SUNDAY – FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

Then a voice came from the sky: "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." (John 12:28)

Reflection.

Prayer to be Freed of the Seven Deadly Sins

O meek Savior and Prince of Peace, implant in me the virtues of gentleness and patience. Let me curb the fury of anger and restrain all resentment and impatience so as to overcome evil with good, attain your peace, and rejoice in your love.

O Model of humility, divest me of all pride and arrogance. Let me acknowledge my weakness and sinfulness, so that I may bear mockery and contempt for your sake and esteem myself as lowly in your sight.

O Teacher of abstinence, help me to serve you rather than our appetites. Keep me from gluttony – the inordinate love of food and drink and let me hunger and thirst for your justice.

O Lover of purity, remove all lust from my heart, so that I may serve you with a pure mind and a chaste body.

O Father of the poor, help me to avoid all covetousness for earthly goods and give me a love for heavenly things. Inspire me to give to the needy, just as you gave your life that I might inherit eternal treasures.

O Exemplar of love, keep me from all envy and ill-will. Let the grace of your love dwell in me that I may rejoice in the happiness of others and bewail their adversities.

O zealous Lover of souls, keep me from all sloth of mind or body. Inspire me with zeal for your glory, so that I may do all things for you and in you.

Lenten Fact.

Passiontide is the last two weeks of Lent, when the readings and prayers of the liturgy focus on the Passion of Our Lord. The word 'passion', in the Christian sense, does not mean an intense emotion; it refers to the historical events of Jesus' suffering and death. Although for several centuries the Fifth Sunday of Lent was known as Passion Sunday, after the Second Vatican Council this name was restored to the Sunday at beginning of Holy Week, formerly called Palm Sunday. As a penitential season of the Church, Passiontide is evidently even more ancient than Lent.

Triduum Question.

Q: Who may participate in the mandatum rite?

A: How we understand the rite itself will help us decide the appropri­ate participants. We may look at the mandatum as a historical representation of the Gospel narrative. The participants will then be viewed as portraying the apostles; their participation in the ritual connotes also the command to "do this in memory of me," that is, to celebrate the Eucharist. Simply, the apostles' participation in the Last Supper is equated in the minds of most Catholics with the institution of the priesthood. It is likely that the rubrics speak of viri selecti (chosen men) from this perspective. Some parishioners will be offended if anyone not qualified for ordination is brought forward for the mandatum. Remember, ritual communicates meaning.

If the mandatum is viewed instead as a ritualizing of mutual love as commanded by the Lord Jesus, the rite will tend toward including various members of the parish, who may also in turn wash the feet of other members.

At the time of this writing, the U.S. bishops' conference has prepared a pastoral introduction to the order of the Mass. This docu­ment recommends that those invited to the mandatum ceremony be a representative group of the entire assembly. The presider leads the rite but is not the only one to wash feet. In this view, washing feet or being washed is not related at all to the sacrament of holy orders but to the sacrament of baptism and the discipleship it covenants.

It should also be noted that the mandatum is not performed during the reading of the Gospel.

-- Rev. Paul J. Niemann

Prayer.

Father, help us keep in mind that Christ our Savior lives with you in glory and promised to remain with us until the end of time. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Source: Daily Meditations During Lent.

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MONDAY – FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

"Nor do I condemn you. You may go." (John 8:11)

Reflection.

Forgiveness, in its truest and highest form, is a free act of love. But precisely because it is an act of love, it has its own intrinsic demands: the first of which is <respect for the truth. God alone is absolute truth. But He made the human heart open to the desire for truth, which He then fully revealed in His Incarnate Son. Hence, we are all called to live the truth.

-- Pope John Paul II

Lenten Fact.

In 1342, the Franciscans were appointed as guardians of the shrines of the Holy Land. The faithful received indulgences for praying at the following stations: At Pilate's house, where Christ met His mother, where He spoke to the women, where He met Simon of Cyrene, where the soldiers stripped Him of His garments, where He was nailed to the cross, and at His tomb.

