Saint Cyprian of Carthage on the Lord's Prayer

Patristic commentaries on the Lord's Prayer were some of my favorite readings during my patrology course last year. St. Cyprian, who is commemorated today with fellow martyr Pope St. Cornelius, was not the first to compose such a commentary but his has been one of the most influential. Here are some selections from the work:

Before all things, the Teacher of peace and the Master of unity would not have prayer made singly and individually, as for one who prays to pray for himself alone. For we do not say “My Father, which art in heaven,” nor “Give me this day my daily bread;” nor does each ask that only his own debt should be forgiven; nor does he request for himself alone that he may not be led into temptation and delivered from evil. Our prayer is public and common, and when we pray, we pray not for one, but for the whole people, because we the whole people are one. The God of peace and the Teacher of concord, who taught unity, willed that one should thus pray for all, even as He Himself bore us all in one.

But what matters of great import are contained in the Lord’s prayer! How many and how great, briefly collected in the words, but spiritually abundant in virtue so that there is absolutely nothing passed over that is not encompassed in these prayers and petitions, as in a compendium of heavenly doctrine. “Pray ye thus,” He says: "Our Father, which art in heaven.” The new man, born again and restored to God by His grace, says “Father,” in the first place because he has now begun to be a son. But how great is the Lord’s indulgence and goodness towards us, seeing that He has wished us to pray in such a way as to call God Father, and to call ourselves sons of God, even as Christ is the Son of God,—a name which none of us would dare to venture on in prayer, unless He Himself had allowed us thus to pray! We ought then, beloved brethren, to remember and to know, that when we call God Father, we ought to act as God’s children; so that in the measure in which we find pleasure in considering God as a Father, He might also be able to find pleasure in us.

After this we say, “Hallowed be Thy name;” not that we wish God may be hallowed by our prayers, but that we beg that His name may be hallowed in us. Because He says, “Be ye holy, even as I am holy,” we ask and entreat, that we who were sanctified in baptism may continue as that which we have begun to be. And this we daily pray for; for we have need of daily sanctification, that we who daily fall away may wash out our sins by continual sanctification.

There follows in the prayer, "Thy kingdom come." We ask that the kingdom of God may be set forth to us, even as we also ask that His name may be sanctified in us. For when does God not reign, or when does that which always has been and never ceases to be begin with Him? We pray that our kingdom may come, which was acquired by the blood and passion of Christ; that we who first are His subjects in the world, may hereafter reign with Christ when He reigns, as He Himself promises and says, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the beginning of the world.”

We add, also, and say, “Thy will be done, as in heaven so in earth;” not that God should do what He wills, but that we may be able to do what God wills. For who resists God, that He may not do what He wills? But since we are hindered by the devil from obeying with our thought and deed God’s will, we pray and ask that God’s will may be done in us; and that it may be done in us we have need of God’s good will, that is, of His help and protection, since no one is strong in his own strength, but he is safe by the grace and mercy of God.

As the prayer goes forward, we ask and say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” And this may be understood both spiritually and literally, because either way of understanding it is rich in divine usefulness to our salvation.  For Christ is the bread of life; and this bread does not belong to all men, but it is ours. And just as we say, “Our Father,” because He is the Father of those who believe, so also we call it “our bread,” because Christ is the bread of those who are in union with His body. And therefore we ask that our bread—that is, Christ—may be given to us daily, that we who abide and live in Christ may not depart from His sanctification and body.

After this we also entreat for our sins, saying, “And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.” The Lord calls sins debts, as He says in His Gospel, “I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desired me.” Lest any one should flatter himself that he is innocent, and by exalting himself should more deeply perish, he is taught that he sins daily by being bidden to entreat daily for his sins. Thus, John also in his epistle warns us, and says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” He who taught us to pray for our debts and sins, has promised that His fatherly mercy and pardon shall follow. He has here clearly added the law and bound us by a certain condition, that we should ask that our debts be forgiven us in such a manner as we ourselves forgive our debtors, knowing that that which we seek for our sins cannot be obtained unless we ourselves have acted in a similar way in respect of our debtors. Therefore also He says in another place, “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” And the servant who, after having had all his debt forgiven him by his master, would not forgive his fellow-servant, is cast back into prison; because he would not forgive his fellow-servant, he lost the indulgence that had been shown to himself by his lord. “When ye stand praying,” He says, “forgive if ye have aught against any, that your Father which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive you your trespasses.”

