Vidi Aquam

Vidi Aquam

The Vidi Aquam as many may or may not know is the song for the rite of sprinkling of water before the High Mass on Sunday during the Easter season.

For some reason I can not get the Vidi Aquam chant out of my head.

I sing it day and night, it echoes through my brain

Vidi aquam egredientem de templo,
a latere dextro, alleluia:
et omnes, ad quos pervenit aqua ista,
salvi facti sunt, et dicent, alleluia, alleluia.

V. Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus:
R. Quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius.

V. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto:
R. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saculorum. Amen.

You can listen to this beautiful chant below:

He is Risen!

Happy Pasch everyone

Its been a interesting lent and I took a blogging break things are gearing up around here getting ready for baby #3 Seen to the left




Also here are some quick Pictures/Links of my local travels:

(note: Prayer at the location above was abruptly interrupted by a Loud Rock band playing from the basement)

We Also checked out the Ligurgy of St. Gregory at a local Orthdox parish for educational purposes.

We also prayed a very reverent Novus Ordo (as last time See old Post) where Greek was sung, incense was used, some latin including communion given in latin.

There were also rumors of a very nice liturgy of the presanctified on Good Friday at the St. Lawrence Catholic campus center in Lawrence. Including the prostration at the beginning of mass and latin used as well.

Holy Thursday was celebrated beautifully -as always - at Old St. Patrick's Oratory.

With the Solemnities of Solemnities upon us I have an urge to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his one true Church to other Ecclesiastic Communities , sitting down and talking scripture and prayer for their conversion, but of course with this feeling to spread the word about the Catholic church it is not without some reservation, as I have never really gone and knocked on doors for the faith so any suggestions would be helpful.

and last but not least I have come into some interesting books recently if anyone has any feedback on these titles put them in the combox.

Book Titles:

The Celebration of Mass I: General Rubrics of the Missal
The Celebration of Mass II: The Rite of Celebration of Low Mass
The Celebration of Mass III: The Rite of High Mass and Sung Mass
(By Rev. J. O'Connell)
The Sacred Ceremonies of Low Mass (By Rev. Felix Zualdi, C.M.)
The Splendour Of the Liturgy (By Maurice Zundel)


and a few others.

I will try and post more frequently also have another church to post so look for it soon.

My Visit to Mount St. Mary's Seminary

Hello from Baltimore Maryland, As stated in my last post I have been sent out east for travel, now there are many sights to see and places to visit in this area but with my work schedule I have been limited as far as being a Tourist goes.

There is a good friend of mine whom I have known since Kindergarten whom is enrolled in his second year of theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary and that is located in Emmittsburg MD. About 15min from the Pennsylvania Border. Since I was in the area about an hour away I decided to go pay my friend a visit for the first time in about Six years.

At the Mount I spoke with the Monsignor who was the rector, and we spoke of Catholic things, and the Moto Proprio, he said that he plans to start praying the traditional mass next semester so the students can see it and feel it, he said he would train any man who's bishop requested them to be trained in the extraordinary form, I find this interesting in light of THIS recent letter from the Pontifical commission Ecclesia Dei. But over all the Seminary was very good and Orthodox, I suppose it must be since Bishop Bruskewitz would send his men there.

Below are some pictures from "The Mount" As its called. I'm sorry they are not better but it was the best I can do at night

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Please pray for these fine young men that the Good lord will make them the best Priests that they can be and be the men that we deserve.

Holy Name - Winfield Kansas

Sorry for the Delay in posting my new job has kept my busy and has sent me yet on another trip. This time to the home of the former Crayola Crayon Factory town of Winfield Kansas.

This town is also home to Holy Name Catholic Church one of the prettiest parishes I have seen. The Parish is holding a 40 Hours Devotion starting on 02/15/2008

I stopped by in the morning before work to take the Exterior shots as by the time I got off work it would be too Dark.








When I returned after work the Church was completely Empty, and pitch black.



