In some places the crosses were covered on Ash Wednesday; in others on the first Sunday of Lent. In England it was customary on the first Monday of Lent to cover up all the crucifixes, images of every kind, the reliquaries, and even the cup with the Blessed Sacrament. The cloths used were of white linen or silk and marked with a red cross (Rock, infra, IV, 258). The two beautiful hymns of the season, "Vexilla Regis" and "Pange lingua gloriosi", are the work of Venantius Fortunatus, Bishop of Poitiers. On the Friday of Passion Week the Church very appropriately honours the Seven Dolours of Our Lady. On Saturday the Greeks commemorate the resuscitation of Lazarus.
The two weeks between Passion Sunday and Easter. The last week is Holy Week, while the first is called by the Latins "Hebdomas Passionis", by the Greeks "Week of the palms" (from the Sunday following). During this time the monks of the East, who had chosen the desert for a severer mode of life, returned to their monasteries (Cyril of Scythopolis in "Life of St. Euthymius", n. 11). The rubrical prescriptions of the Roman Missal, Breviary, and "Caeremoniale Episcoporum" for this time are: before Vespers of Saturday preceding Passion Sunday the crosses, statues, and pictures of Our Lord and of the saints on the altar and throughout the church, with the sole exception of the crosses and pictures of the Way of the Cross, are to be covered with a violet veil, not translucent, nor in any way ornamented. The crosses remain covered until after the solemn denudation of the principal crucifix on Good Friday. The statues and pictures retain their covering, no matter what feast may occur, until the Gloria in Excelsis of Holy Saturday. According to an answer of the S. R. C. of 14 May, 1878, the practice may be tolerated of keeping the statue of St. Joseph, if outside the sanctuary, uncovered during the month of March, which is dedicated to his honour, even during Passiontide. In the Masses de tempore the Psalm Judica is not said; the Gloria Patri is omitted at the Asperges, the Introit, and the Lavabo; only two orations are recited and the Preface is of the Holy Cross. In the Dominical and ferial offices of the Breviary the doxology is omitted in the Invitatorium and in the responses, whether long or short. The crosses are veiled because Christ during this time no longer walked openly among the people, but hid himself. Hence in the papal chapel the veiling formerly took place at the words of the Gospel: "Jesus autem abscondebat se." Another reason is added by Durandus, namely that Christ's divinity was hidden when he arrived at the time of His suffering and death. The images of the saints also are covered because it would seem improper for the servants to appear when the Master himself is hidden (Nilles, "Kal.", II, 188).
In some places the crosses were covered on Ash Wednesday; in others on the first Sunday of Lent. In England it was customary on the first Monday of Lent to cover up all the crucifixes, images of every kind, the reliquaries, and even the cup with the Blessed Sacrament. The cloths used were of white linen or silk and marked with a red cross (Rock, infra, IV, 258). The two beautiful hymns of the season, "Vexilla Regis" and "Pange lingua gloriosi", are the work of Venantius Fortunatus, Bishop of Poitiers. On the Friday of Passion Week the Church very appropriately honours the Seven Dolours of Our Lady. On Saturday the Greeks commemorate the resuscitation of Lazarus. At that time: Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles, which he did on them that were diseased. Sermon by St. Augustine the Bishop The miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ were verily divine works, and they stir up the mind of man to rise by a perception of what is seen by the eye unto an apprehension of God himself. For God is of such substance as eye cannot see, and the many miracles which he doth work in his continual rule of the whole universe, and in his providential care of everything which he hath made, are by use become so common that scarce anyone permitteth himself to perceive the same, as for example, what wondrous and amazing works of God there be in every grain of seed. Wherefore his mercy hath constrained him to keep some works to be done only at some convenient time, as it were, out of the common course and order of nature, to the intent that men may see them and wonder, not because they be greater, but because they be rarer, than those which they so lightly esteem by reason of their daily occurrence. For to govern the whole universe is surely a greater miracle than to satisfy five thousand men with five loaves of bread. At the former works no man doth marvel, yet at the feeding of the five thousand, all men do marvel, not because it is a greater miracle than the other, but because it is a rarer one. For who is he that now feedeth the whole world? Is it not the same who, from a little grain that is sown, maketh the fulness of the harvest? God worketh in both cases in one and the same manner. He that of the sowing maketh to come the harvest, is the same that took in his hands the five barley loaves, and of them made bread to feed five thousand men. For the hands of Christ have power to do both the one and the other. He that multiplieth the grains of corn is the same that multiplied the loaves, save only that in this latter case he committed