Happy Easter!

Christos anesti! Christ is Risen!

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Saints and Scripture Welcome

‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;--Matthew 25:35 (emphasis mine)

The above quote is from the parable of the sheep and rams in Matthew 25. Everyone remembers that Christ calls on all of us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty and visit the imprisoned, but how many of us remember that He also calls on us to welcome strangers?
Yet, welcoming others, especially strangers, is an important Christian trait. If not because Jesus said so in Matthew, then because the theme of hospitality and welcoming strangers occurs again and again. In Genesis there is the example of the Hospitality of Abraham. Later, in Hebrews, there is teaching:
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

St Benedict of Nursia understood this when he wrote his Rule which is still used today by the Benedictines and Cistercians. In it he wrote:
"All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, who said: 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me'."
-- Rule of St Benedict 53

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Coals of fire on his head

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.--Romans 12:20
I read a great homily on the above passage at Logismoi. He takes the passage and tells you to look at it from the perspective of Christ's Earthly Ministry. He gave us His Body and Blood for our hunger and thirst. This was meant not as a revenge, but a loving offering that our souls would be overcome with His love. The "coals of fire on his head" are meant not as vengeance (vengeance is the Lord's) but rather to stir the soul to repentance and love. In much the same way that Christ's selfless torment on the cross (the word excruciating comes from Latin meaning "of the cross") has brought many souls to repentance.
Please read the homily I linked to above. He says it more eloquently and goes into more detail.

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Catholic Band: Theandric

Continuing with my Catholic Metal theme as of late (I, II and III), here is a song by the band Theandric called Veni Creator Spiritus:



Lyrics:
In the beginning the earth was a formless void
And darkness covered the face of the deep
The Spirit of God hovered over the waters
(before the serpent's crawl and creep)

Veni Sancte Spiritus
fill the hearts of thy faithful
Veni Sancte Spiritus
inside of them thy holy flame ignite

As the prophets foretold, in the fullness of time
An angel of God descended to earth
"Be not afraid, Highly Favored One!
This is no accident of birth"

Veni Sancte Spiritus
and they shall be created
Veni Sancte Spiritus
thou shalt renew the face of the earth

VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS
MENTES TUORUM VISITA
IMPLE SUPERNA GRATIA
QUAE TU CREASTI PECTORA

A voice crying out in the wilderness
"Prepare the way of the Chosen One"
Spirit descending - a heavenly advice
"This is My Beloved Son"

When the hour had come
for Jesus to pass from this world
The right hand of God would be His throne
He said to the Twelve in the upper room
"I will not leave you alone"

"I will send another Advocate
Who will lead you to all Truth.
If you doubt His boundless Mercy
My Cross shall be the greatest proof"

DEO PATRI SIT GLORIA
ET FILIO, QUI A MORTUIS
SURREXIT, AC PARACLITO
IN SAECULORUM SAECULA
AMEN

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Love and Knowledge

"Love is inseparable from knowledge."
-- St Marcarius

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A thru Z saints

I saw a challenge on Catholicism for Everyone to come up with a list of Saints for every letter of the alphabet. So here is my attempt:

Anthony of the Desert
Benedict of Nursia
Cyril
Diogenes
E
Francis of Assissi
George
H
Ignatios of Antioch
John Climacus
Kevin
Lawrence
Maximillian Kolbe
Nino
Otranto Martyrs
Peter
Q
Robert Bellarmine
Stephen the Protmartyr
Thomas the Apostle
Ursula
Veronica
William of Norwich
Xavier
Yves
Z

That's all I can get without Google's help.
With Google's help I also can put:
Elmo
Helena
Quentin
Zachary

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Gospel of St Luke and the Deuterocanon

