunc libenter,
Ut piis ejus meritis juvemur
Omne per aevum.

5  Sit salus illi decus atque virtus,
Qui supra cœli residens cacumen,
Totius mundi machinam gubernat,
Trinus et unus.

This is the day whereon the Lord’s true witness trns John O’Conner 1902 1 This is the day whereon the Lord’s true witness,   Whom all the nations lovingly do honour,   Worthy at least was found to wear forever   Glory transcendent 2 Loving, far-seeing, lowly, modest minded,   So kept he well an even course unstained   Ever while in his frame of manhood lingered   Life’s fitful breathings 3 Oft hath it been thro’ his sublime deserving   Poor human bodies, howsoever stricken   Broke and cast off the bondage of their sickness,   Healed Divinely. 4 Wherefore to him we raise the solemn chorus,   Chanting his praise and his surpassing triumph,   So may his pleading help us in the battle   All through the ages. 5 Healing and power, grace and beauteous honour   Always be His, who shining in the highest,   Ruleth and keepeth all the world’s vast order,   One God, three Persons

Marriage and Virginity or Celibacy: Pope St. John Paul II

Marriage and Virginity or Celibacy

Pope St. John Paul II

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

Virginity or celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God not only does not contradict the dignity of marriage but presupposes it and confirms it. Marriage and virginity or celibacy are two ways of expressing and living the one mystery of the covenant of God with His people. When marriage is not esteemed, neither can consecrated virginity or celibacy exist; when human sexuality is not regarded as a great value given by the Creator, the renunciation of it for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven loses its meaning.

Rightly indeed does St. John Chrysostom say: “Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of virginity. Whoever praises it makes virginity more admirable and resplendent. What appears good only in comparison with evil would not be particularly good. It is something better than what is admitted to be good that is the most excellent good.”

In virginity or celibacy, the human being is awaiting, also in a bodily way, the eschatological marriage of Christ with the Church, giving himself or herself completely to the Church in the hope that Christ may give Himself to the Church in the full truth of eternal life. The celibate person thus anticipates in his or her flesh the new world of the future resurrection. . . .

In spite of having renounced physical fecundity, the celibate person becomes spiritually fruitful, the father and mother of many, cooperating in the realization of the family according to God’s plan.

Christian couples therefore have the right to expect from celibate persons a good example and a witness of fidelity to their vocation until death. Just as fidelity at times becomes difficult for married people and requires sacrifice, mortification and self-denial, the same can happen to celibate persons, and their fidelity, even in the trials that may occur, should strengthen the fidelity of married couples.

These reflections on virginity or celibacy can enlighten and help those who, for reasons independent of their own will, have been unable to marry and have then accepted their situation in a spirit of service. – from Familiaris Consortio (1981)

Popes in Art

 There are pictures of every pope from St. Peter to Pope Francis, but how many of them are real portraits painted from life?

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Among the first would be Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503), part of the infamous Borgia dynasty. Less famous was the artist, Cristofano dell’Altissimo. The style of the painting is a bit clunky, but it shows off handsomely the red ermine-lined attire that became official papal portrait-wear until the mid-20th century. 

Alexander VI’s successor, Pius III, only lived for a month after being elected. There was no time for anything except a posthumous portrait. From this point onwards, the greatest masters of the Renaissance stepped in to create the most renowned series of paintings of world leaders that has ever been seen. Papal images by artists such as Raphael, Titian and Velazquez have been such an inspiration that even atheists of the 20th century have fallen under their spell. Francis Bacon made history six years ago by becoming the world’s most expensive artist at auction. Much of his work is based on reinterpreting papal portraits with a nightmarish twist. 

The original Renaissance artists didn’t need any shock factor to give their sitters more presence. Even an artist as gentle as Raphael was able to hint at the true character of the aged Pope Julius II. The drooping posture and long white beard don’t hide the steely resolve of a pope who chose his pontifical name in honor of the power-hungry Julius Caesar.

As with all the other Renaissance popes, Julius II wears red with a hint of white and is seated at a time when many sitters would strike almost any pose other than sitting. This was a pope who cared deeply about aesthetics, though. His crowning glory was commissioning Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. 

Dozens of popes followed Julius II in having their portraits painted by leading artists of the day. There were exceptions. The fearsome Paul IV went further than shunning celebrity portraitists; he covered nude statues at the Vatican, ordered Michelangelo to repaint offending parts of the Sistine Chapel, and declared: “Even if my own father were a heretic, I would gather the wood to burn him.” 

