He Fell

The Seventh Station - Jesus Falls a Second Time

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise you

R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.





The Gospels do not record the "falls" of Jesus but surely he fell and probably more than three times. The weight of the cross, the loss of blood from the scourging and the crown of thorns, even the jeers of the crowd had to have contributed to the falls. All the more, our sinfulness caused the "Man of Sorrows" to fall; he rises once again to carry the cross, to reach Calvary.

When our sinfulness causes us to fall, we need to rise again. We sin more than three times in our lives and each time we need to rise again. He leads us beyond Calvary to the Resurrection. He promises us life eternal if only we embrace the Cross.

Tenebrae

Tenebrae

In the years prior to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the name given to the Divine Office of Matins and Lauds, celebrated the evening before Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, was Tenebrae (Latin for Darkness), anticipating the liturgical Offices of the last three days of Holy Week (now the Liturgy of the Hours of the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer, celebrated on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday mornings). It differed, in many ways, from the Divine Office of the whole rest of the year. Its tone was sad and mournful; nothing could more emphatically express the grief that weighed down the heart of our holy Mother Church at the death of Jesus. Throughout these celebrations of the liturgy of the Divine Office she forbad herself the use of those prayers of joy and hope which, on all the other days during the year, she began her praise of God in the light of the morning. All that was left was what was essential to the Divine Office: psalms, lessons and chants, all expressive of grief at the death of Jesus, the Lord. The tone of the whole Office was mournful: the Lessons were taken from the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the Glory be to the Father was omitted and the darkness of these services was designed to mark the Church’s desolation at the death of Jesus.

The name Tenebrae was given because it was celebrated in the hours of darkness, anticipating the early morning Offices on the evening before those great days. In the sanctuary, near the altar, stood a large triangular candlestick, the Tenebrae Hearse, holding fifteen unbleached wax candles. At the end of each psalm or canticle, one of these fifteen candles was extinguished, but the one candle at the top of the Hearse was left lighted. During the singing of the Canticle of Zachariah at the end of Lauds (Morning Prayer), the six candles on the altar (also of unbleached wax) were also put out. At the end of the Office, a loud noise was made signifying (the end of the service) or the earthquake at the moment of Christ’s death and the earthquake that marked His resurrection. All departed in silence. Today, a similar liturgical service takes place.

The meaning of these ceremonies is centuries old. The glory of the Son of God had been obscured, eclipsed, by the sufferings and ignominies He endured during His Passion. He, the Light of the World, powerful in word and work, Who but a few days ago had been proclaimed King by the people of Jerusalem, is now robbed of all His honors. He is, according to the prophet Isaiah, the “Man of sorrows”, (Isaiah 53:3) a “leper”; a “worm” of the earth, and “no man” (Psalm 22:7). He is, an object of shame even to his own disciples, for they are all scandalized by him (Mark 14:27) and abandon Him; even Peter, the Rock, protests that he never knew Him (Lk. 22:57). The desertion on the part of His apostles and disciples is expressed by the candles being extinguished, one after the other, not only on the Hearse, but also on the altar itself. But Jesus, our Light, though despised and betrayed, is not extinguished, not put out. This is signified by the single candle at the apex of the Hearse which continues to burn. It symbolizes our Redeemer suffering and dying on Calvary but also rising to new life on Easter morning. The loud noise expresses the convulsions of nature which occurred when Jesus died on the cross: the earth quaked, rocks were split, and the dead came forth from their tombs. On the morning of that first Easter, the earth shook again as the stone rolled back from the tomb, and the now risen Savior received the homage paid to the Conqueror of sin and death. (Excerpted from the revered Liturgical Year by Abbot Gueranger, the Catholic Encyclopedia and other sources.)

This year we will pray Tenebrae at St. Sebastian on Good Friday and Holy Saturday mornings.

From Tragedy to Triumph

This is a reflection on Holy Week from several years ago.


Holy Week is different than other weeks during the year, or it ought to be. This is our annual commemoration of the most significant events in Salvation History. During Holy Week we move from triumph (Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem) to tragedy (The Passion) and from tragedy (Jesus’ death) to triumph (His resurrection), with many moments in-between.

Holy Week is about movement in time and space. This most sacred week in the life of the Church is a gift given to us each year as we are permitted to experience once again the life-giving death and glorious resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Church invites us to go back in time to the center-point of all human history, the “Place of the Skull” and to see the Cross as a moment in time which changed eternity.

