Adult Faith Formation, January 23rd -- Canterbury Tales, Session 9 -- Chaucer's Tales of Sir Thopas and Melibee, and Why Canterbury Tales is the first novel

 We discuss Chaucer's own two tales, and the irony and humor in that he is the only pilgrim unable to tell a good story.  There is something more here than a playful mockery of overly romantic and sentimental styles which were popular in Chaucer's day -- GK Chesterton points out that Chaucer is the creator of this whole world of Canterbury Tales; and, when the creator came unto his own creation, his own did not receive him.

We then also consider why the Canterbury Tales is the first novel - and why earlier works (like the Iliad or the Aeneid) are not novels.

(below, find a number of great quotes from GK Chesterton's book on Chaucer, which is available online at the Gutenberg Project)

Sunday Sermon, January 21st -- St Agnes, and the female saints of the Roman Canon

 Today is the feast of St Agnes, virgin and martyr of the early Roman Church. Together with Sts Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Cecilia, and Anastasia, St Agnes is one of the seven female saints of the Roman Canon (in addition to the Blessed Virgin Mary). Each of these women were martyrs of the early Church.

We consider the importance of the thirty one saints listed in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I), and especially the heroic witness of these seven female martyrs. After a brief overview of the lives of each of these women, we then focus on the inspiring martyrdom of St Agnes.

Listen online [here]!

Adult Faith Formation, January 16th -- Canterbury Tales, Session 8 -- The Prioress' Tale

 We briefly review the Shipman's Tale, and then consider at length the Prioress' Tale. While modern commentary on this tale focuses on the anti-Semitic tones present, this certainly would not have been the primary impression of those who first read the Canterbury Tales.  Therefore, we consider the Prioress' Tale, first on it's own terms, and only later do we consider modern criticism and commentary. 

Furthermore, we note the genius of Chaucer who is able to write in such different styles and from such diverse perspectives. It is striking to note how different the Shipman's Tale is from some of the other more raunchy tales (even thought the Shipman's Tale is equally immoral), and then see Chaucer turn from these themes to such pious reflections on child martyrs and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

It is a work of true literary brilliance that Chaucer is able to adopt these varied styles and themes, and keep them together in one masterpiece.

Sunday Sermon, January 14th -- Meditation on the call of the first disciples

Notice that St John's Gospel speaks of the call of Andrew, John, and Peter (as well as Philip and Nathaniel/Bartholomew) as happening when John the Baptist is preaching near the river Jordan - but Sts Matthew, Mark and Luke all speak of the call of Peter and Andrew as well as James and John occurring at the sea of Galilee when they were fishing. We point out that St John the Evangelist tells us a great bit about the first year and half of Jesus' public ministry which is not told in the other three gospels.

Further, meditating upon this first call of these first disciples will serve to remind us of the ways in which the Lord has called us to holiness throughout our lives.

Listen online [here]!

Holy Days of Obligation and Days of Penance, 2024

 Each year, the Church proclaims the movable feasts on Epiphany! Following this tradition, we present the overview of Holy Days and Days of Penance for 2024

HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION – 2024

Thursday, August 15^th – The Assumption of Mary

Friday, November 1^st – All Saints’ Day

Wednesday, December 25^th – Christmas

Wednesday, January 1^st, 2025 – Mary, Mother of God

 

Epiphany (Saturday, January 6^th), Ascension of the Lord (Thursday, May 9^th), and Corpus Christi (Thursday, May 30^th) are all transferred to Sundays. St Joseph, Husband of Mary (March 19^th) and Sts Peter and Paul

(June 29^th) are not obligation days in the USA.

Mary, Mother of God (Monday, January 1^st) is not an obligation day in 2024 because it falls on a Monday. The Immaculate Conception is transferred to Monday, December 9^th (because December 8^th is 2^nd Sunday of Advent) and is not an obligation day in 2024.

In 2025, Epiphany is transferred from Monday, January 6^th to Sunday, January 5^th.

