Octave Day of Corpus Christi

Today up until 1955 was the Octave of Corpus Christi.  As this blog seeks to preserve our Catholic heritage, we will celebrate the Octave Day of Corpus today by sharing the prayers of the Mass for this Octave Day. Priests who regularly offer the 1962 Missal may generally choose to offer a Votive Mass of the Blessed Sacrament today. And laypeople of all walks of life may choose to pray these prayers today in thanksgiving for the great gift of the Blessed Sacrament.

The following text for the Octave Day of Corpus Christi in the Roman Rite is the same as the Feastday itself. As the New Liturgical Movement notes, "Some of the oldest Roman octaves, such as those of Ss Peter and Paul and St Lawrence, have a Mass on the octave day itself which is different or partly different from that of the main feast; Peter and Paul also have another Mass for the days within the octave. However, by the time the feast of Corpus Christi was promulgated in the mid-13th century, this custom was no longer being developed for new celebrations, and the Mass of the feast was simply repeated through the octave."

INTROIT  Ps. 80:17

He fed them with the finest wheat, alleluia! and filled them with honey from the rock, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Ps. 80:2. Sing joyfully to God, our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT 

Grant, O Lord, that we may always fear and love Your holy Name, for You never fail to guide those whom You firmly establish in Your love. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

EPISTLE I Cor. 11:23-29 

Breathren: For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, And giving thanks, broke and said: "Take ye and eat: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me." In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: "This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come." Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself.

GRADUAL Ps. 144:15-16 

The eyes of all look hopefully to You, O Lord, and You give them food in due season.
V. You open Your hand and fill every living creature with blessing.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. John 6:56-57 My flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, abides in me and I in him, alleluia!

SEQUENCE

Sion, lift thy voice and sing:
Praise thy Savior and thy King;
Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true:
Dare thy most to praise Him well;
For He doth all praise excel;
None can ever reach His due.

Special theme of praise is thine,
That true living Bread divine,
That life-giving flesh adored,
Which the brethren twelve received,
As most faithfully believed,
At the Supper of the Lord.

Let the chant be loud and high;
Sweet and tranquil be the joy
Felt to-day in every breast;
On this festival divine
Which recounts the origin
Of the glorious Eucharist.

At this table of the King,
Our new Paschal offering
Brings to end the olden rite;
Here, for empty shadows fled,
Is reality instead;
Here, instead of darkness, light.

His own act, at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
In His memory divine;
Wherefore now, with adoration,
We the Host of our salvation
Consecrate from bread and wine.

Hear what holy Church maintaineth,
That the bread its substance changeth
Into Flesh, the wine to Blood.
Doth it pass thy comprehending?
Faith, the law of sight transcending,
Leaps to things not understood.

Here in outward signs are hidden
Priceless things, to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things, are all we see:-
Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine;
Yet is Christ, in either sign,
All entire confessed to be.

They too who of Him partake
Sever not, nor rend, nor break,
But entire their Lord receive.
Whether one or thousands eat,
All receive the selfsame meat,
Nor the less for others leave.

Both the wicked and the good
Eat of this celestial Food;
But with ends how opposite!
Here 'tis life; and there 'tis death;
The same, yet issuing to each
In a difference infinite.

Nor a single doubt retain,
When they break the Host in twain,
But that in each part remains
What was in the whole before;
Since the simple sign alone
Suffers change in state or form,
The Signified remaining One
And the Same forevermore

Lo! upon the Altar lies,
Hidden deep from human eyes,
Angels' Bread from Paradise
Made the food of mortal man:
Children's meat to dogs denied;
In old types foresignified;
In the manna from the skies,
In Isaac, and the Paschal Lamb.

Jesu! Shepherd of the sheep!
Thy true flock in safety keep.
Living Bread! Thy life supply;
Strengthen us, or else we die;
Fill us with celestial grace:
Thou, who feedest us below!
Source of all we have or know!
Grant that with Thy Saints above,
Sitting at the Feast of Love,
We may see Thee face to face.
Amen. Alleluia.

GOSPEL  John 6:56-59

At that time, Jesus said to the crowds of the Jews: "For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me: and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever."

Creed is said.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Lev. 21:6

The priests of the Lord offer incense and loaves to God; therefore they shall be sacred to their God and shall not profane His name, alleluia!

SECRET  

May the sacrifice we are about to offer unto Your holy Name, O Lord, make us pure, and day by day help us to live a more heavenly life. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Preface

The Preface of the Nativity, as was used in the pre-1955 Rubrics for the Feast of Corpus Christi.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON I Cor. 11:26-27 

As often as you shall eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION  

We beseech You, O Lord, that having received Your gifts, each partaking of this sacrament may increase within us its saving effects. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the Marian Missal, 1945

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Top 10 Churches of Lisbon: A Photo Review

When you think of beautiful testaments to the Catholic Faith of Europe, you are likely to think of the great and majestic churches of Paris, Chartres, Rome, or Florence. You may also think of the cathedrals and monasteries of Spain, the royal chapels and domed churches of Vienna, or the many churches that dot the Bavarian countryside in southern Germany. Yet, often not on the top of many lists, Portugal remains a largely Catholic country. Despite the atheistic government of the early 20th century which sought to repress the Catholic religion, the Virgin Mary appeared there in the town of Fatima in 1917 and worked a verifiable miracle seen by over 70,000 people. And despite the growing secularism of Europe, in which Portugal is not immune, the city of Lisbon remains home to many beautiful testaments of the Catholic and Apostolic Faith founded by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

I was privileged to visit Lisbon a few weeks ago and visit several dozen churches in Lisbon, in addition to Fatima.  Here are my Top 10 Churches in Lisbon to visit and pray in.

