Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces (Mass in Some Places)

The Feast of Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Graces

According to Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, “Our Holy Mother the Church-approved during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XV the proper Mass and Office of Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces.” The Saint Andrew’s Daily Missal (1945) lists it as May 31.  

The Angelus Press missal says, “May 31 was the usual date for this Mass until the institution of the Feast of Our Lady Queen; since 1956 the day will probably vary with the Diocese.” Fr. Rock, FSSP notes the following due to the Feast of the Queenship of Mary added in 1956: "In the 1962 Roman Missal, the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of All Saints and Mother of Fair Love and the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces are listed under May 8th along with the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Beatae Mariae Virginis D. N. a S. Corde lesu)."

While not yet a dogma of the Faith, Mary has "Mediatrix of All Graces" is widely held by the Church.

Concerning this feastday in the Dominican Rite:

Interestingly, this feast never made its way into the liturgical calendar of the Roman Rite.  It is included in the 1962 Roman Missal as an optional feast, for use in certain places and diocese.  As best as I can tell, it first appeared on the Dominican liturgical calendar in the 1940's, and it moved around a bit until it finally landed on May 8 in the 1961 calendar.  The 1949 Completotori Libellus has the feast on May 31.  The 1955 English translation of the Dominican Martyrology has the feast on May 31.  The 1959 St. Dominic Missal has it on June 7.  [In the Post Vatican II Dominican Calendar], it has been removed from the calendar of the Order, which now celebrates the Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 8. Source: Brevarium SOP

Christ as the One Meditator 

Concerning the title of Mediatrix, Fr. Reginald Garrigou‑Lagrange, O.P. discusses the office of mediator:

"The office of mediator belongs fully only to Jesus, the Man‑God, Who alone could reconcile us with God by offering Him, on behalf of men, the infinite sacrifice of the Cross, which is perpetuated in Holy Mass. He alone, as Head of mankind, could merit for us in justice the grace of salvation and apply it to those who do not reject His saving action. It is as man that He is mediator, but as a Man in Whom humanity is united hypostatically to the Word and endowed with the fullness of grace, the grace of Headship, which overflows on men. As St. Paul puts it: 'For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave Himself for a redemption for all, a testimony in due times' (I Tim. ii, 56). \

"But, St. Thomas adds: 'there is no reason why there should not be, after Christ, other secondary mediators between God and men, who co‑operate in uniting them in a ministerial and dispositive manner.’ Such mediators dispose men for the action of the principal Mediator, or transmit it, but always in dependence on His merits.”

Our Lady as the Mediator with the Mediator

Why, though, is our Lady the Mediatrix of All Graces? Why her specifically? St. Pius X stated why: "By the communion of sorrows and of will between Christ and Mary she merited to become the dispenser of all the benefits which Jesus acquired for us by shedding His Blood" (Ad Diem Illium). This resonates with what Pope Leo XIII had previously affirmed: "It may be affirmed that, according to God's will, nothing comes to us without going through Mary's hands. Just as no one can approach the Almighty Father except through the Son, so no one can approach the Almighty Father except through the Son, so no one can approach Christ except through His Mother" (Octobri Mense)

St. John Vianney's words from a few centuries before these holy pontiffs bear similar testimony: "All the saints have a great devotion to Our Lady: no grace comes from Heaven without passing through her hands. We cannot go into a house without speaking to the doorkeeper. Well, the Holy Virgin is the doorkeeper of Heaven.”

For more information see Is There a Mediator with the "One Mediator Between God and Man"? based on the writings of St. Louis de Montfort

