Saturday, December 21, 2013
Reflection by Theophilus for Ember Saturday of Advent


Recall that today, being the Saturday of the Advent Ember Days, is a day of fasting and abstinence. Ember Days are days favored for priestly ordinations, prayer for priests, first Communions, almsgiving and other penitential and charitable acts, and prayer for the souls in Purgatory. Note that medieval lore says that during Embertides, the souls in Purgatory are allowed to appear visibly to those on earth who pray for them.

Because of the days' focus on nature, they are also traditional times for women to pray for children and safe deliveries.

To Autolycus Book I, Chapters V and VI
By Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, ca. A.D. 160

For as the soul in man is not seen, being invisible to men, but is perceived through the motion of the body, so God cannot indeed be seen by human eyes, but is beheld and perceived through His providence and works. For, in like manner, as any person, when he sees a ship on the sea rigged and in sail, and making for the harbour, will no doubt infer that there is a pilot in her who is steering her; so we must perceive that God is the governor [pilot] of the whole universe, though He be not visible to the eyes of the flesh, since He is incomprehensible. For if a man cannot look upon the sun, though it be a very small heavenly body, on account of its exceeding heat and power, how shall not a mortal man be much more unable to face the glory of God, which is unutterable? For as the pomegranate, with the rind containing it, has within it many cells and compartments which are separated by tissues, and has also many seeds dwelling in it, so the whole creation is contained by the spirit of God, and the containing spirit is along with the creation contained by the hand of God. As, therefore, the seed of the pomegranate, dwelling inside, cannot see what is outside the rind, itself being within; so neither can man, who along with the whole creation is enclosed by the hand of God, behold God. Then again, an earthly king is believed to exist, even though he be not seen by all; for he is recognised by his laws and ordinances, and authorities, and forces, and statues; and are you unwilling that God should be recognised by His works and mighty deeds?

Consider, O man, His works -- the timely rotation of the seasons, and the changes of temperature; the regular march of the stars; the well-ordered course of days and nights, and months, and years; the various beauty of seeds, and plants, and fruits; and the divers species of quadrupeds, and birds, and reptiles, and fishes, both of the rivers and of the sea; or consider the instinct implanted in these animals to beget and rear offspring, not for their own profit, but for the use of man; and the providence with which God provides nourishment for all flesh, or the subjection in which He has ordained that all things subserve mankind. Consider, too, the flowing of sweet fountains and never-failing rivers, and the seasonable supply of dews, and showers, and rains; the manifold movement of the heavenly bodies, the morning star rising and heralding the approach of the perfect luminary; and the constellation of Pleiades, and Orion, and Arcturus, and the orbit of the other stars that circle through the heavens, all of which the manifold wisdom of God has called by names of their own. He is God alone who made light out of darkness, and brought forth light from His treasures, and formed the chambers of the south wind, and the treasure-houses of the deep, and the bounds of the seas, and the treasuries of snows and hail-storms, collecting the waters in the storehouses of the deep, and the darkness in His treasures, and bringing forth the sweet, and desirable, and pleasant light out of His treasures; "who causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: He maketh lightnings for the rain;" who sends forth His thunder to terrify, and foretells by the lightning the peal of the thunder, that no soul may faint with the sudden shock; and who so moderates the violence of the lightning as it flashes out of heaven, that it does not consume the earth; for, if the lightning were allowed all its power, it would burn up the earth; and were the thunder allowed all its power, it would overthrow all the works that are therein.
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Friday, December 20, 2013
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:
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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Monday, December 16, 2013
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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Saturday, December 14, 2013
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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Thursday, December 12, 2013
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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Tuesday, December 10, 2013
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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Monday, December 9, 2013
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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Sunday, December 8, 2013
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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Saturday, December 7, 2013
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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