2014 Patron Saint for the Year Devotion

UPDATE: RESULTS ARE IN.  SCROLL DOWN TO SEE!

UPDATE 2: Thank you to the 214 people who participated in this devotion.  As of now the drawings for 2014 have closed.  Thank you again and I'll be in contact with you in December 2014 regarding the 2015 Patron Saint of the Year Devotion

I am very pleased to again be a facilitator for the Patron Saint of the Year Devotion.  I have been part of this annual tradition since 2006 and have helped coordinate devotions for hundreds of families.  It is my pleasure to now be part of the 2014 Patron Saint of the Year Devotion.

You can read about the past devotions at the following posts:

• 2006 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2007 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2008 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2010 Saint for the Year Devotion 
• 2011 Saint for the Year Devotion 
• 2012 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2013 Saint for the Year Devotion

Again, I would like to take a few minutes to explain the devotion, which has its roots in St. Faustina.

When will the saints be drawn?  This year I will start the drawing of saints on the Octave Day of Christmas after the 10 AM Solemn High Mass and the recitation of both the Veni Creator Spiritus and the Litany of Saints.  Saints will be emailed starting that afternoon and thereafter.

What is the Saint for the Year Devotion? Here is my post on this from years past to clarify the matter. This is from the person that draws all of the saints. I don't draw the saints. I will merely pass on your name or screenname to her so that she will draw a saint for you. Also, I will pass on the name of any of your family or friends that would like to participate. This isn't superstition. St. Faustina did the same thing!

Last year hundreds of people received saints to be their special patron, and there were miraculous connections. It was truly amazing. We pray that this year the Holy Ghost will again work so that all participants receive a saint that they will be able to pray to for aid throughout the entire year:

Saint for the Year

I want to tell you about the practice of picking a saint at random to be your “holy protector” for the year. Actually, the saint is the one who chooses us though. The tradition of letting a saint “pick you,” is not a new one. St. Faustina wrote about it in her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul. The excerpt is below.

“There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: ‘I am your patron. Read.’ I looked at once at the inscription and read, ‘Patron for the Year 1935 - the Most Blessed Eucharist.’ My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be at that moment together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.”Excerpt from Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Diary of St. Faustina"

I have a container full of names ... I will be glad to pick out the name for you and send you the name if you prefer. I am so excited by my saint(s) ... I already picked mine. Well, I should say that they picked me ... I have Saints Marcus and Marcellianus ... they are twin brothers who were sent to prison before their death. St. Sebastian visited them continually in prison and helped keep their faith alive. They are buried near St. Felix and are specifically honored in Spain.

OK now ... here are a couple of immediate ironies in regard to these saints ... I have a SPECIAL place in my heart for twins! As a child, I LOVED reading the story about St. Sebastian. I had a children's book of saints and I think I wore out the pages on St. Sebastian! Felix is my grandfather's name! Silvia, our exchange student, is from Spain! I am so excited to have these two saints to walk through 2006 with me! I'm looking forward as to where and how they will intercede for me.

Please pass this message on through your blogs and/or email distribution lists, letting all of the Catholic blogsphere have the chance to participate. I only ask that you give me your email address so that I may contact you when your saint is drawn. Usually within one to two days I can email you about your saint.

So, please either make sure your email address is in your profile or please leave it below in the comment box when you ask to participate. If you wish to remain anonymous, please leave your initials instead of your name.  And, if you would prefer to email me directly and not write your email address in the comment box, please send an email entitled "Saint for the Year 2013" to acatholiclife [at] gmail.com

So, comment below and pass this message on throughout the entire Catholic Blogsphere!

Support

I handle the planning, marketing, and drawing for this devotion each year without any cost. Please take a minute and if you are a supporter of this devotion, please consider leaving us a free will donation. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps me continue working on this devotion and spreading it further and it helps keep A Catholic Life online.

Please - a donation of only $2.00 is appreciated and helpful!  If each of you contributed only $2.00 I would be able to cover some of the most important updates this blog needs.

