All Souls Day

Double (1954 Calendar): November 2

[In years when November 2nd falls on a Sunday, the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (i.e. All Souls Day) is moved to November 3rd]

Today is the day after the All Saints Day and is hence the day we observe the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day). This feast, dating back to the 11th Century in the Universal Church, is a time to remember all of the faithful (i.e., baptized) departed and pray that they are now in Heaven. God certainly is Love and He is mercy. The only thing we can do is trust in Him and pray for our loved ones.

In 998 AD, St. Odilo, the abbot of Cluny in France, said that all Cluniac monasteries were to offer special prayers and sing the Office for the Dead on November 2, the day after the feast of All Saints. The custom spread from Cluny and was adopted throughout the entire Roman Catholic Church. Now the entire Church observes November 2nd as All Soul's Day. This is the basis for the Dia De Los Muertos observed in Mexico.

Priests typically, Sunday and Christmas aside, may only say Mass once a day. Howver, during the First World War, Pope Benedict XV on August 10, 1915, allowed all priests everywhere to say three Masses on All Souls' Day. The two extra Masses were in no way to benefit the priest himself: one was to be offered for all the faithful departed, the other for the Pope's intentions, which at that time were presumed to be for all the victims of that war. The permission remains. So today, find a Traditional Latin Mass parish and attend all 3 Masses offered this day for the Souls.

It has and always will be a pious and holy practice to pray for the repose of the souls who have passed on to the next life.  However, in the past few decades, the occurrence of prayers said for the souls in purgatory and their blessed repose has fallen into such disuse that such a lack of charity for their souls is an atrocity.  For generations, Catholics would pray for the souls of the faithful who have gone before them in the sleep of death and hope in the future resurrection.

It is a traditional and pious practice with references not only in the Magisterium of the Church but also through the Holy Scriptures.  As stated in the holy book of Maccabees: "It is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." (2 Maccabees 12:46).  In 230 A.D., Tertullian writes, "The widow who does not pray for her dead husband has as good as divorced him."

Courtesy of Bridegroom Press:

Grant #29.1.1

For the Souls in Purgatory

Plenary Indulgence A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted each and every day from Nov 1 to Nov 8, who devoutly visit a cemetery and there pray, if only mentally, for the departed.

Grant #29.1.2

All Souls’ Day – Plenary Indulgence A plenary indulgence is granted the faithful who, on All Souls’ Day (or according to the judgment of the bishop, on the Sunday preceding or following it, or on the solemnity of All Saints), devoutly visits a church or an oratory and recites an Our Father and the Creed. This is known as the “Toties Quoties” Indulgence.

[…]

Requirements for obtaining a plenary indulgence:

•  Do the work while in a state of grace,
•  Receive Sacramental confession within 20 days of the work (several plenary indulgences may be earned per reception),
•  Receive Eucharistic communion (one plenary indulgence may be earned per reception),
•  Pray for the pope’s intentions (Our Father and Hail Mary, or other appropriate prayer, is sufficient),
•  Have no attachment to sin (even venial) – i.e., it is sufficient that the Christian makes an act of the will to love God and despise sin.

Requirements for a partial indulgence: The work must be done while in a state of grace and with the general intention of earning an indulgence.

Notes:

• Only baptized persons in a state of grace who generally intend to do so may earn indulgences.
• Indulgences cannot be applied to the living, but only to the one doing the work or to the dead.
• Only one plenary indulgence per day can be earned (except for prayer at the hour of one’s own death).
• Several partial indulgences can be earned during the same day.
• If only part of a work with plenary indulgence attached is completed, a partial indulgence still obtains.
• If the penance assigned in confession has indulgences attached, the one work can satisfy both penance and indulgence.
• Confessors may commute the work or the conditions if the penitent cannot perform them due to legitimate obstacles.
• In groups, indulgenced prayer must be recited by at least one member while the others at least mentally follow the prayer.
• If speech/hearing impairments make recitation impossible, mental expression or reading of the prayer is sufficient.
• For an indulgence attached to a particular day requiring a church visit, the day begins at noon the day before and ends at midnight.

