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Day XXXV. Tuesday, Week V.

"When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself, says the Lord" (Communion antiphon for today - Jn12:32).

Santa Maria in via Lata. Tradition holds that St. Paul was placed under house arrest here and during that time, wrote the Letter to the Hebrews. Later, a church was built and the relics of several martyrs were interred here. But for me, I will remember this church, around the corner from my home, as the place where, every evening, the priest would lead the "Daughters of the Church" and the faithful in Eucharistic Adoration, praying for Christian unity. (The photo is of a 10th century Byzantine icon of our Lady, which is enshrined over the main altar).

from St. Cantius

TUESDAY IN THE FIFTH (PASSION) WEEK OF LENT
Station—St. Cyriacus

The Sacred Texts, which like a garland, surround the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Divine Office must not only be understood in their literal and historical sense, but above all in their liturgical one. This is always the case, but especially during Passiontide.
The Divine Head, who nineteen centuries ago underwent the great Passion is now undergoing it in His Body, the Church. An attack on the Church is an attack on Christ. Whenever the Church suffers, her Divine head suffers. But all these sufferings lead to victory. "They have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. The disciple is not greater than the Master." Persecutions and sufferings purify the Church. They remove what is not of God. They cast forth all that comes from Satan—the arch-enemy, and that comes from the fatal act in Paradise—the arch-sin.
May the holy Deacon Cyriacus obtain for us "God's light and truth and conduct us and bring us to His holy hill, to the altar, to Calvary, to Easter, to the immortal Christ at the right-hand of the Father.
Let us pray: O Lord, deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. Send forth Thy Light and Thy Truth. They shall lead me on. Through Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.