The Paschal Hours are the form in which the Little Hours are chanted on Pascha (Easter) and throughout Bright Week in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches.
45-572: Specifically, the Paschal Hours replace: The Paschal Hours may also be chanted in place of the usual Thanksgiving after Communion . In addition, it is a pious tradition to substitute the Paschal Hours for Morning Prayers and Evening Prayers during all of Bright week. In this way, the faithful take a little rest from the long prayer services, but do not neglect to give joyous thanks to God, so as not to fall into despondency and gluttony, as they partake of festive foods. The Paschal Hours differ from
90-749: A corset onto which she had attached piercing nails. She also walked barefoot through the snow, dripped hot wax onto her body, and licked the wounds of the diseased, including those afflicted with leprosy." The anthropologist Eric Dingwall wrote a chapter on Pazzi's alleged masochism and flagellant behaviors in Very Peculiar People (1962). Psychiatrist Armando Favazza in Bodies under Siege (3rd edition, 2011) wrote: At about age 37, emaciated and racked with coughing and pain, she took to her bed until she died four years later. Her painful gums were so badly infected that her teeth fell out, one by one. Her body
135-405: A home-made crown of thorns . She received her First Communion at the then-early age of 10 and made a vow of virginity the same year. She experienced her first ecstasy when she was only twelve, in her mother's presence. From then on, she continued to exhibit what she considered to be many varied mystical experiences. In 1580, at age fourteen, de' Pazzi was sent by her father to be educated at
180-581: A monastery of nuns of the Order of Malta , but she was soon recalled to wed a young nobleman. Caterina advised her father of her vow, and he eventually relented and allowed her to enter monastic life . She chose the Carmelite monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence because the rule there allowed her to receive Holy Communion daily. On 30 January 1583, she was accepted as a novice by that community, and took
225-488: A private ceremony, while lying on a cot in the chapel. Immediately after, she fell into an ecstasy that lasted about two hours. This was repeated on the following 40 mornings, each time after Communion. As a safeguard against deception and to preserve the revelations, the de' Pazzi confessor asked her to dictate her experiences to her fellow nuns. Over the next six years, five large volumes were filled. The first three record ecstasies from May 1584 through Pentecost week of
270-762: A pure conscience, of Thy Holy Things, unto the remission of sins and life eternal. For Thou art the Bread of life, the Source of holiness , the Giver of good things; and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit , now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. The prayers usually end with the Nunc Dimittis and the Troparion and Kontakion of the saint who wrote
315-512: A strong defense against the snares of all my enemies, visible and invisible; the perfect quieting of all my evil impulses of flesh and spirit, binding me firmly to You, the one true God; and a happy ending of my life. I pray too that You will deign to bring me, a sinner, to that ineffable banquet where You with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, are to your Saints true light, fulfillment of desires, eternal joy, unalloyed gladness, and perfect bliss. Through
360-508: Is added before the dismissal of Paschal Compline). Thanksgiving after Communion Thanksgiving after Communion is a spiritual practice among Christians who believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Communion bread , maintaining themselves in prayer for some time to thank God and especially listening in their hearts for guidance from their Divine guest. This practice
405-592: Is located in the Monastery of Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi in Careggi. Two years after de' Pazzi died, the Jesuit Vincenzo Puccini, her confessor, published the life of this Carmelite nun as an edifying example. The 1639 edition was augmented with material relating to the mystic's canonization, and was purposefully dedicated to two nieces of Pope Urban VIII. Numerous miracles allegedly followed de' Pazzi's death, and
450-512: Is repaid with love." According to Daniel A. Lord, SJ, thanksgiving after Holy Communion always supposes a "realization of who is present in our hearts: Jesus Christ, God-man, lover of souls, divinely powerful, humanly tender, with grace in His hands and the keenest possible interest in His heart for the one who has just received Him." Traditional post-communion prayers include the Adoro te by Thomas Aquinas,
495-400: Is said: Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee, for that thou dost vouchsafe to feed us, who have duly received these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, which is
