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.

Read more >>

First Communions at St. Vincent's SSPX Chapel

On Sunday, May 8, 2012, at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Kansas City, Missouri, 22 children received our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time. Also receiving her First Communion was a 94-year old lady (an adult convert), the great-grandmother of two of the children.

Please keep these 23 souls in your prayers - that they will always remain in God's grace.  O Lady, Mediatrix of all Graces, ora pro nobis!

Source: SSPX

Read more >>

How to Altar Serve a Traditional Latin Mass: Comprehensive Resource List

As an altar server myself, I have long wanted to put together a Comprehensive List of Resources for young men wishing to serve the Tridentine Latin Mass.  And here is my attempt at such a list.  Please leave additional suggestions in the comment box.


This list, importantly, includes cards, DVDs, and books.  Thus, it is meant to provide a comprehensive list of resources for all learners.

1. How to Serve Low Mass and Benediction by Rev. William A. O'Brien

Personally, this is the resource I used to learn to serve.  It is inexpensive and easy to use.  In fact, I kept it with me to study when I had downtime.  Highly recommended.

Assist at the Sacred Mysteries with precision. Pictures of the sacristy, sanctuary, sacred vessels, and vestments. Teaches the necessary Latin (with pronunciation guide) and the movements and responses for serving Low Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal, Requiem Mass, Mass in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed, Low Mass with 2 servers, and Benediction.

2. Letters to an Altar Boy by Fr. David E. Rosage

This is a book of letters for all altar boys who, from the smallest one up, are the most important people in their parishes. God's Minutemen is what the author affectionately calls them, for he knows that they are always ready for duty as altar boys, no matter what the personal cost. The author writes this book with the hope that in these letters all acolytes may find encouragement to continue being loyal and faithful in their service of our Lord. Father Rosage shows them that while serving Mass is the greatest honor and the biggest job in the parish, it does demand sacrifice. He knows that being on call for duty isn't always easy, and he aims at convincing the boys who have to get up on cold winter mornings to serve early Mass of the great privilege that is theirs.

Written in an easy flowing style intelligible to even the very young boys, the book is full of helpful pointers about the correct manner of serving, the necessity of being on time, and many other details on which a boy may slip. It offers inspiration and high motivation for living up to the ideals that a Mass server is committed to follow. An extremely practical book, it leaves not one phase of the altar boy's life untouched. . .120 pp. Softcover. Color photographs.

3. How To Serve - In Simple, Solemn and Pontifical Functions by Dom Matthew Britt 

Every altar server of the Traditional Latin Mass needs a well-worn copy of HOW TO SERVE by Dom Matthew Britt. This classic handbook by a master teacher presents a wealth of practical instruction on what to do in the sanctuary and how to do it well. Dom Britt was probably the greatest authority on serving Mass, and this book, though originally published in 1934, is still the best book of its kind.

This edition has been re-typeset in a beautiful user-friendly format featuring new photos taken at St. John Cantius parish in Chicago. In 18 chapters the author walks the server step by step through Low Mass with one or two servers, Nuptial Low Mass, High Mass (Missa Cantata), Solemn High Mass, Requiem High Mass, Pontifical High Mass, Benediction and Vespers of varying levels of solemnity. He tells how many servers should be in the sanctuary, which servers (acolytes, thurifer, book-bearer, etc.), what those servers should do and when they should do it.

Dom Britt cover vesture, postures, positions, genuflections, bows, steps, bells, candles, cruets, books, the thurible, the censer and more, also explaining the details of assisting the various ministers of the altar priests, deacons, bishop. Photos illustrate specific actions, and diagrams show the sanctuary positions of acolytes, thurifer, master of ceremonies, etc. Also included are the Latin responses at Mass. Plus, the author shares the sources of his immense knowledge in extremely interesting footnotes.

HOW TO SERVE will become an indispensable resource for priests and for all Latin Mass servers as they carry out the sacred functions of the sanctuary.

