Seventy times seven

Can’t remember when I last had occasion to write about anything pious on this blog. So, due to this and also due to the need I feel to get over the humiliation of having made the most awful scripture-knowledge blunder just now, I gladly forsake my lecture on nitrogen in grasslands to let you partake of the following:

Just now, I was talking to Aelianus about Our Lord telling St. Peter that we are to forgive our brother until seventy times seven (Math. 18, 21-22), or, seven times in a day (Luke, 17, 3-4).

What struck me some while ago is that St. Luke specifically mentions the sinner repenting, while St. Matthew does not. I do not know if it was a sermon that directed me to the question or not: but might there be a difference between situations where our brother repents (and so implicitly, at least, asks for forgiveness), and where, without repentence, he (or she, says the gender-equality conditioned university employee) might even go happily on sinning?

Given that even Aelianus said this was interesting question and one should look it up in the Catena Aurea, and given that I was given a very impressive edition of this splendid work some time ago, I felt it my duty to do so. The result:

The comments on St. Matthew, by St. Jerome, St. Chrysostomos, and St. Augustine, seem to focus on (i) the fact that in the face of the overwhelming mercy of Our Lord we are of course to forgive our brother, and (ii) why Our Lord did not mean to say it was O.K. not to forgive the seventy-eighth time.

Among the comments on St. Luke, however, some seem to specifically take the fact o repentance into account, particularly the following:

AMBROSE; After the parable of the rich man who is tormented in punishment, Christ added a commandment to give forgiveness to those who turn themselves from their trespasses, lest any one through despair should not be reclaimed from his fault; and hence it is said, Take heed to yourselves.

BEDE; But we must mark, that He does not bid us forgive every one who sins, but him only who repents of his sins. For by taking this course we may avoid offenses, hurting no one, correcting the sinner with a righteous zeal, extending the bowels of mercy to the penitent.

While I do not suggest that we all check ourselves lest we irresponsibly have forgiven an unrepenting brother, I still think that an interesting consideration. If the more knowledgable or more pious than me have any further comments on this, I would be glad to learn.

 

Old and new

No, not for all the positive response to my German Autumn Poetry Excesses I would not have subjected you to any more German, had it not been for the encouragement of Aelianus (whom I would accuse, if I was uncharitable, of hoping of Google trafic), and for long-time annoyment with one particular German Marian Hymn.
It used to be a very nice Marian hymn, one just as Marian hymns ought to be: praising Our Lady, assuring her of our devotion, begging her for intercession with the confidence that there is nothing that needs to daunt anyone protected by her;  plus the whole with an appropriately touching tune:

OLD

Maria zu lieben, ist allzeit mein Sinn
in Freuden und Leiden ihr Diener ich bin
Mein Herz, o Maria, brennt ewig zu Dir
in Liebe und Freude, o himmlische Zier

Maria, Du milde, Du süße Jungfrau
Nimm auf meine Liebe, so wie ich vertrau
Du bist ja die Mutter, Dein Kind will ich sein
im Leben und Sterben Dir einzig allein

Gib, daß ich von Herzen Dich liebe und preis
gib, daß ich viel Zeichen der Liebe erweis
Von Dir mich nichts scheide, nicht Unglück noch Leid
Dich lieb ich auf ewig, Dich lieb ich allzeit

Ach, hätt ich der Herzen nur tausendmal mehr
Dir tausend zu geben, das ist mein Begehr
so oft mein Herz klopfet, befehl ich es Dir
so vielmal ich atme, verbind ich Dich mir

Du Trost der Betrübten, zur Hilf sei bereit
Du Stärke der Schwachen, beschütz mich im Streit
wenn wider mich kämpfen Fleisch, Hölle und Welt
sei Du mir als Zuflucht zur Seite gestellt.

—

But then, we had renewal, and a new text.  Now, à la  Eucharistic Prayer IV, we give Our Lady a biography of her own life (It is also incorrect, I am assured, as for however lowly the job of a carpenter might have been, we have no indication in the Gospels that th Holy Family was actually destitute – even if this would be helpful in a Revulutionary Christianity way):

NEW

Maria dich lieben, ist allzeit mein Sinn;
dir wurde die Fülle der Gnaden verliehn:
du Jungfrau, auf dich hat der Geist sich gesenkt;
du Mutter hast uns den Erlöser gschenkt.

Dein Herz war der Liebe des Höchsten geweiht;
du warst für die Botschaft des Engels bereit.
Du sprachst: Mir geschehe, wie du es gesagt.
Dem Herr will ich dienen, ich bin deine Magd.

Du Frau aus dem Volke, von Gott ausersehn.
dem Heiland auf Erden zur Seite zu stehn,
kennst Arbeit und Sorge ums tägliche Brot,
die Mühsal des Lebens in Armut und Not.

