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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani Abbey
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250204
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250205
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250202T012925Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250202T012925Z
UID:13091-1738627200-1738713599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:ON PREACHING CHRIST \nBy St Albert the Great \n◊◊◊ \nJust as the body is borne about on legs\, so Christ is borne about by \npreachers. Professional preachers have the gospel in their heart through love and \nunderstanding\, in their lips through their preaching and doctrine\, and in their \nhand through the accomplishment of their work. \nGregory says: “The preacher’s tongue works to no avail unless there is the \ngrace of redemption at work within.” Hence\, the office of preaching must not be \nentrusted to those who lead a shady life and perform works of darkness. The \npreacher must put off the old association with sin. The word of the Lord must \nproceed maturely and orderly\, as befits the word of God and as it proceeds from \nthe mouth of God. \nThus preaching requires instruction\, and study\, and meditation. Just as \nthe eagle has a more sublime flight\, so must the preacher soar by means of \ncontemplation. For a sermon which proceeds from a preacher’s innermost being \nwarms and gladdens the heart like wine and is often brought back to the mind \nand pondered. \nThe things to be preached are those above nature which our intelligence \ncan only understand through faith. Especially to be preached are those things \nthat must be believed\, which works are to be avoided and which to be \naccomplished. Preaching should summon sinners to repentance\, strengthen the \nweak\, warn of the punishment for sinners\, and promise glory. Preachers must \noffer not their own teaching of truth but the teaching of the one who sent them. \nThey must lead an exemplary life as well. \nPreachers who are sent\, going out from their comfort into the field to sow \nthe word of God\, will find the Church of believers to be united with themselves in \na spiritual marriage. Just as the sight of open fields will impel a horse to run\, \nwhich is one of its skills\, so the sight of a place filled with people eager to listen \nwill inspire a preacher to preach. Preachers will thus proceed to insure their own \nspiritual growth\, that by contemplating they might imbibe the truth which by \npreaching they give forth; they are converted from an external work\, which they \ndirected toward their neighbor\, to familiar conversation with God in the secret of \ntheir own conscience. \nThe scribe is the Holy Spirit\, and the preacher’s tongue is the pen by which \nthe Holy Spirit speaks. And just as we do not praise the pen for fine writing but \nrather the writer\, so the preacher should not be praised for good preaching but \nthe Holy Spirit. \nThe word of God is to be preached to everyone without respect to persons. \nIt must be taught in a human way and inserted into the human heart by the finger \nof God. It should be taught to the unlearned by the examples of corporal things \nthrough the bodily examples with which they are acquainted and by which they \ncan in some way understand heavenly things.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-262/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250205
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250206
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250202T013023Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250202T013023Z
UID:13093-1738713600-1738799999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St Agatha
DESCRIPTION:ST AGATHA \nFrom Butler’s Lives of the Saints \n◊◊◊ \nSt Agatha has retained her place in the Universal Calendar following the \nreforms of 1969\, even though nothing that can be called historical fact is known \nof her life. There is\, however\, good evidence of an early cult\, with many versions \nof her legend recorded in both Greek and Latin\, the Greek being the earlier\, with \nthe Latin dating from the sixth century. This means that however fictitious the \ndetails of her Acts\, she cannot be dismissed as a mere fiction altogether. Her \nActs\, though\, are more of an indication of the type of woman held up for \nveneration as a saint in the early centuries than anything else. \nShe is described as a wealthy woman who had dedicated her virginity to \nChrist. This\, then\, rather than her life\, is the most precious thing she has to \noffer. Her birthplace is assigned to either Palermo or Catania in Sicily\, and she is \nsaid to have died at Catania\, which has the stronger historical claim to be her \nbirthplace. Among those who try to take the precious gift she has vowed to \nChrist from her is a consul named Quintianus. He used the imperial edict \nagainst Christians to have her brought before him\, then placed in a brothel run \nby a woman with the appropriate name of “Aphrodisia” and her assistants\, \nreferred to as her daughters. All tricks\, assaults and threats to make her yield \nher virginity fail\, and so she stands as an example of “virginity as a sacred power\, \na concrete realization within this world of the divine spirit”. \nQuintianus then handed her over to be tortured\, and her Acts dwell on the \ntortures inflicted on her\, culminating in the cutting off of her breasts\, which \nwere placed on a platter. Perhaps because further details of her tortures involve \nher being rolled over live coals\, she is invoked against fire in general. This may\, \nthough\, be an extension of her protection against eruptions from Mount Etna\,9 \nbecause she is associated with Sicily\, and her legend states that after her death a \nflow of lava from Mount Etna was miraculously diverted by her silken veil held \nup on a staff. This is last recorded as happening in the 1840s\, and her veil is still \ncarried in solemn procession on her feast day in Catania. By extension she \nprotects against earthquakes everywhere. She is also patron saint of bell- \nfounders. The association is ancient and certain\, but the reason has not been \ndetermined. It may be that it derives from her protection against volcanic \neruptions and fire\, as bells were rung to warn of both. Another explanation \ngiven is that the molten metal involved in casting bells suggests the flow of \nmolten lava. Her breasts also brought a more appropriate patronage\, as she is \ninvoked against diseases of the breast. Her breasts on a dish were often \nmistaken for loaves in the Middle ages\, from which arose the custom of blessing \nbread on a dish at her altar on her feast day. \nPope Damasus I composed a hymn in her honor. Two churches were \ndedicated to her in the sixth century. Pope St Gregory the Great had rich shrines \nmade for some of her relics in Rome\, then moved them to the monastery of San \nStefano on the island of Capri. Other relics remained in Catania until 1840\, \nwhen they were moved to Constantinople. \nWhatever the facts behind her legend\, Agatha remains one of the best- \nloved and most invoked saints in the Christian devotional life.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-agatha-2/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250206
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250207
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250202T013235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250202T013235Z
UID:13095-1738800000-1738886399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St Paul Miki & Comp
DESCRIPTION:THE MARTYRDOM OF ST PAUL MIKI \nAND HIS COMPANIONS \nBy a contemporary writer \n◊◊◊ \nThe crosses were set in place. Fr Pasio and Fr Rodriguez took turns \nencouraging the victims. Their steadfast behavior was wonderful to see. The \nFather Bursar stood motionless\, his eyes turned heavenward. Brother Martin \ngave thanks to God’s goodness by singing psalms. Again and again he repeated: \n“Into your hands\, Lord\, I entrust my life.” Brother Francis Branco also thanked \nGod in a loud voice. Brother Gonsalvo in a very loud voice kept saying the Our \nFather and Hail Mary. \nOur brother\, Paul Miki\, saw himself now standing in the noblest pulpit he \nhad ever filled. To his “congregation” he began by proclaiming himself a \nJapanese and a Jesuit. He was dying for the Gospel he preached. He gave thanks \nto God for this wonderful blessing and he ended his “sermon” with these words: \n“As I come to this supreme moment of my life\, I am sure none of you would \nsuppose I want to deceive you. And so I tell you plainly: there is no way to be \nsaved except the Christian way. My religion teaches me to pardon my enemies \nand all who have offended me. I do gladly pardon the Emperor and all who have \nsought my death. I beg them to seek baptism and be Christians themselves.” \nThen he looked at his comrades and began to encourage them in their \nfinal struggle. Joy glowed in all their faces\, and in Louis’ most of all. When a \nChristian in the crowd cried out to him that he would soon be in heaven\, his \nhands\, his whole body strained upward with such joy that every eye was fixed on \nhim. \nAnthony\, hanging at Louis’ side\, looked toward heaven and called upon \nthe holy names – “Jesus\, Mary!” He began to sing a psalm: “praise the Lord\, you \nchildren!”… Others kept repeating “Jesus\, Mary!” Their faces were serene. Some \nof them even took to urging the people standing by to live worthy Christian lives. \nIn these and other ways they showed their readiness to die. \nThen\, according to Japanese custom\, the four executioners began to \nunsheathe their spears. At this dreadful sight\, all the Christians cried out\, \n“Jesus\, Mary!” And the storm of anguished weeping then rose to batter the very \nskies. The executioners killed them one by one. One thrust of the spear\, then a \nsecond blow. It was over in a very short time.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-paul-miki-comp/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250207
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250208
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250202T013340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250202T013340Z
UID:13097-1738886400-1738972799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE WATERS OF REGENERATION \nFrom a sermon by St Ambrose \n◊◊◊ \nWhat is regeneration? You can read in the Acts of the Apostles a verse \nwhich is cited from the second psalm: “You are my son\, I have begotten you \ntoday”. The words seem to refer to the resurrection. Indeed\, the holy apostle \nPeter interprets them in this way in the Acts of the Apostles: when the Son rose \nfrom the dead the Father’s voice was heard proclaiming: “You are my son\, I have \nbegotten you today.” That is why he is also called “the first-born from the dead. \nFor what is resurrection except that we rise from death to life? So it is in baptism\, \nwhich is an image of death: when you are immersed and rise up again\, there\, \ncertainly\, is an image of the resurrection. And as Christ’s resurrection\, according \nto the right interpretation of the apostle Peter\, is a regeneration\, so also this \nresurrection here is a regeneration. \nBut what conclusions do you draw from the fact that it is in water that you \nare immersed. Are you a little lost here? Does some doubt creep in. We read: \n“Let the earth produce for herself fruits which germinate.” You have read the \nsame about the waters: “Let the waters produce living things; and living things \nwere born”. These were born in the beginning\, at the creation; but this gift was \nkept for you: that the waters should regenerate you in grace\, even as those other \nwaters generated into life. Imitate the fish; it received a lesser grace than you\, but \nyou should still consider it a marvel. It is in the sea and the waves. It is in the sea \nand swims on the waves. On the sea the tempest rages\, violent winds blow; but \nthe fish swims on. It does not drown because it is used to swimming. In the same \nway this world is the sea for you. It has various currents\, huge waves\, fierce \nstorms. You too\, must be a fish\, so that the waves of this world do not drown you. \nThose are lovely words of the Father: “I have begotten you today.” It means \n“when you have redeemed the world\, when you have summoned hearts to the \nkingdom of heaven\, when you have fulfilled my will\, you have proved that you are \nmy son.”