Triduum Question.

Q: What is meant by the paschal fast? How is the paschal fast distinct from the Lenten fast?

A: The paschal fast refers to the days of fasting immediately before the celebration of the Lord's resurrection. The earliest tradition called for a fast of two days (Good Friday and Holy Saturday) when the bridegroom has been taken from us (Mt 9:15). This developed into a "paschal fast" during the six days of Holy Week.

The Lenten fast is ascetical, emphasizing self-discipline and pen­ance. The paschal fast is one of anticipation and preparation. The paschal fast may be compared to the way in which we forget to eat (or cannot eat) when we are too busy, upset, in mourning, or excited. We have other things on our minds and we do not stop to eat.

Another (usually overlooked) aspect of the paschal fast is that it is communal. Unlike the Lenten fast which may be observed voluntarily and to the extent desired by an individual or family, the paschal fast is a community event. Ideally, the whole parish supports one another in keeping these days holy.

-- Rev. Paul J. Niemann

Lenten Action.

Spend the day fasting from consumerism.

Prayer.

Ever-living God, help us to celebrate our joy in the resurrection of the Lord and to express in our lives the love we celebrate. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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TUESDAY – FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

Because He spoke this way, many came to believe in Him. (John 8:30)

Reflection.

Though holy doctors have uncovered many mysteries and wonders, and devout souls have understood them in this earthly condition of ours, yet the greater part still remains to be unfolded by them, and even to be understood by them.

We must then dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures: however deep we dig, we will never find their end or their limit. Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides.

For this reason the apostle Paul said of Christ, "In Him are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God." The soul cannot enter into these treasures, nor attain them, unless it first crosses into and enters the thicket of suffering, enduring interior and exterior labors, and unless it first receives from God very many blessings in the intellect and in the senses, and has undergone long spiritual training.

The gate that gives entry into these riches of his wisdom is the cross; because it is a narrow gate, while many seek the joys that can be gained through it, it is given to few to desire to pass through it.

-- Saint John of the Cross

Lenten Fact.

When the Moslem Turks blocked the access to the Holy Land, reproductions of the Stations of the Cross were erected at popular spiritual centers, including the Dominican Friary at Cordova and Poor Clare Convent of Messina (early 1400s); Nuremberg (1468); Louvain (1505); Bamberg, Fribourg and Rhodes (1507); and Antwerp 1520). Many of these stations were reproduced by renowned artists and are considered masterpieces today.

Triduum Question.

Q: May communion be given during the Triduum apart from Mass or liturgical services?

A: On Holy Thursday and Good Friday the Eucharist may be brought to the sick at any time. On Holy Saturday, communion may be given only as viaticum, the last participation in the Eucharist by a dying person.

Otherwise, sharing in sacramental communion is limited to the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the liturgy of the passion of the Lord, and the Easter Vigil Mass. Other "communion services" are not permitted.

Q: How is the Eucharist reserved during the Triduum?

A: Before the beginning of the Triduum, the tabernacle is to be entirely empty; that is, all consecrated bread from previous liturgies has been consumed.

After communion during the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the consecrated bread which remains and that which has been prepared for communion on Good Friday is placed in a ciborium or similar covered vessel. Any consecrated wine is consumed.

-- Rev. Paul J. Niemann

Lenten Action.

Sit for ten minutes of quiet prayer. Just sit there affirming your belief in God's presence with you and of God's love for you. Let it be a prayer of affirmation. Do not ask for anything!

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, full of compassion and maker of peace, you lived in poverty and suffered persecution for the cause of justice. You chose the Cross as the path to glory to show us the way of salvation. May we receive the word of the Gospel joyfully and live by Your example as heirs and citizens of Your kingdom. Amen.

Source: Daily Meditations During Lent.

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WEDNESDAY – FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

"If you live according to my teaching, you are truly my disciples." (John 8:31)

Reflection.

