Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

In other years: Blessed Anthony Neyrot, Dominican Friar, Priest and Martyr (1425-1460)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 57 The Artisans of the Monastery

Mass:  Lk 19:28-40; Is 50:4-7; Resp Ps 22; Ph 2:6-11; Lk 22:14;23:56 

All who see me scoff at me.

HEART OF JESUS, VICTIM FOR OUR SINS,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

The whole multitude of His disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen.

(Lk 19:37)

The Donkey

G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

When fishes flew and forests walked

And figs grew upon thorn,

Some moment when the moon was blood

Then surely I was born.

When monstrous head and sickening cry

And ears like errant wings,

The devil's walking parody

On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,

Of ancient crooked will;

Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,

I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;

One far fierce hour and sweet:

There was a shout about my ears,

And palms before my feet.

THE POET THINKS ABOUT THE DONKEY

Mary Oliver (1935-2019)

On the outskirts of Jerusalem

the donkey waited.

Not especially brave, or filled with understanding,

he stood and waited.

How horses, turned out into the meadow,

leap with delight!

How doves, released from their cages,

clatter away, splashed with sunlight!

But the donkey, tied to a tree as usual, waited.

Then he let himself be led away.

Then he let the stranger mount.

Never had he seen such crowds!

And I wonder if he at all imagined what was to happen.

Still, he was what he had always been: small, dark, obedienct.

I hope, finally, he felt brave.

I hope, finally, he loved the man who rode so lightly upon him,

as he lifted one dusty hoof and stepped, as he had to, forward.

United in faith and prayer, we are on our way to Jerusalem. The Lord God is my help; therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame (Is 50:7)

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

BLESSED ANTHONY NEYROT,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Thank you, beloved JnJ. 💗So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount.

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 56 The Abbot's Table

Mass: Ezk 37:21-28; Resp Ps (Jer 31); Jn 11:45-56

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Christ was handed over, to gather into one the scattered children of God.

(Communion Antiphon, Mass)

In today's Gospel, Jesus leaves for the region near the desert. He remained there with His disciples (Jn 11:54). Jesus certainly spent the time in dialogue with His Father. Not my will, but yours be done. As we prepare for Palm Sunday of the Passion of our Lord and Holy Week, let us join Jesus and spend time in prayer. It may be good to keep the following words in mind, though, from Father Francis Mahieu, ocso (1912-2002): "Even when we recite a lot of prayers, we are not praying if we do our own will." Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name ...Thy will be done ...

We must sacrifice ourselves to God, each day and in everything we do, accepting all that happens to us for the sake of the Word, imitating His passion by our sufferings, and honoring His blood by shedding our own. We must be ready to be crucified.

(From a homily by Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, bishop, in Office of Readings, Fifth Week of Lent, Saturday)

HEART OF JESUS, LOADED DOWN WITH OPPROBRIUM,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Today's photo: From yesterday, around 6:30 p.m. God is praised.

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 55:15-22 The Clothing and Footwear of the Brothers

Mass: Jer 20:10-13; Resp Ps 18; Jn 10:31-42

In my distress I called upon the Lord.

 MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

And many there began to believe in Him.

(Jn 10:31-42)

"But the Lord is with me, a mighty champion" (Jer 20:11), says the Prophet Jeremiah. Let us remember.

AND LOVE SAYS

And love,

Says,

"I will, I will take care of you,"

To everything that is 

Near.

(Hafiz, c.1320-1389)

Today's photo: This flower evokes several images. It is fascinating. Praised be the Lord.

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Saints: Saint John Baptiste de la Salle (1651-1719); Saint Henry Walpole (1558-1595)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 55:1-14 The Clothing and Footwear of the Brothers

Mass: Gn 17:3-9; Resp Ps 105; Jn 8:51-59

The Lord remembers His covenant for ever.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.

(Jn 8:51)

In haste today, we find ourselves sandwiched between Jesus' words above and Saint John Baptiste de la Salle's, founder of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, below. United in faith and prayer, we go forth. Keep the faith. By God's grace I am what I am. 

Let your charity and zeal show how you love the Church. Your work is for the Church, which is the body of Christ. By your diligence show your love for those whom God has given you, just as Christ loved the Church.

