Vigil of Pentecost: Fast and Abstinence

Today is the Vigil for Pentecost and tomorrow we will celebrate the Descent of the Holy Spirit and foundation of the Church. Pentecost marks the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.

The Feast of Pentecost (i.e. Whit Sunday) is one of the principal feasts in the life of the Church.  After tomorrow's Feast and the subsequent Octave, we will conclude Pascaltide and begin the Season after Pentecost. Today's preparation should not be underestimated. 

Catholics should fast and abstain from meat today in order to better conform themselves to celebrate this High Holy Day of Pentecost. These fasting requirements (and abstinence from meat) were in place up until Paul VI's changes. Observing these days as fast and abstinence is part of Catholic Tradition.

Collect (Vigil of Pentecost 1954 Missal):

Let the brightness of Your glory shine upon us, Almighty God, so that the Holy Spirit, light of Your light, may strengthen the hearts of those who are reborn in Your grace. Through Our Lord . . .

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Cardinal Brandmuller: "Not all of Vatican II is binding"

A good read to start the day:

Here we have yet another prelate re-emphasizing the fact that the texts of the Second Vatican Council are not binding. Though these admissions would have been welcome even earlier, the growing number of such statements shows that perhaps the wind is starting to blow in a different direction. One can imagine how much differently the 1970’s and 1980’s may have been if one did not have to pretend that Vatican II contained the same doctrinal content as Nicea or Trent.

The 16 texts of Vatican II are titled in different ways. Here are a few examples among the most controversial texts: Some are called: Dogmatic Constitution (Lumen Gentium), Decree (Unitatis Redintegratio) Declaration (Dignitatis Humane; Nostra Aetate), and Pastoral Constitution (Gaudium et Spes.)Obviously they do not have the same value and the same level of importance. For instance, the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium speaks about the nature and definition of the Church whereas its equivalent, Gaudium et Spes, speaks of the Church in its relation with the present world.

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Has Bishop Fellay Betrayed Archbishop Lefebvre?

The following article is taken from a 2007 book by Fr. Celier, SSPX, and counters the claim that Bishop Fellay has abandoned the principles of Archbishop Lefebvre by his attitude and position towards Rome and the Holy Father. It's particularly good because Fr. Celier has been a priest for over 25 years, and knew Archbishop Lefebvre personally.

Please see the SSPX archives for more...  http://sspx.org/en/articles-index

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Marriage in the Heart and Mind of the Church

Written by Preston E Wiggins, Jr, Marriage in the Heart and the Mind of the Church is a series of reflections on the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.  Intended for couples preparing to receive the Sacrament, this guide prepares the couple for the Sacrament of Matrimony and the interior dispositions necessary for marriage.

Available in a 94-page paperback, this book draws upon the writings of John Paul II, Paul VI, Pius XII, and Christopher West to present a comprehensive marriage preparation aid.  A must-read for all couples and a great resource for parishes to use with couples!

The following is taken from the book's forward:

In his 1978 Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae (On Catechesis In Our Time), Pope John Paul II proclaimed “the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ.”  This sounds like a high and lofty goal, but what does it look like?  Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ taught using parables; this helped His audience to understand because parables bring the supernatural into the natural realm.  His technique was to use a situation that His listeners would be familiar with in order to unveil certain supernatural truths (cf. Mt 11:25).  Can we use this method to find a modern day “visual” (parable) of what exactly does an intimate communion look like?

We are all called, by virtue of our Baptism, to be in an intimate communion with Jesus Christ. I did not really begin to understand what this entails until I was granted the great privilege of being united as one with the former Susan Kamaski.  I had spent two years in a pre-theologate program in serious discernment for the priesthood.  The time was well spent as I drew closer to the Lord, fell more in love with His Church, and built a life firmly anchored on the Rock foundation that is Jesus Christ.  I had no doubt that God, our Father, truly loved me as a beloved son, as did the Blessed Mother.  A relationship I had, but I was not sure just what the nature of that relationship was.

A week after our marriage, I began to realize that there was a different quality to our relationship; we had a union that did not exist before we said, “I do.”  This new intimate communion with Susan was the catalyst for reflection and meditation on the nature of one’s relationship with Jesus Christ.  Two titles of the Church have been the primary fuel of my reflections: the Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ.  In recent years, there has been a widespread discovery of Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body,which gave credence to my conviction that the nature of our relationship with Jesus is spousal. 

This book is a tribute to those reflections, guided by the Holy Spirit with frequent contact with Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  These reflections are augmented by the reality of the emotional and psychological damage that children experience due to an unstable family life that my wife has witnessed as a mental health counselor, our own experience as mentors for engaged couples and our involvement in Engaged Encounter.  I have brought these reflections into talks and teaching with head bobs of agreement from the participants.  Hopefully, you, too, will bob your head in agreement and be motivated to do whatever you can to strengthen marriages and families as God has planned from the very beginning.  There is little that is more powerful than prayer and witness of faithful Catholics madly in love with Jesus Christ.

You may purchase physical paper book books at the following link: Lulu.com.

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Understanding Ascensiontide: Ascension Thursday through Vigil of Pentecost

Of all the seasons that the Modern Novus Ordo Catholic Calendar has neglected to properly retain and celebrate, Ascensiontide has, like Epiphanytide, unfortunately, fallen by the wayside.  But, for those Catholics committed to the Sacred Traditions of the past, Ascensiontide holds a special length of time.

Ascentiontide lasts for 10 days and is part of Pascaltide. The first nine days of Ascensiontide include the traditional Octave of the Ascension. The last day in Ascentiontide is the Vigil of Pentecost. Pentecost Sunday, which traditionally has its own octave, follows. Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, officially begins the Season After Pentecost. The total length of Paschaltide, from Easter Sunday to the end of Whitsuntide is 56 days (inclusively). 

For this season of Ascensiontide, Catholics are welcomed and encouraged to immerse themselves in the devotions appropriate for the season.  For example, during this season there are special prayers for the time between Ascension and Pentecost.

Before the changes of Pope Pius XII in 1955, there was a liturgical octave for the Ascension, and remnants of the octave can be found in the Office as it now stands.  The appropriate texts for the minor hours (except for the collects) are set out in the psalter. For the collects, Lauds and Vespers however, you need to keep your ribbon on the page for the Ordinary of Ascensiontide. The key points to note are set out via Saints will Arise.

So what exactly is Ascensiontide and what customs do traditional Catholics observe during this time?

Ascension Thursday

Image Source: A Catholic Life Blog (c) 2019 of the Torre Dell'Orologio

Taking place 40 days after Easter Sunday, the Church celebrates Our Lord's Glorious Ascension into Heaven on Ascension Thursday. The Ascension has three principal parts: the departure of Jesus from earth, His going up into heaven, and taking His place at the right hand of the Father.

It was precisely on the fortieth day after our Lord's Resurrection that He ascended into Heaven.

On the Mount of Olives, the same mount where the Passion began, Our Lord physically ascended into Heaven. At the top of the mount is a chapel in honor of the Ascension and the ground still retains the depressions His sacred feet had left.

Fisheaters further shares some of the great regional customs for this Feast Day and Holy Day of Obligation in reference to the above image: "Something else wonderful happens in Italy on the Feast of the Ascension and the days following: in Venice, there is a clock tower in the Piazza San Marco. This marvelous clock, made in A.D. 1499 (and recently restored) indicates not only the minutes and hours, but the days, months, Zodiacal signs, and phases of the Moon as well. At the top of the tower are two large figures known as the Moors ("Mori"), who signal the hour by striking a large bell. Underneath them is a large, golden lion -- the symbol of St. Mark, patron of Venice. Underneath this is a niche which holds a figure of Our Lady and her Son. Twice a year -- on the Feast of the Epiphany and during the festivities surrounding the Ascension (known as "la Festa della Sensa" in Venice) -- doors on either side of Our Lady open up, and out come the three Magi, led by an angel. The angel and Kings make their way around Our Lady and Jesus, the angel regaling them with his trumpet, and the Kings bowing and removing their crowns."

Vigil of Pentecost

The Mass for Pentecost was formerly celebrated during the night and has since been anticipated.  It seems that the Vigil was modeled on that of Easter.  As on Holy Saturday, a vigil was kept during the night of Pentecost Sunday to prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism. Even before the changes in 1955, the Vigil of Pentecost, while not kept in the night, was still filled with rich symbolism and in many respects mirrored the Easter Vigil.