Results:

Name	Saint
Susanne M.	St. Maria Goretti
Amelia G	St. Hyacinth feastday 9/11
Alma R	St. Thomas Aquinas feastday 3/7
Evangeline	St. Gertrude Comensoli
Antoniette	St. Romanus feastday 8/9
Andy M	St. Perpetuus feastday 4/8
Michael	St. Catherine feastday 11/25
Matthew	St. Hilary feastday 1/14
Max	St. Nazarius feastday 7/28
Cory L	St. Guilia Salzano
Diane K	St. Bertha feastday 7/4
Kathy L	St. Marius feastday 1/19
Elizabeth C	St. Eligius feastday 12/1
Elynne W	The Guardian Angels
Cathleen	St. Ephrem the Syrian
Edmund	St. Theodulus feastday of 5/3
Carla	St. Augustine of Canterbury
Anna	St. Elizabeth feastday of 7/8
Larry	St. Lupicinus feastday of 2/28
Betty	St. Ladislas feastday of 6/27
Perry	St. Caius feastday of 4/22
Fran T	St. Fabian feastday 1/20
GentleHeart64	St. Didacus feastday 11/3
Kathy G	St. Mary of the Cross
Karleen	St. Hyacinth feastday 8/17
Guy C.	St. Cajetan feastday 8/7
Terry	St. Tarasius feastday 2/25
John	St. Bede feastday 4/10
Joseph	St. Agnes
Heidi M	St. Plutarch feastday 6/28
ABG	St. Romanus feastday 8/9
JL	St. John Francis Regis
Anna B	St. John Leonard feastday 10/9
Bill	St. Ambrose
Julie	St. Ladislas feastday of 6/27
Scott	St. Hyacinth feastday 8/17
Blake	St. Ludger feastday 3/26
Jonathan A	40 Martyrs of Sebaste
James A	St. Eventius feastday 5/3
Ron A	St. Thomas of Canterbury
Jessa	St. Abraham feastday 3/16
Jessa's sister M.	Seven Holy Brothers feastday 7/10
Jessa's  sister L.	St. Camillus of Leilis feastday 7/18
Jessa's  future husband	St. Theodore Guerin
Jessa's  dad and mom	St. Barbara feastday 12/4
Joe	St. Philogonius feastday 12/20
Monica	St. John Baptist de Rossi
Laura	St. Jerome
Amy	St. Marcellinus feastday 6/2
Judy	St. Jerome
Joan	St. Frances Cabrini
Anonymous	St. Alphonsus Liguori
Kathy R	St. Hospitius feastday 5/21
Lisa E	St. Martin de Porres
Lisa B	St. Theodore Guerin
Michael Y	St. Paternus feastday 4/15
Mariah	St. Julia feastday 5/22
Monica M.	St. John Gualbert feastday 7/12
Cynthia V	St. Medard feastday 6/8
N Alan Anderson	St. Paul the Apostle
Rosalinda L	St. Methodius feastday 7/7
Lujan	St. Albert the Great
Enrico	St. Helena feastday 8/18
Joy	St. Perpetuus feastday 4/8
Pancreatius	St. Edward feastday 10/13
Filip	St. Rufina feastday 7/10
Anna	St. Luigi Guanella
Serv	St. Anthony Claret feastday 10/23
Va Family	St. Ludger feastday 3/26
Vi Family	St. Crescentia feastday 6/15
Leissue Claim	St. Hyacinth feastday 8/17
Leissue Home	St. Filippo Smaldone
Leissue Doc	St. Joseph Calasanctius feastday 8/27
Ramzi	St. Barbatus feastday 2/19
Pam	Seven Holy Brothers feastday 7/10
Noah	St. Willibrord feastday 11/7
Noella	Our Lady under the title "Our Lady of the Rosary"
Kate	St. Crescentia feastday 6/15
Paul W	St. Perpetuus feastday 4/8
Unknown	St. Marcellinus feastday 6/2
Cathy T	St. Barachisius feastday 3/29
Ray	St. Josaphat feastday 11/14
Rosie	St. Caspar
Cristian	St. Alpohnsa of the Immaculate Conception
Nicolaus	St. Bede feastday 4/10
Elena	St. Quintin feastday 10/31
Pablo	St. Tarasius feastday 2/25
Ruth	Seven Holy Servite Founders
Dan & Kristin S.	St. John Leonard feastday 10/9
Sandy	St. Anthony of the Desert
Brandon	St. George Preca
Rachel	St. Paul of the Cross
Sue	St. Bernardo Tolomei
Rebecca	St. Joseph the Foster Father of Jesus Christ
Clare	St. Peter of Alacantara feastday 10/19
Mark	St. Rafael Guizar Valencia
Jess	St. Bernard feastday of 8/20
Lucy L	St. Frumentius feastday 10/27
Lucy E	St. Andrew the Apostle
Sonya B	St. Melchior
Susan	St. Chrysenthus feastday 10/25
Madalena	Our Lady under the title "Our Lady of the Rosary"
A. Dawn M. Anderson	St. Julius feastday 4/12
Lois F	St. Albinus feastday 3/1
Gemma D	St. Paul the Apostle
Barry M.	St. Frei Galvao