Moreover, the Lord of necessity admonishes us to say in prayer, “And suffer us not to be led into temptation.” In which words it is shown that the adversary can do nothing against us except what God shall have previously permitted; so that all our fear, and devotion, and obedience may be turned towards God, since in our temptations nothing is permitted to evil unless power is given from Him.

After all these things, in the conclusion of the prayer comes a brief clause which briefly and comprehensively sums up all our petitions and our prayers. For we conclude by saying, “But deliver us from evil,” encompassing all adverse things which the enemy attempts against us in this world, from which there may be a faithful and sure protection if God deliver us. For when we say, "Deliver us from evil," there remains nothing further which ought to be asked. When we have once asked for God’s protection against evil, and have obtained it, then against everything which the devil and the world work against us we stand secure and safe. For what fear is there in this life, to the man whose guardian in this life is God?

What wonder is it, beloved brethren, if such is the prayer which God taught, seeing that He condensed in His teaching all our prayer in one saving sentence? For when the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, came unto all, and gathering alike the learned and unlearned, published to every sex and every age the precepts of salvation, He made a large compendium of His precepts, that the memory of the scholars might not be burdened in the celestial learning, but might quickly learn what was necessary to a simple faith.

Cyprian of Carthage (d.258): On the Lord's Prayer (Excerpts)

Saint John Chrysostom on the Cross

Unspeakable is the power of the Cross. For that being actually in the midst of horrors, He should have shown Himself above all horrors; and being in the enemy's hold should have overcome; this comes of Infinite Power. For as in the case of the Three Children, their not entering the furnace would not have been so astonishing, as that having entered in they trampled upon the fire—and in the case of Jonah, it was a greater thing by far, after he had been swallowed by the fish, to suffer no harm from the monster, than if he had not been swallowed at all—so also in regard of Christ; His not dying would not have been so inconceivable, as that having died He should loose the bands of death. Say not then, why did He not help Himself on the Cross? for He was hastening on to close conflict with death himself. He descended not from the Cross, not because He could not, but because He would not. For Him Whom the tyranny of death restrained not, how could the nails of the Cross restrain?

Saint John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians

Saint Leo the Great on the Incarnation

The Solemnity of the Annunciation is observed today, transferred from 25 March because of Good Friday. The second reading of Matins today is from Pope St. Leo the Great. Reading some of his writings for patrology last semester, I gained an appreciation for the style in which he expresses the dogmas of the incarnation and hypostatic union with great clarity within his theological subtlety, an art I am gaining appreciation for as I struggle to write papers and exams on the Trinity this semester. 

Second reading

From a letter by Saint Leo the Great, pope

The mystery of man’s reconciliation with God

Lowliness is assured by majesty, weakness by power, mortality by eternity. To pay the debt of our sinful state, a nature that was incapable of suffering was joined to one that could suffer. Thus, in keeping with the healing that we needed, one and the same mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, was able to die in one nature, and unable to die in the other.

He who is true God was therefore born in the complete and perfect nature of a true man, whole in his own nature, whole in ours. By our nature we mean what the Creator had fashioned in us from the beginning, and took to himself in order to restore it.

For in the Savior there was no trace of what the deceiver introduced and man, being misled, allowed to enter. It does not follow that because he submitted to sharing in our human weakness he therefore shared in our sins.

He took the nature of a servant without stain of sin, enlarging our humanity without diminishing his divinity. He emptied himself; though invisible he made himself visible, though Creator and Lord of all things he chose to be one of us mortal men. Yet this was the condescension of compassion, not the loss of omnipotence. So he who in the nature of God had created man, became in the nature of a servant, man himself.

Thus the Son of God enters this lowly world. He comes down from the throne of heaven, yet does not separate himself from the Father’s glory. He is born in a new condition, by a new birth.

He was born in a new condition, for, invisible in his own nature, he became visible in ours. Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Lord of the universe, he hid his infinite glory and took the nature of a servant. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death.

He who is true God is also true man. There is no falsehood in this unity as long as the lowliness of man and the pre-eminence of God coexist in mutual relationship.

