Blessing of Candles for Candlemas (February 2)

The Feast of Candlemas, exactly 40 days after Christmas, commemorates Mary's obedience to the Mosaic law by submitting herself to the Temple for the ritual purification, as commanded in Leviticus.

The Feast of the Purification is called Candlemas for the traditional blessing and distribution of candles on that day.  It is customary to bring candles from home to be blessed -- at least 51% beeswax candles that one uses for devotional purposes (candles for the family altar, Advent candles, etc.) -- so they can be lit after dusk on All Saints' Day (1 November), during the Sacrament of Unction, and during storms and times of trouble.  Nowadays, though, for those few parishes continuing this ancient observance, the parish will provide the candles.

Dom Gueranger writes, "After Terce, follows the Blessing of the Candles, which is one of the three principal Blessings observed by the Church during the year; the other two are those of the Ashes and of the Palms. The signification of this ceremony bears so essential a connection with the mystery of our Lady’s Purification, that if Septuagesima, Sexagesima, or Quinquagesima Sunday fall on the 2nd of February, the Feast is deferred to tomorrow; but the Blessing of the Candles, and the Procession which follows it, always take place on this precise day."

Image Source: AllSaints.net

The principal Mass on Candlemas is typically preceded by a procession with the lighted candles and the singing of anthems. The lighted candles are held during the reading of the Gospel and from the beginning of the Canon of the Mass to Communion.

THE BLESSING OF THE CANDLES AND THE PROCESSION 

1. the blessing 

The Priest, vested in a violet cope, blesses the candles, which are placed near the altar

V. Dominus Vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo.

V. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy Spirit.

First Prayer

Oremus. -- Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus, qui omnia ex nihilo creasti, ut jussu tuo per opera apum, hunc liquorem ad perfectionem cereri venire fecisti: et qui hodierna die petitionem justi Simeonis implesti: te humiliter deprecamur; ut has candelas as usushominum, et sanitatem coporum et animarum, sive, in acquis, per invocationem tui sanctisimi nominis, et per intercessionem beatae Mariae semper Virgnis, cujus hodie festa devote celebrantur, et per preces omnium Sanctorum tuorum, bene†dicere, et sanci†ficare digneris: et hujus plebis tuae, quae illas honorifice in manibus desiderat portare, teque cantando laudare, exaudias voces de coelo sancto tuo, et de sede majestatis tuae: et propitius sis omnibus clamantibus ad te, quos redemisti pretioso sanguine Filii tui: Qui tecum vivit et regnat.

Let us Pray -- O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, who hast created all things out of nothing, and by Thy command hast caused this liquid to become perfect wax by the labor of bees: and who, on this day didst fulfill the petition of the righteous man Simeon: we humbly entreat Thee, that by the invocation of Thy most holy Name and through the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin whose feast is today devoutly observed, and by the prayers of all Thy Saints, Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless † and sanctify † these candles for the service of men and for the health of their bodies and souls, whether on land or on sea: and that Thou wouldst hear from Thy holy heaven, and from the throne of Thy Majesty the voices of this Thy people, who desire to carry them in their hands with honor, and to praise Thee with hymns; and wouldst be propitious to all that call upon Thee, Whom Thou hast redeemed with the precious Blood of Thy Son.

Second prayer 

Oremus. -- Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui hodierna die Unigenitum tuum ulnis sancti Simeonis in templo sancto tuo suscipiendum praesentasti: tuam supplices deprecamur clementiam; ut has candelas, quas nos famuli tui, in tui nominis magnificentiam sucipientes, gestare cupimus luce accensas, bene†dicere et sancti†ficare, atque lumine supernae benedictionis accendere digneris: quatenus eas tibi Domino Deo nostro offerendo digni, et sancto igne dulcissimae caritatis tuae succensi, in templo sancto gloriae tuae repraesentari mereamur Per eumdem Dominum nostrum.

O almighty and everlasting God, who on this day didst present Thine only-begotten Son in Thy holy temple to be received in the arms of holy Simeon: we humbly entreat Thy clemency, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless † and sanctify † and to kindle with the light of Thy heavenly benediction these candles, which we, Thy servants, desire to receive and to bear lighted in the honor of Thy Name: that, by offering them to Thee our Lord God, being worthily inflamed with the holy fire of Thy most sweet charity, we may deserve to be presented in the holy temple of Thy glory. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

Third prayer

Oremus. -- Domine Jesu Christe, lux vera, quae illuminas omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum: effunde bene†dictionem tuam super hos cereos, et sancti†fica eos lumine gratiae tuae, et concede propitiusl ut, sicut haec luminaria igne visibili accensa nocturnas depellunt tenebras; ita corda nostra invisibili igne, id est Sancti Spiritus splendore illustrata, omnium vitorum caecitate careant: ut, purgato mentis oculo, ea cernere possimus quae tibi sunt placita, et nostrae saluti utilia; quatenus post hujus saeculi caliginosa discrimina, ad lucem indeficientem pervenire mereamur. Per te, Christe Jesu Salvator mundi, qui in Trinitate perfecta vivis et regnas Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.

