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This was actually the title of a wonderful course in Scriptural/Sacramental theology that I had when I was in Rome, at the Pontifical Atheneum Sant’ Anselmo, while doing my advanced degree. The professor, Fr Odasso, was a gentle and effective teacher, and all of us were grateful for him (and for a large number of the other professors we had).

The 25th of most months is a day of importance to me (and often to many others). Everyone knows the 25th of December, of course. And the 25th of April is my birthday. The 25th of March is the Solemnity of the Annunciation. January 25 is the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul (and the publication date in 1841 of John Henry Newman’s famous “Tract 90,” written while still an Anglican, to show that a catholic-leaning Anglican could still swear allegiance to the “39 Articles” of the Church of England (yes, he got into huge amounts of trouble for this one!).

Everyone knows (or should know) the three “theological virtues”—Faith, Hope, and Love/Charity. They are highlighted by St Paul at the end of I Corinthians 13. I personally love the way St Francis of Assisi prayed for them: “Give me right (correct) Faith, certain (confident) Hope, and perfect Charity.” You are probably also familiar with the “iconography” of these virtues: the Cross, the Anchor, and the Heart. The first and last are pretty self-explanatory; Hope is represented as an anchor because of a passage from the Letter to the Hebrews (6:18b-20—you can look it up!).

This was a refrain when David Brancaccio was the host of NPR’s “Marketplace.” Of course, his “numbers” were the Dow, NASDAQ, & S&P. I’ll want to be a bit more liturgical.

The last several Sundays we have heard messages from the Gospels that, if we were paying attention, should have shocked us.

Easter! The time of “Alleluia/Hallelujah” (“Praise the LORD”)! Eight weeks (an “octave” of weeks) of joy to offset the six weeks of sorrow and repentance that was Lent. The fifty days of celebration that are, for Christians, the equivalent of the fifty years that marked the Jewish year of Jubilee, the year of restoration and liberation and peace. The Catholic tradition of the Holy Year (beginning in the year 1300), marked every fifty years, was a reflection of this.

We of a certain age remember the TV show “That Was The Week That Was,” familiarly known as TW3. It was a satirical look at the news, presented as only the BBC could do. It had a short life; pity, that.

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners. Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. –Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England What do we love? What do we desire? In what ways are our wills and affections “unruly”?

Babies and small children are pure beauty, love, joy—the truest in this world. But the thorns are there of night watches, of illnesses, of infant perversities and contrariness. There are glimpses of heaven and hell. –Dorothy Day Which do we see first and focus on: the joy and beauty and love, or the thorns?

I hope some of these passages can help in focusing the remainder of the Lenten days (after all, we’re almost half-way home)

The 20th century composer Arnold Schoenberg wrote a beautiful piece entitled Verkärte Nacht—“The Transfigured Night.”  Originally it was a chamber piece for string sextet, later expanded to be played by a full string orchestra.  I know you don’t care, but my recordings of these pieces are by the Juilliard String Quartet and Friends, and by the Chicago Symphony with Daniel Barenboim.

The word “Lent” actually comes from Old English, and it means the spring season. That term came to be adopted/adapted to refer to the season of pre-Easter penitence (which, of course, typically falls in spring).

Two of my favorite British poets (OK, I have a number of others, too) are Robert Herrick (1591-1674) and George Herbert (1593-1633). Both were filled with the spirituality of Christian life and belief. Especially for this weekend of Mardi Gras and its prelude to Lent, I offer a poem from each of them to help us enter into Ash Wednesday and the following days of penance and resolve to reform.

This Tuesday is the Feast of the Chair of Peter. What are we celebrating? Not necessarily a physical chair (at least, not only that) but rather the teaching authority from which the chair flows—the “cathedra” not only of the bishop of Rome but also of the Church at large. [Ironic footnote: the true "cathedra” should be sited in St John Lateran as this is the official cathedral of Rome—oh, well!]

This title actually doesn’t refer to “older” and more “modern” saints—it’s actually a reference to some of the ones whose intercession we asked last weekend and this weekend. I want to consider St Jerome Emiliani and the Seven Founders of the Servite Order. After all, even if we ourselves know little about them, they’re in the liturgical calendar and so are worth learning about.

The word Tao indicates the moral, ethical, and spritual “path” or “way” of Eastern philosophy. Can you follow the “way”? You’ll ultimately be safe if you do (perhaps it’s not an accident that the first word to describe the Christian faith was odos, the Way...).

You will get to read this the weekend after I have my knee replacement—needless to say, I would not be very equipped to write a serious essay while on pain meds! This time, I want to offer you a “Top Ten” list of favorite Scripture passages that both challenge and console. They are in no particular order. And: this list is certainly not “exhaustive”—I have other passages that I lean on and love!

What can we reasonably give to be self-sacrificing for the Body of Christ even as Christ was for us? Can we do a little more? And how might we give of ourselves beyond a financial donation? This sense of generosity is truly “catholic charity.” We hear the passages all the time, but I will repeat a few of the key phrases: “What you did for the least of these...” “Which of these proved to be neighbor to the man...?” “The measure you measure with will be measured back to you.” And finally, the words we all long to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

We have moved from purple to white/gold and now to green in the last several weeks. Why do we do this? We have done (and not done) special music—is there a reason? Surely there is, and that’s what I want to share with you this time.

This year I resolve to offer you all more lists of “must-do” for your pleasure (or otherwise!). This first list will be about the unknown “truths” about characters from Scripture.