FEAST OF ST. BENEDICT-POPULATION DAY
Matthew, Chapter 10, verse 28
And do not be afraid of those who
kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who
can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
We must be resilient in our faith to resist the devil and the suffering he inflicts by his influence on weak and sinful men. John McCain in his book Character is Destiny[1] points to the 16th President of the United States as a man who demonstrates for us the characteristic of RESILIENCE. Resilience is the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens. Abraham Lincoln had known loss and grief all his life yet rather that than succumb to defeat; he somehow, always found a way to rise back up. He was inarguable a man of action. Although he was known to have chronic depression he never yielded and, in some way, resurrected from his melancholic states thinking, “To remain as I am is impossible; I must die or be better.”
Lincoln rose to the highest office in the land after surviving a hard and poor childhood in the Indiana wilderness, a harsh father, little education, and deep loneliness. He survived the death of his brother, a sister, his mother, his first sweetheart, and his own children and his marriage to Mary Todd was troubled. As president he was considered dismal by most.
How
did Lincoln persist? He willed it. He was neither swift nor brilliant at work,
but he was exhaustive; he continued. His resilience sprang from his deep
conviction that America was, “the last, best hope of earth.” In the end he paid
for his devotion with his life; so that the government of the people, by the
people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.
Feast of Saint Benedict[2]
Saint Benedict was born in
Nursia in central Italy around the year 480. He was born to a noble family, and
after being homeschooled, he was sent to Rome to complete his education. The
teenaged Benedict was already turning toward the Lord, and when he went to Rome,
he was disappointed and dismayed by the lazy, extravagant ways of the other
young students. Benedict was born into a time of immense social upheaval. The
once grand Roman Empire was on its last legs. The ancient city of Rome was
crumbling due to decadence from within and attacks from without. Seventy years
before Benedict’s birth the city fell to the invasions of the barbarians. The
civil authority was in tatters, the city had been stripped of its grandeur, and
the Church herself was beset with corruption and theological arguments.
Benedict left the chaos of the city and sought a quiet place to study in the
mountains north of Rome. Near the town of Subiaco, he found a community of holy
men, and settled near them to pursue a life of prayer. Eventually Benedict was
asked to be the leader of the community. When that went wrong, he left to start
his own monastic community. One community soon grew to twelve, and to establish
these new communities on a sound foundation Benedict, wrote his simple Rule. We
mustn’t think of Benedict’s communities as the great monasteries that existed
in the Middle Ages. In the sixth century, Benedict’s small communities
consisted of perhaps twenty people. They scratched their living from the land
just like the other peasants with whom they lived. The only difference is that
Benedict’s monks observed celibacy, lived together and followed a disciplined life of prayer, work and study.
This simple, serious life was to prove a powerful antidote to the decadent
chaos of the crumbling Roman Empire. Saint Benedict died on March 21, 547.
After receiving Communion, he died with his arms outstretched, surrounded by
his brothers. He left behind a legacy that would change the world. The
monasteries became centers of learning, agriculture, art, and every useful
craft. In this way, without directly intending it, the monasteries deeply
affected the social, economic, and political life of the emergent Christian
Europe. The monastic schools formed the pattern for the later urban cathedral
schools, which in turn led to the founding of universities. In this way,
monasticism preserved and handed on the wisdom of both Athens and Jerusalem,
the foundations of Western civilization. It is for this reason that Saint
Benedict is named the patron of Europe. Benedict is a great figure in the
history of Western Europe, but his life and writings also give us a sure guide
for a practical spiritual life today. His practical Rule for monks in the sixth
century provides principles for Christian living that are as relevant and
applicable today as they have been for the last 1,500 years.
Things to do:
o
Practice the Liturgy of the Hours
Ora and Labora (Work
and Prayer)[3]
THE BENEDICTINE MONASTIC OFFICE
The Divine Office is at
the center of the Benedictine life. Through it the monk lifts heart and mind to
Almighty God, and uniting himself to his confreres, the Church and the entire
world in offering God praise and thanks, in confessing his sins, and in calling
on God for the needs of all people. The office punctuates the day of the monk;
like a leaven awakening his soul to make the entire day, indeed the whole of
life, a gift of the self to God. Praying the hours puts the monk into the real
world, sanctifying his whole life and assisting him toward his goal of
unceasing prayer –
Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus.
The Benedictine Office is
a rich collection of prayer that is based on the Rule of St. Benedict.
Historically it is distinct from the Roman Office – also recently called the Liturgy
of the Hours –
which, after the Second Vatican Council, was reshaped to simplify and make more
practical the prayer of the hours for the secular clergy, as well as the
religious who use it, and the laity who make it a part of their life of prayer.