See more indulgences for the faithful departed by clicking here. Note, on years when All Souls is transferred to November 3rd, the “Toties Quoties” is also transferred.

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Cupich: Rotten Fruit for the Church

Let us pray for an end of this scourge on the Catholics of the Archdiocese of Chicago before Chicago - home to the most Latin Masses of any American city - sees the Ancient Liturgy removed steadily from the Faithful.  Kyrie eleison!

From the SSPX website:

Archbishop Blase Cupich has been one of the rising figures in the Catholic Church, and will be made even more prominent this fall.

Chicago Archbishop and Cardinal-elect Blase Cupich encouraged his fellow bishops to respond with courage and vigor “for what the Church is called to be!” The following statement was reported by Vatican Insider (Oct. 12, 2012):

The Holy Father’s visit a year ago [in USA] provided him with an opportunity to see first-hand the vitality and vibrancy of the Church in the US. At the same time, he offered a challenging vision of what the Church is called to be and so it is now up to all of us, the bishops of the US, to respond with courage and vigor."

Chosen by the Pope himself to participate to the 2015 Synod on the Family, Cupich supported the proposal of Cardinal Walter Kasper to provide a path for civilly remarried persons to receive Holy Communion while respecting the decision that such persons, along with homosexuals in relationships, “make about their spiritual lives” (Chicago Tribune, Oct. 17, 2015). Cupich was one of the bishops scandalizing the world by endorsing Kasper’s proposal during the Synod and highlighting the importance of conscience.

It comes therefore to no surprise that Cupich reiterated his support for giving Communion to divorced remarried in an interview last week. But this time, he presents himself as faithful to the Pope’s position!

My position is the same as that of Pope Francis, who has indicated that the proper interpretation of 'Amoris Laetitia' was given by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn and then again by the bishops of Argentina, for which the Pope noted ‘no further interpretation is needed.’ So if people want to know what I think, they should refer to those sources.”

Cupich is well-known for his liberal stance on numerous issues.

On Prolife Issues

Despite reminders on the sacredness of life, Cupich has a history of downplaying the urgency of the question by calling for balance, dialogue, and respect or other approaches.

As Sandro Magister put it in the Chiesa News (Sept. 30, 2014):

Cupich’s voice - as noted both by conservative Catholics, with distress, and by progressives, with satisfaction - always rings out loud and clear when the talk is of immigration or the death penalty, but he seems to get laryngitis every time there is a discussion of abortion, euthanasia, and religious freedom, or criticism of the Obama administration over health care reform."

In August 2015, in the wake of the Center for Medical Progress videos exposing Planned Parenthood’s baby body parts trafficking scandal, Cupich wrote on in the Chicago Tribune (Oct. 26, 2015) that unemployment and hunger are just as appalling as killing children in the womb.

Cupich has been constant in requesting that priests and seminarians of his successive dioceses (Spokane, WA and Rapid City, SD) not participate in 40 Days for Life prayer vigils outside of abortion facilities.

Back in November 2014, Cupich stated that giving Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians was a positive move. Asked on CBS’s Face the Nation if he would give Communion to pro-abortion politicians, the archbishop said he hoped the grace that comes to people from the Eucharist would bring them to the truth.

Ten years before, during the 2004 presidential election, he refused to join those bishops condemning pro-abortion Catholic politicians and holding that they should not receive Communion. "We cannot cherry-pick particular issues. We have to be willing to talk about all issues. Our position begins with protecting the unborn, but it doesn't end there," he told the Rapid City Journal (May 2, 2004).

When most bishops refused to let Catholic Charities employees serve as navigators for the Affordable Care Act, Cupich bucked the trend: whatever problems the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had with “Obamacare” and its contraception mandate, he was committed to using the infrastructure of the Church to help poor people access health insurance. He was the second-to-last bishop to join the fight against the contraceptive mandate.