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-263/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250208
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250209
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250202T013530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250202T013530Z
UID:13099-1738972800-1739059199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Memorial of BVM
DESCRIPTION:MARY\, THE MOTHER OF JESUS \nBy St Thérèse of Lisieux \n◊◊◊ \nIn speaking of our Lady\, we ought not to make improbable assertions \nabout matters that are beyond our knowledge\, for example\, that when she \nwas a small child she went up to the Temple to offer herself to God with \nextraordinary fervor and a heart on fire with love. For all we know\, she went \nsimply in obedience to her parents. \nIf a sermon on the Blessed Virgin is to bear fruit\, it must describe her \nreal life\, such as the Gospel gives us a glimpse of\, and not her fancied life. \nAnd we perceive clearly that her real life at Nazareth and later on must have \nbeen quite ordinary…”He was subject to them”. How simple it all is! \nSometimes the Blessed Virgin is represented as being quite \nunapproachable. Instead\, we ought to show that she was imitable in her \npractice of hidden virtues; we ought to point out that she lived a life of faith\, \njust as we do. \nWe know well that the Blessed Virgin is queen of heaven and earth; but \nshe is more of a mother than a queen\, and we ought not to give out the idea\, \nas I have heard it done more than once\, that because of her prerogatives she \neclipses the glory of all the saints\, just as the sun\, rising in brilliance\, makes \nthe stars disappear. My God\, what a strange thing to say! A mother who \nmakes the glory of her children disappear! For my part\, I believe just the \nopposite; I think that she will greatly increase the splendor of the elect. \nWe do well to speak of her prerogatives. But we should not stop there. \nWe should make her loved. If\, when we hear a sermon on the Blessed Virgin\, \nthe preacher tries to do nothing from beginning to end but call forth our \nadmiration\, we become bored\, and that does not lead to love and imitation. \nWho knows but what some souls will not experience a certain sense of \nestrangement from a creature so lofty?
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-memorial-of-bvm-13/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250209
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250210
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250208T223419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T223419Z
UID:13105-1739059200-1739145599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:skema: 5th Week in Ordinary Time
DESCRIPTION:Biblical Readings for Office and Mass\n5th Week in Ordinary Time\n\n\nMass Readings: Sunday (C)\, Weekdays (I)\nFebruary 9 – 15\, 2025\n\n\n\nSun\n9\nMon\n10\nTue\n11\nWed\n12\nThu\n13\nFri\n14\nSat\n15\n\n\nOffice\n5th Sunday\nSt Scholastica\nSt Benedict Aniane\nBl Humbeline\nWeekday\nSS Cyril & Methodius\nMemorial of the BVM\n\n\nVigils\n1 Kings 11:41-12:16\n1 Kings 12:17-31\n1 Kings 12:32-13:10\n1 Kings 13:11-34\n1 Kings 14:1-20\n1 Kings 14:21-31\n1 Kings 15:1-15\n\n\nLauds\nAmos 5:7\, 10-15\nAmos 5:16-20\nAmos 5:21-27\nAmos 6:1-7\nAmos 6:8-14\nAmos 7:1-6\nAmos 7:7-9\n\n\nMass\n75\n329\n330\n331\n332\n333\n334\n\n\n1st\nIsa 6:1-2a\, 3-8\nGen 1:1-19\nGen 1:20-2:4a\nGen 2:4b-9\, 15-17\nGen 2:18-25\nGen 3:1-8\nGen 3:9-24\n\n\n2nd\n1 Cor 15:1-11\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGospel\nLuke 5:1-11\nMark 6:53-56\nMark 7:1-13\nMark 7:14-23\nMark 7:24-30\nMark 7:31-37\nMark 8:1-10\n\n\nVespers\n1 Cor 10:23-11:1\n1 Cor 11:17-22\n1 Cor 11:23-27\n1 Cor 11:28-34\n1 Cor 12:1-11\n1 Cor 12:12-18\n1 Cor 12:19-26
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/skema-5th-week-in-ordinary-time/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250209
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250210
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250208T224112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T224112Z
UID:13107-1739059200-1739145599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
DESCRIPTION:PROPHECY AND CONFIRMATION\nFrom a commentary by St Augustine of Hippo 1\n◊◊◊\nWhile he was on the mountain with Christ the Lord in company with the\ntwo other disciples James and John\, the blessed apostle Peter heard a voice\nfrom heaven saying: This is my beloved Son\, in whom I am well pleased. Listen\nto him. The apostle remembered this and made it known in his letter. We heard\na voice coming from heaven\, when we were with him on the holy mountain;\nand he added: so we have confirmation of what was prophesied. A voice came\nfrom heaven\, and prophecy was confirmed. \nHow great was Christ’s courtesy! This Peter who spoke these words was\nonce a fisherman\, and in our day a public speaker deserves high praise if he is\nable to converse with a fisherman! Addressing the first Christians the apostle\nPaul says: Brothers and sisters\, remember what you were when you were\ncalled. Not many of you were wise according to human standards; not many\nof you were influential or of noble birth. But God chose what the world regards\nas weak in order to disconcert the strong; God chose what the world regards\nas foolish in order to abash the wise; God chose what the world regards as\ncommon and contemptible\, of no account whatever\, in order to overthrow the\nexisting order. \nIf Christ has first chosen a man skilled in public speaking\, such a man\nmight well have said: “I have been chosen on account of my eloquence.” If he\nhad chosen a senator\, the senator might have said: “I have been chosen because\nof my rank.” If his first choice had been an emperor\, the emperor surely might\nhave said: “I have been chosen for the sake of the power I have at my disposal.”\nLet these worthies keep quiet and defer to others; let them hold their peace for a\nwhile. I am not saying that they should be passed over or despised; I am simply\nasking all those who can find any grounds for pride in what they are to give way\nto others just a little. \nChrist says: Give me this fisherman\, this man without education or\nexperience\, this man to whom no senator would deign to speak\, not even if he\nwere buying fish. Yes\, give me him; once I have taken possession of him it will be\nobvious that it is I who am at work in him. Although I mean to include senators\,\norators and emperors among my recruits\, even when I have won over the\nsenator I shall still be surer of the fisherman. The senator can always take pride\nin what he is; so can the orator and the emperor\, but the fisherman can glory in\nnothing except Christ alone. Any of these other men may come and take lessons\nfrom me in the importance of humility for salvation\, but let the fisherman come\nfirst. He is the best person to win over an emperor. \nRemember this fisherman\, then. This holy\, just\, good\, Christ-filled\nfisherman. In his nets cast throughout the world he has the task of catching this\nnation as well as others. So remember that claim of his: We have confirmation\nof what was prophesied. \n1\nJourney with the Fathers – Year C – New City Press – 1994 – pg 78.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/5th-sunday-in-ordinary-time/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250210
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250211
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250208T224919Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T224919Z
UID:13110-1739145600-1739231999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:ST. Scholastica
DESCRIPTION:THE LIFE OF ST SCHOLASTICA\nFrom Butler’s Lives of the Saints 2\n◊◊◊\nSt Scholastica\, who was St Benedict’s sister\, traditionally his twin\,\nconsecrated herself to God from her earliest years\, as we learn from St Gregory.\nIt is not known where she lived\, whether at home or in a community\, but after\nher brother had moved to Monte Cassino\, she settled at Plombariola in that\nsame neighborhood\, probably founding and ruling a nunnery about five miles to\nthe south of St Benedict’s monastery. St Gregory tells us that St. Benedict\ngoverned the nuns as well as the monks\, and it seems clear that St Scholastica\nmust have been their Abbess\, under his direction. She used to visit her brother\nonce a year and\, since she was not allowed to enter his monastery\, he used to go\nwith some monks to meet her at a house a little way off. They spent these visits\nin praising God and in conferring together on spiritual matters. \nSt Gregory gives a remarkable description of the last of these visits. After\nthey had passed the day as usual they sat down in the evening to have supper.\nWhen it was finished\, Scholastica\, possibly foreseeing that it would be their last\nvisit in this world\, begged her brother to delay his return till the next day that\nthey might spend the time discoursing of the joys of Heaven. Benedict\, who was\nunwilling to transgress his rule\, told her that he could not pass a night away\nfrom the monastery. When Scholastica found that she could not move him\, she\nlaid her head upon her hands which were clasped together on the table and\nbesought God to interpose on her behalf. Her prayer was scarcely ended when\nthere arose such a violent storm of rain that St Benedict and his companions\nwere unable to set foot outside the door. He exclaimed\, “God forgive you sister;\nwhat have you done?” Whereupon she answered\, “I asked a favor of you and you\nrefused it. I asked it of God\, and He has granted it.” Benedict was therefore\nforced to comply with her request\, and they spent the night talking about holy\nthings. The next morning they parted\, and three days later St Benedict saw the\nsoul of his sister rising to heaven like a dove. \n2\nButler’s Lives of the Saints\, pg 42\, edited by Michael Walsh – revised version\, Harper Collins\, San Francisco\,\n1991.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/st-scholastica/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250211