Litany to Our Lady Mediatrix of all Graces

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us!
Mother of God, and our Mother, pray for us!
True Mother of the living, pray for us!
Mother regenerating men in Christ unto God, pray for us!
Mother of piety and of grace, pray for us!
Mother of pardon and remission, pray for us!
Partner in human redemption, pray for us!
Recoverer of a lost world, pray for us!
Recoverer of the ages, pray for us!
Petitioner of all graces, pray for us!
Suppliant all-powerful, pray for us!
Advocate with thy Son for thy sons, pray for us!
Obtainer of the divine mercy, pray for us!
Dispenser of heavenly treasures, pray for us!
Handmaid of divine blessings, pray for us!
Fullness of grace to overflow upon all, pray for us!
Succor of the Church Militant, pray for us!
Ready helper of those in peril, pray for us!
Devoted consoler of the sorrowful, pray for us!
Conqueress of all error, pray for us!
Protectress of the world, pray for us!
Impregnable protection, pray for us!
Propitiation of the divine wrath, pray for us!
Refuge of all the unhappy, pray for us!
Shelter of orphans, pray for us!
Assured safety of the faithful, pray for us!
Hope of all who despair, pray for us!
Stay of the falling, pray for us!
Uplifter of the fallen, pray for us!
Cheer and comfort of the dying, pray for us!
Peace and joy of mankind, pray for us!
Our life, our sweetness and our hope, pray for us!
Gate of Paradise, pray for us!
Mystical stair of Jacob, pray for us!
Key of the heavenly kingdom, pray for us!
Channel of divine graces, pray for us!
Throne of divine clemency, pray for us!
Fountain of living waters, pray for us!
Fountain sealed by the Holy Spirit, pray for us!
Unfailing stream of mercy, pray for us!
Asylum of the erring, pray for us!
Haven of the shipwrecked, pray for us!
Shining star of the sea, pray for us!
Light of those who sit in darkness, pray for us!
Chamber of spiritual nuptials, pray for us!
Mediatrix of men with God, pray for us!
Mediatrix after the Mediator, pray for us!
Mediatrix reconciling us to the Son, pray for us!
Mediatrix of sinners, staunch and true, pray for us!
Mediatrix of all beneath the sky, pray for us!
Mediatrix ever pleading for us, pray for us!
Mediatrix set between Christ and His Church, pray for us!
Mediatrix who hast found favor with God, pray for us!
Mediatrix to win salvation for the world, pray for us!
Mediatrix of the mysteries of God, pray for us!
Mediatrix of all graces, pray for us!

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, our powerful Mediatrix,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

Let us Pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, our Mediator with the Father, Who hast deigned to appoint the Blessed Virgin, Thy Mother, to be our Mother also and our Mediatrix with Thee, graciously grant that whosoever goes to Thee in quest of blessings may be gladdened by obtaining them all through her, Thou Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R. Amen.

Prayer of Petition
 
O Ever-Virgin Mother of God and Mediatrix of Grace who art the House of Gold within which dwells thy Son, our Mediator, Jesus Christ, we humbly beseech thee to grant our requests for our salvation and the salvation of the entire world. (Here pause and make your requests) Keep us close to the Vicar of thy Son in the unity of the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church. Hear our prayer and grant the requests we make to thee.

St. Joseph, Intercede for us.
St. Jude Thaddeus, Pray for us.
St. Mary of Cleophas, Pray for us.
St. Philip Neri, Pray for us.
St. Louis Grignion de Montfort, Pray for us.
St. Maximillian Kolbe, Pray for us.

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Christ Acts through the Liturgy: Why the Fight for the Mass Still Matters

Source: Christ Acts through the Liturgy: Why the Fight for the Mass Still Matters by Mark Riddle.

It has been almost six years since Pope Benedict XVI issued the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. Despite deficiencies in the text (two forms of one rite, for example), the point of this motu proprio – that the Traditional Latin Mass had never been abrogated – sent shockwaves through the entire Catholic world.

Traditional Catholics had argued for decades that the traditional Mass had never been abrogated; in return they were met with scorn, ridicule, and accusations of disobedience from the corners of the “conservative” Catholic world, ever eager to be in the right. Thus, despite the noted deficiencies in the text, Summorum Pontificum was, and remains to this day, an incredibly controversial text. This is not because of the juridical questions directly, but because of the clear statement that the ancient liturgical rite of Rome, which had formed countless saints, and which the reformers sought to kill, had never been abrogated.

Fast forward over five years to March 13, 2013. Benedict XVI, having announced his abdication in early February, had renounced the burden of that office, leading to the election of Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, who would take the name Francis. In the uncertainty that followed, the question of the liturgy returned increasingly to the fore of Catholic discourse.