As God does not change by his condescension, so man is not swallowed up by being exalted. Each nature exercises its own activity, in communion with the other. The Word does what is proper to the Word, the flesh fulfills what is proper to the flesh.

One nature is resplendent with miracles, the other falls victim to injuries. As the Word does not lose equality with the Father’s glory, so the flesh does not leave behind the nature of our race.

One and the same person — this must be said over and over again — is truly the Son of God and truly the son of man. He is God in virtue of the fact that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is man in virtue of the fact that the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

Good Annunciation Friday

What does the date of Christmas have to do with Good Friday? Good Friday is the reason that Christmas is observed on December 25.

There are many popular explanations for why Christmas is on December 25. These are mostly modern revisionist attempts to explain away the significance of Christian holy days and generally relate to supposed attempts to suppress or appropriate earlier pagan practices. For example, Christmas was supposedly meant to replace Saturnalia, but this Roman bacchanal began on December 17 and never extended later than December 23. Another popular myth propagated by Bill Maher in his "mockumentary" Religulous is that attempts to suppress the cult of Sol Invictus was the reason for fixing the date, but this is hard to believe because the cult of Sol Invictus dates from the late third century, well after Christmas was fixed, and Sol Invictus was on the day of the solstice, which is not December 25.

The reason for Christmas on December 25 is the date of Easter. Methods used to calculate the date of Easter in the early Church varied; some continued to observe 14 Nisan as the date of Easter based on the Jewish Passover feast whether or not it fell on a Sunday; in parts of the west such as Gaul, the date of Easter was fixed on March 27, a practice that continued right up to the 6th century, and therefore Good Friday was March 25. If you are aware of the temporal cycle of the Church's calendar, you probably know March 25 as the day that the Solemnity of the Annunciation is observed, and this is not by accident; a common belied in the ancient world was that a great man's date of death coincided with that of his birth or conception. The Fathers of the western Church used this common belief when they established March 25 as the date of commemoration for both the conception and death of Jesus.

There was a different method of calculation used in the east, but despite that the dates agree and March 25 and December 25 are also observed in the Byzantine Churches (although the Orthodox retain the Julian Calendar which is now 12 days behind). The reasoning was more theological: it was held that the day of the new creation (Resurrection) corresponded to the date of the first creation, and these also shared the date of the Incarnation. The understanding was that there is an inextricable connection between all the mysteries of salvation, beginning with creation and including all the mysteries of Christ. Therefore it was natural to celebrate the new creation annually with its cardinal mysteries of the Incarnation and Resurrection. (See Ratzinger, Spirit of the Liturgy, 106).

It is obvious that December is nine months after March, but what I learned in Patristics class last semester is that the date of birth was figured from the date of conception, not the other way around as the importance assumed by the second holy day in contemporary public awareness might have led me to assume.

Resurrection and Annunciation, details from opposite doors of the Isenheim Altarpiece, Matthias Grünewald, 1515.

This connection  between the feasts was lost later when the calculation of Easter was standardized for the most part (the calculation long continued to vary, not being fixed by a council until Nicaea in 325, which also explains the ancient Armenian observance of the Nativity and Theophany on 6 January because of a different Easter dating). Another reason the connection is lost is the later change that when 25 March falls within Holy Week, the Solemnity of the Annunciation is transferred to the second Monday of Easter. This preserves it as a separate celebration, which only makes sense if it is seen separately.

The Fathers of the Church intended that the whole mystery of Christ from Incarnation to Pasch be celebrated together and that they be seen as inextricably connected. Although this connection has been lost in all but historical record, the two coincide (at least formally) a few times a century when Easter falls on 27 March*, a unique occasion, especially in this Jubilee of Mercy, to reflect on the unity of history in Christ who makes all things new.

*This actually happened twice recently, 2005 and 2016, and will not recur until year 2157.

Station XIV: The Body of Jesus is Placed in the Tomb

Romans 6:3-5, 8, 10-11

Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. Jesus Carried to the Tomb.

Psalm 16:8-11

I keep the Lord always before me;
    with him at my right hand, I shall never be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices;
    my body also dwells secure,
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    nor let your devout one see the pit.
You will show me the path to life,
    abounding joy in your presence,
    the delights at your right hand forever.

John 12:24-26

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me."

