24 Mar 1396: d. Walter Hilton. (Hood-doff to Fr. Matthew Dallman for reminding me of this annual mind.) Augustinian Canon Regular and major voice in the English School of Catholic spirituality. #EnglishSpirituality From the _Catholic Encyclopedia_[1] Walter Hilton Augustinian mystic, d. 24 March, 1396. Little is known of his life, save that he was the…
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St. Aldemar
Today we honor St. Aldemar, as well as Blessed Bertha de’Alberti of Cavriglia. From CatholicSaints.info: St. Aldemar was a monk “at Monte Cassino Abbey. Spiritual director of a convent at Capua, Italy, a house founded by princess Aloara. Known as a miracle worker. A dispute developed between the princess and Aldemar’s abbot; she wanted him…
Blessed Conrad II
[The photo is of St. Michael’s Church, Mondsee, which houses Conrad’s relics.] Today we honor Blessed Conrad II, abbot of Mondsee abbey, Austria. Mondsee was founded in AD 748 by Odilo, Duke of Bavaria, and it is said that the first monks at the abbey had come from Monte Cassino. In 788 it became an…
The Transitus of Our Holy Father Benedict
By permission of the Congregation for Divine Worship, today’s celebration ranks as a solemnity in the American-Cassinese Congregation. Book Two of the Dialogues: Life of Saint Benedict CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: HOW VENERABLE BENEDICT DID PROPHESY TO HIS MONKS THE TIME OF HIS OWN DEATH. In the year that was to be his last, the man of…
Utensils and Sacred Vessels
The monk regards all utensils and goods of the monastery as sacred vessels of the altar. RB 31:10
St. Patrick
Name-Day blessings to you, Karen Patrick! And thanks to Jason John Edwards who has volunteered to send posts for name days and on Benedictine saints. The first of his posts follows. Continuing the series on patron saints of our oblates. Today is the feast day of St. Patrick, patron of Karen Patrick Lee-Thorp, Obl.S.B. Name-day…
Bishop Lopes on Beauty in the Liturgy
Click here to hear an excellent presentation by Bishop Lopes on the liturgy. My slap-dash effort at a general summary: Discussion of Theology of the Liturgy. Revelation of the Father’s desire for our eternal happiness. The Spirit effects this revelation, in the liturgy, from within those who are open to receive. This revelation is effected…
OCTAVE OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY – January 2019
From January 18 through January 25, Christians throughout the world observe a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Octave was first conceived by Father Paul of Graymoor on 30 November 1907, before his entrance into the Catholic Church. The initial success in 1908 was so encouraging that he decided to promote it annually, and…
The Structure of the Daily Office, Part V: Office Hymns
Part V of Mr. Tom Bako’s series on the Daily Office. This essay explores the office hymns. Click here for the full essay. Sections in the essay: Hymns in the Western Office: A Brief Overview Hymns in the Anglican Office tradition Hymns in Divine Worship: The Daily Office [The photo is from Christ Church Cathedral,…
OLSC’s Ordo for 2019
Mr. Tom Bako provides here a review of the 2019 Ordo prepared by the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross. “With this Ordo 2019 and a copy of the Bible … you can now have a full Daily Office cycle in the Ordinariate Use.”
Choral Evensong in Fargo, North Dakota
I had the privilege of praying Evensong, this evening, 4 November 2018, with the bishop, dean, and people of Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota. (A mere 2.5 hours from St. John’s. What are distances in the upper Midwest?) In addition to continuing the celebration of All Saints from Thursday, this service of Evensong…
Retirement of Bishop Michael Aidan Smith, Obl.S.B., Announced.
[The following is adapted from the article that can be found here.] The Rt. Rev. Michael G. Smith, Bishop of North Dakota since 2004, has announced his intention to retire in May 2019. Bishop Smith made the announcement near the conclusion of his brief sermon to the 48th annual convention of the diocese. “Our diocesan…
