The 15 Tuesdays in Honor of St. Dominic

 

This year, the traditional devotion of 15 Tuesdays in honor of St. Dominic begins tomorrow on Tuesday, April 26th. As a postulant in Order of Preachers, this devotion is especially dear to me. Next month I will be received as a tertiary into the Dominican 3rd Order.

The tradition of dedicating Tuesdays to Our Holy Father St. Dominic takes its origins right from the beginnings of the Order. The first translations of the relics of our holy Patriarch took place on Whit-Tuesday (May 24) in the year 1233 at Bologna. Successive Chapters from 1239 to 1282 introduced various liturgical practices into the rubrics of the Mass and Office of the Order, as a means of fostering devotion to him. This process culminated in the act of the Chapter of 1362, which introduced the practice of dedicating the 3rd day of the week (Tuesday) to the holy Patriarch. From this point forward, on every Tuesday outside of Lent, the Mass of the day was to be his Mass, with a commemoration of him in the Office.

The specific practice of the Devotion of the 15 Tuesdays was instituted in Florence in the year 1631. During an occurrence of the plague that year, a Fr. Michael Bruni, of the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria Novella, exhorted the faithful to pray to St. Dominic, and promise to receive on Communion on 15 consecutive Tuesdays, presumably in honor of the 15 decades of the Rosary. The success of this effort led to a rapid spread of the 15 Tuesdays devotion. Pope Pius VII granted an indulgence for those who availed themselves of the pious practice in honor of St. Dominic.

Source: Breviarum SOP

Of this devotion, the Raccolta states: The faithful who on Tuesday of each week spend some time in devout meditation or prayers in honor of St. Dominic or perform some other act of piety, with the intention of repeating this act of homage for fifteen continuous Tuesdays, may obtain: A plenary Indulgence on the usual circumstances

Thus, to aid us in honoring St. Dominic for the next 15 Tuesdays, here are some prayers that we may say on those days.  Also of note, we should read meditations on the life of St. Dominic and better strive to follow his example of spreading the Faith to those souls who are presently outside of the Church and thus currently outside of the only means of salvation.

Prayers to Saint Dominic

The faithful who on Tuesday of each week spend some time in devout meditation or prayers in honor of St. Dominic or perform some other act of piety, with the intention of repeating this act of homage for fifteen continuous Tuesdays, may obtain: A plenary Indulgence on the usual circumstances

I. O glorious Saint Dominic, thou who was a model of mortification and purity, by punishing thy innocent body with scourges, with fastings and with watchings, and by keeping inviolate the lily of thy virginity, obtain for us the grace to practice penance with a generous heart and to keep unspotted the purity of our bodies and our hearts.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

II. O great Saint, who, inflamed with divine love, did find thy delight in prayer and intimate union with God; obtain for us to be faithful in our daily prayers, to love Our Lord ardently, and to observe His commandments with ever increasing fidelity.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

III. O glorious Saint Dominic, who being filled with zeal for the salvation of souls, did preach the Gospel in season and out of season and did establish the Order of Friars Preachers to labor for the conversion of heretics and poor sinners, pray thou to God for us, that He may grant us to love all our brethren sincerely and to cooperate always, by our prayers and good works, in their sanctification and eternal salvation.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

V. Pray for us, Saint Dominic,

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ

Let us Pray.

Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who are weighed down by the burden of our sins may be raised up by the patronage of blessed Dominic Thy confessor. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

An Indulgence of 300 days, plenary when these prayers together with vesicle and prayer have been recited for a month

Prayer to Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine

O holy priest of God and glorious Patriarch, Saint Dominic , you who was the friend, the well– beloved son and the confidant of the Queen of Heaven, and did work so many miracles by the power of the holy Rosary; and thou, Saint Catherine of Siena, first daughters of this Order of the Rosary, and powerful mediator at Mary’s throne with the Heart of Jesus, with whom Thou did exchange Thine Heart; do you, my beloved saints, have regard to my necessities and pity the sad condition in which I now find myself. On earth you opened your hearts to the miseries of your fellow-man and your hands were strong to help them; now in heaven your charity has not grown less nor has your power waned. Pray, ah, pray for me to the mother of the Rosary and to her Divine Son, for I have great confidence that through  assistance I shall obtain the favor I so much desire. Amen.

Glory Be , etc., three times.

In honor of Saint Vincent Ferror, Glory Be, etc.

In Honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Glory Be, etc.

Prayer to Saint Dominic

Wonderful Saintly Founder of the eloquent Order of Preachers and friend of Saint Francis of Assisi, you were a fiery defender of the Faith and a fighter against the darkness of heresy. You resembled a great star that shone close to the world and pointed to the Light which was Christ. Help astronomers to study the stars and admire their wonderful Maker, proclaiming: "Give glory to God in the highest." Amen.

