The library is closed tommorow...
so no blogging. Blessed Easter to all !

Litany of the Resurrection
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, "
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,

Jesus, Redeemer of mankind, Have mercy on us.
Jesus, Conqueror of sin and Satan, "
Jesus, triumphant over Death,
Jesus, the Holy and the Just,
Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life,
Jesus, the Giver of grace,
Jesus, the Judge of the world,
Who didst lay down Thy life for Thy sheep,
Who didst rise again the third day,
Who didst manifest Thyself to Thy chosen,
Visiting Thy blessed Mother,
Appearing to Magdalen while she wept,
Sending Thy angels to the holy women,
Comforting the Eleven,
Saying to them, Peace,
Breathing on them the Holy Ghost,
Confirming the faith of Thomas,
Committing Thy flock to Peter,
Speaking of the Kingdom of God,

We sinners, Beseech Thee, hear us,
That we may walk in newness of life, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That we may advance in the knowledge of Thee, "
That we may grow in grace,
That we may ever have the bread of life,
That we may persevere unto the end,
That we may have confidence before Thee at Thy coming,
That we may behold Thy face with joy,
That we may be placed at Thy right hand in the judgment,
That we may have our lot with the saints,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Christ is risen, Alleluia.
He is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon, Alleluia.
Let us Pray

O God, who by Thy only begotten Son hast overcome death, and opened on us the way to eternal life, vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, so to confirm us by Thy grace, that we may in all things walk after the manner of those who have been redeemed from their sins, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.—Amen.

From Meditations and Devotions
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

He is not yet risen. His friends and servants take Him ... and place Him in an honourable tomb. They close it safely, till the hour comes for His resurrection.

Lie down and sleep in peace in the calm grave for a little while, dear Lord, and then wake up for an everlasting reign. We, like the faithful women, will watch around Thee, for all our treasure, all our life, is lodged with Thee. And, when our turn comes to die, grant, sweet Lord, that we may sleep calmly too, the sleep of the just. Let us sleep peacefully for the brief interval between death and the general resurrection. Guard us from the enemy; save us from the pit. Let our friends remember us and pray for us, O dear Lord. Let Masses be said for us, so that the pains of Purgatory, so much deserved by us, and therefore so truly welcomed by us, may be over with little delay. Give us seasons of refreshment there; wrap us round with holy dreams and soothing contemplations, while we gather strength to ascend the heavens. And then let our faithful guardian Angels help us up the glorious ladder, reaching from earth to heaven, which Jacob saw in vision. And when we reach the everlasting gates, let them open upon us with the music of Angels; and let St. Peter receive us, and our Lady, the glorious Queen of Saints, embrace us, and bring us to Thee, and to Thy Eternal Father, and to Thy Co-equal Spirit, Three Persons, One God, to reign with Them for ever and ever.

At the Stations of the Cross at Heinz Chapel yesterday...
these meditations were used.

Link courtesy of Fr. Sibley.

Music for Good Friday
Veneration of the Cross: "The Reproaches"- Chant
Communion: "Vexilla Regis"- Chant- Baritone Solo
"Adoramus Te, Christe"- Theodore Dubois (1837-1924)

From Meditations and Devotions
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

Twelve Meditations and Intercessions for Good Friday

The Seven Churches we visited...
on the Seven Churches pilgrimage last night...
1. St. Joseph
2. Holy Family
3. St. Stanislaus Kostka
4. St. Patrick
5. Immaculate Heart of Mary
6. St. Paul Cathedral
7. The Oratory Chapel of St. Philip Neri

St. Patrick has a replica of the Scala Sancta, the Holy Stairs that Our Lord was forced to climb to be judged by Pilate. One ascends on one's knees, praying a short prayer on each of the 28 steps.

Music at Holy Thursday Mass
Processional Hymn: "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence"
Mandatum: "Ubi Caritas"- Maurice Durufle (1902-1986)
"Mandatum novum do vobis"- Chant- Baritone Solo
Offertory: "Ave Verum Corpus"- William Byrd (1543-1623)
Communion: "O Sacris Solemnis"- Chant
"O Sacrum Convivium"- Thomas Tallis (1510-1585)
Hymn During the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament:
"Pange Lingua Gloriosi"- Chant

From Meditations and Devotions
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

Our Lord's sufferings were so great, because His soul was in suffering. What shows this is that His soul began to suffer before His bodily passion, as we see in the agony in the garden. The first anguish which came upon His body was not from without—it was not from the scourges, the thorns, or the nails, but from His soul. His soul was in such agony that He called it death: "My soul is sorrowful even unto death." The anguish was such that it, as it were, burst open His whole body. It was a pang affecting His heart; as in the deluge the floods of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were open. The blood, rushing from his tormented heart, forced its way on every side, formed for itself a thousand new channels, filled all the pores, and at length stood forth upon His skin in thick drops, which fell heavily on the ground.

He remained in this living death from the time of His agony in the garden; and as His first agony was from His soul, so was His last. As the scourge and the cross did not begin His sufferings, so they did not close them. It was the agony of His soul, not of His body, which caused His death. His persecutors were surprised to hear that He was dead. How, then, did He die? That agonised, tormented heart, which at the beginning so awfully relieved itself in the rush of blood and the bursting of His pores, at length broke. It broke and He died. It would have broken at once, had He not kept it from breaking. At length the moment came. He gave the word and His heart broke.

