Catholic Light...
links to the Venerable's best poem, that it may be be meditated on while the Holy Father is so very ill.
Here is a slightly modified version of a prayer by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., for a happy death....

Oh, our Lord and Saviour, support him in this hour in the strong arms of Thy Sacraments, and by the fresh fragrance of Thy consolations. Let the absolving words be said over him, and the holy oil sign and seal him, and Thy own Body be his food, and Thy Blood his sprinkling; and let his sweet Mother, Mary, breathe on him, and his Angel whisper peace to him, and the glorious Saints ... smile upon him; that in them all, and through them all, he may receive the gift of perseverance, and die, as he desired to live, in Thy faith, in Thy Church, in Thy service, and in Thy love. Amen.

If it were not Easter Friday...
today would be the feast of St. Melito of Sardis, Bishop, and St. Catherine of Palma, C.R.O.S.A., Virgin.

On March 31st, 1872...

it was Easter Day, and Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., preached a sermon, of which the following notes survive:

Victory of Good over Evil

1. This day commemorates the victory of truth over falsehood, of good over evil, of Almighty God over Satan—quote Matt. xxviii. 1.

2. Not a recent event, the existence of evil—millions of ages ago, a revolt in heaven—rebel angels; thus Satan the god of this world. And the conflict began first in heaven—'Michael and his angels.' Then the devil was cast out, and came down to the earth. Then it went on to the greater conflict with the Son of God.

3. Wonderful there should have been such a conflict and such a victory.

4. (1) No evil without His permission. This is one wonder.

5. (2) Then when permitted, He might have destroyed it by a word; but He suffered it.

6. (3) He might have let it run its course, and die as a conflagration dies out.

7. (4) But He determined on a conflict and a victory.

8. (5) And a victory of apparent weakness over force.

9. This was His will, and since He chose this way, we believe it to be the best way.

10. This has been the character of the conflict ever since. There has been a conflict, and a victory of weakness over might. Martyrs.

11. Holy See.

12. Comfort of this time.

13. We do not know what is coming, but we do know that we shall conquer.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord...
and let perpetual light shine upon her.

Terri has died. God have mercy on our country.

If it were not Easter Thursday...
today would be the feast of St. Benjamin, Deacon and Martyr.

From Discourses to Mixed Congregations
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

You may recollect, my brethren, our Lord's words when on the day of His resurrection He had joined the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, and found them sad and perplexed in consequence of His death. He said, "Ought not Christ to suffer these things, and so enter into His glory?" He appealed to the fitness and congruity which existed between this otherwise surprising event and the other truths which had been revealed concerning the Divine purpose of saving the world. And so, too, St. Paul, in speaking of the same wonderful appointment of God; "It became Him," he says, "for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, who had brought many sons unto glory, to consummate the Author of their salvation by suffering". Elsewhere, speaking of prophesying, or the exposition of what is latent in Divine truth, he bids his brethren exercise the gift "according to the analogy or rule of faith"; that is, so that the doctrine preached may correspond and fit into what is already received. Thus, you see, it is a great evidence of truth, in the case of revealed teaching, that it is so consistent, that it so hangs together, that one thing springs out of another, that each part requires and is required by the rest.

What a neat custom to revive !
The Easter Rattie!

Link courtesy of Fr. Sibley.

On Easter Sunday...
I had yet more reason to give thanks to God for the Oratory.
My mother had me drive her to the 8:00 am Mass at the local parish. While the priest was reverent, and the homily was quite good, the music was enough to make me want to run for cover. (BTW, the priest was not the pastor or his assistant, but a "retired" priest who lives near the parish and helps out sometimes. I point this out, because it makes it highly unlikely that Father had anything to do with the music selected, and I don't want the following to reflect badly on him.)
The opening hymn was O.K., but I noticed a dreadful, loud, nasal tenor voice coming from the front. We were seated in the back, and the only person I could see in that particular area was the organist. I assumed that the painfully bad tenor voice was his.
There was a 'refrain Gloria'- with most of it sung by guess who. That same tenor also sang a solo during the sprinkling (not the Vidi Aquam !)The psalm featured 'inclusive language', in which "God" was repeated many times in order to avoid referring to the Deity as 'Him'.

The true kicker came during Communion. The Communion Hymn was by David Haas ! To accompany it, the organist left the organ and sat down at the piano. To my knowledge, nobody sang, except the Terrible Tenor. However, when I glanced over, I noticed that the organist wasn't singing....
There was a cantor, whom I had not been able to see, due to the crowded pews. And the nightmare tenor voice was... hers !

I was still a bit stunned as the closing hymn(a St. Louis Jesuits piece) was sung. Now, I have a deep voice myself, but this lady really took the cake ! And after singing Hassler and Palestrina and Tallis, it was depressing to deal with listening to Haas, let alone Haas being done by a quasi-tenor accompanied by a piano....

I wonder if I should submit this to the S.M. M.M.H.D.H. ?

The Christian Carnival...
is up. As many of the posters are not Catholic, not all of the entries may be compatible with the teachings of the Church.

If it were not Easter Wednesday...
the feast ofSt. John Climacus, Abbot, would be today.

The Catholic Carnival
is up.

If it were not Easter Tuesday...
today would be the feast of Sts. Gwynllyw and and Gladys , who, IMHO, ought to be the patrons of parents who are converted by their children, as St. Monica is the patron of parents who convert their children.

Music at Easter Vigil
Offertory: "Cantate Domino"- Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612)
Communion: "O Sacris Solemnis"- Chant
"Sicut Cervus"- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)
Recessional Hymn: "At the Lamb's High Feast"

Music at Noon Mass on Easter Sunday
Processional Hymn: "Ye Sons and Daughters"
Offertory: "Cantate Domino"- Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612)
Communion: "Ave Verum"- Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
"Sicut Cervus"- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)
Recessional Hymn: "At the Lamb's High Feast"