O Eternal Truth, true love and beloved eternity. You are my God. To You do I sigh day and night. When I first came to know You, you drew me to yourself so that I might see that there were things for me to see, but that I myself was not yet ready to see them. Meanwhile you overcame the weakness of my vision, sending forth most strongly the beams of your light, and I trembled at once with love and dread.

I sought a way to gain the strength, which I needed to enjoy you. But I did not find it until I embraced "the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who is above all, God blessed for ever." He was calling me and saying: "I am the way of truth, I am the life."

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness, I plunged into the lovely things, which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet, if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed you fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

-- Saint Augustine

Lenten Fact.

St. Leonard Casanova (1676-1751) of Porto Maurizio, Italy, reportedly erected over 600 sets of the Stations of the Cross throughout Italy.

Triduum Questions.

Q: What is meant by “Tenebrae”?

A: The word Tenebrae means darkness. It was the name given to the pre-dawn service (Matins or Vigil) of Holy Thursday and Good Friday. One of the rituals performed during this service was the gradual extinguishing of all but one of fifteen candles placed in a triangular candelabrum in front of the altar and of all the lights of the church as morning broke.

This liturgy was sometimes anticipated in parish churches on Wednesday evening of Holy Week or, before the restoration of the Triduum, on Holy Thursday evening. The darkening of the church was thus all the more impressive, although the sense of the celebration had changed from welcoming the dawn to facing the night.

Q: Why is there no sign of peace during the Good Friday liturgy?

A: The sign of peace was originally part of the preparation of the assembly for communion. Good Friday was originally an "alitur­gical" day; that is, the Eucharist was not celebrated. Because there was no communion, there was no sign of peace. By the middle ages, the sign of peace as we know it fell out of common use except during Solemn High Mass; at such liturgies, it was exchanged only among the clergy at the altar.

Communion for the faithful on Good Friday was added with the reforms of Pius XII (1951). The sign of peace was still not yet restored and so was not included in the rite. As will be explained further in question 60, the communion rite on Good Friday is kept to a minimum, in keeping with the spirit of the paschal fast.

-- Rev. Paul J. Niemann

Lenten Action.

Surprise someone with an act of kindness.

Prayer.

God of mercy, You wash away our sins in water, You give us a new birth in the Spirit, and redeem us in the blood of Christ. As we celebrate Christ's resurrection, increase our awareness of these blessings, and renew Your gift of life within us. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Source: Daily Meditations During Lent.

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THURSDAY – FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

"I solemnly assure you, if a man is true to my word he shall never see death." (John 8:51)

Reflection.

Annunciation,

by John Donne

Salvation to all that will is nigh;

That All, which always is All everywhere,

Which cannot sin, and yet all sins must bear,

Which cannot die, yet cannot choose but die,

So, faithful Virgin, yields himself to lie

In prison, in thy womb; and though He there

Can take no sin, nor thou give, yet He'll wear

Taken from thence, flesh, which death's force may try.

Ere by the spheres time was created, thou

Wast in his mind, who is thy Son and Brother;

Whom thou conceiv'st, conceiv'd; yea, thou art now

Thy Maker's maker, and thy Father's mother;

Thou hast light in dark, and shut'st in little room

Immensity, cloistered in thy dear womb.

Lenten Fact.

In the early 3rd century, Lent was lengthened to 6 days. About 800 AD it was changed to 40 days. Those 40 days correspond with Christ's 40 days in the wilderness.

Triduum Question.

Q: Should we use a cross or a crucifix for the veneration of the cross?

Cross: without a reproduction of Christ's body. Most Protestants use a cross without the corpus.

Crucifix: A cross with a reproduction of Christ's body.

A: The origin of this rite is the veneration of the relics of the wood of the cross preserved in Jerusalem. The diary of Egeria (late fourth century AD) contains this description:

The bishop's chair is placed on Golgotha Behind the Cross (the cross there now), and he takes his seat. A table is placed before him with a cloth on it, the deacons stand round, and there is brought to him a gold and silver box containing the holy Wood of the Cross. It is opened, and the Wood of the Cross and the Title are taken out and placed on the table.

