Corpus Christi Procession

Corpus Christi existed before the city in Tejas. Corpus Christi is the body of Christ, it is the Sacrament. Holy Thursday, the day of the Last Supper, was the initiation of Corpus Christ and the Sacrament.

It's introduction as a feast was initiated by the urging of St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon and Liège, whom impressed Robert de Thorete, then Bishop of Liège. At that time, bishops could initiate feasts within their diocese. Robert did so in 1246, he died soon thereafter, before the first celebration. Jacques Pantaléon was, at that time, Archdeacon of Liège.

The Bull, Transiturus, was issued in 1264 by Pope Urban IV, whom had been previously Jacques Pantaléon; he died soon thereafter. The feast was extended to the whole latin church. Urban had St. Thomas Aquinas compose a new office for the feast. The songs, Lauda Sion, Sacris Solemniis (which includes, Panis angelicus), Pange lingua gloriosi (which inludes, Tantum ergo) are from Thomas for this day. Another communion hymn of his is Adoro Te Devote.

Even before the changes in celebrations, of the last generation, the US moved this celebration to the Sunday next. It is a public holiday in several lands. It is one of those catholic holidays that disturb the convenience of tourists and commerce.

Soon after introduction, outdoor, theophoric processions became common, and spread to many countries. Of course, with the suppression that came with the triumph of the protestant rebellions, and the imposition of state heresy, such public demonstrations in regard to the faith were absent in several lands. But, to-day with societal apathy being the more pronounced, such public, outdoor processions are an opportunity of evangelisation. People may notice, “Oh, the catholics are having some sort of parade, or something.”

Traditionally the feast is on a thursday, but the procession does not have to be. Since it is a movable holiday, it can fall about 13 June, Saint Anthony of Padua and Lisbon. Saint Anthony is a rightly, popular figure. It has so happened that, adjacent parishes have had, both processions on the same day. What does the bewildered stranger, or unbeliever think?
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noto bene: last year, I had another essay.

Trinity Sunday, First after Pentecost

Domenico Fetti. Parable of the Mote and the Beam. 1619. New York City.

Estote ergo misericordes sicut et Pater vester misericors est. Nolite judicare, et non judicabimini: nolite condemnare, et non condemnabimini. Dimitte, et dimittemini. Date, et dabitur vobis: mensuram bonam, et confertam, et coagitatam, et supereffluentem dabunt in sinum vestrum. Eadem quippe mensura, qua mensi fueritis, remetietur vobis. Dicebat autem illis et similitudinem: Numquid potest cæcus cæcum ducere? nonne ambo in foveam cadunt? Non est discipulus super magistrum: perfectus autem omnis erit, si sit sicut magister ejus. Quid autem vides festucam in oculo fratris tui, trabem autem, quæ in oculo tuo est, non consideras? aut quomodo potes dicere fratri tuo: Frater, sine ejiciam festucam de oculo tuo: ipse in oculo tuo trabem non videns? Hypocrita, ejice primum trabem de oculo tuo: et tunc perspicies ut educas festucam de oculo fratris tui.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not: and you shall not be judged. Condemn not: and you shall not be condemned. Forgive: and you shall be forgiven.Give: and it shall be given to you: good measure and pressed down and shaken together and running over shall they give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. And he spoke also to them a similitude: Can the blind lead the blind? Do they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one shall be perfect, if he be as his master. And why seest thou the mote in thy brother's eye: but the beam that is in thy own eye thou considerest not? Or how canst thou say to thy brother: Brother, let me pull the mote out of thy eye, when thou thyself seest not the beam in thy own eye? Hypocrite, cast first the beam out of thy own eye: and then shalt thou see clearly to take out the mote from thy brother's eye. — Luke vi. 36-42. DRC

Now, the first three Gospels are called synoptic, in being similarly comprehensive. A gospel reading from to-day, and the week, in the old rite, is from Luke; compare the beginning, of the third part, of the sermon on the mount from Matthew’s Gospel vii. 1-5:

Judge not, that you may not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

The Mote and the Beam would be a cute name for a public house (saloon) somewhere. Vision and perception can be disturbed after drinking. Tunnel vision is a form of myopia. Selectively criticising is also myopic, and hypocritical, as it employs discrepant standards, or as kids in the schoolyard have it--rubber and glue.

Charity and humility are called for, and this will bring mercy to you. How does God behave? How do you, or I, behave?

Fetti was employed by the cardinal, and later Duke of Mantua, Fernando Gonzaga. For him he painted thirteen illustrations of parables, for his studiola (cabinet room), for contemplation. In the one supra, both men are pointing to the other’s eye. The series proved popular, Fetti’s workshop made several copies as did others. Several of Fetti’s parable paintings are together in Dresden, along with some Fetti’s Old Testament scenes.
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last year's essay on the first Gospel reading

what is a talent?

Now, I can think of ten parables without thumbing books. I would say about four everyone would list (The Good Shepherd, The Good Samaritan, The Prodigal Son, Poor Lazarus [or as the english say, Dives and Lazarus]). There is a parable of the ten talents. What does it mean? The first logical question is--what is a talent? [if you have followed this journal, you may notice there is no illustration]

Now, the way we understand 'talent' is that of aptitude of ability, or gift. That meaning has been interpolated from a parable of Jesus. At that time it had no such meaning. A thousand years later, it still did not. What meaning it did have for centuries before, was that of mass and weight [of money]. There was no one coin, and the exact number and composition of coin changed. There is ambiguity.

The minimum is three thousand shekels, at times--six thousand. These shekels could be silver, or they could be gold. Gold is worth more than silver. (The US used to have silver dollars, a comparable sized gold coin, was a double eagle, twenty dollars [both about 90% true]. At the end of the 19th century, a major political issue was the failed demand to return to the old ratio, between silver and gold, at 16:1.) Saint Jerome understood a talent to be ten thousand gold shekels.