Susan M.	St. Perpetuus feastday 4/8
Erin M.	St. Mary of the Cross
Alex M.	St. Philogonius feastday 12/20
Elly M.	St. Edward feastday 10/13
Anna M.	St. Francis Xavier feastday 12/3
Evelyn M.	St. John the Apostle
Tim W	St. Catherine Laboure feastday 11/28
Steve	St. Bernardine of Siena feastday of 5/20
Toni	St. Ethelreda feastday of 6/2
Stephanie	St. Soter feastday of 4/22
Christine	St. Mary feastday of 3/16
Butch	St. Arcangelo Tadini
Ken	St. Paul the 1st Hermit
John	St. Elizabeth feastday of 7/8
Lenore	St. Barnabas feastday 6/11
Baby #1	St. Matthias
Dan	St. John Joseph of the Cross feastday 3/5
Baby #2	St. Bernard feastday of 8/20
Christopher	St. Hilary feastday 1/14
Craig V	St. Edward feastday 10/13
Vangie M.	St. Louis IX
Lisa	St. Anthony Zaccaria feastday 7/5
Franciscus Carmelo	The Guardian Angels
Sequoia S	St. Gregory Barbarigo
Aimee	St. Damien Joseph de Veuster
Jay	St. Thomas Apostle
Cameron	St. Ludger feastday 3/26
Liam	St. Albert the Great
Callie O.	The Holy Innocents
Anonymous	St. Ethelreda feastday of 6/2
Anonymous' son Patrick	St. Teresa feastday 10/15
Lisa	St. Felix of Valois
Bill	St. Cornelius feastday 9/16
Christopher	St. Abachum feastday 1/19
Sarah	St. Eusebius feastday 8/14
John	St. Quintin feastday 10/31
Monica	St. Dominic feastday 8/4
Caroline	St. Leocadia feastday 12/9
Bekki	St. Andrew Avellino feastday 11/10
Cindy	St. Marcellus feastday 1/6
Lila	St. Basil the Great
Dustin	St. Boniface
Hailey	St. Damien Joseph de Veuster
Janet G	St. Andrew the Apostle
Seppy P	St. Felicitas feastday 3/6
Pete R	St. Eligius feastday 12/1
fwkoes	St. John of Avila
Lucy D	St. Victor feastday 7/12
Roger	St. Eusebius feastday 12/16
Demi	St. Frances Cabrini
Renee M	St. Anthony Zaccaria feastday 7/5
Chistine M	St. Bridget feastday 10/8
Catherine	St. Mary dei Pazzi feastday 5/29
Tony M	St. Martha feastday 1/19
Michelle	St. Polycarp
Rick	St. Donatian feastday 5/24
Sean	St. Benjamin feastday 3/31
Derek	St. Marie Eugenie of Jesus Milleret
Dorothy	St. Hyacinth feastday 9/11
Mark L	St. James feastday 7/25
Pete S	St. Donatian feastday 5/24
Jon H	St. Cyril feastday 7/7
Cynthia H.	St. Martha feastday 1/19
John R.	St. Anthony of the Desert
Lisa S.	St. Melchior
Nanette	St. Caspar
Dalleys	St. Victorian feastday 1/12
Christina B	Seven Holy Brothers feastday 7/10
John M. R.	St. Rafael Guizar Valencia
Judi S.	St. Euphrasia feastday 3/13
Sharon K	St. Callistus feastday 10/14
Michael C	40 Martyrs of Sebaste
Heather	St. Peter feastday 6/29
M Porter	St. James feastday 7/25
Debbie	St. Vincent feastday 1/22
Joe	The Guardian Angels
Thomas	St. Margaret feastday 6/10
David	St. Cyril feastday 7/7
Stephanie	St. Camillus of Leilis feastday 7/18
abjeschke089	St. Stanislaus feastday 5/7
Cheryl	St. Marcellinus feastday 4/20
Jacob	St. Cyril of Alexandria
Alicia	St. Silverius feastday 6/20
Alicia's Mom	St. Porphyrius feastday 2/26
Barb	St. Veronica of Milan feastday 1/13
Jim	St. Acacius feastday 5/8
Nathalie C	St. Evodius feastday 5/6
Gorraiz Family	St. Abachum feastday 1/19
Pamela M	St. Stanislaw Soltys
Danielle R	St. Jerome
Please-eaileron	St. Theodore Guerin
Denise G	St. Camillus of Leilis feastday 7/18
Kathy S	St. Simon feastday 10/28
Michael V	St. Anthony Zaccaria feastday 7/5
Liz	St. Eleuthenus feastday 9/6
Ayden	St. Anne feastday 7/26
Sean. Jr	St. Veronica of Milan feastday 1/13
Barbara	St. Daria feastday 10/25
Daryl	St. Fabian feastday 1/20
Jeanie	St. Eventius feastday 5/3
Lawrence	St. Peter of Alacantara feastday 10/19
Erika	St. Barbara feastday 12/4
Jared S	St. Januarius
Mark	St. Veronica feastday 7/12
Kay	St. Edward feastday 10/13
Ross	St. Gregory feastday 1/4
Carol	St. Marcellinus feastday 4/20
Lawrence	St. Marcellus feastday 10/30

