Lord, open my lips, + and my mouth shall declare Your praise (Psalm 51:5). These words, taken from the Book of Psalms, open the Invitatory, the traditional beginning to the Canonical Hours. These Hours are a traditional set of prayers that have defined the Church’s devotional life for two thousand years, forming a precious pieceContinue reading “The Canonical Hours”
Author Archives: Nicolas Cloutier
Holy Saturday: Silence in the Tomb
It is written in the First Book of Kings that God said to St. Elijah the Prophet, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord: and behold the Lord passeth,” (1 Kings 19:11). Following this, St. Elijah in obedience ascended to the crest. When he got there, there was a strong wind, soContinue reading “Holy Saturday: Silence in the Tomb”
An Eye Towards Eternity
With wonder, the people of Judea spread the story in hushed excitement. Not two centuries after the revolt of Judas Maccabeus, a time of subjugation had befallen the Jewish people; the centurions of the Great Babylon tread on the streets of Jerusalem. There were rumors, as there often are in times like these, of forebodingContinue reading “An Eye Towards Eternity”
The Habit of the Lesser Brothers
“And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation: and I will bring up sackcloth upon every back of yours, and baldness upon every head: and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the latter end thereof as a bitter day.” (Amos 8:10). “Therefore weContinue reading “The Habit of the Lesser Brothers”
