Melk Abbey, Austria.

Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless otherwise stated.

English: Melk Abbey, Austria.

Български: Двореца във Вахау, Австрия.

Date: 2005-04-07 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia.

Author: Original uploader was HochauerW at en.wikipedia

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Melk Abbey above Melk Old Town.

Deutsch: Stift Melk über der Melker Altstadt.

Date: February 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: de:Benutzer:AlterVista

(Wikimedia Commons)

Melk Abbey, Austria.

UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Available on YouTube at

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Melk Abbey (German: Stift Melk) is a Benedictine Abbey in Austria, and among the world's most famous Monastic sites. It is located above the town of Melk, on a rocky outcrop overlooking The Danube River, in Lower Austria, adjoining The Wachau Valley. The Abbey contains the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the remains of several members of The House of Babenberg, Austria's first ruling dynasty.

Melk Abbey Library, Austria.

This File: 12 March 2008.

User: Emgonzalez

Source: Own work.

Author: Emgonzalez

(Wikimedia Commons)

Melk Abbey.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

The Abbey was founded in 1089, when Leopold II, Margrave of Austria, gave one of his Castles to Benedictine Monks from Lambach Abbey. A Monastic School, the Stiftsgymnasium Melk, was founded in the 12th-Century, and the Monastic Library soon became renowned for its extensive Manuscript collection. The Monastery's Scriptorium was also a major site for the production of Manuscripts. In the 15th-Century, the Abbey became the centre of the Melk Reform Movement, which re-invigorated the Monastic life of Austria and Southern Germany.

English: Benedictine Abbey of Melk, Lower Austria: Church.

Deutsch: Stift Melk, Niederösterreich: Kirche.

Français: Abbaye bénédictine de Melk, Basse-Autriche: église.

This File: 2 May 2005.

User: David.Monniaux

Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux

(Wikimedia Commons)

Today's impressive Baroque Abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 to designs by Jakob Prandtauer. Particularly noteworthy, is the Abbey Church, with frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr, and the impressive Library with countless Mediæval Manuscripts, including a famed collection of Musical Manuscripts and frescoes by Paul Troger.

English: Melk Abbey, Lower Austria

Deutsch: Stift Melk, Niederösterreich

Photo: 25 May 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Aconcagua

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Melk Abbey, Austria.

Deutsch: Stift Melk, Melk.

Photo: 13 September 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Zairon

(Wikimedia Commons)

Due to its fame and academic stature, Melk Abbey managed to escape Dissolution, under Emperor Joseph II , when many other Austrian Abbeys were seized and Dissolved between 1780 and 1790. The Abbey managed to survive other threats to its existence, during The Napoleonic Wars, and also in the period following the Nazi Anschluss that took control of Austria in 1938, when the School and a large part of the Abbey were confiscated by the State.

The school was returned to the Abbey after The Second World War and now caters for nearly 900 pupils of both sexes.

English: High Altar of Melk Abbey, Austria.

Deutsch: Hochaltar der Stiftskirche Melk.

Photo: 15 July 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: Uoaei1

(Wikimedia Commons)

Since 1625, the Abbey has been a member of The Austrian Congregation, now within The Benedictine Confederation.

In his well-known novel "The Name of the Rose", Umberto Eco named one of the protagonists "Adson von Melk" as a tribute to the Abbey and its famous Library.

Melk Abbey, Austria.

Photo: 11 November 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:MatthiasKabel

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Choir Stalls in the Abbey Church of Melk Abbey, Austria.

Deutsch: Das Chorgestühl in der Kirche des Stifts Melk.

Photo: 7 April 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Effi Schweizer.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Melk Abbey was selected as the main motif of a very high value Collectors' Coin: The Austrian Melk Abbey Commemorative Coin, minted on 18 April 2007. The obverse shows a view up to the façade of the Abbey Church and its two side wings from a low level. The twin Baroque Towers and the great Dome of the Church behind them can be seen. In the lower-right corner, the Coat-of-Arms of the Abbey of Melk (The Crossed Keys of Saint Peter) can be seen.

Painting on the Ceiling of the Marble Hall, Melk Abbey, Austria. The painting shows Pallas Athena on a chariot, drawn by lions, as a symbol of wisdom and moderation. Hercules is to her Left, symbolising the force necessary to conquer the three-headed Hound of Hell, night, and sin. Both Pallas Athena and Hercules are disguised references to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI.

Author: Paul Troger (1698–1762) (Ceiling painting)

and Creator:Gaetano Fanti (architectural painting).

Date: 1731.