The Church also asks us to see the death and resurrection of Jesus re-presented under sacramental signs of bread and wine in the Sacrifice of the Mass. Each time we are present at Mass, we are present at Calvary. The Sacred Host and Precious Blood we receive are His Body and Blood, given and poured out for us upon the Cross.

Finally, on Easter, especially at the Vigil, we are plunged into the mystery of darkness and light, death giving way to new life, time being replaced by eternity. It is our common celebration of our individual baptisms which joins us together as one in Jesus Himself.

How will you make this week holy for yourself? What will you do to remind yourself of the great events this week celebrates? Plan to attend your parish celebrations during Holy Week; go to as many as you can. Make the sacrifice of time and you will experience eternity.

Take My Life

Take my life, and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move, at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use, every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Frances R. Havergal

The Garden and the Gardener

As Holy Week so swiftly approaches, may I share with you a reflection I wrote last year.

As Catholic Christians we all share a common identity as children of God, made so by the waters of Baptism. To be a child of God is to be a brother or sister of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is to be united as one in the power of the Holy Spirit and incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.


Each year as we come to the end of our Lenten journey from ashes to Easter, in Holy Week we take leave of the desert and in the Sacred Triduum enter into gardens. On Holy Thursday, the garden is Gethsemani and as Jesus prays, we fall asleep with the other disciples. How conscious and aware are they, are we, of all that is to transpire over these next three days.

On Good Friday, the garden is the place of the tomb where the body of the Lord, our brother Jesus, is laid to rest.

On Easter, we come to the garden and, with Mary Magdalene, encounter the Gardener – the Risen Lord Jesus!

The sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is destroyed by the new Gardener whose bapitsmal waters bring life and freshness to each of us.


This Easter, as we renew our Baptismal Promises, may we give thanks to the Divine Gardener from whose life we draw life itself.

The True Image

The Sixth Station - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise you
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.


She comes from the crowd and returns to it. She has courage, she has faith. In an instant her life is changed. She does what she has to, what her heart tells her. What does my heart tell me about this "Man of Sorrows"? How do I respond to His sufferings? What love do I feel as He imprints His Holy Face on my heart. Am I a true image of Him?

The Young Woman and the Angel

This is a detail from the Window of Prophecy in the Chapel of Our Lady of Woodside at St. Sebastian Church in Woodside, New York.

This is the mural of the Annunciation in St. Sebastian Church. It is in the sanctuary on the Ambo side. It's companion piece is the Visitation, on the other side of the baldachino.

Saddle Shoes and Wings

John Collier's contemporary depiction of the classic scene captured my heart and imagination when I first saw it. I cannot tell you how it helps me to pray this Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. What do you see when you look at the image? When you look at Mary's young face?

Hidden God

I found this and wanted to share it.

TO OUR EUCHARISTIC LORD

Hidden God, I cry to You!
Hidden Light, I turn to You!
Hidden Love, I run to You!
With all my strength, I worship You;
With all my love, I cling to You;
With all my soul, I long for You,
And fear no more to fall away from You.
Jesus, undying Love, who seeks me,
You Who died for love of me,
King in all Your splendor, come to me,
Depart no more, dear Lord, from me.
O God, most precious and most priceless One;
O God, most glorious Uncreated One;
O God, Eternal Beatific One;
O God, O Infinite and Hidden One;
O God, Immense, O God the Living One;
You, Wisdom of the Everlasting One;
With all my heart I give myself to You;
O patient Love, Who wearies not of me.
Call me to ever follow You;
O bear with me, till I lose myself in You,
O bear with me, till I am found in You!

"Why me," he asked?

The Fifth Station - Simon of Cyrene carries the cross for Jesus

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You

R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Simon was coming in from the country, probably for Passover. He had no idea what was happening. He was "pressed into service," forced to carry the cross for Jesus. We never hear of him again, although there is a tradition that he became a bishop. St. Mark tells us that he was the "father of Alexander and Rufus" two individuals who were probably known to his readers.

A day that at its start was like every other, became a life changing event for Simon and his sons. Could you imagine yourself in Simon's place? What must he have been thinking, feeling? How long did he carry it? Did he stay to the end?

We are all too ready to ask Jesus for help with our "crosses" quick to ask that our "cup of suffering" pass us by and yet Jesus invites His followers to take up the cross daily and follow in His footsteps.

