Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Vigil (1954 Calendar): August 14th

Fasting and Abstinence:

The Catholic Encyclopedia around the time of St. Pius X in the early 1900s mentions: "In the United States only four of these vigils are fast days: the vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, the Assumption, and All Saints."  On July 25, 1957, Pope Pius XII commuted 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. The Vigil of the Assumption can, of course, though still be observed as a fast day by the Faithful.

However, its observance as a fast day is ancient as the Catholic Encyclopedia states: "Pope Nicholas I (d. 867), in his answer to the Bulgarians, speaks of the fast on the eves of Christmas and of the Assumption...The Synod of Seligenstadt in 1022 AD mentions vigils on the eves of Christmas, Epiphany, the feast of the Apostles, the Assumption of Mary, St. Laurence, and All Saints, besides the fast of two weeks before the Nativity of St. John."

As a result, I encourage everyone to keep this traditional day of fasting and abstinence in honor of the Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, which is celebrated tomorrow on August 15th.

MASS PROPERS FOR THE VIGIL OF THE ASSUMPTION:

INTROIT
Ps. 44:13, 15-16

All the rich among the people shall seek your favor. Behind her the virgins shall be led to the king; her friends shall be brought to you with gladness and joy. Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT - O God, You willed to choose the womb of Blessed Mary as Your dwelling place. Grant that we may joyfully celebrate her feast under the shield of her protection; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

Commemoration of St. Eusebius on August 14th 

(St. Eusebius, a Roman priest, was imprisoned for opposing heretics Emperor Constantius favored. He persisted in his defense of the true Faith until his death in about the middle of the fourth century.)

O God, our hearts are overjoyed at the annual feast of Your blessed confessor Eusebuis. Grant that we who celebrate his birthday may draw near You by following his example. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE
Eccli. 24:23-31

As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations. They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting.

GRADUAL

You are blessed and venerable, O Virgin Mary, for without the loss of your virginity you became the Mother of our Saviour. V. O Virgin Mother of God, He whom the whole world cannot contain enclosed Himself in your womb and was made man.

GOSPEL
Luke 11:27-28

At that time, as Jesus spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: "Blessed is the womb that bore thee and the paps that gave thee suck." But he said: "Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. "

OFFERTORY

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who bore the Creator of all things. You brought forth your own Creator, and yet you remain a virgin forever.

SECRET

O Lord, may the intercession of the Mother of God bring our offerings to Your merciful attention, for You took her out of this world that she might plead with confidence before Your throne for the forgiveness of our sins. Through the same Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

COMMUNION

Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the eternal God

POST COMMUNION

Support us in our weakness, O merciful God. May we rise again from our sins through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God, whose feast we are preparing to celebrate. Through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the Marian Missal, 1945

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Feast of Ss. Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdu

Image Source: Fourteen Holy Helpers

During this time when many Christians are still martyred for their faith, it is an appropriate day on the Feast of Ss. Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdu to seek their intercession.

ST. CYRIACUS was a holy deacon at Rome, under the popes Marcellinus and Marcellus. In the persecution of Dioclesian, in 303, he was crowned with a glorious martyrdom in that city. With him suffered also Largus and Smaragdus, and twenty others, among whom are named Crescentianus, Sergius, Secondus, Alban, Victorianus, Faustinus, Felix, Sylvanus, and four women, Memmia, Juliana, Cyriacides, and Donata. Their bodies were first buried near the place of their execution on the Salarian way; but were soon after translated into a farm of the devout lady Lucina, on the Ostian road, on this eighth day of August, as is recorded in the ancient Liberian Calendar, and others.   

To honour the martyrs and duly celebrate their festivals, we must learn their spirit, and study to imitate them according to the circumstances of our state. We must, like them, resist evil unto blood, must subdue our passions, suffer afflictions with patience, and bear with others without murmuring or complaining. Many practise voluntary austerities cheerfully, only because they are of their own choice. But true patience requires, in the first place, that we bear all afflictions and contradictions from whatever quarter they come; and in this consists true virtue. Though we pray for heaven our prayers will not avail, unless we make use of the means which God sends to bring us thither. The cross is the ladder by which we must ascend. 