them not unto the earth whereof he is himself the Maker. Therefore this miracle is done outwardly before us, that our souls inwardly may thereby be quickened. The same is shewn to our eyes to furnish food for thought. Thus by means of those of his works which are seen, we may come to feel awe toward him that cannot be seen. Perchance we may thereby be roused up to believe, and if we attain unto belief, we shall be purified to such good purpose that we shall begin to long to see him. Wherefore, in such wise, through the things which are seen, we may come to know him that cannot be seen. Yet it sufficeth not if we perceive only this one meaning in Christ's miracles. Rather let us ask of the miracles themselves what they have to tell us concerning Christ; for in all truth they speak with a tongue of their own, if only we have good will to understand the same. For Christ is the Word of God, and each and every work of the Word speaketh a word unto us. Holy Communion “Jesus took the loaves and when He had given thanks, distributed them” (John, 6:11) The wonderful miracle related in today’s Gospel illustrates the sympathy of Our Blessed Lord toward those in need of bodily nourishment. But it was also intended by Our Saviour to be a symbol of the far greater miracle He was planning soon to work for the nourishment of men’s souls, by giving them His own body and blood in the Blessed Sacrament. Indeed, it was on the day following the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves that Our Saviour first spoke of the Holy Eucharist, making the sublime promise, “The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John, 6:52). The miracle of the multiplication of food through the divine power of Our Blessed Saviour is related only twice in the Gospel. But the miracle whereby His priest, in His name, changes bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood takes place thousands of times every day in all parts of the world. Those who benefited by the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves were only a few thousand persons; but since the establishment of the Catholic Church millions upon millions of Our Lord’s followers have received spiritual nourishment through Holy Communion. It is a sad commentary on the faith and fervour of any Catholic if he allows months and even years to pass by without receiving Holy Communion. He would not deprive his body of the food he needs to maintain his strength; but he does not hesitate to deprive his soul of the spiritual nourishment it can receive so abundantly from partaking of the divine food of Our Lord’s body and blood. He may go to Mass regularly, but he does not seem to realise that the full participation in the Holy Sacrifice calls for the faithful to join with the Priest in partaking of the Victim of the Sacrifice. If a Catholic does not receive Holy Communion at least once a year, in the Easter Season, he is living in mortal sin. Even if he fulfils this minimum requirement, he will find it very difficult to avoid grave sin when he approaches the altar railing only once a year. Every practical Catholic will receive Holy Communion at least once a month. Practical Application If you had been one of the multitude who had benefited by the miracle related in today’s Gospel you would surely have felt highly favoured. But you have a greater privilege in the opportunity to partake of Our Lord’s own body and blood. Why not make the intention to receive Holy Communion at least every Sunday from now to Easter? At that time: Jesus was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spoke; and the people wondered. Sermon by St. Venerable Bede the Priest Matthew saith that the devil, by which this poor creature was possessed, was not only dumb, but also blind; and that, when the possessed was healed by the Lord, he both saw and spoke. Three miracles, therefore, were performed on this one man; the blind saw, the dumb spoke, and the possessed was freed from the devil. This mighty work was then done in the flesh, but is now fulfilled spiritually every time men are converted and become believers. For from them the devil is cast out, and their eyes are given to see the light of the Faith, and their lips, which before were dumb, are opened that their mouth may show forth the praise of God. But some of them said: He casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. It was not some of the multitude that uttered this slander, but Pharisees and scribes, as we are told by the other Evangelists. The multitude, which was made up of such as had little instruction, was filled with wonder at the works of the Lord. But the Pharisees and scribes, on the other hand, denied the facts when they could; and when they could not, they twisted them by an evil interpretation, and asserted that the works of God were the works of an unclean spirit. And Matthew saith: Others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. It would seem that they desired him to do some such thing as Elias did, who called down fire from heaven; or like as Samuel, who caused thunder to roll, and lightning to flash, and rain to fall at midsummer: as though they could not have explained away these signs also, as being the natural result of some unusual, albeit hitherto unremarked, state of the atmosphere. O thou who stubbornly deniest that which thine eye seeth, thine hand holdeth, and thy sense perceiveth, what wilt thou say to a sign from heaven? Verily, thou wilt say that divers signs from heaven were once also wrought even by the sorcerers in Egypt. