Last week, I posted about the Easter Triduum, and that post was well-read; I'm glad that so many stopped by and got something out of it.
For me, having entered so deeply into the observance of Holy Week, contemplating the mystery of the Lord's Passion in its totality, and feeling the weight of my own cross, in a particular way in preparing for those celebrations, I was struck with awe at the Easter Vigil's proclamation of the resurrection - I got to share in those first disciples' wonder when the lights came on and we sung the Gloria and then celebrated the "fullness of time" and the height of the Paschal mystery in the Resurrection.
I also knew that my best friend was preparing to begin the Easter Vigil at her own parish, at which she would be baptized, confirmed, and receive Holy Communion for the first time. Our closeness first as academic colleagues and student leaders, which deepened into a supportive and trusting friendship, is now complemented by full communion in the Body of Christ, the Church, and it is an awesome occasion for rejoicing!
Yesterday I read a blog post (also from Easter Sunday) by an audacious student leader whom I met through the University Honors Program at Cal State Long Beach, someone whose talent for creative writing I've enjoyed via her blog. She has written about heartbreak and the challenges of law school as she chases her dreams, trying to hang on to good friends and cope with betrayal. But this time, she wrote about rediscovering her Catholic faith over the preceding several weeks, and the little old woman she refers to as her "Chicago abuelita" (Spanish for grandmother) who both inspired her and was inspired by her. This is the kind of story that likewise brings me joy and indeed the whole Church, in some mysterious way, is improved by this opening of one more heart, created for God's love, to receive it more fully.
And even further, I received an email from a young woman I met while studying abroad in Switzerland; it is a funny story. A colleague in the study-abroad program caught the train with me to Geneva one Sunday so that we could both attend our respective services. As he and I met up afterward and were beginning to look for a place to eat, two young women stopped us to ask for directions... we basically said that we were also new to the town and we hadn't yet seen the street they mentioned. When we parted ways, we had not taken but a few steps when we saw the street they were looking for, so we ran back to show them. It turns out they were also looking for a place to eat, that had been recommended them, and they invited us to join them. Brunch was fabulous and we swapped contact information; though they were Lebanese and in Switzerland for various reasons, it may have been somewhat odd to pretend that we might keep in touch. As it turns out, I have kept in touch with one of them over the almost 4 years now since we met there. Back to my point: I received this email from her this morning sharing a positive development in her personal life that gave her much joy, but more than just sharing in her happiness over her own situation, she also expressed a kind of zealous excitement in encouraging me to continue along this path of priestly formation, offering her prayers and thanking me for mine and those of my Dominican sister, and also taking inspiration from the parents of St. Therese de Lisieux in our common "fight for sanctity" (her words).
This convergence of so many causes for rejoicing, at the height of the Church's calendar and these moments of profound conversion and grace in the lives of these wonderful people really struck me this week!
I notice I've only spoken of women thus far (odd for a seminarian?)... two of my Oblate brothers also experienced some deeply moving events that were cause for rejoicing and which they shared with me over the past week: one, a recognition of how I participated (unknowingly) in his coming to terms with a serious event in his life, and another, just in the simple yet honest and deeply truthful sharing of our experience of growth in religious life.
It is said in the Gospels that there is much rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than 99 righteous without need for repentance. It is also said that the whole Church feels both the sufferings and joys of each of its members, through the mysterious communion of the Body of Christ. This is something we can hear and ponder, but, because it is mystery, we often do not grasp its gravity. This week, I experienced very deeply the sense of ripples of joy spreading over the whole Church, humbly receiving them as the very real and profoundly impactful experiences of these particular people that I know. The element of suffering is, unfortunately, present as well, and I ask that you please join me in prayer for those who have died recently, among them, the sister of a brother Oblate, who lived a full life and leaves him as the only survivor of his immediate family; and the grandmother of a college dorm-mate; may they rest in peace.
Now, like Mary at the Finding of Jesus in the temple, let us "ponder these things" in our hearts, and look forward, with Easter Joy, to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the commemoration of the birth of the Church, who we are!
Love the Immaculata!
Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Triduum Sanctum
Buona Pasqua! (Italian greeting for "Happy Easter")
I had begun planning this post yesterday (Holy Saturday) but did not have a chance to finish it, due to all of the preparatory activities for our celebration of the Easter Vigil here.
According to Wikipedia, which cites catholicliturgy.org, the Paschal Triduum is "the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday (the vigil of Good Friday) and ends with evening prayer on Easter Sunday, the three-day period therefore from the evening of Maundy Thursday (excluding most of Thursday) to the evening of Resurrection Sunday."
