Tuesday in Holy Week [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

FatherScottHurdblogspot.com ^ | 04-19-11 | Father Scott Hurd and others

[Salvation]

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tuesday of Holy Week

“Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night,” tradition claims, will keep letter carriers from completing their rounds. To complete his mission of redemption and salvation, Jesus had to contend with much worse than that. Darkness, denial, ignorance, betrayal, cowardice, and the demonic all confronted Jesus as the Last Supper, on the eve of his passion. Yet Jesus pressed on, in spite of it all, demonstrating that his love for us, and his desire to save us, will never fail.

Jesus’ love is resolute. He would never force himself upon us, but he doesn’t keep a polite distance either. Instead, he keeps knocking at the door of our hearts. Sometimes we open our hearts to him on our own, and welcome him in. At other times, we need his help. Maybe our hearts are frozen, and Jesus needs to melt them; it could be that our hearts are broke, and Jesus needs to mend them; perhaps our hearts are made of stone, and they need replacing with Jesus’ own, sacred heart.

Regardless of the state of our heart, Jesus persists in his efforts to open its door, not to assert his power, but to share his love. Nothing will stop him! Not even death itself.

Readings for today's Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/041911.shtml

Posted by Father Scott Hurd

[Salvation]

CatholicSeeking

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tuesday of Holy Week

 

Today, again, our Savior sets out in the morning for Jerusalem. His intention is to repair to the temple, and continue His yesterday's teachings. It is evident that His mission on earth is fast drawing to its close. He says to His disciples: "You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to be crucified."

On the road from Bethania to Jerusalem, the disciples are surprised at seeing the fig-tree, which their divine Master had yesterday cursed, now dead. Addressing himself to Jesus, Peter says: "Rabbi, behold, the fig-tree, which Thou didst curse, is withered away." In order to teach us that the whole of material nature is subservient to the will of God, Jesus replies: "Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain: Be thou removed and cast into the sea! and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done, it shall be done unto him."

Having entered the city, Jesus directs His steps towards the temple. No sooner has He entered, than the chief priests, the scribes, and the ancients of the people, accost Him with these words: "By what authority dost Thou do these things and who has given Thee this authority, that Thou shouldst do these things?" We shall find our Lord's answer given in the Gospel. Our object is to mention the leading events of the last days of our Redeemer on earth; the holy volume will supply the details.

As on the two preceding days, Jesus leaves the city towards evening: He passes over Mount Olivet, and returns to Bethania, where He finds His blessed Mother and His devoted friends.

— The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

[Salvation]

Catholic Fire

Reflection for Tuesday of Holy Week

Jesus and John at the Last Supper

Valentin de Boulogne

Readings for Tuesday of Holy Week

We understand the suffering of Jesus' heart, His sadness over one of His disciples, one of those He had chosen and therefore one of those whom He loves: "One of you will betray me." Here we see the two extremes: the disciple whom Jesus loves, John close to Jesus' heart, and Judas, who draws further and further away, who turns in on himself and closes himself in on his evil will. A division arose among those whom Jesus had chosen and loved and the cause of this division is Judas' jealousy towards John. Judas did not directly will Jesus' death, but he could not stand Jesus' love for John. Judas did not go to the end in his first love and he rejected this first love because he saw that another was first passing ahead of him. Let us ask Jesus for the grace to be faithful to the end in our love for Him and that nothing, absolutely nothing, make us stray from Him. May He always be the one we love above all things.

~ Excerpted from Return to me ... Daily Mediations for Lent By Father Philippe, O.P., Philosopher and Founder of The Community of St. John compiled by the Sisters of St. John

[Salvation]

Father Z has a five minute podcast here

[Salvation]

Father Check's reflections from last year

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tuesday of Holy Week

+

 

Tuesday of Holy Week
Readings: Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33; 36-38

"I tell you solemnly; one of you will betray me!" (John 13:21)

Throughout Jesus' ministry He always spoke of love without limits, forgiveness instead of revenge, and service over domination. In our gospel, Jesus struggles with His own commitment to live those words that He has spoken so often and so fervently. We see that Jesus is "deeply troubled," His depression arising from the betrayal of Judas and the lying of Peter. Now Jesus must forgive the betrayal and deceit that has torn and ripped apart the fabric of love between Him and His friends. Jesus realizes that He must stand alone to face his sufferings and death. It will not be His disciples or His friends that see Him through, but only His trust in God. Jesus believes God will not fail Him.