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and an house divided against an house falleth. Thus did he make answer, not to their words, but to their thoughts, in hopes that they might at least believe in the power of him who seeth the secrets of the heart. But if every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, it followeth that the kingdom of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, which same is to abide in everlasting stedfastness, is not a divided kingdom. Wherefore we hold, without fear of contradiction, that it never can be brought to desolation by any shock whatsoever. But, saith the Lord, if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub. In saying this, he sought to draw from their own mouth a confession that they had chosen for themselves to be part of that devil's kingdom which, if it be divided against itself, cannot stand. Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness. For you were theretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light. For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice and truth: Third Sunday of Lent - Also called the Sunday of scrutinies – We have the examination of the neophytes on this coming Wednesday - Station at St. Laurence outside the walls - thus there are references to calls in distress as at Introit and even the Collect. We must benefit from these dispositions that are put forward - Examine how we have been keeping Lent, are we followers of God as St. Paul commands us to be in the Epistle - or are of the children of unbelief. These questions are raised by the liturgy for the benefit of those about to examined prior to baptism at Easter. Do they conform to Christ or not? Also for our benefit, for the liturgy is the preparation for the new life with the saints in heaven where we shall partake of the eternal Liturgy of Praise and Thanksgiving. St. Laurence fought the good fight, he finished his course he kept the Faith. Shall we too be Faithful to the end? Are we with Christ of Against him? He who gathereth not with me scattereth, as we see today in the Gospel. Are we really all for God? Does God have a place in our lives? We read in the Psalms, “God looked down from heaven on the children of men to see if there were ant that sought him, and there were none.” St. Laurence loved God even to the loss of his life, he saw what the true treasures of the Church were, not the precious vessels nor the beautiful vestments, but the poor to whom Our Lord Jesus Christ came to preach the Gospel. So now that Lent is almost half way complete let us examine how well we conform to Christ, let us scrutinize our resolutions, and see how faithful we have been to our resolve. But beware if we think we do well, because we have the Faith and are by all appearance a follower of Our Lord. For the disciples were followers of Our Lord, and they wanted people to know it, as we see in the corresponding chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel “ As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee. But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” No, let us be humble, and imitate the most Blessed Virgin, who was not blessed merely by the fact of being Our Lord’s Mother but for the fact of being faithful to the end, “If you love me keep my Commandments” Love is shown not only in word but in deeds, as St. James tells us. “ But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” Let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Martyrs for the strength to be faithful in our small resolutions, that we may be found faithful, if God should he ask of us of great things. At that time: Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them. Sermon by St. Leo the Pope Jesus took Peter, and James, and John his brother, and brought them up into an exceeding high mountain apart, and manifested forth the brightness of his glory. Hitherto, though they understood that there was in him the Majesty of God, they knew not the power of that Body which veiled the Godhead. And therefore he had individually and markedly promised to some of the disciples that had stood by him that they should not taste of death till they had seen the Son of man coming in his kingdom, that is, in the kingly splendour, which is the right of the Manhood taken into God, and which he willed to make visible to those three men. This it was that they saw, for the unspeakable and unapproachable vision of the Godhead himself which will be the everlasting life of the pure in heart, can no man, who is still burdened with a dying body, see and live. When the Father saith: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him―did they not plainly hear him say―This is my Son, whose it is to be of me and with me without all time? For neither is he that begetteth, before him that is begotten, neither he that is begotten, after him that begetteth him. This is my Son, between whom and me, to be God is not a point of difference; to be Almighty, a point of separation; not to be Eternal, a point of distinction. This is my Son―not by adoption, but my very own; not created from, or of another substance, or out of nothing, but begotten of me; not of another nature, and made like