On Quinquagesima Sunday

We beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously hear our prayers: and releasing us from the bonds of our sins, guard us from all adversity. Through our Lord . . .

Today our Holy Mother Church celebrates Quinquagesima Sunday. Quinquagesima in Latin means the fiftieth. This Sunday immediate precedes Ash Wednesday. Our Eastern brothers, call this Sunday as Cheesefare Sunday for this is the time when they start abstaining from milk and cheese products.

Before this day was marked with merry-making for this was one of the last days of the carnival which ends before Lent. As a response, Pope Benedict XIV introduced acts of penances for the excessive merry-making:

“As the days before Lent were frequently spent in merry-making, Benedict XIV by the Constitution "Inter Cetera" (1 Jan., 1748) introduced a kind of Forty Hours' Devotion to keep the faithful from dangerous amusements and to make some reparation for sins committed.” From the Quinquagesima article in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

The Collect for this Sunday talks about beseeching God to release us from the bonds of sins and to guard us from all adversity. In the Epistle (1 Corinthians 13: 1 – 13) St. Paul discusses charity and its preeminence among the two other theological virtues (i.e. faith and hope).

The Gospel (Luke 18: 31 – 43) relates the story of Jesus’ prediction of his passion and death and the healing of a blind man from Jericho. In this episode of the life of Our Lord, the blind man utters the very famous aspiration (both in the West and East) “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

One thing that I love in the calendar of the Extraordinary Form (or the Tridentine Rite) of the Roman Rite is the season of Septuagesimatide (Pre-Lent). It gives us a signal that the great discipline of Lent is fast approaching. It does not make one awestruck when Lent comes but rather gives Christians time to prepare for the journey to the spiritual desert of Lent.

Athough in the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) you could prepare also for Lent though it lacks a Pre-Lenten season, it is very different when you are gradually exposed to the season of Lent (violet vestments, no alleluia, no Gloria). Even God prepared humankind gradually before sending His Son to them.

Here are some web pages where one can find suggestions for Lent, we still have roughly three days to prepare:

• Lenten Observances in the Vein of a New Liturgical Movement by Shawn Tribe in the blog New Liturgical Movement
• What Will You Do for Lent This Year? - A Guide for Preparing Now by Dr. Taylor Marshall in the blog Canterbury Tales

Further Readings:

•  Mershman, F. (1911). Quinquagesima. In The Catholic Encyclopedia.
•  Summorum Pontificum Wangaratta for the propers of the Mass.

On St. Valentine's Day

Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we, who celebrate the heavenly birthday of blessed Valentine, Thy Martyr, may by his intercession be delivered from all the evils that threaten us. Through our Lord...
- Collect of the Mass

Today in the Ancient Usage of the Roman Rite is the commemoration of St. Valentine, martyr.

There are two saints in the martyrology that are commemorated on this date. Here is an excerpt from the martyrology for this day:

February 14th anno Domini 2012 The 21st Day of Moon were born into the better life.
At Rome, upon the Flaminian Way, the blessed martyr Valentine, a Priest, who after much healing and teaching was cudgelled and beheaded under Claudius Caesar, [in the year 268.]...
At Teramo, [in Umbria, in the year 273,] the holy martyr Valentine, Bishop of that see. He was heavily flogged and committed to jail, but as he would not yield he was thrown out of the prison in the silence of midnight and beheaded by command of Placidus, Prefect of the city....

The customs related to the feast of St. Valentine had its origin in the Middle Ages in England and France. This was because of the belief that on this day birds look for mates.

So traditionally, Valentine's day had a Christian root before it has become commercialized today. Let us not be blinded by the commercialization of this day. Always keep in mind that love is not always something about "the bed" something on the erotic side. Let us also remember that Cupid (Eros) is a pagan god and should not be used as a symbol for this Christian festival. Let not also be troubled when you do not have a Valentine on this day, if God wills it it will happen.