Prayer to Saint Dominic

God of Truth you gave your church a new light in the life and preaching of our Father Dominic. Give us the help we need to support our preaching by holy and simple lives. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Ghost, God, forever and ever. Amen.

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St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen

Double (1955 Calendar): April 22

St. Fidelis was born in Sigmaringen, Germany in 1577 as Mark Rey.  A lawyer by profession, Mark traveled much across Europe as a tutor to various aristocratic families before starting on a project to defend the poor.  In 1612, he became a Franciscan Capuchin monk and took the name Fidelis.

St. Fidelis served as a missionary to Grisons, Switzerland and had so much success that the protestants claimed he was a spy for the Austrian emperor.  He was stabbed to death in a church by a group of protestant heretics.  He died with the final words, "Lord, forgive my enemies."

He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746.

Traditional Matins Reading:

Fidelis was bom at Sigmaringen, a town of Swabia. His parents, whose name was Rey, were of a respectable family. He was remarkable, even when a child, for his extraordinary gifts both of nature and grace. Blessed with talent of a high order, and trained to virtue by an excellent education, he received at Freiburg the wellmerited honours of Doctor in Philosophy and in Civil and Canon Law, at the same time that, in the school of Christ, he strove to attain the height of perfection by the assiduous practice of all virtues. Being requested to accompany several noblemen in their travels through various countries of Europe, he lost no opportunity of encouraging them, both by word and example, to lead a life of Christian piety. In these travels, he moreover mortified the desires of the flesh by frequent austerities; and such was the mastery he gained over himself, that in the midst of all the trouble and excitement, he was never seen to lose his temper in the slightest degree. He was a strenuous upholder of law and justice, and, after his return to Germany, he acquired considerable reputation as an advocate. But finding that this profession was replete with danger, he resolved to enter on the path that would best lead him to eternal salvation. Thus enlightened by the divine call, he shortly afterwards asked to be admitted into the Seraphic Order, among the Capuchin Friars.

His pious wish being granted, he showed from the very commencement of his novitiate how thoroughly he despised the world and himself; and when, with spiritual joy, he had offered to God the vows of solemn profession, his regular observance was such as to make him the admiration of, and a model to, all around him. He devoted himself to prayer and to sacred studies; as also to preaching, for which he had a special grace, and by which he not only converted Catholics from a life of wickedness to one of virtue, but also drew heretics to a knowledge of the truth. He was appointed superior in several convents of his Order, and fulfilled his office with admirable prudence, justice, meekness, discretion and humility. His zeal for strict poverty was so great, that he would allow nothing to be in the convent which was not absolutely necessary. He practised severe fasting, watching and disciplines, out of holy hatred against himself; whereas his love towards others was that of a mother for her children. A contagious fever having broken out among the Austrian soldiers, causing frightful mortality, he devoted his whole energies to untiring acts of charity in favour of the sick, whose sufferings were extreme. So admirable was he, both in advice and action, in settling disputes, and relieving everyone in trouble or trial, that he won for himself the name of the Father of his country.

He was extremely devout to the Virgin Mother of God, and a zealous promoter of the Rosary. He besought of God, through the intercession of this Blessed Mother firstly, and then through that of all the Saints, that he might be allowed to shed his blood and lay down his life for the Catholic faith. This ardent desire was increased by the daily and devout celebration of the Holy Sacrifice; and at length, by the wonderful providence of God, this valiant soldier of Christ was placed at the head of the missions recently established among the Grisons, by the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith. Fidelis undertook this arduous task with a ready and cheerful heart, and laboured in it with such earnestness, that he converted many heretics to the true faith, and inspired the hope that the whole of that people would be reconciled to the Church and to Christ. He had the gift of prophecy, and frequently predicted the calamities that were to befall the Grisons, as also his own death by the hands of the heretics. Being fully aware of the plot laid against him, he prepared himself for the combat, and, on the twenty-fourth day of April, in the year I622, he repaired to the church of a place called Seewis. Hither had the heretics, on the previous day, invited him to come and preach, pretending that they wished to be converted. Whilst he was preaching, he was interrupted by their clamours. They rushed upon him, cruelly struck and wounded him even to death He suffered it with courage and joy, thus consecrating by his blood the first-fruits of the martyrs of the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith. His name was rendered illustrious by many miracles, especially at Coire, and Veltkirch, where his relics are kept, and honoured by the people with exceeding great veneration.