Source: Fr. Alban Butler (1711–73).  Volume VIII: August. The Lives of the Saints.  1866.

Collect:

O God, we are made happy by the annual feast of Your holy martyrs Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdus. May we imitate the fortitude under suffering of these saints whose birthday we celebrate today. Through our Lord . . .

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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The De-Sanctification of Sunday

Picture an average Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon.  The temperature is warm or at least pleasant.  Sunshine fills the sky.  The morning's calmness is punctuated only by the transcendent and alluring Church bells which toll throughout the morning during the Consecration at the Holy Mass.  Holiness pervades the air and the day is characterized by Christian charitable works, meetings of apostolates, authentic family time, and other like activities - in one word, the day is set aside for leisure.

But this is how Sunday is in a Catholic nation.

Instead nowadays we find something far different - few if any Catholics go to Mass.  The bells no longer toll during the Consecration of the Mass.  In fact, few people even attend Mass and far, far fewer attend the reverent and beautiful Traditional Latin Mass.  Sacrilege takes place on a wide scale with Communion in the Hand.  Divine Justice is not offered an august and immaculate victim; rather, the Triune God is angered by the indifference, injustice, and impiety of a people who have fallen from the True Faith.

And all the while the day is characterized by the sounds of lawnmowers, power tools, and mundane machines.

It's not hard to find.  Any Sunday in the year you will find people mowing their lawns, painting their homes, repairing household items, cleaning their cars, and doing other mundane activities that we are explicitly forbidden to do by the Third Commandment.  A Christian commits a sin by so doing unless he receives explicit dispensation from a priest (e.g. to fix a leaking pipe, etc).

Has holiness gone from among men?  Does no one care any longer for the sanctity of Sunday?

"And shewing mercy unto thousands to them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain. Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day. [9] Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works. But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work on it, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it" (Exodus 20:6-10).

Have we forgotten the words of Our Lady of La Salette?

Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud were two children from Corps, France, near the town of Grenoble in the southeastern part of France. When Melanie was 14, and Maximin was 11, they were watching cattle in a pasture when they saw a globe of light that "opened" to reveal a most beautiful woman, clad in long dress and apron, with a shawl that crossed in front and tied in back. Around her neck was a Crucifix that depicted the instruments of the Passion, and on her head were a cap and roses. She sat on a rock with her face in her hands weeping.   The Lady said that unless the people repented of working on Sundays and of blasphemy, she'd be forced to let go her Son's arm because it had grown so heavy. She said that crop blights and famine would follow if her wishes weren't heeded.

If we have forgotten the message of Our Lady of La Sallette, have we also forgotten the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of the Willow Tree?

The following story is a powerful one.  It is quoted from the Society of St. Pius X's Canadian website:

Many years ago in the village of Plantees, France, there lived a farmer named Pierre Port-Combet, who used to work on Sundays and Feast Days. At one time he had been a Catholic, but he had fallen away from the truth Faith and joined a Protestant religion called Calvinism. He had a great dislike for Catholics and anything about the Catholic Faith. 

Pierre had married a devout Catholic woman named Jeanne. They had six children and Jeanne tried to raise them as good Catholics. But even though Pierre had made a vow to allow his wife to raise their children as Catholics, he gradually led their six children into the Calvinist religion! Jeanne was broken hearted about this because it meant that her husband and children were in great danger of loosing their souls. And since Pierre would not listen to her pleadings, the best she could do was to go to Mass, pray, and make sacrifices. 

This area of France was very Catholic at the time. There was a law that all people should not work on Sundays and on special Holy Days, so that they could go to Mass and spend the rest of the day in prayer and holy reading. But Pierre loved to break this law, especially on Our Lady's Feast Days, because he did not like the Catholic religion! 

