Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:01 Well, let's start this morning with some good news is one news report. Put it quote with the Mass celebrated in the Cathedral of Saint Stephen on Sunday, September 9th benedict the 16th revived and musical and liturgical tradition that had been interrupted for decades. Close quote. So what happened last Sunday? Uh, the holy father celebrated a papal mass company with Korean chat in the whole curiosity, which was written by France, Joseph Haydn. Curiosity is the Curiae, the glory of the Credo, the sock Doosan August Day. All that was done in polyphony. So what ladies and gentlemen, that's only the second time the pulps have celebrated a mass like that since 1963 that's great news. It's fantastic news. And then later in the day, last Sunday, the Holy Father visited a Cistercian monastery where the monks sing the whole office in Latin. It's all Grigorian Shan. And while speaking to him, he said, and I quote, truly, it would not be presumptuous to say than an illiteracy completely centered on God.
Speaker 0 01:05 We can see in its rituals and chant an image of eternity and all our efforts on behalf of liturgy, the determining factor, it must always be our looking to God. We stand before God. He speaks to us and we speak to him. In the light of this, I asked you to celebrate the sacred liturgy with your gaze fixed on God within the community of saints, the Living Church of every time in place so that really truly an expression of the sublime beauty of the God who is called men and women to be as friends. A liturgy which no longer looks to God is already in its death throes. Close quote, the vicar of Christ, a liturgy which no longer looks to God is rd and its death throes
Speaker 0 01:55 in an illiteracy completely centered on God. We can see in its rituals and chant an image of eternity. No. All our efforts on behalf of liturgy, that <inaudible> factor must always be our looking to God. We stand before God. He speaks to us and we speak to him. Celebrate the sacred liturgy with your gaze fixed on God within the communion of saints, the Living Church, every time in place. So that really truly an expression of divine beauty. The God who's called men or women to be his friends. That's what our holy father said earlier this week. All right, let's shift gears before we go, uh, get going. We should note that this next part is substantially the work of Dr. Warren Carol with major excerpts from things like Dick Cycle, Peter Britannica, Butler's lives as saints, the bravery and a whole bunch of other things. Okay. So basically this is one long paraphrase quote with other things stuck into it.
Speaker 0 02:50 So I'm not going to go quote on quote and all that. Just don't think this is my work. Uh, it's not. Alright, so it's just paraphrased and mangled probably. Anyway, let's get going. And the spring of the year six 11, because rose the second the king of Persia invaded Roman territory, sweeping over and capturing over, capturing much of what is now eastern Turkey and Syria. By the spring of six 14, the greatest Persian general Sar Barra is the wild boar. With the empire had surrounded the walls of truism with his army. It took a month for the Persians to undermine the walls of Jerusalem. Once they breached the walls, they spent three days and sacking the holy city calling some 34,000 people in the process. The Persians destroyed more than 300 Catholic churches and monasteries sparing only the church and their activity in Bethlehem because it contained to depiction of the three Majia.
Speaker 0 03:51 During the sac of the city, the Persians discovered the hiding place and most treasured relic in the world. By torturing the custodians. They seize this price, this relic, the greater part of the true costs and carted it back to Persia. Saint Helen had brought other smaller parts of his poly relic back to Rome. The shock of having lost the holy places, having them all sacked, losing the holy city, and especially for having, losing, having lost the major part of the relic of the true cross to the Pagans was absolutely enormous and the Persians kept coming. The next year, six 15 another Persian general led another army all the way across Asia minor to the boss' press itself. Quick, a geography reminder. The Bosporus constant built Constantinople on eastern side of the boss was the boss Chris, a narrow straight. It's 19 miles long. It's less than two miles, two and a half miles wide at its widest point and less than a half mile wide.
Speaker 0 04:51 At its narrowest point. It connects the Black Sea with the sea of Marmora and it forms the boundary between right there between Europe and Asia. So at that point, the only thing that was holding back the Persian army from the impure capital itself was this narrow threat of water. The eastern Roman Emperor Byzantine hamper. <inaudible> send ambassadors to ask for terms of peace, but the Persian general sees them, bombed them and sent him to cause rose who would accept nothing but unconditional surrender. The next year, six 16 sorry, Barra is invaded. Egypt swept up to the walls of Alexandria, which at that time was the largest city in the world west of China and India, and used a fleet of fishing boats to attack the unprotected seafront of the city. All the warships of the empire right there, occupied in the Bosphorus, keeping the Persian army on one side to keep them away from Constantinople during the sack of Alexandria.