Du hast unterm Kreuze auf Jesus geschaut;
er hat dir den Jünger als Sohn anvertraut.
Du Mutter der Schmerzen, o mach uns bereit,
bei Jesus zu stehen, in Kreuz und in Leid.

Du Mutter der Gnaden, o reich uns die Hand
auf all unsern Wegen durchs irdische Land.
Hilf uns, deinen Kindern, in Not und Gefahr;
mach allen, die suchen, den Sohn offenbar.

Von Gott über Engel und Menschen gestellt
erfleh uns das Heil und den Frieden der Welt.
Du Freude der Erde, du himmlische Zier:
du bist voll der Gnaden, der Herr ist mit dir.

—

As a former Protestant, the veneration of Our Lady was a major stumbling block for my conversion. Even now (I have to confess) some ofSt. Louis de Montford’s statements about Our Lady (for all he is my year’s Saint)  quite disturbe me. But such a bland hymn text as the new one presented above would absolutely bore me to sleep, if it would not enrage me sufficiently. If a Marian hymn is not either close-to-kitschy pleeding, or satisfactorily triumphant, or of quiet and queenly dignity, it has no right to exisit, IMnsHO.

 

The scandal of keeping martyrs in the loo

From the booklet made up for the profession of a dear friend (through whom I met Cath):

Are you now alarmed by the immensity of what the holy vows require of you? You need not be alarmed. What you have promised is indeed beyond your own weak human power. But it is not beyond the power of the Almighty – this power will become yours if you entrust yourself to Him, if He accepts your pledge of troth. He does so on the day of your holy profession and will do it anew today. It is the loving heart of your Saviour that invites you to follow. It demands your obedience because the human will is blind and weak. It cannot find the way until it surrenders itself entirely to the divine will. He demands poverty because hands must be empty of earth’s goods to receive the goods of heaven. He demands chastity because only the heart detached from all earthly love is free for the love of God. The arms of the Crucified are spread out to draw you to His heart. He wants your life in order to give you His. 

I wonder what the context is. She had a good friend who was a Benedictine, perhaps it was a letter to her. I have a book of St Theresa’s writings in the loo, her lectures on Woman. Gran (the materialist atheist)  thinks it’s disrespectful. Tepidus and I once had a conversation about what books can be kept, or read,  in the loo without disrespect. Clearly the Bible is out, and we decided that things like the Dialogue of St Catherine of Siena are also not really loo material. Lives of saints – depends on their tone and content. I think lectures on the nature of woman and her social role, even if written by a martyr, can be kept in the loo – but perhaps in this case, not without scandal. I suppose I should have gone with Gran’s sensibilities, and not told myself I was being educational and fighting superstition.

[update: uncle Google tells me that the quote is from a meditation for the feast of the Holy Cross, III.2 in this English edition available online.]

 

Feast of Our Lady Mother of the Church

Established in Poland in 1971.

Mary is the Mother of the Church. Theologians have given the Mother of God this title from the beginning of the Church, as in the past century the popes Leo XIII, John XXIII and Paul VI have done. The Polish bishops submitted a Memorial [??] to Paul VI, with the fervent plea that he declare Mary the Mother of the Church, and once more give the whole family of mankind to her maternal heart. On 16th September 1964 during the third session of the Vatican council, Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński, in the name of seventy Polish bishops, gave a speech [there's a word for this, isn't there? Anyone?] in which he showed the necessity of declaring Mary the Mother of the Church. He drew on the experience of the Polish nation, for whom the Mother of Christ, present in its history and whom it had always invoked, had been refuge, help and victory. The Polish bishops also worked hard to see that doctrine about Our Lady was included in the Constitution on the CHurch, since this underlines the dignity of Mary as the Mother of the Church, and her active presence in the mystery of Christ and the Church.

In 1968 Paul VI confirmed his declaration on the Mother of the Church in the “Pauline Creed”. The Polish episcopate then added a new invocation to the Litany of Loretto, “Mother of the Church, pray for us”. They also appealed to the Holy See for this petition to be added to the Litany throughout the Church, and that the feast of Our Lady Mother of the Church be likewise established in the whole Church.

[from brewiarz.pl, trans. bat Ionah]

 

Mother Abbess’s addresses

For those who might happen for some reason to have some kind of interest in the goings on at St Cecilia’s in Ryde, I thought I’d mention that their Shiny New Website features each month a chapter talk. This month’s is quite short, but it does feature that marvellous theologian and teacher of the Christian life, fr Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP.

I’m sure he’d say things like “Don’t post bitchy blogposts”.

 

Second Reading at Matins for feast of bl. John Paul II

Ad Officium lectionis

Lectio altera

Ex Homília beáti Ioánnis Pauli Secúndi, papae, in inítio pontificátus.

