The Christian Life: June 2004 Archives

My mom gave us a lovely gift for our anniversary this year: a copy of Our Family Book of Life. My sister and her husband received a copy as a wedding gift last year (note to self: buy card), and I was gushing over what a great idea it was, especially for a wedding present.

It's a keepsake book for recording the events on the family's sacramental life: weddings, baptisms and confirmations, ordinations.... There are commentaries on the Sacraments. There's places for photographs, and a place for recording the family tree. The entire book is rendered in calligraphy. The authors also have some suggestions for ways to use the book in family devotions.

I'm looking forward to starting our record and putting in some wedding and baptism pictures. I suppose we're no longer newlyweds, but this is our seventh anniversary, so that seems like a fitting year for such a beautiful gift.

I will just have to avoid any tempation to delay in the form of perfectionism, such as, oh, I must brush up on calligraphy before I start so I don't wreck the beautiful lettering in the book with less-than-perfect ordinary writing.

V/ Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Christ, have mercy.
R/ Christ, have mercy.

V/ Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us.
R/ Christ, graciously hear us.

R/ for ff: have mercy on us

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God, the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, One God,
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God,
Heart of Jesus, of Infinite Majesty,
Heart of Jesus, Sacred Temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High,
Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven,
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity,
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise,
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts,
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased,
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received,
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful,
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke you,
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium,
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses,
Heart of Jesus, obedient to death,
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in you,
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in you,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world.
R/ spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
R/ graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
R/ have mercy on us.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
R/ Make our hearts like unto Thine.

Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of your most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which he offers you in the name of sinners; and to those who implore your mercy, in your great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

R/ Amen.

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of this week are Ember Days.

The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us that Ember Days were given to us by the Church to "thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy." They were days of fast and abstinence.

Karen Marie has a reflection up on the Ember Days that reminded me of this passage, attacking the books that so breezily dismiss idealism and spiritual values, from C.S. Lewis's Abolition of Man:

It will be seen that comfort and security, as known to a suburban street in peace-time, are the ultimate values: those things which can alone produce or spiritualize comfort and security are mocked. Man lives by bread alone, and the ultimate source of bread is the baker’s van: peace matters more than honour and can be preserved by jeering at colonels and reading newspapers.

And certainly our farmers can use our prayers; Sparki has an update on the devastation the recent storms have brought to the farmers in her area.