Collect:

O God, You set the heart of Fidelis on fire with a seraphic love, and granted him both the triumph of martyrdom and the gift of miracles in preaching the true faith. May his merits and prayers make us strong in faith and love, so that by Your grace we may be faithful in Your service until death. Through Our Lord . . .

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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St. George

Saint George by Gustave Moreau. Español: San Jorge por Gustave Moreau. Galego: San Xurxo por Gustave Moreau

Simple (1955 Calendar): April 23

Who was the real St. George?  When St. George is mentioned, what often comes to mind is the image of the dragon slaying knight.  But St. George's impact extends far beyond the tale of "dragon slayer."  Many of the Christians in the Middle East in modern day Jordan are named George after this holy saint.  Are they named after a fictional knight or is St. George real?

The Church asserts that St. George was a real person and his feast is celebrated on April 23rd.

George from an illustrious family, was a Cappadocian who fought in the Roman army during the third century. He rebuked Diocletian when that ruler began to persecute the Christians and was in consequence tortured and beheaded. The brave and defiant cheerfulness of the young officer during his torture was so great an inspiration to Christians of succeeding centuries that both the East and the West surrounded his bright figure with clusters of beautiful legends. St. George is the patron of England and Christian soldiers. He was especially venerated in Christian Russia.

St. George lived in the early centuries of Christianity and died in c. 303 AD.

"The first piece of evidence of George's existence appeared within the works of the Bollandists Daniel Papebroch, Jean Bolland, and Godfrey Henschen's Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca. George was one of several names listed in the historical text, and Pope Gelasius claimed George was one of the saints 'whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose actions are known only to God'" (Catholic Online).

While Emperor Diocletian began to persecute the Christians in 303 AD, St. George rebuked the Emperor.  Despite the Emperor's friendship with George's father, he spared not his cruelty from St. George. For his "crime," St. George was tortured by laceration on a wheel of swords and was ultimately beheaded. This all came after many attempts by the Emperor to George to simply sacrifice to the Roman gods and receive his life, wealth, and fame in the process.  St. George remained steadfast in worshiping the only True God.

On April 23, 303 AD, St. George was decapitated.  He was buried in Lydda and honored by Christians as a martyr. Thus, we see in St. George far more than a "Dragonslayer" - we see an example of final perseverance and the ability to preserve in the midst of the greatest difficulties. His feastday has been celebrated since ancient times and was, for some time, a Holy Day of Obligation in England as Dom Gueranger relates:

CLAD in his bright coat of mail, mounted on his war-steed, and spearing the dragon with his lance, George, the intrepid champion of our Risen Jesus, comes to gladden us today with his feast. From the East, where he is known as the great Martyr,devotion to St George soon spread in the Western Church, and our Christian armies have always loved and honoured him as one of their dearest patrons. His martyrdom took place in Paschal Time; and thus he stands before us as the guardian of the glorious sepulchre, just as Stephen, the Protomartyr, watches near the crib of the Infant God...

As we have already said, devotion to St George dates from a very early period. St Gregory of Tours gives us several proofs of its having taken root in Gaul. St Clotilde had a singular confidence in the holy martyr, and dedicated to him the Church of her dear Abbey of Chelles. But this devotion became more general and more fervent during the Crusades, when the Christian armies witnessed the veneration in which St George was held by the Eastern Church, and heard the wonderful things that were told of his protection on the field of battle. The Byzantine historians have recorded several remarkable instances of the kind; and the Crusaders returned to their respective countries publishing their own experience of the victories gained through the Saint's intercession.

The Republic of Genoa chose him for its patron; and Venice honoured him as its special protector, after St Mark. But nowhere was St George so enthusiastically loved as in England. Not only was it decreed in a Council held at Oxford, in the year 1222, that the feast of the Great Martyr should be observed as one of obligation; not only was devotion to the valiant soldier of Christ encouraged, throughout Great Britain, by the first Norman Kings; but there are documents anterior to the invasion of William the Conqueror, which prove that St George was invoked as the special patron of England even so far back as the ninth century. Edward III did but express the sentiment of the country when he put the Order of the Garter, which he instituted in 1330, under the patronage of the warrior Saint. In Germany, King Frederic III founded the Order of St George in the year 1468. 

Also of note, St. George is revered by both Christians and Muslims - one of the few saints to hold such a place.

So, what is his connection with the dragon?  Click here to read the fascinating story.

Prayer for St. George

St. George, Heroic Catholic soldier and defender of your Faith, you dared to criticize a tyrannical Emperor and were subjected to horrible torture. You could have occupied a high military position but you preferred to die for your Lord. Obtain for us the great grace of heroic Christian courage that should mark soldiers of Christ. Amen

Prayer: 

O God, the merits and prayers of Your blessed martyr George are a source of happiness for us. Grant us as a gift of grace the blessings we seek through him. Through Our Lord . . .