On March 25, 1649, the Feast of the Annunciation, Pierre showed his dislike for the Catholic Church by working near a road where villagers could see him, as they traveled on their way to Mass. He pretended to work, by using his knife to cut into a willow tree, which grew beside the road. But as soon as he cut into the willow, the tree bled! Pierre was shocked as the blood flowed out of the tree and splashed onto his hands and arms. At first Pierre thought he was wounded, but finding that he was not injured, he stabbed the willow tree another time, and again the tree bled! 

Around this time, Pierre's wife passed by on her way to church. Seeing that her husband's arms were covered with blood, she rushed over to help him. While she was looking for the wound, Pierre tried to explain to his wife what had just taken place. Jeanne tried to calm her husband and cut the tree with his knife, but nothing happened. When Pierre noticed that no blood came from the tree, he grabbed the knife from his wife and cut off a willow branch. The blood came gushing out of the tree! 

By now Pierre was terribly frightened! He called to Louis, a neighbour who was just passing by, and begged him to come and see what happened. But when Louis took the knife and tried to cut the tree, no blood came out. As the other villagers passed by they began to realize that the blood from the tree was a warning from God to Pierre, so that he would come back to the Catholic Faith and not work on Sundays. 

Before long, Pierre was brought to court for working on this special Feast Day and he had to pay a fine. And when the Bishop heard about the miracle of the bleeding willow tree, he ordered some priests to look into the matter. Pierre and others who saw the miracle were questioned. In the end it was decided that this miracle was a stern warning from God to Pierre, so that he would mend his ways! 

Pierre had a change of heart and realizing that he was wrong, he would often go to pray near the willow tree. But when some of his Calvinist friends saw him, they threatened to hurt him if he left the Calvinist religion. Because of this Pierre refused to go back to the Catholic Church. 

Heaven was watching over Pierre and after seven years, on March 25, 1656, Our Lady appeared to him. On that day, Pierre was working in the field and saw a Lady standing far away on a little hill. The Lady wore a white dress, a blue mantle and had a black veil over her head, which partly covered her face. As the Lady came toward Pierre, she suddenly picked up speed and in a flash, she stood beside him. With her beautiful, sweet voice, the Lady spoke to Pierre, "God be with you my friend!" 

For a moment, Pierre stood in amazement. The Lady spoke again, "What is being said about this devotion? Do many people come?" 

Pierre replied, "Yes many people come," 

Then the Lady said, "Where does that heretic live who cut the willow tree? Does he not want to be converted?" 

Pierre mumbled an answer. The Lady became more serious, "Do you think that I do not know that you are the heretic? Realize that your end is at hand. If you do not return to the True Faith, you will be cast into Hell! But if you change your beliefs, I shall protect you before God. Tell people to pray that they may gain the good graces which, God in His mercy has offered to them."
Pierre was filled with sorrow and shame and moved away from the Lady. Suddenly realizing that he was being rude, Pierre stepped closer to her, but she had moved away and was already near the little hill. He ran after her begging, "Please stop and listen to me. I want to apologize to you and I want you to help me!" 

The Lady stopped and turned. By the time Pierre caught up to her, she was floating in the air and was already disappearing from sight. Suddenly, Pierre realized that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary had appeared to him! He fell to his knees and cried buckets of tears, "Jesus and Mary I promise you that I will change my life and become a good Catholic. I am sorry for what I have done and I beg you please, to help me change my life…" 

On August 14, 1656, Pierre became very sick. An Augustinian priest came to hear his confession and accepted him back into the Catholic Church. Pierre received Holy Communion the next day on the Feast of the Assumption. After Pierre returned to the Catholic Faith, many others followed him. His son and five daughters came back to the Catholic Church as well as many Calvinists and Protestants. Five weeks later on September 8, 1656, Pierre died and was buried under the miraculous willow tree, just as he had asked. 

Fr. Fais, the parish priest from the nearby town of Vinay, helped a lady to buy the field where Pierre had spoken to Our Lady. In time the chapel of Our Lady of Good Meeting was built on the spot where Our Lady had spoken to Pierre. Soon, a large church was built over the spot of the miraculous tree, and named in honour of Our Lady of the Willow. Some good person also carved a statue of Our Lady similar to the way Pierre had described the Blessed Virgin Mary. When this statue was placed in the church, many people came to honour Our Lady of the Willow. 