O tormented heart, it was love, and sorrow, and fear, which broke Thee. It was the sight of human sin, it was the sense of it, the feeling of it laid on Thee; it was zeal for the glory of God, horror at seeing sin so near Thee, a sickening, stifling feeling at its pollution, the deep shame and disgust and abhorrence and revolt which it inspired, keen pity for the souls whom it has drawn headlong into hell—all these feelings together Thou didst allow to rush upon Thee. Thou didst submit Thyself to their powers, and they were Thy death. That strong heart, that all-noble, all-generous, all-tender, all-pure heart was slain by sin.

O most tender and gentle Lord Jesus, when will my heart have a portion of Thy perfections? When will my hard and stony heart, my proud heart, my unbelieving, my impure heart, my narrow selfish heart, be melted and conformed to Thine? O teach me so to contemplate Thee that I may become like Thee, and to love Thee sincerely and simply as Thou hast loved me.

The Catholic Carnival ...
is up.

God have mercy on us !
Why is this boy being taken into custody ? Did he sell drugs ? Knife somebody ? Bring a gun to school ?
No, he tried to give a woman a bottle of water.

Link courtesy of Fr. Sibley.

A woman is being legally starved to death....
by the orders of her adulterous husband, and the highest court in the land does nothing. Kyrie, eleison !

If it were not Holy Thursday...
today would be the feast of St. Catherine of Sweden, C.SS.S., Widow and Foundress.

From Meditations and Devotions
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

An evil temper of murmuring and criticism is spread among the disciples. One was the source of it, but it seems to have been spread. The thought of His death was before Him, and He was thinking of it and His burial after it. A woman came and anointed His sacred head. The action spread a soothing tender feeling over His pure soul. It was a mute token of sympathy, and the whole house was filled with it. It was rudely broken by the harsh voice of the traitor now for the first time giving utterance to his secret heartlessness and malice. Ut quid perditio hæc? "To what purpose is this waste?"—the unjust steward with his impious economy making up for his own private thefts by grudging honour to his Master. Thus in the midst of the sweet calm harmony of that feast at Bethany, there comes a jar and discord; all is wrong: sour discontent and distrust are spreading, for the devil is abroad.

Out on Tol Eressëa...
that rumbling is the sound of a hobbit spinning in his grave over the misappropriation of his name .
Links courtesy of Fr. Sibley.

The Feast of St. Serapion the Scholastic, Bishop
is today. There is information on him here. He was a friend of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church and St. Anthony the Abbot.

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Lane Core
links to many sermons by the Venerable.

On Palm Sunday, 1850...
Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., preached a sermon, of which the following notes survive:

On Our Lord's Agony

1. INTROD.—We naturally seek to be told something of the death and the deathbeds of those we know and love. We are drawn to the deathbed of the saints and holy people; and much more if anything remarkable about it, and much more if a man be our benefactor, parent, etc. How much more the death of the great God?

2. Thus, above all, our Lord's death—how sudden it was! One day brought into the city in triumph, the next plotted against, betrayed and seized.

3. God from eternity—the Holy Trinity. Each person all God; the Son the only God, as if only Person.

4. God most happy; Son all happy—bliss, peace, calmness, glory, beauty, perfection from all eternity.

5. And now look at that one only God, as we contemplate Him at this time of year. He is still one, sole, and alone. He was one in heaven; He is one in the garden, one on the tree. He trod the winepress alone. When He went into the garden He took but a few with Him, and separated Himself from them; and afterwards the disciples 'left Him alone,' and fled. Easy for the traitor to take Him, for He was alone.

6. But though one and alone, how different! He who was glorious is become a leper; He who was so peaceful has lost His rest.

7. It is said that nothing is so fearful as the overwhelming sorrow of man as contrasted with woman, of a hero or great and firm man overcome by adversity or bereavement; for it being more difficult, it bursts more [violently]; it is like a storm rending and shattering. What, then, in the most peaceful and serene? What a conflict in the sinless!—(enlarge).

8. It is said that 'the wicked are like a boiling sea'; what means this in the innocent? Yet so it is. He began to grow weary, sad, frightened. (Explain.) On the devil, who was foiled in the wilderness, to his surprise finding our Lord in the garden agitated as a sinner. He had gained his point—his eternal enemy vanquished. On the apostles sleeping for sorrow, but Christ praying more earnestly.

9. Pain of mind greater than that of body, though we are more conversant in bodily pain—grief, fear, anxiety, terror, despair, disappointment—poena damni of the lost greater than poena sensus. On the effect of mental pain—hair turning white; Nabal . So effect on Christ—agony of blood.

10. Let us gather round and look at Him whom God has punished; but in no idle way, for His pain is from our sins. Address to sinners.

If it were not Sunday...
today would be the feast of St. Cuthbert, O.S.B., Bishop, and his friend St. Herbert,O.S.B. .

Music at Noon Mass
Processional Hymn: "All Glory, Laud, and Honor"
Offertory: "The Crown of Roses"- Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Communion: "Pange Lingua, Gloriosi"- Chant- Baritone Solo
"Sacris Solemnis"- Chant- Men's Schola
"O Crux Ave"- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)
Recessional Hymn: "Ah, Holy Jesus"