I love thy Church, O God

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There is a hymn text by the grandson of Jonathan Edwards that is still sung in many churches in North America. 

Rev. Dr. Timothy Dwight

This text by the Rev. Dr. Timothy Dwight IV (1752-1817) is the earliest hymn written by an U.S. American still in regular use.  Dwight reworked Psalm 137 and turned it into a hymn of love for the Lord Jesus Christ's Church.

The full text is never printed in today's hymnals, and it is the full text that most interests me. The theologically interesting note in the text is the identification of the Kingdom of the Lord with the Church on Earth.  The hymn text draws together the individual's Christian action together within the mission and work of the Church as the manifestation and revelation of the Kingdom on Earth.  This is a text a catholic Christian could pray with heart and soul.

The following version is a conglomerate text from several different printings. I suspect that the first edition of this text may be slightly different, but I do not have a copy in hand:

I love thy Kingdom, Lord,

The house of thine abode,

The Church our blest Redeemer saved

With His own precious blood.

I love thy Church, O God.

Her walls before thee stand,

Dear as the apple of thine eye,

And graven on thy hand.

If e’er to bless thy sons

My voice or hands deny,

These hands let useful skills forsake,

This voice in silence die.

Should I with scoffers join

Her altars to abuse?

No! Better far my tongue were dumb,

My hand its skill should lose.

For her my tears shall fall

For her my prayers ascend,

To her my cares and toils be given

Till toils and cares shall end.

Beyond my highest joy

I prize her heavenly ways,

Her sweet communion, solemn vows,

Her hymns of love and praise.

Jesus, Thou Friend divine,

Our Saviour and our King,

Thy hand from every snare and foe

Shall great deliverance bring.

Sure as thy truth shall last,

To Sion shall be given

The brightest glories earth can yield

And brighter bliss of Heaven.

Tim­o­thy Dwight IV

Psalms of Da­vid

1800

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The Savour of Blessedness

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“Already is there on you the savour of blessedness, O ye who are soon to be enlightened: already are you gathering spiritual flowers, to weave heavenly crowns withal: already hath the fragrance of the Holy Ghost refreshed you: already are you at the entrance-hall of the King's house: may you be brought into it by the King! 

“For now the blossoms of the trees have budded; may but the fruit likewise be perfected! Thus far, your names have been given in, and the roll-call made for service; there are the torches of the bridal train, and the longings after heavenly citizenship, and a good purpose, and a hope attendant; for he cannot lie who hath said, To them that love God, all things work together for good. 


“God is indeed lavish in His benefits: yet He looks for each man's honest resolve: so the Apostle subjoins, To those who are called according to their purpose. Honesty of purpose makes thee called: for though the body be here, yet if the mind be away, it avails nothing.”

St. Cyril of Jerusalem in The Procatechesis 

(as found in Frank Cross,

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem's Lectures 

on the Christian Sacraments)

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Fr Paul Wattson IS a saint

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I was delighted to read the following this morning:

The bishops also will conduct the canonical consultation on the sainthood cause of Father Paul Wattson. Father Wattson was an Episcopal priest who co-founded the Society of the Atonement, also known as the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, to further Christian unity. He was received into the Catholic Church as were all men and women in the society at the time, and devised the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, still observed each January. 

I  k n o w  that Father Paul Wattson is a saint. And I pray for the day when the Catholic Church formally recognises Father Paul and Mother Lurana as Saints of the Universal Church.

And a little note, Father Paul conceived of and brought to birth the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, and the Church should return to the observation of this Octave as Father Paul originally designed it.

Please click here to read the article by Mark Pattison on the Catholic San Francisco website.

Our Lady of the Atonement, pray for us.

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’Not Enough to Feed the Greediest‘

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I am grateful to Andrew Rabel for recently publishing the following quote by Dr. Daisy Kulanday of India who famously said: 

“The earth has enough resources to feed the neediest, 

but not enough to feed the greediest.”

Andrew Rabel's article on Bl Pope Paul VI is one well worth reading: please click here.

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Astounding Thing

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A friend sent me a text message about a video linked on the Drudge Report.  

I thought, 'Oh, what now....'  

But I clicked on the link, and it proved to be one of the more astounding things I have seen ... in fact, it is something I never thought I would hear in the USA.  



If this sentiment is truly widespread, then the Democrats are dead.  But this should be no joy-filled tidings for the Republicans because a huge number who used to be part of the GOP loyal base have made their own critique of the "Party of Business" and decided to divorce from the Republican Party.

Curiouser and curiouser...

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If you are a U.S. citizen...