O Lord Jesus Christ, the true Light who enlightenest every man that cometh into this world: pour forth Thy blessing † upon these candles, and sanctify † them with the light of Thy grace, and mercifully grant, that as these lights enkindled with visible fire dispel the darkness of night, so our hearts illumined by invisible fire, that is, by the splendor of the Holy Spirit, may be free from the blindness of all vice, that the eye of our mind being cleansed, we may be able to discern what is pleasing to Thee and profitable to our salvation; so that after the perilous darkness of this life we may deserve to attain to neverfailing light: through Thee, O Christ Jesus, Savior of the world, who in the perfect Trinity, livest and reignest, God, world without end.

Fourth prayer

Oremus. -- Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui per Moysen famulum tuum purissimum oleo liquorem ad luminaria ante conspectum tuum jugiter concinnanda praeparari jussisti bene†dictionis tuae gratiam super hos cereos benignus infunde; quatenus sic administrent lumen exterius, ut te donante, lumen Spiritus tui nostris non desit mentibus interius. Per Dominum...in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti.

O almighty and everlasting God, who by Thy servant Moses didst command the purest oil to be prepared for lamps to burn continuously before Thee: vouchsafe to pour forth the grace of Thy blessing † upon these candles: that they may so afford us light outwardly that by Thy gift, the gift of Thy Spirit may never be wanting inwardly to our minds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the same Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

Fifth prayer

Oremus. -- Domine Jesu Christe, qui hodierna die in nostrae carnis substantia inter homines apparents, a parentibus in templo es praesentatus: quem Simeon venerabilis senex, lumine Spirtus tui irradiatus, agnovit, suscepit, et benedixit: praesta propitius; ut ejusdem Spiritus Sancti gratia illiminati, atque edocti, te veraciter agnoscamus et fideliter diligamus: Qui cum Deo Patre in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti vivis et regnas Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who appearing on this day among men in the substance of our flesh, wast presented by Thy parents in the temple: whom the venerable and aged Simeon, illuminated by the light of Thy Spirit, recognized, received into his arms, and blessed: mercifully grant that, enlightened and taught by the grace of the same Holy Ghost, we may truly acknowledge Thee and faithfully love Thee; Who with God the Father in the unity of the same Holy Ghost livest and reignest, God, world without end.

Image Source: AllSaints.net

 
The Priest sprinkles the candles three times with holy water, saying the Antiphon Asperges me, and also incenses them thrice. 

Source: 1962 Missal

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The Finding of the Holy Cross

Ant. O Tree loftier than all cedars! whereon hung the Life of the world, and Christ triumphed, and death conquered death for ever, alleluia.

Double of the 2nd Class (1955 Calendar): May 3

May 3rd is the often forgotten traditional Feast of the Finding of the True Cross by St. Helena. Today was in some places known as Roodmas. It is also called the "Invention of the Holy Cross." Today is also the Commemoration of Pope St. Alexander I and his companions in both the 1954 Calendar and in the 1962 Calendar.

The second nocturn of Matins today in the pre-1955 Breviary recounts how St. Helena used a sick person to discern which of several candidates was indeed the True Cross of our Lord. The sick were healed instantly upon touching the True Cross. Despite the liturgical changes of the 1950s and 1960s that saw this feast day dropped even in the 1962 Missal, the Latin rite Catholics in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem still observe this feast. While the feastday is not kept even in the 1962 Missal, priests who offer the 1962 Missal may (and arguably should) say a Votive Mass today for the Finding of the Holy Cross. Since in the 1962 Missal May 3rd is a feria, a Votive Mass may be offered today (unless today falls on a Sunday or another high ranking day in the sanctoral cycle like Ascension Thursday). 

The following is taken from the Brighton Oratory:

The Cross on which Our Blessed Lord suffered for us was, following Jewish usage, buried on Mount Calvary after the Crucifixion. The precise spot was revealed in a vision to the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, the first Christian Emperor. This date commemorates the recovery of the True Cross in the reign of the Emperor Heraclius and its delivery by him about the year 629 into the hands of the Patriarch Zacharias of Jerusalem, from which city it had been carried away some years previously by the Persians with the object of transporting it to their own country. God has been pleased to give so much power to the Cross that at its sign alone the demons fly; by it the priest blesses the faithful, the devout receive abundant graces. The early Christians had so much devotion to it that, according to the ancient Fathers, they never began any action without first making the sign of the cross upon themselves. In the Middle Ages no public deed, inscription, law etc., was begun to be written without first tracing upon it the sign of the cross. This sign was accepted as the signature of the uneducated; it often preceded that of ecclesiastics, and in many country districts even the dough and the bread were marked with a cross before they were baked. 

In the Epistle the triumph of the Redeemer of the world, Our Lord Jesus Christ, must be preceded by "His humiliation unto death, even the death of the Cross." In the Gospel Christ reveals His mission in His discourse with Nicodemus: "The Son of Man must be lifted up" on the Cross for the salvation of mankind. 

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14th commemorates the day after the consecration of the church (September 13th 335) built by Macarius and Helena when the good bishop was prevailed upon to elevate the True Cross publicly for the faithful to venerate. It also commemorates the recovery of the True Cross from the Persians by Heraclius in the seventh century.