Station XIII: The Body of Jesus is Removed from the Cross

Ezekiel 37:12-14

Thus says the Lord God: Look! I am going to open your graves; I will make you come up out of your graves, my people, and bring you back to the land of Israel. You shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and make you come up out of them, my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may come to life, and I will settle you in your land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have spoken; I will do it—says the Lord.

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. The Descent from the Cross.

Psalm 22:24-27

“You who fear the Lord, give praise!
    All descendants of Jacob, give honor;
    show reverence, all descendants of Israel!
For he has not spurned or disdained
    the misery of this poor wretch,
Did not turn away from me,
    but heard me when I cried out.
I will offer praise in the great assembly;
    my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.
The poor will eat their fill;
    those who seek the Lord will offer praise.
    May your hearts enjoy life forever!”

Matthew 16:25

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Station XII: Jesus Dies on the Cross

Zechariah 12:10

 I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of mercy and supplication, so that when they look on him whom they have thrust through, they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and they will grieve for him as one grieves over a firstborn.

Psalm 142:2-8

With my own voice I cry to the Lord;

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. The Death of Jesus.

    with my own voice I beseech the Lord.
Before him I pour out my complaint,
    tell of my distress in front of him.
When my spirit is faint within me,
    you know my path.
As I go along this path,
    they have hidden a trap for me.
I look to my right hand to see
    that there is no one willing to acknowledge me.
My escape has perished;
    no one cares for me.
I cry out to you, Lord,
    I say, You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.
Listen to my cry for help,
    for I am brought very low.
Rescue me from my pursuers,
    for they are too strong for me.
Lead my soul from prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous shall gather around me
    because you have been good to me.

John 15:12-17

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.

Station XI: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

Lamentations 1:12

Come, all who pass by the way,
    pay attention and see:
Is there any pain like my pain,
    which has been ruthlessly inflicted upon me,
With which the Lord has tormented me
    on the day of his blazing wrath?

Psalm 22:2, 8-9, 12

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
    Why so far from my call for help,
    from my cries of anguish?
All who see me mock me;
    they curl their lips and jeer;
    they shake their heads at me:
“He relied on the Lord—let him deliver him;
    if he loves him, let him rescue him.”
Do not stay far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is no one to help.

Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. The First Nail.

Station X: Jesus is Stripped of His Clothing

Isaiah 53:7-8

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. Jesus Stripped of his Clothing.

Let the wicked forsake their way,
    and sinners their thoughts;
Let them turn to the Lord to find mercy;
    to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    nor are your ways my ways—says Lord.

Psalm 22:17-22

Dogs surround me;
    a pack of evildoers closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and my feet
    I can count all my bones.
They stare at me and gloat;
    they divide my garments among them;
    for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, Lord, do not stay far off;
    my strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my life from the grip of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth,
    my poor life from the horns of wild bulls.

Matthew 20:25-28

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom
for many.”

Station IX: Jesus Falls a Third Time

Isaiah 52:13-15

See, my servant shall prosper,
    he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him—
    so marred were his features,
    beyond that of mortals
    his appearance, beyond that of human beings—
So shall he startle many nations,
    kings shall stand speechless;
For those who have not been told shall see,
    those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Psalm 71:14-16, 19-22

I will always hope in you
    and add to all your praise.
My mouth shall proclaim your just deeds,
    day after day your acts of deliverance,
    though I cannot number them all.
I will speak of the mighty works of the Lord;
    O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
do not forsake me, God,
That I may proclaim your might
    to all generations yet to come,
Your power and justice, God,
    [are] to the highest heaven.
You have done great things;
    O God, who is your equal?
Whatever bitter afflictions you sent me,
    you would turn and revive me.
From the watery depths of the earth
    once more raise me up.
Restore my honor;
    turn and comfort me,
That I may praise you with the lyre
    for your faithfulness, my God,
And sing to you with the harp,
    O Holy One of Israel!

John 10:14-15, 18

"I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”

Saint Joseph, the Just Man

I was assigned to write a post for the Oblate seminarians' blog this week, so I took the opportunity to explain a little of what the Solemnity of St. Joseph means to us.

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of Mary and Patron of the Universal Church. It is an important day for Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and not just because of zeppole and cannoli; St. Joseph is the patron of our Congregation.

