Examining the conscience ...

From John and Charles Wesley:

Depth of mercy! can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear -
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

Now inlcine me to repent;
Let me now my sins lament;
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

There for me the Saviour stands,
Holding forth His wounded hands;
God is love! I know, I feel,
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Laus Deo. +

From the Gallican Sacramentary

With minds bowed down and bodies prostrate in devotion, let us pray the Almighty Lord that the Triune God may keep guard over all his worshippers, and over the one Body of the Church, his people. May he be pleased to grant to his priests peace and concord, to all the clergy the grace of a continuing ministry, protection to the learners, comfort to the bereaved, purity to monks, to workers their due, to the hungry food, clothing to the naked, health to the sick, release to the prisoner, to the wanderer home, to the seafarer his harbour. May he show to the proud humility, to the slanderer a decent tongue, to the penitent an end of his fault, to the sinner pardon, and to the straying heretic the way of truth.

Hymn for the Year of Priestly Jubilee

Annus Sacerdotalis

In honor of
The Most Reverend Edward James Slattery
Bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa
And in honor of Father Mark Daniel Kirby and
The Adorers of the Eucharistic Face of Jesus, O.S.B.

Friends of Christ, O royal priesthood,
Sing God’s praise for every priest –
Strong and faithful, weak or lonely –
From the greatest to the least.
Brother priests of the Good Shepherd
Called to live the Lamb’s high feast,
Witness to your love of Jesus,
Lord and Master, Great High Priest.

Take the Cross upon your shoulder.
Place your mind within your heart.
Make of Christ your perfect model.
Walk His steps and learn His art.
Beat down Satan with each footstep.
Fight to free each captive soul
Till the world’s deceits and pleasures
Are no longer mankind’s goal.

Learn from Mary Blessed Mother;
Ponder in your hearts God’s grace:
How Christ makes His living presence
Real to feed the human race –
The Atonement raised to heaven
Through the holy hands of priests
For the life of all creation
Christ’s own life, His Heart, His peace.

Forward go the royal banners
Of our Eucharistic King.
The Wise Virgins follow closely
Lamps of seven in offering.
Priests of God guide Christ’s lay faithful
To bring forth their gifts and lights
And to call both friend and stranger
To the Way of Jesus Christ.

Now behold the Cross illumined
By the Uncreated Light.
See your Lord alive and risen
Calling you to share His life
And around Him all assembled
Martyred priests and Saints of God
Calling all of us together
To the Wedding Feast of God.

Copyright © 2009 Vincent William Uher III

Noel Jones has written a beautiful new tune for this text
which can be found HERE.

Other Suggested Tunes:
Ode to Joy (Beethoven)
Beach Spring
Chartres (Hymnal 1940)
In Babilone (Dutch melody)
Hyfrydol
Meter: 8 7 8 7 D

At this moment in the night

How grateful I am for today's Feast of the Transfiguration, my favourite feast day! It was a physically very difficult day for me but I feel very grateful for this day that is past.

I am trying to read Nicholas Afanasiev's The Church of the Holy Spirit. In many ways, although an Orthodox observer to Vatican II, he was the theological father of ideas enshrined in Lumen Gentium. It is very clear as I reread certain passages that Fr. Afanasiev's theological fatherhood extended into the thought of Pope John Paul II in his masterpiece Christifideles laici that has been so important in my own theological reflexion.

This is also a time in which I continue to get difficult medical news. My brain continues to atrophy and there is no way to stop it. The good news is that my IQ and my sense of myself are largely intact. I do hope that I will have enough time to do whatever God has for me.

I am working on two hymns inspired by the suggestion of Father Mark Daniel Kirby. The writing is slow, as all things are with me now, but I feel very inspired by the Year for Priests and St. John Mary Vianney.

I pray for you, dear reader, to have the grace and time to do the good God has for you to do, and I ask that you likewise pray for me.

+ Laus Deo.