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250212
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250208T225434Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T225434Z
UID:13112-1739232000-1739318399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:St. Benedict Aniane
DESCRIPTION:ST BENEDICT OF ANIANE\nFrom Butler’s Lives of the Saints 3\n◊◊◊\nBenedict was the son of Aigulf of Maguelone and served King Pepin and\nhis son\, Charlemagne\, as cupbearer. At the age of twenty he made a resolution\nto seek the kingdom of God with his whole heart. He took part in the campaign\nin Lombardy\, but\, after having been nearly drowned in the river Tesino\, near\nPavia\, in endeavoring to save his brother\, he made a vow to quit the world\nentirely. Upon his return to Languedoc he was confirmed in this determination\nby the advice of a hermit called Widmar\, and he went to the abbey of SaintSeine\, \nfifteen miles from Dijon\, where he was admitted as a monk. He spent two \nand a half years here learning the monastic life and bringing himself under\ncontrol by severe austerities. Not satisfied with observing the rule of St\nBenedict\, he practiced those other points of perfection which he found\nprescribed in the Rules of St Pachomius and St Basil. When the abbot died\, the\nbrethren were disposed to elect him to fill the post\, but he was unwilling to\naccept the charge because he knew that the monks were opposed to anything in\nthe shape of systematic reform. \nBenedict accordingly quitted Saint-Seine and\, returning to Languedoc\,\nbuilt a small hermitage beside the brook Aniane upon his own estate. Here he\nlived for some years in self-imposed destitution\, praying continually that God\nwould teach him to do His will. Some solitaries\, of whom the holy man Widmar\nwas one\, placed themselves under his direction\, and they earned their livelihood\nby manual labor\, living on bread and water except on Sundays and great\nfestivals when they added a little wine or milk if it was given them in alms. The\nsuperior worked with them in the fields and sometimes spent his time in\ncopying books. When the number of his disciples increased\, Benedict left to\nbuild a monastery in a more spacious place. In a short time he had many\nreligious under his direction\, and at the same time exercised a general\ninspection over all the monasteries of Provence\, Languedoc and Gascony\,\nbecoming eventually the director and overseer of all the monasteries in the\nempire; he reformed many with little or no opposition. \nIn order to have him close at hand\, the Emperor Louis the Pious obliged\nBenedict to dwell first at the abbey of Maurmünster in Alsace and then\, as he\nwanted him yet nearer\, he built a monastery upon the Inde\, later known as\nCornelimünster\, near Aachen\, the residence of the emperor and court. Benedict\nlived in the monaster yet continued to help in the restoration of monastic\nobservance throughout France and Germany. He was the chief instrument in\ndrawing up the canons for the reformation of monks at the council of Aachen in\n817\, and presided in the same year over the assembly of abbots to enforce the\nrestoration of discipline… Benedict also wrote the Codex Regularum (Codex of\nRules)\, a collection of all the monastic regulations which he found extant; he\nlikewise compiled a book of homilies for the use of monks\, collected from the\nworks of the fathers; but his most important work was the Concordia\nRegularum\, the Concord of Rules\, in which he gives those of St Benedict of\nNursia in combination with those of other patriarchs of monastic observance to\nshow their similarity. \nThis great restorer of monasticism in the West\, worn out by\nmortifications and fatigues\, suffered much from continual sickness in the latter\npart of his days. He died at Inde with great tranquility in 821\, being then\nseventy one years of age. \n3\nLives of the Saints. Butler\, Harper San Francisco\, 1991\, pp. 43-44.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/st-benedict-aniane/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250212
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250213
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250208T230024Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T230024Z
UID:13114-1739318400-1739404799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Bl Humbeline
DESCRIPTION:BLESSED HUMBELINE\nFrom the Life of St Bernard 4\n◊◊◊\nFrom earliest childhood Humbeline and Bernard had been drawn together\nby a special bond of affection and sympathy… After her marriage\, forgetful of her\nmother’s example and exhortations\, she began to follow the fashions of the world.\nIn 1117 she came to Clairvaux surrounded with all the splendor of dress and\nattendants that unlimited wealth could bestow\, thinking\, so it seems\, that she was\ndoing her brother honor. Her brother Andrew\, the porter\, in announcing her\narrival\, did not omit to describe to his Abbot the pomp and ceremony that attended\nher. It grieved Bernard to hear that his beloved sister had become a worshiper at\nthe shrine of vanity. He refused to see her himself\, nor would he allow any of his\nbrothers to see her\, but told Andrew to tell her…that with these worldly ornaments\nshe was making herself the devil’s instrument for the ruin of immortal souls.\nAndrew delivered the message\, adding on his own: “Why so much solicitude to\nembellish a body destined for worms and rottenness\, while the soul that now\nanimates it is burning in everlasting flames?” \nHumbeline burst into tears\, crying out: “I deserve it all because I am a\nsinner. Yet it is for such as I that Christ suffered on the Cross. Indeed it is because of\nmy sinfulness that I seek counsel and encouragement from the saints. If my brother\nBernard\, who is the servant of God\, despises my body\, let him at least have pity on\nmy soul. Let him come; let him command; and whatever he thinks proper to enjoin\nI am prepared to carry out.” There was no resisting such an appeal. Bernard and\nhis brothers hastened to meet her and to confirm her in these good dispositions. It\nwas the holy Abbot’s desire that she should enter religion; but as this was unlawful\nwithout her husband’s consent\, he recommended her to live as much as possible\nlike a recluse in the world\, shunning ostentation and all kinds of vanity\, and \ndevoting herself\, after her mother’s example\, to the service of God and the poor.\nShe promised to do so. \nFive years later\, in 1122\, having obtained after much resistance her\nhusband’s consent\, she left the world altogether and entered the convent of Jully\nwhere Elizabeth\, her sister-in-law\, was superioress. When the latter went forth\nabout 1130 to found a new convent in the neighborhood of Dijon\, Humbeline was\nappointed to succeed her. Under her direction the house flourished greatly; the\nnoblest ladies of the land sought admission in such numbers that she was forced to\nmake about a dozen new foundations. She rivaled Bernard himself in her love of\nthe Cross. Of food and sleep she allowed herself much less than the minimum\nwhich nature demands; her clothes were the meanest she could find\, and it was her\nhappiness to be employed in the humblest occupations. When her nuns begged her\nto be more careful of her health\, which seemed in danger of breaking down under\nsuch austere practices\, she replied: “For you\, my dear sisters\, whose lives have been\nconsecrated to the service of God\, this is an excellent counsel. But for me\, who have\nlived so long amidst worldly vanities\, no kind of penance can be excessive.”… \nHer last hours were consoled by the presence of three of her brothers\,\nBernard\, Andrew and Nivard… When about to breathe her last she looked with a\nradiant smile at Bernard and said: “Oh\, how happy I am to have followed your\ncounsel and consecrated myself to God! And what a beautiful reward I expect to\nreceive for the love I have entertained for you in this life! It is to that love that I owe\nthe joy and glory awaiting me in the homeland.” Then turning to the others she\ncried out: “I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of\nthe Lord.” With these words\, she gave up her spirit. \n4\nLife and Teaching of St Bernard by Ailbe J. Luddy\, O. Cist.\, pg. 68-69\, M.H. Gill & Son\, Dublin\, 1937.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/bl-humbeline/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250213
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250214
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250208T230244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T230244Z
UID:13116-1739404800-1739491199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Weekday
DESCRIPTION:THE MEANING OF SUFFERING IN THE\nLIGHT OF THE MIRACLES AT\nLOURDES\nBy Pope St John Paul II 5\n◊◊◊\nThe reality of faith\, of hope and of charity\, the reality of suffering\nsanctified and sanctifying. The reality of the presence of the Mother of God in\nthe mystery of Christ and His Church on earth: a presence which is particularly\nalive in that elect portion of the church which consists of the sick and the\nsuffering. \nThese persons\, if animated by faith\, turn to Lourdes. Why? Because they\nknow that there\, as at Cana\, “There is the Mother of Jesus” and where She is\,\nHer Son cannot be absent. Sick of all sorts go on pilgrimage to Lourdes\, born up\nby hope that\, through Mary\, Christ’s saving power – reveals itself in the\nspiritual sphere above all. \nIt is in the hearts of the sick that Mary makes Her Son’s wonderworking\nvoice heard\, a voice which prodigiously resolves the rigidity of sourness of heart\nand rebellion and gives the soul back eyes with which to see the world\, others\,\none’s own destiny in a new light. \nAt Lourdes the sick discover the inestimable value of their suffering – the\nmeaning that pain may have in their lives\, when interiorly renewed by that\nflame which consumes and transforms in the life of the Church. \nUpright by the Cross of Her Son on Calvary\, the Most Holy Virgin\ncourageously shared in His Passion and knows how to convince ever fresh souls\nto unite their sufferings with Christ’s sacrifice\, in a joint “offertory\,” which\nsurpasses time and space and embraces the whole of mankind and saves it. \n5\nfrom Prayers and Devotions from John Paul II; the K. S. Gininger Company\, Inc.\, 1984.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/weekday-16/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250208T230806Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T230806Z