Collect:

O God, Who didst cause that the Cross of our salvation should in most honorable wise be found again, and Who didst manifest thereby the marvelous efficacy of thy sufferings, mercifully grant that by the Ransom which Thou didst pay upon that tree of life we may finally attain unto life eternal. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. R. Amen

Source: 1945 Roman Catholic Daily Missal 

Holy Cross Weather Blessing

Ant. O Cross! brighter than all stars, honoured throughout the world, beloved by men, holiest of holy things, that alone wast worthy to bear the ransom of the world! O sweet Wood! O sweet nails! that bore so sweet a weight! save the people assembled here this day to sing thy praise! Alleluia, alleluia.

From May 3rd, the Feast of the Finding of the Cross, until September 14th, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a special blessing beseeching God’s protection against violent and damaging storms may be given with a relic of the True Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In light of this, I wanted to share this beautiful prayer from the Rituale Romanum.  Share with your priests and encourage them to say this blessing during this time of year from May 3rd through September 14th on Fridays.

In Latin:

V. A fúlgure, grádine et tempestáte.

R. Líbera nos, Dómine Jesu Christe.

V. Osténde nobis, Dómine, misericórdiam tuam.

R. Et salutáre tuum da nobis.

V. Dómine exáudi oratiónem meam.

R. Et clamor meus ad te véniat.

V. Dóminus vobíscum.

R. Et cum spíritu tuo.

Orémus.  Quaesumus, omnípotens Deus, ut, intercessióne Sanctae Dei Genetrícis Maríae, sanctórum Angelórum, Patriarchárum, Prophetárum, Apostolórum, Mártyrum, Confessórum, Vírginum, Viduárum, et ómnium Sanctórum tuórum, contínuum nobis praestes subsídium, tranquíllam auram permíttas, atque contra fúlgura et tempestátes désuper nobis indígnis tuam salútem effúndas de caelis, et géneri húmano semper aemulas, déxtera poténtiae tuae, aéreas cónteras potestátes.  Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nostrum.

R. Amen.

V. Sit nomen Dómini benedíctum.

R. Ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum.

V. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini.

R. Qui fecit caelum et terram.

V. Benedíctio Dei omnipoténtis, Patris + et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti, descéndat super vos, locum istum et fructus terrae et máneat semper.

R. Amen.

In English:

V. From lightning strikes, hail, and violent storms.

R. Deliver us, O Lord Jesus Christ.

V. Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy.

R. And grant us Thy salvation.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.  We beseech Thee, O Almighty God, through the intercession of Holy Mary, the Mother of God, of the holy angels, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, widows, and of all Thy saints, that Thou show us Thy continuing protection, permit tranquil winds, and also pour out to us, Thy unworthy servants, Thy safety from heaven above against lightning strikes and violent storms, and that Thou remain always protective of the human race and crush down the aerial powers by the right hand of Thy power.  Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen

V. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

R. Now and forever.

V. Our help is in the Name of the Lord.

R. Who made heaven and earth.

V. May the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Ghost, descend upon you, this place, and the fruits of the earth and remain forever.

R. Amen.

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Ash Wednesday Traditional Mass Propers

Today's Mass embodies the spirit of Lent. All are reminded to be sorry for sin and to do penance, but not in a spirit of showy sadness or of inward despair. Rather, let the sincere and humble prepare with inner joy to celebrate their baptism in Christ. By living their baptismal promises, they enter more deeply into Christ's suffering. Knowing God's desire to forgive, to heal, and to share with all men His own divine life, we discipline our passions gladly and with confidence in victory. God gives the grace for every Lenten restraint. Therefore everyone should receive the blessed ashes, both as a means of grace and as a reminder to do penance unobtrusively, for personal sins and for the sins of all mankind.

Remember that today is a day of required fast and abstinence from meat.

Before the Mass, the celebrant vested in alb, purple stole, and cope, goes up to the altar for the blessing of the ashes.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ASHES

The celebrant stands and receives ashes on his head; he then distributes them to the clergy and the congregation, who kneel before him. He admonishes each one as he places ashes on his head:

Remember, man, that you are dust, and into dust you shall return.

THE MASS

INTROIT
Sap. 11:24, 25, 27

You are merciful to all, O Lord, and hate none of the things that You have made. When men repent, You overlook their sins and pardon them; for You are the Lord our God. Ps. 56:2. Have pity on me, O God, have pity on me, for my soul trusts in You. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O Lord, may the faithful begin the solemn season of fast with fitting piety, and may they continue through to its end with unwavering devotion. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON
Joel 2:12-19

Now, therefore, saith the Lord. Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and mourning. And rend your hearts, and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil. Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive, and leave a blessing behind him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bridal chamber. Between the porch and the altar the priests, the Lord's ministers, shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathens should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God? The Lord hath been zealous for his land, and hath spared his people. And the Lord answered, and said to his people: Behold I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and you shall be filled with them: and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

GRADUAL
Ps. 56:2, 4

Have pity on me, O God, have pity on me, for my soul trusts in You. V. He has sent from heaven, and saved me; He has made them a reproach who trample upon me.