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Ss Soter and Caius

SemiDouble (1955 Calendar): April 22

Pope St. Soter succeeded Pope St. Anicetus as the head of the Holy Catholic Church in 167 and served as the Vicar of Christ until his martyrdom in 175 AD.

We possess a fragment of an interesting letter addressed to him by St. Dionysius of Corinth, who writes: "From the beginning it has been your custom to do good to all the brethren in many ways, and to send alms to many churches in every city, refreshing the poverty of those who sent requests, or giving aid to the brethren in the mines, by the alms which you have had the habit of giving from old, Romans keeping up the traditional custom of the Romans; which your blessed Bishop Soter has not only preserved, but has even increased, by providing the abundance which he has sent to the saints, and by further consoling with blessed words with brethren who came to him, as a loving father his children. Today, therefore, we have kept the holy Lord's day, on which we have read your letter, which we shall always have to read and be admonished, even as the former letter which was written to us by the ministry of Clement" (Eusebius, Church History IV 24).

The Roman Breviary reading during Matins writes: "He ordered that consecrated virgins should not touch the sacred vessels and palls, nor act as thurifers in the church. He also decreed that all Christian should receive the body of Christ on Holy Thursday, except those forbidden to do so by grave sin."

St. Caius served as the holy pontiff from December 17, 283, until April 22, 296.  The Roman Breviary writes: "Caius was a Dalmatian, of the kindred of the emperor Diocletian. He decreed that these several orders and grades of honor in the Church should lead up to the episcopate, namely: doorkeeper, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, deacon, and priest. Fleeing from the cruelty of Diocletian towards the Christians, he hid himself for some time in a cave; then... received the crown of martyrdom together with this brother Gabinus and was buried in the cemetery of Callistus."

Like all the Vicars of Christ in the first centuries, Sts. Soter and Caius were constant in uniting their sufferings to those of the Divine Redeemer and "in Him bore much fruit".

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The Great Pardon Pilgrimage of Le Puy

A fascinating article from SSPX.org in one of these special years of grace when Good Friday falls on the Feast of the Annunciation:

Since the 10th century, whenever Good Friday falls on March 25th, the Church celebrates the Jubilee of Forgiveness of Our lady of Le Puy, also called Our Lady of the Annunciation. Several popes in succession have confirmed this as a time of grace.

This year, the feast of the Annunciation fell on Good Friday and was transferred to April 4, the first available date after Easter. From April 9 - 10 Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, and fellow pilgrims went on a pilgrimage to the picturesque town of Le Puy-en-Velay in central France. The town, perched in the midst of Massif Central Mountains, contains many notable monuments including the Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Puy (dedicated to Our Lady of the Annunciation), the statue of Our Lady of France, and the chapel of St. Michael of Aiguilhe.

The ­­­town dates from the 4th century when a chapel was erected and blessed by the angels. It became the Episcopal See during the 6th century. The pilgrimage itself came much later, at the turn of the millenium, when wild imaginations flared up about the end of the world. In 992 the feast of the Annunciation coincided with Good Friday and rumor had it that it was a sign of the end times. Pilgrims from far and wide flocked to the church of Le Puy and invoked the protection of the Mother of God who had previously granted many blessings and miracles. This initial movement gave rise to the bishop granting a Great Pardon on all future years when the same occurrence would take place. This year, 2016, is one of these very rare occasions.

It is interesting to note that in 1095 Pope Urban II preached the first Crusade at the Cathedral at Le Puy, as well as at the church of Vezelay. In 1096, within its walls, the Salve Regina resounded for the first time from the lips of Adhémar, the bishop of Le Puy, who was the Pontifical Legate of the first Crusade. The cathedral has also been a rallying point of many petitions of saints. St. Joan of Arc’s parents went there imploring Mary’s assistance for Joan’s mission. Mr. Olier, the founder of the Sulpicians, discovered his vocation here and inspired one of his followers, St. Louis de Montfort, in his total consecration to the Virgin. This year marks the 300th anniversary of St. Louis’s death (1673-1716).

It was here that the Pope requested urgently the recitation of the midday Angelus for the conversion of the Muslims, who at that time were at the gates of Vienna. Why the Angelus? Because it is the appropriate remedy to that pernicious doctrine of a God so unique in His being that He is only one as a Person, and not the Holy Trinity, Whose second Person, the Son, became incarnate in the Virgin’s womb. And God knows that, today, the Muslim peril has long passed the city gates and is threatening the citadel.

May Our Lady of the Annunciation obtain the conversion of the infidels to Her divine Son.

