Those Crazy Ears of Mine!

Sunday at Mass, I overheard two individuals speaking behind me. My crazy ears heard what they said, and sent the message to my sometimes speculative mind. Here's the crux of the situation and conversation. An individual who was not familiar with Catholic teaching was a guest. The host, when it came time for The Liturgy of the Eucharist said, "Alright, now this is the most important part of the Mass." I physically collapsed, and an ambulance had to come and get me...just kidding, lol...hey, we've always got to to have a good laugh.

Saint Jerome translating mostly Greek texts into Latin

        This particular Roman Catholic, although intent good, might need 20 minute refresher course on what the Liturgy is, and that is ok; the liturgy is a public response of faith and love from the created to the Creator. In our responses of gladness, we include, prior to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, what is called "The Liturgy of the Word." This word, Sacred Scripture, is such an important part of our prayer public, and when we go to our rooms each day or night for private prayer. When we reflective on the Word of God with mind and soul, beauty appears. God Almighty, send down Your Spirit and inspire faithful everywhere always to listen and respond attentively to what You have revealed through Sacred Scripture. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Christmastide's close in the West

From Ravenna, Italy

          Today is the last day of this season of Christmas. Oh, the joys we have celebrated, and Christmas lights in the Western Church still burn untill this evening. Today is a continuation of the Epiphany, the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. John the Baptist, our faithful and trusted friend, sees the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove; but his vision shows only glimpse of the essence of the Holy Trinity. His words, however, echo another element of the the things to which God is calling us. Action. Action to treat each individual with dignity and respect because that paticular person is called to the same heavenly home as you and me.: "I baptized you with water; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mk: 1: 7-11)
         Heavenly Father,we thank you for your gifts and blessings. May all hearts open generously to Your Spirit, and increase in faith, hope, and love of Your offering, Eternal Life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen. 

The Epiphany

Today, North American Roman Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. It is a day of mindsets transfigured from focus on the worries and grinds of this life to the hope, stillness, peace and joy found in Heaven's Treasures. New realizations occur: all peoples have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit caring for them deeply right now. Stony, earthly hearts are transformed into hearts full of God's giving Spirit ( Ez 36:24-28).
       Jesus Christ, no darkness can overshadow Your light. Amen. 

  

   A tradition on The Epiphany in the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as other Eastern Churches, is to have the option to dunk yourself three times in ice cold water, feeling all over the cleansing and renewing power of The Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ( Don't try this at home, lol, there are trained rescuers on site to make sure this guy doesn't drown!)

The Epiphany is called the Theophany in the East.

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, today is the Sabbath, and tomorrow is the Lord's Day.  Yesterday, the sixth day of the week, God created man.  In our weakness,we turned from abundant life in The Garden of Eden. God, though he was not required to do so, initiated on the sixth day Paschal  ( the Greek word for "saving") actions, by granting, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Our Lord Jesus the courage to go through with The Father's plans.
        He died, so that we might live. Rather than accepting Abraham's sacrifice of Issac for the remission of humanity's sins and our potential not to trust in things unseen, God Almighty, in His goodness and in the fullness of time, sent flesh Incarnate, His Son, to be the only acceptable sacrifice and bridge back to Eternal Life. In our weekly memorials to God's saving work, Joseph of Arimathea, along with Mary Magdalene, and Mary the Mother of God had  already buried Jesus at  midday Saturday.
        Saturday, the Sabbath, is a period of waiting and of great hope. It is a day of Passover.  We remember that Jesus laid in the tomb from just before sundown Friday to the end of Saturday. Christians wait for that glorious day, Sunday, the day that God created the Earth, resurrected His Son from the dead, ascended to heaven ( in the United States at least)  and sent the Holy Spirit to remain with the human race. Our great hope is Sunday, the pinnacle day of the Christian Liturgical calender. Today we anticipate with great hope and love. Tomorrow we rejoice in the light and life to come.
        God Almighty, through Your Son's Life, Death, and Resurrection, may faithful everywhere recognize Your presence and grace with them from night to night and day to day. We ask this through Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.  

Draw near to me, Paschal actions of God!

Fr. Jean Corbon, OP  ( Order of Preachers, known also as the Dominican Religious Order) taught me a lot. He helped me understand three very important days within the Christian faith tradition.  They are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The meanings of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday's establish and maintain our identity as human brothers and sisters, open our hearts to the spirit of God and  allow us to recognize the imperfection of this life.

Here is a brief explanation of how Fridays affect spiritual life in Christian Tradition and their significance in Christian Theology.

Christ Jesus died that we might live on a Friday ( the day before the Sabbath). In turn, we draw closer to experiencing The Paschal Mystery through aligning our actions similarly to Jesus' actions on Good Friday. Perhaps we abstain from meat; perhaps we sit quietly in front of a crucifix for fifteen minutes; perhaps we say ten Our Fathers verbally in our room. All these actions are to remind us that we unable to gain Eternal Life for ourselves, that Jesus defeated death once and for all ( and thus we should not fill our lives with worry, regret, and guilt). The Second Person of the Holy Trinity has borne these things for us; through his Passion and Cross He has taken these from our shoulders. Our actions in memorial to Jesus' life-giving Way of the Cross remind us that indeed this world is passing, and guiding our eyes to our Heavenly permanent Home is in truth fruitful. 

Looks of Love and Receptivity

Above is a picture of John the Evangelist. Note his facial expression; to me it is a look of love.  May  individuals everywhere, Lord, develop their own looks of love and receptivity towards You and their neighbors. Amen.

Brother Peter Zhou

Peter Zhou Bang-Jiu is a monk of Saint Andrew's Monastery in Southern California. He originally  professed vows at Chengdu Monastery in Sichaun China. Begining in Nov. 1955, Peter spent

over 23 years detained by Communist authorities, including two years of solitary confinment. Here is an exerpt of a talk he gave on the 50th aniversery of profesed

vows in the year 2000:

I was very often criticized and struggled against in big and small sessions, but I had never been totally overthrown, nor had abandoned my principles, nor departed from my correct position. I was once beaten black and blue, but still resolutely refused to hold or read Mao ZeDung's "Quotations"


Before his arrest, near his father's home, on a high dike, Peter composed this prayer: "Merciful and Almighty God, You are able to help me respond continuously and very soon soon realize Your religious vocation granted me as a favor. If you let me become a fish temporarily, I would swim with the current to Chonqing, then into the Yangtze; I would pass through Nanjing and Shanghai, enter the East Sea, turn southward to Taiwan. Having retrieved my library there, I would finally reach Belgium and resume my monastic life in the Motherhouse!"


Monks from Saint Andre's/Zevenkerken  in Belgium founded Chengdu Monastery in the 1920s.

St. Andrew's in California was founded by the Belgian monks asked to leave China by The People's Republic of China. The monks in California prayed each night at Night Prayer for Brother Peter and for Father Paul Ou, who, in 1960, died in an earthly, East Asian prison.

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