But alas, because of the sinfulness of man, this beautiful shrine did not last and was ruined by members of the horrible French Revolution. These wicked men took the statue of Our Lady of the Willow and chopped it to pieces! Oh, what a terrible way to treat Our Lady's image! 

However, all was not lost! A good lady gathered up the pieces of the statue and hid them until the French Revolution was over. A piece of the willow tree was also saved from the hands of these wicked men. 

After the horrible French Revolution, people came again to honour Our Lady of the Willow at this sacred spot. The statue of Our Lady was repaired and in time the shrine was placed in the hands of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Now some priests were caring for the shrine and could help the many people who came there. 

In 1856, two hundred years after the apparition of Our Lady to Pierre, Blessed Pope Pius IX decreed that the statue of Our Lady should be crowned on September 8 of that year. More than 30,000 people were present at the shrine for the crowning of Our Lady of the Willow, and at least four hundred priests were also present at the ceremony. And this same Pope ordered that another crowning should take place in 1873! 

On March 17, 1924, Pope Pius XI declared that Our Lady of the Willow Church was now a minor basilica. Here the statue of Our Lady of the Willow is venerated. A box containing a piece of the old willow tree lies under her altar and Pierre's grave is at the foot of the altar.
Many people come to honour Our Lady of the Willow at this shrine and many have left little plaques in thanksgiving to Our Lady, for some special grace which she has given them. Also more than a hundred miracles are reported to have taken place at this shrine. Thank-you Jesus and Mary for your great mercies. 

Our Lady of the Willow, Pray for Us! 

We are morally obligated to stand against the onslaught of sin in this world.  Next time you see someone cutting the lawn, painting their home, etc, on a Sunday, remind them to stop.  It is a spiritual work of mercy to admonish sinners.  Doing so with prudence and charity is the key.  Standing against sin is necessary lest we, too, participate in their sin by our quiet acceptance of it.

If you have a concern about approaching the person or truly believe it would not bring about their conversion, at least take the time to leave them an anonymous note in their mailbox or print off a page such as this one (http://www.fisheaters.com/lordsday.html) and drop off the information in their box.

In the words of the Holy Father Pope Pius XII in Mediator Dei: "How will those Christians not fear spiritual death whose rest on Sundays and feast days is not devoted to religion and piety, but given over to the allurements of the world! Sundays and holidays must be made holy by divine worship which gives homage to God and heavenly food to the soul...Our soul is filled with the greatest grief when we see how the Christian people profane the afternoon of feast days...."

As a final recommendation, consider reading The Land Without a Sunday by Maria Von Trapp.

O Lord, deliver us from evil!

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Video: Pascua Florida Annual Pilgrimage: The Spanish Colonization of Florida

In April 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon landed on the northeast coast of Florida and planted the first cross in the sand. The early heroic martyrs endured deplorable conditions bringing the Faith to native Indians and ministering to the settlers. Modern day Catholics may not face death of body but the irreligious atmosphere cries for evangelization! Come walk the path of the martyrs from St. Thomas More Chapel in Sanford Florida to the oldest known site of the First Mass in North America and Nombre de Dios Shrine in St. Augustine.

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Book Review: Sacred Fire: Practicing Devotion to the Heart of Jesus

I was recently given the opportunity to read and review Sacred Fire: Practicing Devotion to the Heart of Jesus by Philip Michael Bulman. To begin, the synopsis of the book states:

On the night before He died, Jesus called His disciples to abide in Him. This startling invitation to an intimate relationship with God is a great gift to all generations. The devotion to the Sacred Heart gives Catholics a practical way to respond to this invitation. Each of us can experience the love of Jesus in a way that transforms our own hearts.

Sacred Fire illuminates the rich scriptural roots of the Sacred Heart devotion and recounts how it has evolved through the centuries. More importantly, it provides steps anyone can take to experience the infinite blessings of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Embracing the Sacred Heart devotion brings the believer into a dynamic, personal relationship with Jesus. Lukewarm souls become fervent, and fervent souls enjoy ever greater blessings of Divine Mercy that begin in this life and last for all eternity.

