Χριστός ἀνέστη!

Happy and Holy Easter!

Have a blessed Triduum!

Bring back the Feast of the Seven Dolours of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

Today, the Friday after Passion Sunday, used to be the Feast of the Seven Dolours of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to my granny's ancient missal. It was reduced to a commemoration, only said where there was particular devotion to this. I find that a reflection on the Sorrowful Mother is entirely appropriate at this point, just before Holy Week. I have a particular devotion to the Sorrowful Mother, one of the reasons being that the month dedicated to her is the same month as my birthday - but that is a spurious reason. No, I have a devotion to this aspect of the Blessed Virgin because it is an aspect where it is really clear that the Virgin, like Christ, knows sorrow and can aid us in this sorrow. She's not some floaty person aloof from the world, but rather right in there, feeling pain and sorrow like we do. Furthermore, I find I can penetrate more deeply into the mystery of the Passion of our Lord through meditating on it from the perspective of His mother. Are we not moved when we see on the news a mother crying for their child? The love of God is more clear when I consider the Cross from Mary's viewpoint.

De rebus miscellaneis

Well, this is my 100th post. And like the 99 previous posts, it will not cover anything of particular interest or value (my most successful post is a very long quote by Pope Gregory on the Epiphany - I don't say anything in it). Anyway, here it is.

First of all, April is the month of the Holy Spirit, and so I recommend you all go and read Divinum Illud Munus by Pope Leo XIII and Dominum et Vivificantem by Ven. Pope John Paul II on the Holy Spirit.
This leads me somewhat onto my next little topic, Baptism. My youngest nephew was baptised yesterday, Deo gratias, and now he is part of the Body of Christ. Please say a little prayer for him as he's a little poorly at the moment.
Thirdly, we're now past Laetare Sunday, with its rose vestments (although the vestments I saw yesterday were really pink, not rose). This calls for a quick one word evaluation of my Lent so far - crap. The only thing I can say is that I now need to go to confession more than I usually do, which isn't really progress in virtue. Even on the childish things of Lent, like giving up sweets, I'm doing badly. Sigh. Still, I've now more time to devote to prayer, now that I...

... had my last EVER class at university on Friday. The last few weeks have been pretty hectic, but now I've just exams starting in Easter week and continuing to the middle of May. Here's hoping all things go well, and I've made up my mind to thank God for whatever I receive in my final results, whether good or bad. No use just thanking God for the good things - I trust that even if I do badly, God has a will for me that goes beyond good exam results.

And so, as we now approach Passion Sunday, if you're lucky enough to live practically near a parish offering the EF, or as we approach the (more boringly titled) Fifth Sunday of Lent for the rest of us, conversi ad Dominum!