Speaker 0 05:48 The Persians killed some 80,000 people. And as if this wasn't bad enough, hordes of avatars and Slavs had overrun and devastated. Most of inland in thrice. Thrice is roughly a modern day European, Turkey, Bulgaria, parts of Serbia and Macedonia. That's roughly what is. Remember by this time, the western Roman Empire has already been overrun by the barbarians and that's collapsed. So all that's left to the Byzantine Empire, all this stuff to Chris and them at this moment, the only thing left for Hara CLIA is the Byzantine emperor to rule is Constantinople itself. A few cities on the Jian coast and the province of Asia around Enrollment Carthage. That's in Modern Day Tunisia. That was it. It was overrun the patriarch of Constantinople. Now Patriarch is a bishop that has a certain special privileges. Patriarch Sergius offered Harry Coleus all the treasures of the churches of Constantinople so that he could have money to raise a new army.
Speaker 0 06:47 So they melted down the Chelsea's and whatnot so that they could coin money to raise an army. The first thing here at police did was take a bunch of the funds and go buy off the avatars and Slavs so you could protect at least that flank so that they'd leave them alone. They spent two years equipping and training and arguing on Easter Monday and six 22 in the glorious cathedral of holy wisdom in Constantinople. That's the Hagia Sophia. It's not a mosque, but it's the cathedral in, uh, in Constantinople. Hara clis prayed that God would grant success to his army. It's literally the last trained army in all of Christendom. Then carrying a Merton miracle working icon of Christ before him. He let his troops aboard ship to cross over to Asia. By this time, after this, after the years, the Persian army was no longer camped right across the, uh, the boss' press.
Speaker 0 07:37 Think of what's going on. Herrick Cletus. It staked everything. His throne, his realm, his life, the very survival of the Byzantine Empire. That's the last remains of Christian. He'd staked everything on this eastward march with the last army of Christendom. Instead of taking a normal campaign route into the open country in the rolling country and Upper Mesopotamia, he marched in the mountains of Armenia and in the winter of six 23 now the Persians followed him, but in a brilliant campaign, Herrick Coleus, outmaneuver and defeated saw her boss and three success about us. He suggested a truce then the costs rose, but the king rejected the offer of hair at clues was complete contempt. He referred to himself as a master of the world. He referred to Herrick Cleese is contemptible and Imbecilic Slave. I love that line. And then he lastly stated that Christ himself was incapable of saving the Byzantine Empire for the next few years here, Cleese would spend the summers campaigning, attacking defeating Persian armies, and then holding up for the winter and the mountains where our and six 26 our Baas march to the boss' purse.
Speaker 0 08:52 Again this time he's got a huge army company, avars and Slavs on July 29th the army tries that before Constantinople, July 31st August 1st and second are days of continuous to salt on the walls and the Byzantine Catholics have a tradition that during the attack, patriarch surgery is march long on top of the walls. If contents nopal Constantinople with an icon of the blessed Virgin Mary and that she's stirred up a huge storm with tidal waves that destroyed most of the fleet of the enemy, which forced them to retreat the faithful Constantinople celebrate this victory by, by gathering in the, in the hockey Sophia and spending the nightstand. They're seeing this great Marian him Thi stows that means not seated. This is a, uh, a him that has all, it's got 24 stands, isn't it still sung by eastern Catholics during lint? One part of the hymn that's repeated over and over again refers to this specific event.
Speaker 0 09:50 It goes like this to the old mother of God. Unconquered empress do I? Zeiss city freed from evils offer thanks for the victories achieve, but do thou by the invincible power. Deliver me from every kind of danger that I might cry to the hail maiden spouse. Say they spent the night seeing any Thanksgiving to the blessed virgin. Meanwhile, the army's way over in Asia Minor Herrick Coleus leads his troops down out of the mountains and onto the plains and Mesopotamia in front of him. The Persians are retreating. They're breaking all the dikes. They destroy the irrigation system in it's silts up and salts up. It's never recovered from this. They're flooding it. They're trying to keep him from getting anywhere in December of six 27 near the runes and Nineveh, which is Mozel, you know, Hercules make met the Persians. He personally killed three Persian generals in single combat.
Speaker 0 10:41 Then he charged in the enemy ranks at the head of his troops and personally killed the Persian commander. And at that the whole enemy fours scattered. Think of what a heroic man this is. Cosmos fled and blamed his defeat on his greatest general. So as an egg orders that he'd be executed. Unfortunately for cause rose, Herrick <inaudible> captured the courier that had the letter ordering the execution and he read the letter. And then forward it to <inaudible> and a which <inaudible> read the letter and formed a coalition of generalists and ability and they captured costs rose. And after they killed 18 of his sons before his eyes, they killed him and crown his eldest son as the king here, cleanness immediately made peace with the new Persian king. His only demands were returned to the relic of the true cross in the same condition that you took it in return of any captives you're holding prisoner and return of any conquered territory, which includes Egypt, Palestine, Asia minor in Western mass per team, King of Persia, greed.