Source/Photographer: Alberto Fernandez Fernandez

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Melk Abbey, Lower Austria

Deutsch: Stift Melk, Niederösterreich

Photo: 25 July 2014.

Source: Own work.

Author: Uoaei1

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The Pulpit in the Church of Melk Abbey, Austria.

Deutsch: Die Kanzel in der Kirche des Stifts Melk.

Photo: 17 May 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Lily

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The Church of Melk Abbey, Austria.

Deutsch: Die Kirche des Stifts Melk.

Photo: 7 April 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Effi Schweizer.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Re-Dedication Of England, As The Dowry Of Mary, On 29 March 2020.

Painting by Amanda de Pulford of Our Lady of Walsingham.

To be Blessed by Pope Francis.

Independent Catholic News.

8 February 2020.

Illustration: INSIDE THE VATICAN

The Re-Dedication of England as The Dowry of Mary,

on 29 March 2020, is both a personal promise of the people of our Country and a renewal of the Entrustment Vows made by King Richard II, per the Web-Site BEHOLD2020, The Official Companion of The Re-Dedication of England as Mary’s Dowry.

As the Web-Site further states:

This year, the Christians of England are called

to make a Personal Dedication to Mary,

taking up her example as Christ’s first disciple;

History shows us that, when the people Pray a surrender

to God’s Will for their lives, Society is transformed;

By taking up this Personal Dedication in 2020, you can be a part of the renewal of this Nation, drawing ourselves closer to

The Will of Our Loving God, through Mary;

King Richard II (Reigned 1377-1399) made a Prayer to Our Lady of Pew [Editor: Chapel of Our Lady of Pew is in Westminster Abbey], at the time of The Peasants’ Revolt in 1381, placing his Country under her Maternal Care and Consecrating England to her By Right, as The Bride of The Holy Spirit: England being a “Dowry,” as it were, the wealth a Bride brings to her Husband;

We talk about Catholic England in a Blog Post HERE;

The Independent Catholic News reported that Pope Francis will be Blessing a Painting of Our Lady of Walsingham on Wednesday, 12 February 2020, during his Weekly Audience;

The Painting will then return to The Shrine to Our Lady

of Walsingham for The Re-Dedication on 29 March 2020, and then embark on a journey to visit every Parish in the Country. LINK to full Article;

BEHOLD2020 has a Section on their Site listing activities

to participate in to prepare for The Re-Dedication,

that includes Prayer and Pilgrimage;

During our Mary’s Dowry Pilgrimage, in August 2020, we will visit The Shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham and pursue our own Re-Dedication to Mary. Join us ! For more information, follow this LINK;

If you live in The United States, consider visiting The National Shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham, located in Williamsburg, Virginia. LINK to Web-Site for more information and directions.

Our Lady of Walsingham,

Pray for us

and the Country of England.

Amen !

“De Profúndis Clamávi Ad Te, Dómine”. “Out Of The Depths I Have Cried Unto Thee, Oh, Lord”. Psalm CXXIX. The Prayer For The Dead.

A Soul is released from Purgatory.

Illustration: PINTEREST

“De Profúndis Clamávi Ad Te, Dómine”.

“Out Of The Depths I Have Cried Unto Thee, Oh, Lord”.

Psalm CXXIX.

One of The Penitential Psalms.

The Prayer For The Dead.

Available on YouTube at

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Out of the depths I have cried unto Thee, Oh, Lord.

Lord, hear my voice.

Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.

If Thou, Oh, Lord, will mark iniquities,

Lord, who shall endureth ?

For with The Lord, there is merciful forgiveness,

And, by reason of Thy Law, I have waited upon Thee, Oh, Lord,

My Soul doth rely on His Word,

My Soul doth hope in The Lord,

From the Morning Watch even until Night,

Let Israel hope in The Lord,

For with The Lord there is Mercy,

And with Him plentiful Redemption,

And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

V.   Eternal Rest give unto them,  Oh, Lord.

R.   And let Perpetual Light shine upon them.

V.   May they rest in peace.

R.   Amen.

Saint Simeon. Bishop And Martyr. Feast Day, Today, 18 February.

Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Saint Simeon.
   Bishop And Martyr.
   Feast Day 18 February.

Simple.

Red Vestments.

Saint Simeon of Jerusalem.

Bishop and Martyr.

Source:: The illustration originates from

the days.ru open catalogue ([1]).

Author: Unknown.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Simeon, son of Cleophas and Mary, who was so closely related to The Blessed Virgin as to be called her sister, "was anointed with Holy Oil" (Gradual) and became Bishop of Jerusalem, after Saint James the Less.

