Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.
Cristóbal de Morales (1500 – 1553) was a Spanish composer of the Renaissance. He is generally considered to be the most influential Spanish composer before Victoria.
He was born in Seville, Spain, and, after an exceptional early education there, which included a rigorous training in the classics as well as musical study with some of the foremost composers, he held posts at Ávila and Plasencia.
Cristóbal de Morales by Angelo Rossi (dates unknown).
The original print is from Andrea Adami's Osservazioni per ben regolare il coro dei cantori della Cappella pontificia. Catalogo de' nomi, cognomi, e patria de i cantori pontifici (Rome, 1711).
Parce mihi Domine, nihil enim sunt dies mei.
Quid est homo, quia magnificas eum?
Aut quid apponis erga eum cor tuum?
Visitas cum diluculo, et subito probas illum.
Usquequo non parcis michi, nec dimittas me, ut glutiam salivam meam?
Peccavi. Quid faciam tibi, o custos hominum?
Quare posuisti me contrarium tibi, et factus sum michimet ipsi gravis?
Cur non tollis peccatum meum, et quare non aufers iniquitatem meam?
Ecce nunc in pulvere dormio; et si mane me quesieris, non subsistam.
English
Spare me, O Lord, for my days are nothing.
What is man, that thou dost make so much of him, and that
thou dost set thy mind upon him,
dost visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow my spittle?
If I sin, what do I do to thee, thou watcher of men? Why hast thou made me thy mark?
Why have I become a burden to thee?
Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity?
For now I shall lie in the earth; thou wilt seek me, but I shall not be.
Español
Perdóname Señor, porque mis días son un soplo.
¿Qué es el hombre para que le des tanta importancia,
para que pongas en él tu atención,
para que cada mañana lo inspecciones y sin cesar lo pongas a prueba?
¿Hasta cuándo seguirás vigilándome sin darme tregua ni para tragar saliva?
¿Qué daño te hizo mi pecado, guardián de los hombres?
¿Por qué me has convertido en blanco de tus flechas?
¿Por qué he de ser una carga para ti?
¿Por qué no olvidas mi pecado ni pasas por alto mi culpa?
Mira que bien pronto yaceré en la tierra y no me hallarás, aunque me busques.
The Station at Rome was on Mount Coelius, in the residence that the Christian Senator, Pammachius, in the 5th-Century, transformed into a Parish Church, which bears the title of Saints John and Paul (Feast Day is 26 June). Six frescoes of that period represent the captivity and death of these two Romans, “who in the same faith and the same martyrdom were truly united as brethren”.
English: Church of The Holy Martyrs, John and Paul.
Near this Church is a hospice for pilgrims (Xenodochium Valerii). Pammachius, in other directions, spent his whole fortune upon the poor. The Gospel of this Mass and the Postcommunion also speak of Charity.
The Epistle and the Gospel declare that the external works of Penance, such as Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving, which should be practised during Lent, have no value in the sight of God unless they are accompanied by the spirit of internal sacrifice. This spirit shows itself in works of mercy, done out of consideration for our neighbour, without distinction of friend or enemy and with the sole intention of pleasing God. Let us ask for the spirit of sacrifice and mercy.
This Station is, since the time of Gregory II (7th-Century), at Saint George's in Velabro. This Church is in the district called the Velabrum or Velum aureum, on account of a relic kept in a golden veil. Saint George's is one of the twenty-five parishes of Rome in the Fifth-Century, where, under the High Altar, is kept the head of this Christian warrior, a victim of the Persecution of the Emperor Diocletian, and called by the Greeks "the great Martyr".
The Liturgy of today inculcates in us the spirit of prayer, which forms part of the Forty Days' penance. It was by prayer that Ezechias obtained a prolongation of his life (Epistle of today) and the Centurion, the healing of his servant (Gospel), and it is by prayer that we shall obtain from God the strength to mortify ourselves in order that we may gain the pardon of our sins, and with it the healing of our Souls and life eternal.