Now, what was a shekel? One shekel was a tetradrachma (four drachmas). One drachma was equal to one denarius. One denarius or drachma was a day's wage.*

There are 365 days in a year. There is no work to be done on the sabbath, there are 52 sabbaths a year. There are some holidays where no work is done. Roughly three hundred work days a year for the fully employed. How many days did the average non slave work?

The maximum a laborer would make per annum would be 300 denarii. A roman soldier's salary was less than 300 denarii. The smallest talent is 12,000 denarii silver (the largest 40,000). It would take 40 years of full employment, to equal wages, of one talent. The average life expectancy was less than 40 years. The probability of a servant (read slave) or laborer to have created a talent approached zero.

Jesus' audience were the poor. They would never see a talent, certainly not have one. A talent was a fortune, because of what a talent means to-day, the operative word would be akin to fortune, or a million (or a bazillion) dollars. What master would trust a servant with that, while he was away, for an unspecified time? What servant would stay?

But he that had received the one talent, came and said: Lord, I know that thou art a hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and gatherest where thou hast not strewed. And being afraid I went and hid thy talent in the earth: behold here thou hast that which is thine. And his lord answering, said to him: Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sow not, and gather where I have not strewed: Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury. -- Matthew xxv. 24-27.

The servant accuses, and the man admits, that he is a 'hard man'. This hard man 'reaps and gathers' where he neither 'sown nor strewed'. He takes profits where he never worked, is that not a damning statement? He then abuses his fearful servant. The servant is told, that he, should have engaged in usury. Usury was forbidden by religious law.

Now, we know of some current american exegeses of this passage, and now, there are four legitimate gospels. The prosperity gospel, the gospel according to Milton Friedman, the gospel of Adam Smith, and the gospel of Harvard Business School are not them. What those, who, heard Jesus spake knew this 'lord' could not be G*d. To suggest that would have been blasphemy. Perhaps, the parable is one of the hard sayings of Jesus. He did want people to think, consider and ruminate. Or perhaps some, people of to-day, form their ideas into their interpretations. Perhaps one ought to read the fathers and doctors of the church, and not parrot the charlatans on television, or the mouthfoamers on the radio.

Under the old rite this parable, there are some 33, was not read at mass. To-day it is in cycle A, the 33rd week of ordinary time, and in the shorter form the portion quoted is not read.
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*And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
conventione autem facta cum operariis ex denario diurno misit eos in vineam suam -- Matthew xx. 2.
confer: the householder, here who, hired labourers for the vineyard, with this 'hard man'.
noto bene: a shekel was multi-thousand, also legion was multi-thousand. In the roman army, a legion was four to six thousand.
And he asked him: What is thy name? And he saith to him: My name is Legion, for we are many.--Mark v. 9.
And Jesus asked him, saying: What is thy name? But he said: Legion. Because many devils were entered into him.--Luke viii. 30.

La Pucelle, Sainte Jeanne d’Arc

Thérèse de Lisieux portraying Jeanne d’Arc

Many are the images of this french teenager. She, that saved France from the anglais, and was so treacherously, dastardly, wickedly and cruelly martyred by her captors. Two centuries later, even Shakespeare blasphemed her. But again and again, she inspired France.

We have always lived in a biased world. It is nearing six hundred years from time she walked the world. One can say, that, it was just an episode of mediæval dynastic war, perhaps a bit more interesting than most, but apparently, immediately after her initial public appearance, her presence was real celebrity. Quickly, the english were unnerved, apoplectic and desperate. Agincourt was not in the distant past. Most of non-burgundian France was either occupied by [or in proximately pending] the english. France would be as Poland in the century prior the first world war. The french nation would exist, but the state gone. France was desperate

Even in doing the most un-christian, and anti-christian acts, people thought in christian terms. The english had a remarkable reversal. Either God, or the devil conspired against England, and the agent was Jeanne. The english needed to demonize Jeanne, otherwise they were damned.

Charles VII, the french king, who owed his crown to Jeanne was despicably aloof and negligent. The burgundians, who captured Jeanne, were avaricious. Jeane was sold by the burgundians to the english, for the price of king, a king’s ransom, ₤ 10,000.

The trial and conditions under which she was held were illegal and criminal, and everyone, whom, brought this up was either, ignored, dismissed, dispatched and endangered. The english wanted her tried as a witch, no evidence was available. She was to be tried as an heretic. Her persecutor in charge was Peter (no longer Pierre) Cauchon, the bishop driven from Beauvais, and desirous of Rouen, a lackey of Cardinal Winchester. Cauchon had not jurisdiction, but ambition. Winchester was the wealthiest, and most powerful, man in England. He was uncle to the regents of England, and the occupied possessions in France. Jeanne had no chance to survive. Michelet wrote, “Never were the Jews filled with such hatred against Jesus as the English against the Maid.” The english wanted her shamed, recanting and burnt.
an idealised martial statue

“Jeanne’s mission was on the surface warlike, but it really had the effect of ending a century of war, and her love and charity were so broad, that they could only be matched by Him who prayed for His murderers.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle, who translated a french biography of our heroine in 1924.

People have found in Jehanne, or presented, what they want. She is used for noble purposes, and base. She is loved and respected; and she is used to promote inanities. There have come out theories concerning her as varied as the causes of dinosaur extinction. Do not be so gullible to run with the next one that appears in the press.