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#1732851880920540-643: The Anima Christi , the Prayer Before a Crucifix , and the Prayer of Saint Francis . According to Fr. Carlos Belmonte, author of Understanding the Mass , The content of our thanksgiving will be just a continuation of the sentiments and affections we have felt – or tried to foster in ourselves – during the Mass, but perhaps in an atmosphere of greater intimacy this time. Sometimes, acts of faith, hope, and charity addressed to
585-578: The Baltimore Catechism , Roman Catholics "should spend sufficient time in Thanksgiving after Holy Communion to show due reverence to the Blessed Sacrament; for Our Lord is personally with us as long as the appearance of bread and wine remains." Through the years, the saints have varied in their recommendation as regards the amount of time to be spent in thanksgiving. Daily Communion only became
630-536: The Hieratikon , or prayers for the priest. O Thou who didst gladly give me Thy flesh for nourishment; who art fire to consume the unworthy: Burn me not, O my Creator, but search out my members. Quicken my reins and my heart. Let Thy flames devour the thorns of all my transgressions. Purify my soul. Sanctify my thoughts. Knit firm my bones. Enlighten my senses. Piece me with Thy fear. Be Thou my continual shield. Watch over and preserve me from every word and deed that corrupt
675-575: The Table of Oblation . Among the prayers said is one by Saint Basil the Great : O Master Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of all things, I thank Thee for all the good things which Thou hast bestowed upon me, and for the communion of Thy most pure and life-creating Mysteries . I pray Thee, therefore, O Good One and Lover of mankind: Keep me under Thy protection and in the shadow of Thy wings; and grant me, even until my last breath, to partake worthily and with
720-512: The religious name of Sister Mary Magdalene. De' Pazzi had been a novice for a year when she became critically ill. Upon receiving the religious habit, one of the sisters asked her how she could bear so much pain without a murmur. Mary pointed to the crucifix and said: Those who call to mind the sufferings of Christ, and who offer up their own to God through His passion, find their pains sweet and pleasant. Death seemed near, so her superiors let her make her profession of religious vows in
765-551: The "precious time of thanksgiving after communion," urging everyone to preserve the importance of Communion as "a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus in the sacrament." He recommended that during this time "it can also be most helpful to remain recollected in silence." St. Thomas Aquinas (+1274) composed a Prayer of Thanksgiving after Communion that became a classic: I thank You, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who have deigned, not through any merits of mine, but out of
810-882: The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Thanksgiving after Mass has traditionally been greatly esteemed in the Church for both the priest and the lay faithful. The missal and the breviary even suggest prayers for the priest before and after the Eucharistic celebration. There is no reason to believe that this is no longer needed. Indeed in our noisy world of today, such moments of reflective and loving prayers would seem indicated more than even before. Pope Benedict XVI in Sacramentum Caritatis referred to
855-534: The Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen. In many Anglican Churches since the 1980s, the following has been a common post-communion prayer: Father of all, we give you thanks and praise that, when we were still far off, you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom
900-812: The Liturgy that was celebrated (John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory Dialogist or, rarely, James the Brother of the Lord ). Then the rite ends with a dismissal pronounced by the priest. After the Prayers of Thanksgiving, the communicant should spend the rest of the day in a spirit of thanksgiving , engaging only in activities which are of benefit to the soul. If it is a Sunday or Holy Day he should rest from labour . Magdalena de Pazzi Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi , OCarm ( Italian : Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi ; born Caterina Lucrezia de' Pazzi ; 2 April 1566 – 25 May 1607),
945-598: The Roman Missal of 1962. There is also the "Universal Prayer" attributed to Pope Clement XI , which begins: "Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith. I trust in you: strengthen my trust. I love you: let me love you more and more. I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow." In the Anglican Communion and in the Catholic Personal Ordinariates , the following post-communion prayer, or a variant of it,
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#1732851880920990-514: The Spirit lights give light to the world. Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us so we and all your children shall be free and the whole earth live to praise your name, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Among Lutheran denominations, the following prayer may be said silently following the reception of the Eucharist: Almighty and everlasting God, I thank and praise you for feeding me with