TRACT
Ps. 102:10; 78:8-9

O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities. V. O Lord, remember not our iniquities of the past; let Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are being brought very low. (All Kneel.) V. Help us, O God our Savior, and for the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us; and pardon us our sins for Your name's sake.

GOSPEL
Matthew 6:16-21

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, "And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.
"Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through, and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
Ps. 29:2-3

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You and You have healed me.

SECRET

O Lord, make us truly fit to offer these gifts with which we commemorate the institution of this blessed Sacrament. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Ps. 1:2-3

He who meditates on the law of the Lord day and night shall bring forth his fruit in due season.

POSTCOMMUNION

O Lord, may this Sacrament which we have received make our fasting an acceptable offering to You and a healthful remedy to our souls. Through our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE

O Lord, look with mercy upon those who worship before Your majesty. May Your heavenly aid always strengthen those who have feasted upon Your divine Sacrament. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

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Video: Traditional Blessing of Throats on the Feast of St. Blaise

BLESSING OF CANDLES
on the Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

God, almighty and all-mild, by your Word alone you created the manifold things in the world, and willed that that same Word by whom all things were made take flesh in order to redeem mankind; you are great and immeasurable, awesome and praiseworthy, a worker of marvels. Hence in professing his faith in you the glorious martyr and bishop, Blaise, did not fear any manner of torment but gladly accepted the palm of martyrdom. In virtue of which you bestowed on him, among other gifts, the power to heal all ailments of the throat. And now we implore your majesty that, overlooking our guilt and considering only his merits and intercession, it may please you to bless + and sanctify + and impart your grace to these candles. Let all men of faith whose necks are touched with them be healed of every malady of the throat, and being restored in health and good spirits let them return thanks to you in your holy Church, and praise your glorious name which is blessed forever; through Christ our Lord.

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Blessing of Epiphany Chalk

Information on the Blessing and Simple Blessing of One's Home   If you don't have blessed chalk, buy an inexpensive pack of chalk and ask your priest to properly bless it. 

Chalk is customarily blessed on January 6 by a priest using the Rituale Romanum, the feast of the Epiphany (though nowadays typically only done by more traditional parishes). The chalk is a sacramental, intended for the blessings of homes. If a priest is unable to visit your home at this season, a simple blessing may be given by the father of the family. He should mark the year and the initials of the three Magi (Caspar, Melchoir and Balthasar) on the lintel of the main door. The initial C, M, and B also stand for Christus mansionem benedicat (May Christ bless the house).

Write with blessed chalk above the door like so (replacing the last 2 digits for the year in question. This is the example for the year 2012):

20 + C + M + B + 12

O Lord, almighty God, bless this house that it may become a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility. goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, and thanksgiving to God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Upon this house and those who dwell herein may Thy blessing remain forever. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the actual blessing ceremony of your home, click here.

Fr. Z from WDTPRS
The Ceremony of the Blessing of Chalk
Epiphany Chalk is used to write the inscription over all the doors of one’s house. Soft classroom chalk of any color is best for writing on varnished or painted surfaces. A priest should bless the chalk on Epiphany Day, before the celebration of the main Mass of the day, using the following Blessing, which is taken from the Roman Ritual:

V. Our help is in the Name of the Lord.

R. Who made heaven and earth.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with thy spirit.

Let Us Pray:

O Lord God, bless + this chalk which Thou hast created, that it may be helpful to mankind; and grant that through the invocation of Thy most holy Name all those who use this chalk or with it write over the doors of their houses the names of Thy Saints, Gasper, Melchior, and Balthazar, may by their merits and intercession receive health of body and protection of soul. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen. (Priest now sprinkles chalk with Holy Water.)

Later that day – or any day within the Octave of the Feast of the Epiphany – at home, the ceremony is completed by a priest, or the father, or senior member, of the family. The following prayer is said once and at the main entrance of the house. All the family as he or she goes from door to door – everyone keeping a respectful silence, or better yet, reciting the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.

Let Us Pray:

Hear us, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God, and send Thy Holy Angel from Heaven to watch over, cherish, protect, be with, and defend all who live in my house. I call upon Your Saints, Gasper, Melchior, and Balthazar, to protect my family and my home from every harm and danger, and I place the marks of their holy names over the doors of my home to remain there as a constant reminder to us and to all who enter here that my house is truly a house of the Lord.

O God, make the door of my house wide enough to receive all who need human love and companionship; narrow enough to shut out all envy, pride, and strife. Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block to children, nor to straying feet, but rugged and strong enough to turn back the temper’s power.

O God, make the door of my house the gateway to Thy eternal Kingdom. I ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen.

Note: Another version of this blessing, as well as a Blessing of Gold, Incense, and Myrrh (the gifts given by the wisemen) can be found in the Rituale Romanum online version. Also, check out the Solemn Blessing for Epiphany Water

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Blessing of Children (Rituale Romanum)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.