A Disciple of Christ, Whom he had known, he was for this reason arrested and crucified (Gospel). Although he was 120 years of age, the venerable old man "suffered this cruel punishment with constancy and received The Crown of Life which God prepares for those who love Him" (Epistle).

His Martyrdom took place in 106 A.D.

Like Saint Simeon, let us unite ourselves to Jesus by dying to sin at this Holy Season of Penance.

Mass: Státuit. (Of a Martyr Bishop.)

Saint Mary Bernard Soubirous (Saint Bernadette Of Lourdes). Virgin. Feast Day 18 February.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Saint Mary Bernard Soubirous.

Virgin.

Feast Day 18 February.

Double.

White Vestments.

Bernadette Soubirous, when a child.

Date: Circa 1858.

Source: Weltwoche 8/08.

Author: Unknown.

(Wikimedia Commons)

“The Song of Bernadette” (1943).

Available on YouTube at

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Bernadette Soubirous was born at Lourdes in 1844. Our Lady appeared eighteen times to her in The Grotto of Massabielle, at the beginning of 1858 (Collect).

On 25 March 1858, The Blessed Virgin said to her: “I am The Immaculate Conception”, thereby confirming The Dogma officially proclaimed by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1854.

Leaving everything to purchase at such a price The Kingdom of Heaven (Gospel), she entered The Convent of The Sisters of Charity, at Nevers, France, in 1868. Here, she was given the name of Sister Mary Bernard, and died on 16 April 1879, after a hidden life of Prayer and Penance (Secret).

English: The Grotto at Lourdes, where Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette.

Português: Gruta de Lurdes.

Photo: 15 February 2014.

Source: Own work.

Author: José Luiz.

Attribution: © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 3.0

(Wikimedia Commons)

She was Canonised by Pope Pius XI on 8 December 1933. In 1936, her Feast was ordered to be Celebrated, by The Universal Church, eight days after The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on 11 February.

Mass: Vultum tuum.
Commemoration: In Lent, of The Feria.
Commemoration: Saint Simeon.

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

Saint Bernadette Soubirous (Occitan: Bernadeta Sobirós; 7 January 1844 – 16 April 1879), also known as Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, was the first-born daughter of a Miller, from Lourdes (Lorda, in Occitan), in The Department of Hautes-Pyrénées, in France, and came to be Venerated as a Saint in The Catholic Church.

Saint Mary Bernard Soubirous has become best known for The Marian Apparitions of a “Young Lady”, who asked for a Chapel to be built at the nearby Cave-Grotto, at Massabielle, where Apparitions are said to have occurred between 11 February 1858 and 16 July 1858. She would later receive recognition when “The Lady”, who appeared to her, identified herself as “The Immaculate Conception”.

Illustration: Copyright: Christine McDonald at AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM

Despite initial scepticism from some Church authorities, Saint Bernadette's claims were eventually declared “worthy of belief”, after a Canonical Investigation, and The Marian Apparition became known as Our Lady of Lourdes.

Since her death, Saint Bernadette's body has apparently remained internally incorrupt, but it is not without blemish; during her third exhumation in 1925, the firm of Pierre Imans made light wax coverings for her face and her hands, due to the discolouration that her skin had undergone after her body was cleansed. These masks were placed on her face and hands before she was moved to her crystal Reliquary in June 1925. The Marian Shrine at Lourdes (Midi-Pyrénées, from 2016 part of Occitanie) went on to become a major Pilgrimage site, attracting over five million Pilgrims of all denominations each year.

On 8 December 1933, Pope Pius XI declared Saint Bernadette a Saint of The Catholic Church. Her Feast Day, initially specified as 18 February — the day her “Lady” promised to make her happy, not in this life, but in the next — is now observed in most places on the date of her death, 16 April.

“Te Lucis Ante Terminum”. The Roman Breviary Hymn Sung At Compline. Plus, The “Te Deum”. The 5th-Century A.D. Monastic Chant (Solemn).

The Hymn, “Te Lucis”, as written out in a Spanish Manuscript

(circa 1625). The wording “ . . . pro tua clementia . . . ” (instead of “ . . .

solita clementia , , , ”) reflects the classicising revisions of Pope Urban VIII.

The original Latin version has been restored in the Post-Vatican II Texts. No known copyright restrictions. Please credit UBC Library as the image source.

For more information, see digitalcollections.library.ubc.ca/cdm/about

Photo: 15 April 2008.

Source: University of British Columbia Library

- Rare Books and Special Collections.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ubclibrary_digicentre/14953086188/

Author: UBC Library Digitization Centre.