I kneel at the communion rail in silence, in darkness and prayed the rosary, I Prayed the sorrowful mysteries, The stained Glass windows around the curve of the sanctuary gave me an image for my eyes to gaze upon for each mystery.



Every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00pm there is a Mass held for the workers of Winfield in on the side altar .




Father Bernard Gorges (yes.. THAT Fr. Bernard Gorges who founded and started Totus Tuus) arrived in Cassock and Said the Mass, he was nice to put all the Lights on so I could snap a few quick shots for you.

Station XII

After Mass, I spoke with Fr. Gorges, he invited me to come listen to him start his first of 5 Sessions on "Spe Salvi", and he gave me some great insight and has encouraged me to finish reading the entire letter.


Please Pray for Fr. Gorges he is a Good and Holy Priest.

Next week... To Washington D.C.

Lent.. Its not just stuff you find in your pockets

Today, is the earliest possible date Ash Wednesday can come, To prepare for lent I would like to share with you a short Homily by Father Larry Richards.

You may or may not have heard of Father Larry Richards, Personally I can not get enough of him, His preaching style is energetic, vibrant,funny and orthodox.

Those in the Kansas City area can hear him on KEXS in the month of February Mondays and Fridays from 10:00AM to 11:00AM- and once again I Highly suggest you do.

His most powerful talk I have heard him give is called "What More Can he Do for you", I weep so deeply each time I listen to this talk. That talk and many others can Be ordered in CD, cassette or MP3 from his website: http://www.thereasonforourhope.org or if you are inclined you can make a donation.

Also the Mary Foundation Gives away 2 of his talks for free:

The Mass Explained [ordinary form]

Confession

both EXCELLENT, I highly recommend ALL of Fr. Larry's talks, He makes two promises to you when you listen to his Missions or Talks -

1. You will NEVER be bored and 2. Your Life will change forever

Here is his Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary time




I was fortunate enough to meet the Bishop that ordained him, A certain Bishop James C. Timlin of Scranton, Pa.

You may remember him from this Photo:

Tagged: Book Meme

I'm not Usually one to Respond or reply to Meme's but..... This one seemed Interesting and Rae over at Quo Vadis asked ever so Politely so I will play along:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

The Liturgy Of The Hours II Lenten Season - Easter Season
On Page 123 we find ourselves in the middle of "... a homily by Saint Asterius of Amasea, bishop"

"... What was the result? Those who had been God's enemies became his friends, those estranged from him became his sons, those who did not know him came to worship and love him. Let us then be shepherds like the Lord. ..."

Fitting for this blog eh?

So now I must do some Tagging we shall see who responds in kind-

1- The Timman @ St. Louis Catholic
2-YoungCatholicSTL @ YOUTH REFORM
3-Dusty @ Dust of the Time
4- Fr. Z @ WDTPRS
5-Paul @ Thoughts of a Regular Guy

Thanks Rae this was fun

One foot in hell and the other on a banana peel...

This upsetting story is found in full at The Telegraph.

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Sperm cells created from female embryo

Sperm cells have been created from a female human embryo in a remarkable breakthrough that suggests it may be possible for lesbian couples to have their own biological children...

[Right away the Irony that they are using EMBRYONIC stem cells to create sperm that they hope will create an embryo is not lost on me]

...It raises the possibility of lesbian couples one day having children who share both their genes as sperm created from the bone marrow of one woman could be used to fertilise an egg from her partner...

[Ya know.. there might be a NATURAL reason as to why no new life could come naturally out of same sex relationships, Maybe there is a way to reproduce the human species that would seem much more natural than bringing a scientist into the equasion... but naw... lets waste Millions of dollars on research to find alternate ways to Reproduce humans and then murder those embryos that are not wanted]

...Men and women differ because of what are called sex chromosomes. Both have an X chromosome. But only men possess a Y chromosome that carries several genes thought to be essential to make sperm, so there has been scepticism that female stem cells could ever be used to make sperm...

[You Think there would be a natural reason that a male is needed to reproduce but lets ignore the natural evidence too!]

“I think, in principle, it will be scientifically possible,” Prof Nayernia told New Scientist.

