Why is this Sunday called "Septuagesima"?Because in accordance with the words of the First Council of Orleans, some pious Christian congregations in the earliest ages of the Church, especially the clergy, began to fast seventy days before Easter, on this Sunday, which was therefore called Septuagesima" - the seventieth day. The same is the case with the Sundays following, which are called Sexagesima, Quinquagesima , Quadragesima, because some Christians commenced to fast sixty days, others fifty, others forty days before Easter, until finally, to make it properly uniform, Popes Gregory and Gelasius arranged that all Christians should fast forty days before Easter, commencing with Ash-Wednesday.
Why, from this day until Easter, does the Church omit in her service all joyful canticles, alleluia’s, and the Gloria in excelsis etc?
Gradually to prepare the minds of the faithful for the serious time of penance and sorrow; to remind the sinner of the grievousness of his errors, and to exhort him to penance. So the priest appears at the altar in violet, the color of penance, and the front of the altar is covered with a violet curtain. To arouse our sorrow for our sins, and show the need of repentance, the Church in the name of all mankind at the Introit cries with David: The groans of death surrounded me, the sorrows of hell encompassed me: and in my affliction I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice from his holy temple. (Ps. 17:5-7.) I will love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my firmament, and my refuge, and my deliverer. (Ps. 17: 2-3) Glory be to the Father, etc.
GOSPEL (Matt 20: 1-16)
At that time, Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like to a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And having agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour, he saw others Standing in the market place idle, and he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just. And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner. But about the eleventh hour, he went out, and found others standing; and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle? They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go you also into my vineyard. And when evening was come, the Lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the laborers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first. When therefore they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny, But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more; and they also received every man a penny. And receiving it, they murmured against the master of the house, saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hart made them equal to us that have borne the burden of the day and the heats. But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take what is thine, and go thy way; I will also give to this last even as to thee. Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? Is thy eye evil, because I am good? So shall the last be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.
In this parable, what is to be understood by the householder, the vineyard, laborers, and the penny?
The householder represents God, who in different ages of the world, in the days of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally, in the days of Christ and the apostles, has sought to call men as workmen into His vineyard, the true Church, that they might labor there industriously, and receive the penny of eternal glory.
How and when does God call people?
By inward inspiration, by preachers, confessors, spiritual books, and conversations, etc., in flourishing youth and in advanced age, which periods of life may be understood by the different hours of the day.
What is meant by working in the vineyard?
It means laboring, fighting, suffering for God and His honor, for our own and the salvation of others. As in a vineyard we spade, dig, root out weeds, cut off all that is useless and noxious, manure, plant, and bind up, so in the spiritual vineyard of our soul we must, by frequent meditation on death and hell, by examination of conscience dig up the evil inclinations by their roots, and by true repentance eradicate the weeds of vice, and by mortification, especially by prayer and fasting cut away concupiscence; by the recollection of our sins we must humble ourselves, and amend our life; in place of the bad habits we must plant the opposite virtues and bind our unsteady will to the trellis of the fear of God and of His judgment, that we may continue firm.
How is a vice or bad habit to be rooted up?
A great hatred of sin must be aroused; a fervent desire of destroying sin must be produced in our hearts; the grace of God must be implored without which nothing can be accomplished. It is useful also to read some spiritual book which speaks against the vice. The Sacraments of Penance and of holy Communion should often be received, and some saint who in life had committed the same sin, and afterwards by the grace of God conquered it, should be honored, as Mary Magdalen and St. Augustine who each had the habit of impurity, but with the help of God resisted and destroyed it in themselves; there should be fasting, alms-deeds, or other good works, performed for the same object, and it is of great importance, even necessary, that the conscience should be carefully examined in this regard.
Who are standing idle in the market place?
In the market-place, that is the world, they are standing idle who, however much business they attend to, do not work for God and for their own salvation; for the only necessary employment is the service of God and the working out of our salvation. There are three ways of being idle: doing nothing whatever; doing evil; doing other things than the duties of our position in life and its office require, or if this work is done without a good intention, or not from the love of God. This threefold idleness deprives us of our salvation, as the servant loses his wages if he works not at all, or not according to the will of his master. We are all servants of God, and none of us can say with the laborers in the Vineyard that no man has employed us; for God, when He created us, hired us at great wages, and we must serve Him always as He cares for us at all times; and if, in the gospel, the householder reproaches the workmen, whom no man had hired, for their idleness, what will God one day say to those Christians whom He has placed to work in His Vineyard, the Church, if they have remained idle?
Why do the last comers receive as much as those who worked all day ?
Because God rewards not the time or length of the work, but the industry and diligence with which it has been performed. It may indeed happen, that many a one who has served God but for a short time, excels in merits another who has lived long but has not labored as diligently. (Wisdom 4: 8-13)
What is signified by the murmers of the first workmen when the wages were paid?
