Incorporating Mental Prayer Into the Parochial Group Rosary

“When the Rosary is said properly, my power is behind it. Say it with my Divine Son and me in mind…then each bead can conquer a host of men" (Words of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Blessed Mary of Agreda)

Far too often when the Rosary is recited as a group before Mass – or even on our own – it can be a series of prayers offered in haste without a focus on the words. If we focus too much on “saying our daily Rosary” to cross it off the to do list instead of praying each word, we can not expect these prayers to be pleasing to Our Lady or our Lord. While this is easier said than done, it is something we can intentionally try to counter. Today, pray the Rosary using the principles and advice lead out by St. Louis de Montfort in “The Secret of the Rosary” where he recalls the importance of saying the Rosary with attention, devotion, and meaning.

The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort

"The Secret of the Rosary" by St. Louis de Montfort is structured into 53 short chapters, each called a "Rose," which are divided into five sections. These sections explore different aspects of the Rosary, including its history, benefits, mysteries, and how to pray it devoutly. St. Louis de Montfort emphasizes that the Rosary is not just a mechanical repetition of prayers but a powerful weapon against sin, a source of grace, and a way to deepen one's relationship with God and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What are the Benefits of a Rosary Said as a Group?

St. Louis de Montfort summarizes five benefits of saying the Rosary as a group:

1. Generally, our minds are more focused during communal prayer compared to when we pray alone.
2. When we pray together, each person’s prayer becomes part of a collective offering. If one person’s prayer lacks fervor, another’s devotion can compensate, creating a stronger, unified prayer. And in so doing, the fervent will encourage the lukewarm.
3. Praying the Rosary alone brings the merit of that one Rosary, but when prayed with others, the merit is multiplied by the number of participants. This is the power of communal prayer. The same can be said for the Mass too.
4. Public prayer holds greater power than private prayer to appease God’s anger and invoke His mercy. The Church, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, has always emphasized the importance of public prayer, especially during times of widespread suffering and crisis.
5. If the faithful pray five decades of the Rosary together, whether in a public setting or privately with others, they can gain an indulgence of ten years, once a day. A plenary indulgence may be obtained on the last Sunday of the month, provided they are free from venial sin, go to confession, receive Communion, visit a church, and pray for the Pope’s intentions—if they have prayed the Rosary together at least three times during the preceding weeks. 

How Can We Pray the Group Rosary with Greater Devotion and Attention?

The following insights from St. Louis de Montfort should be internalized and incorporated into all of our Rosaries, especially when we pray the Rosary as a group before Mass so we are not distracted and praying in vain repetitions. The Rosary when prayed well is not a series of vain repetitions.

1. Mindful Recitation: St. Louis de Montfort teaches that when praying the Rosary, it is essential to be fully present and attentive to the words being spoken and the mysteries being meditated upon. The Rosary is not just a vocal prayer but a meditative one, where each Hail Mary should be said with love and reverence, keeping in mind the mystery associated with each decade. Praying before religious images can help us from getting distracted.
2. Praying with the Heart: St. Louis stresses that the Rosary should not be prayed mechanically or out of habit but with deep devotion and sincerity. Each prayer should come from the heart, with a genuine desire to honor God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The act of praying the Rosary should be seen as a loving dialogue with Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord. When we see the Rosary as a true dialogue with Heaven, we can better understand how important and precious it is.
3. Intention Matters: The intention behind the prayer is crucial. St. Louis encourages everyone to offer their Rosary with specific intentions, whether for personal needs, the conversion of sinners, or for the souls in Purgatory. By doing so, the prayer becomes more meaningful and spiritually fruitful. Recall the intention and fruit of each mystery while praying it.
4. Quality Over Quantity: St. Louis de Montfort is clear that it is better to pray fewer decades of the Rosary well, with devotion and reflection, than to rush through all the decades without proper focus. He cautions against hurrying through the Rosary as if it were a task to be completed quickly. The quality of the prayer is more important than the quantity. If we are not able to focus, it may be better to say the Rosary at a different time in the day.
5. Taking Time for Meditation: He also advises taking time to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary, which are the key events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. This meditation is what gives the Rosary its power. We can say the mystery, read a few Scriptures verses regarding it, and even pause and visualize the scene before continuing on with the first “Our Father” of the decade.