In comparison, Pope-after-next Pius V is positively cheery as he appears to wave to the crowds in a painting by El Greco. The papal highlight is probably Velazquez’s Innocent X. This is widely considered to be among the most important portraits of anyone in history, by an artist who is usually ranked number one by other artists. Among the other contenders is Titian’s painting of Paul III, remarkable (and scandalous) for including the pope’s grandsons. The painting gives no indication of how these grandchildren came about – the product of his four illegitimate children – but it is a masterpiece of family togetherness.

Fifty years later it was the turn of Titian’s heir, Caravaggio, who painted Pope Paul V. Unusually, on this occasion it was the pope who lasted a long time and the artist who quickly disappeared. The date of the portrait was not recorded but must have been between 1605, when Paul V was elected, and 1606 when Caravaggio fled Rome on suspicion of murder.

Papal portraits became rather formulaic from this point onward. Still, it was a formula that even a radical anti-clericalist such as Jacques-Louis David was happy to oblige. David was happier painting leaders of the French Revolution, such as Marat murdered in his bathtub. His favorite subject of all was the Emperor Napoleon. His official painting of Napoleon’s coronation, in 1804, shows the new emperor sidelining Pope Pius VII as he crowns himself and his wife while the Holy Father looks on. Napoleon must have felt some guilt, as a year later he commissioned David to do a portrait of a reflective Pius VII.

After David it was no longer the great names of painting who took on these commissions. The results don’t appear in the same surveys of “great art” that brim with the resplendence of Renaissance popes. The old formula clung on to despite the lack of critical acclaim. Right up to the mid-20th century, the official image of seated popes, wearing red, was maintained. A change only became really visible with St. Paul VI. From then on, the images that we are familiar with begin to feature far more white than red. 

Art historians often say that white clothing is the supreme challenge for an artist. As 20th-century papal portraits are almost all in photographic form, we won’t know what modern painters are capable of. It’s clear that modern popes prefer to be seen in white. Is this because it is a more spiritual-looking color, or is it about putting distance between themselves and popes of the distant past? Those Renaissance pontiffs may have had the best artists, but few of them were the best human beings. Only one of them was made a saint (Pius V), and he is still reviled in England for excommunicating Queen Elizabeth I and worsening the fate of English Catholics.

St. Polycarp

St. Polycarp

I exhort you all therefore to be obedient to the word of righteousness and to practice all endurance, which also you saw with your own eyes in the blessed Ignatius and Zosimus and Rufus, yes and in others also who came from among yourselves, as well as in Paul himself and the rest of the Apostles; being persuaded that all these ran not in vain but in faith and righteousness, and that they are in their due place in the presence of the Lord, with whom also they suffered. For they loved not the present world, but Him that died for our sakes and was raised by God for us. ~Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians 

Rome / Illumination at the commencement of the gospel of S. John

Rome / Illumination at the commencement of the gospel of S. John. The evangelist seated, about to write in a book at the dictation of his symbolical eagle, also holding an open book in the clouds. The long rainbow-like scroll is inscribed: “More volans aquile verbo petit astra Iohannes” - “In the manner of a flying eagle, John seeks the stars for the word,” an allusion to the doctrinal character of his gospel.

S. Augustine, Bishop, Sermon 278, For the Conversion of S. Paul

 

This is the older reading for Matins on the Feast of the Conversion in the Monastic Breviary. The modern reading from St. John Chrysostom is much tamer. St. Augustine delightfully runs with his hand firmly on the tools of typology and allegory.

 

 

S. Augustine, Bishop, Sermon 278, For the Conversion of S. Paul

 

WE are told to-day in the Lesson from the Acts of the Apostles, how Paul the Apostle, from being the persecutor of Christians, became the messenger of Christ.  For Christ smote down his persecutor to make him his Doctor of the Church. He strikes him and heals him; he is dying, and behold, he lives. The Lamb was slain by the wolves, and behold, he makes the wolves into lambs. For what happened to Paul is clearly foretold by the Prophet, when Jacob the Patriarch blessed his sons: as he touched the son who was actually before him, he foresaw the son who was to come.

 

NOW Paul, as he himself declares, was of the tribe of Benjamin. So when Jacob, blessing each of his sons in turn, came to Benjamin, he said, Benjamin shall ravage as a wolf. What follows? Shall it always be thus? Far from it. Jacob added, In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. This was fulfilled in Paul the Apostle, just as it was prophesied of him.