We implore you, almighty God, to bless these children, and we ask that you keep them in your love. Strengthen their hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit, sanctify their lives, foster their innocence. Keep their minds intent on good, help them to prosper, give them peace, health, and charity. By your might and protection shield them always from every temptation of men or demons. And in your mercy may they finally attain the happiness and rest of Paradise; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Let us pray.


Lord Jesus Christ, who embraced the little children when they came or were brought to you (here the priest extends his hands over them), and laying your hands on them blessed them and said: "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them. The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these; and their angels ever see the face of my Father;" we beg you to look with favor on the devotion of these boys and girls here present, and let your blessing come on them in fullest measure. Let them ever advance in your grace and goodness, the better to know you, love you, fear you, and serve you, and happily reach their blessed destiny. We ask this of you, Savior of the world, who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.


May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come upon you, keep and direct you, and remain with you forever.

All: Amen.


They are sprinkled with holy water.

Images: From the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest Shrine in Chicago, Illinois from the Blessing of Children according to the Rituale Romanum in Latin (1962) following the 10 AM Solemn High Mass of Christmas Day.  The children and then the remaining faithful then came forward to venerate a relic of the Crib of Bethlehem (pictured in the third image in the reliquary).

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The Consecration of a Paten and Chalice in the Traditional Rite of 1962

CONSECRATION OF A PATEN AND A CHALICE

(From the new Roman Pontifical of 1962)

{The consecration of a paten and of a chalice may be delegated to a priest, who follows the same rite given here for a bishop, omitting, however, the directions that do not pertain to a priest.

The consecration of a paten and chalice may take place on any day and at any convenient place.

The following are prepared: holy chrism and whatever materials are necessary for cleansing and wiping the chalice and paten as well as the bishop's hands. The chalice and paten should be placed on a table covered with a white-linen cloth or on the altar.

If several chalices and patens are to be consecrated the bishop performs the anointings successively on each of them, but he says the orations only once and in the plural form.

The bishop, standing and wearing the rochet, white stole, and gold-embroidered mitre, says:

Celebrant: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

C: Let us pray, my dear brethren, that by the help of God's grace this paten (these patens) may be consecrated and hallowed for the purpose of breaking over it (them) the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered death on the cross for the salvation of us all.

Then, removing the mitre, he says:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who instituted the laws of sacrifice, and ordered among other things that the sprinkled wheaten flour should be carried to the altar on plates of gold and silver; be pleased to bless, hallow, and consecrate this paten (these patens), destined for the administration of the Eucharist of Jesus Christ, your Son, who for our salvation and that of all mankind chose to immolate Himself on the gibbet of the cross to you, God the Father, with whom He lives and reigns, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Having put on the mitre, he dips the thumb of his right hand into the holy chrism, anoints the paten from rim to rim in the form of a cross, and then rubs the holy chrism all over the upper side of the paten, while saying the following formula:

Lord God, may you deign to consecrate and to hallow this paten by this anointing and our blessing, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then (still standing and wearing the mitre) he proceeds to the blessing of the chalice, saying:

Let us pray, my dear brethren, that our Lord and God, by His heavenly grace and inspiration, may hallow this chalice (these chalices), about to be consecrated for use in His ministry, and that He may add the fulness of His divine favor to the consecration performed by us; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Then, removing the mitre, he says:

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

O Lord our God, be pleased to bless this chalice (these chalices), made by your devout people for your holy service. Bestow that same blessing which you bestowed on the hallowed chalice of your servant, Melchisedech. And what we cannot make worthy of your altars by our craft and metals, do you nonetheless make worthy by your blessing; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Having put on the mitre, he dips the thumb of his right hand into the holy chrism and anoints each chalice on the inside from rim to rim In the form of a cross, while saying the following formula: Lord God, may it please you to consecrate and to hallow this chalice by this anointing and our blessing, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then, removing the mitre, he says the following over the chalice and paten (chalices and patens):

C: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, we beg you to impart to our hands the virtue of your blessing, so that by our blessing this vessel and paten (these vessels and patens) may be hallowed and become, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, a new sepulchre for the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

When the consecration is over a priest cleans the chalice and paten with crumbs of bread and purifies them thoroughly. These cleansing materials are put into the sacrarium.

Special Notice to Servers:

An altar server should never touch anything that is Consecrated such as the Body and Blood of Our Lord in the Eucharist (no one except a priest should touch the Eucharist). However, a server should also never touch a consecrated Chalice, Paten, or the altar itself as these three items were all consecrated in the traditional form.

I highly encourage all servers and those aspiring to serve at the Altar of God, to see my post on the History and Graces from Altar Serving for more information.

Blessings vs. Consecrations

Fr. Z from WDTPRS has a good piece on this particular matter:

We speak about the consecration of certain places, things and people. People to be consecrated, for example, include bishops and some women who are virgins. An abbot, however, is blessed. A corner-stone of a church is blessed, but the stone of an altar is consecrated. Priests can bless, but generally only bishops consecrate.

A distinction can be made about church buildings which are consecrated in a very special way called a "dedication". Also, while confirmation and ordination are also consecrations, in a sense, they are really separate sacraments. There is a lot of debate about just what the consecration of a bishop really does, since they are already priests and priests, by their priesthood, can pretty much everything bishops can do. Once upon a time, priests were permitted to ordain! Some theologians think episcopal consecration really just extends the sacramental character already present, etc. But I digress.