Conclusion

"When people say the Rosary together it is far more formidable to the devil than one said privately, because in this public prayer it is an army that is attacking. It is very easy to break a single stick, but if you join it to others to make a bundle, it cannot be broken. In union, there is strength” (St. Louis de Montfort)

The next time we pray the Rosary as a group, may we call to mind the words of St. Louis de Montfort and truly see the Rosary for what it is – a weapon against the evil one. And to wield this weapon well, let’s try to offer each prayer of it with attention and deliberate focus. We are waging a battle against the devil by the Rosary. No battle is won by haphazard swings. Each bead takes dedication and attention.

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 103

In today’s episode, on the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, I address the following:

1. The Dreams and Miracles of St. John Bosco
2. The Catholic Church’s Teaching on Dreams

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin conveniently on the go. Practice your pronunciation with easy-to-follow English phonetic renderings of Latin words. PrayLatin.com offers prayer cards in various formats, including Latin-English rosary pamphlets with the traditional 15 mysteries. Shop for additional Latin resources like missal booklets, server response cards, and more. Visit PrayLatin.com today.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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Why Catholics Must Adhere to the 1917 Code of Canon Law and Reject the Novelties of the 1983 Code

Principle 1: Authority and Validity of Law

Law Must Originate from a Valid Lawgiver

A fundamental principle in both civil and ecclesiastical law is that a law must be issued by a legitimate authority. In civil society, this requires that laws are passed in accordance with constitutional procedures and by recognized governmental bodies. Similarly, within the Church, a valid lawgiver is required to issue binding ecclesiastical laws.

In the Church, the Pope generally holds this authority. However, this authority is contingent upon his continued legitimacy as Pope. According to established Church teaching, if a Pope falls into heresy, he loses his office and thus his authority to promulgate laws. This concept is supported by notable canonists and theologians:

X. Wernz and P. Vidal (1943): "Through notorious and openly divulged heresy, the Roman Pontiff, should he fall into heresy, by that very fact [ipso facto] is deemed to be deprived of the power of jurisdiction even before any declaratory judgement by the Church. A pope who falls into public heresy would cease ipso facto to be a member of the Church; therefore, he would also cease to be head of the Church." (Ius Canonicum, 2:453)

Udalricus Beste (1946): "Not a few canonists teach that, outside of death and abdication, the pontifical dignity can also be lost by falling into certain insanity, which is legally equivalent to death, as well as through manifest and notorious heresy. In the latter case, a pope would automatically fall from his power, and this indeed without the issuance of any sentence, for the first See [i.e., the See of Peter] is judged by no one. The reason is that, by falling into heresy, the pope ceases to be a member of the Church. He who is not a member of a society, obviously, cannot be its head." (Introductio in Codicem, 3rd ed., Canon 221)

Thus, any laws or documents issued by a Pope who has lost his authority due to heresy are invalid and not binding. This principle calls into question the legitimacy of the 1983 Code of Canon Law if issued under such circumstances, especially considering the actions of John Paul II who promulgated the 1983 Code.

Principle 2: The Salvation of Souls as Supreme Law

Laws Must Not Harm Souls

Even if a law is issued by a legitimate authority, it must be rejected if it is harmful to souls or promotes sin. The maxim salus animarum, suprema lex (the salvation of souls is the supreme law) underscores this obligation. In 1984, Archbishop Lefebvre called the new code another grave problem undermining the Church and stated that the new Canon Law is very serious for it goes much further [i.e. promoting errors] than the Council itself in a October 29, 1984 conference at Stuttgart, Germany. 

The 1983 Code of Canon Law introduces a novel conception of the Church that undermines traditional ecclesiology and instead embraces the ecclesiology of Vatican II, which erases the distinction between clergy and laity. Canon 204 exemplifies this by defining all the faithful, clergy and laity alike, as partaking in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and royal functions. This new understanding dissolves the unique roles of the clergy, leading to the laicization of the Church. Such a shift is detrimental, as it aligns with Protestant reforms that laicized the priesthood, diminishing the sacred character of the clergy.

Archbishop Bugnini's reforms in the Liturgy further illustrate this harmful trend. The liturgical changes aimed to transform the Mass into an action of the entire "people of God," minimizing the role of the priest and the mystical nature of the Mass. This shift from God-centered worship to man-centered activity undermines the sanctity of the Eucharist and the priesthood.

The new Code even permits practices such as giving Communion to Protestants, a clear rupture from traditional Catholic teaching. This "eucharistic hospitality" contradicts the sacrament's role as a sign of unity in the Faith, thereby compromising the Church's doctrinal integrity. The 1983 Code is a codification of the errors of Vatican II, which are dangerous to souls as they undermine true doctrine, piety, and holiness. We see this reflected in the unmistakable collapse of Catholic praxis after Vatican II.