My Holy Week observance began with the celebration of Passion (Palm) Sunday, on which we commemorate Jesus' joyful entrance into Jerusalem and then anticipate his Passion and death. That liturgy really set the tone for the week, giving us a dramatic descent into the tomb to await the Resurrection the following Sunday.
We took the men who are visiting us this week to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the Chrism Mass on Tuesday. It is a beautiful expression of the union of the ordained ministers, as deacons (both permanent and transitional), priests, bishops, and the Metropolitan of the local Greek Orthodox church attended. The priests all renew their promises to the Church and the bishop blesses the oils of the sick and of catechumens and consecrates the holy Chrism after mixing the balsam perfume into the olive oil. Chrism is used in consecrations and recalls the ancient practice of anointing prophets and kings, and in the Christian tradition, priests (on the palms) and bishops (on the head). This three-fold office that the Chrism is used to set someone apart for is the central mystery of Christ's work: he commissioned his disciples, and in turn, all believers, to participate in his work of ordering creation to himself [kingly], which includes discipline of ourselves to curb vices and cultivate virtue; his work of announcing the Word that He is [prophetic], including the teaching office of the Church (Magisterium) as well as the example of our own lives; and consecrating the world to Him and offering our lives as a sacrifice along with Him on the Cross [priestly]. All the baptized are called to participate in this work that Christ showed us, and in so doing, open themselves to receive sanctifying grace in abundance.
I always enjoy attending the Chrism Mass to see that grand expression of the priesthood, with over 200 priests from all over the Archdiocese in attendance, all praying together the Eucharistic prayer to consecrate the bread and wine, acting in the person of Christ (in persona Christi) and all in unison. It is an occasion that easily brings to mind my own calling and an opportunity to renew my spirit of surrender to that call, praying for the grace to continually accept God's will for me and to do it both with humble resignation and with the zeal that His Call stirs up in me. It is also an opportunity for the Cardinal to address his priests assembled and give them some advice and direction for the coming year. This year, he recalled advice he had given in years past and added to it continuing formation, according to every aspect of Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis ("I give you shepherds," on the formation of priests in the circumstances of the present day) – that is, the four pillars of academic (theology), human, pastoral, and spiritual formation.
Whew, that was just Tuesday! Wednesday evening, we held a Tenebrae (Latin for "shadows" or "darkness") service here at St. Clement's (there was also one at the Cathedral). In it, we prayerfully, with readings, psalms, and hymns, commemorate Jesus' sacred wounds on the cross, and His death, in a special candle-light service in the dark; at the end, a sound like a clap of thunder represents the resurrection to come, and the faithful in attendance file out in silence by the light of the Paschal candle. It was the first time I had attended one, and because it was done so tastefully, and was well-rehearsed, I was really drawn into the sorrows of Christ and the significance of Mary's accompaniment during His Passion, which was also represented by a steady blue candle present throughout.
Thursday we had our last class of the week and then began our preparations for that day's service, the celebration of the Last Supper. I joined the choir for this liturgy, which was a very beautiful yet bittersweet celebration of the gift of the Eucharist and the priesthood and then the emptying of the Church as Jesus left the cenacle to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he was tormented by temptations to give up and not offer His life for our salvation. The Eucharist is completely removed from the church and the faithful walked in procession to our side chapel while singing the Eucharistic hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas, Pange lingua gloriosi. After the Mass, we piled into cars and set off on a prayerful and somber visit to seven nearby churches, an ancient tradition that likely goes back to visiting the seven station churches (basilicas) in Rome. We would arrive at each church, enter their altar of repose, where the Eucharist is reserved for adoration that night only, and spend a few minutes there in prayer, answering Christ's request of his disciples in the Garden to "keep watch." We used the Taize chant "Stay with Me" which meditatively sets that solemn tone of the vigil.
Good Friday saw many more preparations for the commemoration of the Lord's Passion that evening. I helped Fr. Peter Grover, OMV lead the Stations of the Cross at noontime; he stops four times during the fourteen stations to give a little reflection on the Passion. The one that struck me the most was that we can place ourselves in the scene in the person of Barrabas at Jesus' condemnation by Pilate – he is a sinner (a "notorious murderer" or "revolutionary", according to the various Gospels) that received life from Christ's sacrifice, and his name means "son of the father" (bar-abba). At 3pm, we began observed the first day of the Divine Mercy novena, chanting the Chaplet of Divine Mercy together in the empty church. I served the liturgy that evening, a very solemn liturgy with a silent entrance and closing procession, and a special procession of the cross after the homily and an opportunity for the faithful present to come up and reverence the cross, either by a bow or a touch or even a kiss. The cross is set out in a prominent place for the faithful to stay and pray there. We watched Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ to further enter into the spirit of the day.