As voters faced a November 2012 referendum on the legalization of same-sex marriage in Washington state, Cupich wrote a pastoral letter calling for "a substantial public debate . . . carried on with respect, honesty and conviction" and asked for "careful consideration" of the church's position on the referendum. In that referendum, voters approved the law by a 54%-46% margin.

On the Liturgy

Cupich has a constant record of hostility toward the traditional liturgy. It is said that in his first Mass as pastor of St. Mary in Omaha, NE his hometown, he reprimanded a young parishioner for attempting to receive the Communion on her knees.

In 2002, as Bishop of Rapid City, SD, Cupich prohibited children to make the first Communion or to be confirmed in the traditional Latin Rite. That same year, according to the Rapid City Journal (May 27, 2002), he prohibited a traditional Latin Mass community from celebrating the Paschal Triduum liturgies according to the 1962 Missal by locking the doors of Immaculate Conception Church during the Easter Triduum. The Good Friday liturgies took place on the sidewalk.

In 2011, then still Bishop in Spokane, WA, Cupich wrote The New Roman Missal: A Time of Renewal, a historical overview on liturgical renewal to introduce the new English translation of the Roman Missal.

Cupich’s vision is the same one which caused the liturgical revolution of the 1970s. Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio had no effect on him. He considers the traditional Latin Mass as dreadful and incomprehensible to the people. Its rites, according to Cupich, inspires church architecture such as altar rails which he claims have kept people far from the altar and impeded "full and active participation." By Cupich’s logic, the “old” Mass definitely belongs to a time long ago to which today’s Catholics are unable to relate. Lamenting those who did not accept the changes of the Novus Ordo Missae, Cupich holds that Catholics have to understand that the reform of the Second Vatican Council was, in fact, an improvement. And so he praises Communion under both species, Mass in the vernacular, lay participation in the liturgy, and the simplification of the rubrics.

Role of the women in the Church

For his Installation Mass on the Archdiocese of Chicago on November 2015, Bishop Cupich specifically requested both men and women altar servers. There were therefore four women and four seminarians.

Here is his vision of the role of the woman in the Church, as reported in Origin (Sept. 2013):

It would be a very great mistake to reduce the whole issue of women to the question of ordination. The church must engage the larger issue of women and begin by listening to women themselves. The failure of the church to attend to the concerns of women themselves is a very serious problem. . . . This is a very big knot that needs attention and it will not be untied lec­turing women, and it will not be solved unless men in authority in the church clearly and deeply understand that there is a very great difference between the way women approach things and the way men approach things."

Ecumenism

In 2011, Cupich started a new annual ecumenical service at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral of Spokane by inviting Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and Methodist ministers on Good Friday.

In April 2012, he supported the decision of Roman Catholic Gonzaga University of Spokane to invite Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu to speak at its graduation ceremony and receive an honorary degree.

Beginning January 2017, Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago is supposed to serve as the first Catholic co-chair of a new National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue, sponsored by the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the USCCB.

Summary

Cupich is clearly a favorite of Pope Francis. In a two-year period, he has been the Pope’s personal candidate—against numerous objections—for four crucial roles: Archbishop of Chicago, participating in the 2015 Synod on the Family, becoming a member of the Congregation for Bishops, and now being elevated to the College of Cardinals. Cupich will now exercise one of the most prominent roles in deciding who to appoint as new bishops in the United States.

It stands to reason that Cupich will use his new-found influence and power to impose his liberal vision on the Church. Let us pray fervently for the Church and our pastors!

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The Basilica of St. Benedict...is Destroyed

Another earthquake has occurred in Norcia and the Basilica of St. Benedict has been destroyed.  The monks of Norcia write:

Dear friends,

Around 7:40 AM, a powerful earthquake struck close to Norcia. The monks are all safe, but our hearts go immediately to those affected, and the priests of the monastery are searching for any who may need the Last Rites.