4. Romanitas Press Altar Server Card

In the past, I have mentioned Romanitas Press, and I wish to again mention their products.  The company offers a highly practical SERVERS' MASS RESPONSE CARD which is explained below 

AN EASY-TO-USE training guide for teaching the proper liturgical pronunciation of the Latin responses made by the altar server at Mass.

The card's exterior partitions contain the Latin responses with their corresponding English phonetic renderings per the more romano (like the Romans) liturgical pronunciation as endorsed by Popes St. Pius X, Benedict XV, and Pius XI.

Also included are expanded rubrical instructions for the liturgical gestures and reverences made in connection with the responses, and the responses made when serving for a bishop. The layout of the exterior partitions was carefully arranged to allow card’s use at the altar if necessary.

The card’s inside partitions contain helpful explanations and basic rules about making the responses, more romano pronunciation, a list of common pronunciation mistakes made by English-speakers, and even several informative and authoritative footnotes.

Red and black text was printed on heavy matte paper stock (to keep the card stiff when being held), then coated with a matte varnish to increase the anti-glare property and protect the card from moisture and frequent use.

Measures folded at 11 14/16" x 4¼" (folds out completely to 17” wide).

Read more >>

Bishop Wiliamson Visits South Korea (May 4, 2012)

Read more >>

State of Relations of SSPX with Rome is Entrusted Singularly to Bishop Fellay (not the media)

With the Catholic media abuzz over the discussions between the SSPX and the Roman officials, I wish to publish here the recent letter from Fr. Arnaud Rostand, District Superior of the US SSPX.  His words can help us steer away from media bias and emotionalism.  And don't forget to please join us in praying the Rosary Crusade in anticipation for its end this Pentecost Sunday!

Remember unity is not possible between those who adhere to Tradition and those who adhere to new modern versions of the Faith.  We must pray through this all for the Holy Church - that She may be protected and defended.

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

A lot of rumors are being spread regarding the relations between the Roman authorities and the Society of St. Pius X. On this regard, I wish to simply remind the communiqué from the General House of the Society of April 18, 2012:

In a letter dated April 17, 2012, the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X responded to the request for clarification that had been made to him on March 16 by Cardinal William Levada concerning the Doctrinal Preamble delivered on September 14, 2011. As the press release dated today from the Ecclesia Dei Commission indicates, the text of this response “will be examined by the dicastery (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) then submitted to the Holy Father for his judgment".

The matter is in the hands of the Holy Father and we are waiting for His decision.

Let us remember that it is to our Superior General, and only to him, that has been entrusted by the law of the Church and the will of Archbishop Lefebvre the delicate task of our relations with Rome. As such, he is the only competent authority to take prudent decisions for our Society. Because of his function and his 18 years of leadership in keeping the Faith and seeking the common good of the Church, we renew to him all our confidence, trust and respectful obedience in this difficult time. Our filial piety to him, as to the Sovereign Pontiff, pushes us to do more than usual in these unusual circumstances: we desire to bring to them the support of all your prayers.

Read more >>

Quo Primum Tempore: Apostolic Constitution of His Holiness Pope St. Pius V

In honor of Pope St. Pius V, who codified for all times and all peoples the Tridentine Mass on this his feast day, May 5th.

QUO PRIMUM  Pope St. Pius V - July 14, 1570

From the very first, upon Our elevation to the chief Apostleship, We gladly turned our mind and energies and directed all out thoughts to those matters which concerned the preservation of a pure liturgy, and We strove with God's help, by every means in our power, to accomplish this purpose. For, besides other decrees of the sacred Council of Trent, there were stipulations for Us to revise and re-edit the sacred books: the Catechism, the Missal and the Breviary. With the Catechism published for the instruction of the faithful, by God's help, and the Breviary thoroughly revised for the worthy praise of God, in order that the Missal and Breviary may be in perfect harmony, as fitting and proper - for its most becoming that there be in the Church only one appropriate manner of reciting the Psalms and only one rite for the celebration of Mass - We deemed it necessary to give our immediate attention to what still remained to be done, viz, the re-editing of the Missal as soon as possible.

