St George

This program is from RealCatholicTV.com

St George's Day has fallen on a rather awkward day, liturgically. Still, let us honour this great Saint and Martyr recognised by the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church. Please pray for England, St George! I'm off to the Mater of all Masses. Have a Happy Easter! Christus Resurrexit! Deo gratias!

The Eighth Day

Here, The Beatles take up the profound theological discussion concerning the Eighth day, made by the Lord, which we celebrate tonight, introducing a new dimension to the discourse, of human, spousal, marital, romantic love, reflecting Creation, Re-Creation and Christ's love for His Bride, the Church.

"You're Dead, Mate!"

The early Christians described themselves as 'the living'.

This is possibly what the early Christians said to the unbelievers, so it is possible that we can say that to Richard Dawkins.

Now that we know, thanks to the excellent work, 'Jesus of Nazareth Part II' by Pope Benedict XVI, that the early Christians went by the name of 'the living' (which, incidently, isn't a bad band name), does that shed new light on the phrase from the Creed, that Christ will return to judge 'the living and the dead'?

I was involved in a discussion today about it. The upshot seemed to be no, in a literal sense, concerning Christ's return, but yes, in another sense, in that those who are cut off from Christ are spiritually speaking,  dead, since Christ is Life itself, the Resurrection and the Life, the Author of Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Living One, Who gives living water welling up unto Eternal Life. When Christ returns, according to St Paul, some will be alive, some will be dead, yet taking up on what the Holy Father said, there is a sense in which even among those alive when the Lord comes, some shall be considered as the living and some, the dead. In the Gospels, a man comes to Jesus asking if he can first bury his father before following Him, only for the Lord to say, "Let the dead, bury their dead." Following Christ is urgent because He is Life itself. Interesting that the Lord, in the parable of the prodigal son, describes the returning son in terms of death and life, "Because this my son was dead, but has come to life again." In the Eucharistic discourse in the Gospel of St John, the Lord Jesus speaks of Himself as being the 'Bread of Life' and that if we do not eat His flesh and drink His blood, we have 'no life in' us.

Apart from Christ is only death, temporal, spiritual and eternal. Only in Christ do we or can we find 'life in all its fullness'. Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us life. He alone can give life, through His Holy Catholic Church, through the Sacraments which reconcile us to God, giving us life through Baptism, Confession and through Holy Communion. Therefore when the Lord, said, "I put before you today death and life, choose life," for us now it means choose Jesus Christ, the Living One, to Whom belong 'all time and ages, forever and ever'.  The Pope's startling reference to the early Christians' self-description as, 'the living', enhances even those 'life' issues so hotly contested by the World, such as artificial contraception, abortion, homosexual culture and marriage, IVF, divorce, euthanasia. In all of these things, it is perhaps only union with Jesus Christ through His Sacraments in the Church that creates and defines the dividing line between the culture of life and the culture of death, between the 'living and the dead'.

Holy Saturday

Thanks to Whispers in the Loggia for posting this beautiful and ancient text. I think I'll post it too...

'Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve.

The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you. Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven.

I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.'

Happy Feastday to all English men and women!

As so many bloggers have covered  Holy Saturday so well I hope I will be forgiven for flying the flag for St George whose feastday it is today, 23rd April.

Arm! arm! for the struggle approaches,
Prepare for the combat of life:
Saint George! be our watchword in battle,
Saint George! be our strength in the strife.

Great Saint, from the throne of thy splendour,
Look down on thy chosen isle,
Soon,soon may they share in thy glory,
Who faithfully strive her awhile.

The land of the love is a desert,
It s temples and altars are bare,
The finger of death is upon it,
The footprints of Satan are there.

Arise in the might of they power,
And scatter the foes of the Lord;
As the idols of Rome in their temple
Were crushed at the sound of thy word.

Oh, bring back the faith that we cherish,
For which thou hast nobly withstood
The tortures and rack of the tyrant,
That faith which thou seal'dst with thy blood.

H/T to Once I was a Clever Boy for the hymn to St George.

Good Friday

There was a time when art communicated the inexplicable, when art allowed people to delve into the unfathomable Mystery of God, a time when art would help people to contemplate and meditate upon God.

That time may have passed, as modern artists no longer think of God, rather of offending those who revere Him, but we still have those timeless pieces of art that are able to say, 'There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World'...'Behold, thy Mother'...'They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced'...'God is Love'.

Nowadays, artists just place a Crucifix in blood and urine and photograph it. A bold statement of humility is such an action. It is a statement that says, "It is true, I have no artistic talent. I can only make money out of offending those who revere Jesus Christ. I have nothing, absolutely nothing to say to the World. All that could and should be said, has been said and I have come to despise it."

In modern art, God is mocked or blasphemed. In this Pieta, God is allowed to speak. Modern art says nothing. This painting says a thousand words and thousands more. God has died. God has died for the love of us. Well done to French Catholics. Now that it has been smashed, the 'art work' actually says something. It has been mildly improved. We could do with more Catholic vandals who target the art world. That said, well done to Bishop Arthur Roche.

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, in case you were mistaken over the meaning of this day in the calendar, not Good Friday, as we had hitherto believed.

Clearly, Google, not having a great appreciation of the death of the Saviour of the World, chose instead the neo-pagan ideology of the 'green' movement.

The green movement really is another religion altogether, isn't it? Remember to leave the lights on when you go to Mass.