Mr. Bulman has composed a truly beautiful book for the honor of God and devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of our Redeemer.  The book is written in a way that makes the pages go by with interest.  The book is a truly spiritual one - I found myself drawn repeatedly to prayer while reading of the saints who labored so long for the Devotion of the Sacred Heart.

Each chapter beings with several lines of Scripture which are well worth of meditation.  The actual text of the book delves into the various apparitions of our Lord and the writings of the saints (e.g. Gertrude the Great, Margaret Mary, John Eudes, and many others).  This is truly a unique book that brings together so many sources of writings and accounts into one complete volume documenting the spread of Devotion to the Sacred Heart.  Mr. Bulman shows in great detail how devotion to the Sacred Heart stretches back centuries before St. Margaret Mary's visions and how it is well rooted in Scripture.  Saints who I am not even familiar with were included to create a single, complete volume on devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Sacred Fire is written in a manner that is easy to read for all Catholics.  You do not have to have a Theology degree or be an expert in doctrine to read and understand and, most importantly, learn from this book.  Mr. Bulman's book is truly for everyone.  I am happy to recommend it.

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The Eucharistic Storms: Communion in the hand and the marginalizing of the Real Presence

"ITS ABOUT TIME a book on Communion in the hand be written with such zeal for the Holy Sacrament. There is no denying that the foundation of the modern day crisis in the Church is the widespread contempt toward the Holy Eucharist, fostered largely by the practice of Communion in the hand. Thanks to this illicit practice a sense of "Eucharistic atheism" prevails throughout the Church. It has truly caused the Church in our time to forget God and laugh at the Sacred Mysteries.

"But it has also provided satanists with free access to come into the church and steal the Host during Mass, so that they take it back to their covens where it is stomped and abused in the ritualistic Black Mass to satan. For this reason satanists introduced Communion in the Hand in the late sixties, and then used the rebellious "Rhine bishops" to execute their plan after Vatican II. Satan's infiltration of the hierarchy (Third Secret) is what led to the change of religion we have seen in our time, and is what is preventing the clergy from abolishing Communion in the Hand today. A spirit of fear holds the hierarchy fast. Under the illusion of divine guidance the clergy are being led by temptation. According to the testimony of ex-satanists, Communion in the hand is the greatest thing that ever happened to them, so why is the hierarchy assisting them? Even if everything else in the Mass is done right, Communion in the Hand will continue to cheapen the Faith and advance the apostasy that is already so widespread. The Church will never be restored to orthodoxy unless this practice is stopped! The quickest and easiest way is to restore the old Mass which forbids Communion in the hand."

Source: David Martin

Check out The Eucharistic Storms: Communion in the hand and the marginalizing of the Real Presence and check out my prior post on the topic: Mission Restore Eucharistic Reverence.

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Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mass in Some Places)

July 17th, besides being the Commemoration of St. Alexius (III Class), is dedicated to the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary in some parts of the world.

The following is taken from Father Lawrence G. Lovasik on this Feast:

Humility Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

1. Mary, Mother of God, humility is the virtue you especially practised from childhood. The saints tell me that it is the foundation and guard of all virtues, since without humility a soul can possess no other virtue. Your loving Son came to teach this virtue to mankind by His example, and He desired that we should especially strive to imitate Him, for He said, "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11, 29). As you were the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus in all the virtues, you were the first and most perfect disciple also in humility. First of all, because of your humility you merited to be exalted above all creatures.

The first characteristic of humility of heart is a humble opinion of oneself. You always had so lowly an opinion of yourself that, although you realized how many more graces and favors were bestowed upon you than upon others, you still preferred all others before yourself. Of course, you never thought of yourself as a sinner for humility is truth, and you knew that you had never offended God1

Mary, My Mother, you did acknowledge having received greater graces from God than had any other creature, for a humble heart always acknowledges the special favors of God that it may humble itself the more. But by the greater light you possessed for recognizing the infinite greatness and goodness of God, you recognized also your own littleness, and, therefore, you humbled yourself more than all others: you ever had before your eyes the majesty of God against your nothingness as His creature. The more you beheld yourself enriched, the more humble did you become, remembering that all came to you from the infinite generosity of your Maker. No creature in the world has been more exalted than you, because no creature in the world has ever humbled himself more.