Conclusion

Catholics are bound by these two principles: the necessity of a valid lawgiver and the imperative to reject laws harmful to souls. Given either the questionable legitimacy of the authority behind the 1983 Code of Canon Law or its harmful spiritual consequences, Catholics are obliged to adhere to the strictness of the 1917 Code and reject the novelties introduced by the 1983 Code. While even the 1917 Code lessened discipline for Catholics in many regards, it nevertheless was a valid Code. The same unwaveringly statement of validity can not apply to the 1983 Code.

Salus animarum, suprema lex. Long live Tradition. Long live the True Catholic Church. Down with the counterfeit Church of the Modernists.

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 102

In today’s episode, on the Feast of the Holy Family, I address the following topics:

1. The Feast of the Holy Family and Consecration to the Holy Family
2. The Catholic Liturgical Year Overview
3. The Traditional vs Modern Catholic Calendar: Changes to the Temporal & Sanctoral Cycles

I would like to thank CatechismClass.com for sponsoring this episode.  CatechismClass.com, the leader in online Catholic catechism classes, has everything from online K-12 programs, RCIA classes, adult continuing education, marriage preparation, baptism preparation, confirmation prep, quince prep classes, catechist training courses, and more. It is never too late to study the fullness of the Catholic Faith, and CatechismClass.com is the gold standard in authentic Catholic formation online. Their Catholic Liturgical Year Course for a one-time cost of $129.95 includes lessons throughout the entire liturgical year on many forgotten days.

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 101

In today’s episode, on the Holy Name of Jesus, I address the following:

1. The History of the Holy Name
2. Epiphanytide: The Customs for This Forgotten Season and Octave
3. Prior Episode on Epiphanytide
4. The Sacredness of Time: The Catholic Day, Week, and Month

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin conveniently on the go. Practice your pronunciation with easy-to-follow English phonetic renderings of Latin words. PrayLatin.com offers prayer cards in various formats, including Latin-English rosary pamphlets with the traditional 15 mysteries. Shop for additional Latin resources like missal booklets, server response cards, and more. Visit PrayLatin.com today.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 100

In today’s episode, on the Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord, I address the future of the A Catholic Life Podcast on this 100th Episode Milestone. In addition, I discuss the following relevant articles: 

1. 12 New Year Resolutions for Catholics
2. 2025 Traditional Catholic Fasting and Abstinence Calendar
3. Complete Archive of A Catholic Life Podcast Episode
4. New Years Indulgences

I would like to thank CatechismClass.com for sponsoring this episode.  CatechismClass.com, the leader in online Catholic catechism classes, has everything from online K-12 programs, RCIA classes, adult continuing education, marriage preparation, baptism preparation, confirmation prep, quince prep classes, catechist training courses, and more. It is never too late to study the fullness of the Catholic Faith, and CatechismClass.com is the gold standard in authentic Catholic formation online. 

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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2nd Edition of "Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom" Now Available

"The best advice that I can give you is this: Church traditions - especially when they do not run counter to the faith - are to be observed in the form in which previous generations have handed them down...the traditions which have been handed down should be regarded as apostolic laws" (St. Jerome in Letter 71)

I'm honored to announce the publication of the slightly expanded 2nd edition of the book by Our Lady of Victory Press entitled "Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom." The 2nd edition includes three new chapters not featured in the first edition (i.e. Customs for St. Joseph's Day, St. Anne's Day Customs, The Customs for the Vigil, and Feast of St. John the Baptist) along with a much expanded catch-all chapter on various saint day customs throughout the liturgical year.

Preface

Under the Old Testament laws, God’s people observed annual ceremonies commemorating important events in salvation history which prefigured the completion of the Old Law through Christ. Similarly, Holy Church commemorates important mysteries, events, and persons, using an annual cycle of prayers, Scriptures, hymns, and various spiritual disciplines. In the same way, each of the twelve months has a unique focus, and each day of the week has a unique focus as well. Even in the day, the hours of the day are divided up into canonical hours. In so doing, all time is, in a manner of speaking, consecrated to God since He alone created all time and redeemed all of time.

Unlike the pagan religions which often view time as an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the Christian view of time is linear. While God alone has always existed and has no beginning, time had a beginning. There was a first day on earth. And there will be a last day. There will be a day ultimately when the sun will rise for the last time and when it will set for the last time. Time will end. And God Himself will end it as time belongs to Him. It is our duty to honor God in time. And we can do so by sanctifying the days, weeks, months, and seasons of the year.

