The real meaning of "noon", How the ancient Jews (and medieval Christian monks) continue to influence modern society

25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 20:1-16a

Going out about nine o’clock […] And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock […] Going out about five o’clock […]

The parable of the landowner who hired laborers for his vineyard throughout the day, even hiring some at the last hour of the working day, and yet paid them all equally (giving each the usual daily wage). The Lectionary, following the New American Bible, renders the hours of the day in a way that is understandable to modern Westerners: Nine o’clock, noon, three o’clock, and five o’clock.

The original Greek text, however, speaks of the times of the day according to the old Jewish manner of counting time. As we consider this ancient method of measuring the day, we will see what the true meaning of “noon” is, and how both the ancient Jews and the medieval monks continue to influence even the most secular people of the modern day.

St. Thomas isn't "dry" - Just look at his meditation of the sorrow of Christ and his Mother

September 15^th, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

It has become popular of late to claim that St. Thomas Aquinas (and all the other scholastics with him, excepting [perhaps] St. Bonaventure) was a dry and boring author. “Sure”, some will say, “he was a great thinker and did much to help explain the faith with clarity; but there is no feeling and nothing which grasps the reader’s heart.”

Indeed, quite sadly, this derogatory style of speech is common even to our Holy Father Pope Benedict who scarcely misses an opportunity to point out that St. Augustine is more human than St. Thomas (at least in terms of his theological writings). Now, I am not sure who soured our Holy Father to the writing-style of St. Thomas, but that man did Pope Benedict a great disservice – as we shall see, St. Thomas isn’t dry at all! [Certainly, the Common Doctor is no more “dry” than St. Augustine can be, as anyone who has attempted to read The City of God has discovered.]

Why the True Cross is the greatest relic

Crucem tuam adoramus, Domine!

September 14^th, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

We worship your cross, O Lord, and we praise and glorify your holy resurrection, for the wood of the cross has brought joy to the world. (Antiphon from Morning Prayer)

The True Cross of our Savior Jesus Christ is the greatest and most precious of all relics. It is only to the True Cross, from among all other relics, that the Christian faithful are instructed to genuflect. Every other image and relic (whether of our Lord or of any of the saints) is venerated by a bow, but the relic of the True Cross is adored and worshiped with a genuflection!

The theologians debate as to whether we truly worship and adore the Cross with the adoration of latria – the Thomists, following the best of both reason and faith, maintain that we do in fact worship the Cross with latria; but others (tending toward a literalist reading of certain texts from the early Church) hold that we do not worship the Cross but only give it veneration.

The Church herself speaks quite boldly when she declares in the Sacred Liturgy that the Cross of Christ is our only hope (O Crux, ave, Spes unica!) and directs us to worship the Cross (Ecce lignum Crucis … Venite, adoremus). Finally, in the Benedictus antiphon for today’s feast in the Novus Ordo breviary, the Church proclaims: “We worship your cross, O Lord” (Crucem tuam adoramus, Domine).

Why, then, is the True Cross venerated and even worshiped as the greatest of all relics?

What does the name "Mary" mean?

September 12^th, Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

And the virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:27)

Today the Church honors the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, recalling also her patronage of Christians as (through the intercession of the same Mother of God) the Turks’ siege against Vienna was lifted on this day by the glorious victory of John III Sobieski in the year 1683.

There is a great and consoling mystery hidden for us in the name “Mary”.

Seven, seventy-seven, and seventy times seven - How Christ fulfills the prophecy of Daniel

The prophet Daniel

25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”

While Peter was already being fairly generous in offering to forgive his brother seven times, our Savior insists that forgiveness must be unconditional – and this was the meaning of his words: And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, I repent; forgive him. (Luke 17:4)

In response to Peter’s question, the good Jesus uses the number “seven” to convey the totality of forgiveness. While Peter considered “seven” solely as according to the letter, the Savior raises our hearts and minds to the recognition of the true spirit of his words. Many translations render our Lord’s words not as seventy-seven times, but as seventy times seven times (i.e. four hundred ninety times).

There is a great mystery hidden in these numbers.

Why we celebrate Mary's birth

September 8^th, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Generally the feast day of a saint is held upon the occasion of his death. Indeed, in the Roman Martyrology, the day of death is often called the natalicia or birthday – referring to the saint’s birth into heaven.

However, there are three feast days which commemorate a birth. The first and most prominent is, of course, Christmas – the Nativity of our Savior Jesus Christ. The second is the Nativity of our Lady. The third is the birth of St. John the Baptist. These three – Jesus, Mary and John – were born without original sin (having been sanctified even before birth), and hence these three are honored with feasts commemorating their earthly births.

Today we consider Mary’s birth, which is not contained in Scripture, but the sanctity of which is attested by the words of the angel Gabriel.

September: Month of the Seven Sorrows, a commentary on the Stabat Mater

September, The month of the Seven Dolors

While September 15^th is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the entire month of September is dedicated to the seven dolors (seven sorrows) of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mater Dolorosa is the great companion and consolation of all those who suffer.

Today, near the beginning of the month of September, I offer a little commentary on the Stabat Mater – a hymn which contains a most beautiful devotion to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and which has traditionally been used as the sequence at the Mass of Our Lady of Sorrows.