He is risen!

Happy Easter.

I just saw this poem, written by one of my favorite authors, JRR Tolkien. I hope it isn't too out of place here.

Tolkien was an English author and scholar, not a saint, but a serious Catholic. After his father died when he was four and his mother died when he was twelve, a Catholic priest became his guardian.

His poem depicts rejoicing in heaven and earth at the appearance of our Savior in a cold, lost world.  A blessed Christmas to you, kind souls.


Noel
by J.R.R. Tolkien

Grim was the world and grey last night:
The moon and stars were fled,
The hall was dark without song or light,
The fires were fallen dead.

The wind in the trees was like to the sea,
And over the mountains’ teeth
It whistled bitter-cold and free,
As a sword leapt from its sheath.

The lord of snows upreared his head;
His mantle long and pale
Upon the bitter blast was spread
And hung o’er hill and dale.
The world was blind,
the boughs were bent,
All ways and paths were wild:
Then the veil of cloud apart was rent,
And here was born a Child.

The ancient dome of heaven sheer
Was pricked with distant light;
A star came shining white and clear
Alone above the night.
In the dale of dark in that hour of birth
One voice on a sudden sang:
Then all the bells in Heaven and Earth
Together at midnight rang.

Mary sang in this world below:
They heard her song arise
O’er mist and over mountain snow
To the walls of Paradise,
And the tongue of many bells was stirred
in Heaven’s towers to ring
When the voice of mortal maid was heard,
That was mother of Heaven’s King.

Glad is the world and fair this night
With stars about its head,
And the hall is filled with laughter and light,
And fires are burning red.
The bells of Paradise now ring
With bells of Christendom,
And Gloria, Gloria we will sing
That God on earth is come.

St. Joseph Marchand, pray for us.

(Thank you to CyrilSebastian for pointing out his feast day).

May the Holy Spirit pacify our souls and make us holy.  Happy Pentecost.

  Amen

[Saint John the Apostle]

Happy third day of Christmas

Saint John the Apostle
John, who was an Apostle and Evangelist, was the younger son of Zebedee, a wealthy Galilean fisherman. John had an older brother, Saint James the Greater, with whom he was called “boanerges” meaning “sons of thunder”. The three were all fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.
The brothers were disciples of Saint John the Baptist untill Our Lord called them. He not only became a disciple of Jesus, he was, together with James and Peter, a member of the inner circle around Jesus.
He was present at the raising of Jairus’ daughter; the Transfiguration.
At the Last Supper, a very solemn occasion indeed, John, the youngest , among the Apostles, was permitted to recline his head on the chest of Jesus . John was present at the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and again “the disciple whom Jesus loved” , was permitted into the Palace of Caiphas on the night Jesus was betrayed. “Being known to the High Priest, John was the only one of the 12 Apostles to remain at the foot of the Cross throughout Christ’s Agony and it was to his loving care that Jesus entrusted His Immaculate Mother.
On the first Easter morning, it was again John and Peter, who raced to the empty tomb.
According to tradition, John lived in Ephesus before being exiled to Patmos during the reign of Emperor Domitian, “Because I proclaimed God’s Word and gave testimony to Jesus”(Rv. 1:9). At Patmos, John wrote the Book of Revelation, although some experts believe that the Book of Revelation could have been written by one of his disciples.
A few years later, Saint John returned to Ephesus where he wrote the Gospel and the three epistles attributed to him.
He died of old age.
In liturgical art, John’s symbol is the eagle.
Saint John,
You who was Beloved of the Master,
Pray for us!

Saint Brigid founded the double monastery at Kildare (from the Irish "Cill Dara", meaning "Church of the Oak"), roughly 35 miles west and a little south from Dublin.  There was a monastery for women and a monastery for men, separate but sharing the same church. Saint Conleth became the first bishop of Kildare and for centuries the abbey was ruled by a double line of abbot-bishops and abbesses.

Saint Conleth was head of the Kildare school of metal work and penmanship.   
Cogitosus, a community of monks grew up which, under the guidance of Conleth,     
excelled in the making of beautiful chalices and other metal objects needed in the church.

Saint Conleth fashioned a crozier for Saint Finbarr of Termonbarry, first bishop of Cork. He also made sacred vessels for Saint Brigid for Masses at her "double monastery".

It is a beautiful thing to see the saints helping each other out.

For a few decades Saint Conleth and Saint Brigid were both buried at the Cathedral at Kildare, one on one side of the altar, one on the other, until in 835 his relics were moved to Connell, where he had been a hermit, to invoke his protection against the invading Danes.

My father passed away two hours ago.  Prayers requested for the repose of his soul.

 

Amen.

May the Most Precious Blood of Jesus cover him.
May the Virgin Mary pray for him.
May the Holy Apostles pray for him.
May the Holy Angels protect him in the hour of his death.
May his patron Saint be with him to accompany him to heaven.
May God pardon his sins.
May God reward his good deeds with eternal life.
May God bless him and grant him final perseverance. Amen

Amen.

My father is still alive and turns 92 today, God bless him. I have a brother who has arrived to help take care of him.

Saint Joseph, pray for him.

My father has stopped eating and drinking and I expect that he has at most a week or two of life left. Please pray that he will die in a state of grace and be admitted to our Father's kingdom.

He received Extreme Unction on Sunday and appears to be at peace, thanks be to God.

Veni Sancte Spiritus
(sometimes called the Golden Sequence)

Come, Thou Holy Spirit, come,
and from Thy celestial home
shed a ray of light divine;

come, Thou Father of the poor,
come, Thou source of all our store,
come, within our hearts to shine.

Thou of comforters the best,
Thou the soul's most welcome guest,
sweet refreshment here below;

in our labour rest most sweet,
grateful coolness in the heat,
solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessèd Light divine,
shine within these hearts of thine,
and our inmost being fill;

where Thou art not, man hath naught,
nothing good in deed or Thought,
nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds; our strength renew;
on our dryness pour Thy dew;
wash the stains of guilt away;

bend the stubborn heart and will;
melt the frozen, warm the chill;
guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore
and confess thee, evermore
in Thy sevenfold gifts descend:

Give them virtue's sure reward,
give them Thy salvation, Lord,
give them joys that never end.

Amen. Alleluia.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, may the loved ones from whom we are now separated rest in Thee, and on the last day may they hear Thy voice and by Thy strength and the power of Thy grace be raised to everlasting life. Amen.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whose great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading

Thank you both. For the fasting search, I needed the advanced search.

Do you have any quotes or longer readings on the subjects of "bearing wrongs patiently" or acceptable versus unacceptable fasting?