(From a meditation by Saint John Baptist de la Salle, priest, in Office of Readings, April 7)

SAINT JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE,

SAINT HENRY WALPOLE,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: These were found busy doing their thing, yesterday morning, just out back.

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 54 Letters or Gifts for Monks

Mass: Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Resp Ps (Dn 3); Jn 8:31-42

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

My deliverer from angry nations, you set me above my assailants; you saved me from the violent man, O Lord.

(Entrance Antiphon, Mass)

We have others, along with Susanna from Monday, put to the test in another one of my favorite readings that comes to us at today's Mass, namely, the account of Shedrach, Meschach, and Abednego, who were cast into the white-hot furnace because they would not serve the god, or the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And it happens that I have in front of me a favorite picture postcard from the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome. It's of a fresco of the three young men in the furnace "unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire" (Dn 3:92). I turn to the many verses left out from today's reading from time to time and today is a good day to join the young men in the furnace, who "walked about in the flames, singing to God and blessing the Lord (Dn 3:24). It was Azariah (Abednego), who "stood up and prayed aloud" ( Dn 3:25), Blessed are you and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and glorious forever is your name ... (Dn 3:26-45). When the furnace, then, continued to be stoked by the king's men, the angel of the Lord (also in my picture postcard) went down into the furnace and drove out the fiery flames (Dn 3:49). Then all three young men "with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God" (Dn 3:51): Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever ... Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him above all forever ... (Dn 3:52-90). No matter how hot the flames become today, may they be tamed with our praise of the Lord. One never knows what may happen. Hearts may turn from hearts of stone, to natural hearts of flesh (Ezk 36:26), including our own.

Yet is was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured ...

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth ...

(Is 53:4,7)

Today's photo: It's been since last spring that I've had a look at something like this in Eureka. Let the earth bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all forever. 

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Saint: Saint Vincent Ferrer, Priest (1350-1419)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 53:16-24 The Reception of Guests

Mass: Nb 21:4-9; Resp Ps 102; Jn 8:21-30

O Lord, hear my prayer.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to Him will live forever.

(Verse before the Gospel, Mass)

I rather like Saint Vincent Ferrer's teaching below. Today seems a good day, like every day, to approach Jesus. After all, as He tells us in today's Gospel: I do nothing on my own (Jn 8:28), we do nothing without Jesus. Jesus is the way to His Father, who is always with Him, because Jesus always does what is pleasing to His Father (Jn 8:29). May we folllow suit. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven ...

If you truly want to help the soul of your neighbor, you should approach God first with all your heart. Ask Him to simply fill you with charity, the greatest of all virtues; with it you can accomplish what you desire.

(From the treatise On the Spiritual Life by Saint Vincent Ferrer, priest, in Office of Readings, April 5)

SAINT VINCENT FERRER,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Standing tall in the kitchen garden of delights.

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Saints: Saint Isidore of Seville, Bishop, Doctor (560-636); Saint Benedict the Moor (1526-1589)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 53:1-15 The Reception of Guests

Mass: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; Resp Ps 23; Jn 8:12-20

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

(Jn 8:12)

Monday has rolled around once again. Welcome to it in this Fifth Week of Lent, the week before Palm Sunday and entrance into Holy Week. As usual, it is a busy Monday with going full pelt before the crack of dawn. God is praised.

The work week begins with one of my favorite readings taken from the Book of the Prophet Daniel, the long version too. Have you ever been the target of calumny? It is not pleasant, just ask beautiful and God-fearing Susanna about it. At one point, Susanna says, "I am completely trapped" (Dn 13:22). At another, "the whole assembly cried aloud, blessing God who saves those who hope in Him" (Dn 13:60). No matter what comes your way this day, remember Saint Benedict's tool for good works: "Place your hope in God alone" (Rule of Saint Benedict, 4:41). 

Prayer purifies us, readings instructs us. Both are good when both are possible. Otherwise, prayer is better than reading.

If a man wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and read regularly. When we pray, we talk to God; when we read, God talks to us.

(From the Book of Maxims by Saint Isidore, bishop, in Office of Readings, April 4)

SAINT ISIDORE OF SEVILLE,

SAINT BENEDICT THE MOOR,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: These delights were found yesterday morning, in our kitchen garden, certainly a place of beauty.

© Gertrude Feick 2022