Holy Saturday saw many preparations for the great solemnity of the Easter Vigil. All five of us postulants served the Mass together, each taking on specific roles during the liturgy; I was placed in charge of the fire and incense for the night, a role with which I am very familiar. One of my favorite parts of the Easter Vigil is the Gloria, during which bells are rung, the lights in the church come on, and we open the reredos doors, revealing lots of flowers and the angels on either side of the tabernacle, which were hidden behind those closed doors for the duration of Lent. The opening prayer is said, and we enter into the readings that celebrate the Resurrection, after hearing a snapshot of salvation history that prepared the way for this culmination. Following the Easter Vigil, after greeting people and cleaning things up, we gathered around the table for some Easter munchies in a humble "Resurrection Party," sharing stories of our family traditions for celebrating Easter and recalling various Oblate stories.
After retiring last night around 1:30am, I rose today at 7 with a song in my head: a praise and worship tune called "Mercy is falling." I had not heard this song in a couple years, and yet I rose practically singing it right away, and it is indeed relevant. Of all the times in the year, this week of the Glorious Easter day is certainly the time at which the Church commemorates the opening of the floodgates of salvation, the gates of heaven, the pierced side of Christ from which flowed blood and water, life for the world. Mercy is indeed falling like a "sweet spring rain" giving life, cleansing and purifying and renewing the earth.
May you and your family have a most blessed Easter season and rejoice with the Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven, (Regina caeli, laetare!) for the Lord has risen as He said (Resurrexit, sicut dixit!), and beg her intercession for us (Ora pro nobis Deum) as we press on with renewed strength and vigor to draw close to Christ and bring many others with us by our example and the offering of our lives with His.
Happy Easter!
Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia!
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia!
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia!
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia!
Gaude et laetare Virgo Maria, alleluia!
Quia surrexit Dominus vere alleluia!
Oremus: Deus qui per resurretionem Filii Tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi mundum laetificare dignatus es, praesta quaesumus, ut per eius Genitricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina_coeli
Love the Immaculata!
Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca
I had begun planning this post yesterday (Holy Saturday) but did not have a chance to finish it, due to all of the preparatory activities for our celebration of the Easter Vigil here.
According to Wikipedia, which cites catholicliturgy.org, the Paschal Triduum is "the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday (the vigil of Good Friday) and ends with evening prayer on Easter Sunday, the three-day period therefore from the evening of Maundy Thursday (excluding most of Thursday) to the evening of Resurrection Sunday."
My Holy Week observance began with the celebration of Passion (Palm) Sunday, on which we commemorate Jesus' joyful entrance into Jerusalem and then anticipate his Passion and death. That liturgy really set the tone for the week, giving us a dramatic descent into the tomb to await the Resurrection the following Sunday.
We took the men who are visiting us this week to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the Chrism Mass on Tuesday. It is a beautiful expression of the union of the ordained ministers, as deacons (both permanent and transitional), priests, bishops, and the Metropolitan of the local Greek Orthodox church attended. The priests all renew their promises to the Church and the bishop blesses the oils of the sick and of catechumens and consecrates the holy Chrism after mixing the balsam perfume into the olive oil. Chrism is used in consecrations and recalls the ancient practice of anointing prophets and kings, and in the Christian tradition, priests (on the palms) and bishops (on the head). This three-fold office that the Chrism is used to set someone apart for is the central mystery of Christ's work: he commissioned his disciples, and in turn, all believers, to participate in his work of ordering creation to himself [kingly], which includes discipline of ourselves to curb vices and cultivate virtue; his work of announcing the Word that He is [prophetic], including the teaching office of the Church (Magisterium) as well as the example of our own lives; and consecrating the world to Him and offering our lives as a sacrifice along with Him on the Cross [priestly]. All the baptized are called to participate in this work that Christ showed us, and in so doing, open themselves to receive sanctifying grace in abundance.
I always enjoy attending the Chrism Mass to see that grand expression of the priesthood, with over 200 priests from all over the Archdiocese in attendance, all praying together the Eucharistic prayer to consecrate the bread and wine, acting in the person of Christ (in persona Christi) and all in unison. It is an occasion that easily brings to mind my own calling and an opportunity to renew my spirit of surrender to that call, praying for the grace to continually accept God's will for me and to do it both with humble resignation and with the zeal that His Call stirs up in me. It is also an opportunity for the Cardinal to address his priests assembled and give them some advice and direction for the coming year. This year, he recalled advice he had given in years past and added to it continuing formation, according to every aspect of Blessed John Paul II's apostolic exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis ("I give you shepherds," on the formation of priests in the circumstances of the present day) – that is, the four pillars of academic (theology), human, pastoral, and spiritual formation.