UID:13118-1739491200-1739577599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:SS Cyril & Methodius
DESCRIPTION:SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS\nFrom Butler’s Lives of the Saints 6\n◊◊◊\nIn 862 there arrived in Constantinople an ambassador charged by\nRostislav\, prince of Moravia\, to ask if the emperor would send him missionaries\ncapable of teaching his people in their own language. Photius\, now patriarch of\nConstantinople\, decided that Cyril and Methodius were most suitable for the\nwork; they were learned men\, who knew Slavonic. \nIn 863 the two brothers set out with a number of assistants and came to\nthe court of Rostislav. The new missionaries made free use of the vernacular in\ntheir preaching and ministrations\, and this made immediate appeal to the local\npeople. To the German clergy this was objectionable\, and their opposition was\nstrengthened when the Emperor Louis forced Rostislav to take an oath of fealty\nto him. The Byzantine missionaries\, armed with their pericopes from the\nScriptures and liturgical hymns in Slavonic\, pursued their way with much\nsuccess\, but were soon handicapped by their lack of a bishop to ordain more\npriests. The German prelate\, the bishop of Passau\, would not do it\, and Cyril\ntherefore determined to seek help elsewhere\, presumably from Constantinople\nwhence he came. \nOn their way the brothers arrived in Venice. It was at a bad moment.\nPhotius at Constantinople had incurred excommunication; the proteges of the\nEastern emperor and their liturgical use of a new tongue were vehemently\ncriticized. They came to Rome bringing with them alleged relics of Pope St\nClement\, which St Cyril had recovered when in the Crimea on his way back from\nthe Khazars. Adrian II warmly welcomed the bearers of so great a gift. He\nexamined their cause\, and he gave judgment: Cyril and Methodius were to\nreceived episcopal consecration\, their neophytes were to be ordained\, and the\nuse of the liturgy in Slavonic was approved. \nWhile still in Rome Cyril died\, on February 14\, 869. He was buried with\ngreat pomp in the church of San Clemente on the Coelian\, where the relics of St\nClement had been enshrined. St Methodius now took up his brother’s\nleadership. Having been consecrated bishop he returned\, bearing a letter from\nthe Holy See recommending him as a man of “exact understanding and\northodoxy”. Kosel\, prince of Pannonia\, asked that the ancient archdiocese of\nSirmium (now Mitrovitsa) be revived. Methodius was made metropolitan and\nthe boundaries of his charge extended to the borders of Bulgaria. \n6\nButler’s Lives of the Saints\, edited by M. Walsh\, New York: HarperCollins\, 1991\, pp. 46-47.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/ss-cyril-methodius/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250216
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250208T231117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T231117Z
UID:13120-1739577600-1739663999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Memorial of the BVM
DESCRIPTION:MARY AND THE FRUITFULNESS\nOF VIRGINITY\nFrom “The Seat of Wisdom” by Fr Louis Bouyer 7\n◊◊◊\nVirginity consecrated to God in Christ has its justification in that it is a\nmeans for engendering offspring without number; and therein lies the real\nnature of its sacrifice. This is the supreme truth revealed to us by Mary’s virginal\nmotherhood\, and\, at the same time\, its supreme justification. By her\nrenunciation in a spirit of perfect faith\, of the very possibility of generation on\nthe earthly plane\, that of the first creation\, she lent herself to be used to generate\nthe human body of the Son of God. And\, since he is\, in himself\, not only the\norigin but the whole of the new creation\, she also brought this to birth in bearing\nhim. The sacrifice inherent in her chosen virginity was fulfilled in that the “Holy\nOne” born of her was the Son of God\, since this made him\, the fruit of her own\nlife\, the absolute Stranger to her. though belonging wholly to her as to no one\nelse\, Christ could not but be the one who was apart from her from the very\nmoment of his birth\, more so than any other child from its parents. At the same\ntime\, her virginity was justified in that it made a birth of the kind possible. And\nall the hopes of renewal that this birth held out to mankind\, in the state it then\nwas in\, justified the seeming refusal of human love by the one most worthy of\nloving and being loved that had been seen on earth since Eve. \nThe counterpart of this is that it is by their participation in Mary’s destiny\nthat\, henceforth\, those vowed to virginity will see and fulfill the purpose of their\nown sacrifice. They renounce all possibility of prolonging and continuing the\npresent order of creation in order to dedicate themselves wholly to engendering\nthe new order which is to redeem the old. Such entire devotion to bringing about\nthe new birth of a humanity regenerated in Christ makes of their virginity\, not a\nnegation of love\, but an act of love of the most exalted kind. \n7\nNew York\, 1962\, p. 98.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/memorial-of-the-bvm-2/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250216
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250217
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250216T141934Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250216T141934Z
UID:13129-1739664000-1739750399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Skema
DESCRIPTION:Biblical Readings for Office and Mass\n6th Week in Ordinary Time\n\n\nMass Readings: Sunday (C)\, Weekdays (I)\nFebruary 16 – 22\, 2025\n\n\n\nSun\n16\nMon\n17\nTue\n18\nWed\n19\nThu\n20\nFri\n21\nSat\n22\n\n\nOffice\n6th Sunday\nWeekday\nWeekday\nOffice for the Dead\nWeekday\nSt Peter Damien\nChair of St Peter\n\n\nVigils\n1 Kings 15:16-32\n1 Kings 15:33-16:14\n1 Kings 16:15-34\n1 Kings 17:1-24\n1 Kings 18:1-16\n1 Kings 18:17-40\nEzek 3:1-11\, 22-27\n\n\nLauds\nAmos 7:10-17\nAmos 8:1-8\nAmos 8:9-14\nAmos 9:1-6\nAmos 9:7-10\nAmos 9:11-15\nEzek 34:11-16\n\n\nMass\n78\n335\n336\n337\n338\n339\n535\n\n\n1st\nJer 17:5-8\nGen 4:1-15\, 25\nGen 6:5-8; 7:1-5\, 10\nGen 8:6-13\, 20-22\nGen 9:1-13\nGen 11:1-9\n1 Pet 5:1-4\n\n\n2nd\n1 Cor 15:12\, 16-20\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGospel\nLuke 6:17\, 20-26\nMark 8:11-13\nMark 8:14-21\nMark 8:22-26\nMark 8:27-33\nMark 8:34-9:1\nMatt 16:13-19\n\n\nVespers\n1 Cor 12:27-13:3\n1 Cor 13:4-13\n1 Cor 14:1-5\n1 Cor 14:6-12\n1 Cor 14:13-19\n1 Cor 14:20-25\n1 Cor 15:1-11
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/skema-104/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250217
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250216T142254Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250216T142254Z
UID:13131-1739664000-1739750399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - 6th Sun Ordinary Time
DESCRIPTION:THE CROWNS OF VICTORY \nFrom a commentary by St John Chrysostom1 \n◊◊◊ \nOnly Christians have a true sense of values\, their joys and sorrows are not \nthe same as other people’s. The sight of a wounded boxer wearing a victor’s \ncrown would make someone ignorant of the games think only of the boxer’s \nwounds and how painful they must be. Such a person would know nothing of the \nhappiness the crown gives. And it is the same when people see the things we \nsuffer without knowing why we do so. It naturally seems to them to be suffering \npure and simple. They see us struggling and facing danger\, but beyond their \nvision are the rewards\, the crowns of victory – all we hope to gain through the \ncontest! \nWhen Paul said. We possess nothing\, and yet we have everything\, what \ndid he mean by “everything”? Wealth of both the earthly and the spiritual order. \nDid he not possess every earthly gift when whole cities received him as an angel\, \nwhen people were ready to pluck out their eyes for him\, or bare their neck to the \nsword? But if you would think of spiritual blessings\, you will see that it was in \nthese above all that he was rich. The King of the universe and Lord of angels \nloved him so much that he shared his secrets with him. Did he not surpass all \nothers in wealth then? Did he not possess all things? Had it been otherwise\, \ndemons would not have been subject to him\, nor sickness and suffering put to \nflight by his presence. \nWe too\, then. when we suffer anything for Christ’s sake\, should do so not \nonly with courage\, but even with joy. If we have to go hungry\, let us be glad as if \nwe were at a banquet. If we are insulted\, let us be elated as though we had been \nshowered with praises. If we lose all we possess\, let us consider ourselves the \ngainers. If we provide for the poor\, let us regard ourselves as the recipients. \nAnyone who does not give in this way will find it difficult to give at all. So when \nyou wish to distribute alms. Do not think only of what you are giving away; think \nrather of what you are gaining\, for your gain will exceed your loss. \nAnd not only in the matter of almsgiving\, but also with every virtue you \npractice: do not think of the painful effort involved\, but of the sweetness of the \nreward; and above all remember that your struggles are for the sake of our Lord \nJesus Christ. Then you will easily rise above them\, and live out your whole \nlifetime in happiness; for nothing brings more happiness than a good \nconscience.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-6th-sun-ordinary-time/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250217