Some great writers have fell in love with her: Schiller, Shaw, Twain. One of the best silent films ever made was that on her trial, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer (1928). It was on her trial testimony, which the original is extant, that her strength, spirit and sanctity was shown. All the marvel and gallantry of her campaigns for France were not central. In her interrogations, she was caught by the church militant, the visible church, and she maintained that the church triumphant, the invisible church smiled on her. She was soldier and martyr. Her martyrdom trial confirmed her sanctity.

Michelet ends with:

A secretary of the king of England, as he returned, said aloud, “We are lost, we have burnt a saint.” ⚜⚜⚜

Sainte Jeanne
*Domremy ............1412
†Rouen..................1431
rehabilitated ..........1456
cause introduced 1869; Actor Causae: Félix A.P. Dupanloup, Bishop of Orléans
nulla osta...............1894
declared venerable 1904
beatified................1908
canonised..............1920

Good Shepherd Sunday

Statua del Buon Pastore. from Catacomb of Domitilla. 3rd C. Rome. Vatican.
In the extant catacombs of Rome there appears scores of frescoes, and many sarcophagi, with the image of the Good Shepherd. Some are from the first century, it is the oldest motif in depicting Jesus. It is funereal. It is metaphorical. The lamb about the neck and shoulders of Christ, is the soul of the deceased. The shepherd bears the soul to paradise, the sheep about Jesus are the souls already there. Note Jesus is beardless in early Rome.

These survivals, from the pre-toleration times of the empire, prove a christian iconography from almost ab ovo. They also run counter to the iconoclasm heresy of centuries later in the east, and a millennium later in the west. In all three years of the new liturgical cycle, to-day, the 4th Sunday of Easter, is Good Shepherd Sunday

The images [Good Shepherd] gave comfort, and taught the faith. The Montessorians, Sofia Cavalletti, and Gianna Gobbi, believed this seminal image spoke intuitively to the child. Jesus cares, and nurtures, and protects the small and young. They developed a programme, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, to teach the young, the faith.

Saint Joseph the Worker, Our Patron

Holy Family at work. Immaculate Conception. Cleveland, O.

The primary feast day of Saint Joseph is that of 19 March. In 1955, there was instituted, by Pius XII, the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker for the 1st of May. It replaced the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church, which was called, in short, “The Patronage”, which was held on the Third Sunday after Easter, and had an octave day, from 1847, and from 1913 on the Wednesday after the Second Sunday after Easter.* It had been first celebrated in Spain, in the 17th century and then spread, and very early during the long pontificate of Pio Nino, was extended to the whole world.

Joseph, the foster father and guardian of the Redeemer, worked to feed, house and clothe his family. The fruit of his labor gave succour, that is the value of work, and the workman should be so recognised and respected. His work is not meant for another to be enriched, while he and his have nought.

And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer† is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. ― Luke x. 7.

Nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff; for the workman† is worthy of his meat. ― Matthew x.10.

Some saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage in certain cases, but not in others, with peculiar efficacy; but to our holy Patron, St. Joseph, it is given to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking. ― Thomas Aquinas IV. Sent. 9, 45.

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*If it were held in 2009, it would have be on the 3rd of May, in the first instance, and the 29th of April on the second. Really, I think, I need to see an old calendar.
†operarius

George,Quijote and the Dragon

To-day is Saint George’s, and the traditional date of the death of Miguel de Cervantes. Heroism of the struggle, with the ardor of a chivalric, christian heart ties these two together. The dragon is symbolic of a fearsome adversary. Saint George defeated him. In Cervantes Don Quijote, our befuddled caballero was, in spirit, the perfect christian chevalier. I could write a book on this, but I have not the audience, nor the support...
Jurij Zaninović. Bridge with four dragons. 1900-01. Ljubljana.
I am also fascinated with the word for the creature: draco, drakon, zmaj, aždaja, smok. There are particular dragons, and there are types of dragons, and the general dragon. (The east asian dragons have a different ethos, from the indo-european dragons.) These dragons share with the biblical dragon an interchangeability with the serpent, but with wings and fire, which greatly increases their fearsome mythology. There are exceptions to their rapacious, evil ferocity, some are guardians. This is surprising and interesting. The dragon of Ljubljana, ljubljanski zmaj, supposedly guards the bridge, and the city; yet in the small town of Sveti Jurij (Saint George) not far off, the traditional heraldic depiction of the armoured and caped saint dispatching the fearsome beast with a lance is the coat of arms, shield, and flag. A similar Jurij serves Moscow. Now, the serbs also love George, as the english once did, but in addition to the generic slavonic zmaj, they also name aždaja. This dragon came from Persia and the zoroastrians, but not directly. The barbarian turks picked up words from conquered civilisations and were linguistic vehicles.

To further speculate, wildly, and most uncertainly: there is the less common words 'pogoj' dragon, and, in srpskohrvatsko, 'pakoa', hell, perhaps suggesting sulfurous pitch*. In addition the greek 'hades', 'aidelon', and 'άδης', fires of hades, and in Plato, the house of hades. From the greeks the russians got 'ad' in addition to their variation of peklo, pekel, pakao, pekla. There is the persian 'aži dahāka'. Is there a multi-lingual convergence of creature and locale? of dragon and hell? Or am I like the father in, My big fat greek wedding, creating fanciful etymologies?
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*Jakob Grimm noted the fire and stench of slavonic hells, and modern greek hell. The hebraic 'gehenna' has often been translated into hellfire, and fire and brimstone means fire and sulfur.