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Feast of St. Anselm

"No one will have any other desire in heaven than what God wills, and the desire of one will be the desire of all; and the desire of all and of each one will also be the desire of God" (St. Anselm, Letter 112).

Double (1955 Calendar): April 21

As the Roman Martyrology states of him: "At Canterbury, England, St. Anselm, bishop, confessor, and doctor of the Church, renowned for sanctity and learning." Dom Gueranger writes in the Liturgical Year: "A monk, a Bishop, a Doctor of the Church—such was the Saint whose feast comes to gladden us on this twenty-first day of April. He was a martyr, also, at least in desire, and we may add, in merit too—for he did enough to earn the glorious palm. When we think of Anselm, we picture to ourselves a man in whom are combined the humility and meekness of the cloister with the zeal and courage of the episcopal dignity; a man who was both a sage and a saint; a man whom it was impossible not to love and respect."

In a great example to modern men, St. Anselm shows us all the path to repentance.  Despite being indifferent toward religion at a young age, by age 15 St. Anselm wanted to enter a monastery.  He was refused though due to the strong resistance from his father.  And so ensued years of worldly living and disregard for the Faith.

Then twelve years later, he returned to his earlier desire to be a monk and entered the monastery of Bec in Normandy.  Three short years later he was elected prior and 15 years afterward he became the abbot by unanimous consent.

Despite an early life that was wasted, St. Anselm would go on to receive the title "Father of Scholasticism" and earn the reputation for sanctity and learning.  As a monk, St. Anselm was admired for his skill in teaching and the virtue of patience.  Through his leadership, the monastery of Bec became an influential center of learning and theology.

One of St. Anselm's greatest works was Cur Deus Homo (Why God Became Man).  Please consider reading more on St. Anselm's doctrine of the Atonement as well as a philosophical analysis of the soundness of his ontological argument to better understand his work and the lasting impact of his writings.

At the age of 60, St. Anselm was appointed as the Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 1093; however, King William Rufus refused to cooperate in Anselm's reform of the Church.  St. Anselm fled into voluntary exile and returned in 1100 upon the death of King Rufus.  Rufus' brother, Henry I, became king, and Anselm spent another three years in exile after their un-reconcilable differences regarding the investiture of England's bishops.  As the kings encroached more and more on the matters under the jurisdiction of the Church, St. Anselm suffered much in defense of Holy Mother Church.

St. Anselm also worked strongly against the slave trade and for the protection of the poorest of people. He obtained from Westminster a resolution prohibiting the sale of human beings.  St. Anselm died in the year 1109 AD.  He is a Doctor of the Church.

Collect:

O God, may blessed Anselm intercede for us in heaven as he once instructed Your faithful on earth and directed them in the way of eternal salvation. Through Our Lord . . .

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Why Should I Go To Mass Every Day?

From the Pieta Prayer Book:

For each Mass we hear with devotion, Our Lord sends a saint to comfort us at death (Revelation of Christ to St. Gertrude the Great).

St Padre Pio, the stigmatic priest, said, the world could exist more easily without the sun than without the Mass.

The Cure' d' Ars, St. Jean Vianney said, if we knew the value of the Mass we would die of joy.

A great doctor of the Church, St. Anselm, declares that a single Mass offered for oneself during life may be worth more than a thousand celebrated for the same intention after death. St. Leonard of Port Maurice supports this statement by saying that one Mass before death may be more profitable than many after it.

"The Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of their souls after death."   (Pope Benedict XV).

Once, St. Teresa was overwhelmed with God's Goodness and asked Our Lord, "How can I thank you?"  Our Lord replied, "ATTEND ONE MASS."

The Blessed Virgin Mary once told Her faithful servant Alain:  "My Son so loves those who assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that, if it were necessary He would die for them as many times as they've heard Masses."  (Page 107, last paragraph of "Explication Du Saint Sacrifice De La Messe" parle R.P. Martin de Cochem Friere - Mineur Capucin.)

"Jesus, Mary, I Love You, Save Souls"

For more information see: A Primer on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

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Faithful Catholics Express Grave Concerns over Amoris Laetita

Guest Post by David Martin

On EWTN’s April 14, World Over Live program hosted by Raymond Arroyo, canon law expert Fr. Gerald Murray and Robert Royal, Catholic author and president of the Faith and Reason Institute, expressed serious concerns over Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetita, and sympathized with concerns that many Catholics are having about the "problematic" parts of the document.

For example, in Paragraph 3, Francis says that "not all discussions of doctrinal, moral or pastoral issues need to be settled by interventions of the Magisterium... Each country or region, moreover, can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs."

