An Ecumenical "St. Matthew's Passion"

To commemorate Passion (or Palm) Sunday tomorrow, here is the first movement from a setting of St. Matthew's Passion in Church Slavonic by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations for the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, who attended Pope Francis' inaugural Mass last week.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Discuss the Eastern Church: A Grammatical Primer

Image
"To count the terms used in theology as of primary importance, and to endeavor to trace out the hidden meaning in every phrase and in every syllable, is a characteristic wanting in those who are idle in the pursuit of true religion, but distinguishing all who get knowledge of the mark of our calling...The beginning of teaching is speech." --St. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit I.2 I've often written here of the need to reclaim the Church's bipulmonary nature, that is, the fact that she has two lungs, as Pope Bl. John Paul II loved to say, the West and the East.  I've recently realized that just having people mention the Eastern Church is not enough (though it is certainly a great start): people must also know what they're talking about in regards to Eastern Christianity.  One of the greatest aspects that needs to be cleared up is simply the matter of terminology.  Thus I here attempt to give a quick grammatical primer on terms that are often ...
Read more

Pope Leo XIV (Robert F. Prevost): "The Servant Leader in the Perspective of Augustinian Spirituality"

Habemus papam! Here is a link to a 2005 address from Pope Leo XIV (then simply Fr. Robert F. Prevost, OSA): "The Servant Leader in the Perspective of Augustinian Spirituality. "  The address was given to the Congress of O.S.A. Educators and Schools in Rome. Thanks to Reddit user u/leibnizean for posting the link to this address.  Below is the full text of the address. The Servant Leader in the Perspective of Augustinian Spirituality Fr. Robert F. Prevost, O.S.A. Prior General 2001-2013 Order of Saint Augustine July 25, 2005 Introduction Early in the year 387, (so after Augustine's “conversion experience” in the garden, but before his baptism), we find Augustine - according to a letter he wrote to his good friend Nebridius - “stretched out on his bed, in the still of the night, holding dialogues with himself.” (Letter 3, 1). These reflections are, in large part, the result of a similar process. It is my hope that such late night “dialogues” will have come tog...
Read more

Book Announcement: "My Burden Is Light: Suffering and Consolation in the Christian Life" by St. John of Ávila

Image
  My first traditionally-published book is now available for pre-order.  My Burden Is Light contains selected sermons of St. John of Ávila (1499-1569), Doctor of the church.  See the publisher's blurb below: " 'Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.' Matthew 11:28–30   Christ’s words ring true for this earthly life that we must endure in order to, hopefully, attain eternal rest with Him in heaven. Our fallen world is full of sufferings and struggles; from the everyday aggravations to the life-altering sorrows that we sometimes face. Yet, Christ assures us that His 'yoke is sweet and [His] burden light.' This is so because He always helps us carry our crosses throughout this life and because the ultimate battle is already won, thanks to Christ’s love ...
Read more