Continue Reading...

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Corpus Christi Procession: France 1960

In honor of the great Solemnity of Corpus Christi, I present the following video of Corpus Christi (in color) from France in 1960.

Sacris solemniis juncta sint gaudia,
Et ex praecordiis sonent praeconia;
Recedant vetera, nova sint omnia,
Corda, voces et opera.

Great is the festive day, joyful and jubilant,
Let us with loving hearts offer the song of praise;
Freed from the sinful past, may we renew in grace
 All our thoughts and words and deeds.

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St. Joan of Arc (Mass in Some Places)

Today, May 30th, the Feast of St. Joan of Arc is celebrated in certain parts of the world.  Recall that today is the Feast of St. Felix I on the Universal Calendar (unless a higher ranking feast from the sanctoral cycle falls on this day).  The Catholic Encyclopedia summarizes the history of this feast: "At last the cause of her beatification was introduced upon the occasion of an appeal addressed to the Holy See, in 1869, by Mgr Dupanloup, Bishop of Orléans, and, after passing through all its stages and being duly confirmed by the necessary miracles, the process ended in the decree being published by Pius X on 11 April 1909. A Mass and Office of St. Joan, taken from the "Commune Virginum," with "proper" prayers, have been approved by the Holy See for use in the Diocese of Orléans.  St. Joan was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV."

The Traditional Matins Reading for where her feast is celebrated:

Joan of Arc was born in the town of Domrémy (which was once in the diocese of Toul, but belongs now to that of Saint Dié) in the year of our Lord 1412. Her parents were noted for their virtue and piety. When she was but thirteen years old, and knew nothing but house work, field work, and the first elements of religion, she learnt that God had chosen her to deliver France from her enemies and restore the kingdom to its former independence. She enjoyed familiar intercourse with the Archangel Michael and SS Catherine and Margaret, who, during five years, instructed her how to fulfill her mission. Then, desiring to obey the command of God, she addressed herself to the governor of Vaucouleurs, who, after having several times repulsed her, at length gave her an escort to take her to King Charles.

Following in all things the divine commands, she overcame all the difficulties of the long journey, and arrived at Chinon in Touraine, where she furnished the king with proofs that her mission was from God. She proceeded to Orleans, and in a few days inflicted three defeats on the enemy, relieved the town, and raised her banner aloft in triumph. Then, after other military successes in which the assistance of God was clearly manifested, she brought Charles to Rheims, where he was solemnly crowned king. She would not rest even then, but, having learnt from her heavenly voices that God would permit her to fall into the hands of the enemy, she went bravely on to meet what was to befall her.

She was taken prisoner at Compiègne, sold to the English, and sent to Rouen for trial. She had to defend herself against many accusations, but her purity was never impugned. She suffered all things with patience for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. The wicked judges who tried this gentle and innocent virgin condemned her to be burnt. So, fortified by the Holy Eucharist, which she had long desired, and her eyes fixed upon the Cross, while she constantly murmured the name of Jesus, she took her flight to heaven on May 30, in the nineteenth year of her age. The Holy Roman Church which she had always loved, and to which she had often appealed, undertook, under Pope Calixtus III, her rehabilitation, and towards the end of the nineteenth century, Leo XIII gave permission for the introduction of the cause of beatification. Finally, after diligent examination and approbation of fresh miracles Pius X inscribed her among the Blessed, and permitted the dioceses of France to keep the feast with a special Office and Mass.

Collect Prayer:

O God, you have chosen Saint Joan of Arc to defend her country against the invading enemy. Through her intercession, grant that we may work for justice and live in peace. We pray through Jesus Christ, your son, living and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Secret Prayer:

O Lord, on this feast of Saint Joan of Arc, accept this pure offering of the victim who is our salvation. Grant that we may love you in all things and more than all things so that we may live for the praise of your glory. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Post Communion Prayer:

You have strengthened us, O Lord, with bread from heaven from which Saint Joan of Arc so frequently found light and comfort. May this heavenly nourishment sustain us in the service of our brothers and sisters. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

SemiDouble (1955 Calendar): May 29

Born with the name of Catherine in 1566, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi received a religious upbringing. She was initially sent to the Monastery of St. John as a boarder at age 14, but was taken back home by her family who opposed her religious vocation and wanted her to marry well. They eventually gave in, and Catherine became a Carmelite of the Ancient Observance at 16, taking the name Sister Mary Magdalen.