By constitutive blessings (blessings which make something a blessed thing) and by consecrations objects and people are, as it were, removed from the secular, temporal realm and given over instead to God exclusively. It is as if they are extracted from the world under the domination of its diabolical "prince" and given exclusively to the King. Before, they were "profane". After, they are "sacred". Thus, a consecration is a once for all time act. Once something is consecrated, it is forever consecrated. Blessings can be repeated. Thus, harming or doing wrong to or with something or someone who is consecrated is thus its own kind of sin: sacrilege.

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When considered from the older, pre-Conciliar rites, which we happily can use today, it is usually a bishop who consecrates chalices and patens. It was/is possible to delegate a priest to consecrate these things. The consecration makes these things suitable for the worship of God and being vessels for the Most Holy.

In the old days, chalices and patens (as well as ciboria for Hosts and monstrances or ostensoria for Exposition) had to be consecrated before they could be used at the altar. In the new way of doing things, vessels can be consecrated (though I think in the new rites they just bless them in a sort of vague and good natured way) or they become consecrated automatically the first time they are used. That is a real loss of a teaching moment, I think, but there it is.

....

Back to work… once vessels are consecrated they stay consecrated until something major is done to alter them. For example, if the chalice and paten are worn and sent off to be regilded or repaired, they have to be consecrated again.

The consecration of these vessels also calls to mind the extremely ancient practice going back to the time of Pope Sixtus I (+c. 127) that only priests, whose hands were also anointed with chrism, could handle chalices and patens. Remember also the good custom of kissing the priests hand, which is anointed and is raised in blessing and in absolution and which hold the Eucharist.

Constitutive blessings and consecrations are very important. Blessing and consecrating solemnly could help people understand better the distinction of profane and sacred and how blessed and consecrated things can help us in our spiritual lives and our constant fight against the enemy of the soul.

Sources:

Image Sources for Images of the Ceremony: His Excellency Bishop Williamson/True Restoration Photos
Blessing Source: Sancta Missa - Rituale Romanum
Fr. Z Source: Consecration of a Paten and a Chalice

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Baptism: New vs. Old Rite

I recently bought a 1962 Missal of the Tridentine (Latin) Mass. I absolutely love it! The Missal includes so many sections including evening/morning prayers, Mass readings for the entire year, and information on the Sacraments. I personally was interested in seeing how the sacraments have changed since Vatican II, and Baptism has changed greatly.

To see the comparison of Sacrament Baptism in the Old and New Rites, see Fr. Carota's Page

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The Blessing of Lambs

Because of the similarity of her name to the Latin for "lamb" (Agnus), the lamb has been St. Agnes' symbol since the 6th century. On the feast day of St. Agnes on January 21st, the Trappist fathers of the Monastery of Tre Fontane (near Saint Paul's Basilica) provide two lambs from their sheepfold to the Benedictine nuns of Saint Cecilia. They arrive at Saint Agnes' Basilica wearing crowns, lying in "baskets decorated with red and white flowers and red and white ribbons—red for martyrdom, white for purity."

For the festal Mass, the church, titular cardinal, the deacon, and subdeacon are decorated with red, white and gold. At the conclusion of the Holy Mass, there is a procession of little girls veiled and dressed in white lace with pale blue ribbons, followed by four resplendent carabinieri carrying the baby lambs. The lambs are blessed and incensed before being taken to the Vatican for the Holy Father’s blessing. Then they are delivered to the Convent of Saint Cecilia to become the pets of the sisters until Holy Thursday (when they are shorn) before being sacrificed on Good Friday.

The wool from these lambs is woven into 12 archbishops' palliums. The pallium is an older symbol of the papacy than that of the famed triregnum. The elect becomes "Shepherd of Christ's Flock" when the pallium touches his shoulder and symbolizes that the new bishop is being 'yoked' with the bishop of Rome, who is the visible head of the Church. About 204 AD, Saint Felician of Foligno is the first recorded recipient of a pallium from Pope Saint Victor I.

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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel & The Brown Scapular

Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): July 16
Greater Double (1955 Calendar): July 16

Commemoration (1962 Calendar): July 16

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel commemorates when Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock, the superior general of the Carmelites, in Cambridge, England, on Sunday, July 16, 1251. The Carmelite Order was founded in the 1100s on Mount Carmel, the same place in the Holy Land mentioned in the Bible in 1 Kings 18:16-40. It was there that the prophet Elijah took his stand against the pagan prophets of Baal and Asherah by the power of God.

St. Simon Stock had appealed to Mary through prayer to help the new Carmelite order to overcome oppression. She appeared with the Brown Scapular and said to him:

"Take, beloved son, this scapular of the order as a badge of my confraternity and for you and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant"

Later that day, St. Simon Stock was called promptly by Lord Peter of Linton: "Come quickly, Father, my brother is dying in despair!" St. Simon Stock placed his large Scapular over the dying man and prayed that Mary would keep her promise. The man instantly repented of his sins and died in a state of grace. Blessed Pope Gregory X was buried wearing the Scapular, only 25 years after the vision. When his tomb was opened over 600 years later, the wool scapular remained perfectly intact and had not degraded in the least.