The Gospel, in former times, reminded the Catechumens that, through Baptism, they were about to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Remember that, if sin offends God and draws upon us the scourge of His righteous anger, penance, on the contrary, appeases Him and procures for us the effects of His mercy (Collects).
The current Basilica was built during the 7th-Century, possibly by Pope Leo II, who dedicated it to Saint Sebastian. A 482-inscription in the catacombs of St. Callixtus probably refers to a Church in the same zone. Its plan is irregular, indeed slightly trapezoidal, as a result of the frequent additions to the building. The interior columns are almost randomly arranged, having been taken from sundry Roman temples.
The Basilica was inside the Greek Quarter of Rome, where Greek-speaking merchants, civil and military officers, and monks of the Byzantine Empire lived — the nearby Santa Maria in Cosmedin, for example, was known as Schola Graeca at the time. Pope Zachary (741 A.D. - 752 A.D.), who was of Greek origin, moved the relic of St. George to this Basilica from Cappadocia, so that this Saint had a Basilica dedicated in the West, well before the spreading of his devotion associated with the return of the Crusaders from the East.
After a restoration by Pope Gregory IV (9th-Century), the Basilica received the addition of the Portico and of the Bell-Tower in the first half of the 13th-Century. The Apsis was decorated with frescoes by Pietro Cavallini in the 13th-Century.
Between 1923 and 1926, the Superintendent of Monuments of Rome, Antonio Muñoz, completed a more radical restoration programme, with the aim of restoring the building's "mediaeval character" and freeing it from later additions. This was done by returning the floor to its original level (and so exposing the column bases), reopening the ancient windows that gave light to the central nave, restoring the apsis, and generally removing numerous accretions from the other most recent restorations. During this process, fragments (now displayed on the Basilica's internal walls) were found indicating a schola cantorum on the site, attributed to the period of Pope Gregory IV.
The building, as we see it today, is largely a product of the 1920s restoration. However, five years' further restoration followed the explosion of a car bomb, parked close to the Basilica's facade, at midnight on 27 July 1993. That explosion caused no fatalities but left the 12th-Century Portico almost totally collapsed and blew a large opening into the wall of the main Basilica, as well as doing serious damage to the residence of the Generalate of the Crosiers (Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross), next door. The Ministry of Cultural Heritage researched and catalogued what was damaged or destroyed, placing the fragments in 1050 crates, with dates and locational references, before restoring the building with them, although some details, particularly in the Portico, were deliberately left un-restored as a memorial to the bombing.
Today's Station at Rome is at Saint Sabina's, on the Aventine, in a Sanctuary built on the former site of the Holy Martyr's house. Having been converted by her maid-servant, she was beheaded for the faith and secretly buried. It is to this Church that, in former times, the Pope used to go barefoot "to begin, with holy fasts, the exercises of Christian warfare, that as we do battle with the spirits of evil, we may be protected by the help of self-denial" [the Prayer at the Blessing of the Ashes]. In the 5th-Century, this Church was one of the twenty-five Parishes of Rome.
Following the example of the Ninivites, who did Penance in sackcloth and ashes, the Church today, to humble our pride and remind us of the sentence of death, which, as a consequence of our sins we are bound to undergo, sprinkles ashes on our heads with the words: "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return". [Ashes are a symbol of Penance and, having become a Sacramental by the Church's blessing, help to develop within us the spirit of humility and sacrifice.] We come from dust and unto dust we shall return ! Here, indeed, is a thought that should humble our pride.
In this custom, we have the remains of an ancient ceremony referred to in the Roman Pontifical. Those Christians who were guilty of grave faults had to undergo public Penance. Accordingly, on Ash Wednesday, the Bishop used to bless the sackcloth, which was to be worn by the penitents during the Holy Forty Days, and place upon their heads ashes made from palms used the previous year in the Palm Sunday procession. Then, while the faithful were singing the Seven Penitential Psalms, "the penitents were expelled from the Holy Place on account of their sins, just as Adam was driven out of Paradise because of his disobedience". [Roman Pontifical.] They were not allowed to put off their penitential garb or to re-enter the Church before Holy Thursday, after they had gained their reconciliation by toil and Penance, and by Sacramental Confession and Absolution.