As long as the holy Wood is on the table, the bishop sits with his hands resting on either end of it and holds it down, and the deacons round him keep watch over it. They guard it like this because what happens now is that all the people, catechumens as well as faithful, come up one by one to the table. They stoop down over it, kiss the Wood, and move on. But on one occasion (I don't know when) one of them bit off a piece of the holy Wood and stole it away, and for this reason the deacons stand round and keep watch in case anyone dares to do the same again.

The veneration is paid to the fragment of the cross itself, not to an image of Christ. Note also the description of the current rite:

For veneration of the cross, let a cross be used that is of appropriate size and beauty, and let one of the forms for this rite as found in the Roman Missal be followed. The rite should be carried out with the splendor worthy of the mystery of our salvation: both the invitation pronounced at the unveiling of the cross, and the people's response should be made in song, and a period of respectful silence is to be observed after each act of veneration – the celebrant standing and holding the raised cross.

The cross is to be presented to each of the faithful individually for their adoration since the personal adoration of the cross is a most important feature in this celebration; only when necessitated by the large numbers of faithful present should the rite of veneration be made simultaneously by all present (Circular Letter 68-69).

While a crucifix is perhaps customary, the liturgy clearly speaks of a cross "of appropriate size and beauty." Side by side with John's Gospel, the veneration of the cross is one of the triumphal moments of the Triduum, in which the cross is acknowledged as the tree of life, the ark of salvation, the sign of healing and reconciliation.

-- Rev. Paul J. Niemann

Lenten Action.

Invite a friend who has been away to come to Church with you! Participate as fully as you can at Mass.

Prayer.

O Jesus, who out of love for me were willing to submit to Your own creatures, teach me to obey blindly. Amen.

Source: Daily Meditations During Lent.

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FRIDAY – FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence.

Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart...to you I have entrusted my cause. (Jeremiah 20:12)

Reflection.

If Christ Jesus dwells in a man as His friend and noble leader, that man can endure all things, for Christ helps and strengthens us and never abandons us. He is a true friend. And I clearly see that is we expect to please Him and receive an abundance of His graces, God desires that these graces must come to us from the hands of Christ, through His most sacred humanity, in which God takes delight.

All blessings come to us through our Lord. He will teach us, for in beholding His life we find that he is the best example.

What more do we desire from such a good friend at our side? Unlike our friends in the world, He will never abandon us when we are troubled or distressed. Blessed is the one who truly loves him and always keeps Him near.

Whenever we think of Christ we should recall the love that led Him to bestow on us so many graces and favors, and also the great love God showed in giving us in Christ a pledge of his love; for love calls for love in return. Let us strive to keep this always before our eyes and to rouse ourselves to love him. For is at some time the Lord should grant us the grace of impressing his love on our hearts, all will become easy for us and we shall accomplish great things quickly and without effort.

-- Saint Teresa of Avila

Lenten Fact.

Wenceslaus, king of Bohemia, being seized with a malady which rendered it dangerous to his health to take Lenten diet, applied, in the year 1297, to Pope Boniface VIII, for leave to eat meat. The Pontiff commissioned two Cistercian abbots to inquire into the real state of the prince's health; they were to grant the dispensation sought for, if they found it necessary, but on the following conditions: that the king had not bound himself by a vow, for life, to fast during Lent; that the Fridays, the Saturdays, and the vigil of St. Mathias, were to be excluded from the dispensation; and, lastly, that the king was not to take his meal in presence of others, and was to observe moderation in what he took.

Triduum Question.

Q: Why is communion only under the form of bread on Good Friday?

A: The liturgy of Good Friday was formerly called the "Mass of the Presanctified," meaning that the Eucharistic bread had been con­secrated at a previous Mass. This is not as unusual as it may seem at first.

