Morning Prayer of a Nun

Breviary prayed by nuns and monks for centuries.

Inside of breviary.

The care and attention that was given to making these books for prayer. This book is 70 years old.

Owned and used by Sister M. Maurus, a Benedictine nun.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Cornwall where it is a beautiful Sunday evening, and was a gorgeous day: about 70 degrees, sunny, with a nice breeze. Though the locals say it was too hot! This should give those in Texas a good laugh.

This week had many blessings, including lunch with a good local priest, but I wanted to pass on a little treasure I discovered this morning. I recently began praying matins (the early morning prayer of priests) with this old Benedictine breviary. This morning, while trying to find the correct page for a reading, I discovered this prayer slipped in between the pages:

Since I can't figure out how to rotate the photo, here is the prayer typed out:

Before My Crucifix

My dearest Lord, what will Thou send me today? Humiliations, contradictions, physical sufferings, painful intelligence [news] which I do not expect; an aching heart, a failure.

Shall I see myself misjudged, wrongly suspected, despised? All that Thou wishest, O my God, I accept it all in advance, and if I weep through weakness, Oh, regard it not; if I murmur, check me; if I am forgetful, punish me; if I am discouraged, raise me up. But through it all teach me to say “THY WILL BE DONE.” 

Amen.

It seemed providential for a sermon today on living by faith and on embracing the cross in our daily lives. I can picture this nun kneeling each morning before her crucifix to pray this simple prayer. It is beautiful, simple, challenging, but no doubt quite freeing for the heart and soul. I prayed it this morning and may incorporate it in my prayer life. I wanted to pass it on to you in case you find it helpful.

Lastly, for Texas readers of this blog, on Sunday, August 25, after the 3:30 PM High Mass that I will celebrate in Austin's St. Mary Cathedral, there will be a reception with some refreshments in the Cathedral hall. You are all warmly invited.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Blessed Retreat in Norcia

The Monks gather here 8 times a day to chant the Divine Office.

View from the Monastery.

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you very much for your prayers during my annual retreat. It was truly grace-filled. Perched on a mountain overlooking the town of Norcia, each day of my retreat began by joining the Benedictine monks of Monasterio San Benedetto in Monte for the chanting Matins at 3:30 AM. Around 4:30 AM I walked in silence back to the little house the monks kindly lent me:

Front porch of house.

Bedroom.

Kitchen (never used since I ate with the monks).

Same room as the kitchen, where I sat for lectio divina or other reading.

There, following the monks' rhythm, the next hour+ was spent in lectio divina: the prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture. At 6:00 I hiked back to the chapel to join them for the chanting of lauds. 6:40 - 7:45 was another time for lectio divina or prayer, either in the house or hiking. Then 7:45 prime and then the celebration of a quiet Low Mass. Further time for hiking, reading, or prayer, then 10AM terce and the conventual (chanted) Mass, and so on....

The monks were very welcoming. Though in Italy, they are almost all Americans, with a good sense of humor. Their chanting was quite well done, and they took seriously silence and fasting. In fact, except for Sundays or major Feast Days, they never eat until 1PM, and on Fridays not until 3PM, and during Lent not until 5PM. So it was a very good place to be reminded of the need to deepen prayer and penance in my own life!

It's rather hard to describe the graces of a retreat in a blog post. Some of the fruits were peace, joy, confidence in God, willingness (at least at the time!) to suffer a bit more for Him, etc. In such an atmosphere of silence the words of the Gospels, of St. Paul, of the psalms, come to life and it is a bit easier to listen to God's voice and to savor some of the richness of His teachings therein.

And the Benedictine rule is a beautiful thing. Among other gems in their rule is a beautiful chapter on humility, which is so emphasized by St. Benedict. For the Lord said, "learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart." He could have chosen any virtues to emphasize, since He had all of them perfectly, but he chose meekness and humility as particularly important. And there is much practical wisdom in St. Benedict's rule. As he announces at the beginning: "We are about to establish a school of the Lord's service, in the institution of which we hope we are going to establish nothing harsh, nothing burdensome." The whole paragraph, which is the concluding one of the preface, reads:

We have therefore to establish a school of the Lord’s service, in the institution of which we hope we are going to establish nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. But if, prompted by the desire to attain to equity, anything be set forth somewhat strictly for the correction of vice or the preservation of charity, do not therefore in fear and terror flee back from the way of salvation of which the beginning cannot but be a narrow entrance. For it is by progressing in the life of conversion and faith that, with heart enlarged and in ineffable sweetness of love, one runs in the way of God’s commandments, so that never deserting His discipleship but persevering until death in His doctrine within the monastery, we may partake by patience in the suffering of Christ and become worthy inheritors of His kingdom. Amen.

There is much truth in those words--if we persevere in docility, in obedience to God--which at first often seems quite difficult, He gradually "enlarges our heart" in such a way that we find it possible to run in the ways of Hish commandments. Of course, at least for sinners like myself, these are lessons I'm having to learn over and over again, but there is a beautiful practical wisdom in St. Benedict's teaching.