2. Mary, Mother of God, your humility was expressed especially in the Annunciation. You were fully enlightened as to the greatness of the dignity of a Mother of God. Though you had already been assured by the angel that you were this happy Mother chosen by the Lord, you did not stop to rejoice in your exaltation. Seeing your own nothingness as compared with the infinite majesty of God, who chose you for His Mother, you acknowledged how unworthy you were of so great honor, but you did not oppose His will in the least thing. Filled with deep humility, and yet on fire with desire to unite yourself still more closely to God, you abandoned yourself entirely to the Divine will and answered, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word" (Luke 1, 38).

Mary, My Mother, you showed your humility by striving to conceal from others the gifts you received from God. You concealed even from your beloved spouse, Saint Joseph, the important fact that you were the chosen Mother of God, and you awaited God's good pleasure to reveal the great mystery to him.

In your humility you refused praise, giving all the praise and glory to God. When your cousin Saint Elizabeth greeted you as blessed among women, you answered, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid" (Luke 1, 46). You humbled yourself so deeply because you knew that of and by yourself you were nothing and had nothing. Therefore, you gave your praise to the Creator and Giver of every good and perfect gift.

In your humility you wished to serve others rather than to be served. You visited the house of Zachary to serve your cousin Elizabeth for three months. Later in the public life of Jesus, you sought no attention. At one time when you wanted to speak with Jesus, your humility forbade you to enter the house where He was preaching until you were asked to do so.

In your humility you gladly suffered contempt with Jesus. We do not find you in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, when your divine Son was received with so much honor by the people. But we do find you standing beneath the cross on Calvary, when your Son was derided and mocked. You did not shrink from the disgrace of being recognized as the Mother of one condemned to die a shameful death.

3. Mary, Mother of God, teach me to be truly humble. Since I sincerely love you, I want to follow your example; this is the greatest honor I can pay you. For my proud nature, humility is most difficult to practise. But I can never be your true child if I am not humble. You invite none to come to you but the lowly of spirit. It is under the mantle of humility that you will protect me. Clothe me with your own humility.

Teach me the real kind of ambition, that is, greatness in God's eyes. Only childlike humility entitles me to the first place in God's estimation and consequently, in heaven also. The degree of childlike humility I have attained in life will be the degree of my greatness in heaven. Help me to see that humility is nothing more nor less than a just and equal judgment of myself, my talents, my opportunities and the use I make of them.

Humility is not belittling myself, but taking the place which rightly belongs to me, not a higher place, nor a lower, but the true and just place where God wants me. For if I have any ability, any worth or goodness, the glory is not mine, but God's. Without God I can do nothing. All that I am or have. He has given me. This is truly your spirit, as you expressed it at the Visitation: "Behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed: because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name" (Luke 1, 48).

Mary, My Mother, I beg you for this humility which is so necessary for me that without it I cannot enter God's kingdom, as Jesus reminded His disciples, "Unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18, 3). I beg you for this humility which is loved both by God and men for in it lies something sublime—a living resemblance to Jesus and to you.

Blessed Mother, teach me humility. Help me to become a child in your school. Let me know nothing else except this entire surrender of myself to God, this simple childlike act of the heart, as I cast myself into the Arms of Jesus and promise Him my fidelity. To love Jesus, to do His will, to accept all from His hands—let this be my humility, as it was yours!

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St. Henry II

Today on July 15th the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Henry II.  Henry II is not to be confused with the name of the Henry II of English or Henry II of France.  St. Henry II refers to the Holy Roman Emperor.  St. Henry II was named the patron saint of the Benedictine Oblates by Pope St. Pius X. He was probably born in Hildesheim, Bavaria, Germany, on May 3, 973 AD. When his father died he became the duke of Bavaria in 995 and emperor in 1002 when his cousin Otto III died. He stressed service to the Church and promoted monastic reform.