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250218
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250216T142409Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250216T142409Z
UID:13133-1739750400-1739836799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE BEGINNING OF \nCHRIST’S PUBLIC MINISTRY \nFrom “The Lord” by Fr Romano Guardini \n◊◊◊ \nWhat a privilege it must have been to see the Lord at the beginning of his \npublic ministry as he carried holiness into the crowds. How clearly he spoke to \nthe souls of men! Pressed forward by the elan of the Spirit\, he reached out to \npeople with both hands. The Holy Spirit swept the kingdom of God forward and \nthe human spirit was shaken to its foundations. The accounts of these first \nevents are vibrant with spiritual power. Thus Saint Mark: And they were \nastonished at his teaching\, for he was teaching them as one having authority\, \nand not as the scribes. They were astonished\, literally shaken out of themselves. \nSuch was the divine power that poured from his words. Jesus’ sentences were \nnot merely correct as were those of the scribes\, they were the words of one \nhaving authority. His speech stirred\, it tore the spirit from its security\, the heart \nfrom its rest; it commanded and created. It was impossible to hear and ignore. \nSaint Mark’s account continues with a description of the casting out of an \nunclean spirit. Obviously we have here a case of “possession.” The Lord’s \nacceptance of the inevitable struggle with satanic powers belongs to the kernel \nof his messianic consciousness. He knows that he has been sent not only to bear \nwitness to the truth\, to establish contact between God and man\, but also to \nbreak the power of those forces which oppose the divine will. He is to penetrate \nSatan’s artificial darkness with the ray of God’s truth\, to dispel the cramp of \negoism and the brittleness of hate with God’s love\, to conquer evil’s \ndestructiveness with God’s constructive strength. The murkiness and confusion \nwhich Satan creates in people’s groping hearts are to be clarified by the holy \npurity of the Most High. Thus Jesus stands squarely against the powers of \ndarkness; he strives to enter into the ensnared human souls – to bring light to \ntheir consciences\, quicken their hearts\, and liberate their powers for good.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-264/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250219
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250216T142526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250216T142526Z
UID:13135-1739836800-1739923199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE MISSIONARY LIFE \nOF THE CHURCH \nBy Fr Jean Danielou \n◊◊◊ \nThe mission of today is\, first of all\, a mystery of unity. The Apostles were \nsent to the ends of the earth to teach all nations\, because Christ\, having risen to \nheaven\, must be present in all creation. It is no more a question\, as at the time of \nthe old covenant\, of God’s taking one people in particular under his protection. \nThe new mission\, determined upon by God from all eternity\, is to reconcile all \nthings by Christ’s blood “and to restore all things in him.” This mystery involves \nall mankind\, and more than mankind\, the whole spiritual universe. \nIn the second place\, the mystery of the mission is the mystery of the \nmissionary. Christ entrusted the spreading of his Kingdom to the Apostles\, to \nthose he had chosen as his tools in the work of evangelizing. This vocation is a \ngreat mystery. It is clear that God could have communicated directly with each \nindividual\, yet he wanted his word to be handed on and his Kingdom to be \nspread by human intermediaries. He wanted us to have a share in saving the \nworld and converting the nations\, and the Apostles’ mission is a direct \ncontinuation of the mission of the Word and the mission of the Holy Spirit. The \nmission of the Apostles is at once a single thing and a very diverse one… Some \nare to be apostles\, some prophets\, evangelists or teachers. The forms of the \napostolate are many\, but they are all one\, because all get life from the same \nSpirit\, all seek the same end. \nThis unity in the diversity of functions is something St Paul insists on as of \nvital importance. Even then he felt the danger of a possible loss of charity \nthreatening the work of the missions. We must\, said St Bernard\, put all the force \nof our action into our own vocation\, but our charity must cover the whole \nworld… He explains that in the order of action we must put our particular duty \nbefore everything else – do not let the contemplative try to do the apostle’s \nwork\, nor the teacher try to care for the sick – but\, he adds\, “in our prayers we \nmust put first what is most excellent in itself.” We must pray more for the most \nimportant interests of the Kingdom\, even if they are not the ones we ourselves \nare engaged in. Charity will then become perfect in us\, for it is proportioned to \nthe reality of things\, not to our personal point of view; selfishness will then be \novercome at every moment. Outwardly we go humbly about our work\, inwardly \nwe are working out the salvation of the whole world. We must be ready to be at \nonce limited in our work and unlimited in the interior order of charity.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-265/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250219
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250220
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250216T142642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250216T142642Z
UID:13137-1739923200-1740009599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Office for the Dead
DESCRIPTION:ETERNAL LIFE \nAND ITS DIFFERENCE \nFrom a sermon by Monsignor Ronald Knox \n◊◊◊ \nThe mistake we are tempted to make\, do make in our moments of idle \nthinking\, is to suppose that eternal life merely means going on living. That\, \nnaturally enough\, was what the pagans thought\, when they dreamed that there \nwas some possibility of a life after death. There is an epigram in the Greek \nAnthology\, often quoted for its beauty\, in which the poet says to his dead friend\, \n“Once\, a morning star\, you shone among the living; now you shine\, an evening \nstar\, among the dead.”… So\, in Virgil’s Aeneid\, the heroes of Elysium are found \nlooking after their horses and chariots: “The same grateful task that was ever \ntheirs\, to feed their sleek horses\, is theirs still\, now that earth has covered them.” \nDo we\, children of a later age\, look forward to an eternity spent in washing down \nthe car? But it is the same mistake we are making\, if we think of eternal life as \nthe mere continuation of living. \nWe unconsciously compare the experience of a future life to that of \nwaking up after an operation; waking up to breakfast and the morning paper. \nAnd\, of course\, if we think of survival after death in those terms\, it becomes an \nopen question for some of us whether we want to survive or not. The unpleasant \nthing is the experience of dying; if we could avoid that\, many of us would be \ncontent to go on living\, even in an atomic age. But when we have once been put \nto all this inconvenience\, would we be sure that we wanted to come back again \nand go on living\, more or less as before?… \nEternal life is not that sort of thing at all. When our Lord said he had come \nthat we might have life\, and might have it more abundantly\, he clearly did not \nmean that he was going to introduce\, into our humdrum\, day-to-day existence\, \nmore joie de vivre. The “life” which he came to bring – we have to call it “life”\, \nbecause that is the nearest thing to it we know – belongs to a different order of \nexistence. It has its own avenues of experience\, its own range of faculties\, its \nown proper activities. And it will find its true medium only in heaven. True\, \nthat life is in us now\, implanted by baptism. But we are not yet in a position to \nenjoy it\, in the sense of savouring its possibilities. We are\, if I may put it so\, \nembryonic citizens of heaven\, borne at present in the womb of matter and of \ntime. And that is why we are foolish if we try to project our present experience \ninto a future life… To wake up after death is not like waking up\, after an \noperation\, from the life of today to the life of tomorrow. It is like waking up from \na dream world into a world\, hitherto unexperienced\, of realities.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-office-for-the-dead-17/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250220
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250221
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250216T142748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250216T142748Z