The Church’s Liturgical Year is a harmonious interplay of feasts and fasts interwoven in both the temporal and sanctoral cycles that define the rhythm and rhyme of Catholic life. While there are many customs associated with the seasons of the liturgical year and high ranking feast days, the entire year is replete with opportunities to live out our Catholic heritage through the customs our forefathers instituted.

The Church’s annual liturgical calendar is comprised of two different, concurrent annual cycles. First, the Proper of the Seasons, or Temporal Cycle, traces the earthly life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Roman Catholic Church, it consists mainly of Sundays related to the various liturgical seasons – that is, the seven liturgical seasons contained in two cycles of its own: the Christmas Cycle and the Easter Cycle. It starts with Advent then goes through Christmas, Epiphany, Septuagesima, Lent, Easter, and Time after Pentecost. The determination of the date of Easter dictates nearly all the other dates in this cycle. But there is a second cycle: the Proper of the Saints, called the Sanctoral Cycle, which is the annual cycle of feast days not necessarily connected with the seasons.

It’s also important to realize that each rite in the Catholic Church (e.g., Roman, Maronite, Chaldean, etc.) has its own liturgical calendar, and some have multiple uses or forms of the calendar. Even within the same use or form, there are variations according to local customs. For instance, the patron saint of a church or of the cathedral would be ranked higher in the liturgical calendar of that local jurisdiction. Even in the Roman Rite itself, different dioceses, countries, and religious orders would keep some different feastdays. These were listed in the Mass in Some Places (pro aliquibus locis) supplement to the Missal. Beyond the Roman Rite, the Ambrosian, Mozarabic, Lyon, and Bragan Rites are also all part of the Western liturgical tradition. So too are the various Rites for religious orders (e.g., the Carmelite Rite, the Carthusian Rite, the Dominican Rite). These are also part of the Roman Catholic Church.  No one has ever doubted the legitimacy of this liturgical diversity. 

Those who try to discredit the Traditional Latin Mass may try to falsely claim that all Catholics must observe the same calendar of saints. But this is not the case as seen in the liturgical calendar diversity in the different Rites of the Church and in the Roman Rite itself. Even Summorum Pontificium affirmed that the continued use of the older Roman calendar in the traditional Mass and Breviary is permissible. 

Beyond assisting at Mass and praying the Divine Office, we can and should observe the forgotten customs that further underscored authentic Catholic culture. Catholic culture is more than just going to Mass – much more. Catholic culture is built on fasting periods, assisting at Processions, having various items blessed at different parts of the year (e.g. herbs on August 15, grapes on September 8th, wine on December 27th). It features days of festivity like during Martinmas and promotes family time and charitable works like visits to grandparents on Easter Monday. It is replete with food customs to celebrate the end of fasting periods and filled with special devotions during periods of penance. It is our heritage. These traditions are our birthright. They are ours as much as they were our ancestors. We must reclaim them. We must spread them. We must love them and observe them. And this book will show today’s Catholic how.

Ordering Information:

PDF: https://www.patreon.com/acatholiclife/shop/restoring-lost-customs-of-christendom-81175

Kindle: https://amzn.to/41zYx8d

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3TjPqpN

The PDF is free for Patreon supporters at the All-Star Level.

Sample of Endorsements Received:

"In past ages, the lives of Catholics were studded with joyful celebrations of saints and somber calls to penance. The ebb and flow of feasting and fasting gave the Christian religion a distinctive 'thickness' and 'texture': it wasn't a bunch of ideas floating in the clouds but a daily planner filled with concrete actions. In the heady rationalism and hearty optimism that gripped modern reformers, nearly all of this holistic ecosystem was overthrown, and the loss of it meant far more than the loss of parties or Lenten recipes; it meant, for too many, the loss of any relevance of faith to everyday life. What is a Catholic to do in this desert of deprivation? Simple: follow a knowledgeable guide out of it. In this informative book, Matthew Plese, who has devoted himself to studying and living the traditional calendar, takes us step by step through some of the most important 'lost customs of Christendom.' Restoring them, here and there, one by one, we restore ourselves and our families to all that Catholic life can be." 

– Dr. Peter A. Kwasniewski, author of The Once and Future Roman Rite

“Catholics who want to integrate the Catholic customs of ages past will deeply appreciate Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom. Beginning with Advent and continuing through the feasts and seasons of the liturgical year, this complete compendium of Catholic traditions by Matthew Plese will help integrate the ancient traditions of our faith in our families and homes. This treasured volume presents the fasts and feasts, the indulgences and blessings which are the patrimony of our Catholic people.” 