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi was endowed with the gift of prophecy and lived as a mystic.  In 1598 she became the mistress of novices, and she was chosen as subprioress in 1604.  She would hold this position until her death of natural causes on May 25, 1607.  The final three years of her life were filled with intense bodily and mental suffering but the saint prayed to suffer more.  She led a hidden life of prayer and self-denial, praying particularly for the renewal of the Church and encouraging the sisters in holiness. 

She foretold the elevation of Pope Leo XI in a prophecy shortly before her death.

Traditional Reading at Matins:

Mary Magdalen was born at Florence of the illustrious family of the Pazzi. It might be said of her that she entered the way of perfection when a babe. When ten years of age she took a vow of perpetual virginity; and having taken the habit in the Carmelite Monas tery of Our Lady of the Angels, she became a model of every virtue. Such was her purity, that she was entirely ignorant of everything that is opposed to that virtue. She was commanded by God to fast on bread and water for five years, Sundays alone excepted, on which she might partake of Lenten diet. She mortified her body by a hair-shirt, discipline, cold, abstinence, watching, want, and every kind of suffering.

Such was the ardour of divine love that burned within her, that not being able to bear the heat, she was obliged to temper it by applying cold water to her breast. She was frequently in a state of rapture, and the wonderful ecstasies she had were almost daily. In these states, she was permitted to penetrate into heavenly mysteries, and was favoured by God with extraordinary graces. Thus strengthened, she had to endure a long combat with the princes of darkness, as also aridity and desolation of spirit, abandonment by all creatures, and divers temptations: God so willed it, that she might become a model of invincible patience and profound humility.

She was remarkable for her charity towards others. She would frequently sit up the whole night, either doing the work of the sisters, or waiting upon the sick, whose sores she sometimes healed by sucking the wounds. She wept bitterly over the perdition of infidels and sinners, and offered to suffer every sort of torment so that they might be saved. Several years before her death she heroically besought our Lord to take from her the heavenly delights wherewith he favoured her; and was frequently heard saying these words: ‘To suffer; not to die.' At length, worn out by a long and most painful illness, she passed hence to her Spouse, on the twenty-fifth of May, in the year 1607, having completed the forty-first year of her age. Many miracles having been wrought by her merits, both before and after death, she was canonized by Pope Clement the Ninth. Her body is, even to this day, preserved from corruption.

Collect:

O God, lover of chastity, who didst inflame the blessed Virgin, Mary Magdalen, with love for Thee and didst adorn her with heavenly gifts, grant that as we honor her on this festal day, so may we follow her in purity and love. Through our Lord . . .

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Dom Guéranger: The End of the Movable Liturgical Cycle

From

The Liturgical Year

by Dom Guéranger, O.S.B.

The series of the mysteries is now complete, and the movable cycle of the liturgy has come to its close. We first passed, during Advent, the four weeks, which represented the four thousand years spent by mankind in entreating the eternal Father to send His Son. Our Emmanuel at length came down; we shared in the joys of His Birth, in the dolours of His Passion, in the glory of His Resurrection, in the triumph of His Ascension. Lastly, we have witnessed the descent of the Holy Ghost upon us, and we know that He is to abide with us to the last. Holy Church has assisted us throughout the whole of this sublime drama, which contains the work of our salvation. Her heavenly canticles, her magnificent ceremonies, have instructed us day by day, enabling us to follow and understand each feast and season. Blessed by this mother for the care wherewith she has placed all these great mysteries before us, thus giving us light and love! Blessed by the sacred liturgy, which has brought us so much consolation and encouragement! We have now to pass through the immovable portion of the cycle: we shall find sublime spiritual episodes, worthy of all our attention. Let us, then, prepare to resume our journey: let us take fresh courage in the thought that the Holy Ghost will direct our steps, and, by the sacred liturgy, of which He is the inspirer, will continue to throw open to us treasures of precept and example.

