Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Church Triumphant, Militant and Suffering

As long as we live, we are members of the Church Militant. As such, yesterday we turned our souls to give thanks to God for the Church Triumphant; today, and traditionally for the rest of November, we pray for the Church Suffering (in Purgatory). The reason I love this time of year is that the Church draws our attention to her essential composition, makes us realise to which part of her we as yet belong. And tries to make us each year more fully aware of how we should behave in reaction and relation to the other two vast and innumerable hosts that exist beyond/outside earthly existence.

I had another fall on the eve of All Saints, this time over a lurking vacuum cleaner outside the dining room door. At first I thought I may have broken a bone in my hand, but although it is horribly blue and swollen and looks as though it has done at least one round with Mike Tyson, I think it will be all right. I could make it the excuse for the brevity of this post. That would not be honest. Truth is that I can't find words to express the vastness of the Divine economy of the Church of Christ. Several beloved composers have tried to do it in music  -   first those monks who wrote the Plainchant Requiem, then Victoria, Mozart, Dvorak, Berlioz -  and I list Verdi and Faure, even though they were not believers.

I think Victoria is my man, but then that is for another day.

God bless all here,
J

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