Jerónimos Monastery

Jerónimos Monastery is arguably the most beautiful church in all of Lisbon. It is one of the top ones and inside you can see the tomb of the great Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama. The Church includes beautiful side altars and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was formerly part of the Order of St. Jerome before it was secularized by state decree in 1833. Mass is still offered in the church. It is located on the western side of Lisbon is the one furthest away from the city center but it is an absolute must-see.

Church of Saint Anthony of Lisbon

While he is almost universally invoked under the name of St. Anthony of Padua, St. Anthony is to the people of Lisbon still one of their own. St. Anthony (1195 - 1231) was born on August 15, 1195, in Lisbon, Portugal to Martin and Mary Bulhom. He was given the name of Fernando. In fact, he lived in Lisbon most of his life. While his family wanted him to become a great nobleman, he followed the call of Christ and became a poor Franciscan priest taking the name of Anthony. He lived his life in holiness curing many. After his death, he was canonized 352 days after his death, the second fastest canonization in history, with over 50 documented miracles.

Pilgrims may visit the Church of St. Anthony, which is located right next to the main Cathedral (Se Cathedral) in the historic Alfama district of Lisbon. Make sure you see the side altar which contains the relics of Justina of Padua who was a 4th-century martyr. Finally, don't neglect to go down to the crypt to pray before the exact spot where St. Anthony was born.

St. Justina is Venice's second patron saint.  Who is the actual patron saint of Lisbon? It's actually not St. Anthony, although he is unofficially invoked as a patron. In fact, few Lisbonians know the city's actual patron. Who is the patron? For that, we will visit our next church...

Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls

St. Vincent the Deacon is the actual patron saint of Lisbon. In addition to a nice statue of their patron, who is holding a ship, the symbol of the city and the country, not far from the Church of St. Anthony is the impressive Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls. While the inside is less ornate than the Jerónimos Monastery, it is a large and impressive building dedicated to a saint we often hear little about, even though he is one of the illustrious 7 deacons of the Early Church.

Church of St. Madelena

After visiting some of the primary churches of Lisbon, we now turn to a much less visit church but which nevertheless is quite nice. I prayed the Rosary here and found it much less busy than many of the other well-known churches. The church is located at Largo Madalena 1, 1100-404 Lisboa, Portugal, though they are not open over the lunch hours so check the times in advance. It is not far from the Se Cathedral or the St. Anthony Cathedral, although it is on the opposite side from the Monastery of St. Vincent. If you are interested in visiting a church after the Church of St. Anthony, this is one of the closest options.

Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha

Now, take a short 5-minute walk closer to the coast (towards Praça do Comércio) and you will arrive at a favorite of mine, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha. If you are looking to attend the Traditional Latin Mass during the week, this is the church you will want to know. They are the only Lisbon church to offer a Monday through Friday Tridentine Mass. They offer the Traditional Mass (as it was said for centuries and should still be said) at 7 PM Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, they offer this Mass at 11 AM.

Igreja de São Nicolau

A little further inland now, close to Praça da Figueira, is the Church of St. Nicholas. While I noticed a steady stream of people visiting to pray in Adoration, I saw plenty of tourists also coming in to admire the beautiful side altars. It is a shame that more people don't know about this true gem of a church. 

Church of Sao Roque

What was my personal favorite church? We've arrived at it - it is the Church of St. Rocco, one of the earliest Jesuit churches from the 16th centuries which contains some of the most beautiful baroque chapels. It was the most ornate of the churches in Lisbon. Inside you will find a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Doctrine, a truly insightful title that I have not heard of before, as well as an impressive collection of relics of male saints on one side of the high altar and female saints on the other. The side altars and chapels are truly transcendent. The paintings behind the High Altar are similarly awe-inspiring. Leave yourself at least an hour to pray through the Church of Sao Roque.

Cardaes Convent

Not much further from St. Rocco is the Igreja do Convento dos Cardaes (Convent Cardaes). Unlike the other churches, this convent is only in limited use today and functions more like a museum. As a result, it does require payment of 5 Euros to visit. Just be aware that the hours are very limited - only 2:30 - 5:30 PM Monday through Saturday. However, inside you will find the rare example of a building that survived the cataclysmic earthquake of 1755. The chapel is beautiful as are the nuns quarters with beautiful artwork throughout including a display of the rare Agnus Dei Sacramentals.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs

Now, on to another truly must-see Basilica for its beauty - be sure to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs (Parroquia Dos Martires) which is the lesser visited Basilica of Lisbon. In my opinion, it was more beautiful than the more well-known Basilica da Estrela.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Encarnação

Located just feet away from the Basilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs is the small but still beautiful Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Encarnação. As a quieter church, it's a great one to spend some quality prayer time in.

Bonus #11: Basilica da Estrela

Last but not least, the Basilica da Estrela is a much larger structure than the Basilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs and features a winding staircase tower where you may for around 5 Euros climb to the top of the church for panoramic views. Truthfully, this was not the most impressive of the many viewpoints of Lisbon (my favorite was from the top of the Castle of St. George) so I'd skip a climb to the top. But a visit to the church is well in order.

Conclusion

In addition to these churches, Lisbon is home to an ancient castle, many wonderful restaurants, and scenic views. It is well worth the visit but if you do visit, please visit some of these wonderful testaments of the Catholic Faith and pray for the people of Portugal to return in greater numbers to regular attendance at Mass and reception of the Sacraments.

If you'd like to learn more, pick up a copy of Lonely Planet Portugal (Travel Guide)

All images are (c) A Catholic Life Blog. If you share any, include a link to this post and attribution. God bless!

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