Please join me in continuing to follow the Traditional Feast Days of the pre-1955 calendar through my continuously updated post on Catholic Feast Days.

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St. Bede the Venerable

James Doyle Penrose/Print Collector/Getty Images

Double (1955 Calendar): May 27

Born in the year 672 AD in England, St. Bede was born around the time England was completely Christianized.  He was raised from age seven in the abbey of Saints Peter and Paul at Wearmouth-Jarrow, and lived there for the rest of his life.  Ordained as a Benedictine in 702 by Saint John of Beverley.

St. Bede truly shows forth the illustrious example of learning.  He was far and wide considered the most learned man of his time, having written extensively on history, rhetoric, mathematics, music, astronomy, poetry, grammar, philosophy, hagiography, homiletics, and Bible commentary.  His most authoritative and well known work is "Ecclesiastical History of the English People," a complete history of the English Church up until 731. The central theme of Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica is of the Church using the power of its spiritual, doctrinal, and cultural unity to stamp out violence and barbarism.

The Saint was employed in translating the Gospel of St. John from the Greek up to the hour of his death, which took place on Ascension Day, 735.  He was declared a Doctor of the Church on  November 13, 1899, by Pope Leo XIII.

Traditional Reading at Matins:

Bede, a priest, was born at Jarrow, on the borders of England and Scotland. At the age of seven he was placed under the care of St Bennet Biscop, Abbot of Wearmouth, to be educated. He became a monk, and so ordered his life that, whilst devoting himself wholly to the pursuit of learning, he did in no way relax the discipline of his Order. There was no branch of learning in which he was not thoroughly versed, but his chief care was the study of the Holy Scriptures, and in order to understand them better, he learnt Greek and Hebrew. At the age of thirty he was ordained priest at the command of his Abbot, and, on the advice of Acca, bishop of Hexham, immediately undertook the work of expounding the Sacred Books. In his interpretations he adhered to the teachings of the holy Fathers so strictly that he advanced nothing which they had not taught, and even made use of their very words. He ever hated sloth, and by habitually passing from reading to prayer and from prayer to reading, he so maintained the fervour of his soul that he was often moved to tears while reading or teaching. He persistently refused the office of Abbot, lest his mind should be distracted by the cares of transitory things.

The name of Bede soon became so famous for learning and piety that Pope St Sergius thought of calling him to Rome so that he might help to solve the difficult questions which had then arisen concerning sacred things. He wrote many books to reform the lives of the faithful, and to defend and propagate the faith. By these he gained such a reputation in all parts that the holy Bishop Boniface, who was later martyred, called him a 'light of the Church.' Lanfranc styled him the 'teacher of the English,' and the Council of Aix-la-Chapeile ‘the admirable Doctor.' But as his writings were publicly read in the churches during his lifetime, and as it was not yet allowable to call him ‘saint,' they named him the ‘Venerable,’ a title which has ever remained peculiarly his. The power of his teaching was the greater because it was confirmed by holiness of life and the observance of religious discipline. Hence his own earnestness and example made his disciples, who were many and distinguished, eminent not only in learning but also in sanctity.

Worn out at length by age and labour, he was seized by a serious illness. Though his sufferings lasted more than seven weeks, he ceased not from his prayers and interpretation of the Scripture, for he was engaged in translating the Gospel of St John into English for the use of his people. But when, on the eve of the Ascension, he perceived that death was near, he asked for the last sacraments of the Church; then after he had embraced his companions and was laid on a piece of sackcloth on the ground, he repeated the words: 'Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,’ and fell asleep in the Lord. His body, which, as they say, gave forth a very sweet odour, was buried in the monastery of Jarrow, and afterwards translated to Durham with the relics of St Cuthbert. Bede, who was already venerated as a Doctor by the Benedictines and other religious Orders, was declared by Pope Leo XIII, after consultation with the Sacred Congregation of Rites, to be a Doctor of the universal Church, and the Mass and Office of Doctors was ordered to be said by all on his feast.