The Basilica of St. Benedict, the historic church built atop the birthplace of St. Benedict, was flattened by this most recent quake. May this image serve to illustrate the power of this earthquake, and the urgency we monks feel to seek out those who need the Sacraments on this difficult day for Italy.

Relying, as ever, on your prayers and support,

Fr. Benedict
Subprior

Note: If you want to help the rebuilding process, you can give to the monks by clicking here.

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Blessed Jordan of Saxony: 2nd Dominican Master

As a Third Order Dominican, I was surprised with the lack of information on many of the Masters of the Order of Preachers, founded by St. Dominic in 1216.  I have written before on the holiness of our Father Dominic and you may read my full post by clicking here.  Also, I have written a CatechismClass.com lesson on St. Dominic that I also recommend for those wishing to learn much more on the life of St. Dominic.

But what happened to the Order of Preachers after the death of St. Dominic in 1221?

I was surprised that even Wikipedia lacked articles on many of the Masters of the Order.  As a result, I will be starting a series of posts exploring the lives of the Masters of the Order.

After St. Dominic's death in 1221, the Dominicans were led by Blessed Jordan of Saxony who ruled the Order from 1222 until 1237.  A good resource on the life of Blessed Jordan is the Libellus of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, and Saint Dominic's Successor: The Life of Blessed Jordan of Saxony by Marguerite Aron is also a worthy read, for those who can find book, which was written in 1955.

Written to fellow Dominicans, Fr. Joret in "Our Dominican Life" writes of Blessed Jordan's encounter with St. Dominic:

Jordan of Saxony had been studying in Paris for ten years when St. Dominic arrived in that city. The young man sought him out and received an impression which was never effaced. Not till much later did he receive the habit actually at the hands of Blessed Reginald. Only once more, and then for a very short time, did he see St. Dominic. Nevertheless, he used always to speak of him with emotion as " the father of his soul."

And yet we still feel his impact in our lives since he is the reason why the Salve Regina is sung after Compline.  Fr. Joret continues later in his text:

" Jordan of Saxony, who succeeded St. Dominic, recognizing," says Gerard de Frachet, " the interest taken by Our Lady the Blessed Virgin Mary in the progress and preservation of the Order, was determined to rule only with her assistance." History has preserved for us some touching traits of his devotion to Mary. " He was wont to spend the night in prayer before her altar," says the same chronicler, " repeating the Ave Maria often and very slowly. Brother Berthold was anxious to know his methocl of prayer. In reply to his disciple's inquiry, the Master told him, among other things, that he was in the habit of honouring the Virgin by reciting five psalms, each one of which began with a different letter of her name. " That is just an example, my son," he added. Would that he had given a few more examples, simpler ones ! We should then have known exactly what the Rosary was at that period. It was Jordan of Saxony who instituted the solemn procession to the altar of Our Lady which we make every evening as we sing the Salve Regina. We all know how the diabolical assaults upon the Friars in Paris and Bologna were ended through this prayer, proffered by all to her who had crushed the serpent's head. The diabolical machinations were succeeded by glorious manifestations of the Blessed Virgin who thus consecrated the practice that had been established in her honour.

...