Octave of Pentecost

The Feast of Whitsun - the term Whitsunday is another name for Pentecost alluding to the white vestments of the neophytes - is as ancient as that of Easter.  The Saturday following the Octave of Pentecost officially begins the Season After Pentecost.

While the Novus Ordo calendar unfortunately only has 2 octaves, traditional Catholics will be familiar with the idea of multiple overlaping Octaves.  The practice of celebrating an Octave, while not only traced to the time spent by the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary awaiting the Paraclete, also has its origins in the Old Testament eight-day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36) and the Dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 7:9). Very truly, Christ did not come to abolish the Old Law but to fulfill it.

By the 8th century, Rome had developed liturgical octaves not only for Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, but also for the Epiphany and the feast of the dedication of a church.

After 1568, when Pope Pius V reduced the number of octaves (since by then they had grown considerably), the number of Octaves was still plentiful.  Octaves were classified into several types. Easter and Pentecost had "specially privileged" octaves, during which no other feast whatsoever could be celebrated. Christmas, Epiphany, and Corpus Christi had "privileged" octaves, during which certain highly ranked feasts might be celebrated. The octaves of other feasts allowed even more feasts to be celebrated.

To reduce the repetition of the same liturgy for several days, Pope Leo XIII and Pope St. Pius X made further distinctions, classifying octaves into three primary types: privileged octaves, common octaves, and simple octaves. Privileged octaves were arranged in a hierarchy of first, second, and third orders. For the first half of the 20th century, octaves were ranked in the following manner, which affected holding other celebrations within their timeframes:

• Privileged Octaves
  • Privileged Octaves of the First Order
    • Octave of Easter
    • Octave of Pentecost
  • Privileged Octaves of the Second Order
    • Octave of Epiphany
    • Octave of Corpus Christi
  • Privileged Octaves of the Third Order
    • Octave of Christmas
    • Octave of the Ascension
    • Octave of the Sacred Heart
• Common Octaves
  • Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM
  • Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph
  • Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
  • Octave of Saints Peter and Paul
  • Octave of All Saints
  • Octave of the Assumption of the BVM
• Simple Octaves
  • Octave of St. Stephen
  • Octave of St. John the Apostle
  • Octave of the Holy Innocents

As one can notice, the Octave of the Pentecost ranked even higher than the Octave of Christmas!

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Traditional Latin Masses in Tacoma, Washington

This message comes from a reader.  If you know of any information for him, please post it in the comment box.

Hi Matthew,

Are there any plans to bring the TLM to Tacoma, WA ?? There are some in Seattle. There is one in Tacoma called St. Marys; however I believe they are sedevacantists and are in schism.  Seattle in quite the drive though 30 + miles one way. I am a Traditional Roman Catholic.

Thank you,

Sincerely Robert

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Extensive Interview with Fr. Rostand

From the interview (in answer to a question about Archbishop Lefebvre), Fr. Rostand says:

"He has always expressed a desire to subordinate ourselves to the Pope, granting protection for the growth of Tradition, the existence of the Society, and guarantees that we will not be asked to minimize the fight, nor to compromise on the Faith. As he said in 1987: “If Rome really wants to give us true autonomy, like we have now but with our submission—we would like to be submitted to the Holy Father, and we have always wished for it...if Rome agrees to let us try this experiment of Tradition, there will no longer be any problem.” (Fideliter no. 60, Nov./Dec. 1987) "

Source: The Remnant

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Ascension Thursday Sermon by St. Leo the Great (Sermon 74)

This Holy day of Obligation, 40th day of Easter, commemorates Christ's Ascension into Heaven from Mount Olivet 40 days after He rose from the dead (Mark 16:14-20). After the Gospel is sung, the Paschal Candle, lit from the New Fire of the Easter Vigil, is extinguished to symbolize the departure of Christ (if you use a Paschal candle at home, it should be put away today, too).

Please see my post on Ascension Thursday for information on this High Holy Day.  

