Iron cast into the fire loses its rust and becomes clean and bright; and those who make God the center of their lives are cleansed of slothfulness and are changed into new persons ... The moment you begin to grow lukewarm, everything is a big effort and you willingly receive distractions from without. But as soon as you begin to conquer yourself and walk uprightly in the way of God, then the effort expended seems little which before you thought was insurmountable. -The Imitation of Christ
Father's sermon from this past Sunday is now posted.
Christopher and Joseph took second and third place in a recent poetry contest at their school. The boys used The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe as their model, using similar rhythms and rhyme.
Hear the strumming of the harps Peaceful harps Playing out their nice angelic tunes of flats and sharps Of the strumming, strumming, strumming In the theater halls at night While the crowds are all a-gaping All the notes are all escaping With a beautiful smooth sound Lovely voice, voice, voice The composer's brilliant choice To the sound of a harp, so unlike a crinkle of some tarps Of the harps, harps, harps, harps harps, harps, harps Of the strumming and the humming of the harps. -Christopher H. Hear the giggling of the child Cute child What a house of laughter when we put him into bed How he cries, cries, cries When is is hungry and dirty When he's dirty, how he wails When he's clean, how he yells In the bathtub, in the highchair, on the floor How he screams, screams, screams How it annoys me in my dreams All commotion and confusion in the house From the child, child, child, child child, child, child From the laughing and giggling of the child. -Joseph H
The French composer Francis Poulenc lived a rather wild life. That is, until re-discovering his Catholicism after a tragedy befell a good friend. He was soon inspired to write an opera about the murder of the nuns at Compiègne France during the bloody terror of the French Revolution. The horrors of the revolution witnessed the slaughter of thousands of Catholics both lay and religious, men, women and children, especially in the region of the Vendee whose inhabitants mounted a militia-style resistance against the scourge of Robespierre and his disciples. Below is the last scene of Poulenc's opera entitled 'Dialogues of the Carmelites' performed at the Met, as well as some biographical material on Poulenc and the Carmelites at Compiègne.
Poulenc was another wonderful discovery through our family's listening experiences at the Crane School of Music.
The Blessed Martyrs of Compiègne In September of 1792, by decree of the French Revolution’s National Assembly, the Carmelites of Compiègne, France, had been cast out of their convent and forced to live as private citizens. Though they had been required to give up their religious habits and wear lay clothes, the nuns bravely continued to follow their Rule and to meet daily to recite communal prayers. This insistence on living out their vows coupled with their refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the new constitution ultimately led to their arrest and imprisonment on June 22, 1794.
Convicted of crimes against the state on July 17, 1794, the sixteen Carmelite nuns met their deaths by the guillotine in Paris. The usually raucous Parisian crowd was utterly silent as the nuns mounted the scaffold singing the Salve Regina and the Veni Creator after having first renewed their vows of baptism and religious profession. The first to go to her death was the novice, Sister Constance (Marie-Geneviève Meunier); the last to die was the Prioress, Mother Teresa of St. Augustine (Madeleine-Claudine Ledoine). The oldest of the nuns at the age of 79 was Sister of Jesus Crucified (Marie-Anne Piedcourt), who said to her executioners, "I forgive you as heartily as I wish God to forgive me." source: http://catholicexchange.com/2009/07/17/113180/#hide
Francis Poulenc The 1930's, saw a re-birth of Francis Poulenc's Roman Catholic faith after the death of his friend, Pierre-Octave Ferroud in a car accident. Affected by the death he visited the Black Virgin of Rocamadour and before the statue he said he experienced a life-changing transformation. This made Poulenc one of the twentieth centuries greatest religious composers, creating such masterpieces as Litanies à la Vierge Noire, Mass in G, and Quatre Motets pour le temps de Pénitence. The pieces are not epic, but rather strive to examine the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Poulenc was also considerably successful at operatic composition. His first was the comic opera of Les Mamelles de Tirèsias of 1944 and staged in 1947. The tragic opera Dialogue des Carmèlites, dealt with the execution of Carmelite nuns during the French Revolution. He based this opera on the book Die Letzte am Schafott (The Last on the Scaffold) by Gertrud von Le Fort. Poulenc, also, composed for the ballet Les Biches using the harpischord, organ and piano.
The 1950's seen Poulenc turn his focus on three vocal works the Stabat Mater (dedicated to the death of his artist friend Christian Bérard), the opera Dialogues des Carmélites and the “lyric tragedy” La Voix humaine. Poulenc also brought an end to his chamber music with four dedicated works for wind instruments. source:http://www.francispoulenc.com/
John Vennari has posted a great article concerning the 2017 anniversary of Luther's revolt and the shameless false-ecumenism that is happening, even in the highest echelons of the Church. Over a Shrove Tuesday Guinness with a good friend, we shared in the bewildermint of the new ecumenism and its ultimate end. It is a fact that up until the last Council, the end of ecumenism was conversion. That seems to be no longer the case, and the scandals continue to pile up on Christ's Mystical Body, perpetrated by those who, sad to say, should be safeguarding the Faith and bringing those who are wandering in the desert home.
Reading some of Luther's writings was a shocking experience for me, both in terms of some of what he wrote, and in particular how he wrote it. He was vulgar. In fact, his vulgarity, which appealed to some in the lower classes, was shocking to the majority at the time. Compare Luther, his vulgarity, and his breaking from the Church in the name of "reform", with those such as Teresa of Avila, Robert Bellarmine and Francis de Sales, who brought about true reform from within the Church, in fidelity to the constant teachings of the Church. Luther's reform brought chaos and endless fragmentation that continues to this day. The Counter-Reformation, on the other hand, curbed abuses and laxity, and ushered in a new era of sanctity evidenced by an army of Saints.
