Of the Spirit

7 October 2024

Newly created and reborn of the Spirit by the mercy of God, let us imitate what we shall one day be.

        St. Cyprian

The Beauty of Christian Marriage

6 October 2024

What kind of yoke is that of two believers who share one hope, one desire, one discipline, one service?  They enjoy kinship in spirit and in flesh.  They are mutual servants with no discrepancy of interests.  Truly they are 'two in one flesh.' Where the flesh is one, the spirit is one as well.  Together they pray, together they bow down, together perform their fasts, mutually teaching, mutually entreating, mutually upholding.  In the church of God they hold an equal place.  They stand equal at the banquet of God, equally in crises, equally facing persecutions, and equally in refreshments.

        Tertullian

The Old Man

5 October 2024

Let us then put off the old man with his deeds and having obtained a share in the sonship of Christ, let us renounce the deeds of the flesh.

        Pope St. Leo the Great

The Divine Service

4 October 2024

The majority […] don’t go to the service to be entertained. They go to use the service, or, if you prefer, to enact it. Every service is a structure of acts and words through which we receive a sacrament, or repent, or supplicate, or adore. And it enables us to do these things best—if you like, it “works” best—when through long familiarity, we don’t have to think about it. As long as you notice, and have to count, the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning the dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don’t notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about your eyes, or light, or print, or spelling.  The perfect church service would be one we are almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.

        C.S. Lewis

Mother of God

3 October 2024

At this point, my dear brothers in Christ, we have to be careful not to overlook something of great importance to our sisters in Christ; that's to say, how modestly the Virgin Mary behaved.  She'd taken the angel's word literally.  She'd given birth to the Son of the Most High.  She'd deferred to Joseph in conversation.  She could've crowed about the honors bestowed on her, but she didn't.  The humble Christ could have taught her humility but, apparently, she taught it to Him.  Mary had great reason to be proud, but she wasn't.

        St. Augustine

Keep Us, O Lord

2 October 2024

Dear God, we are thankful for guardian angels, who protect us from danger. Keep and protect us always. Never let us go to places where the holy angels cannot go with us. Let us never do or say things which Thou and the holy angels cannot be pleased. Keep us ever, Thou dear children, and finally take us to heaven; for Christ sake. Amen.

        W. A. Kramer

On the Incarnation of the Word

1 October 2024

For this purpose, then, the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God comes to our realm, howbeit he was not far from us before. For no part of Creation is left void of Him: He has filled all things everywhere, remaining present with His own Father. But He comes in condescension to show loving-kindness upon us, and to visit us.

        St. Athanasius