UID:13139-1740009600-1740095999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:THE GLORY OF \nTHE SAINTS IN HEAVEN \nBy Stephen of Sawley \n◊◊◊ \nAfter you have cleared the battle-line of your mind\, consider next the \nglory and happiness of the heavenly city of Jerusalem. Consider\, for instance\, \nwherein consists the glory of its saints\, or how great is its joy where Beauty itself \nreigns supreme\, where dwells Virtue\, Power\, Magnificence\, Majesty and \nSupreme Goodness—in a word\, the triune God who is all in all\, who enlightens \nall with knowledge and inflames all with love. Here are all the holy angels\, more \nglittering than bright stars\, and the patriarchs\, rejoicing in their victorious faith; \nhere is the stately group of jubilant prophets\, and the glorious choir of the \nApostles. Here are the countless rows of martyrs who were victorious in combat \nand have received their crowns. Here are all the confessors rewarded for their \nfortitude\, and the multitude of virgins crowned with lilies. Here are all the \nblessed who observed God’s commandments and transformed their earthly \nassets into heavenly treasures. \nHow eagerly must we long for their happy and holy company! How \nseverely must we censure ourselves for being sluggish\, lukewarm\, and obdurate \nin the very sight of such majesty! How we must blush that we did not fear their \nholy glances\, but sinned before their very eyes and continue to do so up to this \nvery day. Confess your shortcomings\, therefore\, and say: ‘Father\, I have sinned \nagainst heaven and against you’. I did not fear your holy angels and saints. I am \nnot worthy to be called your son. Treat me\, therefore\, as one of your hired men \nso that\, at least by fearing punishment and hoping for reward\, I may stay away \nfrom sin and fear you\, my Lord\, as your servant\, unworthy as I am to love you in \nthe way a son does. \nAll you angels\, archangels\, virtues\, powers\, principalities\, dominations\, \nthrones\, cherubs\, and seraphs\, all you saints and elect of God who are fellow \ncitizens of heaven and behold God directly in joyful contemplation\, please keep \nme in your prayers so that the enemy may never deceive me and that\, through \nyour intercession\, my prayer may ascend to your holy temple where glory is \ngiven to God the Father\, the Son\, and to the Holy Spirit now and for all ages to \ncome.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-266/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250222
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250216T142858Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250216T142858Z
UID:13141-1740096000-1740182399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - St Peter Damien
DESCRIPTION:ST PETER DAMIAN \nFrom a discourse of Pope Benedict XVI \n◊◊◊ \nSt Peter Damian was one of the most significant figures of the 11th \ncentury… a lover of solitude and at the same time a fearless man of the \nChurch\, committed personally to the task of reform. Born during 1007 in the \nItalian city of Ravenna\, Peter belonged to a large family but lost both his father \nand mother early in life. An older brother took the boy into his household\, yet \ntreated him poorly. But another of Peter’s brothers\, a priest\, took steps to \nprovide for his education; and the priest’s own name\, Damian\, became his \nyounger brother’s surname. Peter excelled in school while also taking up \nforms of asceticism\, such as fasting\, wearing a hair shirt\, and spending long \nhours in prayer with an emphasis on reciting the Psalms. He offered \nhospitality to the poor as a means of serving Christ\, and eventually resolved to \nembrace voluntary poverty himself through the Order of Saint Benedict. \nThe monks he chose to join\, in the hermitage of Fonte Avellana\, lived \nout their devotion to the Cross of Christ through a rigorous rule of life. They \nlived mainly on bread and water\, prayed all 150 Psalms daily\, and practiced \nmany physical mortifications. Peter embraced this way of life somewhat \nexcessively at first\, which led to a bout with insomnia. Deeply versed in the \nBible and the writings of earlier theologians\, Peter developed his own \ntheological acumen and became a skilled preacher. The leaders of other \nmonasteries sought his help to build up their monks in holiness\, and in 1043 \nhe took up a position of leadership as the prior of Fonte Avellana. Five other \nhermitages were established under his direction. \nSerious corruption plagued the Church during Peter’s lifetime\, including \nthe sale of religious offices and immorality among many of the clergy. Through \nhis writings and involvements in controversies of the day\, the prior of Fonte \nAvellana called on members of the hierarchy and religious orders to live out \ntheir commitments and strive for holiness. \nIn 1057\, Pope Stephen IX became determined to make Peter Damian a \nbishop\, a goal he accomplished only by demanding the monk’s obedience \nunder threat of excommunication. Consecrated as the Bishop of Ostia in \nNovember of that year\, he also joined the College of Cardinals and wrote a \nletter encouraging its members to set an example for the whole Church. With \nPope Stephen’s death in 1058\, and the election of his successor Nicholas II\, \nPeter’s involvement in Church controversies grew. He supported Pope \nNicholas against a rival claimant to the papacy\, and went to Milan as the \nPope’s representative when a crisis broke out over canonical and moral issues. \nIn 1067\, Peter Damian was allowed to resign his episcopate and return \nto the monastery at Fonte Avellana… In 1072\, Peter returned to his own \nbirthplace of Ravenna\, to reconcile the local church with the Pope. The monk’s \nlast illness came upon him during his return from this final task\, and he died \nafter a week at a Benedictine monastery in Faenza during February of that \nyear. Never formally canonized\, St Peter Damian was celebrated as a saint \nafter his death in many of the places associated with his life. In 1823\, Pope Leo \nXII named him a Doctor of the Church and extended the observance of his \nfeast day throughout the Western Church.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-st-peter-damien/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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CREATED:20250216T143009Z
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UID:13143-1740182400-1740268799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading - Chair of St Peter
DESCRIPTION:THE CHAIR OF ST PETER \nBy St John Henry Newman \n◊◊◊ \nThe very first act of the Apostles after Christ was gone out of their sight\, \nwas the ordination of Matthias in the place of the traitor Judas. That ordination \nis related very minutely. Every particular of it is full of instruction; but at \npresent I wish to draw attention to one circumstance more especially: namely\, \nthe time when it occurred. It was contrived (if one may say so) exactly to fall \nwithin the very short interval which elapsed between the departure of our Lord\, \nand the arrival of the Comforter in His place: on that ‘little while\,’ during which \nthe Church was comparatively left alone in the world. Then it was that St Peter \nrose and declared with authority\, that the time was come for supplying the \nvacancy which Judas had made. ‘One\,’ said he\, ‘must be ordained;’ and without \ndelay they proceeded to the ordination. Of course\, St Peter must have had from \nour Lord express authority for this step. Otherwise it would seem most natural \nto defer a transaction so important until the unerring Guide\, the Holy Spirit\, \nshould have come among them\, as they knew he would in a few days. \nOn the other hand\, since the Apostles were eminently Apostles of our \nIncarnate Lord\, since their very being\, as Apostles\, depended entirely on their \npersonal mission from him…one should naturally have expected that he himself \nbefore his departure would have supplied the vacancy by personal designation. \nBut we see it was not his pleasure to do so. As the Apostles afterwards brought \non the ordination sooner\, so he had deferred it longer than might have been \nexpected. Both ways it should seem as if there were a purpose of bringing the \nevent within those ten days\, during which\, as I said\, the church was left to \nherself; left to exercise her faith and hope\, much as Christians are left now\, \nwithout any miraculous aid or extraordinary illumination from above. Then\, at \nthat moment of the New Testament history in which the circumstances of \nbelievers corresponded most nearly to what they have been since miracles and \ninspiration ceased\, — just at that time it pleased our Lord that afresh Apostle \nshould be consecrated\, with authority and commission as ample as the former \nenjoyed. In a word\, it was his will that the eleven Disciples alone\, not himself \npersonally\, should name the successor of Judas; and that they chose the right \nperson\, he gave testimony very soon after\, by sending his Holy Spirit on St \nMatthias\, as richly as on St John\, St James\, or St Peter.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-chair-of-st-peter/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250224
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250223T124252Z
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UID:13149-1740268800-1740355199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Skema: 7th Week in Ordinary Time
DESCRIPTION:Biblical Readings for Office and Mass\n7th Week in Ordinary Time\n\n\nMass Readings: Sunday (C)\, Weekdays (I)\nFeb. 23 – March 1\, 2025\n\n\n\nSun\n23\nMon\n24\nTue\n25\nWed\n26\nThu\n27\nFri\n28\nSat\n1\n\n\nOffice\n7th Sunday\nWeekday\nWeekday\nOffice for Vocations\nWeekday\nWeekday\nMemorial of the BVM\n\n\nVigils\n1 Kings 18:41-19:3\n1 Kings 19:4-21\n1 Kings 20:1-22\n1 Kings 20:23-34\n1 Kings 20:35-43\n1 Kings 21:1-16\n1 Kings 21:17-29\n\n\nLauds\nHabakkuk 1:1-4\nHab 1:5-11\nHab 1:12-17\nHab 2:1-4\nHab 2:5-8\nHab 2:9-14\nHab 2:15-20\n\n\nMass\n81\n341\n342\n343\n344\n345\n346\n\n\n1st\n1 Sam 26:2\, 7-9\, 12-13\, 22-23\nSir 1:1-10\nSir 2:1-11\nSir 4:11-19\nSir 5:1-8\nSir 6:5-17\nSir 17:1-15\n\n\n2nd\n1 Cor 15:45-49\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGospel\nLuke 6:27-38\nMark 9:14-29\nMark 9:30-37\nMark 9:38-40\nMark 9:41-50\nMark 10:1-12\nMark 10:13-16\n\n\nVespers\n1 Cor 15:12-19\n1 Cor 15:20-28\n1 Cor 15:29-34\n1 Cor 15:35-44\n1 Cor 15:45-49\n1 Cor 15:50-58\n1 Cor 16:1-9
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/skema-7th-week-in-ordinary-time/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250223
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250224
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250223T124919Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250223T124919Z
UID:13152-1740268800-1740355199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