Anselm, Doctor of the Church

To-day is Saint Anselm's day. Nine hundred years ago, to-day, he left the earthly life. He is apelled: d'Aosta, à Bec, of Canterbury, depending on the language used, and the nation claiming. He was born in Aosta (Piedmont Italy) and went on to Bec (Norman France) and became a benedictine monk, scholar and philosopher. Now, in the year Anselmo reached Christ's age, William conquered England, and Anselm was prior at Bec, the prevous prior, Lanfranc became the archbishop of Canterbury in 1070. Lanfanc was succeeded by Anselm. William (II) Rufus was an overreaching, immoderate king, and interfered with church affairs. For four years the see was left vacant as William Rufus collected and robbed what was available. Anselm succeeded his old teacher, and inherited his problems. With a new king, Henry I, a slightly better go went forth, although Anselm would still find exile. The conflict between mitre and crown would continue in England for centuries, until the faith was completely forbidden. Now, neither Canterbury nor the crown mean much of anything, outside of pomp and ceremony.

Anselmo, during his time at Bec, was in the center of the intellectual world. Anselm is considered a founder of scholasticism. In philosophy and theology, he is the most important betwixt Augustine and Aquinas. In Cur Deus Homo, he writes on the theology of the Atonement. In the Proslogium, he gives two versions of, what Kant later calls, the ontological proof of God, which in the simplest manner can be reduced to: God exists by definition, because that which you understand to be, as what God would be, is an idea that could not be invented in your mind, by your mind.

Augustine said, "Crede, ut intelligas". Believe that you may understand.
Anselmo said, "Credo, ut intelligam". I believe that I may understand.
Christian faith was at the center of philosophy and understanding.
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To-day, is also the birthday of the city of Rome.

... to each according to need.

To-day's first scriptural reading was from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, verses 32-35:

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. ― NAB

Multitúdinis autem credéntium erat cor unum et ánima una : nec quisquam eórum quæ possidébat, áliquid suum esse dicébat, sed erant illis ómnia commúnia. Et virtúte magna reddébant Apóstoli testimónium resurrectiónis Jesu Christi Dómini nostri : et grátia magna erat in ómnibus illis. Neque enim quisquam egens erat inter illos. Quotquot enim possessóres agrórum aut domórum erant, vendéntes afferébant prétia eórum quæ vendébant, et ponébant ante pedes Apostólorum. Dividebátur autem síngulis prout cuíque opus erat.

And the multitude of believers had but one heart and one soul: neither did any one say that aught of the things which he possessed, was his own; but all things were common unto them. And with great power did the apostles give testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord; and great grace was in them all. For neither was there any one needy among them. For as many as were owners of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the price of the things they sold, And laid it down before the feet of the apostles. And distribution was made to every one, according as he had need. ― DRC

How many people in the congregation were listening? Did anyone who was not in the habit of church going, or Scripture reading, yet educated otherwise, hear something that sounded familiar? Were any angered? made uncomfortable? Will any consider? or take heart?

This is the first reading in year 'B'. The first reading in year 'A' is:

They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. ―Acts of the Apostles ii. 42-47. NAB

And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles and in the communication of the breaking of bread and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul. Many wonders also and signs were done by the apostles in Jerusalem: and there was great fervor in all. And all they that believed were together and had all things common. Their possessions and goods they sold and divided them to all, according as every one had need. And continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart: Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord increased daily together such as should be saved. ―Acts of the Apostles ii. 42-47. DRC

To-day, being the Octave of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday and Doubting Thomas Sunday, it is easy for a homilist to not comment on this reading, making it convenient for either him, or the congregation, or both. Some of these people would rather not examine their consciences on those sentiments, and if those lines were said, without attribution, or even with, in public civil discourse, they might not receive a friendly hearing. And there are certain professing christians, who would, twist into convolutions the words of Scripture on similar sentiments. This sort of radicalism, or extremism, by Jesus is not welcoming to all, it can be most discomfitting.

Resurrection Sunday

Albrecht Altdorfer. The Resurrection of Christ. c. prior 1518. Vienna.
Painted, concurrently, with the onset of the german heresy, to which the painter later succumbed to, this was a portion of an altarpiece from, the Augustine monastery, Sankt Florian, Upper Austria. Christ is risen before many, in what appears to be a large, mountain, forest grotto, in expressively vivid colors. We are not in 1st century, roman, occupied Judea (Palestine). On the left stands an armored halberdier, one of the, then, newly, formed landsknecht, that would be prominent in supporting the protestant princes against the peasantry, and the catholic emperor, and would also be employed by the same Habsburg emperor, against the rebellious princes, and in other wars. Jesus was victorious over death; the halberdier became emblematic of renaissance germany.

Paschal Triduum observances

Good Friday Procession, Cleveland, Ohio, from La Sagrada Familia to Saint Patrick to Saint Michael.

To-day is Holy Saturday, amongst slavonic christians, it is custom and tradition to have baskets of food blessed in church. Yesterday, was Good Friday. Theologically, they are part of one day, the Paschal Triduum. The mass, that began Thursday evening, did not end yet, the dismissal comes at the end of the vigil mass on what some slavs call ‘Great Night’*.

Friday, the day of the crucifixion and burial, has its traditions. The Via Dolorosa is the walk of sorrows in Jerusalem, but throughout the world, similar sojourns can occur. Now, on the west side of Cleveland, a procession left after the noon, angelus bell at La Sagrada Familia and went eastwards, first, on Franklin Boulevard. A hundred years ago, it was a fashionable street; it had lost its cache, but a renewal is sporadically underway. A few lots were under construction or being remodeled that day. This procession interrupted the lunch time of some, and was not expected by some. Non religiously observant residents would recall the procession from past years, but temporary interlopers might have had a novel experience.

For catholics the day has the highest solemnity. Generations of children had been taught that the hours from noon to three were to be reserved. The unaffected world goes by, often, unconscious of the singularity of the time. Perhaps, for some it might be a spur for investigation; for others a mere recognition; and for the uncharitable ― an occasion to complain. We live in a world, where, we exist in different cultures occupying the same society.