(Wikimedia Commons)

This next Text is taken from THE SAINT LAWRENCE PRESS LTD

At Compline, on The 5th Sunday after Epiphany, “Te Lucis” is sung with the Melody and Doxology of The Incarnation.

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

“Te Lucis Ante Terminum” (English: “To Thee Before The Close Of Day”) is an old Latin Hymn in Long Metre. It is the Hymn at Compline in The Roman Breviary.

The authorship of Ambrose of Milan, for which Pimont contends, is not admitted by the Benedictine editors or by Luigi Biraghi. The Hymn is found in a Hymnary in Irish script (described by Clemens Blume in his Cursus, etc.) of the 8th-Century A.D., or Early-9th Century A.D.; but the Classical Prosody of its two Stanzas (Solita in the third line of the original Text is the only exception) suggests a much earlier origin. In this Hymnary, it is assigned, together with the Hymn “Christe Qui Splendor Et Dies” (also known as “Christe Qui Lux Es Et Dies”), to Compline.

An earlier arrangement (as shown by The Rule of Cæsarius of Arles, circa 502 A.D.), coupled with the “Christe Qui Lux” the Hymn “Christe Precamur Adnue”, and assigned both to the “Twelfth Hour” of the Day for alternate recitation throughout the Year. The later introduction of the “Te Lucis suggests a later origin.

“Te Lucis Ante Terminum”.

Composed by:Thomas Tallis.

The Hymn at Compline.

Sung by: The Gesualdo Six,

at Ely Cathedral.

Available on YouTube at

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The two Hymns “Te Lucis” and “Christe Qui Lux” did not maintain everywhere the same relative position; the latter was used in Winter, the former in Summer and on Festivals; while many Cathedrals and Monasteries replaced the “Te Lucis” by the “Christe Qui Lux” from The First Sunday of Lent to Passion Sunday or Holy Thursday, a custom followed by The Dominicans.

The old Breviary of The Carthusians used the “Christe Qui Lux” throughout the Year. The Roman Breviary assigns the “Te Lucis” daily throughout the Year, except from Holy Thursday to The Friday after Easter, inclusively. Merati, in his Notes on Galvanus's Thesaurus, says that it has always held, without variation, this place in The Roman Church. As it is sung daily, The Vatican Antiphonary gives it many Plainsong Settings for the varieties of Season and Rite.

The Text given below is the original version of the Hymn. It was altered by Pope Urban VIII (1623–1644). The 1974 Breviary of Pope Paul VI restores the earlier form of the first and last verse, but replaces the second verse with two additional verses. Pope Urban's version is still used by some, especially since the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum” authorised continued use of The Roman Breviary in its 1962 form.

Most Monasteries adopted Pope Paul's form in the 1970s, meaning the original version is seldom sung in Monasteries. The following translation by J. M. Neale (1818–1866) is of the original Latin Text, rather than of Pope Urban VIII's revised version.

“Te Lucis Ante Terminum”.

Available on YouTube at

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ORIGINAL LATIN TEXT.

Te lucis ante términum,

rerum Creátor, póscimus,

ut sólita cleméntia

sis præsul ad custódiam.

Procul recédant sómnia

et nóctium phantásmata;

hostémque nostrum cómprime,

ne polluántur córpora.

Præsta, Pater omnípotens,

per Iesum Christum Dóminum,

qui tecum in perpétuum

regnat cum Sancto Spíritu.

Amen.

REVISED LATIN TEXT

OF POPE URBAN VIII.

Te lucis ante términum,

rerum Creátor, póscimus,

ut pro tua cleméntia

sis præsul et custódia.

Procul recédant sómnia

et nóctium phantásmata;

hostémque nostrum cómprime,

ne polluántur córpora.

Præsta, Pater piíssime,

Patríque compar Unice,

cum Spíritu Paráclito

regnans per omne sǽculum.

Amen.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION (NEALE).

To Thee before the close of Day,

Creator of the World, we Pray

That, with Thy wonted favour, Thou

Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.

From all ill dreams defend our sight,

From fears and terrors of the Night;

Withhold from us our ghostly foe,

That spot of sin we may not know.

Oh, Father, that we ask be done,

Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son,

Who, with The Holy Ghost and Thee,

Doth live and reign eternally.

Amen.

The Text of “Te Lucis Ante Terminum” has frequently been set to music. The earliest is the Plainsong version found in The Liber Usualis (used as the opening of Benjamin Britten's Curlew River); another, from The Sarum Rite, is much used in England.

Thomas Tallis composed a memorable Setting of the Text, among many others. Henry Balfour Gardiner composed the Anthem “Evening Hymn” on both the Latin Text and an English translation, for mixed Choir and Organ.

The “Te Deum”.

Another beautiful Latin Gregorian Chant is The “Te Deum”.

The “Te Deum” (from its incipit, “Te Deum Laudamus”, "Thee, O God, We Praise"), is a Latin Christian Hymn composed in the 4th-Century A.D. It is one of the core Hymns of The Ambrosian Hymnal, which spread throughout The Latin Church with The Milanese Rite in the 6th-Century A.D. to the 8th -Century A.D., and is sometimes known as “The Ambrosian Hymn”, even though authorship by Saint Ambrose is unlikely.

The term “Te Deum” can also refer to a short Religious Service, held to Bless an event or give thanks, which is based upon the Hymn.

The “Te Deum”.

5th-Century A.D. Monastic Chant (Solemn).

Sung by: The Monks of Clervaux Abbey, Luxembourg.

Available on YouTube at

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The Roman Station Liturgy.

The Minor Basilica of Santa Sabina, Rome, Italy,

where the first Lenten Station is kept on Ash Wednesday.

Illustration: THE PONTIFICAL NORTH AMERICAN COLLEGE

This Article is taken from, and can be read in full at,
THE PONTIFICAL NORTH AMERICAN COLLEGE

The Roman Station Liturgy.

This information comes largely from "The Urban Character of Christian Worship", by Rev. John Baldovin, S.J.

Each year, The North American College follows the ancient Tradition of The Roman Stational Liturgy.

All are invited to join us for the Celebration of Mass each day.

Mass will begin each day at 0700 hrs, with the exception of Mass on Ash Wednesday, which begins at 0645 hrs. Please note that we do not Celebrate either Sunday Mass or The Paschal Triduum at the Station Churches.

The Schedule of Station Churches can be seen at
THE NORTH AMERICAN PONTIFICAL COLLEGE

History.

Our modern observance of The Stational Liturgy traces its roots back to the practice of The Bishop of Rome Celebrating the Liturgies of The Church Year at various Churches throughout the City of Rome, a Tradition dating back as far as the Late-2nd-Century A.D. or Early-3rd-Century A.D.

One reason for this was practical: With The Church in Rome being composed of diverse groups from many cultures, regular visits by The Bishop of Rome (The Pope) served to unify the various groups into a more cohesive whole.

Another reason, particularly following the legalisation of Christianity in 313 A.D., which permitted public Worship, was to commemorate certain Feast Days at Churches with a special link to that Celebration. Therefore, Good Friday came to be Celebrated at the Basilica of The Holy Cross-in-Jerusalem, and Christmas, at Saint Mary Major, where a Relic of The Manger was Venerated.

In time, the original Churches in the City, known as Tituli (singular: Titulus), because they often bore the name of the donor, took on an additional significance as the places that held the Relics of The Martyrs and the memory of the early history of The Church in this City.

As time passed, the schedule of these Stational Visits, which had earlier followed an informal order, took on a more formalised structure. By the last half of the 5th-Century A.D., a fairly-fixed Calendar was developed, having the order of the places at which the Pope would say Mass with the Church Community on certain days throughout the year.

In the weeks before the beginning of Lent, the three large Basilicas outside-the-Walls were visited, forming a ring of Prayer around the City before The Season of Lent began. During Lent, the various Stations were originally organised so that the Masses were held in different areas of the City each day. During The Octave of Easter, The Stations form a Litany of The Saints, beginning with Saint Mary Major, on Easter Sunday, and continuing with Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Laurence, The Apostles, and The Martyrs.

The Liturgy of these Masses had several elements, many of which developed over time. According to the structure of The Late-First-Millennium, the people would gather in mid-afternoon, with the Pope, at one Church, known as the Collectum. There, after some Prayers, the group would move in Procession to the Statio, at which Mass would be said. The use of the term Statio, for this ending point, has a connection with the practice of Fasting on these days.

The Christians of this time made a comparison of their Fasting and Prayer during Lent with the Guard Duty of Soldiers, seeing their actions as something to be approached with a similar seriousness of purpose. The term Statio came to be applied to The Eucharistic Celebrations that took place on Fasting Days. Later, the term Statio came to be used for all Churches at which the major Liturgical Celebration in the City was to be held on a certain day.

The order of The Stations, originally organised in the 5th-Century A.D., would undergo several changes over the following three Centuries. The current order was essentially fixed by the time of The Council of Trent. Over the last several Centuries, two of the original Stations have been lost, although most older Liturgical Books still list their name as the Station for their original day.

The Church of Saint Augustine has taken the place of Saint Tryphon, an older Church which once stood on a nearby site. The second lost Church is that of Saint Cyriacus, which originally stood near The Baths of Diocletian. Having fallen into ruin, its Stational Day was transferred to Santa Maria-in-Via-Lata, possibly because a Monastery, also Dedicated to Saint Cyriacus, once stood behind this Church.

The other Churches have not passed the Centuries without their difficulties, either; many have been destroyed and rebuilt; some fell into ruins, being saved only when on the verge of final collapse; all have been modified in various ways throughout the ages. Yet, what remains through all the changes is the memory of those past Christians who Worshipped at these places.

While other Cities, such as Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Milan, once had similar Stational Liturgies, Rome is the only City in which these continue in some regular form. Therefore, just like The Writings of The Fathers of The Church and The Art of The Early Christian Era, The Stational Cycle comes down to us as a Monument of The Early Church, a living connection to those days when the witness of The Martyrs was still fresh and The Echo of The Apostles’ voices could still be heard in the City’s streets.

Sexagesima Sunday.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Sexagesima Sunday.

Station at Saint Paul-without-the-Walls.

Semi-Double.

Privileged Sunday of The Second Class.

Violet Vestments.

The Seed is The Word of God.

Illustration: UNA VOCE OF ORANGE COUNTY

Artist: René de Cramer.

"Copyright Brunelmar/Ghent/Belgium".

Used with Permission.

As on Septuagesima Sunday, and on those which follow until Passion Sunday, The Church teaches us "to Celebrate The Paschal Sacrament" by "The Scriptures of both Testaments" (Prayer of Holy Saturday after The Seventh Prophecy).

Through the whole of this week, The Divine Office is full of the thought of Noah. God, seeing man's wickedness was great upon the Earth, said: "I will destroy man, whom I have created"; and He told Noah: "I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt enter into The Ark."

For forty days and forty nights, rain fell on the Earth, while the Ark floated on the waters which rose above the mountain tops and covered them; and, in this whirlpool, all men were carried away "like stubble" (Gradual); only Noah and his companions in The Ark remaining alive.

Then, God remembered them, and, at length, the rain ceased. After some time, Noah opened the window of The Ark and set free a dove, which returned with a fresh olive leaf, and Noah understood that the waters no longer covered the Earth.

"Exsurge, quare obdormis, Domine ?"

The Introit for Sexagesima Sunday.

Available on YouTube at

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And God told him: "Go out of The Ark, thou and thy wife, thy sons and the wives of thy sons, with thee" (Communion). And the rainbow appeared as a sign of reconciliation between God and men.

That Noah's story is related to The Paschal Mystery is shown by the fact that The Church reads it on Holy Saturday [Second Prophecy); and this is how she, herself, applies it, in the Liturgy, to Our Lord and His Church. "The just wrath of The Creator drowned the guilty World in the vengeful waters of The Flood, only Noah being saved in The Ark.

But then the admirable power of love lavéd (washed) the World in blood" [Hymns for The Feast of The Precious Blood]. It was The Wood of The Ark, which saved the human race, and it is that of The Cross, which, in its turn, saves the World.

"Thou, alone," says The Church, speaking of The Cross, "hast been found worthy to be, for this shipwrecked World, The Ark which brings safely into port" [Hymn at Lauds in Passiontide].

"The open door in the side of The Ark, by which those enter who are to escape from The Flood, and who represent The Church, are, as is explained in the Liturgy, a type of The Mystery of Redemption; for, on The Cross, Our Lord had His Sacred Side open and, from this Gate of Life, went forth The Sacraments, giving true life to Souls. Indeed, The Blood and Water, which flow from thence, are symbols of The Eucharist and of Holy Baptism" [Lessons from Saint Chrysostom and Saint Augustine, Matins of The Feast of The Precious Blood].

Sexagesima Sunday.

Available on YouTube at

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"O God, Who by water didst wash away the crimes of the guilty World, and, by the overflowing of the deluge didst give a figure of regeneration, that one and the same element might, in a Mystery, be the end of vice and the origin of virtue: Look, O Lord, on the face of Thy Church and multiply in her Thy regenerations, opening the fonts of Baptism all over the World for the renovation of the Gentiles" [Blessing of the Baptismal Font on Holy Saturday].

"In the days of Noah," says Saint Peter, "eight Souls were saved by water, whereunto Baptism, being of the like form, now saveth you also."

On Maundy Thursday, when the Bishop Blesses The Holy Oil from the olive tree, which is to be used for The Sacraments, he says: "When of old, the crimes of the World were atoned for by the waters of The Flood, a dove, foreshadowing the gift to come, announced by an olive branch, the return of peace to the Earth.

And this indeed is made clear by its effects in latter times: When the waters of Baptism, having washed away all guilt of sin, the unction of the oil makes us joyous and serene." The Blood of Christ is The blood of The New Covenant, which Almighty God has made with man, through His Son. "Thou," cries The Church, "Who, by an olive branch, didst command the dove to proclaim peace to the World."

"Commovisti, Domine, terram . . ."

The Tract for Sexagesima Sunday.

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Peace is often mentioned in The Mass, which is The Memorial of The Passion: "Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum." And we shall find the Collect for Easter Friday, speaking of The Paschal Sacrament, as The Seal of Reconciliation between God and man.

Above all, however, in his Divinely-Appointed Mission as father of all succeeding generations, Noah is a figure of Christ [Sixth Lesson of Septuagesima Sunday]; he was truly the second father of the human race and he remains the type of life continually renewed. We are told in the Liturgy that the olive branch, by means of its foliage, is a symbol of the prosperous fertility bestowed by Almighty God upon Noah when he came forth from The Ark, and The Ark, itself, is called by Saint Ambrose, in today's Office, the "seminarium," or nursery, that is, the place containing the seed of life which is to fill the World.

Now, Christ, much more than Noah, was the second Adam, peopling the World with a race of believing Souls, faithful to God. On Holy Saturday, in The Prayer following The Second Prophecy, which is concerned with Noah, The Church humbly asks Almighty God to "peacefully effect," by His Eternal Decree, "the work of human Salvation," and to "let the whole World experience and see that, what was fallen, is raised up; what was old, is made new," and that "all things are re-established, through Him from Whom they received their first being, Our Lord Jesus Christ".

It was through The Word that God made the World in the beginning (Last Gospel), and it is by the Preaching of His Gospel that Our Lord came to bring men to a new birth. "Being born again," says Saint Peter, "not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by The Word of God, Who liveth and reigneth for ever . . . And this is The Word, which, by the Gospel, hath been preached unto you".

Benediction after Mass.

Sexagesima Sunday,

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From this, we can see why today's Gospel is taken from The Parable of The Sower, for "the seed is The Word of God". If, in Noah's days, men perished, Saint Paul tells us, it was because of their unbelief, while, at the same time, it was by Faith that Noah "framed The Ark . . . by the which he condemned the World, and was instituted heir of the justice which is by Faith".

In the same way, those who believe in Our Lord's words will be saved.

According to Saint Augustine's exposition, "as there were three floors in The Ark, so there are three different Spiritual Harvests". In today's Epistle, Saint Paul recounts all that he did and suffered in the course of preaching The Faith to the Gentiles and, indeed, he, The Apostle to the Gentiles, was the outstanding preacher of the World.

He is the "Minister of Christ", that is, the one whom God had chosen to unfold to all Nations the good news of The Incarnate Word. "Who will grant me", cries Saint John Chrysostom, "to walk around Saint Paul's body, to embrace his tomb, to behold the dust of that body which filled up what was lacking in Christ's sufferings, which bore the marks of his wounds, which everywhere spread abroad, like good seed, the preaching of the Gospel ? [In The Office for The Octave of Saint Peter and Saint Paul].

The Roman Church has fulfilled this desire, in the case of her own children, by making a Station on this day to the Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls. "Through the Church's Neophytes", we read in the Liturgy, "the Earth is renewed, and thus renewed, she brings forth fruit, as it were, from the dead ! [Easter Monday at Matins].

Every Parish Priest Celebrates Mass for the people of his Parish.

Mass: Exsurge, quare obdormis.
Collects: As on Septuagesima Sunday.
Preface: Of The Holy Trinity.
Common Preface. On Weekdays.

“I Vow To Thee, My Country”.

Illustration: FLICKR

“I Vow To Thee, My Country”.

Poem: “I Vow To Thee, My Country”, by Sir Cecil Spring Rice.

Music: “Jupiter”, by Gustav Theodore Holst.

Event: Festival of Remembrance, Royal Albert Hall, London.

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Parish Liturgy Committee Hold Their Annual Meeting.

The Parish Liturgy Committee

had their Annual Meeting, recently.

Afterwards, a most enjoyable game of Bingo ensued.

Illustration: UNOFFICIAL ROYALTY

Saint Faustinus And Saint Jovita. Martyrs. Feast Day, Today, 15 February.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Saint Faustinus and Saint Jovita.
   Martyrs.
   Feast Day 15 February.

Simple.

Red Vestments.

English: The Virgin Mary and Christ Child

with Saint Jovita and Saint Faustinus.

