A Wondrous Epiphany.........3: " The first four joys"

Epiphany Eve:

This brought the first two of my Epiphany joys: Father Mark's Vultus Christi post asking us to pray the Eucharistic Novena with him, and the fact that Mark Miles had posted the Epiphany 'treat' on both my blogs. As to the first, I printed it off so that it would be ready for the next day and was particularly taken by the painting of St. Peter Julian Eymard with St. John Vianney. (May I encourage anyone who does not already know it, to visit here, the site of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, which is the order founded by St. Peter Julian.) As to the second I was particularly happy with the way the choice of 'The Three Kings' video worked when viewed alongside the Vatican Christmas tree in the sidebar of the Oasis. At midnight, according to the tradition in this household, the Shepherds were safely put away in their storage box for another year, and replaced by the Magi.

A 'white' Epiphany Morning: The third joy


It was snowing heavily when I got up and judging from the view from the library window had been doing so for some time. Later as I sat at my desk preparing to join the Holy Father's Mass on kto tv, snow, and the soft silence it always produces, filled the world outside the French windows, stretching across the garden and away over the fields and the woodland on the crest of the hill beyond them. Outside the windows, and under the shelter of a garden table, our solitary resident blackbird, pecked at the fragments of food the cats had left on their breakfast plates. The cats themselves had retreated to the warmth of their 'roosts' in one of the outbuildings, and so he pecked in safety.


That profound silence permeated the house too. It was the perfect atmosphere in which to prepare for Mass.


The Holy Father's Mass: The fourth joy

As regular readers know, because of our geographical situation, I do not get to Mass very often. The Holy Father's televised Masses are not just a bonus to me. They are a spiritual lifeline. In the fifteen years that our bishop has held his see, I have never seen him, nor his predecessor for that matter; we do not have a parish priest anymore. In a very real sense, Pope Benedict, thanks to the Internet, has become both my Bishop and my Parish Priest as well as my beloved Holy Father. He teaches and he feeds by precept and example. Daily, I thank God that Pope Benedict is encouraging us to make full and best use of modern communications, and indeed is endeavouring to do so himself. And by so doing, together with him we become the leaven in the loaf which counteracts so much evil that is perpetrated on the Internet.

I cannot possibly go through his Epiphany Mass in detail. That cannot be encompassed here. But I will share a few thoughts. Firstly, it was a vast relief to see that security has obviously been tighttened since Christmas Eve. Not just the wider nave, but many more 'men in black' flanking the papal procession in and out of St. Peter's, and these men were studying the crowd with increased vigilance. It was clear too that the Holy Father was not prepared to be separated from his flock and went several times, both left and right, to shake outstretched hands, bless and kiss babies, all the time wreathed in smiles. One did not need to be told afterwards that security had been improved. One could see it with one's own eyes and so we were able to enter into the Mass at peace and with almost completely conquered anxiety.

Father Tim was at this Mass and has posted about it on his blog. He reports that he sensed an increased reverence in response to the Holy Father's Mass, compared with what it was like the last time he was there. I don't think he says that the earlier occasion was in this pontificate or the previous one, but as someone who first discovered kto tv when the Pope visited France, I can vouch for the fact, even as a mere viewer, that this sense of the sacred has always been there with Benedict. From the very moment he approaches the altar, he draws us in, he takes us with him into the central liturgical mystery and act of our Faith. It is to begin to live in another, a heavenly reality. His total focus is on what he is about to do, and therefore it becomes the total focus of all present. This happens at his every Mass including the Epiphany just past. (I noticed that even the Sistine boys, who were terribly and distractingly fidgety last year, seem to have acquired increased stillness and concentration.)

It's my habit to jot down any particular spiritual reactions that occur whilst I am enwrapped in these Masses. This year at the Epiphany Gospel I wrote: "Every time you visit the Blessed Sacrament, fall on your knees, and do Him homage as the kings did, and then open to Him whatever treasures you have in your heart."

Then the homily: This of course can be found on many sites, but here I would like to state my humble appreciation of our Holy Fathe's preaching and catechesis. The story is always the same, but 'ever and anew' he finds a fresh, challenging and invigorating way to express it, to really bring it alive for us. However long Pope Benedict remains with us I will always treasure one of his characteristic gestures when preaching and teaching us. He will gesture with his right hand as if holding a many faceted jewel. This he does whilst turning one of those innumerable facets to the light.

Then the Canon: Here, if we follow our Holy Father, we enter the realm of contemplation and that is all I dare say about it tonight.

There are only two things that hurt in the reaction of other people at the Holy Father's Masses, but they do not in anyway diminish my joy in being 'present' at them, nor indeed at this one. Therefore, I will save them until a later date.

I must rest now but will return as soon as possible with the remainder of my Epiphany joys this year.

A Wondrous Epiphany in St. Romain and in my heart 2: "The Journey to Epiphany"

My goodness me, that was a nerve-wracking few hours! Thanks to Mark (see previous post) for holding the fort and to his Mum for her calming influence and kindness when I phoned for Mark's help and he was out! He returns to work tomorrow. Please pray for him and his Mum.