Providentially, the last day of my retreat was the Feast of St. Benedict and the celebration of the 20th anniversary of their monastery. Since their monastery was destroyed by an earthquake 4 years ago, and they have since been in temporary quarters on the mountain, they laid on his feast day the cornerstone of their new monastery. Cardinal Brandmueller was in attendance. I thanked him for his courageous defense of the Catholic faith.

About 400 people from the town of Norcia came up for solemn vespers the eve of the feast and then a solemn High Mass on the feast itself. After each there was a time of refreshments and fellowship, highlighted by the Monks distributing generously their own beer "Nursia"--which I highly recommend after having sampled it.

Since I find it hard to put other graces into words I will end this blog post here. But thank you very much for your prayers! It has been good these past few days to reengage in daily apostolate and life here at Lanherne. And this afternoon I was treated to "Cornish wrestling" on the village green. If you wish to see a glimpse of this ancient sport, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=4fRgjwylTLo

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Prayers for Little Boy in Hospital

Fellow Classmates in France looking at the entryway to one of the original houses used by St. Dominic.

Fr. Francois Daguet, director of L'Institut Saint Thomas d'Aquin in Toulouse.

Dear Friends and Family,

Above are photos, taken a few weeks ago, of one of the original convents of the Dominicans. Saint Dominic's cell in this convent has since been turned into a chapel, where we had a Mass to commemorate the end of the school year.

Please say a prayer for a member of my congregation, a 4-year-old with Down syndrome, who was just diagnosed for possible Leukemia and so is having to spend extended time in a hospital. While he seems to still be in good spirits, please keep him and the doctors in your prayers.

This week has been one punctuated by illnesses and funerals. But the two funerals were joyous occasions really. One involved a 90-year-old who had been a freemason for almost all of his life, until the very end when he renounced that, went through a conversion, and became a Catholic with the full benefit of the Sacraments as he left this world. It was a joy to celebrate his funeral Mass, asking the Lord to grant him a quick passage through purgatory. It was a particular joy, as I went about daily duties this week, to recall the moments of grace in his conversion. God seemed to be smiling down on the funeral Mass as we had beautiful weather which permitted a walking procession to the graveyard for burial.

The other funeral involved a lady I only met once--to give her the Sacraments. At a first Friday rosary a few weeks ago someone asked if I could visit his house-bound mother. I stopped by the home that Sunday to meet a lovely grandmother with a strong faith. She eagerly received the Sacraments and seemed to be on the mend. I expected her to be with us for years to come. But just a few weeks later the Lord called her from this world.

Then there was the little boy I mentioned, who was quickly taken to a hospital a few hours away. But God willing I will see soon. And then there were two house-calls this afternoon. It is a real privilege to be able to bring the Lord in His Eucharistic presence to homes, to offer His absolution, and to anoint those seriously ill.

May Jesus and Mary prepare us all for when the day comes that we ourselves will be preparing to come face to face with God.

Lastly, I will be making my annual retreat in the Benedictine Monastery of Norcia (to see photos click here: https://en.nursia.org )beginning this Wednesday evening and will not be on the computer for the next two weekends. But I'll be praying for you!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

St. Mawgan graveyard, just up the road from Lanherne.

Though the Weather Outside is Frightful...

A glimpse of the crowds on a rainy Corpus Christi Sunday, but inside...

The King of Glory awaits!

Dear Friends and Family,

On this Sunday in the Octave of Corpus Christi we've had the special joy of all-day adoration, as was the case on the Feast itself, Thursday. There are so many, many graces that God gives in times of quiet adoration. And after Mass this morning I had the special joy of leading two little children in a few minutes of adoration. Two of those preparing for first Holy Communion meet with me each Sunday for 10 minutes after Mass for a quick class--following up on what they have learned at home during the week. This Sunday I spoke with them for a few minutes in our classroom and then headed into church and taught them to prostrate as the angel did at Fatima, to talk to God, to thank Him, to present to Him people in need of help, and to listen to Him. It is a real privilege to be able to help young souls learn how to adore the King of Kings.

Speaking of helping young souls learn to adore the King of Kings, you are all warmly invited to two mini-pilgrimages. One will take place on Saturday, September 28th at Chideock, here in the Diocese. It is the site of the Chideock martyrs. For many years it was a place where priests were hidden away in secret to offer the Holy Mass and Sacraments, during times of persecution. A number of them were caught and killed. To catch a glimpse of the shrine and its history, you could look here: https://www.chideockmartyrschurch.org.uk . The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales will be sponsoring a pilgrimage that day and asked me to offer the Mass. To accommodate young families, the pilgrimage will be quite short: consisting essentially of the Holy Mass, a chance to venerate the relics of the martyrs, a brief history/tour, and lunch.

The other mini-pilgrimage will take place on another continent: on Sunday, August 25th I'll be offering a sung Latin Mass, perhaps even a Solemn High Mass if we find the appropriate clerics, at 3:30 PM in St. Mary Cathedral of Austin, Texas. If you are in the area I would love to see you there.