Italiano: Vincenzo Foppa, Pala della Mercanzia.

Opera esposta nella Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo a Brescia

Artist: Vincenzo Foppa (1427-1515).

Photo: 3 November 2011.

Current location: Tosio Martinengo Gallery

Source/Photographer: Bruno Passamani, "Guida della

Pinacoteca Tosio-Martinengo di Brescia", Grafo, Brescia 1988.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Faustinus and Saint Jovita, both born at Brescia, Italy, were brothers and of noble origin. During "The Persecution", "they stood the assault of sufferings, disgrace, and tribulations" (Epistle) in several Towns in Italy.

"They were tortured to death" (Gospel) at Brescia, Italy, at the beginning of Emperor Hadrian's reign in 117 A.D.

"Following the example of The Holy Martyrs Faustinus and Jovita, let us apply ourselves with ardour to Penance, so that we may enjoy the fruits of the redemption."

Mass: Salus autem.
Secret: From “The First Mass Of Several Martyrs”.
Postcommunion: From “The First Mass Of Several Martyrs”.

Puccini. “Vissi D'Arte”. Be Still My Heart.

English: The Title Page of The First Edition

of the Piano Score to Puccini's Opera “Tosca”, published by

G. Ricordi. Stylised drawing showing Tosca standing over

Scarpia's body, about to lay a Crucifix on his chest.

The Text reads: “Tosca: libretto di V Sardou, L Illica, G Giacosa.

Musica di G Puccini. Riccardi & C. editori”.

Čeština: Titulní strana prvního vydání klavírního

výtahu k Pucciniho opeře Tosca, vydání G. Ricordi.

Date: 1899.

Source: http://www.studioesseci.net/mostra.php?IDmostra=62

Author: Adolfo Hohenstein (1854–1928).

(Wikimedia Commons)

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

Tosca is an Opera in Three Acts by Giacomo Puccini, to an Italian Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at The Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The Work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language dramatic Play, La Tosca, is a melodramatic piece set in Rome in June 1800, with The Kingdom of Naples's control of Rome threatened by Napoleon's Invasion of Italy. It contains depictions of torture, murder and suicide, as well as some of Puccini's best-known lyrical Arias.

Puccini saw Sardou's Play when it was touring Italy in 1889 and, after some vacillation, obtained The Rights to turn the Work into an Opera in 1895. Turning the wordy French Play into a succinct Italian Opera took four years, during which the Composer repeatedly argued with his Librettists and Publisher.

Tosca premiered at a time of unrest in Rome, and its first performance was delayed for a day for fear of disturbances. Despite indifferent reviews from the critics, the Opera was an immediate success with the public.

Musically, Tosca is structured as a through-composed Work, with Arias, Recitative, Choruses and other elements musically woven into a seamless whole. Puccini used Wagnerian Leitmotifs to identify characters, objects and ideas.

While critics have often dismissed this Opera as a facile melodrama with confusions of plot —musicologist Joseph Kerman famously called it a “shabby little shocker”—the power of its score and the inventiveness of its orchestration have been widely acknowledged.

The dramatic force of Tosca and its characters continues to fascinate both performers and audiences, and the Work remains one of the most frequently performed Operas. Many recordings of the Work have been issued, both of studio and live performances.

“Vissi D'Arte”.

Composer: Puccini.

Opera: “Tosca”.

Sung by: Mirella Freni.

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“Vissi D'Arte”.

Composer: Puccini.

Opera: “Tosca”.

Sung by: Renée Fleming.

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“Vissi D'Arte”.

Composer: Puccini.

Opera: “Tosca”.

Sung by: Maria Callas

at Covent Garden, London, 1964.

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“Pur Ti Miro”. Sung By: “Ensemble Artaserse” (Marie-Nicole Lemieux And Philippe Jaroussky). From Monteverdi’s “L’incoronazione Di Poppea”.

“Pur ti miro”.

Sung by: “Ensemble Artaserse”

(Marie-Nicole Lemieux and Philippe Jaroussky).

From Monteverdi's “L'incoronazione di Poppea”;

recorded in Baden-Baden, 2012.

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The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

“L'incoronazione di Poppea” (SV 308, “The Coronation of Poppaea”) is an Italian opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, and was first performed at the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice during the 1643 carnival season.

One of the first operas to use historical events and people, it describes how Poppæa, mistress of the Roman emperor Nero, is able to achieve her ambition and be crowned empress. The opera was revived in Naples in 1651, but was then neglected until the rediscovery of the Score in 1888, after which it became the subject of scholarly attention in the late-19th and Early-20th Centuries. Since the 1960s, the opera has been performed and recorded many times.