DESCRIPTION:MERCY AND FAITHFULNESS\nFrom a commentary by St Augustine of Hippo 1\n◊◊◊\nWe have here a tremendous statement on the subject of faithfulness and mercy. Mercy is mentioned because it is not our deserts but his own goodness that God regards. He forgives us all our sins and promises us eternal life. But is also speaks of faithfulness\, because God never fails to honor his promises. Acknowledging this to be so\, let us practice these virtues ourselves in our present circumstances.. Just as God has shown us His mercy and faithfulness – his mercy by forgiving our sins and his faithfulness by keeping his promises – so we too should practice mercy and faithfulness in our own lives. Let us show mercy to the sick and needy\, even our enemies\, and practice faithfulness by refraining from sin. Never let us add sin to sin\, because whoever presumes too much on God’s mercy has secretly consented to the suggestion that he can cause God to be unjust. Such a person imagines that even if he persists in sin and refuses to give up his wrong doing\, God will still come and give him a place among his obedient servants. \nWould this be justice\, for God to assign an obstinate sinner like you the same place as those who have turned their backs on sin? Would you be so unjust as to expect God to be unjust too? Why then are you trying to bend God to your will? Bend yourself\, rather\, to his. Yet how many people do\, in fact\, bend their wills to God’s? Only those few of whom it is said: The one who perseveres to the end will be saved. \nIt is with good reason that Scripture asks: Who will seek God’s mercy and faithfulness for his own sake? What precisely does for his own sake mean?\nSurely it would have been enough to say Who will seek without adding for his own sake. \nThe answer is that many people seek to discover God’s mercy and faithfulness from the sacred books\, and yet\, when their learning is done\, they live for their own sake and not for God’s. They are intent on their own interests\, not those of Jesus Christ. They preach mercy and faithfulness without practicing them. Their preaching proves that they know their subject\, for they would not preach without knowledge. But it is a different matter in the case of someone who loves God and Christ. When such a person preaches God’s mercy and faithfulness\, he seeks to make them known for God’s sake\, not his own. This means that he is not out to gain temporal benefits from his preaching; his desire is to help Christ’s members\, that is\, those who believe in him\, by faithfully sharing with them the knowledge he himself possesses\, so that the living may no longer live for themselves\, but for him who died for all. \n1\nJourney with the Fathers – Year C – New City Press = 1982 = pg 82.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/7th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-2/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250224
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250225
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250224T040439Z
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UID:13154-1740355200-1740441599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Weekday
DESCRIPTION:THE LOVE OF ONE’S NEIGHBOR\nBy Alan of Lille 2\n◊◊◊\nCertainly he who cuts himself off from the love of his neighbor strays from the love of God\, for: “Anyone who does not love his neighbor whom he has seen\, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” O man\, surely\, you wish that your neighbor should love you for God’s sake? Love him for your own sake. \nAs Seneca\, the moral philosopher\, says: “If you wish to be loved\, love.” O happy love…which is truly grafted into the nature of the highest good\, which is content without envy. Such love possesses its delight within itself; it does not grow anxious; it rests in tranquility. It does not dissolve into mockery. O how joyous it is to find your very self in another! It is indolence and negligence to let the employment of love fall into disuse\, and not to exercise the most noble of the virtues. It is the glory of true friendship to be the instrument of purging the last dregs of merely superficial delight. \nYou have a friend\, not so that he should visit you when you are sick\, or feed you when you are famished\, or comfort you in prison\, but so that you should visit him in prison\, feed him when he is hungry\, give him drink when he is thirsty; if he is a wanderer\, take him in. If you love a poor neighbor\, you give him alms out of love alone\, for the alms of the heart are much greater than that of the body. Love alone is enough\, in almsgiving\, without earthly substance. That which is given physically is not enough\, unless it is bestowed in a kindly spirit. Keep therefor to the order of love. Love God above all\, yourself next\, and your neighbor as yourself\, the flesh least of all. \nLove the flesh\, not so that you may be its slave\, but so that you may set it right with discipline. Love it for its good\, not for the sake of worldly debauchery. Do not heed its will\, but force it to heed yours. Like a good doctor\, cure by this means what is weak\, broken or diseased. So let it grieve now that it may rejoice in eternity. Let it now taste the bitterness of medicine\, that the soundness of eternal health may follow. \n2\nCF 23:93-94
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/weekday-17/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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CREATED:20250224T040845Z
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UID:13156-1740441600-1740527999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Weekday
DESCRIPTION:HOW FAITH CRIES OUT TO BE LIVED\nBy Catherine de Hueck Doherty 3\n◊◊◊\nWhat is faith? Some say they have lost it. Some hunger for the first taste. Some are indifferent to whether they have it or not. Others fight against it\, hate it\, and want to destroy it in others. What is faith? A Catholic can easily answer from early catechetical instructions in childhood. Faith is a free gift from God\, given to a person at Baptism. A Catholic will say too that no one can really acquire faith by his own efforts. He will repeat over and over again that it is indeed a free gift from God. \nYes\, faith is a free\, loving gift of God to us. Faith is the cradle of love and of hope. But this gift given to us at Baptism can grow\, must grow\, must be incarnated into our lives\, must become part of us\, must become\, like breathing\, an utterly integral part of us. \nHow can it become all these things? By prayer. God never refuses a prayer for the deepening and growth in faith. Prayer is the food that will make faith grow\, strengthen it\, root it with deep and lasting roots into human hearts. Faith grows by living it out. Faith is a pilgrimage toward the Absolute. Faith gives every Christian sandals and a pilgrim’s staff and bids him to arise and go in search of him whom every Christian longs for – God. \nFaith appears to be blind sometimes but in reality it sees very deeply. It alone can walk in utter darkness. It alone can fold the wings of the intellect when necessary and open them when it needs to. Chasms\, abysses\, steep mountains present no problem or difficulty to faith. On the contrary\, all of life – pains\, sorrows\, joys symbolized by these chasms – becomes its food and its nourishment. Faith grows until it leaves all darkness behind and walks like a child bathed in the light of God’s love. \nNo one can keep or hide faith for himself alone. It will escape and extend itself to others. Faith never walks alone\, but always walks with love and hope. Faith can be transmitted by words\, but it is best communicated by actions. Faith cries out to be lived\, to be incarnated\, incarnated in love. For love is a Person\, love is God\, and faith is his gift to us. The hands of faith are filled with gifts for those who embrace her. Gifts of peace\, love\, joy and strength. Gifts of courage and laughter. Faith is a child who smiles at theologians and at human wisdom. Faith invites them to come and play with God. \n3\nTHE GOSPEL WITHOUT COMPROMISE\, Catherine de Hueck Doherty (Ave Maria Press IN 1976) pp. 127-128.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/weekday-18/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250226
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250227
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250224T041415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250224T041415Z
UID:13158-1740528000-1740614399@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Office for Vocations
DESCRIPTION:FOLLOWING CHRIST\nFrom a commentary by St Jerome 4\n◊◊◊\nPeter spoke up and said to Jesus\, “Look\, we have given up everything and have followed you. What are we going to possess?” \nGreat self-confidence! Peter was a fisherman\, he had never been wealthy\, he earned his bread by his labour and skill; and yet he confidently asserts\, “We have left everything.” And since it is not enough merely to leave everything\, he completes his thought by adding\, “And we have followed you. We have done what you commanded. How then will you reward us?” \nBut Jesus said to them\, “Amen I say to you that you who have followed me\, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of his glory\, you shall also sit on twelve thrones\, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Jesus did not say\, “you who have left everything.” For…many others besides have shown contempt for wealth. What Jesus did say was\, “you who have followed me.” This applies only to the apostles and believers. \nIn the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit upon the throne of his glory\, when even the dead will rise incorrupt from their state of corruption\, you also shall sit on judgment seats….And everyone who has left house\, or brothers\, or sisters\, or father\, or mother\, or wife\, or children\, or lands\, for my name’s sake\, shall receive a hundredfold\, and shall possess life everlasting. \nThis passage agrees with that other statement of our Saviour\, where he says\, “I have come not to send peace\, but a sword. For I have come to set a man at variance with his father\, and a daughter with her mother\, and a daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household”. Those\, therefore\, who\, for the sake of their faith in Christ and the preaching of the gospel\, have sacrificed their natural feelings and all the wealth and pleasures of this world — they shall receive a hundredfold\, and shall possess life everlasting. \n4\nIn Matth.\, 3\,19. PL 26\, 138-139. Trans. from “Cistercian Lectionary Project\, 1968\,” 40-41.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/office-for-vocations-2/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250227
