St. Denis

Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): October 9

Commemoration (1962 Calendar): October 9
Commemoration (1954 Calendar): October 9

Today the Church remembers St. Denis, bishop and martyr and companions, martyrs. St. Denis was born in Italy. And, in 250 he was sent to France with six other missionary bishops by Pope St. Fabian. St. Denis became the first bishop of Paris. Because of his success, he angered the pagans and was imprisoned by the Roman governor. He was beheaded on the highest hill in France (the Montmartre) in 258 with the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius at Catulliacum, now Saint-Denis.

One of the many legends about his torture and death was that his body carried his severed head some distance from his execution site. During that walk, he continued to preach! This was a miracle of God. St. Denis is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, who were invoked especially in the Middle Ages against the Black Plague. Saint Genevieve built a basilica over his grave, which is the burial site of French Kings. His feast was added to the Roman Calendar in 1568 by Pope Saint Pius V, though it had been celebrated since 800 AD.

Patron: against frenzy; against strife; headaches; against diabolical possession; France; Paris, France.

Symbols: beheaded bishop carrying his head — sometimes a vine growing over his neck; mitered head in his hand or on book; white chasuble; tree or stake; sword; Our Lord with chalice and host.

Collect:

O God, You sent Rusticus and Eleutherius to join blessed Denis in preaching Your glorious name to the pagans, and on this day You so strengthened this martyr bishop in virtue that he was able to endure martyrdom courageously. May we follow the example of Your saints for love of You and spurn the pleasures of the world, without fearing to face any of its trials. Through our Lord . . .

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1 Peter 4:13-14

Dearly Beloved: Rejoice in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly. Happy are you when you are insulted for the sake of Christ, for then God’s Spirit in its glory has come to rest on you.

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Photos of St. Padre Pio

An amazing photograph was emailed to me of St. Padre Pio. In the email, there was also this link to the photo's source: http://www.franciscan-archive.org/padrepio/Adamic-Archive-6.htm  Some of those photos are here:

Be sure to check out my post dedicated to St. Padre Pio and watch a video of him saying Mass! And see my post dedicated to the many miracles of St. Padre Pio.

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The Catholic Home - Updated Edition

I was privileged to be able to review "The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays, Feast Days, and Every Day" by Meredith Gould. This updated edition is certainly a book that will exist as a source of information for decades to come. Not only does Gould include traditional, liturgical traditions from other countries, it includes craft ideas and brilliant recipes.

While I do not agree with all of the suggestions in the book, - for example, supporting UNICEF- I do agree with many of them. And, I do believe that some Gould's suggestions are excellent ways to allow the Faith to foster in the Family - the "Domestic Church".

Update: The Curt Jester points out several errors in the view of the Sacraments in this book. I forgot to write about the section on the Sacraments, so here is my review on that portion. I would ask future readers to be very cautious with reading this book when the author talks about the Sacraments. I also would like to point out I disagreed with the author's words on page xxii: "Does anyone really want to go back to fiddling with rosary beads and staring at the back of the priest's vestments while he inaudibly mutters in Latin?" I, for one, would love to attend more Masses in Latin, and I prefer the ad orientum posture, where the priest usually faced away from the congregation. Gould seems to be anti-Tradition in this regard.

I can only recommend the first section of the book on the traditions in the Liturgical year. I honestly, after reading the Curt Jester's post and thinking on the matter, can't support the opinions of the author in the section on the Sacraments at all. There are too many theological errors.

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The Rosary is a Bond to Heaven

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which is celebrated each year, commemorates the great navy victory of the Christians over the Turks in 1571. At that battle, the Battle of Lepanto, sixty-five thousand men prayed the Rosary for three hours and took part in the Sacraments and Traditional Devotions. And, the Christian army prevailed that day against the Turks, although they were outnumbered by a 3:1 ratio. Following the colossal victory of the Christians, the Turks never fully recovered and never again threatened the Mediterranean Sea.

Pope Pius V established the Feast of Our Lady of Victory on that day - October 7th. It was later renamed the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. There are many other Rosary miracles including one attributed to Hiroshima and Russians pull-out of Austria.

Pray the Rosary, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus! As St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote: "The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother."

The Rosary is attributed to St. Dominic in the 1200's. St. Dominic was an Augustian priest and worked for clerical reform. By age 26, St. Dominic was fighting the Albigensian Heresy, which taught that there are two Gods, marriage is a sin, and denied the Trinity, incarnation and redemption. While many others had failed to stop the spread of the heresy, St. Dominic succeeded.