In other words, each country or region can decide for itself which doctrines, laws, and disciplines it will adopt according to the whims of the people. This disagrees with tradition. The Church is universal so that its laws and teachings apply equally in all places and in every age. It is man that must change to conform to God, but God never changes. His unchanging doctrine and rule of law constitute the highest good for all peoples, so that any altering of the rule shows insensitivity and negligence, and contributes to the detriment of the people.

If we have a church today that is divided, confused, and out of grace, it is precisely because of this relaxation of the rule. Catering to the people and allowing secular influence into the Church is the plan of the Freemasons to destroy the Catholic Church.

It all started at Vatican II with the introduction of cultural diversity, i.e. changes of discipline, introduction of vernacular, where "active participation of the faithful" now became the focus. For example, in Article 37 of the Concilium it states that "the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity" but rather "respects the genius and talents of the various races and peoples" and even studies with sympathy "these people's way of life," so that "she admits such things into the liturgy itself." The end result today is a Church divided, and a general falling away from God.

Note that the Church before the Council was united and whole. It was unthinkable that the Church would even consider giving Communion to those living in adultery, but now the Church sanctions this in defiance of it's own teachings. Amoris Laetitia permits some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion with no stipulation to live as brother and sister. (Paragraph 300, note 336) Footnote 351 to Article 305 explicitly states that the "help" offered by the Church to those living in adultery can "in certain cases... include the help of the sacraments." That is, the Church helps adulterers by giving them Communion.

This not only breaks with the Church's centuries old discipline on the reception of Communion, but constitutes a change of doctrine, since altering the discipline now proclaims to the Church that adultery is no longer a mortal sin.

The pope in Amoris Laetita says that the Eucharist "is not a reward for the perfect," so who then are the beneficiaries of this reward? The Eucharist is a reward, not for the perfect, but for those striving to "be perfect, as also your heavenly father is perfect." (Mt. 5:48) It is divine medicine for the contrite, and must be merited. It is not a formality for the casual, the lukewarm, and the ungrateful.

But especially, the Holy Eucharist is not for adulterers or those who flirt with the same sex. Jesus said, "Give not that which is holy to dogs." (Mt. 7:6) Concerning those that are divorced and civilly remarried, St. Paul warns, "Know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ." (Ephesians 5:5)

According to the Apostle, the reception of the Holy Eucharist by such persons is a sacrilege, and works to their condemnation. (1 Corinthians 11:27-29) What manner of insanity is this that benched Catholics are now permitted to approach the Eucharist while their souls are degraded with sin of a mortal nature? Is Rome deliberately attempting to send these souls to Hell? Where is the mercy, Your Holiness? Your mission is to admonish and instruct souls about the proper reception of Communion, not to Protestantize them.

We pray that Pope Francis will repose confidence in the tradition of the Apostles that was passed on by his predecessors of the Petrine Office. And we pray he not listen to the rebellious spirits loosed "in the high places." (Ephesians 6:12) To long has Kasper the unfriendly ghost been haunting the Church with his weird ideas, too long have the spooks of modernism been springing their surprises on the faithful. We don't need these "gods of surprises," but we need the One True God Who never surprises His people with respect to how we are to approach Him in the Blessed Sacrament. If the Church today is in darkness, it is because the sins of the church are standing between God and his people, courtesy of our high clergy that make no effort to cure the flock of this moral leprosy.

We pray that Francis will show true mercy on souls by leveling with them and passing on to them the good things of tradition that have proved fruitful, remembering the exhortation of St. Paul: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thess. 5:21)

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Francis defends Judas, Whacks the High Priests

 

Guest Post by David Martin

Pope Francis is not happy with his good bishops. For the past several months he has showed irritation toward Vatican conservatives who oppose his synodal proposals that we show more openness to homosexuals and civilly remarried Catholics. It seems he has been on a rant by constantly lashing out against traditional cardinals whom he compares to the "doctors of the law" that "are closed to the prophecies and the lives of persons," though he does this indirectly through little digs that surface in his homilies.

His morning homily at the Vatican Casa Santa Marta on April 11 was no exception to this. Therein he defended Judas as the "poor man," while lamenting that "the doctors of the letter" had no compassion on him. "It hurts when I read that small passage from the Gospel of Matthew, when Judas, who has repented, goes to the priests and says: ‘I have sinned' and wants to give... and gives them the coins. ‘Who cares! - they say to him: it’s none of our business!’ They closed their hearts before this poor, repentant man."

First of all, it's important to note that there was no contrition in Judas' repentance. Were it otherwise, he would have gone directly to Jesus and apologized to him. He rather went and hung himself with a halter, which was an act of final impenitence—a mortal sin. Revelation has it that he is now one of the demons of Hell who tempt the faithful on earth, something God would never permit had he truly been innocent and contrite.