1035-479: The age of nine de' Pazzi was taught how to meditate by the family chaplain, using a then-recently published work explaining how one should meditate on the Passion of Christ . Years later, this book was one of the items she brought with her to the monastery . Around the age of nine is also when de' Pazzi began practicing mortification of the flesh through self-flagellation , wearing a barbed metal cilice , and wearing
1080-425: The blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom, by the merits of the most precious death and passion of thy dear Son. And we most humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and
1125-483: The conclusion of the Divine Liturgy . After the dismissal of the Liturgy, those who have received Holy Communion will remain behind and pray as the prayers are recited by a Reader . The priest and other celebrating clergy will usually say the Prayers of Thanksgiving immediately after receiving Holy Communion. However, the deacon who will perform the ablutions will wait to say them after he has finished his duties at
1170-493: The condescension of Your goodness, to satisfy me a sinner, Your unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that this Holy Communion be not a condemnation to punishment for me, but a saving plea to forgiveness. May it be to me the armor of faith and the shield of a good will. May it be the emptying out of my vices and the extinction of all lustful desires; and increase of charity and patience, of humility and obedience, and all virtues;
1215-498: The following year. That particular week was a preparation for a severe five-year trial that she relates. The fourth book records that trial, and the fifth is a collection of letters concerning reform and renewal. Another book, Admonitions , is a collection of her sayings arising from her experiences in the formation of women in religious orders. It was believed that de' Pazzi could read the thoughts of others and predict future events. For instance, during one ecstatic event she predicted
1260-411: The future elevation to the papacy of Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici (as Pope Leo XI ). During her lifetime, she allegedly appeared to several persons in distant places and cured a number of sick people. De' Pazzi died on 25 May 1607, at the age of 41. She was buried in the choir of the monastery chapel. At her canonization in 1668 her body was declared miraculously incorrupt. Her relic corpse
1305-552: The hour that follows Communion." St. Louis de Montfort wrote, "I would not give up this hour of Thanksgiving even for an hour of Paradise." Philip Neri once sent two acolytes with candles to accompany a member of his congregation who had left the church without any adoration after Mass. The man returned to the church to find out St. Philip's purpose. The Saint answered, "We have to pay proper respect to Our Lord, Whom you are carrying away with you. Since you neglect to adore Him, I sent two acolytes to take your place." According to
1350-602: The life-giving body and blood of your beloved son Jesus Christ. Send your Holy Spirit that, having with my mouth received the holy Sacrament, I may by faith obtain and eternally enjoy your divine grace, the forgiveness of sins, unity with Christ, and everlasting life; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen. In the Eastern Orthodox Church there are various sets of prayers recommended both for Preparation for Communion and for Thanksgiving After Communion. The specific form will differ depending upon national jurisdiction. However,
1395-409: The normal Daily Office in several significant aspects: the entire service is chanted (sung) rather than being read ; the services are much shorter than usual; and there are no Psalms at all. The hymnography and prayers center on Christ's victory over sin and death and Christians' hope for salvation. Each of the Paschal Hours is the same (except that in some traditions, a Prayer of St. Basil
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1440-558: The practice after a decree of Pope Pius X in 1905. A number of saints referred to an hour of thanksgiving. St. Alphonsus specifically advises everyone to devote at least half an hour to it, if it is at all possible. "There is no prayer more agreeable to God, or more profitable to the soul," said another Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus Liguori , "than that which is made during the thanksgiving after Communion." St. Josemaría Escrivá said: "Surely you have nothing so important on that you cannot give Our Lord 10 minutes to say thanks. Love
1485-572: The prayers for thanksgiving there), or that subtle kind of vanity which makes us feel humiliated by having to read prayers composed by somebody else. One of the recommended texts for thanksgiving in My Daily Psalm Book (1947), arranged by Joseph Frey, CSSP, is the Canticle of the Three Young men, or Trium Puerorum . This is a traditional canticle that is included in the prayers for thanksgiving in
