Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine)

Truly it is “a trustworthy word and deserving of every welcome” (1 Tm 1:15), your almighty Word, Lord, which in such deep silence made its way down from the Father’s royal throne (Wis 18:14f.) into the mangers of animals and meanwhile speaks to us better by its silence. “Let him who has ears to hear, hear” what this loving and mysterious silence of the eternal Word speaks to us (…) For what recommends the discipline of silence with such weight and such authority, what checks the evil of restless tongues and the storms of words, as the Word of God silent in the midst of men. “There is no word on my tongue” (Ps 139[138]:4), the almighty Word seems to confess while he is subject to his mother. What madness then will prompt us to say: “With our tongues we can do great things; our lips are good friends to us; we own no master” (Ps 11:5). If I were allowed I would gladly be dumb and be brought low, and be silent even from good things, that I might be able the more attentively and diligently to apply my ear to the secret utterances and sacred meaning of this divine silence, learning in silence in the school of the Word if only for as long as the Word himself was silent under the instruction of his mother (…) “The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” (Jn 1:14). With complete devotion, then, let us think of Christ in the swaddling clothes with which his mother wrapped him, so that with eternal happiness we may see the glory and beauty with which his Father has clothed him.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

The two parables of the treasure and the pearl both teach us the same thing: that we should prefer the Gospel before all earthly treasures. (…) However, there is something even more praiseworthy than this: that we should delight to give it preference, joyfully, unhesitatingly. Let us never forget this: to abandon all else so as to follow God is to gain more than one loses. The preaching of the Gospel is hidden in this world like a hidden treasure, a treasure without price. To gain this treasure (…) two conditions are required: the forsaking of this world’s goods and a firm determination. For it is a question “of a merchant searching for fine pearls”. “When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it”. This one pearl is truth and truth is one, it is not divided. Do you possess a pearl? Then you know your wealth: it is clenched in the palm of your hand; no one is aware of your fortune. So it is with the Gospel: if you embrace it with faith, if it remains enclosed in your heart, what a treasure you have ! You alone know it is there. Unbelievers, who know neither what it is nor what value it has, have no idea of your incredible wealth.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

“Christ laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1Jn 3,16)… Jesus said to Peter: “When you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old,… someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go…” (Jn 21,18). It was the Cross, the Passion, he promised him. “Go even so far as to pasture my sheep, suffer for my sheep.” This is what a good bishop is to be like. If he is not, he is no bishop… Now listen to this other testimony. Two of his disciples, the brothers John and James who were sons of Zebedee, were ambitious for the first place without consideration for the others… Our Lord answered them: “You do not know what you are asking”, for he added: “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” What cup is this if not that… of the Passion?… And they, forgetting their weakness, immediately said: “We can”. Then he said to them: “My cup you will indeed drink. But to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father”… In this way he gave proof of his humility for, in fact, everything the Father prepares is prepared, too, for the Son… He came in humility: he, the Creator, was created amongst us; he made us, but he was made for us. God before time began, man in time, he delivered man from time. This great physician has come to heal our cancer…; by his example he has come to heal pride itself. This is what we must give our attention to in the Lord: let us consider his humility, drink the cup of his humility, clasp him, contemplate him. How easy it is to have elevated thoughts, easy to take pleasure in honors, easy to give one’s ear to flatterers and people who praise us. But to bear with insult, patiently undergo humiliation, pray for those who persecute us (Mt 5,39.44): that is the Lord’s cup, that is the Lord’s feast.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

“I rejoiced because they said to me, ‘We will go up to the house of the Lord.’ And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem” (Ps 122[121]:1-2). What Jerusalem is this? On earth there is a city of this name but it is a mere shadow of that other Jerusalem. What kind of happiness is there in standing in a Jerusalem here below that is unable to stand of itself but which fell to the ground in ruins?… It is not of the Jerusalem here below that someone speaks who has such great love, such great longing, such great desire to come to the Jerusalem, “our mother”, of which Saint Paul says that it is “eternal in the heavens” (Gal 4:26; 2 Cor 5:1)… “O Jerusalem, may your peace be in your strength” (Ps 122[121]:7). That is to say, may your peace be in your love, for your love is your strength. Hear the Song of Songs: “Love is strong as death” (8:6)… And indeed, love destroys what we have been so that we might become, through a sort of death, what we were not… This was the sort of death that was working in him who said: “The world is crucified to me and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). It was of this death that the same apostle was speaking when he said: “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). Yes, “love is strong as death”. If love is strong then it is powerful; it has great strength; it is strength itself… So may your peace be in your strength, O Jerusalem. May your peace be in your love.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

By craving the first places, most important responsibilities and highest honors, the two brothers, James and John, were wanting to get authority over others, it seems to me. This was why Jesus was opposed to their pretension. By saying to them: “Whoever would be first will be servant of all” he uncovered their hidden thoughts. In other words: “If you are ambitious for the topmost place and the greatest honors, seek out the last place, strive to become the simplest, most humble and lowliest of all. Put yourself after others. This is the virtue that will win you the honor you covet. You have beside you a shining example: ‘for the Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mk 10:45). That is how you will gain glory and renown. See what has happened to me: I seek neither honor nor glory and yet the gain I achieve in this way is infinite.” As we know, before the incarnation of Christ and his coming down to us, all was lost, all was corrupt. But after he had been humbled, he raised up everything . He abolished the curse, destroyed death, opened Paradise, put sin to death, unbolted the gates of heaven to gather into it the firstfruits of our humanity. He spread faith throughout the world, cast out error and restored virtue. He caused the firstfruits of our nature to mount a royal throne. Christ is the author of numerous benefits that neither my words nor any human word is able to describe. Before he humbled himself he was known only to the angels, but since he was brought low the whole human race has recognised him.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team