Français: Interieur de l'église de Santa Sabina, Aventin, Rome.
English: Interior of Santa Sabina, Aventine, Rome.
At the Council of Beneventum (1091), Pope Urban VI commanded that the ashes should be received by all the faithful indiscriminately. Let us receive them in a spirit of humility and Penance, that, by this powerful Sacramental, we may obtain from Almighty God the blessings which the Church implores in the act of blessing them.
For truly, "God overlooks the sins of men for the sake of repentance" (Introit). He is "rich in mercy" to those who are "converted to Him with all their heart in fasting and in weeping and in mourning" (Epistle). We must not indeed, like the Pharisees, rend our garments as a sign of grief, but, rather, our hearts" (ibid.), for it is not men who are to testify to our fasting, but Our Father who sees our innermost Souls and will repay us (Gospel), as Our Lord Himself tells us in the Sermon on the Mount. [According to tradition, this Mount is Kurn Hattin.] Let us, then, draw from the Eucharist the help which we need (Postcommunion), so that, celebrating today the institution of this Sacred Fast (Secret), we may "perform it with a devotion which nothing can disturb" (Collect).
THE BLESSING OF THE ASHES.
Before Mass, ashes are blessed. These ashes are made from the palms which were blessed in the previous year's Palm Sunday procession. The formula used in the blessing dates from about the 8th-Century.
After the Office of None, the Priest, vested in Alb and Violet Stole, with or without a Violet Cope, with Deacon and Sub-Deacon in Vestments of the same colour, goes up to the Altar and the Choir begins singing.
After the appropriate Prayers have been said by the Priest, he sprinkles Holy Water on the ashes and then incenses them, three times. The Faithful then receive the ashes on their foreheads.
Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated. The word "Psalms" is derived from the Greek, Ψαλμοί (Psalmoi), perhaps originally meaning "music of the lyre" or "songs sung to a harp," and, later, any piece of music. From "psallein", "play upon a stringed instrument", and, then, to "make music in any fashion". Psalm 2 is the second Psalm of the Bible. It tells us that people can either defy God and perish, or submit to Him and be Blessed.
Psalm 2 does not identify its author with a superscription, but Acts 4:24-26 in the New Testament clearly attributes it to David.
Thomas Tallis.
English composer (1505 - 1585).
Engraving by Niccolò Haym, after a portrait by Gerard van der Gucht.
The following Text, and the Text in the Headline, are taken from "The Book of Psalms (Liber Psalmorum)" (Douay-Rheims) (2008), published by Baronius Press.
PSALM 2. Quare fremuerunt. The vain efforts of persecutors against Christ and His Church. Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania ? Astiterunt reges terrae, et principes convenerunt in unum adversus Dominum, et adversus christum ejus. Dirumpanus vincula eorum, et projiciamus a nobis jugum ipsorum. Qui habitat in caelis irridebit eos, et Dominus subsannabit eos. Tunc loquetor ad eos in ira sua, et in furore suo conturbabit eos. Ego autem constitutus sum rex ab eo super Sion, montem sanctum ejus, praedicans preaeceptum ejus. Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui te. Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes haereditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terrae. Reges eos in virga ferrea, et tamquam vas figuli confringes eos. Et nunc, reges, intelligite; erudimini, qui judicatis terram. Servite Domino in timore, et exsultate ei cum tremore. Apprehendite disciplinam, nequando irascatur Dominus, et pereatis de via justa. Cum exarserit in brevi ira ejus, beati omnes qui confidunt in eo.
Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things ?
The kings of the Earth stood up, and the princes met together,
against the Lord, and against His Christ.
Let us break their bonds asunder; and let us cast away
their yoke from us.
He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh at them: And
the Lord shall deride them.
Then shall He speak to them in His anger, and
trouble them in His rage.
