Præfatio Paschalis cantatur a Sanctissimo Pio XII

Lillee v. West Indies on Australia Day

From days better than today before the bastardization of the game via the proliferation of T20.  Test cricket will always be the real form of the game in which a man learned the key virtues; namely, courage, fortitude and patience.  Accept no alternatives.

Tests

“A man obtains the fear of God if he has the remembrance of his unavoidable death and of the eternal torments that await sinners; If he tests himself every evening as to how he has spent the day, and every morning as to how he has spent the night, and if he is not sharp in his relations with others.”

-St. Dorotheos of Gaza

The Grandness of Eternity

How many people before us have lived lives of joy, sorrow and experienced the deep mystery of the human condition?  Where are they now?  How about us?  Where we will go when our time is up?  How about those who come after us?

We should always remember Eternity in even the most mundane affairs of  our lives.  For what is this life but a delusion and a test? 

Restless Person

“A talkative, over-curious, and restless person is like an oven which is open and exposed on all sides, and which keeps no heat; you will never enjoy the sweetness of a quiet prayer unless you shut your mind to all worldly desires and temporal affairs."

-St. Norbert

The Vision to the Youth Bartholomew

Ethiopia's Chapel in the Sky

The Departure

One day, we will have to make the Departure.  When the Hour comes, our bodies will stay in the same place however our souls will depart and have the Meeting of Meetings.

Mystical Experience

“If the mystical experience is a personal working out of the content of the common faith, theology is an expression, for the profit of all, of that which can be experienced by everyone.  Outside the truth kept by the whole Church personal experience would be deprived of all certainty, of all objectivity.  It would be a mingling of truth and falsehood, of reality and of illusion: ‘mysticism’ in the bad sense of the word.  On the other hand, the teaching of the Church would have no hold on souls if it did not in some degree express an inner experience of truth, granted in different measure to each one of the faithful.  There is, therefore, no Christian mysticism without theology; but, above all, there is no theology without mysticism.”

– Vladimir Lossky

Abba Zacharius

When Abba Zacharius was on the point of dying, Abba Moses asked him: "What do you see?" And Abba Zacharias replied, "Is it not better to say nothing, father?" "Yes, my child," said Abba Moses, "it is better to say nothing."

-The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Paradise

”Paradise is the love of God, wherein is the enjoyment of all blessedness.”

-St. Isaac the Syrian 

Sodom and Gomorrah

Everyday it seems like things are getting worse here in the United States.  This place is truly the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.  When I walk out of my house, I am instantly hit with the immodesty of women, the disgusting sexual music we are forced to hear in public places and countless other offenses against God.  Thankfully I live in a area with a large number of Muslims so a lot of this is curbed however it is still present amongst the others.

I feel nothing but pity for my fellow Americans.  They are like stray dogs on the streets looking for a home.  Oh Lord, please guide these poor misguided humans, of which I am of the worst, into Paradise.

Fear of God

"When a man walks in the fear of God he knows no fear, even if he were to be surrounded by wicked men. He has the fear of God within him and wears the invincible armor of faith. This makes him strong and able to take on anything, even things which seem difficult or impossible to most people. Such a man is like a giant surrounded by monkeys, or a roaring lion among dogs and foxes. He goes forward trusting in the Lord and the constancy of his will to strike and paralyze his foes. He wields the blazing club of the Word in wisdom."

-St. Simeon the New Theologian

Боже, Царя храни!

Aspiration

"The soul that really loves God and Christ, though it may do ten thousand righteousnesses, esteems itself as having wrought nothing, by reason of its insatiable aspiration after God.  Though it should exhaust the body with fastings, with watchings, its attitude towards the virtues is as if it had not yet even begun to labour for them."

-St. Marcarius the Great 

The Glory of Chant

 

Psalm 135

Temba Bavuma: A Century in the Making

St. Benedict

For those of us who pray the traditional Benedictine Office, yesterday was the feast day of our Holy Father Benedict.  St. Benedict actually has two feast days however the first falls during Lent (March  21) where the monks are obviously not able to celebrate the Holy Founder with the greatest of celebrations so we are given a second chance to celebrate him on the 11th of July. 

I was especially moved at Antiphon at the Magnificat during Vespers,

"O pattern of heavenly life, our guide and teacher Benedict, whose soul is now rejoicing with Christ in heaven: protect thy flock, dear shepherd, and by thy holy prayer support them; with thyself as leader showing that brightened way, make them enter the heavens."