(Die 22 octobris 1978: AAS 70 [1978], 945-947)

[...]

Nolíte timére! Aperíte, immo, expándite iánuas Christo! Eius salvíficae potestáti aperíte Státuum fines, systémata oeconómica nec non política, vastas cultúrae, civílis cultus et progressiónis províncias. Nolíte timére! Christus scit «quid in hómine sit». Solus Ille novit!

[...]

Here.  (Got it via someone’s FB status. Have no idea how he found it. The link structure of the Vatican website is a mystery of the faith.) Here is the whole sermon in English.

 

Collect for bl. John Paul II

Deus, dives in misericordia,

qui beatum Ioannem Paulum, papam, universae Ecclesiae tuae praeesse voluisti,

praesta, quaesumus, ut, eius institutis edocti,

corda nostra salutiferae gratiae Christi, unius redemptoris hominis, fidenter aperiamus.

For the illiterate    : “O God, rich in mercy, who willed to place blessed John Paul, pope, over your catholic whole church, grant, we beseech Thee, that instructed by his teachings, we may trustingly open our hearts to the saving grace of Christ, man’s only Redeemer.”

http://www.historyofwar.org/country_europe.html

 

Sex or the Eucharist?

But if we refuse to make a choice between sin and receiving the Eucharist, it can only mean that we drastically underestimate what we expect to receive from the Eucharist. Receiving the Eucharist worthily means eternal life, fellowship with Christ, grace in hardship. Receiving it unworthily means a curse. Nobody likes to think about that.

Betty Duffy has a post that touches on some themes from Waugh that I have been pondering of late. It’s very good.

Still, neither one of us takes our Church’s teachings lightly, so I asked her, “Would you ever consider just not having sex for the remainder of your fertile years?”

She looked me square in the eye and said, “I would rather live the rest of my life without the Eucharist than without sex.”

 

False purposes for prayer, and the hanging garden

In general, false and counterfeit purposes fall into three kinds. 1) to pray to be glorified in men’s eyes; 2) to pray to be vindicated in God’s eyes; 3) to pray to be justified in one’s own eyes.

Matta el-Maskine, Orthodox Prayer Life: the interior way (a present from a book fairy)

Best of British with the ole Lent thing, everyone.

…

…

 

Completely unconnected:

 

nil desperandum

Neri di Landoccio, one of the secretaries and “sons’ of St Catherine of Siena, had a friend, Francesco Malavolti, “young, rich, sensual, avid for pleasure and distraction”.

His family had married him to a young and beautiful girl of nobe birth, but he had been a sadly unfaithful husband who played the part of a Don Juan among the girls and young wives on his family estates.

Landoccio keeps on at Malavolti to come with him to see this POD female he’s so keen on.

” At last,”  Malavolti writes, ” not wishing to vex him because of the great friendship between us, I told him that I would do as he wished, though in my heart I went out of no devotion, but rather in derision, resolved that if she talked to me of religion, especially of confession, I would give her such an answer that she would not venture to do it again. But when I came into her gracious presence, I no sooner saw her face than such fear and trembling fell upon me that I well nigh swooned, and though, as I say, I thought not at all of confession, yet with her first words God so wonderfully changed my heart that I went at once to confess, and became the very opposite of what
I had been.”

He was, however, but an unstable convert. During  Catherine’s long absence at Avignon, he slipped back into something too like his old life … Her tolerance of his backslidings and certainty that he would overcome his sins somewhat surprised and almost scandalised some of her circle”

“Again he went astray, until most of Catherine’s friends gave him up.”

[S]he hoped on, though again and again disappointed. ” You keep coming to me, and then fly back like a wild bird to your manifold failings,” she told him, ” but fly where you will, by God’s grace I will one day put such a fetter round your neck that you can fly away no more.”

I was struck by this patience and hope and charity of St Catherine’s.  In A Right to be Merry, a Poor Clare abbess writes that “the most unhappy religious is the one who has reacted to correction in such a way that her superiors have ceased to correct her” (quoting from memory).  Which would be terrible. God  says in the psalm (any Protestants reading can tell me the number) that he will not cease to punish Israel, despite their infidelities.

Malavolti’s wife and children had died, Catherine was dead, and it was the eve of the day on which Malavolti was to join the Knights of St John (an uncle having proposed this as a way of saving his soul while utilising his interest in horses and weapons and so on), when Catherine appeared to him in a dream and told him that he should enter the Olivetan Benedictines. Which he did.

(quotes are a cento from two biographies of St Catherine, one by Sigrid Undset (marvellous) and one called St Catherine, her life and times, by Margaret Roberts, which I found when googling Malavolti, and of which I have read only the two relevant pages.)