Tonight was the Jesuit Retreat House program: ‘Between Music and Silence: The Listening Heart of Ignatian Spirituality’ conducted by Christopher Pramuk. The gentleman, scholar, and musician spoke softly; knowledgeable, educated, experienced, unimposing, and attentive. Addressing a gathering, he is a confident man of peace and refinement. He shares a spirituality aligned with an appreciation of music; an aesthete sensibility centered upon God. From my perspective, my journey, the Cloud of Unknowing is expanded upon. The experience of a practiced prayer life has formed fruitful interior space. That space, presence, surrendered within humility and a life of struggle, receives grace with the inclusion of a musical receptivity. Music efficiently embraces a proper relationship with God, an adoration of pure beauty. The dance of life, the seeking of God—Mr Pramuk introduced the idea that in truth we are not seeking rather God is the Seeker—advances with a connection to music; sound—vibration and waves, combined to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression. It is much simpler than dogma and opinions; avoiding the pitfalls of being right or wrong. There was a sister from the order of St Joseph sitting at our table. During a table discussion, she beautifully elaborated on the musicality of prayer. Her words comforted, while details remain vague—something about bringing opposites into balance and other things of wisdom. Strikingly, the obvious presence of a refined interior space, a palpable sense the elderly religious woman possessed a deep prayer life, was enough to impress. Fully present, she held me captive with her penetrating eyes. The socializing with many satisfied.

Quoted words utilized by Mr. Pramuk: “We are not in education for proselytism but for transformation. We want to form a new kind of humanity that is musical, that retains this sensitivity to beauty, to goodness, to the suffering of others, to compassion. But of course, this is a sensitivity that is threatened today by a purely economic or materialist mindset which deadens this sensitivity to deeper dimension of reality. Just as this musical sense is being eroded and weakened by the noise, the pace, the self-images of the modern and postmodern world, so is religious sensitivity.” –Father Adolfo Nicolás, S.J. Superior General of the Society of Jesus

Music played by Mr. Pramuk, a discussion of impressions following.

Apparently, no religious life could be more ordinary and more simple than Sister Catherine Laboure. The Saint prayed, submitted and obeyed with no comment. She was indeed, as Pius XII declared at the time of her Beatification: ‘The Saint of silence and of the duties of her state.’

A short time after she had received the Habit, she left the Mother House in the Rue du Bac. Her Superiors had arranged for her to take up her duties in the Hospice for old men at Enghien. She remained there all her life.

Sister Catherine was not daunted by any work, however hard. Severe towards herself, careless of fatigue, she accepted all with the calm of those souls whose peace is rooted in their union with God; even the rebuffs of the old men of the Hospice of whom she had charge for nearly forty years, did not disturb her serenity.

She spoke little, and lived in a state of constant recollection.

She was a soul of prayer, and speaks of it thus:

“When I go to the chapel, I put myself before the good God and say to Him: Lord, here I am, give me what You wish. If He gives me something, I am happy and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I thank Him still, because I do not deserve anything more. Then I tell Him all that comes into my mind: I tell Him my sorrows and my joys….and I listen.”  –“The Saint of Silence and the Message of Our Lady” No author credited.

Healing river of the Spirit,
bathe the wounds that living brings.
Plunge our pain, our sin, our sadness
deep within your sacred springs.
Weary from the restless searching
that has lured us from your side,
We discover in your presence
peace that world cannot provide.

Wellspring of the healing Spirit,
stream that flows to bring release,
As we gain our selves, our senses,
may our lives reflect your peace.
Grateful for the flood that heals us,
may your church enact your grace.
As we meet both friend and stranger,
may we see our Savior’s face.

Living stream that heals the nations,
make us channels of your power.
All the world is torn by conflict;
wars are raging at this hour.
Saving Spirit, move among us;
guide our winding human course,
Till we find our way together,
flowing homeward to our source.

In honor of the vastness of the world, in celebration of an incredible World Cup, I present my favorite goal scorer of all time. Brazilian soccer is the beautiful game, Ginga. Ronaldinho mesmerizes me whenever I watch.  Our Holy Mother is the celebration of creation, the Immaculate Conception, the embracing of the difficulties of life and self-will. Her love is unbounded and unconditional. Enjoy the video of a great goal scorer.

We must keep control over all our senses by holy interior recollection, banishing all useless reflection and introspection; these only serve to disturb us and deprive our soul of that peace without which it will never be the sanctuary of God.  –Thoughts and Saying of Saint Margaret Mary

This time of the season always possesses the invitation into despair, a darkness pervading.  Churches remove the exposed Eucharist.  There is no where you can go for Adoration.  The Eucharist is not there.  The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration strip their monstrance from its perch, the space barren, stark, and empty.  Tenebrae, Latin for shadows, the celebration of Matins and Lauds, the extinguishing of candles lends to the time of darkness, a pre-condition beckoning an act of finality.  The Last Supper Mass, Thursday of Holy Week, I celebrated the day with the Poor Clares.  I was supposed to get my feet washed, however I was enjoying participating in the hymnal, being led in song by Sister Mary Joseph…forgive us now each one our sins…in Christian holiness.  The readings and Homily stressed the importance of the Eucharist, the establishing of the priesthood, and loving Christian devotion centered upon trust, hope, and faith.  Father Roger stated that without the Eucharist our efforts are meaningless and vain.  He emphatically invited all the attending to participate in Adoration after Mass.  The Eucharist was hidden away, behind curtains, in a side tabernacle beneath the Sacred Heart of Jesus, just to the right of where I routinely encamp.  There was a procession before the Adoration, the entire congregation walking around the shrine, honoring and following the Eucharist before it was hidden away to memorialize Holy Week.  I wrapped my Rosary around my wrist, joining the procession.  Seating myself for a Holy Hour, witnessing a reposed Eucharist, an idea inspiringly arose.

I recalled Pope John Paul II in his encyclical honoring the Rosary, defining the Illumanitive Mysteries, inviting the devoted to be creative, to authentically establish their own mysteries in which to pray the Rosary.  It sprouted in my mind to pray five decades of the Rosary in honor of mysteries surrounding the Last Supper.  The first mystery would concentrate upon the Passover, the Old Covenant, the Old Testament; the Israelites saved from slavery, protected from the final horrible plague inflicted upon the Egyptians by marking their homes with the blood of a sacrificed lamb.

The second of the Last Supper mysteries is the gathering of Jesus, the apostles and Mary in the upper-room for the Passover feast, the new honoring the old, friends gathering in respect to tradition.  Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the passover?”

The third Last Supper mysteries is Jesus washing the feet of the apostles, the establishing of the priesthood, the birth of priestly duties.  Sublimely and lovingly, the reality of damnation is dealt with.

…he (Jesus) rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

The fourth mystery is the breaking of bread and the anointing of wine, sacraments given birth, the Eucharist aising.  As a priest the wise St Paul writes:

Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

 The final Last Supper mystery announces the Sorrowful Mysteries.  The Passover feast is finished.  Jesus has concluded profound deeds.  The meal has been consumed.  Satan enters Judas and the story of God’s relationship with man advances.  The final mystery of the Last Supper Rosary is Judas setting up his performance of kissing Jesus.

“Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 
And they were very sorrowful,
and began to say to him one after another,
“Is it I, Lord?”
He answered,
“He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me.
The Son of man goes as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!
It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 
Judas, who betrayed him, said,
“Is it I, Master?”
 He said to him, “You have said so.”