In 1208, St. Dominic knelt in the little chapel of Notre Dame de La Prouille and asked Mary, the Mother of God, to save the Church. She appeared to him with a Rosary and instructed him to pray the Rosary, teach it to all who would listen, and she said that the true faith would win out. It was during one of the famous battles in southern France against the Albigensians, when St. Dominic revived the courage of the Catholic armies to victory against overwhelming numbers; he had the Rosary in his hand the entire time.

We too must pray the Rosary!!! The Rosary is the key to union with the saints in Heaven. For through the Rosary all mankind can unite and universally worship Christ and invoke the intercession of the Mother of God. We need the Rosary in our world to foster peace. Without the Rosary, peace will not flourish in the world. Let us follow the request of Mary at Fatima and pray the Rosary each day. Let us add it to our daily prayers along with the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours).

St. Padre Pio said, "The Rosary IS THE WEAPON." How true! With the Rosary, we can fight the powers of Satan, which foster sin, hatred, and war. The Rosary is the weapon of the Church in proclaiming unity and peace. All mankind is called to be part of the One, Universal Faith, and we are called to pray together. The Rosary has been called the second greatest prayer, second only to the Holy Mass. "The Rosary is the scourge of the devil," wrote Pope Adrian V.

We are all called to be children of the One True God. And, the disappointing thing in our world is that few people attempt to follow the Lord now. The Faith has been watered-down so much in some places of the world that it is not even recognizable as Catholic. One of the greatest scandals in the world is when someone claims to be Catholic while still supporting the non-negotiables - abortion, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, gay marriage, or euthanasia. It is a scandal! Still, sin is perverting the world under the disguise of "reproduction freedoms" and other veils; the truth remains the same - the world is suffering from some of the greatest sins since the dawn of mankind!

We must unite against such sins with the Rosary as our weapon! Pray each day not only for unborn children but for the souls in purgatory, the dying, the Holy Father, and all poor sinners. The Rosary is a powerful bond to the Heart of Jesus through the intercession of Mary.

On May 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima and continued to appear on the 13th of each month until October of 1917. On the first day the children saw "a lady, clothed in white, brighter than the sun, radiating a light more clear and intense than a crystal cup filled with sparkling water, lit by burning sunlight." Mary's request was clear, "I have come to ask you to come here for six months on the 13th day of the month, at this same hour. Later I shall say who I am and what I desire. And I shall return here yet a seventh time."

Her final request that day was thus: "Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and the end of the war." On June 13, 1917, Mary revealed to them the Fatima Prayer and implored them to continue praying the Rosary. The children then saw a vision of a heart in the palm of Mary's right hand, with thorns piercing it. The three children understood it to be the Immaculate Heart of Mary - so offended by the sins of mankind - desiring reparation.

On October 13, 1917, Mary appeared again to the three children and said, "I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honour. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes." By then there were thousands of witnesses.

Mary also said, "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended." At that, the Miracle of the Sun was witnessed by 70,000 people as it danced in the sky, changed colors, and was hurled towards earth as if to destroy it.

Thus, I implore all of you to pray the Rosary as Our Lady, Mother Mary, asked of us. Please make it part of your daily prayers. Remember and truly contemplate the 15 promises of Mary to those that pray the Rosary:

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.
3. The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things.
5. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
6. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.
7. Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune.
8. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
9. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
10. Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
11. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.
12. The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
13. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.
14. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death. All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.

(Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan)

By praying to Mary, we call on her intercession. There is nothing wrong with asking Mary or any other saint alive in Heaven to pray for us. "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." -- James 5:16.

Don't think the Hail Mary is biblical? Then look to Luke, chapter 1, where the Archangel Gabriel proclaims "Hail Mary" and "blessed among women". Please, again I ask you to pray the Rosary for peace on earth and for all sinners and especially for the unborn. October is the Month of the Rosary, but please pray the Rosary each day of the year as Our Blessed Mother asked. And if you do this, your prayer life shall certainly blossom!

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Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

In 1571 the Christian army, after intense devotion with the Rosary, suceeded in one of the greatest naval victories in the Battle of Lepanto against the powerful Turks. The sixty-five thousand men prayed the Rosary for three hours. Finally, after these devotions, the men were given absolution (forgiveness of their sins). The Turks had nearly three times more troops. The winds were against the Christians and the conditions were poor, but after the devotions ended, the winds, at the very start of battle, aided the Christians to a colossal victory against the Turks. This was one of the greatest naval upsets in history, from this, the Turks never fully recovered and their threat in the Mediterranean Sea ended.

