Benedictus Deus

As I have been trying (and mostly failing) to get more spiritual reading in this Lent, I have not really had time to blog much. But I just wanted to wish everyone a fruitful Holy Week. Ideally this week should be a retreat for us, at least insofar as our secular duties allow. [...]

Happy Mothering Sunday to all you moms out there!  Enjoy the real Mother’s Day.
And Rejoice for we are more than halfway through Lent.  Last Thursday was actually the halfway point, and for that reason is (was) sometimes called Mid-Lent Thursday.  Dom Gueranger notes that the Greeks observe Mid-Lent on Wednesday and for them it is [...]

Today is the Feast of St. Matthias, the apostle who replaced Judas among the twelve.  His selection as the first “apostolic successor” is recorded in Acts 1:15-26.  According to St. Clement of Alexandria (as well as Jerome and Eusebius) tell us that he was one of the seventy two disciples sent out by our Lord [...]

Passiontide is upon us. It is a good time to rededicate ourselves to Lenten prayer, fasting, and alms giving to finish strong and be prepared for Easter. Here are some quotes that I find helpful.
One of my favorite quotes on fasting, from Pope Benedict XIV (Non Ambigimus):
“The observance of Lent is the very [...]

Another feast that should be a holy day of obligation.

Lots of good info at Fisheaters.

This Friday the 11th is the Feast of Pope Saint Leo the Great (trad calendar). First I’ll get my rant out of the way. This another instance of utterly senseless moving of traditional feast days. On the new calendar St. Stanislaus is on the 11th. But on the old calendar the 6th – 10th were [...]

There wasn’t too much more as far as actual things to do in Dom Gueranger’s entry on practice during Passiontide. But there are a lot of excellent reflections, and encouragments to have the proper spiritual disposition. So, here is a quote:
The prevading character of the prayers and rites of these two weeks, is [...]

Yesterday was the start of Passiontide (the last two weeks of Lent).  I hope to have post very soon with some quotes from Abbot Gueranger, but in the mean time here is my post on the topic from two years ago.

Here is one I should have posted much sooner.  It’s another quote from the Liturgical Year.  This picks up after Abbot Gueranger’s writing on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during Lent.
There is one means more whereby we are to secure to ourselves the great graces of Lent; it is the spirit of retirement and separation from [...]

Tomorrow is Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. As with other Sundays the name comes from the first words of the Introit, “Laetare Jeruselem” or Rejoice O Jerusalem! This is mid-Lent, and just like during Advent (Gaudete Sunday) the Church gives a reprieve from austerity of this season of penance. The [...]