If you are not familiar your saint, I encourage you to research online and even 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 am highly recommending.  You may find information on your saint on my page dedicated to the saints: http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2005/09/saints.html and here is a prayer to honor any saint: http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2006/01/prayer-to-venerate-any-saint.html

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Mark Your Calendars: Advent Ember Day Fasting

Although Ember Days are no longer considered required in mainstream Roman Catholicism following Vatican II, they can - and should - still be observed by the Faithful. In fact, many Traditional priests encourage the Faithful to observe the days. Ember Days are set aside to pray and/or offer thanksgiving for a good harvest and God's blessings. If you are in good health, please at least fast during these three days and pray the additional prayers. Remember the words from the Gospel: "Unless you do penance, you shall likewise perish" (Luke 13:5).  Ember Days are days of fasting and partial abstinence.

Ember Days this December: 18, 20 and 21

From New Advent:

Ember days (corruption from Lat. Quatuor Tempora, four times) are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered by the Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross). The purpose of their introduction, besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy. The immediate occasion was the practice of the heathens of Rome. The Romans were originally given to agriculture, and their native gods belonged to the same class.

At the beginning of the time for seeding and harvesting religious ceremonies were performed to implore the help of their deities: in June for a bountiful harvest, in September for a rich vintage, and in December for the seeding; hence their feriae sementivae, feriae messis, and feri vindimiales. The Church, when converting heathen nations, has always tried to sanctify any practices which could be utilized for a good purpose. At first the Church in Rome had fasts in June, September, and December; the exact days were not fixed but were announced by the priests. The "Liber Pontificalis" ascribes to Pope Callistus (217-222) a law ordering: the fast, but probably it is older. Leo the Great (440-461) considers it an Apostolic institution. When the fourth season was added cannot be ascertained, but Gelasius (492-496) speaks of all four. This pope also permitted the conferring of priesthood and deaconship on the Saturdays of ember week--these were formerly given only at Easter.

Before Gelasius the ember days were known only in Rome, but after his time their observance spread. They were brought into England by St. Augustine; into Gaul and Germany by the Carlovingians. Spain adopted them with the Roman Liturgy in the eleventh century. They were introduced by St. Charles Borromeo into Milan. The Eastern Church does not know them. The present Roman Missal, in the formulary for the Ember days, retains in part the old practice of lessons from Scripture in addition to the ordinary two: for the Wednesdays three, for the Saturdays six, and seven for the Saturday in December. Some of these lessons contain promises of a bountiful harvest for those that serve God.

From Catholic Culture:

Since man is both a spiritual and physical being, the Church provides for the needs of man in his everyday life. The Church's liturgy and feasts in many areas reflect the four seasons of the year (spring, summer, fall and winter). The months of August, September, October and November are part of the harvest season, and as Christians we recall God's constant protection over his people and give thanksgiving for the year's harvest.