1530-544: The process for her beatification was begun in the year 1610 under Pope Paul V , and completed under Pope Urban VIII in the year 1626. She was not, however, canonized until 62 years after her death, when Pope Clement IX raised her to the altars on 28 April 1669. The church of the Monastery of Pažaislis , commissioned in 1662 in Lithuania, was one of the first to be consecrated in her honor. Puccini's successful biography first
1575-425: The same Christ our Lord. Amen. After receiving Communion, many of the saints would spend an extended time of thanksgiving. Magdalena de Pazzi wrote, "The minutes that follow Communion are the most precious we have in our lives." St. Teresa of Ávila urged her daughters not to rush out after Mass but to treasure the opportunity for thanksgiving: "Let us detain ourselves lovingly with Jesus," she said, "and not waste
1620-406: The soul. Purge me and wash me clean and adorn me. Order my ways, give me understanding and enlighten me. Make me the temple of Thy Holy Ghost, and no more the habitation of sin, that as from fire all evil, every passion, may flee from me, who through Holy Communion am become a place for Thy dwelling. I bring unto Thee all the saints to make intercession: The ranks of the heavenly hosts; Thy forerunner;
1665-402: The thanksgiving rite is more uniformly accepted across jurisdictions than the preparation rite. Through the centuries, several prayers have been composed for this. Symeon Metaphrastes (probably 10th century) who is venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church as a saint, and who is known for his Byzantine hagiography, composed the following Prayer of Thanksgiving after Communion which is found in
1710-492: The three divine Persons will spurt from our soul. At other times, we will maintain an intimate dialogue with Jesus, our divine Friend who will purify and transform us. Or perhaps, we will just be sitting still, in silent adoration, in the same manner that a mother watches over her son who has fallen asleep. We should not look for prayers or formulas, if we do not find any need for them. But if we realize they can help us, we should overcome our laziness (say, to open our missal and read
1755-637: The wine, which in Catholic doctrine is also "the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ". Pope John-Paul II in Inaestimabile Donum (Instruction Concerning Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery) emphasized the importance of adoration and prayer after Holy Communion. Reverence is that virtue which inclines a person to show honor and respect to God. According to Francis Cardinal Arinze , prefect of
1800-476: The wise Apostles; and withal Thy pure and holy Mother. Their prayers receive, O merciful Christ, and make Thy servant a child of light. For Thou art our hallowing, Thou only art the brightness of our souls, O gracious Lord: And we rightly give glory to Thee, our Lord and our God, All the days of our life. Amen. In the Russian Orthodox Church there are usually a set of five prayers that are recited after
1845-476: The year after de' Pazzi's canonization, the feast day of the saint was inserted in the General Roman Calendar for celebration on 25 May, the day of her death. In 1728, the date of 25 May was assigned instead to Pope Gregory VII , and her feast day was moved to 29 May, where it remained until 1969, when it was restored to its original place in the calendar, as the true anniversary of her death. Pazzi
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1890-536: Was an Italian Carmelite nun and mystic . She has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church . De' Pazzi was born at Florence , Italy, on 2 April 1566, to Camillo di Geri de' Pazzi , a member of one of the wealthiest and most distinguished noble families of Renaissance Florence, and Maria Buondelmonti. She was christened Caterina Lucrezia, but in the family was called with her second name, out of respect for her paternal grandmother, Lucrezia Mannucci. At
1935-444: Was and is highly recommended by saints , theologians , and Doctors of the Church . In John 6:51, Jesus is quoted as saying, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." According to Catholic doctrine, bread is transubstantiated into the " Body and Blood , Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ." The same holds true for
1980-416: Was known to have worn little clothing and to have whipped herself with a crown of thorns . According to researcher Ian Wilson , sometimes she would wear only a single garment but she would tear this off "in order to roll herself on thorns, or give herself another savage beating". Wilson described Pazzi as a "florid, sadomasochistic neurotic". Asti Hustvedt has written that "Pazzi wore a crown of thorns and
2025-562: Was translated into French in honor of her canonization. Nowadays, de' Pazzi herself is little known outside Italy, but her cult is very strong, especially in Florence. Paulist Press issued a selection of her writings in English translation in their series of Classics of Western Spirituality . Her importance in the Mission to the East especially in connection with India is recently explored. In 1670,
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