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If you are a citizen of the USA, I suggest you read this book:

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Brené Brown on 'Shame'

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“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”

Brené Brown

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Mother refused abortion: Son now Archbishop of Riga

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Archbishop Stanckevics

ARCH. ZBIGEVS STANCKEVICS 

Archbishop of Riga (Latvia) 

"I could share my personal experience because it was proposed to kill me in my mother's womb. But my mother rejected it and for this reason I am alive. I can live to fulfill my vocation and my mission in the world. And if I was killed in my mother´s womb, today there would be another Archbishop in Riga.” 

There are challenging pregnancies, but the Archbishop highlights that there are other options, other than abortion, for mothers dealing with difficult pregnancies.

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Bobby McFerrin & the Pentatonic Scale

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Bobby McFerrin playing 'The Audience' — a wonderful little video

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A TEDx talk worth hearing & sharing

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The following TEDx Houston talk by Brené Brown is one I would dearly love to share with more than a few people I have encountered over the years:



I agree with her assessment of what religion has become in the USAmerican context.

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Amish Organic Farming

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Amish Farmers Reinvent Organic Farming

A good read.

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Poulenc: O Magnum Mysterium

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St. John's, Cambridge

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Spirit Daily: Leonard Horowitz

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Leonard Horowitz: click the name to go to the article at Spirit Daily, Michael Brown's website.

These are strange days.

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Worthy Access: Mystery of the Body and Blood of the Lord

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O you who suspended the heavens over the earth and then came down to save us, who shower your grace upon us in such abundance, and who always give us more than we can ever ask for or even think of: O gracious love of mankind, stretch forth your invisible hand, so bless'd and ever overflowing with mercy and compassion, and bless your servants, cleansing them of every stain of flesh and spirit. By your grace, make them partakers of these gifts, that, offering you this prayer in holiness and justice, we may worthily share in your most holy body and most precious blood that lie here before us.

For you are worshipped and glorified because all glory and majesty, all dominion and power belong to you, to your eternal Father, and to your all-holy Spirit: now and forever, and unto ages of ages.

Excerpted from The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

The Divine Liturgy

New Skete

1987

pp. 116-117

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Pope S. John Paul II

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Official Vatican Prayer to Saint John Paul II

Oh, Saint John Paul, 

from the window of heaven, grant us your blessing! 

Bless the church that you loved and served and guided, courageously 

leading it along the paths of the world 

in order to bring Jesus to everyone 

and everyone to Jesus.

Bless the young, who were your great passion.

Help them dream again,

help them look up high again to find the light

that illuminates the paths of life here on earth.

May you bless families, bless each family! You warned of Satan's assault against this precious and indispensable divine spark that God lit on earth. Saint John Paul, with your prayer, may you protect the family and every life that blossoms from the family.

Pray for the whole world, which is still marked by tensions, wars and injustice. You tackled war by invoking dialogue and planting the seeds of love: pray for us so that we may be tireless sowers of peace.

Oh Saint John Paul, from heaven's window,

where we see you next to Mary,

send God's blessing down upon us all. Amen.

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Government forcing ministers to perform gay marriages

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This news is from Idaho in the USA — the last place on earth I would have expected. This one news item could propel the Republicans to a crushing defeat of the Democrats in the USA's general election:  click here. One wonders if the Republican strategists will make effective political use of it in combination with the City of Houston (Texas) government's recent attempts to chill religious speech.

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Stop the Flights

One wants to knock on the White House door 

and ask if any adults are at home.

The Prayer of St. Edmund

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O Lord, into thy hands 

and into the hands of thine holy angels,
I commit and entrust this day my soul,
my relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies,
and all thy Catholic people.  

Keep us, O Lord, through the day,
by the merits and intercession
of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all Your saints;
keep us from all vicious and unruly desires,
from all sins and temptations of the devil,
from a sudden unprepared death,
and the pains of hell. 

Illumine my heart with the grace of thy Holy Ghost.
Grant that I may ever be obedient to thy commandments.
Suffer me not to be separated from thee, 

O God, who livest and reignest 

with God the Father and the same Holy Ghost. Amen. 

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The Roman Synod: What is one to do?

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Madre Mariana de Jesús

My 'To Do' List for myself :

1. Go to Confession.

2. Acquaint oneself anew with the messages given to Mother Mariana de Jesús Torres in Quito, Ecuador by Our Lady of Good Success.  

3. Make the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows the form with which one prays the Rosary daily. [Use Immaculée's little book from Kibeho, Rwanda for the devotion.]   

Sister Agnes Sasagawa of Akita

4. Reread what Our Blessed Mother said to our dearly belovèd Sister Agnes Sasagawa in Akita, Japan. 

5. Do not engage in public speculation about what is going on with the bishops in the Catholic Church.  [We already know that the smoke of satan has entered the Church.  It should not be too surprising to find out that some bishops have been out back smoking with satan.  Don't dwell on it.]  

