‘At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus at the last’. These are the opening words of the hymn, ‘Stabat Mater Dolorosa’, considered to be one of the greatest Latin hymns of all time. The first of the mysteries of the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows is the prophecy […]
Here is the translation of one of the classic Sarum antiphons for Vespers of the Feast, ‘Dulce Lignum’: ‘Sweet the Wood, the Nails how precious, sweet the Burthen they upheld: to them alone was granted to bear the world’s Redeemer’. As we kneel in adoration at this beautiful feast, let us also gather in all […]
From today’s Old Testament, from Ecclesiasticus: ‘Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray’. This has clear overtones of the Lord’s Prayer, given to the disciples many centuries later. St Benedict also makes this point in his Rule: ‘The Offices of Lauds and Vespers should […]
Our prayers are offered specially for Br Benedict Manning, Cong. Orat., to be ordained priest of the Oxford Oratory today by Bishop Robert Byrne, Cong. Orat., Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. We pray that Our Lady will be with him in his life and priestly ministry. For the Holy Name of Mary, here are the […]
From today’s New Testament reading, from 1 Corinthians: ‘For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!’ The imperative of handing on the Gospel, the truths of faith, is laid upon all of us. Some will be called to preach in words, and others, by the witness of […]
Today is also the Optional Memoria of Blessed Agnellus of Pisa. A Franciscan Friar, he was appointed by St Francis himself as the first Provincial of the Order in England. He landed at Dover, with nine other Friars, on 12 September 1224. Shortly afterwards, a house was obtained for them in Oxford. He died in […]
Today is also the Optional Memoria in Coventry of St Osburg, mediaeval Abbess. Her story is shrouded in mystery, but in the Middle Ages there were many pilgrimages in her honour, with associated miracles. May she pray for us here in the West Midlands, especially in this time of coronavirus, and may God bless you […]
Here are some words for the Feast, from the Orthodox Church: ‘Today the Virgin Theotokos Mary, the bridal chamber of the Heavenly Bridegroom, by the will of God is born of a barren woman, being prepared as the chariot of God the Word. She was fore-ordained for this, since she is the divine gate and […]
Here is part of today’s Gospel reading, from St Luke: ‘He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to […]
‘Love is the fulfilling of the law’. These words stand out from our New Testament reading, from Romans. Here is a stanza from St Thérèse of Lisieux’s poem, ‘To live by (or on) Love’: ‘Living on Love / is giving without limit / Without claiming any wages here below. / Ah! I give without counting, […]