He became one of the strongest rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, triumphing over many difficulties as a Christian statesman and warrior. He made frequent journeys through his empire to promote religion, correct public abuses, and prevent the oppression of the poor. According to the chronicles of the time, when upon his return from an expedition against the Greeks in Italy, he was taken sick at Monte Cassino, he was miraculously cured through the intercession of St. Benedict, founder of the abbey.

His wife was St. Cunegundis, and St. Herisbert was his chancellor. A patron of the Benedictines, he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Benedict VIII. Tradition states that Henry wanted to be a Benedictine and lived as an Oblate. He was canonized in 1146 by Pope Eugene III, making him the only German monarch to be canonized as a saint.

Those wishing to read more on his life should consult the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on him.

Traditional Matins Reading:

Henry, surnamed the Pious, Duke of Bavaria, became successively King of Germany and Emperor of the Romans; but not satisfied with a mere temporal principality, he strove to gain an immortal crown, by paying zealous service to the eternal King. As emperor, he devoted himself earnestly to spreading religion, and rebuilt with great magnificence the churches which had been destroyed by the infidels, endowing them generously both with money and lands. He built monasteries and other pious establishments, and increased the income of others; the bishopric of Bamberg, which he had founded out of his family possessions, he made tributary to St. Peter and the Roman Pontiff. When Benedict VIII, who had crowned him emperor, was obliged to seek safety in flight, Henry received him and restored him to his see.

Once when he was suffering from a severe illness in the monastery of Monte Cassino, St. Benedict cured him by a wonderful miracle. He endowed the Roman Church with a most copious grant, undertook in her defence a war against the Greeks, and gained possession of Apulia, which they had held for some time. It was his custom to undertake nothing without prayer, and at times he saw the angel of the Lord, or the holy martyrs, his patrons, fighting for him at the head of his army. Aided thus by the divine protection, he overcame barbarous nations more by prayer than by arms. Hungary was still pagan; but Henry having given his sister in marriage to its King Stephen, the latter was baptized, and thus the whole nation was brought to the faith of Christ. He set the rare example of preserving virginity in the married state, and at his death restored his wife, St. Cunigund, a virgin to her family.

He arranged everything relating to the glory or advantage of his empire with the greatest prudence, and left scattered throughout Gaul, Italy, and Germany, traces of his munificence towards religion. The sweet odour of his heroic virtue spread far and wide, till he was more celebrated for his holiness than for his imperial dignity. At length his life’s work was accomplished, and he was called by our Lord to the rewards of the heavenly kingdom, in the year of salvation 1024. His body was buried in the church of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul at Bamberg. God wished to glorify His servant, and many miracles were worked at his tomb. These being afterwards proved and certified, Eugenius III inscribed his name upon the catalogue of the saints.

Collect:

O God, on this day You raised the blessed confessor Henry from earthly royalty to an eternal kingdom. May his example enable us to turn aside from the enticements of the world and come to You with a pure heart, even as he was strengthened by Your grace to withstand the fascination of worldly attractions. Through our Lord . . .

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Summorum Pontificum: 7 Year Anniversary Celebration

Today the Church observes the seventh anniversary of the publishing of Summorum Pontificum, the long-awaited motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI replacing all former "indults" and freeing the Mass of All Times, the Traditional Latin Mass. No longer would a priest have to ask permission of his bishop to say the Mass as the Mass is to be readily offered and available to all of the Faithful.

The Saintly Example of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

It is at this time that I wish to especially remember Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who resisted the Second Vatican Council's false propositions of ecumenism, religious liberty, and the altering of the Mass of All Times. It is through his witness and the formation of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (SSPX) that the Mass of All Times has spread. And, I will venture to say that without Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's role, the Traditional Latin Mass would have been at last forgotten and no organized resistance to the change would have existed.