6. Dwell on Jesus, our Living Lord and Saviour, and do all in one's power to keep the Lord Jesus at the very centre of every aspect of life.

7. Pray the major litany in The Book of Divine Worship (of the Pastoral Provision of Pope Saint John Paul II) once a week.  Daily pray that the Lord will give all the faithful sufficient grace to beat down satan under our feet.

8.  Say less, pray more.  [Pray for Nurse Nina Pham and all those who battle the Ebola crisis. May our Lord send the Archangel St. Raphael to Nina and all others who are ill with healing balm from the high vault of Heaven.]

9.  “Pray, hope, and don't worry.”

10.  Laudetur Jesus Christus ...  nunc et semper. Amen.

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Videos most won't watch

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Most won't watch. 

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“And the Mother did weep”

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Karl Jenkins: Requiem

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Light can kill Ebola: new UV robot

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Whenever I learn of the life-saving properties of a particular band of light, I rejoice in God who said "Let there be light." Here I am speaking of the UV band of light that so efectively kills so many pathogens and the development of a medical robot to be used in disinfecting medical and treatment facitlities. 

Here is a link to the article on the UV light robot that can kill Ebola in two minutes time: the Xenex robot developed in Texas.

Would it not be wise to flood our churches with UV light when no one is in them ... as well as returning at every Mass to the use of genuine frankincense — with all of its curative and salutary properties ...

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Elizaveta: “I believe in fairy tales and serendipitous encounters”

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Today I am in need of something completely different and uplifting. For me that means a video of the Russian-American composer and singer called Elizaveta.  I hope you will enjoy what follows:  

Seek and ye shall find.

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Sharyl Attkisson: 5th Enterovirus Death

FYI

Polio-like illness claims fifth life in U.S.

Excerpt:

At least five children infected with the respiratory illness known enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) have died in the U.S. in the past month. 

The lastest confirmed victim was a four-year-old New Jersey boy, Eli Waller. He died at home on September 25. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed the cause of death Friday night. But health officials say they have no idea how he contracted the virus. A health official says Eli was “asymptomatic and fine” when he went to bed but died overnight. He had no known preexisting immune weakness. 

 Please read article in full HERE.

In other news a  woman in Queensland, Australia is being tested for Ebola after returning from Sierra Leone as a Red Cross volunteer. Click here for an article by SkyNews.com.au

1987 Video from “Dialogues of the Carmelites”

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This performance at the Met in New York City was a revelation in so many ways.  It was genius to put it into English for an American public that had little background with opera or with the French language.  It was even a greater genius to put Maria Ewing, Florence Quivar, and Jessye Norman in this cast.  I do not understand why the Met has not released a DVD of this broadcast performance... hint, hint!



May the Holy Martyred Nuns pray for us all to have courage and to overcome everything with our faith in Jesus Christ.

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“Ebola protection myths busted...”

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If you trust the CDC in the USA, then this post is not for you.  

If you are concerned about the spread of Ebola and the safety of your family in North America, then you may wish to read the following links:

• Ebola Protection Myths Busted
• Social Distancing as a Means to Avoid Contagion
• Ebola lies and disinformation
• Suspected Ebola Cases in Texas 
• World's nations have just four weeks to stop Ebola pandemic from 'spiraling completely out of control'
• ‘Ebola sweeping America only a matter of time’

[new article: LA TIMES - Ebola experts worry virus may spread more easily than assumed. ]

Ebola Zaire is one of five strains of Ebola that are currently known, and only one, Ebola Reston, is not fatal in humans.  

Ebola Zaire — the strain currently in circulation — has a death rate approaching 90%. 

An N95 mask will not do the job in protecting one from Ebola Zaïre.  If it is all that one may have, it is at least a start in trying to protect oneself from the virus.  A full face respirator, however, is what one would need. 

A podcast from the BioDefense website may be helpful if you have time to listen: “Episode 6: Antiviral Herbal medicines vs. Ebola and other viral pandemics”

[I do wonder about what is being called Ebola.  Much of what I have read sounds more like the Marburg Virus, and there has been a recent case of Marburg in Uganda.  Of course, I do not know.  But I heard a Flemish infectious disease specialist say that something is fundamentally different in this outbreak of Ebola, and one wonders if it is Ebola Zaire or rather a newly mutated form of the terrible disease.  May God be merciful to us and save us.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.]