 – Fr. Scott A. Haynes of https://www.mysticaltheologyofthemass.com/

“This compendium is a much-needed help for the family (the domestic church) and parishes and dioceses (the local church) to reclaim Catholic culture. As Catholics, especially those in the United States, we are losing that sense of what set us apart from the world. There should be no difference between our daily calendars and our liturgical calendar. Our lives must daily revolve around the liturgy and this handy book is an excellent guide to reclaim our Catholic ethos.” 

– Fr. John P. Lovell of https://x.com/Fr_Lovell 

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 99

In today’s episode, on the 4th Sunday of Advent, I address the following: 

1. Midnight Mass & the Traditional Eucharistic Fast
2. Indulgences for Praying the Divine Office on Christmas Day
3. The Companions of Christ (Dec 26, 27, and 28) as Holy Days of Obligation
4. Christmas Compilation of Articles, Sermons, and Prayers
5. Friday in the Octave of Christmas Is Still Required Abstinence

I would like to thank MyCatholicWill.com for sponsoring this episode. My Catholic Will provides simple and effective tools to pass on the heritage of faith and positively impact future generations of Catholics across the country. Ensure your legacy and family are protected while also leaving behind a way to support the Church. Use discount code catholiclife20 to save on your order.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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Tridentine Brewing Now Available Commerically

After years of dedication and persistence, Tridentine Brewing has achieved an incredible milestone: they are no longer just a homebrewing operation. Their beers are now available commercially! This marks a significant step forward for the Alcorn family—Trevor, his father Jeff, and his brother Cameron—who are the driving force behind this remarkable endeavor. I last mentioned the launch of their merch shop in a July 2023 post.

Tridentine Brewing’s journey began humbly, as part of the more than one million homebrewers in the United States, according to the American Homebrewers Association. However, the Alcorn family quickly distinguished themselves with their passion, creativity, and unique approach. Naming their brewery after the Tridentine Mass, they crafted not only exceptional beers but also detailed backstories and intricate labels for each brew. In fact, Forbes recently took notice and published a piece on them!

Their early beers, like the Vienna lager named for Blessed Karl of Austria, resonated deeply with their audience. Fans across social media platforms eagerly followed Tridentine Brewing’s posts, drawn not only to the quality of the beers but also to the thoughtfulness and artistry behind them. The buzz grew, with many asking where they could purchase these unique brews. For years, the answer remained the same: the beers were given away to family and friends. But the demand never waned.

Now, after three years of pleading from fans and dozens upon dozens of social media likes, Tridentine Brewing has made the leap. Their first commercially available beer, Cristeros, is a re-release of a beloved homebrew inspired by the heroic Cristeros of Mexico. This beer is a testament to the Alcorn family’s commitment to creating brews with meaning and depth. As Trevor recounts, the idea for the beer originated from a family friend who encouraged them to explore this poignant piece of Catholic history. The result is a brew that not only delights the palate but also tells a story.

Currently, Tridentine Brewing’s beers are available for purchase in Wisconsin, where they contract brew with Karben4 Brewing in Madison. For their fans in Illinois, the wait shouldn’t be much longer, as availability in their home state is on the horizon. Meanwhile, the Alcorns continue to celebrate their roots and support their mission through their online merchandise shop. From tin tackers to coasters, the shop offers beautifully designed items that reflect the same care and dedication as their beers.

For those who’ve followed Tridentine Brewing’s journey, this is an exciting time. I'm happy to have supported them along the way and still do so. Their commercial success is a testament to their perseverance, creativity, and faith. By supporting Tridentine Brewing, whether through purchasing their beers or their merchandise, you’re not just enjoying exceptional craftsmanship—you’re contributing to a cause that celebrates Catholic Tradition and a true family business.

Check out Tridentine Brewing’s offerings today and raise a glass to their success!

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 98

In today’s episode, on the Gaudete Sunday, I address the following: 

1. Gaudete Sunday
2. The O Antiphons
3. Upcoming Ember Days of Advent
4. The Vigil and Feast of St. Thomas
5. The 2nd Edition of Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin conveniently on the go. Practice your pronunciation with easy-to-follow English phonetic renderings of Latin words. PrayLatin.com offers prayer cards in various formats, including Latin-English rosary pamphlets with the traditional 15 mysteries. Shop for additional Latin resources like missal booklets, server response cards, and more. Visit PrayLatin.com today.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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