He said that he has applied for ethical approval from the university to use bone marrow stem cells from women to start experiments to derive female sperm...

However, Dr Robin Lovell-Badge, a stem cell and sex determination expert at the National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, doubts it will work: “The presence of two X chromosomes is incompatible with this. Moreover they need genes from the Y chromosome to go through meiosis. So they are at least double-damned.”

[Once again the Irony is not lost on me here... we could add a Third Dammed as well.. and thats the one that lasts forever]

If all these experiments pan out, then the stage would also be set for a gay man to donate skin cells that could be used to make eggs, which could then be fertilised by his partner’s sperm and placed into the uterus of a surrogate mother....

“I think it is possible,” says Kerkis, “but I don’t know how people will look at this ethically.”

[Oh really... You think it might be a problem?... These are suppose to be some of the smartest folks around and they are looking at the ethical issues AFTER the fact?]

The UK parliament is now debating changes to the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, and the government is under pressure to include an amendment that would allow the future use of eggs and sperm grown in the lab from stem cells.

However, a clause added to this amendment would restrict this to sperm from genetic males and eggs from genetic females.

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Lets do some extra penance this Lent.. this world is going to need it

Our Lady of the Most Precious Blood... Ora Pro Nobis...

From the Wha...File.....

As Reported from the A.P.

Burglar Steals Crown From Bishop's Car

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A burglar who broke into a Greek Orthodox bishop's car made off with quite a haul, but fencing one of the stolen items could prove difficult.

Among the items stolen from Bishop Metropolitan Isaiah's car was a jeweled crown of gold and silver, which Isaiah estimated to be worth between $6,000 and $10,000.

Isaiah, who is based in Denver and is bishop for the Northwest region of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, said he was dining with others at a restaurant when the break-in occurred. He said the car was parked in a well-lit spot.

"We came out at 10 o'clock, and the window was smashed," he said.

The burglar also made off with a copy of the New Testament, a veil, a cell phone and a black fabric bag. The bag had special meaning to the ex-Marine because it was given to him years ago by the widow of a fellow Marine.

Isaiah offered a reward of at least $1,000 if the crown is returned without damage.

"That was the first gift I received as a bishop 22 years ago," he said. "I feel lost without it."

At a vespers service Saturday night, he was the only priest with no head covering.

"I just hope and pray that those who took it will have a change of heart," he said.

Let us pray for our Orthodox Brothers that this thief returns The Bishops Miter.

From my Collection here are 2 Photos of Metropolitan Isaiah with and without Crown.

CROWN/ MITER :
























No Crown on his head but you can see it on the Altar In the Background:

Since its an Election Year....

With Osama Bin Bama in the area and Mrs. and Mr. Clinton trying to earn your vote, and since the Candidate that I feel would be the best for this country does not get the coverage he deserves. What is an ill informed voter to do?

Get the Catholic Answers "Voters Guide for Serious Catholic's"
this guide goes in depth and is sure to guide your conscience to make the best Catholic choice for this Election Year.

I am still undecided but I'm sure this guide will help me along, Our dear bishops at the USCCB has one as well but... well... um... its the USCCB... so I will concede to the Thumper rule in this case.

To Close I shall quote the New Catechism on this topic:

"Duties of civil authorities

2235 Those who exercise authority should do so as a service. "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant."41 The exercise of authority is measured morally in terms of its divine origin, its reasonable nature and its specific object. No one can command or establish what is contrary to the dignity of persons and the natural law.

2236 The exercise of authority is meant to give outward expression to a just hierarchy of values in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom and responsibility by all. Those in authority should practice distributive justice wisely, taking account of the needs and contribution of each, with a view to harmony and peace. They should take care that the regulations and measures they adopt are not a source of temptation by setting personal interest against that of the community.42

2237 Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged.

The political rights attached to citizenship can and should be granted according to the requirements of the common good. They cannot be suspended by public authorities without legitimate and proportionate reasons. Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human community."

Just a Peek at something special

(hint: Click to Enlarge)