Hence, We decided to entrust this work to learned men of our selection. They very carefully collated all their work with the ancient codices in Our Vatican Library and with reliable, preserved or emended codices from elsewhere. Besides this, these men consulted the works of ancient and approved authors concerning the same sacred rites; and thus they have restored the Missal itself to the original form and rite of the holy Fathers. When this work has been gone over numerous times and further emended, after serious study and reflection, We commanded that the finished product be printed and published as soon as possible, so that all might enjoy the fruits of this labor; and thus, priests would know which prayers to use and which rites and ceremonies they were required to observe from now on in the celebration of Masses.

Let all everywhere adopt and observe what has been handed down by the Holy Roman Church, the Mother and Teacher of the other churches, and let Masses not be sung or read according to any other formula than that of this Missal published by Us. This ordinance applies henceforth, now, and forever, throughout all the provinces of the Christian world, to all patriarchs, cathedral churches, collegiate and parish churches, be they secular or religious, both of men and of women - even of military orders - and of churches or chapels without a specific congregation in which conventual Masses are sung aloud in choir or read privately in accord with the rites and customs of the Roman Church. This Missal is to be used by all churches, even by those which in their authorization are made exempt, whether by Apostolic indult, custom, or privilege, or even if by oath or official confirmation of the Holy See, or have their rights and faculties guaranteed to them by any other manner whatsoever.

This new rite alone is to be used unless approval of the practice of saying Mass differently was given at the very time of the institution and confirmation of the church by Apostolic See at least 200 years ago, or unless there has prevailed a custom of a similar kind which has been continuously followed for a period of not less than 200 years, in which most cases We in no wise rescind their above-mentioned prerogative or custom. However, if this Missal, which we have seen fit to publish, be more agreeable to these latter, We grant them permission to celebrate Mass according to its rite, provided they have the consent of their bishop or prelate or of their whole Chapter, everything else to the contrary notwithstanding.

All other of the churches referred to above, however, are hereby denied the use of other missals, which are to be discontinued entirely and absolutely; whereas, by this present Constitution, which will be valid henceforth, now, and forever, We order and enjoin that nothing must be added to Our recently published Missal, nothing omitted from it, nor anything whatsoever be changed within it under the penalty of Our displeasure.

We specifically command each and every patriarch, administrator, and all other persons or whatever ecclesiastical dignity they may be, be they even cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, or possessed of any other rank or pre-eminence, and We order them in virtue of holy obedience to chant or to read the Mass according to the rite and manner and norm herewith laid down by Us and, hereafter, to discontinue and completely discard all other rubrics and rites of other missals, however ancient, which they have customarily followed; and they must not in celebrating Mass presume to introduce any ceremonies or recite any prayers other than those contained in this Missal.

Furthermore, by these presents [this law], in virtue of Our Apostolic authority, We grant and concede in perpetuity that, for the chanting or reading of the Mass in any church whatsoever, this Missal is hereafter to be followed absolutely, without any scruple of conscience or fear of incurring any penalty, judgment, or censure, and may freely and lawfully be used. Nor are superiors, administrators, canons, chaplains, and other secular priests, or religious, of whatever title designated, obliged to celebrate the Mass otherwise than as enjoined by Us.

We likewise declare and ordain that no one whosoever is forced or coerced to alter this Missal, and that this present document cannot be revoked or modified, but remain always valid and retain its full force notwithstanding the previous constitutions and decrees of the Holy See, as well as any general or special constitutions or edicts of provincial or synodal councils, and notwithstanding the practice and custom of the aforesaid churches, established by long and immemorial prescription - except, however, if more than two hundred years' standing.

