Exultet

Holy Saturday

Holy Friday

Holy Thursday

"Would to God that they which now exercise us were converted and exercised with us! Yet, while they are as they are, and exercise us, we will not hate them: for we know not of any one of them whether he will endure to the end in his sin. Yea, oftentimes, when thou deemest that thou hatest thine enemy, he whom thou hatest is thy brother, and thou knowest it not. The Holy Scriptures show us that the devil and his angels are already damned unto everlasting fire, and therefore of their repentance it behoveth us to despair; but of theirs only. These are they against whom we wrestle within; to the which wrestling the Apostle stirreth us up where he saith: We wrestle not against flesh and blood, (that is, not against men whom we see,) but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. He saith not the rulers of this world, lest perchance thou shouldest deem that devils are the lords of heaven and earth; what he doth say is, rulers of the darkness of this world, of that world which they love who love the world, of that world wherein the ungodly and unrighteous do prosper, of that world, in fine, of which the Gospel saith: And the world knew Him not."

-St. Augustine, Fifth Reading at Matins for Holy Thursday

Holy Week in Seville, 1955

Don't Forget Death

“I wish you many years — but not for them to be too happy, because happiness in the world isn’t really so healthy. When a man is too happy in this world, he forgets God and forgets death.”

-St. Paisios of Mount Athos

Dean Elgar's brilliant first day in the third test against Australia

Praise the Lord - Sergei Rachmaninov

Suffering

"Suffering is the most daring apostle of all time. It silently preaches Christ, for wherever the word of the Gospel does not enter, there is the cry of suffering. Wherever the apostolic voice is not heard, the groan of suffering is heard. Wherever a priest cannot enter, there is sorrow, and whatever a priest cannot do, suffering does.

He who was a stranger to the Church before this now asks about it. He who laughed at a priest now humbles himself and looks for him. He who had no time to pray now calls upon God day and night. He who did not open the door to Christ now opens it to the poor. He who did not hear the church bells now, chased by the sorrows of life permitted for him by God in moderation, now always hurries to church, opens its door, and crosses its threshold with wholehearted faith…

How great the benefit of suffering is in Christianity! Moreover, suffering is often sent to a man as an atoning penance for his sins. He who does not turn to repentance through suffering, abiding in happiness and satisfaction, can never be saved."

-Sermon for Third Sunday of the Great Lent

The Flag of the Cristeros

May the Theotokos and all of the martyrs of Mexico, pray for us!

Rich in Virtue

The only true riches are those that make us rich in virtue. Therefore, if you want to be rich, beloved, love true riches. If you aspire to the heights of real honor, strive to reach the kingdom of Heaven. If you value rank and renown, hasten to be enrolled in the heavenly court of the Angels.

-Pope St. Gregory the Great

Battlefield

"The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there and the battlefield is the heart of man."

-Fyodor Dostoevsky