A Lutheran from New Jersey called me last week. His question for me, which is of no consequence to these lines, led us to a discussion of the problem of evil in the Church of Jesus Christ. You see, this … Continue reading
Category: Spiritual Life
We Are Measured by the Quality of Our Loves
The following is the speech I gave at IHM School’s graduation yesterday. Readers should know that our school in rural southern New Hampshire is very small. We had three graduates this year. My effort was to be lighthearted as well as informative and … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Trinity Sunday
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Trinity Sunday: Omnípotens sempitérne Deus, qui dedísti fámulis tuis in confessióne veræ fídei, ætérnæ Trinitátis glóriam agnóscere, et in poténtia majestátis adoráre Unitátem: quǽsumus; ut, ejúsdem … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Pentecost Sunday
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Pentecost Sunday: Deus, qui hodiérna die corda fidélium Sancti Spíritus illustratióne docuísti: da nobis in eódem Spíritu recta sápere; et de ejus semper consolatióne gaudére. Here … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Sunday after the Ascension
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Sunday after the Ascension: Omnípotens sempitérne Deus: fac nos tibi semper et devótam gérere voluntátem; et majestáti tuæ sincéro corde servíre. Here is my translation: O … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Ascension
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for the Feast of the Ascension: Concéde, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut, qui hodiérna die Unigénitum tuum, Redemptórem nostrum, ad cœlos ascendísse crédimus; ipsi quoque mente in cœléstibus … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Fifth Sunday after Easter
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for the Fifth Sunday after Easter: Deus, a quo bona cuncta procédunt, largíre supplícibus tuis: ut cogitémus, te inspiránte, quæ recta sunt; et, te gubernánte, éadem faciámus. … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Third Sunday after Easter
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for the Third Sunday after Easter: Deus, qui errántibus, ut in viam possint redíre iustítiæ, veritátis tuæ lumen osténdis: da cunctis, qui christiána professióne censéntur, et illa … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Good Shepherd Sunday
This year, by a liturgical concurrence of the annual and sanctoral cycles, today’s Sunday propers are replaced by those of the Feast of Saint Joseph Worker. Still, because of the commemoration of the Sunday, its collect must be prayed in … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Low Sunday
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for Low Sunday, which is, I believe, the Sunday on the Church’s calendar with the most names: Præsta, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut, qui paschália festa perégimus, hæc, te … Continue reading
Fortes in Fide (Again)
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
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
Your Passiontide Micronarrative
On the very first page of his mammoth, magisterial two-volume tome, The Three Ages of the Interior Life, Père Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. (1877-1964), states a fundamental truth concerning man’s inner life as it is constituted by nature. Then, as one … 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