Collect: 

O God, who dost enlighten Thy Church by the learning of blessed Bede, Thy Confessor and Doctor: mercifully grant to Thy servants ever to be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. Through…

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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The Glory of the Soldier

On Memorial Day (USA), let us remember to pray not only for the safety of those serving our country but also for their salvation. May holy, traditional priests be sent out to give them the Sacraments of Salvation.

In World War II, there were 3,220 priests ministering to our troops overseas. In today’s Global War against terrorism, there are less than 325 priests. That is 100 less priests than just two years ago. We desperately need vocations to the military to serve as priests. Pray for traditional vocations to the priesthood.

So, please take a brief moment of silence to remember all that gave their lives for our freedom, and please pray for vocations for priests in the military.

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A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father by Mark Shriver

I recently received a copy of A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father by Mark Shriver.  For those unfamiliar, Mark's father, Sargent Shriver, was the founder of the Peace Corp under President Kennedy.  The story Mark sets forth though is not a politically charged one but one that shows the wholeness of an authentic, faith-centered family life.

As Mark writes, "Dad was a radical, a hell-raiser who based his revolutionary public service on very orthodox instruction manuals: the Scriptures, his faith's creeds and prayers, and the life of Jesus Christ. . . . Dad lived out applied religion. He applied his faith's ethics every day to everything he did. His paradox--his radical orthodoxy--allowed him to conform to the requirements of a life in public service."  His father attended Mass everyday, even while overseas in the midst of conflict. 

Mark illustrates for us how he found his father again and rediscovered him.  This eulogy is particularly poignant at times and is something many of us can relate to when we have ill parents or grandparents.  I applaud Mark for his work in this book and recommend it.

For Catholics who are convinced that government must foster the common good and should be socially and fiscally responsible, this book is for you.  For Catholics who erroneously believe the Faith isn't timeless and has no place in government, this book is also for you - to help you see the contrary.

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Free from All Attachment to Sin: Requirement for Plenary Indulgences

'To abstain from sinful actions is not sufficient for the fulfillment of God's law. The very desire of what is forbidden is evil." - St. John Baptist de la Salle

As we are aware, one of the key requirements to receiving a plenary indulgence is being "free from all attachment to sin."  What exactly does this mean?  How can we be free from all attachments to sin?  A question has arisen from a reader of this blog that deserves an explanation:

One of the requirements for a plenary indulgence is "free from all attachment to sin." What do you think is meant by this? What if a person considers a certain sin to be appealing, or is easily tempted by it? Would this be an attachment to sin? What if a person has not adequately atoned for his sins? Would this be an attachment to sin? 

I wish to direct you to the following words taken directly from Enchiridion of Indulgences -- Norms and Grants, authorized English Edition, translated by Fr. William T. Barry, C.SS.R., Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, New York, from the Second Revised Edition of the Enchiridion of Indulgences issued by the Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, 1968 and originally published by Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City, 1968.

The author uses the plenary indulgence associated with the Way of the Cross as an example:

To gain a plenary indulgence, however, several additional factors must also be present. All together, they are the following:

1. The person must be a Catholic, not excommunicated, and in the state of grace, that is, free from mortal sin that has not been confessed and forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance.
2. The recipient must go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, and say at least one Our Father and one Hail Mary for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff.  These can all be done several days before or after performing the prescribed "work," in this case, making the Way of the Cross. But it is more fitting that the Communion and the prayers for the Pope's intentions be on the same day that the "work" is performed. A single Confession suffices for gaining several plenary indulgences, but sacramental Communion must be received and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff must be recited for the gaining of each plenary indulgence.
3. The recipient must be free from all attachment to sin, even venial sin.  Although a person might still sin, as we all do, or even be inclined to habitual sin, such as using God's name in vain, yet so long as the attachment to the sin or the desire to commit it is absent from the person's soul, he or she would be considered "free from attachment to sin."  (If this disposition is in any way less than perfect or if any of the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial.)
4. Only one plenary indulgence may be gained per day.  But one can obtain the plenary indulgence "for the moment of death;" even if another plenary indulgence had been acquired on the same day.
5. The person must perform the prescribed work, in this case, make the Way of the Cross -- with at least the general intention of gaining indulgences.  In making the Way of the Cross, the following norms apply:
1. The pious exercise must be made before stations of the Way of the Cross legitimately erected.
2. For the erection of the Way of the Cross, fourteen crosses are required, to which it is customary to add fourteen pictures or images, which represent the stations of Jerusalem.
3. Although according to the more common practice the pious exercise consists of fourteen pious readings to which some vocal prayers are added, yet nothing more is required than a pious meditation on the Passion and Death of the Lord, which need not be a particular consideration of the individual mysteries of the stations.
4. A movement from one station to the next is required, but if the pious exercise is made publicly and if it is not possible for all taking part to go in an orderly way from station to station, it suffices if at least the one conducting the exercise goes from station to station, the others remaining in their places.
5. Those who are "impeded" can gain the same indulgence if they spend at least a half hour in pious reading and meditation on the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Cathedral of Seville, Spain. (c) A Catholic Life Blog, 2018.

R. J. Grigaitis in a post on his website shared these sentiments:

Being free from mortal sin is not only a requirement for gaining a plenary indulgence, but also a requirement for gaining a partial indulgence, and a prerequisite to receiving the Eucharist. To free one's self from a state of mortal sin, one must celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If one commits mortal sin regularly, it is likely that he is attached to this sin, so even after celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation and receiving the Eucharist, he can only gain a partial indulgence.

Remaining free from mortal sin is a normal state for a Christian. The more mature Christian can also achieve the higher state of being free from all attachment to sin. This is usually the deciding factor as to whether an indulgence is plenary or partial. The individual may have the intent of gaining a plenary indulgence, but any attachment to sin will cause the indulgence to be only partial. This should not deter one from seeking a plenary indulgence and a state of being free from all attachment to sin. Once one is truly free from all attachment to sin, it become easier to remain so.

Being free from all attachment to sin is not only a requirement for gaining a plenary indulgence, it should be a goal of every Christian. Consciously renouncing all attachment to sin is required to make a good Confession. It is also required in preparing one's self to receive the Eucharist. After receiving the Eucharist or Absolution, one may fall back into attachment to sin, sometimes almost immediately, but that should not discourage one's efforts. Frequent Communion and Confession are the two most effective aids in becoming free from all attachment to sin.

The ultimate goal of a Christian is to not only be free from all attachment to sin, but to be free of all sin. This is an impossible goal to achieve on Earth, but nonetheless, it is the goal. The goal of achieving freedom from all attachment to sin is achievable on Earth, although it required a great deal of effort. It should be noted that being free from all sin and being free from all attachment to sin are two very different things. One can sin without being attached to that sin.

To be attached to a sin is to be comfortable in that sin; to return to it again and again without much resistance to the temptation to commit it. It is an addiction, where the desire to commit the sin is stronger than the desire to serve God. In essences, it is serving God with reservation and not with total abandonment.

Attachment to sin can be an obvious addiction, such as to alcohol, or to pornography, but it can also be subtle, such as being pridefully pious, saying prayers instead of praying them, or ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit. One must be careful though not to fall into scrupulosity, which itself is a sin that one can become attached to.

One can be attached to sin without being conscious of it, making it even harder gain a plenary indulgence. One must delve deep down into his soul and honestly evaluate his sinful nature to discover in what way he habitually resists the will of God.

Ridding yourself from all attachment to sin is necessary in gaining a plenary indulgence, but it is also the only way to grow in your Christian faith. Regularly gaining an indulgence is admirable, but what is more important is to grow in faith, which is a side effect of regularly gaining an indulgence.

And thus we see attachment to sin is likely quite common in our society.  But as affirmed above, we should trust in God and seek out indulgences regardless.  At the least, our indulgence will be partial and for someone attached to sin, partial indulgences will help them atone for sin and increase in virtue.  On a similar note, please see The Hermeneutic of Continuity's post on Plenary Indulgences: Not Impossible.

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