unto me, but of mine own Being, born of me, equal unto me. This is my Son, by whom all things were made, and without whom was not anything made that was made, who maketh likewise all things whatsoeveer I make: and what things soever I do he doeth likewise, inseparably and indifferently. This is my Son, who thought it not robbery, nor hath taken it by violence, to be equal with me, but, abiding still in the form of my glory, that he may fulfil our common decree for the restoration of mankind, hath bowed the unchangeable Godhead even to the form of a servant. Him therefore in whom I am in all things well pleased, by whose preaching I am manifested, and by whose lowliness I am glorified, him instantly hear ye. For he is the Truth and the Life, my Power and my Wisdom. The State of Grace “Lord it is good for us to be here” (Matt., 17:4) Our Divine Saviour manifested His great love for His disciples when He allowed three of them to gaze on His glorified humanity for a brief time. The beauty of the vision was so enthralling that Peter, thinking that the glorious sight was to continue, pleaded to be allowed to remain on Mount Thabor forever with his Master and the two Old Testament Prophets, Moses and Elias. Soon, however, the favoured disciples realised that this glorification of Our Lord was something transitory, and that before He was to be glorified permanently He must endure the sorrows of the Passion. Beautiful as was the body of Christ when “His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as snow,” it was immeasurably less beautiful than a soul in the state of sanctifying grace. For sanctifying grace is a participation of the divine nature itself, and the divine nature is infinitely more glorious and beautiful than even the humanity of Christ. The soul in possession of sanctifying grace is the temple of God Himself. If a person in the state of sanctifying grace could perceive the glory that resides in his own soul, he would cry out, “Lord, it is good for me to be with Thee. Let me remain ever united to Thee.” And to the soul in sanctifying grace God the Father says, “This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased.” Catholics who have little concern for possessing the state of grace and lightly reject it by committing mortal sin prove that their faith is very weak. If they realised what a great privilege it is to share in the beauty and majesty of God Himself and to be temples of the Holy Ghost, they would regard mortal sin as the worst possible evil and make every effort to avoid losing the state of grace. Above all, they would have frequent recourse to the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, the most effective means of preserving and increasing the life of sanctifying grace in the soul. Another necessary means to this end is to avoid the near occasions of mortal sin. Practical Application Ask yourself if you are convinced that it is the most precious privilege you could enjoy to be in the state of grace. Do you make use of the means of preserving it by avoiding the near occasions of mortal sin and by frequently receiving the sacraments? If you have the misfortune to lose sanctifying grace, do you have immediate recourse to the sacrament of Penance? If you do thank God and say “Lord it is good for me to be here” At that time: Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards hungry. Sermon by St. Gregory the Pope Some are wont to question as to what spirit it was of which Jesus was led up into the wilderness, on account of the words a little farther on: Then the devil taketh him up into the holy City. And again: The devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain. But verily, and without question, we must take this passage to mean that it was the Holy Spirit who led him up into the wilderness. His own Spirit led him where the evil spirit might find him to tempt him. But behold, when it is said that the God-Man was taken up by the devil either into an exceeding high mountain, or into the holy City, the mind shrinketh from believing, and the ears of man shudder at hearing it. Yet these things are not incredible, when we consider certain other things concerning him. Verily, the devil is the head of all the wicked, and every wicked man is a member of the body of wickedness, of which the devil is the head. Was not Pilate a limb of Satan? Were not the Jews that persecuted Christ, and the soldiers that crucified him, likewise limbs of Satan? Is it then strange that he should allow himself to be led up into a mountain by the head, when he allowed himself to be crucified by the members thereof? Wherefore it is not unworthy of our Redeemer, who came to be slain, that he was willing to be tempted. Rather, it was meet that he should overcome our temptations by his own temptations, even as he came to conquer our death by his own death. But we ought to keep in mind that temptation beareth us onward by three steps. There is, first, the suggestion; then the delectation; lastly, the consent. When we are tempted, we oft-times give way to delectation, and even to consent, because in the sinful flesh of which we are begotten, we carry in ourselves matter to favour the attack of sin. But God, when he took flesh in the womb of the Virgin, and came into the world without sin, did so without having in himself anything of this contradiction. It was possible therefore for