Tag Archives: liturgy

What Does God Want Us to See? 2

by • Lent, Liturgical Logic • Tags: , , , , , ,

Reflection on the Readings for Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday! (the Second Scrutiny)

I’ve got some good news: REJOICE! It’s Laetare Sunday! We are more than halfway through Lent.

On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to celebrate Laetare Sunday as a liturgical way of saying “Lift up your eyes! See the light at the end of the tunnel!” This Sunday, Christ calls us to exercise our faith in a special way, by doing something that perhaps we tend not to even think about during Lent – Rejoice! Be Joyful!

Rejoice, you say?

Given the present state of circumstances, it’s understandable why some – perhaps many – of us aren’t feeling it, or can’t see it right now. If that’s a problem, then this Sunday’s readings were especially chosen for you. More…

Christ Reveals Himself to You: the Woman at the Well Reply

by • Lent, Liturgical Logic • Tags: , , , , ,

This post is part of a series on the scrutinies, which began earlier this week. I recommend reading the first post in the series, “What are the scrutinies?” before reading this one.

Meditation for the Third Sunday of Lent: the First Scrutiny

The shortest sentence in the Gospel is a solitary word our Lord uttered from the Cross: “Sitio,” in Latin, which translates into English as “I thirst.” (John 19:28)

With this word Jesus reveals how he, as God, longs to be in an intimate relationship with us. He thirsts for our souls. As a man, he shares in our sufferings, aches, and pains. When it comes to yearnings, nothing compares to thirst, because when you’re thirsty there’s only one thing on your mind until you get it, one thing that will satisfy you. Water. More…

What Are the Scrutinies? Reply

by • Lent, Liturgical Logic • Tags: , , ,

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday of Lent

Who can’t relate to the poem “Footprints in the Sand”?

For those who are not familiar with it, it’s a narrative poem about a person – this could be a woman or a man, but since the author is a woman – envisioning her life as a walk along the shoreline. As she looks back, she sees footprints trailing behind her in the sand. Upon realizing that at times there are two sets of footprints following her, at other times only one, she says to our Lord, “During the hardest times there is only one set of footprints! Where were you when I needed you most?” Jesus responds: More…

O Rex Gentium, Today’s O Antiphon Reply

by • Advent • Tags: , , , ,

O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti. More…

O Adonai 3

by • Advent • Tags: , , , , , ,

O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

When the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush, he revealed himself as “I AM,” in Hebrew, YHWH. Then he added: More…

O Antiphons During the Christmas Novena 3

by • Advent • Tags: , , , , ,
God Is With Us

God Is With Us

During the last 9 days before Christmas, the Christmas Novena, the Church invites us to meditate on the Incarnation of the Son of God and his coming to us as a child born of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Church has special prayers during these days called the O Antiphons, which are prayed each night along with the Magnificat during Evening Prayer for the Liturgy of the Hours. More…

O Wisdom, O Sapientia, Today’s O Antiphon Reply

by • Advent • Tags: , , , , ,
Sede Sapientiae, ora pro nobis

Sede Sapientiae, ora pro nobis

“The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2-3)

Today, the Church contemplates the Incarnation of Divine Wisdom, who is the Word of God. More…

Sweet Music Sets the Rejoicing Tone for Gaudete Sunday Reply

by • Advent • Tags: , , , ,

Rejoice in the Lord!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice! Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. — Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob” — Philippians 4:4–6; Psalm 85:1

The Introit of today’s Mass invites us to Rejoice in the Lord.

Thanks. What’s an introit? More…