Gandhi had an attraction and respect for the devotion of the Way of the Cross, but as much as he loved Jesus, he did not become a christian. Some are not affected by such devotions. Some are sorely vexed, and will propagandise vigorously against. A painted egg will give them fits, a rabbit makes them livid. The definition of terms do not co-incide. Self appointed censors create their own universal banns, for others, by fickle fiat. While some celebrations foster a deep religious glow, and communal cohesion, that deepens the faith in some; others can not share in that. Some are of great good will, and do welcome all.
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*Velika noč, Veľká noc, Velikonoce, Velja noć

pre-Paschal events, tenebræ

For the byzantines, and others using the gregorian calendar, to-day is Lazarus Saturday. To-morrow is Palm Sunday, some german churches wheel in a palmesel figure, a statue of Christ on an ass. The poles have a lamentation service, Gorzkie zale, throughout lent, similar to the way of the cross and to tenebræ. The spaniards have parades.

I have been busy with latin, tenebræ, singing practice. It will, probably, be the first time since 1955, that, at Saint Stephen, Cleveland*, tenebræ in the original form will be done. I would like to know, how many times it has been done in the entire diocese in this form since.

In this format, it is the combined matins and lauds for Holy Thursday. Matins chant the psalms 68 to 76, the beginning of Jeremias’ Lamentations, responses and antiphons; in addition: Augustine on part of psalm 54, and a selection of Paul to the Corinthians is read. Lauds has four psalms, and the canticles of Moses and Zacharias (the Benedictus), and antiphons. In other forms, it is truncated, and other readings may be used, but the Miserere (ps.50) of David, and Jeremias’ cry over Jerusalem are generally retained.

The tenebræ hearse is a triangular candelabrum used for this service since, at least, the seventh century. It is triangular with fifteen prickets. This hearse was also used during the funeral mass, and placed by the casket, and now the wagon, that carries the casket, is called the hearse. At the end of each psalm a candle (unbleached wax taper, preferably) is snuffed, until the last candle, remaining lit, is taken away; this candle represents Christ and returns after the strepitus. There are six candles on the altar, that are snuffed, consecutively, at the last six verses of the Benedictus. The antiphon, that begins Christus Factus est, has the last candle leave.

The strepitus, latin for din, or loud noise, or crash, is the theatrical climax. The church is in darkness total and silent, and then an unexpected, isolated sound terrifies those, whom, do not know about it. This can be the most, memorable moment of any tenebræ service. I vaguely remember a rain storm, occurring one night, to help the dramatics. The theatre for the strepitus has possibilities. The simplest is to drop a phonebook from the choir loft. There is a musical instrument sheet of bronze or brass, a tonitruone, that can be used; a thunder sheet, or piece of sheet metal used for ventilation ducts could be shook, one can strike wood with a heavy, hand hammer, or lay both forearms across an organ keyboard. Sixteen foot pipes would make a great sound.

There is much symbolism, and much interpretation. The strepitus is the tomb closing, the tomb opening, the destruction of the first temple, the third temple, the earthquake of the crucifixion. The Christ candle is joined by the eleven apostles and the three Maries.

While going over the practice singing, I was hit with the eloquence of Saint Jerome’s latin. He was a ciceronian. The joy of the hebrews over the destruction of faro’s army is also evident.

―Tu confregísti cápita dracónis ; dedísti eum escam pópulis Æthíopum. (Ps. 73. v.14)
Thou hast smashed the heads of the dragon [faro’s army]; and given it as meal to the ethiopians.
―vox tonítrui tui in rota. Illuxérunt coruscatió nes tuæ orbi terræ ; commóta est, et contrémuit terra. (Ps. 76. v.19)
the voice of thy thunder in a wheel. Thy lightnings enlightened the world: the earth shook and trembled.―DRC
―equum et ascensórem dejécit in mare. (Exodus xv. 1b)
horse and his ascendant [usually trans. rider] He has thrown [poured, deposed] into the sea.
―currus Pharaónis et exércitum ejus projécit in mare : elécti príncipes ejus submérsi sunt in mari Rubro. (Exodus xv. 4)
Pharao's chariots and his army he hath cast into the sea: his chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea. ―DRC

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*6.30 p.m. Wednesday, 8 April 2009.
postscriptum: in this tenebræ, there was a very muted strepitus, it consisted of rapping the missals, but there was an addition, the throwing of thirty silver coins onto the marble steps.

Saint Oscar Romero

John Roberts. (one of ten) Twentieth Century Martyrs. 1998. Westminster Abbey. London.
In 1990, Kenneth Woodward finished a book, Making Saints, in which he describes, very well, the history and, especially, the politics involved. Richard Vetere wrote a novel, The Third Miracle, which became a movie. In them, he takes examples and explanatory material, from Woodward, about the process. There is drama and conflict betwixt the heroic sanctity of a candidate, and the process of official recognition.

We saw recently, while Mother Teresa was alive, she was recognised as a living saint. There were calls, immediately after her death, to speed up the bureaucracy. When John Paul II, some commentators referred to him as John Paul the Great*, but what was really something, is the crowds of people some with banners, chanting and demanding ‘Santo Subito’. The vox populi was about to do the canonisation, and this was a common manner in the first millennium of the church. From 993 to 1234 a centralisation of canonisation came to the pope and his bureaucrats. The people recognised the chrism of charisma, bureaucrats prefer pious drudges.

Archbishop Thomas à Becket was murdered, in his cathedral, on the command of his sovereign. Archbishop Romero spoke, in his cathedral 23 March 1980, these words:

No soldier is obliged to obey an order counter to the law of God.