As the Jews were the first who were called by God, Christ intended to show that the Gentiles, who were called last, should one day receive the heavenly reward, and that the Jews have no reason to murmur because God acted not unjustly in fulfilling His promises "to them, and at the same time calling others to the eternal reward". In heaven envy, malevolence and murmuring will find no place. On the contrary, the saints who have long served God wonder at His goodness in converting sinners and those who have served Him but a short time, for these also there will be the same penny, that is, the vision, the enjoyment, and possession of God and His kingdom. Only in the heavenly glory there will be a difference because the divine lips have assured us that each one shall be rewarded according to his works. The murmurs of the workmen and the answer of the householder serve to teach us, that we should not murmur against the merciful proceedings of God towards our neighbor, nor envy him; for envy and jealousy are abominable, devilish vices, hated by God. By the envy of the devil, death came into the world. (Wisd. 2: 24) The envious therefore, imitate Lucifer, but they hurt only themselves, because they are consumed by their envy. "Envy," says St. Basil "is an institution of the serpent, an invention of the devils, an obstacle to piety, a road to hell, the depriver of the heavenly kingdom.”
What is meant by: The first shall be last, and the last shall be first?
This again is properly to be understood of the Jews; for they were the first called, but will be the last in order, as in time, because they responded not to Christ's invitation, received not His doctrine, and will enter the Church only at the end of the world; while, on the contrary, the Gentiles who where not called until after the Jews, will be the first in number as in merit, because the greater part responded and are still responding to the call. Christ, indeed, called all the Jews, but few of them answered, therefore few were chosen. Would that this might not. also come true with regard to Christians whom God has also called, and whom He wishes to save. (1 Tim 2: 4) Alas! very few live in accordance with their vocation of working in the vineyard of the Lord, and, consequently, do not receive the penny of eternal bliss.
PRAYER
O most benign God, who, out of pure grace, without any merit of ours, hast called us, Thy unworthy servants, to the true faith, into the vineyard of the holy Catholic Church, and dost require us to work in it for the sanctification of our souls, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may never be idle but be found always faithful workmen, and that that which in past years we have failed to do, we may make up for in future by greater zeal and persevering industry, and, the work being done, may receive the promised reward in heaven, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our, Lord. Amen.
credits: text from Fr Goffine "The Church's Year", painting is Rembrand's "Vineyard'
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In all thy ways think of Him, and He will direct thy steps (Prov 3:6)
Today I post the last part of lecture given by Bl Titus Brandsma O.Carm during his American lecture tour before WW2 on the subject of Carmelite spirituality and contemplative life of prayer as exemplified by St Elijah. The lecture is in practice excellent summary of the history and development of the Order and can profit those interested in Carmel history and spirituality to increase their knowledge and understanding of the spiritual richness of one of the greatest mendicant orders dedicated to Our Lady.
ON THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD
Mother dearest, Mother fairest, Maiden purest, Maiden rarest, Hope of earth and joy of heaven, Love and praise to thee be given, Blissful mother, blissful maiden.
Why is this Sunday called "Septuagesima"?
MATER CASTISSIMA, ORA PRO NOBIS
There was nothing soft or weak about Mary's virtue. She was the valiant woman, par excellence, who defeated and set at naught the machinations of Satan and his crew. She was strong of heart in consequence, and so able later to bear heavier sufferings than have ever yet, or ever will, fall to the lot of mortal. We read of Judith that she wore hair-cloth and fasted almost daily; and it is recorded of our Lady that she, too, though the perfection of innocence, practised great bodily austerities (Husenbeth's Life of the B. Virgin). What must we think of our own cowardice in this respect? But humility, far more than austerity, was the support of Mary's virtue. Her simply, unaffected lowliness baffled all the wiles of the devil. Her childlike rejoicing in the gifts God bestowed on her, as being all His and showing forth His generosity and goodness, her self-forgetfulness (for humility is the effacement of self), her love of poverty and the hidden life - all these kept spotless the glittering whitness of her soul. "Therefore also the hand of God hath strengthened thee", "He hath given His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways". How lovingly must these blessed spirits have watched over and guarded the Virgin Mother of God from her conception to her assumption! With what admiration they must have regarded this chief d'oeuvre of their Creator whom He had made expressly for Himself! As St Bernard so beautifully puts it: "It became God to be born of none but of a virgin. It became a virgin mother to be the Mother of God. It became the Creator of mankind to choose unto Himself such a mother as He knew beseemed Him, and would please Him. He was pleased, therefore, that she should be a virgin, of whom, being herself stainless, He should be born stainless, to purge away all stains. He was pleased that she should be lowly, out of whom He should come forth, who is meek and lowly of heart, to set an example unto all, in Himself, of needful and helpful graces. He granted her the power of motherhood while yet a maiden, having already Himself breathed into her the love of virginity, and granted unto her the reward of her lowliness. And that she, who was to bear and conceive the Holy of Holies, might be holy in body, she received the gift of virginity and of lowliness. "O Virgin most wonderful and most worshipful, O woman worthy of a worship all thine own, thou that renewest them that were before thee, quickenest them that come after thee. 'The Angel was sent unto a Virgin' - a virgin in body, a virgin in mind, a virgin by profession, a virgin such as the apostle would have her be: 'Holy, both in body and in spirit," - a virgin not newly found, nor by hazard, but elect from everlasting, foreknown by the Most High, and made ready by Him, foreshadowed by Patriarchs, and foretold by Prophets."
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TRUE PIETY
For meditation on the Feast of the Holy Family I propose to read the wonderful sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaix and ponder upon the virtue of humility so dear to Our Lord who becoming man humbled Himself so profoundly for our salvation. Let us also look at the humility of the Virgin chosen by God to become His mother and try to follow her illustrious example. Let us not forget humility of St Joseph who was chosen by God to be the guardian of the Holy family. May the quiet, humble but happy life of the Holy Family be example of holiness for all of us to follow.
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