The September Ember Days were particularly focused on the end of the harvest season and thanksgiving to God for the season. Ember Days were three days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) set aside by the Church for prayer, fasting and almsgiving at the beginning of each of the four seasons of the year. The ember days fell after December 13, the feast of St. Lucy (winter), after the First Sunday of Lent (spring), after Pentecost Sunday (summer), and after September 14 , the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (fall). These weeks are known as the quattor tempora, the "four seasons."

Since the late 5th century, the Ember Days were also the preferred dates for ordination of priests. So during these times the Church had a threefold focus: (1) sanctifying each new season by turning to God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving; (2) giving thanks to God for the various harvests of each season; and (3) praying for the newly ordained and for future vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

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St Padre Pio as the Aged Simeon: An Advent Meditation

Isn’t this picture of the Holy Capuchin Priest striking as realistic and beautiful as he presents the Divine Infant for our veneration? What strength on the one hand and what gentleness on the other! What a contrast between the manly face which is a little rough of the courageous son of Saint Francis and that of the little King of hearts! What a difference between these two right hands that we see: this tiny one which is tendered graciously towards us, and that adult and imposing one which hides its wound and its terrible sufferings under the black mitten and the lace of his alb! On the one hand the strength of a male athlete whose life is but a perpetual and dolorous immolation for God and souls, a fierce combat against sins and the demon (Bluebeard, as he calls him) and the on the other hand, the sweetness and abandon of a peaceful Baby.

But if one penetrates even further in the contemplation of this picture and thinks of Christmas Night, one perceives how goodness and sweetness is also found in the celebrated stigmatist. Loaded with such a noble burden, how lightly he walks, how his heart must be entirely enflamed at the touch of Jesus, so precious and amiable. And faith makes us see in this little Infant of Christmas the Strong God, The Lord of Hosts, Who begins His gigantic course to become one day at His turn cruelly stigmatized and immolated. He who is carried gives to him who carries Him all the strength he has need of to advance in his career of Priest and victim. “The old man carried the Infant, says the liturgy of the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, but the Infant governed the old man.” (The Alleluia verse from the Mass, taken from a profound remark of Saint Augustine).

Meditation on this picture of our Capuchin “Simeon” and of his Heavenly burden will aid us to understand that in the Heart of God and of His Saints, there is as much strength as there is gentleness, as much unction as there is courage. In God and in those who resemble Him, the rigor, the intransigence, in respect to evil and error, doesn’t take away suppleness, goodness and condescension. This is a harmony and equilibrium that often escapes us. Our frailty makes us pass from stiffness to laxity, from hardness to liberality, from willfulness to passiveness, or vice versa.

The Great Antiphon that the Church has us sing before the Magnificat of Vespers on December 17th (the first of the “O” Antiphons) is perfectly adapted to our needs as children of our Seraphic Father and of Padre Pio. Before the image of the Divine Infant, let us repeat it several times with confidence: “O Wisdom, that proceeds from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end, mightily and sweetly disposing all things, come to teach us the way of prudence.”

Source: Written by Fr. Jacques Emily, TOSF chaplain.  If you are interested in joining the Traditional Third Order Franciscans, please contact:

Fr. Jacques Emily, TOSF chaplain
St. Aloysius Gonzaga Retreat House
PO Box 1379 Los Gatos, CA 95031
408-354-7703 tel | 408-354-7369 fax
trad.thirdorderofpenance[at]gmail[dot]com

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Bishop Fellay Launches 4th Rosary Crusade!

 Bishop Fellay's newest letter to friends and benefactors (#81) has just been published!

In his letter, the SSPX's Superior General briefly outlines the state of affairs in the Church, some issues being faced with Pope Francis, as well as the apostolic work that the Society of St. Pius X faithfully continues.

Most importantly, Bishop Fellay has announced a fourth Rosary Crusade with the goal of offering 5 million rosaries to Our Lady for the intentions of:

1. To implore from the Immaculate Heart of Mary a special protection for the traditional apostolate;
2. For the return to Tradition within the Church;
3. For the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the consecration of Russia.

2014 Rosary Crusade

January 1 until June 8, 2014

Means:

1) Prayer and penance as asked for at Fatima;
2) Sanctification through the duty of state;
3) Spirit of sacrifice in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

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Video: Mass within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

A low Traditional Latin Mass, celebrated according to the St. Pius X rubrics (pre 1955 changes) by Fr. Julian Larrabee at St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church, West Chester, Ohio. The school choir sings all the unchanging parts of the Mass. The Mass was celebrated within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception.