 

DAYS OF PENANCE and EMBER DAYS – 2024

Every Friday throughout the year (abstinence or some penance)

Monday, January 22^nd – Anniversary of Roe v Wade (recommended fasting and abstinence)

Every Day of Lent – February 14^th to May 30^th (some penance, Sundays and Solemnities are less penitential)

Wednesday, February 14^th – Ash Wednesday (fasting and abstinence, even though it is Valentine’s Day)

Fridays, February 16^th, 23^rd, March 1^st, 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th – Fridays of Lent (abstinence)

Friday, March 29^th – Good Friday (fasting and abstinence)

Saturday, March 30^th  – Holy Saturday (recommended fasting and abstinence)

 

EMBER DAYS and ROGATION DAYS (recommended fasting and abstinence)

February 21^st, 23^rd, 24^th – Ember Days of Lent

Thursday, April 25^th – Major Rogation Day

May 6^th, 7^th, 8^th – Minor Rogation Days; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the Ascension

May 22^nd, 24^th, 25^th – Ember Days of Pentecost (penance is commonly moved to the following week, on             account of the Octave celebration of Pentecost)

September 18^th, 20^th, 21^st – Ember Days of September

December 18^th, 20^th, 22^nd – Ember Days of Advent (Saturday, December 22^nd is the feast of St Thomas)

 

Penance is not required on the following Friday Solemnities: April 5^th (Friday in the Octave of Easter), June 7^th (Sacred Heart), November 1^st (All Saints). [Friday of the Octave of Christmas is not a solemnity, therefore penance is obliged.]

* Abstinence means abstaining from meat, and binds from 14 years until death. Abstaining from eggs and dairy    as well as from meat is a laudable tradition.

** Fasting means one regular meal and two small snacks, and binds from 18 until 60.

 

MOVABALE FEASTS – 2024

Septuagesima, Jan 28^th; Ash Wednesday, Feb 14^th; Palm Sunday, March 24^th; Easter Triduum, March 28^th-30^th; Easter Sunday, March 31^st; Ascension Thursday, May 9^th; Pentecost, May 19^th; Corpus Christi Thursday,

May 30^th; Sacred Heart, June 7^th

First Sunday of Advent, December 1^st  

 

*2024 is a leap year, with February 29^th being Thursday in the 2^nd week of Lent.

 

Adult Faith Formation, January 9 -- Canterbury Tales, Session 7 -- The Pardoner's Tale

 We discuss the Physician's Tale and how it leads into the Pardoner's Tale - highlighting the way that the characters relate to each other and how the different stories are given in response to one another. This is the beginning of the literary style of the novel.

The Pardoner's Tale is interesting because he is a very wicked and greedy man, but preaches against the very vices he practices. Although he only preaches so as to get people's money, his preaching is quite convincing and does convert people.  We ponder the question: Can a bad man tell a good story?

Adult Faith Formation, January 9 -- Canterbury Tales -- Handout with Short Summaries of All of the Tales

 Below, find a handout with a short overview of each of the Tales as well the simple character traits of each of the pilgrims who tell tales.

Sunday Sermon, January 7th -- The Liturgical Significance of Epiphany

 The feast of Epiphany was, in the early Church, a bigger feast even than Christmas! We consider the great significance of this feast and how important it is that Catholics again restore the Christmas Culture by celebrating Epiphany.

We also consider a reflection from Pope Francis on the three Magi: They looked up to the Star in prayer, they journeyed across the earth without attachments, and they knelt in adoration of the Christ Child.

Listen online [here]!

Sunday Sermon, December 31st -- The Timeline of Jesus' Infancy

 In order to assist our meditations during the Christmas season, and so that we can live day by day with the Holy Family in these days up until the flight to Egypt, we discuss in this sermon the historical timeline and chronology of the conception, birth, and infancy of Jesus. 

This Child will be the cause of the rise and fall of many -- the rise of the humble and the fall of the proud.  Spend this Christmas meditating on the love revealed in the early months and years of Jesus' life!

Listen online [here]!

Christmas Sermon, December 25th -- St Francis and the First Nativity Scene

 This year marks the 800th Anniversary of the first Nativity scene. The devotional practice of the Nativity scene was first invented by St Francis of Assisi in the year 1223 at Greccio in Italy as a means of bringing the graces of the Holy Land to the people of Europe and the whole world.

We discuss the history of the first Nativity scene as well as some points of the theological significance of this devotional practice.

Listen online [here]!

Sunday Sermon, December 24th -- The Virginity of Mary, Vowed to God

 We discuss the biblical evidence for the fact of the perpetual virginity of the Mother of God, especially discussing how the question of our Lady - "How can this be, since I do not know man?" - shows that she must have made a vow of virginity to consecrate herself to the Lord.

listen online [here]!

Sunday Sermon, December 17 -- The O Antiphons, Advent Expectation

 In this sermon, we discuss the O Antiphons in which the Church cries out begging for the Messiah to come.  These antiphons are part of the Divine Office from December 17 to 23, and are some of the most famous and significant chants of the Church's Liturgy.

Listen online [here]!