In the late 19th century, there was an entire decade when the Oblates had no new vocations. After struggling through tumultuous times during the foundation and early years of the Congregation, the relative political stability following the unification of Italy in 1870 brought little peace. The Church was under attack from the modernist movement that caused many to question the relevance of faith and morals and even reject them outright, and Pope Pius IX responded by naming St. Joseph, the protector of the Holy Family, Patron of the Universal Church in 1870. At the same time, the Oblates of the Virgin Mary also named St. Joseph patron and began asking his intercession for vocations. There was much doubt; after enduring 40 years of struggle and abuse at the hands of political authorities and socially influential figures, was the Oblate mission over? Was God doing something new at a time when it seemed the charism was needed more than ever? Well, St. Joseph came through and the rest is history.

As our Patron, St. Joseph is an important intercessor, but also a model of virtue. He is a man of obedience: he listened to what was spoken to him by God and acted accordingly (Matthew 1:24, 2:14, 2:21). In this St. Joseph is a model especially for us men in formation, when it is crucial to learn to listen to the voice of God in different ways- through spiritual movements, the discernment of superiors, the circumstances of community life- and to freely embrace his will.

I have personally experienced the important role of St. Joseph’s humble obedience in our Congregation’s works of accompaniment in spiritual direction and retreat ministry, both important for many people who are discerning the will of God in their lives. This ministry requires much preparation in spiritual and intellectual formation, which can seem like an endless uphill climb. But St. Joseph was a man of obedience before action. He is the Just Man because he sacrificed to God what was his due- the mind and heart that God has given to men for the custody of others. It is good for me to be reminded that before anything I study, practice, or preach, the only good I can really do for others is what God asks of me in ordinary daily life.

Station VIII: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

Lamentations 4:11-14

The Lord has exhausted his anger,

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. The Daughters of Jerusalem.

    poured out his blazing wrath;
He has kindled a fire in Zion
    that has consumed her foundations.
The kings of the earth did not believe,
    nor any of the world’s inhabitants,
That foe or enemy could enter
    the gates of Jerusalem.
Except for the sins of her prophets
    and the crimes of her priests,
Who poured out in her midst
    the blood of the just.
They staggered blindly in the streets,
    defiled with blood,
So that people could not touch
    even their garments:

Psalm 71:1-3, 6

In you, Lord, I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue and deliver me;
    listen to me and save me!
Be my rock of refuge,
    my stronghold to give me safety;
    for you are my rock and fortress.
On you I have depended since birth;
    from my mother’s womb you are my strength;
    my hope in you never wavers.

Luke 23:28-31

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?”

Station VII: Jesus Falls the Second Time

Hebrews 12:7-8, 11-13

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Psalm 113:1-8

Praise, you servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
    both now and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
    let the name of the Lord be praised.
High above all nations is the Lord;
    above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the Lord our God,
    enthroned on high,
    looking down on heaven and earth?
He raises the needy from the dust,
    lifts the poor from the ash heap,
Seats them with princes,
    the princes of the people.

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

Station VI: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. A Holy Woman Wipes the Face of Jesus.

Isaiah 58:6, 10-11a

Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of wickedness,
    to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
If you pour yourself out for the hungry
    and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually,
    and satisfy your desire with good things.

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff comfort me.

Luke 12:4-9

I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

Station V: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross

1 Peter 4:13, 19

Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly. Those who suffer in accord with God’s will hand their souls over to a faithful creator as they do good.

Psalm 40:6, 9, 12b

You, yes you, O Lord, my God,
    have done many wondrous deeds!
And in your plans for us
    there is none to equal you.
Should I wish to declare or tell them,
    too many are they to recount.
I delight to do your will, my God;
    your law is in my inner being!
May your mercy and your faithfulness
    continually protect me.

Matthew 25:37-40

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. Simon the Cyrenian Compelled to Carry the Cross with Jesus.

Station IV: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother

Luke 2:34-35

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Psalm 46:2-4

God is our refuge and our strength,
    an ever-present help in distress.
Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. Jesus Meets his Mother.

    and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
Though its waters rage and foam
    and mountains totter at its surging.

John 19:26-27

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Station III: Jesus Falls the First Time

Isaiah 40:30-31

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. Jesus Falls Beneath the Cross.