I think some of you must have answered his plea for prayers because I eventually solved the problem and won't bore you with details. His quote from Robert Burns was apt, but it's second line, in this case was proved wrong:
"And leave us nought but grief and pain for promised joys'"
Well I had a taste of the grief and pain for a while, but the promised joy is unabated. This I am determined to share with you tomorrow if the Lord wills, but it is late now, so I will leave you with the words of my favourite English Epiphany hymn, handed on to me, like so much else that I love in English Literature and hymnody, by my father. Its words and tune always come into my mind after December 31st and I intended them to be part of my next post in any case. I was looking for a YouTube rendition when the 'crash' occurred. Will continue the search tomorrow.

BRIGHTEST AND BEST ARE THE SUNS OF THE MORNING

Brightest and best are the suns of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining;
Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all!

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
Odours of Edom and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?

Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gifts would His favour secure;
Richer by far is the heart's adoration,
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Words: Richard Heber 1783-1826
Tune: Joseph F. Thrupp 'Epiphany', 1853

A demain DV.
God bless you for your patience.

Machina Diaboli

There is a saying here in Scotland, "the best laid plans o' mice and men, gang aft agley" (are oft to go astray).

Sadly, Jane's computer has taken a diabolical whim of its own and seems out of action for the near future. Jane is the main contributor to this blog, so you will all have to bear with us for a while.

Though it be a material concern, please storm the Gates of Heaven, for a swift recovery to the machine!

A Wondrous Epiphany in St. Romain and in my heart: 1

Late this afternoon, I was just about to begin this post when a phone call from a friend necessitated an abrupt change of plan. She had been due to take me shopping early tomorrow morning but weather conditions made her feel if would be safer to go today. Ten minutes later we were en route to the Supermarche 12km away. The meteo has promised us freezing fog overnight and indeed it began on the return jouney. The roads are likely to be dangerous tomorrow morning so my friend was wise to go in today.

I will write the post after supper. The afternoon's disruption has not disturbed my especial joy in today's Solemnity and I do want to explain it.

An Epiphany Treat

A treat for Epiphany: The Three Kings (Cornelius), King's College Cambridge, 1997:

Eucharistic Novena: January 6-14 begins tomorrow

Please use link above the Holy Father's picture in sidebar right. This will lead you to background information and the text of the Novena itself.

Thanks to Father Mark for alerting me this. I hope many of you will spot it and join me in praying it with him.

+ Tempus Epiphaniae +

Introitus: "Ecce Advenit":

(image: Rembrandt, Adoration of the Magi, 1632;
video: Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis, Milan, Italy)

Spiritual Mothers and Friends: Something important for your consideration and prayers....

At least it has become increasingly important to me, and I think it may be to you too.

THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (LORETO)

My husband and I pray this Litany every night after the Holy Rosary and we conclude with the singing of the 'Sub tuum praesidium' . Ever since Pope Benedict announced the Year of the Priest, during the Litany, I have felt something is missing from it. That may seem an arrogant and terrible thing to say. But every night it comes to me that there should be a plea for the intercession of Mary as the Mother and Queen of Clergy. Some nights I have even privately and silently inserted it and then wondered if I'm allowed to do such a thing. But the desire to have such a petition made official has become so strong, that I believe it should be instituted and be enshrined there forever. I cannot remember when I first thought I may have the temerity to write to the Holy Father about this, but the impulse has been there for a long time. As yet, I have not written to him, but the impulse grows daily, particularly I think because of everything that assualts the priesthood worldwide and daily and which I read about on various sites, not to mention how these things are affecting my own dear friends and 'sons' in the priesthood.

I have at last determined to write that letter. I want to ask the Holy Father to insert this petition into the Litany at the end of the Year for Priests, if not before. I will do it anyway, but would be so glad if you would let me know that in this request, I have the backing of all Spititual Mothers who are known to me. I will do it within the coming week. In the meantime the combox is open. PLEASE USE IT.

All the above being said, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that the Holy Father has already decided to do this.

God bless you all.

+ Tempus Nativitatis +

(Tissot's Journey of the Magi)

"Tu es Petrus", a New Year Video with music by Maestro Bartolucci

Mgr. Maestro B was 'put out to grass' after Vatican II but is still alive, in his nineties I think, and is enjoying something of a comeback, probably thanks to 'you know who'.

The video has lots of texts from documents of several Popes including Benedict XVI. At least two of these I spotted mentioned the Year of the Priest and/or were addressed to priests. These texts are all in Italian but the pictures tell the story - I think it's called 'The Hermeneutic of Continuity'! The 'Tu es Petrus' is superb to my ear. (Normally I'm a Chant/Renaissance Polyphony girl.) But the Maestro's setting is a majestic, substantial treatment of the text and suits this video tribute, not only to Pope Benedict and the preoccupations of his pontificate, but to the Papacy itself. Hope you enjoy it.