The next day he was murdered while saying mass. Those controlling the state, military and police made a similar command. In a mediæval age, a sovereign could be made to do penance for such action.

Those words in a sovereign state, that is actively commits terror, against its populace, are fatal. Now, it is understood, that in an officially, atheistic state an appeal to God is not appreciated. An atheist state does not respect God, and often has a stated goal to persecute believers in God. Now, in a state that acts counter to God, and persecutes His people, while not being atheist, and may, even, claim to be God believing, then such words are more, fatally lethal.

Franz Jägerstätter would not join the nazi, german army, because to be a soldier, especially in such circumstances, was counter to the law of God. He was beheaded. El Salvador was a like state, but without a fully, functioning bureaucracy, but commands by the sovereign powers were quickly carried out.

While much of the populace of El Salvador honors, and reveres, the sanctity of Romero, much of the intervening civil, and governmental power structure, then and now, still are inimical. There have been miracles to confirm, Rome, and the world knows he is a martyr. But local politics will be upset and contentious. Beyond that, those words of San Romero are a grave threat to militaries, and governments, the world over. Those statements would not go well in the United States, they would go well with the US hierarchy.

In the months before his martyrdom, the world focused on the homilies of a little, cleric from a little, country in a poor region. His figure, his example stood gigantically on the world’s stage. His via crucis was apparent, only the exact moment of crucifixion, and the imminent earthquake, and eclipse, was not.
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*Three previous popes were so titled Leo†461, Gregory†604 and Nicholas†867.

Loaves and Fishes

Giovanni Lanfranco. Miracle of the Bread and Fish. 1620-23. Dublin.
The Gospel reading for the 4th Sunday of Lent*, in the Tridentine mass, is the same as, that, for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time†, year B. The only difference -- is the older mass prefaces the Gospel with: At that time, In illo tempore. And this is germane, for every mass, it presages the Eucharistic miracle‡, which is celebrated in every mass.

After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to try him; for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him: Two hundred pennyworth§ of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him: There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves, and two fishes; but what are these among so many? Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves: and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would. And when they were filled, he said to his disciples: Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. They gathered up therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten. Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the prophet, that is to come into the world. Jesus therefore, when he knew that they would come to take him by force, and make him king, fled again into the mountain himself alone.―John vi. 1-15. DRC

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* 22 March 2009
† 7 July 2009
‡ [forgive me this indulgence, dear reader] There is a rubbish, protestant (desanctifying) argument, often repeated in sermons and pop psychology, promulgated by William Barclay*1907,†1978. I have heard two priests quote Barclay: one perhaps unknowingly on this; the other directly on something else. I was, somewhat, shocked, at the latter, for he being extremely, political (privately) in the fanatical, radio, Republican manner, and thusly -- myopic and naïve in regards to politic and actual reality, whilst generally, liturgically being conservative; it seemed incongruous, that, he uses protestant exemplars, at times, and all positively. This is not a journal of a protestant Republican.
§ Ducentorum denariorum

Saint Patrick

from a window of the new Cathedral Church of Saint Patrick in Armagh.

Patrick is instantly identifiable from several items. He is almost always dressed as a mitered bishop with a crosier or shepherd staff. Since the last century, he is often in green vestments. He is sometimes holding a three leaf clover, the shamrock which he used to teach of the Triune God, the Three in One God. Sometimes a green clad bishop is not Patrick. It may be Malachy, or Mel, or another. There is a church of St. Mel in Cleveland, that has a statue of such a one, but he holds a living fish. This is immensely amusing, the fish points to a story of Mel, and it separates the depiction from the generic irish bishop.

Sometimes he is either trampling serpents, or shooing them away, sometimes with a bell. Now, this picturesque tale has caused confusion. Ireland is an island distant from a continent, such places are naturally without snakes. Some people if they know or believe of nothing else, about Patrick, know and believe, that, Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. The snakes are a metaphor of the pagan druids, whom, he challenged and defeated.

Patrick’s just celebrity is cause of the world’s note, because of his legacy. He found a land of pagan barbarity, and left a fertile Catholic land. Centuries later of foreign occupation, oppression and bigotry, and the faith remained secure. Soon christian missionaries left the island to evangelise other lands, and their are still catholic, irish missionaries flung about the globe.

Sacrifice of Isaac

Filippo Brunelleschi. Sacrifice of Isaac[detail]. 1401. Florence.

Now, in the Second Sunday of Lent, in the Tridentine rite, and all three years of the vernacular, the Gospel is the Transfiguration, the same as on 6 August. This is year B, the Gospel of Mark is used; in year B, the Sacrifice of Isaac is also read [in a shortened form]. Two foretellings of Jesus’ rôle are presented.

Brunelleschi’s gilded panel, was a test piece, for the commission, of the bronze doors, of the Baptistery of Florence’s cathedral. He lost to Lorenzo Ghiberti, whose work would use less bronze. Brunelleschi has Abraham’s left hand on Isaac’s neck, Abraham’s right hand holds a knife. The angel grabs Abraham’s right arm and ends Abraham’s test. It is Isaac, who prefigures Jesus, the perfect Sacrifice. The drama is within a triangle of heads and the grasping of three hands.