Though young men faint and grow weary,
    and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength,
    they will soar on eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
    walk and not grow faint.

Psalm 143:1, 3

Lord, hear my prayer;
    in your faithfulness listen to my pleading;
    answer me in your righteousness.
The enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground.
He has made me dwell in darkness
    like those long dead.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."

Station II: Jesus Bears his Cross

Isaiah 53:4-6

Yet it was our pain that he bore,
    our sufferings he endured.
We thought of him as stricken,
    struck down by God and afflicted,
But he was pierced for our sins,
    crushed for our iniquity.
He bore the punishment that makes us whole,
    by his wounds we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
    all following our own way;
But the Lord laid upon him
    the guilt of us all.

Psalm 40:2-4

Surely, I wait for the Lord;
    who bends down to me and hears my cry,
Draws me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the muddy clay,
Sets my feet upon rock,
    steadies my steps,
And puts a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in fear
    and they shall trust in the Lord.

Mark 8:34-35

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it."

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. Jesus Bearing the Cross.

Station I: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Wisdom 2:1a, 12, 14-15, 17-22

The wicked said among themselves,
    thinking not aright:
"Let us lie in wait for the righteous one, because he is obnoxious to us;
    he opposes our actions,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
    and charges us with violations of our training.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
    merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
    and different are his ways.
Let us see whether his words be true;
    let us find out what will happen to him in the end.
For if the righteous one is the son of God, God will help him
    and deliver him from the hand of his foes.

Tissot, Jacques, 1836-1902. Ecce Homo.

With violence and torture let us put him to the test
    that we may have proof of his gentleness
    and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
    for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
    for their wickedness blinded them,
And they did not know the hidden counsels of God;
    neither did they count on a recompense for holiness

    nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.

Psalm 35:7, 11-12, 27-28

Without cause they set their snare for me;
    without cause they dug a pit for me.
Malicious witnesses rise up,
    accuse me of things I do not know.
They repay me evil for good;
    my soul is desolate.
But let those who favor my just cause
    shout for joy and be glad.
May they ever say, “Exalted be the Lord
    who delights in the peace of his loyal servant.”
Then my tongue shall recount your justice,
    declare your praise, all the day long.

John 3:14-15

"And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

Saint Peter Chrysologus on Mercy in Lent

The Office of Readings today has a gem from St. Peter Chrysologus that explains the spirit of lenten observances very lucidly.

If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you want to receive, give. If you ask for yourself what you deny to others, your asking is a mockery.

As Laetare Sunday approaches, I am glad to be reminded to be mindful and evaluate my lenten practices, especially in this jubilee year of mercy, and recall that forgiveness of injuries opens the wounded heart to receive forgiveness from God.

Second reading

From a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop

Prayer knocks, fasting obtains, mercy receives

There are three things, my brethren, by which faith stands firm, devotion remains constant, and virtue endures. They are prayer, fasting and mercy. Prayer knocks at the door, fasting obtains, mercy receives. Prayer, mercy and fasting: these three are one, and they give life to each other.

Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated. If you have only one of them or not all together, you have nothing. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others you open God’s ear to yourself.

When you fast, see the fasting of others. If you want God to know that you are hungry, know that another is hungry. If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you want to receive, give. If you ask for yourself what you deny to others, your asking is a mockery.

Let this be the pattern for all men when they practice mercy: show mercy to others in the same way, with the same generosity, with the same promptness, as you want others to show mercy to you.

Therefore, let prayer, mercy and fasting be one single plea to God on our behalf, one speech in our defense, a threefold united prayer in our favor.

Let us use fasting to make up for what we have lost by despising others. Let us offer our souls in sacrifice by means of fasting. There is nothing more pleasing that we can offer to God, as the psalmist said in prophecy: A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God does not despise a bruised and humbled heart.

Offer your soul to God, make him an oblation of your fasting, so that your soul may be a pure offering, a holy sacrifice, a living victim, remaining your own and at the same time made over to God. Whoever fails to give this to God will not be excused, for if you are to give him yourself you are never without the means of giving.