Wonderful Croatia!

The Catholics are in the World Cup Final!

Hostiles Medley

 
  "The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer.  It has never yet melted.”

My favorite film of 2018.  I went to the theaters to watch it the first week it came out in January and I was utterly blown away.  The cinematography is magnificent, the actors are sublime and the plot is incredibly moving.  One of the best films I have ever seen!

Pope St. Pius V

Towards the Good

"When you want to direct someone toward the good, first put him at peace bodily and honor him with words of love. For nothing inclines such a man to shame and induces him to cast of his vice and be changed for the better as do bodily goods and honor, which he sees in you. Then, with love tell him a word or two, and do not be inflamed with anger toward him. Do not let him see any cause of enmity toward you. For love does not know how to lose its temper."

-St. Isaac the Syrian 

Patriarch Gregory III Laham

The Patriarch was the leader of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 2000 to 2017. 

Heat and Relief

Today, here in the Los Angeles area, we have been dealt with incredibly warm weather.  The high temperature in Anaheim was 114 degrees which is 46 degrees Celsius!  In the midst of the heat, I did several things to try to cool myself down however the effects of such acts were quite transient since the oppressive heat won every single time.

I was reminded of two verses from St. Luke,

"And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."

If I find this heat unbearable, how will I deal with the torment of torments?

Love Much

“The important thing is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love.”

-St. Teresa of Avila

Forgive us, Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Worlds

We are all alone before God.  On the Day of Judgment, our knowledge will not help us.  Our friendships with the world will not help us.  Our human successes will not help us.

The only thing that will help us is our faith in God, His Church, and our good works.  Our hearts, our hearts, we will bring our hearts before God.

We should fear the Day of Judgment.  My sins are grand however my trust is in God's mercy.  What are we without His mercy?  His mercy is the only thing we have.

May the Lord forgive us.  May He forgive us for our sins.  For our indifference.  For our presumption.  Forgive us, Lord.

Lord, have mercy on me.  I will meet you soon yet I have nothing to show you but my sins.  Forgive me, my beloved God.  If You leave me, what will I have?

Who is more beloved than our Beloved Christ?  Does not His face give us a unique joy to our souls that cannot be provided by anyone else? When He reveals Himself to us, we feel this great peace.  When He hides Himself, we feel a stinging pain.  Please Lord, in this dark night, show Yourself to us, poor sinners.  Without You, we are like stray dogs walking the streets looking for a home.

"I want to say to you, about myself, that I am a child of this age, a child of unfaith and scepticism, and probably (indeed I know it) shall remain so to the end of my life. How dreadfully has it tormented me (and torments me even now) this longing for faith, which is all the stronger for the proofs I have against it. And yet God gives me sometimes moments of perfect peace; in such moments I love and believe that I am loved; in such moments I have formulated my creed, wherein all is clear and holy to me. This creed is extremely simple; here it is: I believe that there is nothing lovelier, deeper, more sympathetic, more rational, more manly, and more perfect than the Saviour; I say to myself with jealous love that not only is there no one else like Him, but that there could be no one. I would even say more: If anyone could prove to me that Christ is outside the truth, and if the truth really did exclude Christ, I should prefer to stay with Christ and not with truth."

-Fyodor Dostoevsky 

A Silent Soul

"All profound things and emotions of things are preceded and attended by silence.  Silence is the general consecration of the universe. Silence is the invisible laying on of the Divine Pontiff's hands upon the world. Silence is the only Voice of our God."

-Herman Melville

God's Providence

"Do not wish for everything to be done according to your determination, but wish that it is how it should be, and in this way, you will attain peace with everyone. And believe that everything that happens to us, even the most insignificant, occurs through God’s Providence. Then you will be able to endure everything that comes upon you without any agitation."

-St. Dorotheus of Gaza

Jogo Bonito

The Brazilians have looked like a team on a mission after o dia do massacre do Mineiraço.  They have not played to their full potential yet as seen in their matches against Switzerland and Costa Rica so I assume that they will bring their best against the dangerous Belgians.

We are down to eight teams.  This should be fun.

Força Brasil!

Silence

"Silence is a lesson learned through life's many sufferings."

-Seneca