Seasonal Marian Hymn - Salve Regina
St. Michael's Lent Countdown
Countdown to Michaelmas:
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Happy Feast Day!
This feast commemorates the finding of the relic of the True Cross by St. Helena. St. Helena was Constantine’s mother, and as the emperor’s mother, she had a lot of influence and power. Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, and he made Christianity the official religion of Rome. This contributed to the spread and acceptance of Christianity.
In the 4th century, St. Helena traveled to the Holy Land to search for the True Cross. She found 3 separate crosses, and in order to determine which one was the true cross, she touched each one to an ill woman. Two of the crosses had no effect on the sick woman, but when the third was touched to her, she was miraculously healed! Thus, St. Helena was convinced that she had indeed found the True Cross that Christ had been crucified on. Later, Constantine also directed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to be built.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said:
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”
-Matthew 16:21-27 (NAB translation)
Our Lady of Lourdes told St. Bernadette that she could not promise that Bernadette would be happy in this life but would be happy in the next. This feast and gospel passage remind us that, in this life, we will always experience suffering. However, we are called to take up our crosses and follow Christ. Life brings suffering in all forms – great and small. We must embrace the suffering that the Lord has given to us, and know that it is for the good of our souls.
Furthermore, during Jesus’s time, the cross was for criminals. It was associated with shame. However, God took the shame and disdain of the cross and turned it into hope when He raised His Son from the dead on Easter. The cross is now a symbol for Christians to remind us that we too can have eternal life.
What crosses is Our Lord blessing you with today? What can we do to answer His call to take up our crosses and follow Him?
Simple ways to celebrate the Feast:
- Go to Mass
- Pray the Divine Office
- Sing a Hymn. Here are the lyrics for Lift High the Cross to enjoy!
Tomorrow is the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
Tomorrow is a great day to pray the Our Lady of Sorrows chaplet. This post has many resources for praying the chaplet.
Here is a very nice free printable and guide.
If you're feeling crafty, here is a tutorial for making a parachord 7 Sorrows Rosary. We have followed this tutorial in the past by just beading regular beads onto string. Instead of a crucifix, I found a little photo frame charm at Hobby Lobby and we put a picture of Our Sorrowful Mother.
Ember Days Preparation (in case you missed it)
There are 4 sets of Ember Days – one in each season. The fall Ember Days begin on the Wednesday following the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (which always falls on September 14). This year, the fall Ember Days are on September 17, 19, and 20.
Each season, we give thanks for a specific crop that grows in that season on that season’s particular Ember Days. The crop that we give thanks for during the fall Ember Days is grapes. Each Ember Days crop is also paired with a certain sacramental symbol. For fall, we give thanks for grapes which are used to make the Precious Blood. You can learn about why chalices must be made of precious metal to hold the Precious Blood here!
The Ember Days are a time dedicated to voluntary penance. They are not required by the church, but a little extra intentional penance and thanksgiving can do a lot of good! For the Ember Days, we are to fast on Wednesday (reminding us of Judas’s betrayal) and Saturday (reminding us of the tomb), and fast and abstain from meat on Friday (reminding us of the crucifixion). Meat is allowed for dinner on Ember Wednesday and Ember Saturday.
Please note: If you are nursing, pregnant, or cannot fast and/or abstain from meat for ANY reason, please do not fast and abstain, as listed above! You can abstain from other things such as: non-essential food (dessert, sweets, coffee, soda), screens, other vices/bad habits, etc. If your pregnancy or condition causes you physical suffering, you can also offer that up for your Ember Days Intentions.
Here is an excellent summary and explanation of Ember Days.
I am also including a sample meal plan for these days. In order to be successful on Ember Days fasting and abstinence, I like to keep our meals as simple as possible. I just serve the same thing for the fasting days, but I have included a blank plan if you would like to switch it up! This fasting bread recipe is nice and hearty, and it makes 3 loaves which is great to last the 3 days (they freeze well, so I would freeze 1 or 2 of them). You can also double or triple this soup recipe to last you the 3 days, or add in another meal that your family enjoys. Keeping the meals and meal prep simple gives me more time for observing the day and praying!
Talk with you this week for Ember Days and some other feasts!
To Jesus through Mary,
Alexandra
Remember: To make your Liturgical Living Alerts easier to find in your inbox, I will be adding a heart emoji 💚 in the color of the Liturgical Season. So, just look out for the heart emoji to easily find your alerts!
Also, these alerts are for both Holy Days of Obligation and Optional devotions and practices. Feel free to pick and choose the Optional Feasts that you would like to observe!
Simply add the Optional Feasts to your planner or calendar to remind yourself.