Luke 1:42 - Elizabeth's declaration of Mary's blessedness above all women follows Uzziah's declaration in Judith 13:18.
And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Luke 1:42	And Ozias the prince of the people of Israel, said to her: Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth. Judith 13:18
Luke 1:52 - Mary's magnificat addressing the mighty falling from their thrones and replaced by lowly follows Sirach 10:14.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. Luke 1:52	The thrones of the arrogant God overturns and establishes the lowly in their stead. Sirach 10:14
Luke 2:29 - Simeon's declaration that he is ready to die after seeing the Child Jesus follows Tobit 11:9.
Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Luke 2:29	Then Anna ran up to her son, threw her arms around him, and said to him, "Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!" And she sobbed aloud. Tobit 11:9
Luke 13:29 - the Lord's description of men coming from east and west to rejoice in God follows Baruch 4:37.
And there shall come from the east and the west, and the north and the south; and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. Luke 13:29	For behold thy children come, whom thou sentest away scattered, they come gathered together from the east even to the west, at the word of the Holy One rejoicing for the honour of God. Baruch 4:37
Luke 21:24 - Jesus' usage of "fall by the edge of the sword" follows Sirach 28:18.
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword; and shall be led away captives into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles; till the times of the nations be fulfilled. Luke 21:24	Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not as many as by the tongue. Sirach 28:18
Luke 24:4 and Acts 1:10 - Luke's description of the two men in dazzling apparel reminds us of 2 Macc. 3:26.
And it came to pass, as they were astonished in their mind at this, behold, two men stood by them, in shining apparel. Luke 24:4	Moreover there appeared two other young men beautiful and strong, bright and glorious, and in comely apparel: who stood by him, on either side, and scourged him without ceasing with many stripes. 2 Maccabees 3:26
Luke 20:29 - Gospel writers refer to the canonicity of Tobit 3:8 and 7:11 regarding the seven brothers.
There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. Luke 20:29	Because she had been given to seven husbands, and a devil named Asmodeus had killed them, at their first going in unto her. Tobit 3:8 Now when Raguel heard this he was afraid, knowing what had happened to those seven husbands, that went in unto her: and he began to fear lest it might happen to him also in like manner: and as he was in suspense, and gave no answer to his petition,... Tobit 7:11

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Saints and Scripture Great Commission

"Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:19
This passage at the end of St Matthew's Gospel is well known as the Great Commission. In it we are called to share and spread the light of Christ and the Good News of His Salvation to all peoples. When we think of missionaries we normally think of the Colonial Age of Europe when Europe conquered the world and they sent missionaries to the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa. We don't normally think of the 1st Century mission work to Ethiopia, Armenia, Georgia, Persia, India, or Rome.During the Age of Exploration when Europeans finally sailed around the continent of Africa and began sailing to India, they discovered there was already a vibrant Christian community there. St Thomas, better known for his disbelief at towards the end of the Gospel of St John, had gone there a few short years after the Resurrection. He had preached there and baptized there and the Church survived his martyrdom. The Indian Church received its priests and instruction from the Syrian Christians. Even after the Muslim conquest they still kept in contact and the St Thomas Christian communities thrived and evangelized for well over a millennium before European missionaries came bearing Latin Rite Christianity. Some of the Indian Christians joined the Latin Rite, many others became Catholic as groups (Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar Church Sui Uirisi), but many others still remain unreconciled with the Catholic Church.

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More Catholic Metal

I just discovered the Catholic Metal band "Cradle Catholic". They recite traditional Latin Prayers to an outstanding Metal sound. I love every song of theirs that I've heard.
I've posted before on my search for Christian and especially Catholic Metal. I also in the discovery of Cradle Catholic found an entire blog dedicated to the subject of Catholic Heavy Metal Bands. Apparently, there are tons of Catholic Heavy Metal bands out there I just wasn't looking in the right places.
Here are two of my favorites so far from Cradle Catholic. I especially like the first one, Anima Christi.




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7 Quick Takes 18 FEB 2011

1. The burning bush is often seen, especially in Eastern Christianity, as a prefiguring of Mary. See more.

2. Pope Benedict XVI is apparently considering a visit to Iraq to visit the Ur.

3. A closed parish in Albany is being sold to a college fraternity. I remember what went on in frat houses when I was in college and I have to say that I don't like the idea of it happening, even if it is a closed parish and no longer in use.

4. The Thomas More Law Center has appealed to the Supreme Court against the City of San Francisco for its open hostility to the Catholic Church and it's teachings. So much for the government not favoring one faith over another.

5. Someone had the time and inclination to come up with an anti-laser. I'm still wondering when there would be a need for such a thing, outside of a Sci-fi movie. I'm sure someone else with the time and inclination will come up with a practical reason.

6. I've noticed lately that's its really hard to find an old fashioned barber shop anymore. Everywhere seems to become a metrosexual beauty salon anymore.