I. The Ascension completes our faith in Him, who was God as well as man  

The mystery of our salvation, dearly-beloved, which the Creator of the universe valued at the price of His blood, has now been carried out under conditions of humiliation from the day of His bodily birth to the end of His Passion. And although even in "the form of a slave" many signs of Divinity have beamed out, yet the events of all that period served particularly to show the reality of His assumed Manhood. But after the Passion, when the chains of death were broken, which had exposed its own strength by attacking Him, Who was ignorant of sin, weakness was turned into power, mortality into eternity, contumely into glory, which the Lord Jesus Christ showed by many clear proofs in the sight of many, until He carried even into heaven the triumphant victory which He had won over the dead. As therefore at the Easter commemoration, the Lord's Resurrection was the cause of our rejoicing; so the subject of our present gladness is His Ascension, as we commemorate and duly venerate that day on which the Nature of our humility in Christ was raised above all the host of heaven, over all the ranks of angels, beyond the height of all powers, to sit with God the Father. On which Providential order of events we are founded and built up, that God's Grace might become more wondrous, when, notwithstanding the removal from men's sight of what was rightly felt to command their awe, faith did not fail, hope did not waver, love did not grow cold. For it is the strength of great minds and the light of firmly-faithful souls, unhesitatingly to believe what is not seen with the bodily sight, and there to fix one's affections whither you cannot direct your gaze. And whence should this Godliness spring up in our hearts, or how should a man be justified by faith, if our salvation rested on those things only which lie beneath our eyes? Hence our Lord said to him who seemed to doubt of Christ's Resurrection, until he had tested by sight and touch the traces of His Passion in His very Flesh, "because you have seen Me, you have believed: blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed John 20:29 ."

II. The Ascension renders our faith more excellent and stronger  

In order, therefore, dearly-beloved, that we may be capable of this blessedness, when all things were fulfilled which concerned the Gospel preaching and the mysteries of the New Testament, our Lord Jesus Christ, on the fortieth day after the Resurrection in the presence of the disciples, was raised into heaven, and terminated His presence with us in the body, to abide on the Father's right hand until the times Divinely fore-ordained for multiplying the sons of the Church are accomplished, and He comes to judge the living and the dead in the same flesh in which He ascended. And so that which till then was visible of our Redeemer was changed into a sacramental presence , and that faith might be more excellent and stronger, sight gave way to doctrine, the authority of which was to be accepted by believing hearts enlightened with rays from above.

III. The marvellous effects of this faith on all  

This Faith, increased by the Lord's Ascension and established by the gift of the Holy Ghost, was not terrified by bonds, imprisonments, banishments, hunger, fire, attacks by wild beasts, refined torments of cruel persecutors. For this Faith throughout the world not only men, but even women, not only beardless boys, but even tender maids, fought to the shedding of their blood. This Faith cast out spirits, drove off sicknesses, raised the dead: and through it the blessed Apostles themselves also, who after being confirmed by so many miracles and instructed by so many discourses, had yet been panic-stricken by the horrors of the Lord's Passion and had not accepted the truth of His resurrection without hesitation, made such progress after the Lord's Ascension that everything which had previously filled them with fear was turned into joy. For they had lifted the whole contemplation of their mind to the Godhead of Him that sat at the Father's right hand, and were no longer hindered by the barrier of corporeal sight from directing their mind.' gaze to That Which had never quitted the Father's side in descending to earth, and had not forsaken the disciples in ascending to heaven.

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Exclusive interview with Bishop Bernard Fellay

An exclusive interview with Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, at the society's headquarters in Menzingen, Switzerland. Bishop Fellay has been at the heart of a drama within the Catholic Church since he was ordained by the group's founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, in 1988, protesting the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

Since 2009, he has been involved in private doctrinal talks with Rome in an effort to overcome the division between his traditionalist society and the Vatican. An announcement is expected by the end of May regarding the outcome of those talks.

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Minor Rogation Days: May 14 - 16, 2012

This year the Minor Rogation, the days leading up to Ascension Thursday, are May 14-16 inclusive. Today is the first day of the Minor Rogation, a day which should be a day of fasting.

These were traditionally days of penance, fasting, and praying litanies. If you are in good health, please remember to observe these days. For more information on Rogation days, see the links in my post entitled Rogation Day: Fasting and Penance.

I greatly encourage people to observe these days and spend time praying the Litany of Saints not only for a bountiful harvest but also for mercy and repentance.

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION (1962 Missal)

Mercifully grant us our requests, O Lord, that the consolation we receive in our grievous troubles may increase our love for You.

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