Here is a selection from Mr. Vennari's article including a couple of quotes from Luther. The link to the full article follows:
David Goldstein, the zealous Catholic convert from Judaism who was called “a 20th Century Saint Paul,” rightly remarked:
“The father of the first Protestant Church [Luther] changed the 28th verse of the 3rd chapter of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans to make it fit his doctrine that Christian faith minus Christian works is sufficient for salvation: ‘We hold that man is justified without works by the law of faith alone’. To one of his followers who complained that objection was being made to this perversion of the sacred text, Luther gave the cold comfort: ‘If any Papist annoys you with the word (alone) tell him straightway: Dr. Martin Luther will have it so: Papist and ass are one and the same thing.’ (Amic. Discussion, I, 127).”[11]
Goldstein goes on to explain the brutality of the Lutheran revolt: “The soldiers of the princes slaughtered the peasants, pillaged the churches and prevented Catholic worship in public. In this way Lutheranism was made the doctrine of the first Protestant Church — the State Church of Germany (1520).”[12]
Goldstein further points out that Luther denied the binding force of the moral law: “We must remove the Decalogue out of sight and heart” (De Wette, IV, 188), and again, “If Moses should attempt to intimidate you with his stupid Ten Commandments, tell him right out: ‘Chase yourselves to the Jews’ (Works, Wittenberg, ed. V 1573).”[13] Luther, an ordained priest and consecrated religious, wantonly broke his vow of celibacy to God, and married a nun, also under a vow of celibacy.
Fights are Necessary to Prove Our Faith As we approach then, dearly-beloved, the beginning of Lent, which is a time for the more careful serving of the Lord, because we are, as it were, entering on a kind of contest in good works, let us prepare our souls for fighting with temptations, and understand that the more zealous we are for our salvation, the more determined must be the assaults of our opponents. But "stronger is He that is in us than He that is against us," and through Him are we powerful in whose strength we rely: because it was for this that the Lord allowed Himself to be tempted by the tempter, that we might be taught by His example as well as fortified by His aid. For He conquered the adversary, as ye have heard, by quotations from the law, not by actual strength, that by this very thing He might do greater honour to man, and inflict a greater punishment on the adversary by conquering the enemy of the human race not now as God but as Man. He fought then, therefore, that we too might fight thereafter: He conquered that we too might likewise conquer. For there are no works of power, dearly-beloved, without the trials of temptations, there is no faith without proof, no contest without a foe, no victory without conflict. This life of ours is in the midst of snares, in the midst of battles; if we do not wish to be deceived, we must watch: if we want to overcome, we must fight. And therefore the most wise Solomon says, "My son in approaching the service of God prepare thy soul for temptation." For He being a man full of the wisdom of God, and knowing that the pursuit of religion involves laborious struggles, foreseeing too the danger of the fight, forewarned the intending combatant; lest haply, if the tempter came upon him in his ignorance, he might find him unready and wound him unawares.
Visiting priest Fr. Gerard Beck gave just the sermon I needed today to organize my thoughts and dispositions for the start of Lent this Wednesday. Enjoy...
Thanks to Rorate Caeli for posting a beautiful exhortation from Pope Pius XII concerning the Blessed Mother's apparition to little Bernadette at Lourdes in the nineteenth century. It is a very fitting meditation as we head into Lent.
In a society which is barely conscious of the ills which assail it, which conceals its miseries and injustices beneath a prosperous, glittering, and trouble-free exterior, the Immaculate Virgin, whom sin has never touched, manifests herself to an innocent child. With a mother's compassion she looks upon this world redeemed by her Son's blood, where sin accomplishes so much ruin daily, and three times makes her urgent appeal: "Penance, penance, penance!" She even appeals for outward expressions: "Go kiss the earth in penance for sinners." And to this gesture must be added a prayer: "Pray to God for sinners." --Pius XII
As I mentioned in the last post, Meghan and Amanda threw a party for Therese and some of her friends on Sunday afternoon. The two older girls made all the preparations -- including doing the cooking! Pictures are below. For the most part, the boys were in hiding all day. I took the opportunity to catch up on my spiritual reading and listen to the entire score of Simon Bocannegra again. By the end of the day, eveyone was pretty tired.
Leslie and I attended the Simon Boccanegra production through Met HD Live in Potsdam this past Saturday. On one hand, I can't believe it has taken us forty years to discover opera, on the other, what delightful new musical (and dramatic!) vistas are opening up for us. It is fun being an opera newbie.
Here is a scene taken from the 1995 Met production with Placido Domingo in the tenor role. Domingo played Boccanegra in the Baritone role in Saturday's production.
Our weekend was actually quite packed. The opera was Saturday. After Mass on Sunday Meghan and Amanda threw a little girl's party for Therese and several of her friends. I will post some pictures shortly. In the evening, Leslie and I went off to a Superbowl party. There was plenty of drama in the superbowl as well, but the music wasn't nearly as good ...
Keeping Sunday holy and reverencing the sacred name of Our Lord...
+ St. Blaise
02 February 2010
Happy Candlemas to all, the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple, the Purification of Our Lady, and the official end to the Christmas season. Is it time to prepare for Lent already?
Septuagesima Sunday's sermon was given by Fr. Libietas and is well in the spirit of getting us prepared for Lent and engaging in the spiritual warfare in general. Father is asking for a small donation of $2.99 for his sermons to benefit families in financial distress. Therefore, if you would like a copy, please send me a note with a commitment to mail Father a donation and I will then provide a password for download. Below is a two minute sample of the sermon.
Donations should be mailed to: Father Helmuts Libietis c/o Blessed Virgin Mary Academy 2656 Warners Rd. Warners, NY 13164