To make these acceptable, mercy must be added. Fasting bears no fruit unless it is watered by mercy. Fasting dries up when mercy dries up. Mercy is to fasting as rain is to the earth. However much you may cultivate your heart, clear the soil of your nature, root out vices, sow virtues, if you do not release the springs of mercy, your fasting will bear no fruit.

When you fast, if your mercy is thin your harvest will be thin; when you fast, what you pour out in mercy overflows into your barn. Therefore, do not lose by saving, but gather in by scattering. Give to the poor, and you give to yourself. You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa on Forgiveness

The forgiveness of debts is a unique and special prerogative of God.

It was said: “No one can forgive sins but God alone” (Mk 2:7).

A person obtains confidence in prayer by willingly imitating every conceivable attribute of God who is both kind and gentle, the source of all blessings and the dispenser of mercies to all.

It is not becoming that an evil person should enjoy intimacy with a good person, nor that a person who wallows in impure thoughts should have communion with one who is pure and undefiled.

In like manner, hardness of heart separates the supplicant from the love of God.

Whoever holds someone else in bitter bondage because of outstanding debts has by his own conduct excluded himself from divine love.

What communion can there be between love and cruelty, kindness and harshness, or any attribute and its opposite that is evil? Mutual opposition keeps them separated. For whoever is possessed by any particular attribute is necessarily estranged from its opposite.

Just as one who dies no longer lives, and the one who lives is estranged from death, so also he who approaches the love of God must necessarily be removed from every disposition of callousness.

Whoever is free of all those dispositions understood as being evil, he becomes in some way god by reason of his condition having achieved in himself what reason understands to be attributes of God.

Do you see to what greatness the Lord exalts those who hear Him through the words of the prayer? He transforms human nature in some way to be closer to the divine. He decrees that those who approach God should become gods.

Why do you come to God, He says, in a slavish manner, trembling in fear and plagued by your own conscience? Why do you exclude yourself from the confidence which coexists with the freedom of the soul from the beginning and which is intrinsic to the essence of your nature?

Why do you use flattery with Him who cannot be flattered? Why do you direct fawning and flattering words to the One who looks at deeds?

Every blessing that comes from God is permissible to you. You can possess it with a free spirit. Be your own judge. Cast the saving vote for yourself. Do you ask God to forgive your debts? Forgive the debts of others and God will cast his favorable ballot.

You yourself are the lord of judgment concerning your neighbor. This judgment, whatever it maybe, will bring an equal decision upon you. For whatever you decide to do, will be ratified by the divine judgment in your case, too.

Gregory of Nyssa (c 335 – c 394): Fifth homily on the Lord’s prayer.

The Lectorate

Earlier this month, four of us were instituted in ecclesial ministries at St. Clement's: two lectors and two acolytes.

The lector is appointed for a function proper to him, that of reading the word of God in the liturgical assembly. Accordingly, he is to proclaim the readings from sacred Scripture, except for the gospel in the Mass and other sacred celebrations; he is to recite the psalm between the readings when there is no psalmist; he is to present the intentions for the general intercessions in the absence of a deacon or cantor; he is to direct the singing and the participation by the faithful; he is to instruct the faithful for the worthy reception of the sacraments. He may also, insofar as may be necessary, take care of preparing other faithful who are appointed on a temporary basis to read the Scriptures in liturgical celebrations. That he may more fittingly and perfectly fulfill these functions, he is to meditate assiduously on sacred Scripture.
Aware of the office he has undertaken, the lector is to make every effort and employ suitable means to acquire that increasingly warm and living love and knowledge of Scripture that will make him a more perfect disciple of the Lord. 

(Ministeria quaedam, 1972)

Lector and acolyte in general correspond to the commissioned ministries of lector and extraordinary minister of holy communion, but with the important distinction that the former are permanent installations that apply in all times and places while the latter apply for the year of commission and only in the local parish. They are also more comprehensive: acolytes may expose and repose the Eucharist and prepare the altar at the offertory during Mass, and both lectors and acolytes are responsible for training other lay ministers (... preparing other faithful who are appointed on a temporary basis to read the Scriptures in liturgical celebrations).

In 1972, these ministries replaced the minor orders (exorcist, porter, lector, acolyte) and major order of subdiaconate, which along with the clerical tonsure were suppressed because they no longer reflected their original purposes. Although the ministries are required for candidates for Holy Orders and they are still reserved to men, Pope Paul VI specified that there is not an essential connection between them and the clerical state. This had previously been understood as beginning with the tonsure that signified entrance into priestly formation, but now it is ordination to the diaconate that signifies entrance to the clerical state.

