This Solemnity used to be called Corpus Christi, but now takes in the old feast of the Precious Blood as well. Personally I am a little sad that the feast of the Precious Blood was removed, but there is always the possibility of celebrating a votive Mass in honour of the Blood of Christ - which I sometimes do.Last Sunday and this Sunday we have our First Holy Communion celebrations. This year a had 41 children! This has meant arranging two liturgies because our church is quite small. Last Sunday's Mass was a wonderful experience, and for some important reasons, apart from those which are obvious, (perhaps I will share more on this later) this Sunday's Eucharist is also very special.
Three Catholic martyrs executed under the Nazi regime were beatified in Germany today, June 25. The event was also noteworthy for its rememberance of their Lutheran companion.
ReplyDeleteI know non-Catholics cannot be beatified, but
as a student of German history, I have always admired Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The Jewish people have a category of gentile people known as Righteous. Do we have something similar for saintly people whose blood was shed, martyred for their Christian conscience?
Thank you Father for those thoughts.I kept them in mind at Mass today.
ReplyDeletePlease tell me off it I am not toe-ing the line, but I don't know who else to ask. I am reading a book called The Springs of Silence I picked up somewhere or other, by Sister Mary Gilbert of of the Congregation of the Sister of the Holy names of Jesus and Mary--published 1958-- that is pre Vat 11. I wondered what had happened to her after Vat 11 which as we know had a great impact on religious orders,
so I found here here
sorry the link didnt work but will forward, she is obviously out of the cloister with permed hair--sorry my pet hate----I am looking into the story,
barbara
Thanks for the note about the "new" martyrs. I would be very interested in following that up. We do not have any title in the Catholic Church for non-Catholics who are martyrs, but they are recognized. The second reading in the Breviary for the Uganda martyrs is from the canonization homily by Pope Paul V1 in which he says we should not forget those of the Anglican tradition in Uganda who also gave their lives for Christ
ReplyDeleteFather John
ReplyDeleteI think you will enjoy this version of HE (Maguire Sisters). Thanks to the Telegraph for the link.
http://youtu.be/r2hBiB2hQJw
Praising the Lord with wonderful close harmonies.
Madeline de Frees Sister Mary Gilbert--was dispensed from her vows in 1973, but nowhere says exactly why, but she is a well established poet. The book I read was published in 1959 when Sister Mary Gilbert was quite secure in her vows and vocation. Plenty in GOOGLE.
ReplyDeleteThe non Catholic saints and martyrs are indeed of interest--the missionaries Mary Slessor, David Livingstone and Albert Scwheitzer to mention but a few I have read about. Simone Weil is another little known person, and Edith Stein, who was a Carmelite sister, who was a Roman Catholic by religion but Jewish by race, was given no mercy by the Nazis which begs the whole question of the Jewish "Israeli" religous/race/identity in the present time.
barbara