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Uher: Beautiful Saviour, Mightiest in Mercy

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The following is a hymn text I wrote in A.D. 2007.  It is set to a most effective tune by Noel Jones, and I am greatly in his debt for writing such a fine tune for this text.  I like it best unaccompanied I think.  It may be sung in unison with organ, SATB, SSAA, or TTBB.   

If one clicks on the image below, a larger image should appear that can be downloaded and printed. My hope is that my text should be a fit vehicle for prayer and for that praying twice which is singing to the Lord God.

Laudetur Jesus Christus +

May his rest be this day in Paradise

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Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR

May he rest in peace,

and rise in the Glory of the Risen Christ.

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US Judge Jeanine Pirro on Ebola

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It is stunning to live in a nation where almost everything said by the Executive Branch is a complete lie ... and there are no repercussions? 

Clearly, someone wants the people of the USA to die... if not of Ebola then the Enterovirus that crossed the non-existent southern US border and is striking US American children across the country.

When I speak with US citizens, none of them has an expectation that the government is telling them the truth about anything.  So where does a nation go from here?

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“Council of Trent did not condemn Eastern marriage practices”

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Read this, dear reader, excerpted from an article in the Vatican Insider:

“After the discussion, 97 Council Fathers expressed themselves in favour of the Venetians’ request and approved it, while 80 were against the Eastern practice, but divided in terms of their reasons. “This did not mean that the majority of the Council Fathers wanted to call into question the indissolubility of marriage,” La Civiltà Cattolica writes. “The intention was simply to discuss how this condemnation was expressed. This does not affect canon five which opposes divorce.”

“The new version of the seventh canon is worded as such: “If any one saith, that the Church has erred, in that she hath taught, and doth teach, in accordance with the evangelical and apostolical doctrine, that the bond of matrimony cannot be dissolved on account of the adultery of one of the married parties; and that both, or even the innocent one who gave not occasion to the adultery, cannot contract another marriage, during the life-time of the other; and, that he is guilty of adultery, who, having put away the adulteress, shall take another wife, as also she, who, having put away the adulterer, shall take another husband; let him be anathema.”

“The wording, Fr. Pani observes, “is unique, because on the one hand it condemns the doctrine of Luther and the reformers who disregarded the Church’s practice in relation to marriage, but on the other, it left Greek traditions unscathed even though they tolerated second marriages.” Another important correction that was made, was that the marital union was not longer referred to as “marriage” but as “the bond of matrimony”.

“The canon therefore only refers to the internal indissolubility of marriage, that is, the fact that a marriage cannot be dissolved ipso facto, neither in cases where one of the spouses has committed adultery, nor when spouses decide to divorce according to their own conscience. And the Council says nothing regarding the question of whether the Church can declare the dissolution of the marital bond or not.”

“According to La Civiltà Cattolica’s article, what the early Church meant by “indissolubility”, was the evangelical requirement that a marriage must not be broken and that a couple must follow the Lord’s teaching that “what God has joined together, man must not separate.” This was in contrast to the principles of civil law, which considered repudiation and divorce to be legitimate.

“ “And yet,” Fr. Pani observed, “it is possible even for a Christian to fail in his or her own marriage and for them to form another union; this sin, the same as any other sin, was not excluded from God’s mercy and the Church had and claimed the power to absolve a person from this sin. It was about showing mercy and applying pastoral indulgence, being sensitive to human fragility and sinfulness.

“The Eastern tradition kept this concept of mercy and renamed it oikonomia: although the Church recognizes the indissolubility of marriage proclaimed by the Lord, as a reflection of Christ’s union with the Church, His wife, in practice, it must deal with the problems experienced by spouses who face the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage. After the bishop has carefully considered a specific situation and after a period of penance, faithful may be reconciled, a second marriage may be declared valid and the individuals concerned may be readmitted to communion.” ”

This valuable article may be read from the beginning HERE.

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Josef Toufar, pray for us.

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Fr. Josef Toufar, Martyr

You may be unfamiliar with the holy martyr Father Josef Toufar of Číhošť in the Vysočina region of the former communist Czechoslovakia, but his is an extremely important story.  

His beatification and canonisation would be enormously important for sparking a greater renewal of the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic:

Links:

• Church starts process of beatifying “miracle” priest killed by Communists
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• Priest tortured to death over “miracle” could get decent burial 65 years later

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A Dominican Hymn

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From the relatively new Dominican Hymnarium.

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Solar Roadways — why not?

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Imagine if the churches used this technology on their car parks, parking lots, driveways, and roads.  It could power the needs of the churches and the excess could go to provide energy for those who do not have the means to purchase electricity.... The Indiegogo campaign for this is complete, but isn't it worth investigating?  Click here for the old Indiegogo page.

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