The true religion is not reducible to a bumper sticker or “meme,” but there is a venerable tradition, rooted in the Old Testament wisdom literature, of packaging hefty drafts of divine truth in small shots. These proverbs or aphorisms have … Continue reading
Category: Spiritual Life
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Easter Sunday
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Easter Sunday: Deus, qui hodiérna die per Unigénitum tuum æternitátis nobis áditum devícta morte reserásti: vota nostra, quæ præveniéndo aspíras, étiam adjuvándo proséquere. Here is my translation: … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Palm Sunday
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Palm Sunday, that is, the Sixth Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent), and the beginning of Holy Week: Omnípotens sempitérne Deus, qui humáno generi, ad imitandum humilitátis exémplum, Salvatórem … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent): Passion Sunday
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Passion Sunday, that is, the Fifth Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent): Quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus, famíliam tuam propítius réspice: ut, te largiénte, regátur in córpore; et, te servánte, custodiátur … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent)
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Laetare Sunday, that is, the Fourth Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent): Concéde, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut, qui ex merito nostræ actiónis afflígimur, tuæ grátiæ consolatióne respirémus. Here is … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Third Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent)
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for the Third Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent): Quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus, vota humílium réspice: atque, ad defensiónem nostram, déxteram tuæ maiestátis exténde. Here is my translation: We ask … Continue reading
The Two Kingdoms That Don’t Love Each Other
Going over my students’ Latin homework, I came across a sentence of Monsignor Baumeister’s that struck me with particular force. What my students were called upon to translate perfectly summarizes Saint Augustine’s doctrine in his magnificent City of God. Inter … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Second Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent)
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for the Second Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent): Deus, qui cónspicis omni nos virtúte destítui: intérius exteriúsque custódi; ut ab ómnibus adversitátibus muniámur in córpore, et a pravis … Continue reading
Saint Augustine Condemning Faith without Works
The following comes from the Matins lessons in the traditional Roman-rite office for the Monday of the First week of Quadragesima. Twelve-hundred years in advance, Saint Augustine here condemns most emphatically the unbiblical notion of sola fides propagated by the … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the First Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent)
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for the First Sunday of Quadragesima (Lent): Deus, qui Ecclésiam tuam ánnua quadragesimáli observatióne puríficas: præsta famíliæ tuæ; ut, quod a te obtinére abstinéndo nítitur, hoc bonis … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Quinquagesima Sunday
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Quinquagesima Sunday: Preces nostras, quǽsumus, Dómine, cleménter exáudi: atque, a peccatórum vínculis absolútos, ab omni nos adversitáte custódi. Here is my translation: Mercifully hear our prayers, … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Sexagesima Sunday
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Sexagesima Sunday: Deus, qui cónspicis, quia ex nulla nostra actióne confídimus: concéde propítius; ut, contra advérsa ómnia, Doctóris géntium protectióne muniámur. Here is my translation: O … Continue reading