Thursday, December 11, 2003

"Private Judgement"
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

"Poor wand'rers, ye are sore distress'd
To find that path which Christ has bless'd,
Track'd by His saintly throng;
Each claims to trust his own weak will,
Blind idol!—so ye languish still,
All wranglers and all wrong.


He saw of old, and met your need,
Granting you prophets of His creed,
The throes of fear to swage;
They fenced the rich bequest He made,
And sacred hands have safe convey'd
Their charge from age to age.


Wand'rers! come home! obey the call!
A Mother pleads, who ne'er let fall
One grain of Holy Truth;
Warn you and win she shall and must,
For now she lifts her from the dust,
To reign as in her youth. "


Off Cape Ortegal.
December 11, 1832.

You know, I could particularly use Item 1...
on Jeff Miller's new website.

Sorry about the sparse blogging lately...
Real Life has been keeping me away from the computer.
The Feast of Blessed Arthur Bell, O.F.M., Priest and Martyr
is today. There is information on him here.

Monday, December 08, 2003

I think that this ...
is just too cool.

Link courtesy of Mark Shea.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
is today.
"As to primitive notion about our Blessed Lady, really, the frequent contrast of Mary with Eve seems very strong indeed. It is found in St. Justin, St. Iren?us, and Tertullian, three of the earliest Fathers, and in three distinct continents—Gaul, Africa, and Syria. For instance, 'the knot formed by Eve's disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; that what the Virgin Eve tied through unbelief that the Virgin Mary unties through faith.'Again, 'The Virgin Mary becomes the Advocate (Paraclete) of the Virgin Eve, that as mankind has been bound to death through a Virgin, through a Virgin it may be saved, the balance being preserved, a Virgin's disobedience by a Virgin's obedience' (St. Irenaeus, Haer. v. 19). Again, 'As Eve, becoming disobedient, became the cause of death to herself and to all mankind, so Mary, too, bearing the predestined Man, and yet a Virgin, being obedient, became the CAUSE OF SALVATION both to herself and to all mankind.' Again, 'Eve being a Virgin, and incorrupt, bore disobedience and death, but Mary the Virgin, receiving faith and joy, when Gabriel the Angel evangelised her, answered, 'Be it unto me,'" &c. Again, "What Eve failed in believing, Mary by believing hath blotted out.' "- Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O. , "Memorandum on the Immaculate Conception"

Sunday, December 07, 2003

"Substance and Shadow"
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

"They do but grope in learning's pedant round,
Who on the fantasies of sense bestow
An idol substance, bidding us bow low
Before those shades of being which are found,
Stirring or still, on man's brief trial-ground;
As if such shapes and moods, which come and go,
Had aught of Truth or Life in their poor show,
To sway or judge, and skill to sane or wound.
Son of immortal seed, high-destined Man!
Know thy dread gift,—a creature, yet a cause:
Each mind is its own centre, and it draws
Home to itself, and moulds in its thought's span
All outward things, the vassals of its will,
Aided by Heaven, by earth unthwarted still. "

Falmouth.
December 7, 1832.

The Gen X Revert
links to some interesting statistics.
Music at the 11:30 am Mass
Processional Hymn: "Savior of the Nations, Come"
Offertory: "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" - Michael Praetorius ( 1571-1621)
Communion: "Sicut Cervus" - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)
Recessional Hymn: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"