7. "O eternal Trinity, You are a deep sea in which the more I seek the more I find, and the more I find, the more I seek to know You. You fill us insatiably, because the soul, before the abyss which You are, is always famished; and hungering for You, O eternal Trinity, it desires to behold truth in Your light. As the thirsty hart pants after the fount of living water, so does my soul long to leave this gloomy body and see You as You are, in truth." --St Catherine of Siena

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Gospel of St Mark and the Deuterocanon

Mark 4:5,16-17 - Jesus' description of seeds falling on rocky ground and having no root follows Sirach 40:15.
And other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth… And these likewise are they that are sown on the stony ground: who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time: and then when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized. Mark 4:5, 16, 17	The offspring of the ungodly shall not bring forth many branches, and make a noise as unclean roots upon the top of a rock. Sirach 40:15
Mark 9:46-48 - description of hell where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched references Judith 16:17.
And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. For every one shall be salted with fire: and every victim shall be salted with salt. Mark 9:46-48	Woe be to the nation that riseth up against my people: for the Lord almighty will take revenge on them, in the day of judgment he will visit them. Judith 16:17
Mark 12:20-22 - Gospel writers refer to the canonicity of Tobit 3:8 and 7:11 regarding the seven brothers.
Now there were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no issue. And the second took her, and died: and neither did he leave any issue. And the third in like manner. And the seven all took her in like manner; and did not leave issue. Last of all the woman also died. Mark 12:20-22	Because she had been given to seven husbands, and a devil named Asmodeus had killed them, at their first going in unto her. Tobit 3:8 Now when Raguel heard this he was afraid, knowing what had happened to those seven husbands, that went in unto her: and he began to fear lest it might happen to him also in like manner: and as he was in suspense, and gave no answer to his petition,... Tobit 7:11

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7 Quick Takes 11FEB

1. The floors are being redone in our parish. So for the next little while we are celebrating the Divine Liturgy at the Coptic Church in town. Apparently they don't have a resident priest so they only celebrate their Divine Liturgy every other Saturday. I've noticed that all the icons set outdoors are in the desert. I've also noticed that St Mark (the first Patriarch of Alexandria) and the Holy Family traveling to Egypt are recurring themes in their icons.
   
2. I made a list of 100 places that I want to visit. I realized the other day that I've already been to 5 of them since I wrote the list. Only 95 more to go.
   
3. I think the next place on the list will be Vicksburg, MS. I really enjoy American history and also military history. That and its the closest of those left.
   
4. Maybe on the way over I'll stop in and see the place where EWTN is filmed.
   
5. I'm still debating on whether or not to change my rite of ascription and become a Melkite Catholic. I have fallen in love with the Divine Liturgy and Eastern Christian Spirituality, but I wonder sometimes if I am too impulsive.
   
6. Everything looks good to own a house later this month!
   
7. I am thinking about taking a vacation in May to Minnesota. Its kinda random, but I want to see Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi. Its #86 on my 100 places list.

Be sure to check out this week's 7 Quick Takes at Conversion Diary

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Saints and Scripture Lions

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
It goes without saying that the Christian life is one lived on guard and alert. We wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and we live sober and alert against the Devil, described above as a prowling lion waiting for an unaware, unsuspecting soul to carry off into the darkness.
Peter and his successors have warned the faithful against many sins and temptations over the years and continue to do so today through preaching, encyclicals and other means. Before Peter became the bishop of Rome he was the bishop of Antioch. One of his successors to the Patriarchate of Antioch was Saint Ignatios of Antioch.
St Igantios was not caught unaware by the devil, but was granted a martyrs death mauled and eaten by lions in Rome. Shortly before his martyrdom he wrote this:
"I am God's wheat, ground fine by the lion's teeth to be made purest bread for Christ. No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire. The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my brothers. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God."
He is also the namesake of the parish I belong to. Almost every Sunday (depending upon season it might be switched out), we sing a prayer that starts off "O Ignatios you received the prize of Victory..." He stay alert against the temptation to renounce his Lord and received the Victory of a Martyr's death.
See The Kennedy Adventures! Not Struggling Alone: Saints and Scripture

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Caption Away

Alright, kudos to the one who comes up with the funniest (yet still tactful) caption.
H/T to Stained Glass Buffalo

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I need to crticize less

A spiritual father-confessor named Benjamin, when a person had come to him for confession was talking about others and criticizing his brothers, would send the "penitent" away until he could correct himself and change his attitude.