After these things, God tempted Abraham, and said to him: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am. He said to him: Take thy only* begotten son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of vision†: and there thou shalt offer him for a holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will shew thee. So Abraham rising up in the night, saddled his ass‡: and took with him two young men, and Isaac his son: and when he had cut wood for the holocaust he went his way to the place which God had commanded him. And on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place afar off. And he said to his young men: Stay you here with the ass: I and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped, will return to you. And he took the wood for the holocaust, and laid it upon Isaac his son: and he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as they two went on together, Isaac said to his father: My father. And he answered: What wilt thou, son? Behold, saith he, fire and wood: where is the victim for the holocaust? And Abraham said: God will provide himself a victim for an holocaust, my son. So they went on together. And they came to the place which God had shewn him, where he built an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it: and when he had bound Isaac his son, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood. And he put forth his hand and took the sword, to sacrifice his son. And behold an angel of the Lord from heaven called to him, saying: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am. And he said to him: Lay not thy hand upon the boy, neither do thou any thing to him: now I know that thou fearest God, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake. Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw behind his back a ram amongst the briers sticking fast by the horns, which he took and offered for a holocaust instead of his son. And he called the name of that place, The Lord seeth. Whereupon even to this day it is said: In the mountain the Lord will see. And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying: By my own self have I sworn, saith the Lord: because thou hast done this thing, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake: I will bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the sea shore: thy seed shall possess the gates of their enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. ― Genesis xxii.1-18. DRC

Now, of all the Bible stories, this one children do not like. This makes all children nervous. Some stories make, particular, children nervous, e.g. when people call out for the death of Jeremias. A child with that name, or a derivative thereof, is not at ease.

But, here as elsewhere, we see the Lord call out to a man, and the response, ‘Here I am.’ That is the response, that one, who hears and does the Lord’s will, gives.
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*there was also Ismaël by Agar earlier, both who were cast off, and later:

And Abraham married another wife, named Cetura: Who bore him Zamran, and Jecsan, and Madan, and Madian, and Jesboc, and Sue. ― Genesis xxv.1-2. DRC

†Moriah, in some versions
‡yes, that is the correct word, donkey is a bowdlerisation

Quadragesima -- Forty Days

Ivan Nikolaević Kramskoj. Christ in the desert. 1872. Moscow.

Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Who answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple, And said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said to him: It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, And said to him: All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me. Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil left him; and behold angels came and ministered to him. ― Matthew iv. 1-11. DRC

To-day is the first Sunday in Lent.* The Gospel reading in the old roman rite, and in year A, of the cycle is supra. In the other years, the corresponding passages are from Mark and Luke. Jesus is in the desert alone, and has prepared His Soul for His mission ahead. He is weary and hungry. He will soon meet the devil.

Ivan Nikolaević Kramskoj *1837,†1887 was the leader of the Wanderers (Peredvižniki), a group of realist painters (conferre: the Barbizon), whom, were artists of the people, and not of the academy. Before entry to Saint Petersburg, he had been apprenticed to an iconographer, and then to a photographer. Kramskoj became, primarily, a limner of poets, philosophers and peasants. His brush was not dipped in too, many colors. This portrait of Christ Jesus was THE painting of the second travelling exhibition. The light of the sun is as a nimbus about Jesus, as He broods, in desolation. Many were impressed with the intense, moral gravity, some were upset with Jesus the Serf, and wanted Jesus the Pantocrator. Tolstoj saw the painting and approved, and later consented to sit for a portrait. As Tolstoj was, then, writing Anna Karenina, Kramskoj, became the character, Mikhajlov. Kramskoj died whilst painting another portrait.
Kramskoj spoke and wrote of this painting:

“I suddenly stumbled upon him, just like that at daybreak; just like that he sat there, the hands clasped together, with bowed head, his mouth almost faded away from long remaining silent. He did not notice me...Nothing in the painting is contrived. I saw everything together just like that. By chance the whole scene was exactly the same.”

“At daybreak he [Jesus] sits tired, tormented, and careworn amongst the stones, cold stones. His hands are convulsive and pressed together tightly, very tightly; the fingers press into the flesh, the feet are sore, the head bowed. He has been deep in thought and has been praying for a long time ...”

“During work on the painting, I mused, prayed, and suffered a great deal ...”

“I have perhaps committed sacrilege, but I couldn’t help but paint him. I couldn’t, if you like, not do it. I can say that I painted him with blood and tears.”

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* in the greek, and other eastern, rite(s), to-day is the First Sunday of the Great Fast, Sunday of Orthodoxy and the Feast of the Return of the Icons; for the separated, our orthodox brothers, it is next week.

Saint Valentine

Valens was the name of one, and Valentinian was the name of three roman emperors. A root word, valere, is latin for: to be strong, the adjective, valentissimus. It was a popular source of names in the late western empire. There were three saints Valentine martyred on 14 February. The one noted for to-day may have been he, that was beheaded, on the Via Flaminia, on 14 February 270?, when Claudius the Goth reigned. He has been demoted since 1969, that is not a denial, but an admission, that, his story is now scarce, and because of scarcity, may be oddly used and abused.

The associations we now have with the day came in the time of Chaucer*, the late 14th century, and it lingered on in english culture and literature. Shakespeare has Ophelia sing in Hamlet IV.v. 48-51:

To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.

But in the thoroughly, orthodox tradition, eroticism has nothing to do with Valentine. Valentine is not Eros or Cupid. The love of Valentine† was agape. The same love of Christ, that, Christ had for man, and mankind; the love we are enjoined to have for each other. It is a fine, and of course, valiant name...why, my own father’s father was a Valentin.

Since writing this, I have attended mass to-day. The priest, before mass, said he would like to be the first to wish us a Happy Cyril & Methodius Day, and went on to say the calendar has changed, and the day is primarily commemorated to the two brothers, that evangelised the slavs. He went on to mention, that, the last pope (who wrote an encyclical epistle, Slavorum Apostoli, in 1985), and the current have wanted the unification of the east and west, and this is a fitting prayer on this day.

I have seen the BBC write on to-day, yesterday, that Valentine is not the right patron for the heart lonely, but Saint Raphaël. The archangel Raphaël brought Sarah and Tobias together. There was an error to their writing, what they referred to ‘as legend’ is Scripture.
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* For this was on seynt Valentynes day,
Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make,
― lines 309-10. The Parliament of Fowles c.1380.