The Eucharistic tradition of the church has two deep roots: 1) holy communion is the climax of the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice; 2) holy communion is the "daily bread" of the people of God. Ancient witnesses refer to the custom of people taking sizable portions of the consecrated bread home from the Sunday Eucharist in order to partake of the Body of Christ during the week or share it with family members. Monastic communities and rural churches without a resident priest might also partake of the presanctified Eucharist. This tradition ap­pears in our own time in the various liturgical instructions, which recognize both communions as the ideal participation in the Mass and as the daily spiritual food of the faithful, which may be given apart from Mass, particularly to the sick. In all these instances, communion is under the form of bread; the consecrated wine is not reserved. The exception to the rule is that the Blood of Christ may be taken to the sick who are unable to partake of the host.

Part of this custom is practical: The reservation of consecrated wine risks both spillage and spoilage, whereas consecrated hosts are not difficult to preserve. Part of the practice is theological: Those who receive one species receive the Body and Blood of Christ, nothing more or less than those who receive both. And part of the custom is likely historical: Communion from the cup was in general disuse from the middle ages until after Vatican II.

Yet, another point to consider is that the liturgy of Good Friday is in the midst of the paschal fast. Communion on this day is appropri­ately in the form of a fast-day meal, not a festive banquet.

-- Rev. Paul J. Niemann

Lenten Action.

Think about what God is asking of you in your current situation.

Prayer.

O my God! Source of all mercy! I acknowledge Your sovereign power. While recalling the wasted years that are past, I believe that You, Lord, can in an instant turn this loss to gain. Miserable as I am, yet I firmly believe that You can do all things. Please restore to me the time lost, giving me Your grace, both now and in the future. Amen.

Source: Daily Meditations During Lent.

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SATURDAY – FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

Jesus would die for the nation—and not for this nation only, but to gather into one all the dispersed children of God. (John 11:51-52)

Reflection.

Eternal Trinity, Godhead, mystery deep as the sea, you could give me no greater gift than the gift of yourself. For you are a fire ever burning and never consumed, which itself consumes all the selfish love that fills my being. Yes, you are a fire that takes away the coldness, illuminates the mind with its light, and causes me to know your truth. And I know that you are beauty and wisdom itself. The food of angels, you gave yourself to man in the fire of your love.

-- Saint Catherine of Siena

Triduum Questions.

Q: What do we do with the Blessed Sacrament after the Good Friday liturgy?

A: As with every Eucharistic celebration, there should be nothing left over except for communion to the sick or, on Holy Saturday, to the dying. If possible, only the few necessary hosts may be placed in a pyx and the rest of the Eucharistic bread consumed.

When Communion has been distributed, the pyx is taken to a place prepared for it outside of the church (Circular Letter 70).

Usually this means a receptacle such as a safe in the sacristy. If there is no other appropriate place, the tabernacle of the church may be used. Any temporary place of Eucharistic reservation may be dismantled after the church building is closed for the night.

Q: Where is the cross placed after the Good Friday liturgy?

A: The Good Friday liturgy lacks a formal conclusion and invites by its silence a time of meditation:

After the celebration, the altar is stripped; the cross remains however, with four candles. An appropriate place (for example, the chapel of repose used for reservation of the Eucharist on Maundy Thursday) can be prepared within the church, and there the Lord's cross is placed so that the faithful may venerate and kiss it, and spend some time in meditation (Circular Letter 71).

Ideally the church remains open but empty, except for the cross, throughout the day on Holy Saturday so that the people may do what the sacramentary describes: "On Holy Saturday the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. The altar is left bare, and the sacrifice of the Mass is not celebrated."

-- Rev. Paul J. Niemann

Lenten Action.

Deliberately count your BLESSINGS in a prayerful way today.

Prayer.

Hear, Lord, the prayers we offer from contrite hearts. Have pity on us as we acknowledge our sins. Lead us back to the way of holiness. Protect us now and always from the wounds of sin. May we ever keep safe in all its fullness the gift your love once gave us and your mercy now restores. Amen.

Source: Daily Meditations During Lent.