But I am appointed king by Him over Sion His holy mountain,
preaching His commandment.
The Lord hath said to me: Thou art My Son, this day
have I begotten thee.
Ask of Me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance,
and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them
in pieces like a potter's vessel.
And now, O ye kings, understand: Receive instruction, you
that judge the Earth.
Serve ye the Lord with fear: And rejoice unto Him with trembling.
Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry,
and you perish from the just way.
When His wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed
are all they that trust in Him.
Psalm 3 is attributed to David, in particular, when he fled from Absalom, his son. David, deserted by his subjects, derided by Shimei, pursued for his crown and life by his ungracious son, turns to his God, makes his supplications, and confesses his Faith. The story of Absalom is found in 2 Samuel, Chapters 13-18.
Canticum David cum fugeret a facie Abessalon filii sui Domine quare multiplicati sunt hostes mei multi consurgunt adversus me multi dicunt animae meae non est salus huic in Deo semper tu autem Domine clipeus circa me gloria mea et exaltans caput meum voce mea ad Dominum clamabo et exaudiet me de monte sancto suo semper ego dormivi et soporatus sum evigilavi quia Dominus sustentavit me non timebo milia populi quae circumdederunt me surge Domine salvum me fac Deus meus quia percussisti omnium inimicorum meorum maxillam dentes impiorum confregisti Domini est salus super populum tuum benedictio tua semper.
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom, his son
Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Frontispiece to the King James' Bible, 1611, shows the Twelve Apostles at the top. Moses and Aaron flank the central text. In the four corners sit Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, authors of the four Gospels, with their symbolic animals. At the top, over the Holy Spirit in a form of a dove, is the Tetragrammaton "יהוה" ("YHWH").
The title page text reads:
THE HOLY BIBLE,
Conteyning the Old Teſtament,
AND THE NEW:
Newly Tranſlated out of the Originall tongues: & with the former Tranſlations diligently compared and reuiſed, by his Maiesties speciall Comandement.
Appointed to be read in Churches.
Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings moſt Excellent Maiestie.
ANNO DOM. 1611. At the bottom is "C. Boel ſecit in Richmont."
In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, verse 1-3 represents David complaining to God of his enemies, and confiding in God. Verses 4-8 represents his triumphs over his fears, and giving God the glory, while taking to himself the comfort.
In Adam Clark's Commentary, verses 1-2 represents David's complaint, in great distress, of the number of his enemies, and the reproaches they cast on him, as one forsaken of God. Verse 3 represents as confidence, notwithstanding, that God will be his protector. Verse 4-5 mention David's prayers and supplications, and how God heard him. Verses 6-7 deride the impotent malice of his adversaries, and foretell their destruction. The final verse ascribes salvation to God.
Verse 1: Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? The hearts of all Israel went after Absalom (2 Samuel xv. 13), and David was astonished to find such a sudden and general revolt. Not only the common people, but his counsellors also, and many of his chief captains.
Verse 2: No help for him in God: one of many reproaches of his enemies. Shimei said: "Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man." (2 Samuel xvi. 7-8) Such reproaches deeply affected David's heart, and he mentions them with that note which so frequently occurs in the Psalms, and occurs in Psalm 3 for the first time, 'selah', a word the Septuagint translate by diayalma diapsalma, "a pause in the Psalm." It either comes from ls sal, to raise or elevate, and may denote a particular elevation in the voices of the performers, which is very observable in the Jewish singing to the present day. It may come from hls salah, to strew or spread out, intimating that the subject to which the word is attached should be spread out, meditated on, and attentively considered by the reader.
Verse 3. Thou, O Lord art a shield: As a shield covers and defends the body from the strokes of an adversary, so wilt thou cover and defend me from them that rise up against me.The lifter up of mine head: Thou wilt restore me to the state from which my enemies have cast me down, as he speaks prophetically. He was satisfied that the deliverance would take place, hence his confidence in prayer; so that we find him, with comparative unconcern, laying himself down in his bed, expecting the sure protection of the Almighty.
