30 May 2008

Communion from the Reserved Sacrament

Scottish Episcopal tradition via Bishop Alexander's Liturgy

Prayer to be said before the Lord's Prayer and the partaking of the Blessed Sacrament:



"Almighty God our heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son J.+C. to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption, who made there by his own oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memorial of that his precious death and sacrifice until his coming again; hear us, O merciful Father, we most humble beseech thee, and of thy almighty goodness vouchsafe to bless with the Holy Spirit us (these) thy servants here before thee, and to grant that we (they) receiving thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine already consecrated into the most precious body and blood of thy Son our Saviour J.+C. according to his holy institution, and in commemoration of his death and passion, may be made partakers of all the benefits of the same: and so sanctify our (their) whole spirits, souls, and bodies, that we (they) may become holy, living, and acceptable sacrifices unto thee. And we entirely desire thy Fatherly goodness to be propitious to us sinners: and grant that by the merits and death of thy Son, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of all our sins, may be delivered from the Devil and his snares, may be fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and be made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him, and at the last may obtain everlasting life in thee; thou, O Lord Almighty, being through him reconciled to us, by whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen."


Bishop Alexander of Dunkeld's Scottish Liturgy

Sacred Heart of Jesus



When we peer into the piercèd side of Jesus,
who can fail to see the broken heart of the Father.



from The Spiritual Life (1936)

by Evelyn Underhill

"Our place is not the auditorium but the stage—or, as the case may be, the field, workshop, study, laboratory—because we ourselves form part of the creative apparatus of God, or at least are meant to form part of the creative apparatus of God. He made us in order to use us, and use us in the most profitable way; for His purpose, not ours. To live a spiritual life means subordinating all other interests to that single fact. Sometimes our positions seems to be that of tools; taken up when wanted, used in ways which we had not expected for an object on which our opinion is not asked, and then laid down. Sometimes we are the currency used in some great operation, of which the purpose is not revealed to us. Sometimes we are servants, left year in, year out to the same monotonous job. Sometimes we are conscious fellow-workers with the Perfect, striving to bring the Kingdom in. But whatever our particular place or job may be, it means the austere conditions of the workshop, not the free-lance activities of the messy but well-meaning amateur; clocking in at the right time and tending the machine in the right way. Sometimes, perhaps, carrying on for years with a machine we do not very well understand and do not enjoy; because it needs doing, and no one else is available. Or accepting the situation quite quietly, when a job we felt that we were managing excellently is taken away. Taking responsibility if we are called to it, or just bringing the workers their dinner, cleaning and sharpening the tools. All self-willed choices and obstinacy drained out of what we thought to be our work; so that it becomes more and more God’s work in us."

28 May 2008

CHRIST IS OUR HOPE

Written in honour of Irma Moré
and Our Lady of Walsingham Institutes of Catholic Culture Studies
at the time of the Apostolic Journey of Pope Benedict XVI to the USA



CHRIST is our hope whom we have seen
Each generation rising.
All human dreams are met in Him,
The substance of our longing.
He is the light in darkest night
Who calls us out with lamps alight
To work for God’s own glory.

Christ is the evidence of God,
The Love whose Name sustains us.
Let all the nations of the world
Receive the truth: Love saved us,
Love clothed in flesh in Mary’s womb,
Love raised again from out the tomb,
Love calling us to glory.

Faith, hope, and love are God’s own gift
To souls who seek Christ’s Wisdom.
The Spirit knows this age is dim:
We need the Mind of Jesus.
So God pours out both grace and power
Upon us all to face this hour,
We will make known God’s glory.

Praise be to Christ the Eternal Word
Throughout all ages reigning —
O glorious Spirit, Lord of Life,
Receive our heart’s thanksgiving —
To God Most High all glory be
For time and for eternity —
One God in endless glory.


Copyright © 2008 Vincent W. Uher III


SUGGESTED TUNES: MIT FREUDEN ZART or PALACE GREEN

26 May 2008

Memorial Day, U.S.A.


They shall never be forgotten.

Let us pray for all the men and women who have died having served the people of the United States by their military service. Let us pray especially for those who laid down their lives as Christ died for His friends. Let us pray for those who for the sake of the nation have had to bear the scars of warfare both upon their bodies and minds. And let us especially remember all of those American families who have lost a family member during faithful service to the nation in the Armed Forces. May God fill the emptiness of such loss, and may the Lord of Life speak 'Mercy' over the souls of all those we remember this day.


I ask everyone to especially pray for the Most Rev Timothy Paul Broglio, Military Ordinary, and the priests serving as chaplains in the Armed Forces of the USA. Let us never fail to praise God for and to pray for the souls of those priests who served in time past, whose valiance and faithfulness have been remembered by generations upon generations of service men and women.

Servant of God, Fr. Vincent Capodanno, pray for us.

A Child's Prayer for Peace

From an old Anglican Children's Prayer Book



25 May 2008

Surprise!


As someone said to me recently, "But your not dead yet!" Then she covered her mouth in horror realising what she had said aloud. It was a very funny moment.

I turned off this blog in January when I was extremely ill. It seems for years I have had toxic levels of heavy metals as well as uranium in my system. Growing up where I did explains the exposure to the toxic metals, but where I got the uranium is a great mystery.

Through EDTA chelation therapy I have been steadily improving. Yes, some days it feels like great leaps forward and then other days ... well, best left unsaid.

So I am now at a point where I feel I can take up this blog again and re-enter the world of email and the internet. Interestingly during this period I received notice after notice for funeral-planning services as well as a catalogue for Trappist Caskets. Now the Trappist Caskets are a very excellent idea, and while it is wise to prepare for 'final needs' ... I have no intention of leaving this particular party early!

God bless us one and all.