In 1966 the Breviarium
Monasticum was the universal order of Divine Office for Benedictines. In that
year the monks were given a period of time for liturgical experimentation,
allowing each congregation of monasteries to adapt the tradition for its
particular use, under certain guidelines. To this day the Breviarium Monasticum
remains “official” and the time of experimentation is
still in effect. In that circumstance, communities are using various forms of
the Divine Office, and a few communities have even elected to take the new
Roman Office (Liturgy of the Hours) as a convenient guideline because of its
universal use among the secular clergy.
The following is a brief,
general description of the centuries old Benedictine tradition of prayer in
word and action. Reference is made occasionally to the Roman Office as another
point of reference. The structure of the Office described below and outlined is
according to the use at St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama.
|
Traditional
Monastic Hours |
New Roman
Office (Liturgy of the Hours) |
|
Matins (Vigils) |
Matins (Office of Readings) – any time of day |
|
Lauds |
Lauds (Morning Prayer) |
|
Prime |
Prime omitted in New Roman Office |
|
Terce |
Terce (Mid-Morning Prayer) |
|
Sext |
Sext (Mid-Day Prayer) |
|
None |
None (Mid-Afternoon Prayer) |
|
Vespers |
Vespers (Evening Prayer) |
|
Compline |
Compline (Night Prayer) |
MATINS (VIGILS)
After the last prayers of
the day, called Compline, there begins the grand silence lasting through the
night. Early the next morning, the monk awakes in the darkness, goes to the oratory
(church) and approaches God. At a signal he stands with his confreres and makes
the sign of the cross on his closed lips and sings “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth
shall proclaim your praise.”
Traditionally, according to the Holy Rule, this is sung three times, there
being a preference for three’s
in the liturgy for obvious reasons.
LAUDS
Sharing the same basic
structure, Lauds and Vespers are the “hinges” of the Divine Office, i.e., the
day opens and closes on them. The sun rises, light appears, and the day is born
as Lauds is being sung. The sun sets, light wanes and the day begins to die
away at Vespers. They are the natural and most important times of prayer.
THE LITTLE HOURS OF PRIME, TERCE, SEXT & NONE
These hours punctuate the
day between the hinge hours of Lauds (sunrise) and Vespers (sunset), calling
the monk to pray unceasingly, offering all of his day – his entire life – to God. The little hours bear only
slight resemblance to the others, and have always had a subordinate place in the
liturgy. Though Prime is now suppressed in the Roman Office, that does not affect
monastic prayer; some monasteries retain the hour.
VESPERS
Sung toward evening, Vespers
is the second of the two “hinge” hours. It is a service of praise,
but with a stronger accent on thanks for the day’s blessings. Vespers is often
related to the Eucharist because of its note of thanksgiving and its time of
day. In fact many of its psalms are Eucharistic, including those sung at the
Lord’s
Supper, the Hillel (Pss. 112-117), and the Gradual Psalms (119-133) sung by
pilgrims making their way to the Temple in Jerusalem. Four psalms, each with
its antiphon, are sung. Again, the structure is that of Lauds.
COMPLINE
After Vespers and just before
bedtime, Compline is prayed. While Vespers praises God as one looks in
gratitude at the day ending, Compline is the prayer of the person aware of his
weakness and sin, seeking the peace that is rest and protection in God. It is
St. Benedict’s composition,
and, unlike the other offices, it begins with no call to prayer but with a
blessing and with a Scripture passage that reminds all to be sober and watchful
in the face of evil. This is followed by an examination of conscience and an
act of contrition. We seem to join Christ in Gethsemane, and the themes of
darkness (evil), light (God), and sleep (death) predominate, and we pray for a
happy death. In contrition, petition and confidence, we cry out, “Do not forsake us, O Lord, our God.” Compline concludes with all
bidding “good
night” to the
Blessed Mother.
HISTORY AND THEME IN THE HOURS
|
Matins |
Anticipate the Resurrection and the Parousia. |
|
Lauds |
The Resurrection; praise. The Parousia. |
|
Sext |
Christ on the Cross; lead us not into temptation. |
|
Vespers |
Time of the Last Supper; thanksgiving. |
|
Compline |
Christ in Gethsemane; contrition, plea for protection. |
Christ
in the Desert-hours[4]
Sunday Schedule
4:00
a.m. – Vigils
(choral office in church) lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes.
6:00
a.m. – Lauds (in
church) followed by breakfast for guests from 6:30 to 7:10 am in the Guests
Breakfast Room.