Verse 4. I cried unto the Lord with my voice: Exposed to much danger, David had need of fervour. He heard me: Notwithstanding my enemies said, and my friends feared, that there was no help for me in my God. yet he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah: God never forsakes those who trust in him. He never shuts out the prayer of the distressed.
Verse 5. I laid me down and slept: He who knows that he has God for his Protector may go quietly and confidently to his bed, not fearing the violence of the fire, the edge of the sword, the designs of wicked men, nor the influence of malevolent spirits. I awaked: Though humanly speaking there was reason to fear I should have been murdered in my bed, as my most confidential servants had been corrupted by my rebellious son. yet God, my shield, protected me: I both slept and awaked; and my life is still whole in me.
Verse 6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands: Strength and numbers are nothing against the omnipotence of God. He who has made God his refuge certainly has no cause to fear.
Verse 7. Arise, O Lord: Though he knew that God had undertaken his defense, yet he knew that his continued protection depended on his continual prayer and faith. God never ceases to help as long as we pray. Thou hast smitten: That is, Thou wilt smite. David speaks in full confidence of God's interference; and knows as surely that he shall have the victory, as if he had it already. Breaking the jaws and the teeth are expressions which imply, confounding and destroying an adversary; treating him with extreme contempt; using him like a dog, etc.
Verse 8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: It is God alone who saves. He is the fountain whence help and salvation come; and to him alone the praise of all saved souls is due. His blessing is upon his people. Those who are saved from the power and the guilt of sin are his people. His mercy saved them; and it is by his blessing being continually upon them, that they continue to be saved. David adds his selah here also: 1. Salvation comes from God. 2. Salvation is continued by God.
Psalm 3 has been scored in music by many artists, including "Thou Art A Shield For Me", by Byron Cage, "Christian Karaoke Praise Song Psalm 3 worship", by Andrew Bain.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Psalm 3 is the first Psalm, of "The Six Psalms", which are read as part of every Orthros(Matins) Service. During the reading of the Six Psalms, movement and noise are strongly discouraged, as it is regarded as one of the most holy moments of the Orthros Service.
[This first Paragraph from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.] The word "Psalms" is derived from the Greek, Ψαλμοί (Psalmoi), perhaps originally meaning "music of the lyre" or "songs sung to a harp," and, later, any piece of music. From "psallein" "play upon a stringed instrument" and, then, to "make music in any fashion".
The following Latin text is taken from the "Liber Psalmorum cum Canticis Breviarii Romani" (1945). The following English text is taken from "The Psalms and New Testament" (Douay-Rheims) (2007), published by Baronius Press. PSALM 1.
"BEATUS VIR".
The happiness of the Just and
the evil state of the wicked.
Beatus vir, qui non sequitur
consilium impiorum,
Et viam peccatorum non ingreditur,
et in conventu protervorum non sedet;
Sed in lege Domini voluptas eius est,
et de lege eius meditatur die ac nocte.
Et est tamquam arbor
plantata iuxta rivos aquarum,
Quae fructum praebet tempore suo,
cuiusque folia non marcescunt,
et quaecumque facit, prospere procedunt.
Non sic impii, non sic;
sed tamquam palea, quam dissipat ventus,
Ideo non consistent impii in iudicio,
neque peccatores in concilio iustorum,
Quoniam Dominus curat viam iustorum,
et via impiorum peribit.
Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence:
But his will is in the Law of the Lord,
and on His Law he shall mediate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree,
which is planted near the running waters,
which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season.
And his leaf shall not fall off:
And all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.
Not so the wicked, no so:
But like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the Earth.
Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment:
Please note: Zephyrinus will be Posting every day during Lent on the Lenten Stational Church for that day. It is humbly offered as an aid to every Reader's Lenten Journey of introspection, Penance, and Prayer.
Lenten Station Days were days of Fasting in the early Christian Church. The practice of keeping "Stations" died out during the Avignon papacy, but was revived by Pope Leo XIII and Pope John XXIII.