Whew, that was just Tuesday! Wednesday evening, we held a Tenebrae (Latin for "shadows" or "darkness") service here at St. Clement's (there was also one at the Cathedral). In it, we prayerfully, with readings, psalms, and hymns, commemorate Jesus' sacred wounds on the cross, and His death, in a special candle-light service in the dark; at the end, a sound like a clap of thunder represents the resurrection to come, and the faithful in attendance file out in silence by the light of the Paschal candle. It was the first time I had attended one, and because it was done so tastefully, and was well-rehearsed, I was really drawn into the sorrows of Christ and the significance of Mary's accompaniment during His Passion, which was also represented by a steady blue candle present throughout.
Thursday we had our last class of the week and then began our preparations for that day's service, the celebration of the Last Supper. I joined the choir for this liturgy, which was a very beautiful yet bittersweet celebration of the gift of the Eucharist and the priesthood and then the emptying of the Church as Jesus left the cenacle to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he was tormented by temptations to give up and not offer His life for our salvation. The Eucharist is completely removed from the church and the faithful walked in procession to our side chapel while singing the Eucharistic hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas, Pange lingua gloriosi. After the Mass, we piled into cars and set off on a prayerful and somber visit to seven nearby churches, an ancient tradition that likely goes back to visiting the seven station churches (basilicas) in Rome. We would arrive at each church, enter their altar of repose, where the Eucharist is reserved for adoration that night only, and spend a few minutes there in prayer, answering Christ's request of his disciples in the Garden to "keep watch." We used the Taize chant "Stay with Me" which meditatively sets that solemn tone of the vigil.
Good Friday saw many more preparations for the commemoration of the Lord's Passion that evening. I helped Fr. Peter Grover, OMV lead the Stations of the Cross at noontime; he stops four times during the fourteen stations to give a little reflection on the Passion. The one that struck me the most was that we can place ourselves in the scene in the person of Barrabas at Jesus' condemnation by Pilate – he is a sinner (a "notorious murderer" or "revolutionary", according to the various Gospels) that received life from Christ's sacrifice, and his name means "son of the father" (bar-abba). At 3pm, we began observed the first day of the Divine Mercy novena, chanting the Chaplet of Divine Mercy together in the empty church. I served the liturgy that evening, a very solemn liturgy with a silent entrance and closing procession, and a special procession of the cross after the homily and an opportunity for the faithful present to come up and reverence the cross, either by a bow or a touch or even a kiss. The cross is set out in a prominent place for the faithful to stay and pray there. We watched Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ to further enter into the spirit of the day.
Holy Saturday saw many preparations for the great solemnity of the Easter Vigil. All five of us postulants served the Mass together, each taking on specific roles during the liturgy; I was placed in charge of the fire and incense for the night, a role with which I am very familiar. One of my favorite parts of the Easter Vigil is the Gloria, during which bells are rung, the lights in the church come on, and we open the reredos doors, revealing lots of flowers and the angels on either side of the tabernacle, which were hidden behind those closed doors for the duration of Lent. The opening prayer is said, and we enter into the readings that celebrate the Resurrection, after hearing a snapshot of salvation history that prepared the way for this culmination. Following the Easter Vigil, after greeting people and cleaning things up, we gathered around the table for some Easter munchies in a humble "Resurrection Party," sharing stories of our family traditions for celebrating Easter and recalling various Oblate stories.
After retiring last night around 1:30am, I rose today at 7 with a song in my head: a praise and worship tune called "Mercy is falling." I had not heard this song in a couple years, and yet I rose practically singing it right away, and it is indeed relevant. Of all the times in the year, this week of the Glorious Easter day is certainly the time at which the Church commemorates the opening of the floodgates of salvation, the gates of heaven, the pierced side of Christ from which flowed blood and water, life for the world. Mercy is indeed falling like a "sweet spring rain" giving life, cleansing and purifying and renewing the earth.
May you and your family have a most blessed Easter season and rejoice with the Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven, (Regina caeli, laetare!) for the Lord has risen as He said (Resurrexit, sicut dixit!), and beg her intercession for us (Ora pro nobis Deum) as we press on with renewed strength and vigor to draw close to Christ and bring many others with us by our example and the offering of our lives with His.
Happy Easter!
Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia!
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia!
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia!
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia!
Gaude et laetare Virgo Maria, alleluia!
Quia surrexit Dominus vere alleluia!
Oremus: Deus qui per resurretionem Filii Tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi mundum laetificare dignatus es, praesta quaesumus, ut per eius Genitricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina_coeli
Love the Immaculata!
Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca
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