Mother - The Fourth Station

The Fourth Station: Jesus meets his sorrowing Mother

V. We adore you O Christ and we praise you
R. Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Mary had said to the angel, "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." That's how it all started, with an angel and a "yes". Then there were angels at the birth.

Where are the angels now? And the shepherds? And the Wise Men? Where the gold, frankincense, and myrrh? Where is the wood of the manger, of his cradle? He had spent so much of his life in the carpenter shop, surrounded by wood. Later, he was often in boats made of wood. Why this huge cross of wood? what has my son done? Where are the "hosannas" of just a few days ago?

I stood by my son so often in life, so will I now as he goes to die.

The Little Flower - A Powerful Intercessor

Novena to St Teresa of the Child Jesus

O St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, who during your short life on earth became a mirror of angelic purity, of love strong as death, and of wholehearted abandonment to God, now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues, cast a glance of pity on me as I leave all things in your hands. Make my troubles your own, speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate, whose flower of special love you were to that Queen of Heaven "who smiled on you at the dawn of life." Beg her powerful intercession the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...(mention your intention)...and that she join with it a blessing that may strengthen me during life, defend me at the hour of death, and lead me straight on to a happy eternity. Amen.



O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love, the soul of your servant Teresa of the Child Jesus, grant that we also may love you and make you much loved. Amen.

Bells and Prayer

The bells at St. Sebastian are the recorded kind, but they still peal loudly. In addition to the bells that announce the Masses each day, and the musical selections that ring periodically through the day, on Ash Wednesday we instituted a ringing of bells at three o'clock, the Hour of Great Mercy. Church bells are a way of reminding us of things that we ought to do, like go to Mass or pray during the day, or recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3pm.

There is also a very ancient custom related to bells that some say goes back to the 11th century. Bells ring at 6 am, Noon, and 6pm and people stop and pray a very brief prayer called The Angelus. As a courtesy to the rest of the world, the first Angelus bell rings at 8am rather than 6am in most Catholic parishes, but in monasteries they usually stay with the earlier hour -- the monks and sisters have been long up anyway.

The bells ring three times, pause, ring three times again, pause, and ring three times again and pause, followed by nine single peals.

When I was a child on a trip to Rockaway, our favored and affordable vacation spot, at Noon you could hear the peal of the Angelus bells from the churches. As the first bell sounded people would stop what they were doing and stand, reciting the Angelus privately to themselves. Within an instant the whole beach crowd was on its feet, only to go back to what they had been doing after the last bell sounded. It made an impression on at least one young boy!

The point of a prayer like the Angelus is the sanctification of time. In much the same way as priests, deacons and religious women and men, and an increasing number of lay people recite The Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day, everyone could adopt the practice of privately reciting The Angelus every day.

The Angelus

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary:
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
R. Be it done unto me according to Your word.

Hail Mary . . .

V. And the Word was made Flesh:
R. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech You, O Lord, Your grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven)

(This prayer takes the place of the Angelus during the Easter Season.)

V. Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia.
R. For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia.
V. Has risen as He said, alleluia.
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray : O God, who by the Resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beg You, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Paul of the Cross and Stations

During the Holy Year of 1975 Pope Paul VI used these Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at the Coliseum in Rome. The Stations incorporated meditations from Saint Paul of the Cross since the Holy Year was also the the 200th anniversary of his death

The Stations of the Women

Ruth M. Fox, OSB produced a series of 15 Stations called "The Way of the Cross with the Women of the Gospel." Something else to enrich our prayer life during this Lenten season and again it asks that we use our imagination to depict the scene.












1. Jesus is anointed by the woman at Bethany to prepare him for his passion. (Mk. 14:1-9)



2. Jesus is condemned by Pilate and defended by Pilate's wife. (Mt. 27:19-24)



3. Jesus accepts the cross. (Lk. 9:23-25)



4. Jesus meets Mary, his mother. (Lk. 2:33-35)



5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross. (Mk. 15:20-21)



6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. (Mt. 25:37-40)



7. Jesus falls amid rejection. (Mt. 23:37-39)



8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem who lament his suffering. (Lk. 23:27-31)



9. Jesus is stripped of his clothes. (Mt. 27:33-36)



10. Jesus is nailed to the cross. (Lk. 23:33-34, 35-38)



11. Jesus dies on the cross, comforted by the faithful women. (Mk. 15:33-41)



12. The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross. (Jn. 19:33-38)



13. The body of Jesus is laid in the tomb. (Mt. 27:59-61)



14. The women find the tomb empty. (Mk. 16:1-8)



15. Jesus commissions the women to evangelize. (Mt. 28:8-10)

Joseph the Carpenter

St. Joseph is very dear to me. My Dad's name was Michael Joseph. Michael because he was born on the 29th of September, but the family never called him that; he was Joe to everyone in the family and Mike at work and to everyone else. It's an Irish thing! So on his feast day, some prayers.