Pope Gregory the Great, 590 A.D. - 604 A.D., designated certain Churches in Rome as "stationes" and recommended that, on the more solemn festivals, they should be made Stations (stationes fieri) until the Hour of Sext, and at these same Churches on the appointed days (statis dicbus) the Faithful should assist at The Daily Office.
Today, they are Days associated with Processions to particular Churches in which the Faithful may gain certain Indulgences.
From as early as the 3rd-Century, the Church of Rome observed the Season of Lent by journeying each day, while singing the Litanies of the Saints, to a "Station Church" or one of the ancient and prominent Churches of Rome.
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major). One of the Lenten Stations.
Photo: Taken by Jack Curran, December 2005. Original upload date: 7 January 2006.
Here the Bishop of Rome, the Holy Father, would lead the people in Prayer as they honoured the Holy Martyrs of Rome. The Holy Relics of the Saints are exposed on this day and the Holy Mass is celebrated. It is a Pilgrimage of Faith, a symbol of unity, and an incentive for us all to adhere more fully to the Gospel.
In the 6th-Century, Pope Saint Gregory I ("The Great"), 590 A.D. - 604 A.D., designated it as a Lenten Practice. Unfortunately, the custom ceased during the Avignon Papacy in 1305, but interest was revived by Pope Saint Leo XIII at the turn of the 20th-Century. Blessed Pope John XXIII fully restored the custom in 1959 and it continues to this day. As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, reminds us:
“These rites retain their value, despite the passing of centuries, because they recall how important it also is in our day to accept Jesus’ words without compromises: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his Cross, daily, and follow me” (Lk 9:23) (Benedict XVI, Ash Wednesday Homily, 1 March 2006).
English: Basilica of Saint Paul Without The Walls, Rome, Italy. One of the Lenten Stations.
German: Rom, Sankt Paul vor den Mauern, San Paolo fuori le mura
Italiano: Statua di San Paolo di fronte alla facciata della
The following is the list of the Station Churches, as it was compiled in the time of Pope Saint Gregory I (6th-Century):
Patriarchal Basilicas:
S. Giovanni in Laterano, S. Pietro, S. Maria Maggiore, S. Paolo Fuori le Mura, S. Lorenzo Fuori le Mura;
Cardinalitial Titles:
S. Sisto; SS. Giovanni e Paolo, SS. Quattro Coronati, S. Clemente, S. Marcellino e Pietro, S. Pietro in Vincoli, S. Silvestro ai Monti, S. Prassede, S. Pudenziana, S. Eusebio, S. Vitale, S. Susanna, S. Ciriacos, S. Marcello, S. Lorenzo in Lucina, S. Lorenzo in Damaso, S. Marco, S. Anastasia, S. Nereo e Achilleo, S. Balbina, S. Sabina, S. Prisca, S. Maria in Trastevere, S. Cecilia, S. Crisogono;
Diaconates (those which had been Stations before they were Diaconates):
S. Nicolo in Carcere, SS. Cosma e Damiano, S. Maria in Via Lata, S. Maria in Porticu, S. Maria in Domnica.
Basilica of The Twelve Holy Apostles, Rome, Italy. One of the Lenten Stations.
The number of Stations is eighty-six, and, that of the Churches being less, some of them have the Station several times in the year. S. Sabina, the Station established by Pope Urban VIII for Ash Wednesday, is the most important of all because it was long customary for the Popes to repair thither on that day to distribute the Ashes to the people.
Persons desirous of gaining the Station Indulgences, first repair to a Church in the vicinity of the Station, in imitation of the ancient Collect, or gathering of the Clergy and the people, preparatory to the Procession.
In this Church, Prayers are recited from the Station Manual, consisting of invocations to the Blessed Virgin and the Martyrs. Then begins the journey to the Station, accompanied by the recitation of the Miserere, five Paters, the Ave and Gloria, and the steps of the Passion of Christ.