The custom of singing this anthem goes back, as has been already said, to the very early days of the Order. A truly diabolical persecution was raging against the Friars, especially at Bologna and in Paris. BlessedJordan of Saxony, St. Dominic's successor, gave orders for the singing of the Salve every night after Compline. The persecution immediately ceased, but its very cessation  served to establish the practice, which became general. The faithful, especially the Tertiaries, crowded into the churches of the Preachers to see the Friars leave the choir and come into the nave, singing the Salve Regina. The chant is a melancholy one, plaintive yet unaffected. A solemn procession of souls who pass mourning through this vale of tears, but who are upheld and comforted by a celestial hope. Is not the Queen of Heaven also a Mother of mercy ? She looks down from above upon her exiled sons, and she makes herself their advocate with God. One day she will show them her Son. And the thought of that vision which will constitute their eternal bliss already gives them a sense of exquisite sweetness. Upon arriving at the Lady Altar, the Friars kneel to sing Eia ergo, advocata nostra. Then one of them comes out to sprinkle the rest with holy water, one by one, in memory of the time when the Holy Virgin was seen by St. Dominic to go the round of the cells, sprinkling each brother as he lay asleep. clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria. When they utter that beloved name, the Friars bow deeply, as though a great gust of wind were bending them all at the same moment. Those Tertiaries who cannot have the advantage and the joy of taking part in this conventual ceremony may like to think of it at night, as they recite the Salve, or as they take a little holy water with which to bless themselves before going to bed.

 Fr. Joret further writes in "Our Dominican Life":

In letters addressed to Blessed Diana and her daughters of the convent at Bologna, Blessed Jordan of Saxony called upon them in all confidence to pray for the Order that the brethren might increase in numbers and in virtue. Shortly afterwards he congratulated them upon the magnificent result of their prayers. " Rejoice and give thanks a thousandfold to the Father of all Goodness. . . . Disappointed at realizing that I had been preaching for a long time with little or no result to the students of the University, I was contemplating departure when suddenly God deigned to stir the hearts of a considerable number of them, and to fertilize the ministry of my word by the outpouring of His grace. Ten have already taken the habit." At a later date he writes : " Your prayers and those of the sisters have been wonderfully answered : our friars are multiplying throughout the world and increase in number and in merit."

From these letters we see the great concern for the Order in Blessed Jordan and the odor of sanctity that seemed to emanate from him.A final worthy meditation is this letter from Blessed Jordan to Blessed Diana of Andalo.  This letter was written shortly before both of their deaths.  May they intercede for us in Heaven and soon be declared saints!

"To his dearest daughter Diana, at Bologna: Brother Jordan, useless servant of the Order of Preachers: salvation and the continual friendship of Jesus Christ.

Since, my dearest Sister, it is not possible, as we should both wish, to visit you with my bodily presence and to console myself in your company, I yet find some refreshment and relief for my heart's desire when I can visit you by means of a letter, writing to let you know how things are with me, as I would like to know concerning you, for your progress and your joy are sweet nourishment for my spirit. But you do not know with any certainty to what ends of the earth it may fall to my lot to journey, and if you did know, you would not find messengers who would bring me your letters. Yet what we have written to each other, my beloved Sister, is a very small thing; the ardent love with which we love each other in the Lord is in our inmost hearts; and in this intimate affection of charity you speak with me and I with you continually, things which no tongue can worthily express or letter contain.

O Diana, the present condition of our life which we have to bear is wretched, since in this life we cannot love each other without pain or think of one another without anxiety. For you are pained and troubled because it is not granted to you to see me continually, and I suffer because [the joy of ] your presence is too seldom granted to me. Who will lead us into the Strong City, into the city of the Lord of Hosts which the Most High himself founded, where we shall suffer no more from longing either for him or for one another? Here we are wounded daily and the very fibres of our being wrenched asunder, and each day these very miseries of ours make us cry out: 'Who will deliver us from the body of this death?' Yet we must patiently bear with this life and, as far as our daily poverty will allow us, fix our mind solely on him who alone is able to deliver us from our necessities, in whom alone is rest found, and apart from whom, whatever we contemplate, we shall find only tribulation and abundance of sorrow. Meanwhile, let us accept with joy whatever share of sadness falls to our lot; for in the same measure that tribulations have been meted out to us will joy be measured to us, poured into us by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to whom is honour, glory, power and empire for ever and ever. Amen.

Pray for me, as I know you do. Greet the Prioress for me, and Galiana. Greet our special friends outside the convent and very specially those who are in the house with you, if they happen to come and see you, and recommend me to their prayers.