8:45
a.m. – Terce (in
church) lasts about 10 minutes.
9:15
a.m. – Conventual
Mass (holy Eucharist) followed by refreshments in the Guest Reception Area.
11:30
a.m. – Sext (in
church) lasts about ten minutes, followed by Light Meal in the monastic
refectory, 11:45 to 12:30 P.M.
4:00
p.m. – None (in
church) lasts about ten minutes, followed by Main Meal in the monastic
refectory.
5:30
p.m. – Solemn
Vespers and Benediction (in church) lasts about 45 minutes.
7:30
p.m. – Compline
(in church) lasts about 15 minutes, followed by Nightly Silence.
Daily Schedule
4:00
a.m. – Vigils
(choral office in church) lasts about one hour.
5:30
a.m. – Lauds (in
church) lasts about thirty minutes followed by Mass. Breakfast for guests in
the Guest Breakfast Room from 5:00 – 7:45 A.M.
8:45
a.m. – Terce (in
church) lasts about ten minutes.
9:00
a.m. – Work
meeting for guests outside the Gift Shop. Work for All.
12:40
p.m. – End of work
period.
1:00
p.m. – Sext (in
church) lasts about ten minutes, followed by main meal in the monastic
refectory.
2:00
p.m. – None (in
church) lasts about ten minutes.
5:20
p.m. – Exposition
and Eucharistic Adoration (in Church).
5:50
p.m. – Vespers (in
church) lasts about thirty minutes.
6:20
p.m. – Light meal
until 6:50 P.M. in the monastic refectory.
7:30
p.m. – Compline
(in church) lasts about fifteen minutes, followed by nightly silence.
Let Freedom Ring-Day 3 “Freedom
from Predation”
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
At a word from you the devil and his
minions flee in terror.
You are the source of all truth. You are
the source of all strength.
By the power of your Cross and
Resurrection, we beseech you, O Lord; To extend your saving arm and to send
your holy angels
To defend us as we do battle with Satan and
his demonic forces.
Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses
your Bride, The Church,
So that within ourselves, our families, our
parishes, our dioceses, and our nation; We may turn fully back to you in all
fidelity and trust. Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done.
Give us the perseverance for this mission,
we pray.
Amen
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception ... pray for us
St. Joseph ... pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel ... pray for us
(the patron of your parish) ... pray for us
(your confirmation saint) ... pray for us
"Freedom from Predation"
by Fr. Bill Peckman
The Devil is the ultimate predator. St. Peter warns his readers, "Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) The devil is always looking for any opening in which he can pounce and destroy. He uses everything from occult practices to our concupiscence (our predilection to sin) to gain a beachhead. He will also teach us how to follow him as predators ourselves.
We live in a society that encourages predation. From the mobster who shakes down the local merchant for protection to the sex trafficker and pornographer to the predatory interest charged in so many loans to the endless scams used to bilk people out of money to the common bullying (cyber and otherwise) to those engaged in domestic violence, our society is full of predators looking for their mark; looking for their next meal. Many hide behind the cover of darkness, anonymity, or even behind the law.
Our Church has been rocked over the past half century by predation. The most obvious examples have stemmed from the scandals in which clerics preyed on their own flocks for sexual gratification, heinously even preying on the lambs of their flock. Others have preyed on their flock through financial malfeasance by defrauding their parishes or dioceses of funds. Many are also complicit in withholding from their flocks the means by which to stave off predation. In abandoning their flocks to the wolves, they are every bit as guilty as the wolves they allowed access to their flocks.
Certainly, we can extend these behaviors to the most basic building block of the Church known as the domestic church or the family. In these places we can see domestic violence, molestation, and other nefarious abuses of power that have their roots in the diabolic. From all levels of the Church the demonic mimicking of the predatory behaviors of the Devil must be purged.
All predatory behavior stems from selfishness: its needs or wants are so very important that any and all means to satisfy them must be done. For a predator, its satiation is of far greater value than your happiness, security, or life. While a predator may be infatuated by their prey, they cannot love their prey for they mean to eventually destroy their prey or discard their prey when they have taken all they want. What force could possibly stand up against such an insatiable beast?!