 

NOW, let us see how in the morning he is ravenous, and how in the evening he divides the spoil. Morning and evening, applied to him, mean before and after his conversion. So we could put it thus: Before his conversion he was ravenous; afterwards, he divided the spoil. This is the fierce wolf: Saul went to the high priest and asked of him letters, that if he found any of the way, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem

 

HE went, breathing out threats and slaughter: this is his morning of devouring the prey. Now when Stephen was stoned, he became the first martyr to lay down his life in Christ's Name; and most clearly Saul was present at the time. In fact, he was so confederate with those who were stoning that it was not enough for him to stone Stephen with his own hands. For it was as though his will moved the hands of all those who were casting the stones, while he held their clothes. He raged more fiercely by helping all of them, than by stoning with his own hands. Thus, we see how in the morning he was ravenous. Now let us see how to the same degree in the evening he divided the spoil. The voice of Christ from heaven knocked him to the earth, and at that decree from on high the ravenous wolf fell on his face, and he who was first smitten down was afterwards lifted up; he was first stricken, and then healed.

St. Hugh of Victor: Why the human heart has this disease of instability

 

Why the human heart has this disease of instability and how it may be cured.

 

The author's reason for embarking on this work.

 

The thing we have to do is first to show whence such great mutability arises in the heart of man, and then to suggest the way in which the human mind can be brought to steady peace, and how it can be kept in that selfsame stability. And, though I doubt not that it is the property of divine grace to bring about this work, and that possession of such grace comes about not so much by man's activity as by the gift of God and the inbreathing of the Holy Spirit, nevertheless I know that God would have us work along with Him, and that He so offers the gifts of His loving kindness to the thankful that from the thankless He often takes away the very things that formerly He gave. Moreover, there is a further reason why it is not unprofitable for us to acknowledge both how great our weakness is and by what means it may be remedied; for a man who does not know how great a grace has been conferred on him does not under-stand how great is the gratitude which he owes to the Bestower.

 

The first man, then, was made in such a way that, if he had not sinned, the power of contemplation would have kept him always in his Maker's presence. By always seeing Him he would thus always have loved Him, by always loving Him he would always have cleaved to Him, and, by always cleaving to Him who is immortal, he too would have possessed in Him life without end. This was, therefore, the one, true good of man, to wit, the full and perfect knowledge of his Maker, full, you must understand, after that fullness which he received at his creation, not after that which he was to receive hereafter, when his obedience was fulfilled. But he was banished from the face of the Lord when, smitten with the blindness of ignorance through his sin, he came forth from the inward light of con- temptation. And the more he forgot the sweetness of supernatural things, for which he had already lost the taste, the more did he bend his spirit down to earthly desires.

 

In this way he became “a wanderer and a fugitive upon the earth; a wanderer on account of disordered desire, and a fugitive because of guilty conscience, the voice whereof is fittingly suggested by those words, 'whosoever finds me shall slay me”. For every temptation that assails it overthrows the soul that is bereft of the divine assistance. Thus, once it had begun to lose its integrity through its earthly desires, the human heart, which had hitherto kept its stability in cleaving to divine love and remained one in the love of the One, was as it were divided into as many channels as there were objects that it craved, once it had begun to flow in different directions through earthly longings. And that is how it happens that the soul, not knowing how to love its true good, is never able to maintain its stability. Failing to find what it longs for in those things which it has, its desire is always reaching out in pursuit of the unattainable; and so it never has rest. Therefore, from movement without stability is born toil without rest, travel without arrival; so that our heart is always restless till such time as it begins to cleave to Him, in whom it may both rejoice that its desire lacks nothing, and be assured that what it loves will last eternally.

 

See, we have shown you these stages the disease itself, a wavering heart, unstable and restless; the cause of the disease which is clearly love of the world; and the remedy of the disease which is the love of God. And to these must be added a fourth, namely, the application of the remedy, that is, the way in which we may attain to the love of God. For without this it would be of little or no profit to know all the rest. The thing we have to do, therefore, is first to show whence such great mutability arises in the heart of man, and then to suggest the way in which the human mind can be brought to steady peace, and how it can be kept in that selfsame stability. And, though I doubt not that it is the property of divine grace to bring about this work, and that possession of such grace comes about not so much by man's activity as by the gift of God and the inbreathing of the Holy Spirit, nevertheless I know that God would have us work along with Him, and that He so offers the gifts of His lovingkindness to the thankful that from the thankless He often takes away the very things that formerly He gave.

Moreover, there is a further reason why it is not unprofitable for us to acknowledge both how great our weakness is and by what means it may be remedied; for a man who does not know how great a grace has been conferred on him does not understand how great is the gratitude which he owes to the Bestower.

 

 

In this way he became “a wanderer and a fugitive upon the earth”; a wanderer on account of disordered desire, and a fugitive because of guilty conscience, the voice whereof is fittingly suggested by those words, 'whosoever findeth me shall slay me'. For every temptation that assails it overthrows the soul that is bereft of the divine assistance. Of the difference between the love of God and the love of the world, illustrated by the figure of water changed to wine.