Farewell, beloved daughter, in Jesus Christ the Son of God."

Blessed Jordan was shipwrecked and drowned on February 13, 1237. He was beatified in 1825 by Pope Leo XII. Let us pray for the canonization of this holy Master of the Dominican Order.  St. Jordan pray for us!

Prayer:

O God, who didst make Blessed Jordan wonderful for his zeal in saving souls and enriching religious life, grant by his merits and intercession that we may proclaim the way of salvation and ever live in the same spirit and find glory awaiting us in Heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Little Office According to the Dominican Order. Feastday February 15th.

Note: Those who would like a PDF copy of "Our Dominican Life," please send me an email and I will send it to you.

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To The U.S. Catholic Bishops

Guest Post by David Martin


To The U.S. Catholic Bishops:


As you may recall, fifty-five percent of America's Catholics voted for Barack Obama in 2012, knowing full well that he was radically pro-abortion. This happened because very few Catholics were admonished that a vote for Obama would make them complicit in the murder of the unborn and would place their immortal souls in jeopardy. A unanimous pro-life vote from the Church would have more than swung the vote away from Obama, but fears of progressivist ridicule and the prospect of losing tax-exempt status prevented the Church from being an effective voice in the election.

This time around circumstances make it much easier for the Church to witness for life, because there is no question as to who the pro-life and pro-death candidates are. And too, one candidate is a woman, so it makes it easy to identify the candidates without mentioning their names.

We urge you to mandate that all priests remind their parishioners at the Sunday Masses before elections that they cannot vote for the pro-abortion candidate and be Catholic at the same time. Remind them that they have it within their power to halt the pro-death bureaucracy in D.C. if they will simply act with one mind to dissuade support for the candidate who aims to make "reproductive rights" the focus of her administration.

May we recommend that priests read the attached letter to their congregation if you are not able to provide them with a statement of your own. The bottom line is that the Church in America has an obligation to witness for life at this time, without which we could cease to exist as a free nation. Christ's injunction to "let your light shine before men" applies now more than ever. More than ever the Church must make its influence felt, for we stand at a historic crossroads, and without faith and charity guiding our actions on November 8, the religious liberty we have enjoyed since 1776 will likely become a thing of the past.

May the Church Militant live up to its title by giving it its best shot for life! We beseech you, spur the troops!



Sincerely in Christ and His Holy Mother,



David Martin

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Vigil of Ss Simon and Jude

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Vigil (1954 Calendar): October 27

While October 28th is the Feast of Ss Simon and Jude, Apostles, October 27th is the Vigil of these two saints. It is an ideal day to fast and abstain as it used to be a required fasting and abstinence day in some of the original colonies.

The following information on the liturgical celebration taken from St. Lawrence Press was written on a year when their vigil fell on a Monday. Keep in mind that the ferial Office can be any weekday - it is not necessarily Monday as stated below.

The Vigil of SS Simon and Jude is of simple rite and its liturgical colour is violet.  This day was kept prior to the 1962 Missal so those Catholics still worshipping according to the 1954 Calendar, will observe today as the Vigil of Ss. Simon and Jude.

The Office is largely taken from the ferial Office of Monday but the lessons at Mattins and the collect are proper to the Vigil. At Mattins the ferial invitatory, Venite, Exsultemus Domino, is sung and the Office hymn is Somno refectis artubus. The nine antiphons and psalm divisions for Monday are sung followed by the versicle Psallite Domino etc and its response Et confitemini etc. As the lessons for the Vigil contain a Gospel after the Absolution, Exaudi, Domine etc., the first blessing is Evangelica lectio etc. The Gospel fragment is from St. John and the homily is taken from the writings of St. Gregory. The Te Deum is not sung. The second scheme of Lauds for Monday is sung beginning with the antiphon fragment Ecce veniet. After the antiphon on the Benedictus has been repeated the ferial preces are sung, with the choir kneeling. After the collect of the Vigil the Suffrage of the Saints is sung.