We look to Christ the Good Shepherd for our answer! Christ does not prey on His flock. No, He places Himself between His flock and that which would destroy His flock. He stands in that breech, sacrificing Himself for the salvation of the flock. Jesus tells us, "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep" (John 10:11). Why? Because He loves them. You cannot love someone and prey on them at the same time. Hence, the virtue we cultivate to conquer any and all desires to be a predator is the theological virtue of love. Love, divine love (or agape) is completely selfless. Instead of focusing on one's own desires and satiation, one instead looks to the good of others even when in doing so incurs suffering or sacrifice. Love, because it is of God, chases away the devil and his minions. It helps us to, as St. Paul says of himself, to be 'poured out like an oblation' (II Timothy 4:6)
Prayer of Reparation
My Lord and my God, we have allowed the
temptation of the devil to move our hearts to prey on those we deem weaker or
disposable. We have stilled our tongues in the face of such evil. We have been
too fearful to stand out in our culture, allowing selfish desires to suffocate
your love that is to dwell within us. In our fear, we have allowed the ancient
foe to advance. We turn to you Lord, in our sorrow and guilt, and beg your
forgiveness for our selfishness and silence. We beg for the grace of your
goodness to teach us to shepherd rightly those you place in our care and
the courage to stand in the breech between them and the demonic. Help us to
love as you love. We know, Lord, if you will it, it will be done. Trusting in
you, we offer our prayer to you who live and reign forever.
Amen.
Prayer of Exorcism
Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Response to the following: Pray for
us.
Heart of Mary
Heart of Mary, after God's own Heart
Heart of Mary, in union with the Heart of Jesus
Heart of Mary, the vessel of the Holy Spirit
Heart of Mary, shrine of the Trinity
Heart of Mary, home of the Word
Heart of Mary, immaculate in your creation
Heart of Mary, flooded with grace
Heart of Mary, blessed of all hearts
Heart of Mary, Throne of glory
Heart of Mary, Abyss of humbleness,
Heart of Mary, Victim of love
Heart of Mary, nailed to the cross
Heart of Mary, comfort of the sad
Heart of Mary, refuge of the sinner
Heart of Mary, hope of the dying
Heart of Mary, seat of mercy
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of
the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of
the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of
the world,
Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of
heart.
Conform our hearts to the heart of Jesus.
Let us pray:
O most merciful God, who for the salvation
of sinners and the refuge of the wretched, has made the Immaculate Heart of
Mary most like in tenderness and pity to the Heart of Jesus, grant that we, who
now commemorate her most sweet and loving heart, may by her merits and
intercession, ever live in the fellowship of the hearts of both Mother and Son,
through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source:
Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman. Published in From Parochial and Plain
Sermons. c 1997, San Francisco: Ignatius Press
World Population Day[5]
World
Population Day seeks to draw attention to issues related to a growing global
population. The world's population as of April 2016, is over 7.4 Billion.
The world's population is rapidly surging with birth rates on the rise
and life expectancy increases. Over the last century, between 1916 and
2012, global life expectancy more than doubled from 34 to 70 years while world
population has quintupled from 1.5 billion to 7.3 billion between 1900 and 2016.
In 1989, the United Nations designated July 11th as World
Population Day in an effort to garner attention for population issues and
crises such as displaced people, rights and needs of women and girls and population safety on a global
level. With an ever-growing world population, World Population Day serves to
highlight the challenges and opportunities of this growth and its impact on
planet sustainability, heavy urbanization, availability of health care and youth empowerment.
Catholic Population Principles[6]
In order to provide a
moral perspective, we affirm the following principles derived from the social
teaching of the Church.
1. Within the limits of
their own competence, government officials have rights and duties with regard
to the population problems of their own nations—for instance, in the matter of
social legislation as it affects families, of migration to cities, of
information relative to the conditions and needs of the nation. Government's
positive role is to help bring about those conditions in which married couples,
without undue material, physical or psychological pressure, may exercise
responsible freedom in determining family size.
2. Decisions about
family size and the frequency of births belong to the parents and cannot be
left to public authorities. Such decisions depend on a rightly formed
conscience which respects the divine law and takes into consideration the
circumstances of the places and the time. In forming their consciences, parents
should take into account their responsibilities toward God, themselves, the
children they have already brought into the world and the community to which
they belong, "following the dictates of their conscience instructed about
the divine law authentically interpreted and strengthened by confidence in
God."
3. Public
authorities can provide information and recommend policies regarding population,
provided these are in conformity with moral law and respect the rightful
freedom of married couples.
4. Men and women
should be informed of scientific advances of methods of family planning
whose safety has been well proven and which are in accord with the moral law.
5. Abortion,
directly willed and procured, even if for therapeutic reasons, is to be
absolutely excluded as a licit means of regulating births.
Daily
Devotions
·
Saturday
Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
·
Trust in God in the midst of troubles.
·
Offering to the
sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1] McCain, John and Salter, Mark. (2005) Character is destiny. Random
House, New York
[3] https://stbernardabbey.com/the-divine-office/
[4]https://christdesert.org/visiting/daily-schedule/
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