Speaker 0 11:46 After reaching terms hair CLIA sent a victory dispatch, which was retina Hagia Sophia. So the region is the cathedral. Holy resume. I'll read from it. Quote, let the whole Earth praise the Lord. Serve the Lord with gladness and come before him with rejoicing that all Christians praising, glorifying be thankful to the one God rejoicing exceedingly in the sound of his holy name for the proud cross rose who fought against God has fallen, he has fallen and his body has gone down to hell. The memory of him who was proud and spoke evil against the Lord Jesus Christ. The True God is an accurate mother or blessed had made and mother of God the Holy Virgin Mary. The holy relic of the true cross had been recovered after 14 years. Now Herrick CLIA is decided to personally between Jerusalem and this was the occasion of a whole series of marvelous events. Upon arriving and journalism, Harry Cleese was clothed in these magnificent rolls, golden roves with w with jewels on them.
Speaker 0 12:39 If you sometimes we read those, those uh, Gold Chaz doubles, that's actual gold cloth and that's what it was. Gold cloth with jewels on it. He's carrying this precious relic on his shoulders. It was an in a big silver reliquary. When he came to the gate leading out of Jerusalem, the calvary, it was impossible for him to go any farther. He's frozen. The harder he tried to move, the less he could move. He just, the more he tried to move, the more he seemed fixed to this spot. So he's totally astonished and so are the people there with him. Sacary. The patriarch of truism turns students says, consider a whimper. You walk in, you're goddy imperial robes. Christ, our Lord was poorly clad. You have on your head a rich crown, but Christ, our Lord was crowned with a wreath of Thorns. You go with your shoes on, but Christ, our Lord walked barefoot, hair cleanness, took the hint and immediately laid aside all this magnificent apparel took off his crown, brought out the road from the poor man, and then barefoot easily completed the rest of the way and devoutly replaced the cross and the same spot on mount calvary where it had been before it being carried off by the Persians.
Speaker 0 13:53 And as if that wasn't marvelous enough. During this March, a whole series of miracles occurred, a dead man returned to life. Four paralytics were cured. 10 lepers recovered their health. 15 blind men recovered their sight. All kinds of possessed persons were delivered from evil spirits, and a large number of sick men were completely cured all to remind mankind of the saving power of the Cross of Christ. Just imagine, take static joy. The faith will this greatest of all relics, this huge chunk of the very would that our lord was nailed to the very wood that our lord hung on as he poured out his precious blood for the redemption of mankind. Just think of ecstatic joy the faith would have at that moment when this precious treasure returned and it was replaced and its rightful place, it had been carried off. It hadn't been seen for 14 years. It had apparently been forever. So who could have ever thought that once more, this priceless treasure would've been restored to its place? Once we think about that, once we ponder that, it's easy. Once we see the story behind the face of exploitation of holy cross, it's easy. Why the church keeps his fees to commemorate those events.
Speaker 0 15:17 And once we've come to real appreciation of the meaning of the feast, that it's a solemn commemoration of the return of this price, this treasure connected with our Lord's bloody sacrifice, which had apparently been completely lost. But then after all these terrible battles had been safely restore to its rightful place, it's also easy to see our Holy Father Benedict the 16th chose this particular feast. The feast or the exploitation of the Holy Cross to put into effect is modal Proprio Suman TV Chin.
Speaker 2 15:51 Okay.
Speaker 0 15:53 After all, when the vicar of Christ does something very significant like promulgating important document, he doesn't just do this at random,
Speaker 2 16:03 okay?
Speaker 0 16:06 He doesn't do it at random. It behooves a thoughtful Catholic who wants to come to more profound understanding of just what the pope is teaching to consider carefully the significance of this particular feast day that the Holy Father has chosen to make a decree have full and lasting force. He's telling us something and the fact that by commander the pope is most appropriate, took full and lasting force on the feast of the exploitation of Holy Cross means something. It means something because after all, even though this beautiful right of the mass was never forbidden as our holy father makes perfectly clear in his letter to the bishops, even though it was never forbidden. Nevertheless, the simple reality is in practical terms, in virtually, virtually every parish in the world, this beautiful ride of mass was apparently lost for the past 38 years, which interesting enough, according to Deuteronomy two 40 38 years, is the exact amount of time the people of Israel spent wandering in the desert.
Speaker 2 17:16 Okay,
Speaker 0 17:17 this beautiful ride of mass, this beautiful unbloody re presentation of our Lord's sacrifice, and calvary had apparently been lost for the past 38 years. Who would've ever thought that once more, this priceless treasure would have been restored to its place? It's easy to see that by picking this feast day, to return this beautiful ride of mass to its rightful place, this right of priceless beauty, this beautiful right that comes down to us from the apostles and the saints. It's easy to see what our Holy Father Benedict the 16th wants, the faithful, what he wants us to draw. He wants us to draw these parallels out. He wants each one of us to be filled the same kind of spiritual joy that filled the faithful of Jerusalem when the relic of the true cost was restored to its rightful place. There's a lot more that could be said here. There's a lot more, but we're running out of time and you each have the gift of faith. Use it.
Speaker 2 18:25 Yeah.
Speaker 0 18:25 Spend some time today mulling and silver meditating on it. What is the Holy Father Teaching us by this act?