On arrival at the Station Church, the Litany of the Saints is said with versicles and Prayers, ending with the "De Profundis". The Pope grants dispensations to all who are unable to go in person to the Stations, such as Cloistered Religious, prisoners, the sick, etc., who are free to visit their own Church and say the Prayers prescribed.
Cardinals and their attendants and Prelates of the Papal Court may gain the Station Indulgence by reciting certain Prayers in their Oratory. These Prayers are printed annually and distributed to the Cardinals and Prelates, who assist at the first Sistine Chapel of Lent.
BURNICRON in Etudes, CIV (Paris, 1905), 205-24.
H. LECLERCQ.
Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome, Italy. One of the Lenten Stations.
Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal. Illustrations, unless stated otherwise, are taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal at UNA VOCE OF ORANGE COUNTY
Quinquagesima Sunday. Station at Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome. Semi-Double. Privilege of the Second Class. Violet Vestments.
Jesus said to him: "Receive thy sight, thy faith hath made thee whole".
In the same way that the first three Prophecies of Holy Saturday, with their accompanying Prayers, are concerned with Adam, Noah and Abraham, so, during the Septuagesima Season, our attention is called in Missal and Breviary to these same Patriarchs, known respectively by the Church as the father of the human race, the father of future generations and the father of those who believe.
Adam, Noah and Abraham were types of Christ in the Paschal Mystery, a fact which we have already shown to be true in the case of the first two, in our notes on Septuagesima Sunday and Sexagesima Sunday. That it is true of Abraham, also, we shall see today.
In the Ambrosian Liturgy, Passion Sunday was called "Abraham's Sunday" and the "Response of Abraham" was read in the Office for that day; in the Roman Liturgy, also, he is still the subject of the Gospel for Passion Sunday.
Esto mihi in Deum protectorem, et in locum refugii,
ut salvum me facias: quoniam firmamentum meum,
et refugium meum es tu: et propter nomen
tuum dux mihi eris,
et enutries me.
Ps. In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum:
in iustitia tua libera me, et eripe me.
V. Gloria Patri.
"Abraham, your father", says Our Lord, "rejoiced that he might see My day, he saw it and was glad
. . . Amen, Amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am". God had indeed promised Abraham that the Messias should descend from him, and he was overwhelmed with great joy, when, by Faith, he contemplated beforehand the day of the Redeemer's coming.
Again, when this was fulfilled, he still contemplated it with a fresh joy in Limbo, where he was waiting, with the Just Men of the Old Law, for Jesus to come and deliver them after His Passion. When the three weeks of the Septuagesima Season were added to Lent, Quinquagesima became the Sunday on which the Liturgy is devoted to Abraham, so that, in the Lessons and Responses for today, the whole history of the Patriarch is described.
With the desire of forming a people, who should be specially His own in the midst of the idolatrous nations of the world (Gradual and Tract), Almighty God chose Abraham as its Head and gave him his name, which means father of many nations. "And He took him from Ur, in Chaldee, and kept him from harm in all his wanderings" [Prayers taken from the Rituale Romanum, for the Recommendation of a Soul, and before a journey].
A man is not saved by being a son of Abraham, according to the flesh, but by being Abraham's son by means of a Faith like his. So Saint Paul writes: "In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision (to be a Jew) availeth anything, nor uncircumcision (to be a Gentile), but a new creature". "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness".
If the custom of allowing ourselves a little relaxation of spirit, before undertaking the Lenten Penance which binds us all, is of Liturgical origin, let us not forget that the Church condemns all excess. To atone, therefore, for those sins that are committed, let us make a Solemn Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, besides saying this Prayer of Reconciliation known as the Forty Hours' Prayer, which was instituted, either, by Saint Anthony-Mary Zaccaria († 1539), or by the Capuchin Father, Joseph Piantanida da Fermo (about 1636), a Prayer richly Indulgenced by Pope Clement XIII (1765).
The Forty Hours' Devotion originated from the Forty Hours that Jesus passed in the tomb. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was included but at a later date, and regulated by Pope Clement XI, in 1705.
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