The weather today was predicted to be quite bad - "Wind warning in effect. Blowing snow advisory in effect. Wind southwest 60 km/h gusting to 110. High 9 with temperature falling to plus 1 this afternoon... Tonight...Flurries at times heavy. Local amount 2 to 4 cm...Wind chill minus 10 in the evening and minus 18(!) overnight." Ouch!!!
That’s why we went to church last night! Father Ian was particularly on fire! He read from the Gospel passage Luke 6:27-38 which has the main theme of “Love your Enemies”. He told us this is perhaps one of Jesus’ hardest sayings and He meant what he said! Although “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.”(vss 27-30) is so against our fallen nature, Jesus will not ask us to do something we can not do. He promises grace through His sacraments. We are to be patient with ourselves as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to enable us to accomplish what seems impossible. We may not be able to accomplish this in this short life time but we will see evidence of transformation. First we must acknowledge that this is Jesus best intention for us and submit to His authority. We then ask the Spirit to speak to our heart each time we encounter our enemy. Whenever we do our Examination of Conscience we will be quick to discover our deficiencies. We then go to confession and repent of our sins and ask God to give us the grace we need to change. God intends to recreate us following His divine nature. I so look forward to this... when His work in me is done! May His Name be praised!
Father Ian then pointed out in the Old Testament passage we also read today (1 Samuel 26:2-23) where King David demonstrated what loving your enemy looked like.
Finally, this is a wonderful homily from Father Jordan Schmidt on the same passage:
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/jesus-means-what-he-says
What I appreciate the most is his explanation of the New Testament passage we also read today
(1 Corinthians 15:45-49 - this link combines both the English and Greek versions): "Paul again uses the word eikōn to explain that we resemble our spiritual origin just as we resemble our earthly one: “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one” (vs 49). In other words, by taking on flesh and becoming like us, Jesus Christ enables us to become like him. Indeed, the salvific life of grace transforms us into a new creation — a new image of our heavenly origin — and when we are so transformed, we are able to imitate Jesus Christ by complying with his commands to love our enemies and pray for them. "
AMEN!!!
Sunday 24 February 2019
Sunday 17 February 2019
Te Deum - time to learn Latin!
I have been feeling a bit better lately. Just returned from a vacation which took me to Yuma, Arizona (to visit my wife's aging aunt) and then to San Diego for our annual California holiday. My symptoms of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (the diagnosis on which my specialist doctors have more or less agreed) have been milder and much more tolerable, although I haven't put on much weight yet despite a fairly good appetite on most days. My energy has also improved quite a bit and I have been able to drive for longer distances. Now if only I can get back on my bike! Well the plan is to try that after Easter. I am really looking forward to it.
One of the many blessings through the last few months has been an increase awareness of how blessed my life has been and that this suffering I am going through has brought more clarity on my life's meaning and purpose; and the brevity of it. I have been more regular in my spiritual reading and prayers (including daily praying the St. Jude Novena and Novena to Our Lady the Undoer of Knots!). My wife helps with the reading and praying whenever I am too incapacitated to do so by myself. Although I have resigned from all but one clinical responsibilities (I now only look after 25 patients in a nursing home) I have tried to keep my brain active. I am learning Italian and Mandarin on top of German using the Duolingo App every day! I still get involved with my longstanding eHealth related projects (https://worldoscar.org/) mostly via email and teleconferences.
Now on to today's topic. In my daily reading of the Office of Readings I frequently end the day with Te Deum. According to this site: Te Deum, also sometimes called the Ambrosian Hymn because of its association with St. Ambrose, is a traditional hymn of joy and thanksgiving. First attributed to Sts. Ambrose, Augustine, or Hilary, it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana (4th century). It is used at the conclusion of the Office of the Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours on Sundays outside Lent, daily during the Octaves of Christmas and Easter, and on Solemnities and Feast Days. The petitions at the end were added at a later time and are optional. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite it in thanksgiving and a plenary indulgence is granted if the hymn is recited publicly on the last day of the year. And the original with English translation look like this:
Now have a listen to the Gregorian chant of Te Deum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ9nBRKjwMg
It got me interested in learning Latin in order to more fully appreciate the scripture text. A little while ago I asked my pastor to direct me to an online course but while still waiting for his response I found this The Vulgate Latin Course! It uses the online textbook by William Dodds and Dwane Thomas has produced a series of online video to accompany it! And here is the online Vulgate - the Latin bible translation which I will be reading from. I am quite excited about this and will report what I learn on this blog in the future.
Before I end this blog, here is the well known translation of the Te Deum, which, though not literal, preserves much of the spirit and force of the original. Except for the seventh stanza, which is a rendering of verses 20 and 21 by Msgr. Hugh Thomas Henry (1862-1946), it was written by Fr. Clarence Alphonsus Walworth (1820-1900):
HOLY God, we praise Thy Name
Lord of all we bow before Thee;
all on earth Thy scepter claim,
all in heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
everlasting is Thy reign.
HARK, the loud celestial hymn
angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and Seraphim
in unceasing chorus praising,
fill the heavens with sweet accord;
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!
LO, the Apostolic train
Join, Thy sacred name to hallow:
prophets swell the loud refrain,
and the white-robed Martyrs follow;
and, from morn till set of sun,
through the Church the song goes on.
HOLY Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee,
While in essence only One,
undivided God we claim Thee:
and, adoring, bend the knee
while we own the mystery.
