Fourth Sunday in Lent

 

Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow:

that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. (Psalm)

I  rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord.

 

News of the Order and commentary appear after the Proper Collect, Epistle and Gospel

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Mothering Sunday / Laetera (Rejoice) Sunday

Homily of Augustine on Psalm CXLII

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source: Sacramentary of Gregory, Bishop of Rome [600 AD]. This Sunday was sometimes known as "Refreshment Sunday" for "be releived" from the Latin resperimus and the Gospel where Jesus relieved the multitude of their hunger. Sometimes known as "Mothering Sunday" as Paul says in the Gospel, "the Jerusalem above is the mother of us all"

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ezekiel xxxix. 21,   Psalm 142, 143 | 119:105–144   Galatians iv. 21. St. John vi. 1.
Homily of Augustine on Psalm CXLII

There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes:
but what are they among so many?

---

 

 

 

BULLETIN

 

 

quotation

 

[Lent] is a season during which the Church demands more than ordinary devotion from her children. Her services are increased--are of a more solemn character-- are such as are best adapted to lead our thoughts away from the things of this world, to contemplate the mysteries of Redemption. Every day she would have her children prostrate themselves in God's house, and pray that He would "create and make within them new and contrite hearts." The services of the Church keep two facts prominently before our minds: our sinfulness, Christ's holiness; our need, Christ's sufficiency.

 

[Chaplain Charles Todd Quintard, 1861, Later Bishop of Tennessee ]

 

calendar

Emeterius and Chelidonius, Legionaries of Calahorra, Spain - March 3rd

Adrian - Roman Officer & Martyr March 4th [304]

news

Seal of Jezebel – The most recent edition of the Biblical Archeological Review is online, and there is a very interesting article concerning a seal dated to the ninth century BC with the name "Jezebel."  The entire issue of BAR is online this month.

Earlier this week I bid your thanksgiving prayers for the life of William F. Buckley.  I've put together a little web page to mark the departure of this brother in arms, and have placed a link to it in the Order's historical section. 

commentary

 

In today's quotation a centurion of 19^th Century reminds his readers in a Lenten Tract that their primary devotion in Lent is not abstinence, but rather contrition, and reform [see Isaiah 58], but yet, fasting and abstinence are not to be neglected.

 

In the old tradition the 4^th Sunday in Lent is known as  Laetare Sunday for the traditional introit, and Mothering Sunday for the epistle in today's readings [Galatians 4:22-31.] and in England it is "Mothers Day".  Laetare Sunday and the golden the procession of the Bishop of Rome with the Golden Rose was credited as being an "ancient custom" by Leo IX in 1054. You might even find pink vestments in church this Sunday

 

The homily of Augustine today looks at Psalm 142. In reading over this psalm in the Coverdale translation, I thought of feelings of despondency, desperation, and forlornness. I thought of despair and as though there was  no place to turn. Nowhere -- except to the One who has revealed himself to each of his elect through the gift of his Holy Spirit. We cry to him in prayers of intercession and supplication. Scripture tells us that we do not pray alone, for our guardian angel stands before God making supplication, and the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf with groans that we cannot know.

 

Augustine puts it this way:

 

With my voice have I cried unto the Lord" (ver. 1). It were enough to say, "with voice:" not for nothing perhaps has "my" been added. For many cry unto the Lord, not with their own voice, but with the voice of their body. Let the "inner man" then, in whom "Christ" hath begun to "dwell by faith," cry unto the Lord, not with the din of his lips, but with the affection of his heart. God heareth not, where man heareth: unless thou criest with the voice of lungs and side and tongue, man heareth thee not: thy thought is thy cry to the Lord. "With my voice have I prayed unto the Lord." What he meant by, "I have cried," he explained when he said, "I have prayed." For they too who blaspheme, cry unto the Lord. In the former part he set down his crying, in the latter he explained what it was. As though it were demanded, With what cry hast thou cried unto the Lord? Unto the Lord, saith he, I have prayed. My cry is my prayer, not reviling, not murmuring, not blaspheming.  

 

A great homily, read it all at the link above.

Α☧Ω
Order of Centurions

--
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" [St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 14:19]

IN HOC SIGNO VINCES - TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM
www.OrderofCenturions.org

--
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" [St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 14:19]

IN HOC SIGNO VINCES - TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM
www.OrderofCenturions.org