Septuagesima

To-day is Septuagesima* Sunday, in the ante-Vatican II roman calendar. The weeks of Epiphany are over. In mass, the Gloria† is not sung. Alleuia†, also awaits the Easter Vigil. Now, we have a movable calendar, in this regard, and the mass readings for the extra Sundays of Epiphany are used for the supplementary masses, after Pentecost, before Advent. This gets complicated, a bit. The readings for the 24th Sunday after Pentecost are always the last before Advent. The 22nd Sunday is always read. If there is less than 24, the 24th is read on the 23rd Sunday and those for the 23rd are read on the Saturday, prior. Now, when there are extra Sundays, the readings for the last Sundays of Epiphany are read, in reverse order, from the last Sunday of Pentecost, until the 23rd. The first supplemental mass has the readings of the 6th Sunday of Epiphany ... the fourth supplemental mass has the readings of the 3rd Sunday of Epiphany. A calendraic year has 52 full weeks and one or two days; so a year may have either 52 or 53 Sundays. Either the 1st of January, or Christmas can fall on Sunday. I am not certain, whether, a year can repeat the same set of Sunday readings; I would think not. The three year vernacular cycle avoids this by having an, interrupted, Ordinary Time, in place of epiphanical, pentecostal time, and three Sundays of pre-Lent.

Now, all movable dates are fixed on the date of Resurrection Sunday, the Paschal feast. Quadragesima is a period of forty days used for fasting and preparation. The term was used at Nicæa (325). Quadragesima Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent. Quinquagesima is the Sunday prior to Lent. Sexagesima is two Sudays prior. Quinquagesima is fifty days, Sexagesima is approximately sixty days, Septuagesima is approximately seventy days before Easter, and in part is to remind us to the years of Babylonian exile, as Quadragesima the forty years in the desert, and the forty days Jesus was in the desert.
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*Septuagesima is fun to say.
†Quómodo cantábimus cánticum Dómini in terra aliéna ?
How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? ― Ps. 136. 4 DRC
There had been an occasional celebration, where in, the day prior to Septuagesima, the choir would take an Alleluia banner through the church and deposit it to rest. Alleluia, dulce carmen was sung.

Nagasaki Martyrs

Twenty-six men and boys were martyred, on account of the christian faith, in a spectacular fashion, in Nagasaki on the 5th of February 1597. Most were japanese, but there were spaniards, a mexican and an asian indian. Nagasaki is, and has been, the center of christianity in Japan. Nagasaki has become inseparable from martyrdom. It is the entrance gate of christianity.

In the generation after Francis Xavier, christianity became a significant factor in the country. Many converts were made, the feudal aristocrats often had their populace convert. There was fervor and zeal in the new faith, but not without bad behavior and impolitic action.

The shogun, and the power behind the emperor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi turned against christianity. Several reasons gave him cause: the destruction of buddhist and shinto art and architecture, which was japanese cultural patrimony, criminal behavior of certain christian merchants, possible imperial desires of Spain and other europeans, the dissension between spainards and portuguese, the franciscans and the jesuits, and the greater dissension between these former and the dutch and english heretics, and in contradiction, a possible christian hegemony. Hideyoshi was a champion commander, and there had been generations of internecine war; he wanted a centralisation of power in his own hands. With the buddhist monks, the bonzes, also having political, military and economic power, which, had become, weakened; he did not want a greater threat in the christians. In Hideyoshi’s childhood there were no christians (catholics), now there were, perhaps many more than, 300,000.

These early japanese christians were romanced with the Cross. They were evangelised with the Passion, and knew well of the early martyrs, and the rewards of heaven. With understanding of buddhist resignation and samurai honor and toughness, they had a stoic appreciation. Cruel irony found crucifixion (haritsuke) a novel and effectively, vicious form of torture and execution. They were to be paraded from Kyoto (literally, the capital then), after mutilation and constant abuse, over a thousand kilometers to their deaths. They were to be tied to a cross and speared by lances. If they renounced christianity, they would live. All the countryside would know of their degradation and fate. Yet, this did not end the faith in Japan. These martyrs engaged their deaths so bravely, that, they caused others to be ardently steadfast.

One of the martyrs, Paul Miki had been a jesuit for eleven years. He was an enthusiastic preacher, but not yet ordained. He exhorted crowds along the way and on the cross. Hideyoshi, as the english, feared and hated the jesuits. Miki made the appeal, that, the accusations against him (and the others) were false. They had no ulterior motives, they were merely faithful christians, and he, Miki, was not a foreign agent from the Philippines, but a nipponese as they were. His and all their deaths were unflinching and unwavering. This did not end christianity. It would be along time before the first man would either betray, or, disgrace himself and, the faith under pressure.

These martyrs are not well known in english speaking america, but in latin america, where there was contemporaneous evangelisation, and where one was born, their story, and their images were known. In 1862 they were placed on the universal calendar, first as Sts. Peter Baptist and Twenty-Five Companions on the 5th of February, and later as Sts. Paul Miki and his Companions on the 6th.

Nagasaki remained a center of both the faith and of martyrdom throughout the centuries. The last spectacular execution of innocents occurred on the 9th of August 1945. One dirty atomic bomb detonated over the cathedral, its radiation is still killing, far beyond the initial incineration. There is a memorial building, attached to a church dedicated to St. Philip of Jesus, the martyr from Mexico, and the first to die. It commemorates the 100th year of the canonisations. On the outside of the building there is a bronze, by Angelico Funakoshi, of the 26 in line. There is a Peace Park in Nagasaki to beg for the end of nuclear terror.