Following this victory, Pope Pius V established the Feast of Our Lady of Victories on October 7th. The name was later changed to its present form - the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote: "The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother." There are many other miracles included one attributed to Hiroshima.

The reason why the Russians pulled out of Austria in 1948 is also attributed to the Rosary Campaign there where 1/10 of the population prayed the Rosary daily for the withdrawl; it came on May 13, 1955, the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, when the Russians signed the accord to leave Austria, and no one was injured at all.

St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote: "The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother."

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St. Bruno

Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): October 6
Double (1954 Calendar): October 6

St. Bruno was born in 1030 in Cologne, Germany to St. Matilda (his mother), patroness of Maude and a widow of King Henry I. Except St. Norbert, he is the only German having such an honor. St. Bruno became a priest, the founder of the religious Order, the Carthusians. He achieved fame as a professor of theology at Rheims but ultimately decided to live a life of complete solitude and prayer. After establishing a hermitage in Chartreuse, near Grenoble, France, he attracted many followers. They led him to establish the first monastery of Carthusian monks. Pope Urban II called him to Rome, but later St. Bruno was able to establish a second monastery in Italy. He died in 1101 at Calabria.

He was proclaimed a saint "vivae vocis oraculo" by Pope Leo X on July 19, 1514. His feast was observed almost immediately and was extended to the Univeral Church in 1623. Those interested in the unique Carthusian Rite, of which St. Bruno is the founder, should consult "Liturgies of the Religious Orders" by Archdale Arthur King.

Traditional Matins Reading:

Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian Order, was born at Cologne, and from his very cradle gave great promise of future sanctity. Favoured by divine grace, the gravity of his character made him shun all childishness; so that, even at that age, one might have foreseen in him the future father of monks and restorer of the anachoretical life. His parents, who were distinguished for virtue and nobility, sent him to Paris, where he made great progress in philosophy and theology, and took the degrees of doctor and master in both faculties. Soon after this, he was, for his remarkable virtue, appointed to a canonry in the church of Rheims.

After some years, Bruno, with six of his friends, renounced the world, and betook himself to Hugh, bishop of Grenoble. On learning the cause of their coming, the bishop understood that they had been signified by the seven stars he had seen falling at his feet in his dream of the previous night. He therefore made over to them some wild mountains called the Chartreuse, belonging to his diocese, and himself conducted them thither. After having there led an eremitical life for several years; Bruno was summoned to Rome by Urban II who had been his disciple. In the great trials through which the Church was then passing, the Pontiff gladly availed himself of the saint’s prudence and knowledge for some years, until Bruno, refusing the archbishopric of Reggio,obtained leave to retire.

Attracted by the love of solitude he went to a desert place near Squillace in Calabria. Count Roger of Calabria was one day hunting, when his dogs began to bark round the saint’s cave. The Count entered and found Bruno at his prayers, and was so struck by his holiness, that thenceforward he greatly honoured him and his companions and supplied their wants. His generosity met with its reward. A little later, when this same Count Roger was besieging Capua, and Sergius, an officer of his guard, had determined to betray him, Bruno, who was still living in his desert, appeared to the Count in sleep, revealed the whole treason to him, and thus saved him from imminent peril. At length, full of virtues and merits, and as renowned for holiness as for learning, Bruno fell asleep in our Lord, and was buried in the monastery of St. Stephen built by Count Roger, where he is greatly honoured to this day.

Prayer:

May we be helped by the intercession of St. Bruno, Thy Confessor, O Lord, we beseech Thee, so that we who by our evil deeds have grievously offended Thy Majesty, may by his merits and prayers obtain forgiveness of our sins. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Synod called for in October 2008

From Catholic World News:

Pope Benedict XVI has called a meeting of the Synod of Bishops for October 2008, to discuss the theme: "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church."

The 12th ordinary assembly of the worldwide Synod will be held October 5-26, 2008. This will be the second meeting of the Synod during this pontificate; Pope Benedict presided at the October 2006 meeting of the Synod, dedicated to the discussion of the Eucharist. (That Synod had originally been called by Pope John Paul II; Pope Benedict confirmed the plans shotly after his election.) The Pontiff's apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, summarizing and concluding the work of the 2006 Synod, is expected soon.

Meeting early in June, the council for the Synod of Bishops finished a final draft document on the Eucharist, which was submitted to the Pope as the basis for his apostolic exhortation. At the same time the council proposed three possible themes for the next full meeting of the Synod. The Pope chose the theme on the Word of God.

At their next meeting, the members of the Synod council will begin preparations for the October 2008 meeting. The first major task is to compose the lineamenta: the preliminary document sketching the main lines of discussion for the meeting. The lineamenta is then circulated among the world's bishops for comments and suggestions, and the Synod council then prepares the instrumentum laboris that is the working document for the Synod discussions.