Part of the rite of institution is being presented with the Bible, and I was allowed to select one for myself. I chose a bilingual Greek/English version of the Septuagint, the original translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek from the second century B.C. This is the version of the Scriptures that was most widely used in the first century outside of Palestine and almost the exclusive source of the Old Testament quotes in the Gospels and Epistles. It shortly after fell out of favor with Jews, partly because the wording of prophecies supported the claim that Jesus is the Messiah and partly because most of the Greek-speaking Jewish populations were exterminated or dispersed by the Jewish-Roman wars of the second century, but it continued to be the authoritative version of the Old Testament for Christians until the Vulgate was promulgated in the early 4th century and replaced it in the west; it continues to be used by the Byzantine Churches and is the source of translations used by Syriac, Armenian, and Egyptian Christians.

The Septuagint differs from the Old Testament most familiar to the English-speaking world in a few ways. The most notable is the number of books, which is the reason for the difference between Protestant and Catholic Bibles; Protestant leaders eschewed the Septuagint because it was a translation and also because the books later excluded from the canon of the Hebrew Bible include some that are theologically problematic for Protestants; the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Baruch, and parts of Esther and Daniel only exist in the Greek version, which is why these were rejected by Jews and Protestants but have always been accepted by Orthodox Christians who use the older canon. Also, the numbering of the Psalms is different and the text of the Book of Jeremiah, among others, is significantly different.

Roman Catholic biblical scholars of the last few centuries followed the more prolific Protestant scholars and it became fashionable to hold the later Hebrew texts were more authentic and the Septuagint text was corrupted. This view has been significantly upset by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, which provide many Hebrew texts at variance with the Masoretic versions and generally confirm that most of the Septuagint comes from an older manuscript tradition. This has yet to gain widespread acceptance because biblical scholars in general continue to rely on the last three centuries of scholarship which is dominated by English and German Protestants, but it is one of the reasons why I am interested.

I don't have a picture of me being instituted, but here I am watching the acolyte institution.

Saint Maximus of Turin on the Baptism of the Lord

From the Office of Readings

Second reading

From a sermon by Saint Maximus of Turin, bishop

The mystery of the Lord’s baptism

The Gospel tells us that the Lord went to the Jordan River to be baptized and that he wished to consecrate himself in the river by signs from heaven.

Reason demands that this feast of the Lord’s baptism, which I think could be called the feast of his birthday, should follow soon after the Lord’s birthday, during the same season, even though many years intervened between the two events. At Christmas he was born a man; today he is reborn sacramentally. Then he was born from the Virgin; today he is born in mystery. When he was born a man, his mother Mary held him close to her heart; when he is born in mystery, God the Father embraces him with his voice when he says: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: listen to him. The mother caresses the tender baby on her lap; the Father serves his Son by his loving testimony. The mother holds the child for the Magi to adore; the Father reveals that his Son is to be worshiped by all the nations.

That is why the Lord Jesus went to the river for baptism; that is why he wanted his holy body to be washed with Jordan’s water.

Someone might ask, “Why would a holy man desire baptism?” Listen to the answer: Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to purify the waters which he touched. For the consecration of Christ involves a more significant consecration of the water.

For when the Savior is washed, all water for our baptism is made clean, purified at its source for the dispensing of baptismal grace to the people of future ages. Christ is the first to be baptized, then, so that Christians will follow after him with confidence.

I understand the mystery as this. The column of fire went before the sons of Israel through the Red Sea so they could follow on their brave journey; the column went first through the waters to prepare a path for those who followed. As the apostle Paul said, what was accomplished then was the mystery of baptism. Clearly it was baptism in a certain sense when the cloud was covering the people and bringing them through the water.

But Christ the Lord does all these things: in the column of fire he went through the sea before the sons of Israel; so now, in the column of his body, he goes through baptism before the Christian people. At the time of the Exodus the column provided light for the people who followed; now it gives light to the hearts of believers. Then it made a firm pathway through the waters; now it strengthens the footsteps of faith in the bath of baptism.