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Blessing of Roses on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

As this is a devotion unknown to most Catholics, I wish to share part of a post written last year by the blog Kankakee TLM.  For those interested in participating in this tradition who are in the Chicago area, there will be a 7 PM High Mass on December 12th (The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe) followed by the Traditional Blessing of Roses at the Shrine of Christ the King on Woodlawn Avenue in Chicago.  The Sermon will be in both English and Spanish.

The excerpt:

In 1554 a plague broke out, which quickly claimed the lives of more than 12,000 persons.  A public procession to Our Lady’s shrine was organized, and by the very next day, the death rate began to ebb off, and the plague soon ended.

Other outbreaks of rampant disease occurred in 1633 and 1695, when again, with a procession, and with a novena to our Lady, she put an end to the death-dealing calamities. Many, many other such historical accounts have been recorded, when our Lady, as compassionate Mother has hastened to assist those who with faith and love invoke her aid. She still loves her children and will speedily hasten to come when invoked.  So many can attest to her signal graces!

Last year, the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago had their first TLM in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Afterwards, Canon Talarico blessed roses for the faithful to take home; we were encouraged to take them to the sick.  These roses were given a traditional blessing:

“…by the sign of the Holy Cross let these roses be endowed with such blessing that the sick to whom they are brought and whose homes they adorn may be healed of their infirmities; and let them drive away in fear and trembling the devil with all his followers, nevermore to molest the people who are Thy servants.”

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Tota Pulchra Es Recording

Tota pulchra es is an old Catholic prayer, written in the fourth century. It is one of the five antiphons for the psalms of Second Vespers for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The title means "You are completely beautiful" (referring to the Virgin Mary). It speaks of her immaculate conception. It takes some text from the book of Judith, and other text from Song of Songs, specifically 4:7

Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te. Vestimentum tuum candidum quasi nix, et facies tua sicut sol. Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te. Tu gloria Jerusalem, tu laetitia Israel, tu honorificentia populi nostri. Tota pulchra es, Maria.


You are all beautiful, Mary, and the original stain [of sin] is not in you. Your clothing is white as snow, and your face is like the sun. You are all beautiful, Mary, and the original stain [of sin] is not in you. You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you give honour to our people. You are all beautiful, Mary.

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Evangelii Gaudium Observances from the SSPX

Note: The following is taken from the website of the SSPX.

On November 26, 2013, Pope Francis published the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium (the joy of the Gospel), which was to be a synthesis of the Synod on the new evangelization that Benedict XVI had called together in October 2012. In fact, the new pope hardly takes this synod into account, and leaves to the local episcopates the care of drawing for themselves the conclusions that they find useful. He prefers, in this document, to develop the themes that seem important to him and that he has already exposed here and there in the first eight months of his pontificate.

Thus do we find in the 288 points of this long exhortation his favorite expressions: the Church must “go out to others to reach the fringes of humanity”; “a poor Church for the poor”; rather a Church that is “bruised and hurting” because she went out to meet others, than a Church that is unhealthy because she is closed to others…

Throughout this document, that has no very strictly logical plan, the pope speaks of “the Church’s missionary transformation” (Ch. 1); “the crisis of communal commitment” (Ch. 2), in which he treats the “temptations faced by pastoral workers”; preaching (Ch. 3); “the social dimension of evangelization” (Ch. 4), in which he mentions, among other things, attention to the poor and social peace.

In the beginning, Francis recognizes the “programmatic” nature of this exhortation for his pontificate: “I want to emphasize that what I am trying to express here has a programmatic significance and important consequences.” (#25) Which brings some Vatican specialists to say that this is in reality an encyclical.

Speaking of the reform announced in the Church, as Jean-Marie Guenois wrote in Le Figaro on November 27, the Sovereign Pontiff:

calls for one of the applications of Vatican II that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, under the pontificate of John Paul II, had always fought, by burying the project of “a status for the Bishops’ conferences” that would give them “a certain authentic doctrinal authority.” This does indeed imply weakening the center, the papacy, the Vatican, to leave more room for the local bishops. (…) This will to reform the profound culture of the Church — to go from a centralizing and dogmatic vision to the vision of a Church “with her doors thrown open” the better to welcome — implies a series of small reforms, that are not just friendly suggestions, but whose application Francis is very clearly demanding.