In today's Gospel--the Gospel for the Sunday after Corpus Christi--Jesus tells the parable of the man who prepares a great banquet and sends out invitations, but his invitations are declined. So he sends his servants out the highways and byways and tells them to make people come in so that his house may be filled. Please pray for one such person on the highway. I stopped off at a Subway today to pick up a sandwich for dinner and spoke with the lady preparing my sandwich, who said she was searching for a church to belong to but had yet to find one that worked. Within the confines of a conversation in the midst of a busy line of people wanting sandwiches, I invited her to come to the Catholic Mass and it sounds like she is going to make the attempt. Please keep her in your prayers.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Father's Day

Dear Friends and Family,

Providentially, Father's Day falls on Trinity Sunday this year--so it is a wonderful day to give thanks to God the Father. As I was praying the Our Father this morning during matins, I was struck by how helpful it is to turn our soul often towards the Heavenly Father with this simple prayer. It occurs quite often during the Divine Office that each priest prays daily--for the traditional office it occurs during Matins (1 or 3 times depending on the day), then again at various points during the day, and of course at the Mass, during the rosary, etc. I must confess that I have not always prayed the Our Father at those moments with as much attention and devotion as I ought.

But this morning I was struck by how helpful it is to say those words with my heart turned toward the Father in thanksgiving and love; to be aware, in faith, of the loving presence of my heavenly Father. There is a manner of praying a vocal prayer where we try to focus above all on the meaning of the words. Then there is a manner of praying where we try to focus above all on the Person we are praying to. It seems to me that the Church gives us so often--or at least gives priests so often each day--the Our Father to pray in order to help our souls to remember the presence of our loving, heavenly Father.

I was also struck this morning by the joy of being a spiritual father--of beginning my day with the extended quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament, the Divine Office, Confessions, preaching, the Holy Mass, teaching children catechism, talking/advising people over breakfast, praying on the way into Plymouth, Confessions, the Holy Mass, and so on. What an amazing blessing I have been given in this life of a priest. I wouldn't trade being a priest for the world.

For those reading this who are part of my flock now, or have been part of it in the past, thank you for the joy of working with you as a spiritual father. I pray that Jesus and Mary will draw your souls ever closer to the heavenly Father, and that you might one day experience the abundance of joy and glory that can only be found in Heaven.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Photos for those in Texas....

Dear Friends and Family,

I returned late last night from an intense, but very blessed, week of studies in Toulouse. So for this week's blog post I will share photos rather than text.

Those of you in Texas will likely be happy to see a familiar face.

With permission from the family, please find below photos of last Sunday's First Holy Communion. And please pray for the children here at Lanherne currently preparing for that blessed moment.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

With Our Lady...

During the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The blessed moment.

Kneeling for a time of thanksgiving after Mass.

Our Lady of the Cenacle

Chasuble of Our Lady used for this past Friday's and Saturday's Masses.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings during this beautiful time of grace that is the Cenacle: the Church's oldest novena where the apostles and the Virgin Mary gathered in the upper room for prayer between the Ascension and Pentecost. It has been already been a very grace-filled few days for me, including the wonderful blessing of giving first Holy Communion yesterday, which I hope to have pictures to share with you next week! For those of you reading this in Texas, you will recognize a familiar face... in the meantime, I'll share a photo at the bottom of this post.

I'm currently in France for a week of studies, and did not have access to the internet last night--hence this delayed posting. The week promises to be quite interesting because the two topics are: 1) marriage in Aquinas and 2) the supernatural virtue of faith. But I wanted to share with you two beautiful feasts that we celebrated at the convent this weekend.

Friday was the Feast of Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Graces. In the Mass we invoked Our Lady's intercession that the Holy Ghost might be poured out in abundance. Then Saturday morning was a votive Mass of Our Lady of the Cenacle, once again asking for a greater outpouring of the Holy Ghost and our docility to His guidance. At the heart of both feasts is a prayer from the 1912 Novena to the Holy Ghost by the Holy Ghost Fathers--still posted prominently on EWTN's website. The daily consecration to the Holy Ghost concludes by prayer "...Give me grace, O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, Speak Lord, to say to You always and everywhere, 'Speak Lord for Your servant is listening.' "

This prayer expresses the very heart of the Catholic moral life--as so many have heard me say, according to the teaching of Aquinas, etc.: docility to the Holy Ghost's action in our lives. There is also a particular connection with this novena and the Latin Mass. The Holy Ghost Fathers is the congregation that Marcel Lefebvre entered shortly after this novena was written and in use (note, I am not here going into an analysis of his actions, but simply remarking that he played a very particular role in preserving and promoting the Latin Mass). Fundamentally, there is a profound link between the silent adoration and humility that the Latin Mass seeks to foster in our souls and a listening heart to the Holy Ghost. Sometimes people see these two things as opposed, but the Virgin Mary surely would have found Herself very much at home kneeling in silent adoration during a Latin Mass and also being docile and attentive to the Holy Ghost throughout Her daily life.

If you haven't already done so, I'd encourage you to begin the novena to the Holy Ghost for Pentecost, which can be found on EWTN's website. I have to get back to studies now.... will try to post more photos next week. In the meantime, here is one.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari