The Hermeneutic of Continuity

Dom Guillerand, in The Prayer of Love and Silence , has a chapter entitled "Practice Almsgiving and Humility." I was pleased to find this just in advance of Lent. Characteristically, he has some powerful things to say. On fasting: Fasting is an alms given directly to God. It is for his sake that we fast. It is in order that we may become more strongly attached to Him that we deprive ourselves of that food which comes from Him, and of which we can partake only for His sake. To offer Him the sacrifice of what is not absolutely indispensable for our physical well being is thus to raise ourselves from our level to His. This is itself a prayer: it raises us up to His level, to His presence, and is the prelude to many intimate colloquies of the highest form of prayer. Now that is some motivation for Lenten penance! He continues on the subject of humility: The thought of our own misery, and of the unfathomable divine mercy, also lifts us up to the same heights. They are, as it were,...

Ken very kindly posted a link in the combox to a Carthusian website that I had not seen before. If you select "texts" in the sidebar, you can get the whole text of the book by Dom Guillerand that I have been mentioning. There are also links to a number of Carthusian liturgical texts. By the way, have a look at Ken's blog Hallowed Ground .

I was at Parkminster yesterday to give my fortnightly class on Sacramental Theology. There are two new men joining the community and so I will probably meet them when we start up again in the New Year. I did have it down in my diary to lecture on New Year's Day but the Novice Master felt that it would be merciful for all concerned if we were to cancel that one. Yesterday, going in for Vespers, it dawned on me that I would have the opportunity of singing the O Adonai antiphon in a monastic setting from the great Antiphonale that they use. Christmas Day itself is observed with great solemnity at Parkminster of course. I am told that the Night Office is the most beautiful of the year. One time, Dom Cyril was urging me to come for it but I had to explain that I had Midnight Mass in the parish. However, there is an extended recreation (between None and Vespers) on St Stephen's Day - the only day in the year when this happens. I have been invited to join them so I will drive down...