THOU art King of glory, Christ:
Son of God, yet born of Mary;
for us sinners sacrificed,
and to death a tributary:
first to break the bars of death,
Thou has opened heaven to faith.
FROM Thy high celestial home,
Judge of all, again returning,
we believe that Thou shalt come
in the dreaded Doomsday morning;
when Thy voice shall shake the earth,
and the startled dead come forth.
THEREFORE do we pray Thee, Lord:
help Thy servants whom, redeeming
by Thy Precious Blood out-poured,
Thou hast saved from Satan's scheming.
Give to them eternal rest
in the glory of the Blest.
SPARE Thy people, Lord, we pray,
by a thousand snares surrounded:
keep us without sin today,
never let us be confounded.
Lo, I put my trust in Thee;
never, Lord, abandon me.
One of the many blessings through the last few months has been an increase awareness of how blessed my life has been and that this suffering I am going through has brought more clarity on my life's meaning and purpose; and the brevity of it. I have been more regular in my spiritual reading and prayers (including daily praying the St. Jude Novena and Novena to Our Lady the Undoer of Knots!). My wife helps with the reading and praying whenever I am too incapacitated to do so by myself. Although I have resigned from all but one clinical responsibilities (I now only look after 25 patients in a nursing home) I have tried to keep my brain active. I am learning Italian and Mandarin on top of German using the Duolingo App every day! I still get involved with my longstanding eHealth related projects (https://worldoscar.org/) mostly via email and teleconferences.
Now on to today's topic. In my daily reading of the Office of Readings I frequently end the day with Te Deum. According to this site: Te Deum, also sometimes called the Ambrosian Hymn because of its association with St. Ambrose, is a traditional hymn of joy and thanksgiving. First attributed to Sts. Ambrose, Augustine, or Hilary, it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana (4th century). It is used at the conclusion of the Office of the Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours on Sundays outside Lent, daily during the Octaves of Christmas and Easter, and on Solemnities and Feast Days. The petitions at the end were added at a later time and are optional. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite it in thanksgiving and a plenary indulgence is granted if the hymn is recited publicly on the last day of the year. And the original with English translation look like this:
| TE DEUM laudamus: te Dominum confitemur. Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur. Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi Caeli et universae Potestates; Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae. Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus, Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus, Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus. Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia, Patrem immensae maiestatis: Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium; Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum. Tu Rex gloriae, Christe. Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius. Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, ...Virginis uterum. Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum. Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris. Iudex crederis esse venturus. Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: ... sanguine redemisti. Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari. V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae. R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum. V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te. R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi. V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire. R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri. V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te. R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum. |
O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee. To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers, all the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory. The glorious choir of the Apostles, the wonderful company of Prophets, the white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee. Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee: the Father of infinite Majesty; Thy adorable, true and only Son; and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. O Christ, Thou art the King of glory! Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. Thou, having taken it upon Thyself ... didst not disdain the Virgin's womb. Thou overcame the sting of death and...to believers the Kingdom of Heaven. Thou sitest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge. We beseech Thee,...Thy servants ... redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory. V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance! R. Govern them, and raise them up forever. V. Every day we thank Thee. R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever. V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day. R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee. R. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame. |
Now have a listen to the Gregorian chant of Te Deum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ9nBRKjwMg
It got me interested in learning Latin in order to more fully appreciate the scripture text. A little while ago I asked my pastor to direct me to an online course but while still waiting for his response I found this The Vulgate Latin Course! It uses the online textbook by William Dodds and Dwane Thomas has produced a series of online video to accompany it! And here is the online Vulgate - the Latin bible translation which I will be reading from. I am quite excited about this and will report what I learn on this blog in the future.
Before I end this blog, here is the well known translation of the Te Deum, which, though not literal, preserves much of the spirit and force of the original. Except for the seventh stanza, which is a rendering of verses 20 and 21 by Msgr. Hugh Thomas Henry (1862-1946), it was written by Fr. Clarence Alphonsus Walworth (1820-1900):
HOLY God, we praise Thy Name
Lord of all we bow before Thee;
all on earth Thy scepter claim,
all in heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
everlasting is Thy reign.
HARK, the loud celestial hymn
angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and Seraphim
in unceasing chorus praising,
fill the heavens with sweet accord;
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!
LO, the Apostolic train
Join, Thy sacred name to hallow:
prophets swell the loud refrain,
and the white-robed Martyrs follow;
and, from morn till set of sun,
through the Church the song goes on.
HOLY Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee,
While in essence only One,
undivided God we claim Thee:
and, adoring, bend the knee
while we own the mystery.
THOU art King of glory, Christ:
Son of God, yet born of Mary;
for us sinners sacrificed,
and to death a tributary:
first to break the bars of death,
Thou has opened heaven to faith.
FROM Thy high celestial home,
Judge of all, again returning,
we believe that Thou shalt come
in the dreaded Doomsday morning;
when Thy voice shall shake the earth,
and the startled dead come forth.
THEREFORE do we pray Thee, Lord:
help Thy servants whom, redeeming
by Thy Precious Blood out-poured,
Thou hast saved from Satan's scheming.
Give to them eternal rest
in the glory of the Blest.
SPARE Thy people, Lord, we pray,
by a thousand snares surrounded:
keep us without sin today,
never let us be confounded.
Lo, I put my trust in Thee;
never, Lord, abandon me.
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