him to be tempted in the first stage, namely suggestion; but delectation could find nothing in his soul wherein to fix its teeth. Wherefore all the temptation which he endured from the devil was without, for none was within him. Sin, The Worst Evil“ All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matt., 4:9) Temptations to sin can come from three sources, the world, the flesh and the devil.Our Lord could be tempted only externally, and only by the world and the devil.These tempters could exert their influence on Him only from outside; they could not affect His mind and His will. Nevertheless, He allowed such external temptation to molest Him in order to teach us how we should act in time of temptation. Like Him,we must resist the first impulse to sin when it makes itself felt in our soul. It is only when we act in this manner that we can hope to escape the worst evil that can befall us in life, sin. From time to time we should remind ourselves that life is a battle between good and evil and that if we wish to avoid sin we must fight courageously. No misfortune that can come into our lives is as great an evil as mortal sin.Sickness, loss of fortune, disgrace in the eyes of our fellow men, even death cannot compare to the dreadful catastrophe of defiling our souls by even one mortal sin.We must be imbued with the spirit of Christian faith to appreciate this truth.People of the world will lightly commit mortal sin day after day, and apparently not be troubled. No Catholic who accepts the teaching of his Church can regard sin as anything except a terrible tragedy. The momentary pleasure or gratification that sin gives bears no comparison to the ruin of soul and the rejection of sanctifying grace that result from sin. Mortal sin is truly the death of the soul, for it means that the life of grace has been deliberately cast out. One who sins mortally subjects himself to the power of the evil spirit. He has cast God from his soul and accepted Satan as his master. He has yielded to the persuasion of the devil repeating the promise which he made to Christ nineteen centuries ago,“All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” He has refused to imitate Our Lord, whose reply to temptation was, “Begone, Satan.” Practical Application One of the objectives of Lent is to urge Catholics to purify their souls of sin. Today, at the beginning of this holy season, ask yourself if your soul is in mortal sin or in sanctifying grace. If you are aware that you have yielded to temptation and driven God's grace from your soul, resolve to go to confession as soon as possible.We have already begun the period for the fulfilment of the Easter duty, the annual holy communion. http://www.archbishoplefebvre.com/uploads/1/0/3/2/10321570/1st_sunday_lent.pdf At that time: Jesus said unto his disciples: When ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance. Sermon by St. Augustine the Bishop From these precepts it is evident that our every action should be directed towards the attainment of an interior life, which alone giveth true happiness. For if contrariwise we seek our reward in outward things, we shall be conformed to the fashion of this world, and thus forfeit God's promise of happiness, to wit, that we shall be conformed to the image of his Son. Such happiness, inasmuch as it concerneth inward things, is all the more certain and enduring. Howbeit, the special teaching of this passage is this: That vainglory can come forth, not only from worldly elegance and human pretensions, but even from a condition of sad countenance and dirty disfigurement. Furthermore, the latter kind of vainglory is the more dangerous, in that it deceiveth under the pretence of an humble service of God. On the one hand, whosoever sheweth unbridled indulgence, whether in bodily comforts and dress, or in other forms of elegance, thereby standeth manifestly convicted as a follower of the pomps of this world. Nor doth such an one, by his pretence of godliness, deceive anybody. On the other hand, whosoever from choice, and not of necessity, professeth Christianity in such wise as to draw attention unto himself by reason of his seeming humility, or his particular disregard for outward things, this man is to be judged from the fashion of his other behaviour, as to whether therein he sheweth a desire for mortification, or rather for vainglory. For the Lord biddeth us beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. Rather, as he saith, by their fruits shall ye know them. Now here is the test of the seeming godliness of such folk. When some adversity bringeth upon them the loss of the advantages which they had gained, or sought to gain, by their profession of godliness, then it must needs appear whether they be wolves in sheep's clothing, or sheep in their own. Nevertheless, a Christian should not seek to tickle the fancy of other folk by a parade of elegance, on the plea that hypocrites do seek to beguile the unwary by a display of frugality. For sheep should not lay aside their own clothing because wolves do sometimes falsely assume the same. Let us pray. Grant, O Lord, unto thy faithful people, that they may both piously undertake the venerable solemnities of the Fast, and persevere in the same with unfailing devotion. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R. Amen. |
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