 

The difference between the love of God and the love of the world is this: the love of this world seems at the outset sweet, but has a bitter end; the love of God, by contrast, is bitter to begin with, but is full of sweetness in its end. This, in a most beautiful allegorical sense for it was uttered of our Bridegroom's wedding is shown by the Gospel when it says: 'Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and only after men have drunk well that which is inferior; but thou hast kept the good wine until now.' Every man, that is, carnal man, does indeed set forth good wine at the beginning, for he finds a certain spurious sweetness in his pleasure. But once the rage of his evil longing has saturated his mind, then he provides inferior wine to drink, because a sudden pricking of conscience assails his thought, which till now had enjoyed a spurious delight, and grievously torments him. Our Bridegroom, on the other hand, offers the good wine last when He allows the heart, which He intends to fill with the sweetness of His love, first to pass beneath the bitter harrow of afflictions; so that, having tasted bitterness, it may quaff with greater eagerness the most sweet cup of charity. And this is 'the first sign'  which Jesus made in His disciples  presence and they believed on Him; for the repentant sinner first begins to trust God's mercy when he feels his heart cheered by the consolation of the Holy Spirit after long weariness of grief.

 

Let us then see what we can do to attain the love of God, for He will integrate and stabilize our hearts, He will restore our peace and give us ceaseless joy. But nobody can love that which he does not know; and so, if we desire to love God, we must first make it our business to know Him, and this especially since He cannot be known without being loved. For so great is the beauty of His loveliness that no one who sees Him can fail to love Him. A man who wants to make himself acquainted with another person's character and inmost thoughts gets on to friendly terms with him, and is often at his house and in the

company of those who are his intimates. And if he perceives this man's affairs to be well and wisely ordered, he at once becomes the more certain of his excellence, and immediately considers him worthy of his love because he knows that he has found such patent proofs of his worth.

 

Let us likewise, therefore, inquire where God dwells, where His abode may be; let us interrogate His friends concerning Him. If He is wise, if He is faithful, then He merits praise. If He is kind, if He is merciful, if He is humble, then He merits love. He is wise, if He governs His house well. He is faithful, if it is not in Him to deceive those who serve Him. If He freely pardons those who sin, then He is kind. If He is pitiful to persons in affliction, then He is merciful. And He is lowly, if He rules His subjects not by oppressing but by helping them.

 

 

 

 

Christ, Melchizedek, and the Eucharistic Sacrifice

 

 

Christ, Melchizedek, and the Eucharistic Sacrifice: Homiletic and Pastoral Review: September 2, 2018 by Marcus Benedict Peter

 

 

St. Thomas Aquinas treats the Melchizedek-Christ typology, quoting how Melchizedek is said to be “without father and without mother and to have neither beginning of days nor end” (Hebrews 7:3). Aquinas states that this is not simply because he truly lacked, or did not have these, but more because Scripture made no allusion to them. In fact, he mentions how Hebrews posits that Melchizedek “is likened unto the Son of God, who on earth, is without father, and in heaven is without mother, and without genealogy,” ultimately concluding that he is most like God in this sense simply because he appears in Scripture, as having “neither beginning nor end of days.”5 This point is imperative when considering that the New and Eternal Covenant necessitated one who would be an eternal liturgical high priest for that Covenant. As such, in dealing with Melchizedek’s priesthood, Aquinas writes that “it was precisely this pre-eminence of Christ’s priesthood in relation to that of the Levites which was foreshadowed by the priesthood of Melchizedek.”6

 

He continues by demonstrating that because Abraham was the father of Israel, and because Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham, in that act, the whole priestly order of the Old law paid tithes to Melchizedek. As such, Christ’s priesthood is “said to be according to the order of Melchizedek by reason of the pre-eminence of his true priesthood over its symbol, the priesthood of the Law.”7

 

“…in relation to our fellowship in the sacrifice and its fruits, where the pre-eminence of Christ’s priesthood over that of the Old Law principally lies, the priesthood of Melchizedek was a more explicit symbol. For he offered bread and wine, these symbolizing, as Augustine remarks, the unity of the Church, which is the fruit of our fellowship in Christ’s sacrifice. This symbolism is, accordingly, still preserved in the New Law where the true sacrifice of Christ is communicated to the faithful under the appearance of bread and wine.”9

 

 

5. O’Neill, Colman E. Summa Theologiae: Volume 50, The One Mediator: 3a. 16-26. Vol. 50. Cambridge University Press, 2006., 157.

6. O’Neill, Colman E. Summa Theologiae: Volume 50, The One Mediator: 3a. 16-26. Vol. 50. Cambridge University Press, 2006., 155.

7. Ibid

9. O’Neill, Colman E. Summa Theologiae: Volume 50, The One Mediator: 3a. 16-26. Vol. 50. Cambridge University Press, 2006., 157