Saturday, December 18, 2004

Oh, great...
Our diocese has another scandal. At least this one doesn't appear to have anything to do with sex.
From Addresses to Cardinal Newman with His Replies
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.- edited by Fr. William Neville, C.O.

When I speak of the Holy Family I do not mean our Lord and His Blessed Mother only, but St. Joseph too; for as we cannot separate our Lord from His Mother, so we cannot separate St. Joseph from them both; for who but he was their protector in all the scenes of our Lord's early life?
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord...
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Bobbie Jo Stinnett, and for her family. Prayers of thanksgiving for the safety of her baby girl would also be most appropriate- as well as prayers for the child's future.
The Feast of St. Flannan of Killaloe, Bishop
is today. There is information on him here.

Friday, December 17, 2004

On December 17, 1876...
Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., preached a sermon, of which the following notes survive:

Signs of the Second Advent

1. Sign of our Lord's coming, though we don't know the day, viz. an apostasy or revolt—[ho anomos] [the lawless one, 2 These. ii. 8]; Antichrist [cf.] [he anomia], Matt. xxiv. 12.

2. Give circumstances of St. Paul saying so—belief that our Lord was then to come when St. Paul wrote.

3. Our Lord says, Matt. xxiv. [9, 'Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake']—contrast of prosperity, ib. 38, ['For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking ... so also shall the coming of the Son of man be'], and persecution, the greatest persecution, as holy men have anticipated.

4. But why will they not persevere, as [the] first Christians [did]? Want of faith (vide verse 12). We can do all things by faith if we have faith; but false reason cuts at the root (vide verse 24, false prophets).

5. Sophistry and false reason—even the elect.

6. This all is opening on us—like the last age.

7. But as sun shining through clouds, or as a dying man kept alive by prayer, always going and never gone, so (for the chance of more conversion and more elect), the world ever dying.

8. Alas! the next generation—young people, I fear for you!

9. Let us at this time of year pray that as Christ on His first coming came with preparation, so we may be prepared for His second coming.


Announcement for all my fellow Tolkien nuts...
The Birthday Toast is coming up.
For anyone who will be in the Pittsburgh area on January 3, Mass will be celebrated for the repose of the Professor's soul at 5:15 pm, in the chapel of the Pittsburgh Oratory.
I'm now listed...
at Pittsburgh Webloggers. (Thank you, Eric.)

The Feast of St. José Manyanet y Vives, Priest and Founder
is today. There is information on him here.To any members of the Congregation of the Sons of the Holy Family or the Missionary Daughters of the Holy Family of Nazareth out there, blessed feast day !

Thursday, December 16, 2004

On December 16, 1849...
Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., preached a sermon, of which the following notes survive:

On the Last Times of the World

1. INTROD.—Two Advents of Christ.

2. The difference between them: (1) the latter sudden; the former, a long course of preparation, so that He could not have come sooner than He did—the latter, hardly any preparation—Antichrist alone—else it may come any day.

3. (2) An apostasy before the second—quote 2 Thess. ii. 3-4 ; yet this no infringement on its suddenness, for the apostasy began working even in apostolic times .

4. On the contrary, since it is always working, the contemplation of it may be useful to us.

5. Characteristic of the apostasy—not idolatry, not presumption, as 'the Temple of the Lord,' etc. Not despair, as 'why should I wait on the Lord,' 2 Kings vi. 33, but infidelity—quote 2 Thess. ii. 4, 'Shewing himself,' etc.

6. Particular sins have particular punishments, as fire for Sodom and Gomorrah. (1) Parallel of flood, first destruction of the world: (i) An apostasy—filii Dei ad filias hominum; a new state of things followed; a sort of perfection—viri famosi; (ii) St. Peter called it the world of the impious; (iii) St. Paul, by faith Enoch and Noe endured the world; (iv) St. Jude, Enoch's prophecy against the impious; (v) remarkable; Tubal-cain and Jubal—useful and fine arts ; and so [anomos], 2 Thess. ii., with iniquitas, Gen. vi. 13 .

7. (2) Description of the last apostasy in the New Testament: (i) St. Paul, 'depart (apostatise) from the faith'; (ii) St. Paul, 'wax worse and worse' ; (iii) St. Jude, 'mockers,' etc. A still more remarkable passage, 2 Peter ii. 4-9, where the state of antediluvian and last days (unbelief) are connected. They thought nature must go on as hitherto,—'Where is the promise of the coming?' etc. Nature all-sufficient, all in all, that it should come to nought—an idle tale.