And observers did not fail to notice that this apostolic exhortation contains as many references to texts from bishoprics in different regions of the world as to texts from the Roman magisterium.
While waiting upon a more thorough analysis, three remarks can already be made:
1. Behind the pope’s desire to inspire a new missionary impulse, we cannot help seeing an implicit denunciation of the present evils in the Church, a denunciation that does not dare to trace back to the cause of these evils. When he invites Catholics to be more involved in social life, he shows — without saying as much – how great a disaster was caused by the “burial” encouraged by the Council, on the pretext of being more open to the world — a “burial” that was none other than a secularization, an adopting of the spirit of the world, made visible to all the faithful by the adopting of the secular habit by most clerics. And this secular habit gave birth to secular habits…

2. When Pope Francis rightly denounces the myth of the “invisiDIUCble hand” that harmoniously but mysteriously rules the movements of the “divinized market”, he is denouncing liberalism, but he fails to quote the great anti-liberal encyclicals of his pre-conciliar predecessors, such as Leo XIII. Perhaps because these criticisms of economic liberalism come with a criticism of doctrinal liberalism, to whose values the Council wished to open the Church, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger admitted?

3. The apostolic exhortation denounces the privatization of religion in post-modern society, which rejects the political and social dimension of Catholicism, but at the same time wishes to maintain the conciliar requirements of religious liberty and inter-religious dialogue, claiming that evangelization is contradicted by neither one. The exhortation merely states this non-contradiction, but the facts take care of proving it wrong. Thus does the pope “humbly pray and implore the countries (of Islamic tradition) to grant the Christians the freedom to celebrate their cult and to live their faith, taking into account the liberty that the believers of Islam enjoy in the Western countries!”(#253) There we see the Council put to the test of reality.

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Day of Fasting: Vigil of the Immaculate Conception (December 7)

 The Immaculate Conception by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Besides being the feastday of St. Ambrose, today is the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception.  And, consequently, today is traditionally a day of fasting and partial abstinence from meat.

Day of Fast and Abstinence

For today, we as traditional Catholics are called upon to fast and to refrain from eating any flesh meat, except with the one principal meal allowed on a day of fasting.  Meat is considered to be the flesh and organs of mammals and fowl. Also forbidden are soups or gravies made from them. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted.  On this day one, normal-sized meal and two smaller meals that do not equal the normal meal are allowed. Eating between meals, however, is prohibited although fruit juices and milk are allowed. The two smaller meals can not contain flesh meat.

History of the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception:

On November 30, 1879, Pope Leo XIII added the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception to the Universal Church's calendar, increasing the number of liturgical vigils from 16 to 17, which not including Holy Saturday, consisted of "the eves of Christmas, the Epiphany, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, the eight feasts of the Apostles, St. John the Baptist, St. Laurence, and All Saints." At this time, the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception was not yet a fast day. These 17 vigils mentioned were still in place at the time of the writing of the Catholic Encyclopedia in 1909.

On July 25, 1957, Pope Pius XII transferred the fast in the Universal Church from the Vigil of the Assumption to the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception on December 7, even though he had previously abrogated the Mass for the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception. Thus, this day starting in 1957 was a day of mandatory fasting and abstinence. This is preserved in the laws in force in 1962 for instance.

By 1962, the laws of fasting and abstinence were as follows as described in "Moral Theology" by Rev. Heribert Jone and adapted by Rev. Urban Adelman for the "laws and customs of the United States of America" copyright 1961: "Complete abstinence is to be observed on all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, the Vigils of Immaculate Conception and Christmas. Partial abstinence is to be observed on Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays and on the Vigil of Pentecost. Days of fast are all the weekdays of Lent, Ember Days, and the Vigil of Pentecost." If a vigil falls on a Sunday, the law of abstinence and fasting is dispensed that year and is not transferred to the preceding day. Father Jone adds additional guidance for the Vigil of the Nativity fast: "General custom allows one who is fasting to take a double portion of food at the collation on Christmas Eve (jejunium gaudiosum)."