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

It is Archbishop Lefebvre who has been slandered in recent years. The cause of canonization of his saintly mother has long been forgotten. Instead, in the words of Bishop Bernard Fellay during a sermon in Paris following Archbishop Lefebvre's death said, "Archbishop Lefebvre has gone, but the Mass is saved, the Catholic priesthood is saved..." Because of his resistance to all of changes affecting all of the Sacraments, the Society of St. Pius X is largely responsible for Pope Benedict XVI's issuance of the motu proprio and then the clear declaration that the Bishops of the Society of St. Pius X consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre are not excommunicated.

In the words of Father Franz Schmidberger at the Requiem Mass of Archbishop Lefebvre, "The work of the Archbishop on this earth is accomplished. Now begins his ministry as intercessor in eternity. He has given everything he could give...the miracle of a new generation of priests."

Archbishop Lefebvre only wished to teach that which he himself was taught in seminary. He wished to hand on the Catholic faith as taught and celebrated for the past centuries. And his resistance has directly led to the establishment of the Ecclesia Dei Commission and the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum. I highly encourage the reading of Apologia Pro Marcel by Michael Davies as well as Open Letter to Confused Catholics and The Mass of All Times.

Mortal Remains of Archbishop Lefebvre

"I will finish with my testament. I would like that it be an echo of the testament of Our Lord: a New and Eternal Testament...the heritage that Jesus Christ gave us, His Sacrifice, His Blood, His Cross. I will say the same for you: for the glory of the Holy Trinity, for love of the Church, for the salvation of the world: keep the Holy Sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Keep the Mass forever!" (Archbishop Lefebvre, 23rd September 1979)

"Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy" (John 16:20)

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Octave Day of Ss Peter and Paul

Today is the traditional Octave Day of Ss Peter and Paul according to the pre-1955 Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar. This Octave was eliminated in the 1955 reforms; however, those attached to the traditions of the Church still call to mind the spiritually appropriate for this Octave Day.

Sadly, the loss of the Apostles Fast, the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul as a day of fasting, and the loss of the Octave, in addition to losing June 29th as a Holy Day of Obligation, has eroded devotion to these princes of the Apostles. A return to Tradition must entail rediscovering these elements.

INTROIT Acts 12:11.

Now I know in very deed, that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. (Ps. 138: 1, 2) Lord, Thou hast proved me, and known me: Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

COLLECT

O God, Who hast consecrated this day to the martyrdom of Thine apostles Peter and Paul, grant to Thy Church in all things to follow their teaching from whom it received the right ordering of religion in the beginning. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, Forever and ever.

EPISTLE Acts 12:1-11

In those days, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict some of the Church: and he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword; and seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azymes: and when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending after the pasch to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison: and behold an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the room and he striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying, Arise quickly; and the chains fell off from his hands: and the angel said to him, Gird, thyself and put on thy sandals; and he did so: and he said to him, Cast thy garment about thee and follow me: and going out he followed him: and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel; but he thought he saw a vision. And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them; and going out, they passed on through one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And Peter coming to himself, said, Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. S. Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL/ALLELUIA Ps 44:17-18

Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth: they shall remember Thy name, O Lord. V. Instead of Thy fathers, sons are born to Thee; therefore shall people praise Thee. Alleluia, alleluia. V. (Matt 16: 18.) Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 16:13-19

At that time, Jesus came into the quarters of Cæsarea Philippi, and He asked His disciples, saying, " "Whom do men say that the Son of man is?" But they said, Some, John the Baptist, and other some, Elias, and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them, "But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him, "Blessed art thou, Simon BarJona, because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father Who is in Heaven: and I say to thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and to thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Psalm 44:17-18

Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth: they shall remember Thy name, O Lord, throughout all generations.

SECRET

May the prayer of Thine apostles, O Lord, accompany the sacrifices which we offer to be consecrated to Thy name, and through it do Thou grant us to be pardoned and defended. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON  Matthew: 16-18

Thou art Peter: and upon this rock I will build My Church.

POSTCOMMUNION

Preserve, O Lord from all dangers, by the intercession of Thine apostles, those whom Thou hast filled with Heavenly nourishment. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever.

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