 Further Readings:

• Thurston, H. (1912). St. Valentine. In The Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Divinum Officium (please click for the Prime of February 13, as the Martyrology is anticipated) 

On Sexagesima Sunday

O God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do: mercifully grant, that by the protection of the Doctor of the Gentiles we may be defended against all adversities. Though our Lord…
- Collect for the Mass

Today the Latin Church celebrates Sexagesima Sunday. Sexagesima means “sixtieth” an approximation of the sixtieth day before Easter. In the Greek Church, this Sunday is known as Meatfare Sunday for this is the last day for eating meat in preparation for Pascha.

Notice that St. Paul is mentioned many times in the proper of the Mass, this was because the Stational Church was at the Basilica of St. Paul, Outside the Walls. The Collect refers to him as the “Doctor of the Gentiles” and the Epistle relates his sufferings.

In the Gospel (Luke 8:4-15), our Lord tells about the parable of the sower. A certain sower scatters seeds but some fell on the road, on rocky areas, on thorny areas and on good ground. Our Lord further explains that the seed refers to the Word of God. The first three places where the seed fell refer to men who heard the Word but were not good enough to keep it in their hearts and apply it to their lives. On the other hand, good ground refers to men who hears, keeps and applies the Word.

Fr. Zuhldorf in his blog article WDTPRS Sexagesima Sunday: “that we may be fortified against every adverse thing”, relates the seed of the parable, in context with the Holy Mass, as the “Host… Christ the High Priest sows in us”.

How do we receive the Word of God, made flesh? Do we receive him with unrepented and impure heart just like bad ground? Or, do we receive him with a contrite and pure heart just like good ground? Let us pray to receive him worthily in Holy Communion and in the Scriptures.

Further Readings:

• Luke 8:4-15

• Mershman, F., article Sexagesima in Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912.

• Zuhldorf, blog post WDTPRS Sexagesima Sunday: “that we may be fortified against every adverse thing” in WDTPRS, 2012.

On Septuagesima Sunday

Photo credits: Una Voce of Orange County

Ite et vos in vineam meam, et quod justum fuerit dabo vobis. - Matt. 2,4

Today our Holy Mother Church, using the Missal of 1962, celebrates Septuagesima Sunday, the start of Septuagesimatide. Among our Eastern brothers, this Sunday is called the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. This Sunday also marks the season of Septuagesimatide which ends on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday

Septuagesima, in Latin, means seventieth. It was termed as such in reference to Quadragesima Sunday (First Sunday of Lent) although it does not correspond to the seventieth day before Easter, it is merely an approximation of the number. The nomenclature is a symbolism of the seventy years of Babylonian captivity of the Jerusalem.

On this day, the Church starts to prepare for the Great discipline of Lent. Thus, violet vestments are worn and the Alleluia and the Gloria are not said during the Mass. This was the case in memory of the tradition, before the reign of Pope St. Gregory I, of starting the season of penance on this Sunday.

The Gospel for today is about the parable of the vineyard (Matthew 20.1-16). It is about a householder looking for workers in his vineyard. At the end of the day, he paid his workers equal amounts of wages despite them not working with equal amounts of time.

The vineyard represents the world and the householder represents the Almighty God. The different times he went out symbolizes the different times he asked men to work for His Church. The wage represents eternal life.

Truly, God is asking us to work in his vineyard. There are many things to do in his vineyard, that is why he gave us different talents as St. Paul relates to his letter to the Corinthians (cf. I Corinthians  12.4ff).

Another point in the Gospel is when the householder gave the wages some workers complained because he gave them all the same amount when some of them just worked for a few hours. The householder responded “I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?”

The above is what we, as employees should ponder always. Sometimes, we always complain that we have so many works to do and yet we receive the same salary as those that have fewer duties. Let us just offer our work to God and we will see that our work will become lighter.

O Lord, we beseech You, graciously hear the prayers of Your people, that we who are justly punished for our sins may be mercifully delivered for the glory of Your name. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

References:

• The Gospel according to St. Matthew (Matthew 20.1-16)
• Mershman, F. (1912). Septuagesima. The Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine’s The Church’s Year. Septuagesima Sunday.
• Rev. Adrian Fortescue’s Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described.