Prayers to St. Joseph

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen

Memorares of Saint Joseph

I

Remember, O most chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any who implored your help and sought your intercession were left unassisted. Full of confidence in your power, I fly unto you, and beg your protection. despise not, O foster-father of the Redeemer, my humble supplication but in your bounty hear and answer me. Amen.

II

Remember, O most illustrious Patriarch St. Joseph, on the testimony of St. Teresa, thy devoted servant, that never has it been heard that anyone who invoked thy protection or sought thy assistance has not obtained relief. In this confidence I come to thee, my loving protector, chaste spouse of Mary, foster father of the Savior of men and dispenser of the treasures of His Most Sacred Heart. Despise not my prayer, but graciously hear and answer my petition. (mention your request)

Litany of St. Joseph

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us

Holy Mary, pray for us
St. Joseph, pray for us
Renowned offspring of David, pray for us
Light of Patriarchs, pray for us
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us
Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us
Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us
Diligent protector of Christ, pray for us
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us
Joseph most just, pray for us
Joseph most chaste, pray for us
Joseph most prudent, pray for us
Joseph most strong, pray for us
Joseph most obedient, pray for us
Joseph most faithful, pray for us
Mirror of patience, pray for us
Lover of poverty, pray for us
Model of artisans, pray for us
Glory of home life, pray for us
Guardian of virgins, pray for us
Pillar of families, pray for us
Solace of the wretched, pray for us
Hope of the sick, pray for us
Patron of the dying, pray for us
Terror of demons, pray for us
Protector of Holy Church, pray for us

Lamb of God, You who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, You who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.



V. He made him the lord of His household.
R. And prince over all His possessions.

Let us pray

O God, Who in Your ineffable providence did vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother; grant, we beseech You, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector. Who live and reign, world without end. Amen.

A Workingman's Prayer to St. Joseph

Glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my inclinations; to work with gratitude and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop, by means of labor, the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, without ever recoiling before weariness or difficulties; to work, above all, with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, having always death before my eyes and the account which I must render of time lost, of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all after your example, O Patriarch Joseph. Such shall be my watchword in life and in death. Amen.

A Daily Prayer to Saint Joseph

Supported by the patronage of the Spouse of Your Most Holy Mother, we beseech Your clemency, O Lord, to make our hearts despise all earthly things and to love You, the true God, with perfect charity. Who live and reign, world without end. Amen.

The Carpenters

John Collier is one of my favorite contemporary artists. Consider this wonderful painting of Joseph and the young Jesus. It can really help you, as it did and does me, to begin to get my head around the real people that they were. What elements do you see in the painting that draw your particular interest and contemplation?

Stations by JPII

 If you'd like to pray the Stations of the Cross that the late beloved Servant of God, Pope John Paul II prayed in Rome beginning in 1991, the USCCB has them on the web. They are wonderful as well!

The Art of St. Sebastian Church

Visit http://www.mychurchart.com/ to see some extraordinary versions of the art at St. Sebastian.

The Third Station - He Falls

It is related in the annals of Clairvaux that St. Bernard asked Our Lord which was His greatest unrecorded suffering, and He answered: "I had on My Shoulder while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grevious Wound which was more painful than the others, and which is not recorded by men. Honor this Wound with thy devotion, and I will grant thee whatsoever thou does ask through its virtue and merit. And in regard to all those who shall venerate this wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins, and will no longer remember their mortal sins"

Upon his death, it became known that St. Pio of Pietrelcina -- Padre Pio -- had a shoulder wound as well!

Prayer to the Shoulder Wound of Christ

Most loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross which so toreThy flesh and laid bareThy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee, and give The thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. Amen. (Imprimatur: +Thomas D. Beven, Bishop of Springfield.)

Another use of the imagination to help us in prayer.

Do you remember falling when you were a child? Have you fallen as an adult? Falling is one of the great fears of the elderly. What's the opposite of falling?