The Importance of the Immaculate Conception:

The Immaculate Conception is a dogma of the faith stating that Mary was conceived sinless in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. The Blessed Virgin Mary remained without sin throughout her entire life. Remember, Mary is not just an average woman but the Mother of God; she is extraordinary (Luke 1:42). She is, by no means, divine in anyway, but she certainly is the greatest of all saints. She is the perfect model of charity. Let us try and imitate Mary by wearing her Brown Scapular and praying the Rosary. To imitate Mary, is to grow closer to Jesus Christ, Our Savior.

Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum:

An interval of a few months will again bring round that most happy day on which, fifty years ago, Our Predecessor Pius IX., Pontiff of holy memory, surrounded by a noble crown of Cardinals and Bishops, pronounced and promulgated with the authority of the infallible magisterium as a truth revealed by God that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was free from all stain of original sin. All the world knows the feelings with which the faithful of all the nations of the earth received this proclamation and the manifestations of public satisfaction and joy which greeted it, for truly there has not been in the memory of man any more universal or more harmonious expression of sentiment shown towards the august Mother of God or the Vicar of Jesus Christ. 

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE ST. PIUS X ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FEBRUARY 2, 1904

Mary, Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Collect:

O God, who didst wondrously preserve the mother of Thine only-begotten Son from original sin in her own conception, grant, we beseech Thee, that Thou mayest make us, strengthened by her intercession, to keep her festival with clean hearts. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Book Review: St. Edmund Campion Missal

I use Grammarly - the best plagiarism checker out there - because a true work of art is truly one-of-a-kind.

Each and everyday countless books are sold in the world and new books are being published for the first time.  With the advent of Lulu.com and other self-publishing platforms, there are thousands of books introduced into the world each year.  For a Catholic trying to navigate the narrow road, he will find many books that are neither beautiful nor spiritually enriching.  And once in a while he will find a book that is either very beautifully designed or one that is truly spiritually enriching and enduring.  It is a gem to find a book that has both characteristics.  I’m glad that I have found such a one in the St. Edmund Campion Missal.

The St. Edmund Campion Missal is more than a standard Missal.  There are plenty of great Missals for the Traditional Latin Mass in the marketplace.  What separates this Missal from other is its sheer beauty. 

The proponents of the Traditional Latin Mass often call it "The Most Beautiful Thing This Side of Heaven."  It's fitting that there is now a Missal that seeks to showcase the beauty of the Mass in the Missal.

Contained in the Missal is over 75 traditional line art illustrations collected from a special Benedictine archive and carefully digitally-enhanced. The pictures were carefully placed according to the liturgical year and feast within the Missal.  [Sample]

Yet most is most striking is the stunningly beautiful step-by-step photos of the Mass.  Where most missals fall short is clearly showing the steps of the Mass.  And if they are shown, they are usually tailored either to the Low Mass or to the Solemn  High Mass.  The St. Edmund Campion Missal does most. Some of these photos are included in the CatechismClass.com Course on the Mass.

As the publisher states: "A distinguishing feature of our book is the inclusion of the complete Ordo Missae for both Solemn and Low Mass, along with 100+ color photographs, made possible by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, to help the congregation follow the prayers and ceremonies. All vestments used were 200+ years old."

For those concerned with the music included in the Missal, this is a gem indeed.  Again from the publisher: "For the first time since the 1950s, all eighteen Gregorian chant Masses from the Kyriale (Vatican Edition with Solesmes rythmic signs) and all six versions of the Credo have been carefully typeset and printed in a book for the congregation. The scores are presented in a large size, to facilitate congregational singing, and they are printed with amazing precision and clarity."  In addition, the Missal contains 150 elegant, enduring, traditional, Catholic hymns in English for the congregation.

For those who know me, I do not assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the same location each week.  I am known to alternate between a few locations: two served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, one by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, one by the Society of St. Pius X, and a Byzantine Divine Liturgy Parish. 

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter recently moved into St. Joseph's Church in the area and it was there that I came in contact with the St. Edmund Campion Missal.  In this case, the parish was given by the Diocese to the Fraternity and the congregation was undergoing a great change.  The Missal undoubtedly has helped the remaining members of the parish to familiarize themselves with the Traditional Mass, understand it, and love it. 

Simply put, this Missal is a must-have.  It is a work of art and deserving to be used for decades by its owner. This is a book that will proudly sit on my shelf next to the Sacred Scriptures.

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