And whereas the chief priests were most wicked, they were not inhumane to Judas, because Judas was not seeking their forgiveness or understanding. Judas simply returned the money to them because he didn't want to bear the blame of the Crucifixion; he couldn't face up to what he did. It was an attempt to wash his hands. Like Pilate, he knew of Jesus' innocence, so he said, 'look to it yourself, I don't want your money.'

One cannot help to note, too, how Francis laments so deeply the hardness of heart wherewith the high priests behaved toward Judas, yet he says nothing of the cruelty and hardness that they demonstrated toward the Son of God whom they were about to kill. Where in the Church's history was it said or taught that the high priests were evil because they were mean to Judas?

The pope's homily on April 11 came on the heels of his widely criticized Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia issued on April 8, wherein he confirms the proposals of the October 2014-15 Synods on the Family that the Church be open to the lives of unrepentant gays and adulterers. Francis' thrust is that we accept them into the Church as they are, but this unfortunately blesses sin before the faithful—something that God will never ratify. "Woe to the world because of scandals?" (Mt 18:7)

As expected, Amoris Laetitia breaks with 2000 years of tradition by permitting some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion with no stipulation to live as brother and sister. (Paragraph 300, note 336) Footnote 351 to Article 305 explicitly states that the "help" offered by the Church to those living in adultery can "in certain cases... include the help of the sacraments." That is, the Church helps adulterers by giving them Communion.

This not only breaks with the Church's centuries old discipline on the reception of Communion, but constitutes a change of doctrine, since altering the discipline now proclaims to the Church that adultery is no longer a mortal sin.

But it also defies the warning of St. Paul to those who approach the Blessed Sacrament while in serious sin. "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... For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself." (1 Corinthians 11: 27-29)

From the onset the pope's focus was never about admitting Communion to gays and adulterers, but about integration. The "liturgical, educational, pastoral, and institutional" roles advocated by the October 2015 Synod were outlined by the pope two years ago, as we read in the Dec. 8, 2014 issue of CNS: "Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church must consider various ways to integrate the divorced and civilly remarried in the life of the church—not merely allowing them to receive Communion, but letting them serve as Eucharistic ministers and godparents."

These attempts are futile. The path to integration has already been laid out through holy tradition. Those living in sin simply need to renounce their lifestyle and partner, and go to confession, so that their integration will be complete. Now they can be reinstated into the Church and even receive Communion, so that the Eucharist will now help them, and not condemn them as St. Paul warns.

But allowing irregular couples into the Church as they are only sustains their offense, so that they remain separated from God and unable to be saved should they die without repentance. It deceives them, and deceives the faithful, which is no charity.

True charity means converting the wayward, that they might leave their unhappy state and be joined with Christ in His Church, but Francis sees this as an imposition. Jesus cleansed the lepers that they might be liberated from their affliction, yet Francis leaves the morally afflicted in their leprosy to suffer, and then calls it love and mercy.

Love is in the faithful keeping of God's laws, as expressed by Christ: "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Yet, Francis expresses irritation over tradition-minded Catholics who faithfully keep the law, comparing them to the hypocritical Pharisees and high priests who followed the law to "the letter." Let us not forget that the Pharisees were not the teachers of the law, but were apostates that had completely left the Jewish law, evidenced by their sorcery, their child abuse, and their murder of the Messiah who gave them the law. The Pharisees never obeyed God's law, but only pretended to. It was their pretense and hypocrisy that irked Our Lord.

Alluding to our traditional bishops, the pope on April 11 spoke of these callous high priests, saying that all that mattered to them "were the laws, so many words and things they had built." What is implied is that the holy doctrines and traditions of the Catholic Faith are just "traditions of men" which today's Pharisaic conservatives have built up for themselves. Has Francis not considered that he is the Pharisee persecuting these holy men?

The pope said: "History tells us of many people who were judged and killed, although they were innocent: [were] judged according to the Word of God, against the Word of God. Let’s think of witch hunts or of St. Joan of Arc, and of many others who were burnt to death, condemned because according to the judges they were not in line with the Word of God." 

Francis seems to think that the Cardinal Burkes and good bishops are the "judges" who persecute the innocent—whom he holds to be the poor gays, Judases, and adulterers—because they don't adhere to their own "stiff-necked" version of the Word of God. He overlooks the fact that all the martyrs through the centuries, and without exception, were the staunch Catholics who adhered strictly to the laws, doctrines, and tradition of the Faith, so much so, that they chose to die rather than compromise one point of tradition. We speak of those tough and holy bishops, virgins, hermits, and fighters for Heaven who absolutely refused to change with the times. This is why they were saints.