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Sr. Teresa of St. Augustine on the life of St. Therese of Lisieux

This is from St Therese of Lisieux By Those Who Knew Her by Christopher O'Mahony. Testimonies from the process for her beatification. A few excerpts from the testimony of Sr Teresa of St Augustine:

I knew the Servant of God from the time she entered in 1888 till her death in 1897. During that time I lived close to her, and enjoyed a certain amount of intimacy with her. . . .

. . . .Her greatest pleasure was Holy Communion. She was prepared to suffer a lot rather than be deprived of it. All the sisters who lived with her knew that during the last years of her life, when her health was already broken, she used to get up for morning Mass after sleepless nights in pain, even during the worst cold of winter. It pained her deeply to be deprived of daily Communion, which was not customary in our convent at the time. . . .

. . . .Her trust in Providence was unwavering. People used to talk about the persecution of religion, and the consequences this could have for our convent, exile even. "What do you think about it?" I asked her. "I am prepared to go to the other end of the world in order to continue my religous life." she said, "but I'm like a baby: I just let things happen; I will go wherever God wants me to." And during her last illness: "How unhappy I would be now if I were not wholly in God's hands! One day the doctor says I'm finished, the next I'm better. This continual change could be wearisome, but it does not affect my peace of soul; I just take things as they come." When I told her I was worried about how much she was suffering: "Oh! Don't worry about that; God will not give me more than I can bear.". . . .

. . . .She once told me something in confidence, which rather mystified me. "If you only knew what darkness I am plunged into!" she said. "I don't believe in eternal life; I think that after this life there is nothing. Everything has disappeared on me, and I am left with love alone." She spoke of this state of soul as a temptation; yet she seemed always so calm and serene.

Virtue seemed to come so naturally to her that people thought she was inundated with consolations. I heard one sister say: "Sister Therese gets no merit for practising virute; she has never had to struggle for it." I wanted to know from herself if there was any truth in this, so , availing of my intimacy with her, I asked her if she had had to struggle during her religious life. This was two months before she died. "Oh!" she replied, "but didn't I though! I didn't have an easy temperament. It might not have looked like that, but I felt it. I can assure you that not a day has passed without its quota of suffering, not one!" It was above all during her last illness that we were able to admire her courage in the face of suffering. Fearing that her pain would get even worse, I told her that I would ask God to give her some relief. "No, no," she exclaimed, "He must be allowed to do as He pleases." . . . .

. . . .I have never heard that Sister Therese experienced any extraordinary phenomena during her lifetime. . . .

. . . .I have heard different opinions expressed about the Servant of God in this convent during her lifetime. The nuns who knew her best, especially her novices, admired her for her outstanding virtue. She passed unnoticed as far as others were concerned; chiefly I think because of her simplicity. There were some who viewed her unfavourably. Some of these accused her of being cold and proud. As far as I can judge, that was because she did not speak much, and remained recollected and reserved. It may be, too, that the presence of four sisters in the same community aroused some sparks of opposition and jealousy. But I can assure that that since her death, those of her critics who are still alive have completely changed their opinion of her.

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We Must be Humble, Simple, and Pure

A letter by St. Francis of Assisi:

It was through his archangel, Saint Gabriel, that the Father above made known to the holy and glorious Virgin Mary that the worthy, holy and glorious Word of the Father would come from heaven and take from her womb the real flesh of our human frailty. Though he was wealthy beyond reckoning, he still willingly chose to be poor with his blessed mother. And shortly before his passion he celebrated the Passover with his disciples. Then he prayed to his Father saying: Father, if it be possible, let this cup be taken from me.

Nevertheless, he reposed his will in the will of his Father. The Father willed that his blessed and glorious Son, whom he gave to us and who was born for us, should through his own blood offer himself as a sacrificial victim on the altar of the cross. This was to be done not for himself through whom all things were made, but for our sins. It was intended to leave us an example of how to follow in his footsteps. And he desires all of us to be saved through him, and to receive him with pure heart and chaste body.

O how happy and blessed are those who love the Lord and do as the Lord himself said in the gospel: You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul; and your neighbour as yourself. Therefore, let us love God and adore him with pure heart and mind. This is his particular desire when he says: True worshippers adore the Father in spirit and truth. For all who adore him must do so in the spirit of truth. Let us also direct to him our praises and prayers saying: Our Father, who art in heaven, since we must always pray and never grow slack.

Furthermore, let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neighbours as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God's sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father's children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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