The Church keeps the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16th. And to show just how important the Scapular is, she sanctions and encourages the promises of the Scapular. The Blessed Mother promised that whoever dies clothed in the Scapular will not suffer eternal fire. This promise though requires a few conditions on our part. It is not just a piece of magic where we seek to bend the will of God to us. Catholics do not believe in magic. But we do believe in the Scapular as a Sacramental through which we can receive God’s through if we have the right dispositions.

Requirements of the Brown Scapular:

• The Scapular must hang over the shoulders with one side hanging in the front and the other side hanging in the back
• The Scapular must be made of 100% wool and be either square or rectangular 
• One must be properly enrolled in the Brown Scapular. Any priest may say the prayers of enrollment in the Brown Scapular. But wearing the Scapular without the enrollment does not permit the wearer to receive the benefits of the Brown Scapular.
• One must wear the Scapular at all times. It may of course be taken off to bathe and swim. But the Brown Scapular is not just a devotion we pull out from time to time. It must, with only certain exceptions, be worn at all times.

Sometimes confusion arises on these requirements. Please refer to the website of the Sisters of Carmel for answers to common questions concerning the Scapular.

There is also a promise called the Sabbatine Privilege that is also concerning the Brown Scapular. 

It is piously believed that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave to Pope John XXII in a vision, that She will deliver Her faithful children who have worn the Scapular devoutly from purgatory soon after their death, notably the first Saturday after death. Her words to Pope John XXII: “As a tender Mother, I will descend into purgatory on the Saturday after their death, and will deliver them into the heavenly mansions of life everlasting.”  This Sabbatine Privilege was promulgated and taught through the famous Bull Sacratissimo Uti Culmine (Sabbatine Bull) of Pope John XXII in 1322 and given definitive ratification in 1908 by the Holy See.

Requirements for the Sabbatine Privilege:

• Wear the Brown Scapular Continuously (as mentioned above)
• To observe chastity according to one’s state in life
• Lastly, the daily recitation of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or to abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays or with the permission of a priest say 5 decades of the Holy Rosary.

Such promises are serious. And God has blessed the Scapular with many miracles, as if to indicate the blessing of the Scapular and the promises attached to them.

In May of 1957, a Carmelite priest in Germany published the unusual story of how the Scapular saved a home from fire. An entire row of homes had caught fire in Westboden, Germany. The pious inhabitants of a 2-family home, seeing the fire, immediately fastened a Scapular to the main door of the house. Sparks flew over it and around it, but the house remained unharmed. Within 5 hours, 22 homes had been reduced to ashes. The one structure which had the Scapular attached to its door. The hundreds of people who came to see the place Our lady had saved are eye-witnesses to the power of the Scapular and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Another Scapular story that bears repeating took place in 1845. In the late summer of that year, the English ship, "king of the Ocean" found itself in the middle of a wild hurricane. As wind and sea mercilessly lashed the ship, a Protestant minister, together with his wife and children and other passengers, struggled to the deck to pray for forgiveness and mercy, as the end seemed at hand. Among the crew was a young Irishman, John McAuliffe. On seeing the urgency of the situation, the youth opened his shirt took off his Scapular, and, making The sign of the Cross with it over the raging waves tossed it into the ocean. At that very moment, the wind calmed. Only one more wave washed the deck, bringing with it the Scapular which came to rest at the boy's feet. All the while the minister; a Mr. Fisher, had been carefully observing McAuliffe's actions and the miraculous effect of those actions. Upon questioning the young man, they were told about the Holy Virgin and Her Scapular. Mr. Fisher and his family were so impressed that they were determined to enter the Catholic Church as soon as possible, and thereby enjoy the same protection of Our Lady's Scapular.

One of the most extraordinary of all Scapular incidents took place right here in the United States. It happened around the turn of the century in the town of Ashtabula, Ohio, that a man was cut in two but a train; he was wearing the Scapular. Instead of dying instantly, as would be expected he remained alive and conscious for 45 minutes -- just enough time until a priest could arrive to administer the Last Sacraments. These, and other such incidents, tell us that Our Blessed Mother will take personal care of us in the hour of our death. So great and powerful a Mother is Mary that She will never fail to keep the Scapular contract, i.e. to see that we die in God's grace.

These are just some of the many miracles attributed to the Blessed Mother. There are many, many others attributed to the Brown Scapular.

"One Day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, I will save the world” (Words of our Lady to St. Dominic)

In wearing the Scapular at all times we make silent petition for the Blessed Mother’s continual assistance. We share in all the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Scapular Confraternity throughout the world. Pope Pius XII often spoke of the Scapular. On the 700th anniversary of the appearance of Our Lady to St. Simon Stock, Pope Pius XII referred to the Scapular as “the sign of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary”. The Scapular also represents the sweet yoke of Jesus Christ, which Mary helps us to bear. And finally, the pope continued, the Scapular marks us as one of Mary’s chosen children, and becomes for us (as the Germans call it) a “Garment of Grace”. St. Claude tells us, “Of all the pious practices which have inspired the faithful to honor the Mother of God, there is none so sure as that of the Scapular.