The words of Isaiah give Jesus hope that there is an anchor in this sea of deceit: "The Lord called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. God is now my strength." (Isaiah 49:1, 5).

We also are not free from the disciples' flaws. How often have we been like Judas, rejecting the call to love and entering the darkness, or like Peter, lying to protect our own skins? We ask forgiveness and renew our fidelity to the Lord Who walks alone.

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Prayer for Tuesday of Holy Week

Father, may we receive your forgiveness and mercy as we celebrate the passion and death of the Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Today's meditation comes to us from: http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/holyweek.htm

Posted by Father Check

[Salvation]

Tuesday in Holy Week Ping!

[Bigg Red]

Very inspiring. Thank you, FRiend.

[Kolokotronis]

Tonight the Orthodox Church chants the second evening of the Bridegroom services. Among the chants (actually the doxastikon of the Matins Apostikha of Great and Holy Wednesday sung by anticipation) is one of the most famous and moving of all Orthodox hymns, the Hymn of Kassiani, written in the 9th century by +Kassiani a brilliant and beautiful woman who stood in the forefront of Christians standing against the iconoclast Emperor of the time, Theophilus, who was, interestingly enough, very much in love with her. She wrote at least 23 hymns and is Orthodoxy’s only female hymnographer. Here are the words in English:

“The woman who had fallen into many sins, perceiving Your divinity, O Lord,
Received the dignity of a myrrh-bearer,
For with lamentation she brought fragrant myrrh to You before Your burial.
And she cried: Woe is me, for love of sin and stings of lustful passion envelop me as the night, dark and moonless.
As You cause the clouds to drop down the waters of the sea, accept the fountain of my tears.
As by Your indescribable condescension You bowed down the heavens, so incline to the groaning of my heart.
I shall kiss Your most pure feet and wipe them with the hair of my head,
Those same feet whose sound Eve heard at dusk in Paradise when she hid herself in fear.
Who can count the multitude of my sins? Who can measure the depths of Your judgements, O Saviour of my soul?
Do not turn away from me, Your servant, for You have immeasurable mercy.”

Here is a link to the chant in Greek, parts 1 & 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQBY95YVruk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mh3jqAbqXc&feature=related

Mostly, everyone is in tears by the end of this chant.

[Kolokotronis]

Sorry; here’s part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLL0fy6qGmk&feature=related

[Salvation]

Are these the same as Tennabrae which are taken from prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours?

Tenebrae [Liturgy]
Tenebrae
Tenebrae
Tenebræ [Holy Week Service]

[Kolokotronis]

"Are these the same as Tennabrae which are taken from prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours?"

No, though they are all conducted without electric lighting, only candle light as are all the evening devotions during Great Lent. Here is a link to an explanation of the Bridegroom services: http://lent.goarch.org/bridegroom_services/learn/

[Kolokotronis]

"Are these the same as Tennabrae which are taken from prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours?"

No, though they are all conducted without electric lighting, only candle light as are all the evening devotions during Great Lent.

Here is a link to an explanation of the Bridegroom services:

http://lent.goarch.org/bridegroom_services/learn/

[Salvation]

Archdiocese of Washington

A Persistent Knock

By: Fr. Scott Hurd

“Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night,” tradition claims, will keep letter carriers from completing their rounds. To complete his mission of redemption and salvation, Jesus had to contend with much worse than that. Darkness, denial, ignorance, betrayal, cowardice, and the demonic all confronted Jesus as the Last Supper, on the eve of his passion. Yet Jesus pressed on, in spite of it all, demonstrating that his love for us, and his desire to save us, will never fail.

Jesus’ love is resolute. He would never force himself upon us, but he doesn’t keep a polite distance either. Instead, he keeps knocking at the door of our hearts. Sometimes we open our hearts to him on our own, and welcome him in. At other times, we need his help. Maybe our hearts are frozen, and Jesus needs to melt them; it could be that our hearts are broke, and Jesus needs to mend them; perhaps our hearts are made of stone, and they need replacing with Jesus’ own, sacred heart.

Regardless of the state of our heart, Jesus persists in his efforts to open its door, not to assert his power, but to share his love. Nothing will stop him! Not even death itself.

[blinachka]

She wrote at least 23 hymns and is Orthodoxy’s only female hymnographer

Not true, actually!See this:

ValeriaK.Hoecke

V. Hoecke is my maternal Grandmother. :)