update with some posts from social media

1 files changed, 40 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/src/blog/asperges-me/index.md b/src/blog/asperges-me/index.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b9c3bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/blog/asperges-me/index.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+title: Asperges Me
+date: September 6, 2024
+description: Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop.
+---
+
+One of the most regrettable results of the post-conciliar liturgical reforms
+(such as they are) is the near disappearance of the venerable "Asperges Me" from
+most Catholic parishes.
+
+If you are unfamiliar with the old Latin Mass, the Asperges Me is a ritual performed
+immediately before Sunday High Masses in which the priest sprinkles those present
+with holy water while words from Psalm 50 (51 for you Protestants) are sung, followed
+by a doxology:
+
+> Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed:
+> Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
+> Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.
+
+Having formed all four of my children in the traditional Mass, I've noticed that
+the Asperges captures their imaginations in a special way. It's always the first
+chant they memorize and start singing around the house, and it's never omitted when
+the boys "play Mass" at home.
+
+They watch intently as the priest processes through the church, waiting patiently
+for their turn to receive a sprinkle, and imitate his reverent pause to bow when
+the schola invokes the Holy Trinity. It is through this thousand year old ritual
+that children come to understand the importance of their own baptism.
+
+Most importantly, the Asperges gives us all a sense of our total unworthiness before
+Almighty God, thanksgiving for the saving waters of our baptism, and our need of
+forgiveness for our sins.
+
+These physical, tangible rituals of Catholicism can make Protestants, often
+accustomed to a more cerebral and abstract worship, somewhat uncomfortable. But
+Holy Mother Church recognizes that we are beings of both body and soul. In our
+proud modern age, performing these rituals with piety and humility can sometimes
+teach us more truth than the most eloquent sermon.
+
+<iframe class="ytembed" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WDaB4LcPGg0" title="Asperges Me I - Gregorian Chant" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>