No other devotion has been confirmed by so many and such extraordinary miracles.” As we mentioned above, during the Scapular Anniversary celebration in Rome in 1951, Pope Pius XII told a very large audience to wear the Brown Scapular as a sign of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady asked for this consecration in the last apparition at Fatima, when She appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, holding the Brown Scapular out to the whole world. It was Her last moving appeal to souls to wear Her Scapular as a sign of consecration to Her Immaculate Heart.

Are there any friends who need to know about the scapular? Share this with them. Do you need to encourage any Catholics who were never enrolled to be enrolled? Do you know any Catholics who were enrolled long ago and no longer wear the Scapular. Consider buying them a Scapular. Even if they are not overly religious, they will likely never refuse a gift.

Click here to browse various affordable Scapulars for sale.

Also, it’s important to realize that the Brown Scapular is only one of 17 different approved Scapulars. All of the other Scapulars have various requirements and promises. You would need to be enrolled in each of them as all have different prayers of enrollment.

Prayer:

O God, Who hast honored the Order of Carmel with the special title of Thy most Blessed Mother Mary, ever Virgin: mercifully grant, that we who celebrate her memory this day with solemn office, may be shielded by her protection and deserve to come to everlasting joys: Who livest and reignest.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

11. BLESSING AND INVESTITURE WITH SCAPULAR OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL (1962 Rituale Romanum)

(Formerly reserved to the Order of Discalced Carmelites)

The person who is to receive the scapular is kneeling. The priest vested in surplice and white stole, says:

The antiphon, versicles, and the prayer "May Christ," etc., for all of which see below. Then he adds the following versicles and oration:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All: Both now and forevermore.

P: Lord, heed my prayer.

All: And let my cry be heard by you.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty God and everlasting Father, who willed that your only- begotten Son be clothed in our mortal nature, we humbly beg you in your boundless goodness to let your blessing flow out on this garment, which our holy fathers have sanctioned to be worn by those who renounce the world, in token of innocence and lowliness. Let it please you to endow it with such blessing, that he (she), who is to wear it, may likewise put on our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Then he says the prayer "We earnestly beg you," etc., see below; after which he sprinkles the habit with holy water. If only the habit is to be blessed, the blessing begins with the versicle Our help etc. (see above) and concludes with the aforementioned prayer "We earnestly beg you," etc.

As he invests the person with the habit he says: "Take, dear brother," etc. (see below); after which he adds:

Lord, hear our humble entreaties, and help this servant of yours, whom we enroll in the holy sodality of the Carmelites, to be ever constant and true to his (her) proposal, and to serve you in all holiness. Protect your servant, Lord, with the saving grace of peace; and as he (she) confides himself (herself) to the patronage of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, let him (her) be safe from all adversaries.

Then he blesses the new member with the sign of the cross, using the prayer "May almighty God," etc., below.

He sprinkles the person with holy water; after which he adds:

By the delegated power which I enjoy, I receive you into the confraternity of the holy order of Carmelites, and enroll you as a partaker of all the spiritual benefits of this order; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

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Blessing of the Throats

With today being the Feast of St. Blase, it's time to get your throat blessed!

For centuries, it has been a tradition for Catholics to have their throats blessed on the Feast of St. Blase, the patron saint against throat ailments. It's a lovely tradition with St. Blaise, who healed a boy with a fishbone stuck in his throat. St. Blase is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

The priest takes two unlit candles and crosses them. He places one on one side of the parishioner's neck and one on the other. And, the priest says this prayer:

By the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every malady of the throat, and from every possible mishap; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. R. Amen.

Also, the priest will pray over and bless the candles prior to using them for this blessing.  The blessing he will use is this: Blessing of Candles for the Feast of St. Blase.

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Blessing of Candles for the Feast of St. Blase

The day after The Feast of the Purification of our Lady (called Candlemas) is the feastday of St. Blase. The following prayer for the Blessing of Candles may be said by the ordained. Blessed candles are used in the special Blessing of Throats given on this day.

BLESSING OF CANDLES on the Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you. 

Let us pray. God, almighty and all-mild, by your Word alone you created the manifold things in the world, and willed that that same Word by whom all things were made take flesh in order to redeem mankind; you are great and immeasurable, awesome and praiseworthy, a worker of marvels. Hence in professing his faith in you the glorious martyr and bishop, Blaise, did not fear any manner of torment but gladly accepted the palm of martyrdom. In virtue of which you bestowed on him, among other gifts, the power to heal all ailments of the throat. And now we implore your majesty that, overlooking our guilt and considering only his merits and intercession, it may please you to bless + and sanctify + and impart your grace to these candles. Let all men of faith whose necks are touched with them be healed of every malady of the throat, and being restored in health and good spirits let them return thanks to you in your holy Church, and praise your glorious name which is blessed forever; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water.

Source: 1962 Roman Ritual

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