8. This further illustrated by the miracles of Antichrist, in whom the apostasy will terminate, 2 Thess. ii., Apoc. xiii. 13. Now the devil cannot do real miracles, therefore they are miracles of knowledge. Knowledge is power—parallel of Tubal-cain above—and they say power is but knowledge, i.e. the revealed miracles are not real ones.

9. Hence so plausible, that even the elect might be deceived by the sophism.

10. Such the apostasy, and while it is brought before us by the season, it concerns us because St. Paul says, 'It already worketh.' It is in all ages, and surely not the least in this—open infidelity, specious objections, various kinds of argument from long ages, geology, history of civilisation, antiquities, etc.

11. You may say it doesn't concern us; it does—specious objections. But let us ask our hearts, do not they speak for religion in spite of these?

12. It is all founded on pride. Pride is dependence on nature without grace, thinking the supernatural impossible. Eating the forbidden fruit was pride and unbelief; thus the world will end with the sin with which it begins.



This is in my diocese...
so why did I find out about this from a blog ?
The Feast of St. Adelaide, Widow
is today. There is information on her here.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Memory
by Venerable John Henry Newman

My home is now a thousand miles away;
Yet in my thoughts its every image fair
Rises as keen, as I still linger'd there,
And, turning me, could all I loved survey.
And so, upon Death's unaverted day,
As I speed upwards, I shall on me bear,
And in no breathless whirl, the things that were,
And duties given, and ends I did obey.
And, when at length I reach the Throne of Power,
Ah! still unscared, I shall in fulness see
The vision of my past innumerous deeds,
My deep heart-courses, and their motive-seeds,
So to gaze on till the red dooming hour.
Lord, in that strait, the Judge! remember me!



Off Cape Trafalgar.
December 15, 1832.
Prayers requested...
for Denise, who is in the hospital with a compound fracture of her ankle. Please intercede for her, for her husband, and for their six children.
The Eighth Catholic Carnival...
is now up.
A thank-you...
to my friend Eric, who sent me this neat link.
In case anyone is wondering...
I am no longer at the job I mentioned before...because I start another one on Monday, which is closer to me and pays more per hour. (It's fewer hours, though...)
I was working at the other job Monday and yesterday, which is why there was no blogging here.
The Feast of Blessed Antony Grassi, C.O., Priest
is today. I wrote about him here.

Sunday, December 12, 2004

It seems Fr. Keyes...
has had some terrible things happen in the past few days. Please pray for him and all those involved in both situations.



The Watchman
(A Song.)
by Venerable John Henry Newman

Faint not, and fret not, for threaten'd woe,
Watchman on Truth's grey height!
Few though the faithful, and fierce though the foe,
Weakness is aye Heaven's might.

Infidel Ammon and niggard Tyre,
Ill-fitted pair, unite;
Some work for love, and some work for hire,
But weakness shall be Heaven's might.

Eli's feebleness, Saul's black wrath,
May aid Ahithophel's spite;
And prayers from Gerizim, and curses from Gath—
Our weakness shall prove Heaven's might.

Quail not, and quake not, thou Warder bold,
Be there no friend in sight;
Turn thee to question the days of old,
When weakness was aye Heaven's might.

Moses was one, but he stay'd the sin
Of the host, in the Presence bright;
And Elias scorn'd the Carmel din,
When Baal would match Heaven's might.

Time's years are many, Eternity one,
And one is the Infinite;
The chosen are few, few the deeds well done,
For scantness is still Heaven's might.



At Sea.
December 12, 1832.
Two cool articles...
discussing music in Middle-earth.

Links courtesy of Mixolydian Mode.


If it were not Sunday...
today would be the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It would also be the feast of Pope St. Callistus II, and Blessed Thomas Holland, S.J., Priest and Martyr.


Music at Noon Mass
Processional Hymn: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
Offertory: "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" - Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)
Communion: "Rorate Caeli"- Plainsong
Recessional Hymn: "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"

Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, "Gaudete Sunday"- a special day for Oratorians, since our motto is "Gaudete Semper".