The most simple monk, Elder David, would tell his visitors about this kind of criticism: "Be careful, do not say one person does this and the other does that. If you do so, you lose Christ's grace. Even if you see a person acting like an ass, do not criticize. Love your neighbor as you would your own self. This is what Christ tells us to do."

from An Athonite Gerontikon (h/t to Word from the Desert)

Try to bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure.

If you cannot make yourself what you would wish to be, how can you bend others to your will? We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we ask. We would have them bound by laws, yet we will allow ourselves to be restrained in nothing. Hence, it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do of ourselves.

from the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

Judge not, that you may not be judged, For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Gospel of Saint Matthew 7:1-5

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Prayer and distraction

You should not wait until you are cleansed of wandering thoughts before you desire to pray; such distraction is not banished from the mind except by assiduous prayer requiring much labor. If you only begin to pray when you see that your mind has become perfect and exalted above all recollection of the world, then you will never pray.

- St. Isaac the Syrian

H/t to Byzantine, TX
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Angelus

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Saints and Scripture Five Wise Virgins

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. And five of them were foolish, and five wise. But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept.And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. But at last come also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not. Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour. --Matthew 25:1-13

The parable of the ten virgins reminds us that we must always be ready for Christ's return and warns us that if we are not ready we can miss out.
When I decided on this passage and I looked in Haydock's Commentary I found this:
"Under this parable, we have the state of all Christians in their mortal pilgrimage justly delineated. The wise took oil in their lamps, the necessary qualifications of grace and charity, joined with divine faith, and an additional supply of oil in their vessels; i.e. they laid up in store for themselves a solid foundation of good works. S. Gregory teaches, that by the lamps, faith is meant; and by the light, good works. Hence he concludes that the bad, although they have lamps, i.e. faith, no less than the good, shall be excluded; because their lamps are out, i.e. their faith is dead, without charity and good works to enlighten them"
Like it says in James, "faith without works is dead". We are not living properly as Christians if our faith does not shine into the darkness of the world through our faith and good works. Of course, good works can be something as little and simple as welcoming a stranger (Matthew 25:35). St Benedict is his Rule wrote that monks should welcome all strangers the same as they should welcome Christ.
Parable of the ten virgins reminds me of the many saints who died as virgins, consecrated or otherwise. Among these saints are St Lucy and St Agnes.

From EWTN:

According to tradition, Agnes was a Christian girl of Rome, perhaps twelve or thirteen years old, when Diocletian began his persecutions. Like St. Lucy, she was sentenced by a judge to a house of ill fame, but a young man who looked upon her lustfully was stricken blind. Thereafter she was taken out to be burned, but whether she met her death by fire or sword we cannot know with any certainty. Although we have no contemporary sources for the facts of her life and martyrdom, there is little reason to doubt the main outline of the story. References to this young saint appear in many Church writings of later date. St. Ambrose, St. Damasus, and Prudentius all praise her purity and heroism. Her name occurs in the Canon of the Mass. Agnes' crypt was in the Via Nomentana, and the stone covering her remains was carven with the words, "Agna sanctissima" (most holy lamb). A church in her honor is presumed to have been built at Rome in the time of Constantine the Great. In the apse of this basilica, which was rebuilt in the seventh century by Pope Honorius, there is still to be seen the large and beautiful mosaic depicting the saint. St. Agnes is the patroness of young girls and her symbol is, naturally, a lamb. On the anniversary of her martyrdom, the Pope, after high pontifical Mass in her church at Rome, blesses two lambs, and their wool is later woven into the pallia worn by archbishops.

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Saint Quiz XII answers

Explanation for last Saint Quiz
Source for the image and explanation of the icon.
1-5 from left-Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
6-10 from right Zechariah, Noah, Melchizedek, Elijah, Jeremiah
11-14 from left to right Samuel, Ezekiel, Elisha, Moses
15-22 from left to right Aaron, the Three Holy Youths (Shadrach, Meeshack, and Abendago), Daniel, David, Isaiah

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Chuck Norris is the reason Waldo is hiding.

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