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250228
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250224T041933Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250224T041933Z
UID:13160-1740614400-1740700799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Weekday
DESCRIPTION:THE CHURCH AS\nTHE COMMUNITY OF PARDON\nFrom “Seasons of Celebration” by Thomas Merton 5\n◊◊◊\nLet us remember especially that the Church is a community of pardon. All who have entered the common life of the body of Christ have done so by the way of pardon. And they remain in the Body of Christ only through pardon\, through the mystery of Christ: not only of Christ\, as Head\, but also of Christ in His members. \nThe mercy and pardon of Christ must be continually at work in all the members and through all the members of the Mystical Body. This is what makes the Church truly a Mother: she gives life by gentleness\, understanding\, love and pardon. She forgives sins\, that is to say she heals separations. Sin is separation from God\, and from those who love God. Sin is a cutting off from life. It is a spiritual death and pardon is the restoration of life. \nThe Spirit by which the Church lives is the Spirit of love\, of unity. Unity can be preserved or restored only by understanding\, acceptance and pardon. The Church is a body of people who know they are forgiven and who forgive repeatedly because they are themselves forgiven repeatedly. \nThe Church is then not so much a body of people who are pure and never offend\, but of those who\, in their weakness and frailty\, frequently err and offend\, but who have received from God the power to forgive one another in His name. They possess the Holy Spirit and they can give the Holy Spirit in some sense\, to one another. The Holy Spirit Himself moves them to do this\, and acts in them\, to save others. \nWe\, then\, who form one body in Christ\, share with one another the message of Christ’s divine truth\, we share His word\, we share His worship\, we share His love\, we share His Spirit. \nIn building a community of pardon which is the temple of God\, we have to recognize that no one of us is complete\, self-sufficient\, perfectly holy in himself. No one can rest in one’s own virtues and interior life. We do not live for ourselves alone. To live for oneself alone is to die. We grow and flourish in our own lives in so far as we live for others and through others. What we ourselves lack God has given them. They must complete us where we are deficient. \nOften the good that is given us by God is given us only to be shared with another. If God sees that we will not pardon and will not be open\, that we will not share\, then the good is not given us. But to the one in whom there is the greatest readiness to share with all\, most is given. \nThe greatest of gifts then is this openness\, this love\, this readiness to accept and to pardon and to share with others\, in the Spirit of Christ. If we are open we will not only offer pardon\, but will not disdain to seek it and recognize our own desperate need of it. \n5\npp. 225-230.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/weekday-19/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250228
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250301
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250224T042520Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250224T042520Z
UID:13162-1740700800-1740787199@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Weekday
DESCRIPTION:SERVING EACH OTHER\nIN JUSTICE AND CHARITY\nBy William of St Thierry 6\n◊◊◊\n[The Apostle Paul says that]\, if because of your food your brother is grieved\, you no longer walk according to charity. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. For a proper reason we should sometimes avoid what is licit\, but we are not commanded to do what is illicit for any reason. \n[He also says\,] Let our good not be spoken of as evil. What is this good of ours? It is the good proper to Christ’s disciples\, of which he himself says\, ‘By this shall all men know that you are my disciples\, if you have love for one another’. Just as the disciples of Christ are distinguished by the sign of mutual charity\, so when charity is neglected the entire brilliance of the Christian religion seems to be obscured. Then this wonderful teacher proclaims the mystery of the kingdom of heaven in order to restrain the faults of the present time by the authority of a future mystery\, and in order to establish the form of the Church. \n[He says]: For the kingdom of God is not food and drink. As if he said\, ‘Why do we deal so much with food when we are hastening to the kingdom of heaven? For there\, just as they do not marry\, and are not given in marriage\, so they neither eat nor drink\, but are like the angels of God.’ Thus\, with a most perfect and clear teaching the Apostle establishes that there is no need of food and drink in the kingdom of heaven\, but that there is justice and peace. And because fleshly joy usually accompanies food and drink\, he adds here joy\, but in the Holy Spirit. These things effect the kingdom of heaven in us here\, but in the future they lead us where these same things are possessed more certainly and more firmly. There is justice in work; peace is in the heart or conscience; joy is in the Lord. Whoever has these things already has the kingdom of God within him. \nFor he who in this way serves Christ pleases God and is approved by men. He who serves Christ in the Holy Spirit pleases God and is approved by men in justice\, and he dwells harmoniously with himself in peace. \nLet us pursue the things of peace outside because of the disposition of peace that we enjoy within; and from a disposition for justice let us keep the things that are edifying. What does justice demand more clearly than that we not destroy on account of food the work of Christ’s redemption in our brothers? \nAll things are indeed clean\, but it is evil for a man to eat with offense\, because he wounds the conscience of inner justice if the soul of his brother is endangered by that with which he refreshes himself. \n6\nCF 27 : 252-253.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/weekday-20/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250302
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250224T042956Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250224T042956Z
UID:13164-1740787200-1740873599@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Memorial of the BVM
DESCRIPTION:MARY AND HER SON\nBy Fr Romano Guardini 7\n◊◊◊\nThe life of Mary\, as the Gospel tells it\, is as humanly true as it can possibly be\, but in this human quality it is filled with a mystery of divine communion and love the depth of which is unfathomable. \nJesus is the substance of Mary’s life\, just as the child is the life-blood of its mother\, for whom it is the one and all. But\, at the same time\, He is also her redeemer\, and that another child cannot be for its mother. Not only was Mary’s existence as a human mother achieved in her relation to Jesus\, but also her redemption. Becoming a mother\, she became a Christian. By living with her child\, she lived with the God whose living revelation He is. Growing humanly along with the child\, as do all mothers who really love; releasing him on the road of life with so much resignation and pain\, she ripened in God’s divine grace and truth. \nFor this reason\, Mary is not only a great Christian\, one among a number of saints\, but she is unique. No one is like her\, because what happened to her happened to no other human being. Here lies the authentic root of all exaggeration about her. If people cannot be extravagant enough in their praises of Mary\, and even say reckless and foolish things\, they are still right in one respect: even though the means are faulty\, they seek to express a fact the tremendous depth of which must overwhelm everyone who realizes it. But exaggerations are useless and harmful\, because the simpler the word expressing a truth\, the more tremendous and at the same time the more deeply realized the facts become.\n7\nThe Rosary of Our Lady\, New York\, 1955\, pp. 30-31.
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/memorial-of-the-bvm-3/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250302
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250303
DTSTAMP:20260403T141657
CREATED:20250302T120501Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250302T120501Z
UID:13173-1740873600-1740959999@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Skema
DESCRIPTION:Biblical Readings for Office and Mass\n8th Week in Ordinary Time\n\n\nMass Readings: Sunday (C)\, Weekdays (I)\nMarch 2 – 8\, 2025\n\n\n\nSun\n2\nMon\n3\nTue\n4\nWed\n5\nThu\n6\nFri\n7\nSat\n8\n\n\nOffice\n8th Sunday\nSt Katherine Drexel\nOffice for the Dead\nAsh Wednesday\nThursday after Ash Wednesday\nFriday after Ash Wednesday\nSaturday after Ash Wednesday\n\n\nVigils\n1 Kings 22:1-28\n1 Kings 22:29-40\n1 Kings 22:41-53\nDan 9:1-19\nHeb 1:1-14\nHeb 2:1-18\nHeb 3:1-19\n\n\nLauds\nHab 3:1-7\nHab 3:8-15\nHab 3:16-19\nSir 17:20-32\nExod 1:6-14\nExod 1:15-22\nExod 2:1-10\n\n\nMass\n84\n347\n348\n219\n220\n221\n222\n\n\n1st\nSir 27:5-8\nSir 17:20-24\nSir 35:1-12\nJoel 2:12-18\nDeut 30:15-20\nIsa 58:1-9a\nIsa 58:9b-14\n\n\n2nd\n1 Cor 15:54-58\n\n\n2 Cor 5:20-6:2\n\n\n\n\n\nGospel\nLuke 6:39-45\nMark 10:17-27\nMark 10:28-31\nMatt 6:1-6\, 16-18\nLuke 9:22-25\nMatt 9:14-15\nLuke 5:27-32\n\n\nVespers\n1 Cor 16:10-24\nPhilem 1-11\nPhilem 12-25\nEph 2:4-10\nDeut 1:3-8\nDeut 4:1-8\nDeut 4:25-31
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/skema-105/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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