It is Our will, therefore, and by the same authority, We decree that, after We publish this constitution and the edition of the Missal, the priests of the Roman Curia are, after thirty days, obliged to chant or read the Mass according to it; all others south of the Alps, after three months; and those beyond the Alps either within six months or whenever the Missal is available for sale. Wherefore, in order that the Missal be preserved incorrupt throughout the whole world and kept free of flaws and errors, the penalty for nonobservance for printers, whether mediately or immediately subject to Our dominion, and that of the Holy Roman Church, will be the forfeiting of their books and a fine of one hundred gold ducats, payable ipso facto to the Apostolic Treasury. Further, as for those located in other parts of the world, the penalty is excommunication latae sententiae, and such other penalties as may in Our judgment be imposed; and We decree by this law that they must not dare or presume either to print or to publish or to sell, or in any way to accept books of this nature without Our approval and consent, or without the express consent of the Apostolic Commissaries of those places, who will be appointed by Us. Said printer must receive a standard Missal and agree faithfully with it and in no wise vary from the Roman Missal of the large type (secundum magnum impressionem).

Accordingly, since it would be difficult for this present pronouncement to be sent to all parts of the Christian world and simultaneously come to light everywhere, We direct that it be, as usual, posted and published at the doors of the Basilica of the Prince of the Apostles, also at the Apostolic Chancery, and on the street at Campo Flora; furthermore, We direct that printed copies of this same edict signed by a notary public and made official by an ecclesiastical dignitary possess the same indubitable validity everywhere and in every nation, as if Our manuscript were shown there. Therefore, no one whosoever is permitted to alter this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, precept, grant, indult, declaration, will, decree, and prohibition. Should know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at St. Peter's in the year of the Lord's Incarnation, 1570, on the 14th of July of the Fifth year of Our Pontificate.

Read more >>

7 Catholic Devotional Books I Couldn’t Live Without

A reader recently asked me a very interesting question, "What are the devotional prayer books that you use most often?"  That question started a thought process that has led me to compile this list - 7 Catholic Devotional Books I Couldn't Live Without. 

These are all items on my current book shelf that I use at least weekly (if not daily).  Some are strictly "prayer" books while others are a little more broad in scope.  Regardless, here is my list of the Top 7 Catholic Prayer Books that I use most often.  They are listed in no particular order.

1. Manual of Prayers

This book produced by the Midwestern Theological Forum has been on my shelf for nearly 5 years.  The preface is written by now-Cardinal Dolan.  Used by the students and faculty of the North American College in Rome, this book is considered a must-have for priests and seminarians. It includes an extensive collection of prayers in English, Spanish, Italian, and Latin drawn from the Liturgy and the writings of the saints.  I have used it for the Stations of the Cross each week on Friday as well as for other feastdays.



2. St. Jude Thaddeus: Helper in Desperate Cases and St. Rita: Advocate of the Impossible

Never overlook the power of little prayer booklets.  When I visited Conception Abbey and the nearby Benedictine Convent of Perpetual Adoration (Clyde, MO) in 2006, I picked up a copy of a 10 cent prayer book entitled "St. Jude Thaddeus: Helper in Desperate Cases and St. Rita: Advocate of the Impossible."

I have used this book nearly weekly since then.  In front my home altar (which now has candles dedicated to St. Jude), I recite the prayers to St. Jude mentioned in this little booklet.  The booklet has little sections on How to Obtain the Aid of St. Jude, Devotions in honor of St. Jude, An Explanation of St. Jude's Epistle, and other little sections.  It's a very nice devotional book that I'm very glad to have picked up.


 
3. Miracle Hour

This little booklet I received way back in 2005 - in fact, it is one of the first devotional books that I ever received as a gift.  "Miracle Hour: A Method of Prayer That Will Change Your Life" by Linda Schubert takes an hour and divides it evenly into 12 forms of prayer.  There is a section for prayers on praise, on signing, on surrender, on forgiveness, on listening to our Lord's voice, on intercessions, thanksgiving, etc.  This nicely structured prayer booklet has accompanied me many times to Eucharistic Adoration.  I recommend it.