Francis has forgotten that in every case, without exception, it was the left-wing dissident Catholics, heretics, Marxists, infidels, adulterers, homosexuals, i.e. the enemies of tradition, that inflicted this persecution upon the Catholics. This persecution has now reached unprecedented heights.

We today are witnessing the re-crucifixion of Christ; the Mystical Body is truly passing through its Passion. It is a reply of the Crucifixion as the scribes and high priests of the new order go about stirring up the people against Jesus and His traditions. Sorrowfully, we see Francis at the helm persecuting the innocent while praising the names of the martyrs, which calls to mind the Pharisees who pretended to honor the memory of the prophets, but who were "the sons of them that killed the prophets." (Mt. 23:31)

We've seen the replay of the Crucifixion; now we need a replay of Damascus. Jesus cries out today, saying, "Francis, Francis, why do you persecute me?" We pray he will open his heart and recognize who his true friends are—the Bishop Schneiders, Cardinal Burkes, and Cardinal Sarahs—that he may open his eyes and see their genuine love for God's people, evidenced by their tireless efforts to bring the pure waters of tradition to the thirsting flock.

May Francis do likewise. May he open his eyes and understand that if he loves souls, he will labor with all his will to bestow on the people the treasures of the Catholic Faith in all its facets—the knowledge of Heaven, the saints, the mystics, the miracles, the dogmas, the laws, the Tridentine Mass—that they be enriched and edified like no other people on earth.

And may he likewise deign to reach out and extend the beauties of the Faith to all peoples, that they may leave their particular ideas, miseries, idols, and religions, and be joined with Christ in the bosom of His Church. The jewels of sacred tradition were not to be hoarded, but shared. What greater mercy can the pope show for poor sinners than by enriching them with the glories of the One True Faith!

Jesus said to Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter answered, "You know that I love thee." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." We pray that Francis will embrace the Church's mission to convert the world, and not see this as "competition" or the pompous flaunt of Pharisaic peacocks that want to fan their ostentatious feathers. May he see it rather as the Church's mission of mercy, as given to us by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/04/11/pope_francis_warns_against_those_who_judge_with_closed_hea/1221870

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Friday Penance: Still Required in Eastertide

Abstinence Required In Pascaltide

Friday is the day in which we commemorate Our Lord's passion and death. As Catholics, we are still bound to abstain from meat each Friday of the entire year, not just in Lent. This is required during the season of Pascaltide. This is affirmed even in the modern 1983 Code of Canon Law - all Fridays of the entire year are days of penance (with few exceptions). There can be no doubt that Catholics must be informed that Friday abstinence is not to be confided to Lent only. Failing to observe Friday penance is a mortal sin, as affirmed by multiple pontiffs.

Abstinence on Easter Friday

How should we treat abstinence specifically on Friday in the Octave of Easter (i.e. Easter Friday)? The 1917 Code of Canon Law stipulated that the requirement to abstain from meat (i.e. Friday penance) was required each and every Friday of the year unless that particular Friday was a Holy Day of Obligation outside of Lent: 

"On [Sundays] or feasts of precept, the law of abstinence or of abstinence and fast or of fast only ceases, except during Lent, nor is the vigil anticipated; likewise it ceases on Holy [Saturday] afternoon" (1917 Code, Canon 1252 § 4). [Translation taken from THE 1917 OR PIO-BENEDICTINE CODE OF CANON LAW in English Translation by Dr. Edward Peters]

Easter Friday is not a feast of precept (i.e., a Holy Day of Obligation), and neither is any Friday in the Pascal Season between Easter Sunday and Trinity Sunday. The 1917 Code of Canon Law outlined the rules of fasting and abstinence in Canons 1250-1254. Before 1917, even Holy Days of Obligation outside of Lent required explicitly papal dispensation or else Friday abstinence would be observed even on days of precept.

The 1983 Code and the myriad of weakening dispensations offered in the 20th century has led to a continual decline in penance and devotion. Due to the errors and ambiguities in the 1983 Code, it must be rejected, and the older Code must be used. One of these issues is the unprecedented novelty of solemnities like Easter Friday breaking the immemorial tradition of Friday abstinence. The notion of day's liturgical rank abrograting abstinence has no basis in Church practice prior to 1983. 

It is essential for all Roman Catholics to continue abstaining from meat even on Easter Friday.

Conclusion

Friday abstinence is still the Catholic practice throughout Eastertide, and it is the Church's Law. Let us not be so keen to forget our Lord's sacrifice on the Cross. Pray and do penance on this and all Fridays. It is after all, on Friday that our Blessed Lord redeemed us. Let us never forget His Sacrifice on that first Good Friday.

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

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