I wanted to tell you a bit about the Vespers service we held at our church for the third Sunday of Advent and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
I'm just under the wire here. I realize we are hard on the heels of the fourth Sunday of Advent!
Sorry, it takes me a while to process things sometimes!
We've had two Vespers services at our Church, the first two in a long time.
{My friend Marguerite, who is about 95 years old and grew up going to this church, told me that they used to have Vespers every Wednesday night. The young people would go there just the way young people today go to the mall.}
Vespers is the evening prayer of the Church, part of the Liturgy of Hours. Consisting mainly of psalms arranged for the day, as well as the Magnificat — the part of the Gospel in which Mary sings her song of humility and exaltation — Vespers offers the racing, doing, wrapping, running, cleaning, buying, and making Mom a chance to breathe.
The whole family can prolong that moment at Mass when time stands still, or rather, meets itself in its Center. Our Lord is present, on the altar at Mass, body, blood, soul, and divinity. It's all too short, isn't it?
And it can seem quite long, when you are the one responsible for getting everyone up, dressed, and fed in time for Church.
The Liturgy of the Hours is the Church's way of renewing that meeting at every moment and every hour of the day, and getting around, for one, the paradox of motherhood (to meet the material needs in the spiritual). Nothing can be left outside of that reality of the meeting of the Word made flesh on the altar and ourselves — it's not like there is “holy time” and “other.”
It's all holy….
Gaudete Sunday's Gospel reading (Matt 11: 2-11) included this:
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
But this Mom had no inner time at Mass to bring what was in the back of her mind about that right up to the front where she good get a good look at it.
During Vespers, with the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar, the thought moved a bit further forward.
{Of course, as you can see, I was taking just a few pictures (for you and for others who are interested in what it might be like, although the pictures don't really convey what was going on), but then I stopped and just sang and prayed.}
Pondering the Gospel this way — praying it again, singing it as an antiphon — helped me a lot. I have no profound thoughts to give you at this moment, other than that the difficulty of discerning the needs of the poor, and indeed discerning who the poor are where I live, was on my mind and what finally came to me later, while I was sweeping the floor if that's liturgical enough for you, was that verse:
And the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
I think that if nothing else, it was a quiet hour in the midst of anxious activity.
I know that the Church wants us to experience this slow soaking in of her gentle rain.
Behind the burning questions in our minds of taking proper care of children and of the house (and those are vital and I love talking about them), there is another momentous issue of how to provide the community and the culture necessary for the full development of human nature.
There have been simple societies that have achieved this. Ours is complex and pretty much doesn't.
I wanted to say that if we could find a way to join with others to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, even once in a while, even without a choir or priest or monks to lead us, even if just in our own living rooms, we would be astonished at the fruits. Later, the priest will find time to do this for you, even if he's hardly used to the idea, and his priesthood will be enriched.
You young families, keep your eye out for friends who would do this with you. If you know how to do it, ask them. If you don't, encourage those who do with your support.
Mary Beth says
I am not a Catholic, but I am a catholic…part of the universal body of believers. I love that you are living your faith. That you are using the liturgy and the ceremony and explaining the meaning. I fear that in all churches we are so busy that many people just do things by rote and forget to truly worship our Lord and Savior. May God bless you!
Lisa says
I don't think I could ever leave that beautiful church. What a lovely, quiet post. Thank you.
emily b says
Thank you.
Sue says
Breathtaking! Thank you for your pictures, and your “picture words.”
priests wife says
lovely post- and what an extraordinary church! You are blessed
Cary says
Our Lord is present, on the altar at Mass, body, blood, soul, and divinity. It's all too short, isn't it?
Oh, this is so true. When I spend time in Adoration, I just think, 'How I could stay here so much longer to pray for so many things.' I love the quiet, private time with Our Lord.
Your church is SO very beautiful. Thank you for the reminder to give my young adult children about getting together with friends to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
Blessings to your family.
genhere says
We have been at our current congregation for one year (this past Thursday). My husband (a Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod pastor) decided after last Lent and our weekly Wednesday night services that we should just stick to the habit and do a weekly Wednesday night Vespers service and continue with a study of our confessions. It has become one of the highlights of my week, and I know that of others in the congregation as well.
_Leila says
Genhere, I think this is a perfect way to start. It's not too soon to plot about Lent, which isn't so much about giving something up as it is about ratcheting up our devotional life — to be held at that higher level. Once the habit is begun, it's so much easier to keep going!
Good for your husband. By the way, all Christians can share in the liturgy of the hours in a way they can't share in Sunday worship. And that means a lot as well. We can wholeheartedly unite for this prayer!
Patty says
May I ask, Leila, are what type of Catholic are you? You have a beautiful church! I am a convert to Eastern Orthodoxy several years ago. I love the prayers of the Hours and Vespers and all the ways the Church redeems time. I've come to realize that I need to see prayer, not as something on my “to do” list, but more like the way I think about meals. At certain times, whatever is done or not, I should stop and pray. I don't do this most days, but it's my goal, and I think the Hours and Vespers and Matins facilitate this.
_Leila says
I'm Roman Catholic, Patty. I'm not good at stopping for anything, so praying with others is very important to me! Vespers is a way to be together in prayer and yet still be contemplative, “alone” with God. Alone and together. This isn't personal preference. It's the mind of the Church that we do this. http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdwgilh.htm
Guest says
Who are the poor? Mother Teresa said they are at your family dinner table. I know that I am the poor to you — poor in being a mother to a family. You proclaim the good news to me in what you do on this website. Don't sell yourself short, Leila. As you said above … it's all holy.
Learning to Let Go says
A beautiful post, and the pictures of your church–glorious! My husband and I pray Vespers, or Evening Prayer, every day, and on days when our daughter is over she joins in too! It is wonderful to pray as a group, but even when it's just the two of us, it does give us a time to slow down from a busy day and focus on what is important–the Lord. And now in Advent, the prayers are especially beautiful. Thanks for this post.
Lindsey says
So. beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I will try to look into praying the Evening prayers in 2011.
Wendy in VA says
Thank you for this beautiful post, Leila! Blessings on the rest of your Advent. :o)
kate says
I want to thank you for posting this…and your church pictures are stunning.
Josie says
I'm so glad you wrote this-I've been on this kick lately in my head but only put it into practice for a few days a few months ago-my kids loved it…I am working my way back to it again-so happy to see this post it is inspiring as usual! God bless you!
Sherry W. says
Do you think you could post the name of your church? It is beautiful and if I am ever in the area I would love to attend mass there. We currently live in Maryland, but take trips along the east coast. I keep a running list of the Catholic Churches I would like to experience as we travel and move around the US and world. (My husband is an Amry Officer- so this list can be ongoing). Thank you so much. I always feel blessed to read your blog. I do not know many Catholic Families online and I find constant inspiration and blessing from yours.
Merry Christmas.
_Leila says
Dear Sherry,
It's St. John's in Clinton, Massachusetts, and it's a true gem. If you go to the 11:30 Mass on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays you will hear the Schola.
Thanks for your kind words!
MommaHsu says
Liturgy of the hours…not just for evening! My parish started a mothers group where we gather for the morning prayers right after dropping off the older kids at school. Younger children play underfoot, babies are nursed and those with the gift of baking supply us with breakfast (after the prayers!).
It has been a wonderful experience. So even if you do not have time to sit peacefully in adoration in the church building, the liturgy of the hours can still be very beneficial.
_Leila says
MommaHsu, of course…I think that praying together in church helps us to know how to go about it at home properly, as the breviary can be confusing and the mode of the antiphon/response can be unfamiliar. What I want to encourage most of all is doing this as a family…