4. Chalice of Strength

Chalice of Strength: Prayers for Priests was published in 1996 by Opus Sanctorum Angelorum Gethsemani Adoration Chapel.  Besides the beautiful introduction by Fr. John Hardon, the book contains many prayers to be said for priests.  It includes the Litany of the Precious Blood as prayers composed by Pope John Paul II, Paul VI, and Pope Pius XII.  It's a very nice 31-page booklet that can be used during Eucharistic Adoration.



5. Roman Catholic Daily Missal

I said that I was not going to write my top seven in any particular order. I know that someone is probably still wondering which of these titles I use the most.  And that would be my Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962), produced by Angelus Press.  I use it daily for the morning/evening prayers, weekly for the Devotions for Confession/Holy Communion, and daily to pray the daily Mass Propers.  No Catholic should be without a copy of this Missal.  Period.

 

6. Breviary

I have often mentioned that I pray the Breviary throughout the day as my schedule allows.  I strive to say the Divine Office (Divinum Officium) daily.  While I typically will not say any of the nocturns of Matins, I will say the office of Lauds and Vespers.  I will also almost always say Sext and None.  Terce is typically difficult to fit in since I usually say Lauds at 8 AM and I miss 9 AM Terce.  But, on a given week, I'll say Terce 3 times.  Compline I will say occasionally but sometimes omit it from my daily prayers and add in devotions instead.

I use a Breviary that follows the 1962 rules and calendar for Lauds and Vespers.  My prayers at other hours use a Breviary that follows the 1955 rules.  Since my Latin is far from perfect, I use the Morning and Evening Prayers of the Divine Office: Lauds, Vespers, and Compile for the entire year from the Roman Breviary.  It is produced by Benzinger Brothers from 1965. I picked it up at Loomes Books.  I'm uncertain how to recommend buying this one since copies will be hard to find.  But it is great - try to find one.

7. Lives of the Saints
 
No Catholic bookshelf is complete without a copy of the Lives of the Saints.  I encourage you to research online to find one (if you don't have one) and pick up a copy of Father Hugo Hoever's "Live of the Saints," from which I read daily.  While the book does not include saints canonized in recent years, it is something that I highly recommend. It is based on the pre-Vatican II calendar so the feastdays will match with the Angelus Press calendar that I recommended earlier.

Read more >>

First Friday Devotion for May

Today is the First Friday of May. Because today is the first Friday of the Month, many Catholic parishes will have special Masses today for the First Friday Devotion.

Beginning on December 27, 1673, through 1675, Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque asking her to receive Him in Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month and to meditate on His passion from 11:00 PM to 12:00 midnight each Thursday. He also revealed to her twelve promises for all who are devoted to His Sacred Heart; he asked for a Feast of the Sacred Heart to be instituted in the liturgical calendar of the Church. Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque with twelve promises for those devoted to His Most Sacred Heart.

Promises for those devoted to the Sacred Heart:

1. "I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life."
2. "I will establish peace in their homes."
3. "I will comfort them in their afflictions."
4. "I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death."
5. "I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings."
6. "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy."
7. "Tepid souls shall grow fervent."
8. "Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection."
9. "I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored."
10. "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts."
11. "Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out."
12. "I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment."

Prayer of Reparation:


O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore thee profoundly. I offer thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of thee the conversion of poor sinners. Amen.

Read more >>

What is the SSPX?

In honor of the media attention given as of late to the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), I wish to present the following excerpts and links from the website of the SSPX.  In the words of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre himself, we see the purpose and mission of the Society.  And that mission is none other than the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Those who attack the Society under some pretense of upholding unity or out of obedience fail in understanding the very mission and the purpose for which the Society exists. 

1974 Declaration

We hold fast, with all our heart and with all our soul, to Catholic Rome, Guardian of the Catholic faith and of the traditions necessary to preserve this faith, to Eternal Rome, Mistress of wisdom and truth...

1979 Priestly Jubilee Sermon

It is necessary that we undertake a crusade, a crusade which is based precisely upon these notions of immutability, of sacrifice, in order to recreate Christianity, to re­establish a Christendom such as the Church desires, such as she has always done...

