St Pope Leo the Great was Pope in a tough time. Think Vandals, Goths and Attila the Huns. He had been deacon to Pope Sixtus III and was in charge of the mosaic decorations of the beautiful arch in St Mary Major, which presents an anti-Manichean theology reflected in his later sermons as Pope. He point the exclamation point on correct Christology of the Council Chalcedon.

St. Leo's Latin was terrific. It has the concision of the ancient Roman genius and it sparkles with polished tropes and clausulae, rhythmic endings of sentences. His Latin comes alive again when read aloud. The sermons are well structured with an introduction, examples, and exhortation.

Benedict XIV Lambertini (you can have your own Benedict XIV coffee mug HERE) named him Doctor of the Church in 1754.

Leo died in 461 and his tomb is in the Vatican Basilica. The great marble relief of him facing down Attila was recently cleaned and restored.

We have Leo's Christmas sermons from 440-44 and 50-54. This sermon, the most famous because it is quoted in the nocturns of Matins for Christmas, was preached in the old basilica of St Peter on Christmas Day of 440. 1580 years ago today.

Let's hear the English first, and then the Latin.

I hope its message of hope and joy and encouragement rings in your ears for this whole Christmas season.


Fr. John Zuhlsdorf · PODCAzT 185 St. Leo the Great's Christmas Sermon for A.D. 440

PODCAzT 185 – St. Leo the Great’s Christmas Sermon for A.D. 440

Once named: What Does The Prayer Really Say? – Commentary on Catholic issues and slavishly accurate liturgical translations – by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf  o{]:¬)

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Here also are my audio projects of the Way of the Cross.

On 1st Fridays, do please pray the Act of Reparation.

What we need right now is PRAYER, especially now.

And remember to GO TO CONFESSION!

For priests, especially, try The Way Of The Cross For Priests from the Benedictines of Silverstream Priory.  HERE.  Would you consider getting copies of this for your priests where you are?  Lay people: pray it for priests.

Below are readings of the Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, composed by

 	Joseph Card. Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, for the 2005 Good Friday observance at the Colosseum in Rome
 	St. Alphonsus Liguori
 	Bl. John Henry Newman
 	St. Francis of Assisi (according to the method of...)
 	Silverstream Priory - The Way Of The Cross For Priests

There are two versions of the Way by St. Alphonsus Liguori. One is plain with just my voice. The other is the same voice recording but with the Gregorian chant Sequence Stabat Mater interlaced between the stations.



You can gain a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions of confession and Communion within a few days of the work and detachment even from venial sin.  From the Handbook of Indulgences:

63. Exercise of the Way of the Cross (Viae Crucis exercitium)
A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful, who make the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross.

The gaining of the plenary indulgence is regulated by the following norms:

 	
The pious exercise must be made before stations of the Way of the Cross legitimately erected.

 	
For the erection of the Way of the Cross fourteen crosses are required, to which it is customary to add fourteen pictures or images, which represent the stations of Jerusalem.

 	
According to the more common practice, the pious exercise consists of fourteen pious readings, to which some vocal prayers are added. However, nothing more is required than a pious meditation on the Passion and Death of the Lord, which need not be a particular consideration of the individual mysteries of the stations.

 	
A movement from one station to the next is required.


If the pious exercise is made publicly and if it is not possible for all taking part to go in an orderly way from station to station, it suffices if at least the one conducting the exercise goes from station to station, the others remaining in their place.

Those who are "impeded" can gain the same indulgence, if they spend at least one half an hour in pious reading and meditation on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For those belonging to Eastern Rites, among whom this pious exercise is not practiced, the respective Patriarchs can determine some other pious exercise in memory of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ for the gaining of this indulgence.

If these recordings are helpful to you, please say a prayer for me, especially if you use the Way Of The Cross For Priests.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori with chant

https://wdtprs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/080314_stations_liguori_chant.mp3

Joseph Ratzinger - 2005 Good Friday at the Colosseum

https://wdtprs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/080318_stations_ratzinger.mp3

St. John Henry Newman

https://wdtprs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/12_03_30_Newman_stations.mp3

Via Crucis For Priests from Silverstream Priory

https://wdtprs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/17_03_03_Silverstream_Via_Crucis.mp3

STATIONS OF THE CROSS – Audio from Fr. Z

For Lent, and now the Octave of Easter, I offer daily 5 minute podcasts.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  This is the final podcast of the series.

Today is Sundayt in the Octave of Easter, "Quasimodo Sunday" from the first word of the Introit, "Thomas Sunday" because of the Gospel, "Low Sunday" because we've resolved the Octave, "Divine Mercy Sunday" . The Roman Station is San Pancrazio on the Gianicolo.

What sort of progress have we made?  And a question for you.



You got your music for Lent in advance.  How about music for Easter? US HERE – UK HERE the wonderful Benedictines of Gower Abbey who NEED YOUR HELP.

Click and explore

I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.

Fr. John Zuhlsdorf · PASCHALCAzT 2021: 54 – Low "Quasimodo" Sunday

PASCHALCAzT 2021: 54 – Low “Quasimodo” Sunday: “A question for you!”

For Lent, and now the Octave of Easter, I offer daily 5 minute podcasts.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  This is the antepenultimate podcast of the series.

Today is Easter Friday. The Roman Station is Santa Maria ad martyres.

We hear about a time when we were trying to get demonic idols out of churches instead of bringing them in.   Fulton Sheen talks about lost opportunities.



You got your music for Lent in advance.  How about music for Easter? US HERE – UK HERE the wonderful Benedictines of Gower Abbey who NEED YOUR HELP.

Click and explore

I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.

Fr. John Zuhlsdorf · PASCHALCAzT 2021: 52 – Easter Friday

PASCHALCAzT 2021: 52 – Easter Friday: Is Christ passing you by?

For Lent, and now the Octave of Easter, I offer daily 5 minute podcasts.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.

Today is Easter Thursday. The Roman Station is Twelve Holy Apostles.

Card. Bacci make an observation about how hard life can be.  Fr. Troadec reflects on St. Mary Magdalene.



You got your music for Lent in advance.  How about music for Easter? US HERE – UK HERE the wonderful Benedictines of Gower Abbey who NEED YOUR HELP.

I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.


Fr. John Zuhlsdorf · PASCHALCAzT 2021: 51 – Easter Thursday

PASCHALCAzT 2021: 51 – Easter Thursday: “Virtue is difficult, a prolonged martyrdom.”

For Lent, and now the Octave of Easter, I offer daily 5 minute podcasts.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.

Today is Easter Wednesday. The Roman Station is St. Lawrence outside the walls.

St. Augustine of Hippo addresses the newly baptized on the Sunday after Easter, telling them who they (and we) have become.



You got your music for Lent in advance.  How about music for Easter? US HERE – UK HERE the wonderful Benedictines of Gower Abbey who NEED YOUR HELP.

I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.


Fr. John Zuhlsdorf · PASCHALCAzT 2021: 50 – Easter Wednesday

PODCAzT 185 – St. Leo the Great’s Christmas Sermon for A.D. 440

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