1988 Episcopal Consecration Sermon

...it is in order to manifest our attachment to Rome that we are performing this ceremony. It is in order to manifest our attachment to the Eternal Rome, to the pope, and to all those who have preceded these last popes...

June 1988 Public Statement against false ecumenism 

..with Vatican II a spirit of adultery has been blowing through the Church, a spirit which in the Declaration on Religious Liberty allows of the principle of religious liberty of conscience for internal and external acts...

Spiritual Journey: Archbishop Lefebvre's spiritual summa 

...if it please God... I will be allowed to realize the dream of which He gave me a glimpse one day in the Cathedral of Dakar. The dream was to transmit, before the progressive degradation of the priestly ideal, in all of its doctrinal purity and in all of its missionary charity, the Catholic Priesthood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, just as He conferred it on His Apostles, just as the Roman Church always transmitted it until the middle of the 20th century...

Read more >>

Why is Mary the Mother of God? An Examination in the Divinity Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:1-7).

Even since the dawn of the Church’s life, Mary has been called lovingly the Mother of God. This title was part of the liturgy and prayer, and most importantly, it was declared as a dogma at the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in 431. A dogma is a divinely revealed truth that is necessary for salvation.  A dogma helps make to clearly define an issue of Faith. Dogmas are things like: “Jesus is God,” “Mary is Theotokos,” “God is a Trinity,” etc. We say they are divinely revealed because only God could show them to us. We could not come to know these things without the grace of God and His revelation of Himself. Also, because they are divinely revealed, they are worthy of the utmost trust. It is not something a human mind thought up, and so we do not need to worry if a human mind cannot fully comprehend a dogma. The important thing is that God revealed it, and because He revealed it, we can trust it.

Also, a dogma is a divinely revealed truth necessary for salvation. When the Church declares a doctrine of the faith to be a Dogma, all of the baptized around the world are called to believe it with the full assent of faith. This is because it is revealed by God through the Church. You cannot be Catholic and not believe the dogmas of the Church.

As such, you cannot be Catholic and not believe that Mary is the Theotokos. We believe it not because it makes sense (though it does), or because it has a long history (though it does), but because God said it was true. Here are some of the ways it shows up in history though, and some of the reasons that we call Mary the Theotokos:

The title of Theotokos appears in the earliest liturgies of the Church:

“It is truly right to bless you, O Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify you" (The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom).

The title of Theotokos was supported by the Doctors of the Church:

“If one does not acknowledge Mary as Theotokos, he is estranged from God" - St. Gregory of Nazianzus (Epistle 101)

St. Cyril, the patriarch of Alexandria (from 412 to 444 AD), was known as the Doctor of the Incarnation. He took a fearless stand against the Nestorian heretics who denied that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity was made a man. As the Pope's legate, Cyril presided over the third General Council, held at Ephesus in 431. The clear statements of this great council regarding the Incarnation defined that the Son of God is both God and man and that the Blessed Virgin, His Mother, is truly the Mother of God. Of St. Cyril it may be said, "Nations shall declare his wisdom, and the Church shall show forth his praise" (Eccli. 39:14).

Mary’s Divine Motherhood

So now that we know that Theotokos means ‘God Bearer’ and that we call Mary the Theotokos, what does it mean for us? It means a lot. The mystery of Mary is a mystery that is tied up intimately into Christ and the Church. To say that Mary is the Mother of God is to also imply, necessarily, that she is the Mother of Christ’s Body. In fact, Christ’s Body was formed in Mary and took its being from Mary.

So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.    John 19:25-27 RSV-CE

What we can learn from Mary as Theotokos is almost endless, but one of the more important points is that all of Mary’s special graces flow from her relationship to Christ. Also, her relationship to Christ defines her relationship to the Church and to us. Mary is intimately tied to the Church, and as we learn more about Mary we will see all the ways in which this affects us as children of the Church and children of Mary!

Read more >>