At Prime a fourth psalm is added, that displaced by the Miserere at Lauds, Psalm 46, Omnes Gentes. The chapter is that sung on ferial days, Pacem et veritatem etc. The Dominical and ferial preces are sung, both sets are sung with the choir kneeling. At the other Horae Minores the short set of ferial preces are sung, again the choir kneeling.

Mass is sung after None. Following the normal rules for Vigils four candles are placed on the altar, unlike two on ordinary ferial days. The deacon and sub-deacon wear violet dalmatic and tunicle, not folded chasubles. The chant for the Mass is ferial, the second collect is Concede nos, and the third for the Church. Being a 'kneeling day' all in choir kneel for the orations and from the Sanctus to the response after Pax Domini. As there is no Gloria , following the usual rule, Benedicamus Domino is sung as the dismissal.

Source: St. Lawrence Press

Collect:  

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that even as we anticipate the glorious festival of Thy apostles Simon and Jude, so they, in imploring from Thy majesty thy blessings for us, may anticipate our prayers.

Saints Simon and Jude, pray for us!

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A Combat Rosary for Spiritual Warfare

A few years ago I met a man after Mass in San Antonio, TX who gave me a combat Rosary.  This Rosary is often given to soldiers.  It is truly a "manly" Rosary that does not break, does not get tied up, and has beads that fit well between a man's fingers (which are bigger than a womans).  In fact, I still use this combat rosary in the car as I drive.  Whereas my previous Rosaries were prone to knot up, the Combat Rosary has for two years never failed me.

Here is a short excerpt from the card that came with it:

The Ranger Rosary Story by Wayne Laugesen (National Catholic Reporter) excerpts:

Unfortunately, many of the standard rosaries distributed by chaplains don’t hold up so well in combat situations, because of weak strings or chains. They come in pastel pinks and blues, which clash against the tough exteriors of Navy SEALS, Army Rangers and trench-hardened Marines.

So Ristaino invented what a growing number of soldiers consider the mother of all rosaries—the Ranger Rosary, an ultra-tough model that comes in a variety of military colors. The beads are strung on what the military classifies as 550 cord: a tough, lightweight rope that connects soldiers to their parachutes.

The handmade rosaries are popular among soldiers, and military chaplains are requesting them faster than volunteers participating in the Ranger Rosary project can turn them out.

“While we have considerable numbers of other rosaries that have been very generously donated to us, I would like to assure a supply of the Ranger Rosaries here at Kirkuk, if possible, due to their advantages for the combat conditions in which our troops, especially our soldiers, find themselves,” wrote Father Pat Travers, a chaplain at Kirkuk Regional Air Base in northeastern Iraq, in a formal request for more Ranger Rosaries.

Ristaino, a father of 11, was inspired to invent the Ranger Rosary while attending the Marine Corps officer candidate school in 1985. He and other candidates were learning to “keep pace” as part of a land navigation course.

...

He sat on the idea until the late 1990s, when several of his children began learning to make mission rosaries under the instruction of volunteers from the Legion of Mary.

Ristaino got most of his children involved in making Ranger Rosaries, and many of their fellow students at St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis joined in. Catholic elementary-school students began making them, as did young adults who attended Theology on Tap. The Rosary Guild at St. Mary’s Parish in Annapolis began coordinating the rosary-making efforts of various groups, and soon several hundred rosaries were made and shipped to military chaplains for distribution in Bosnia.

Today, parish organizations, schoolchildren, rosary guilds and a variety of other Catholic organizations and individual volunteers throughout the United States are making hundreds of rosaries for distribution in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

To learn more and request a Combat Rosary for yourself or someone, please write to combatrosary@yahoo.com

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The Last Words of 25 Saints

The last words of St. Anthony of Padua were, "I see my Lord."

UCatholic has published a list of the last words of 25 saints.  May this page be a meditation for us as we prepare to soon celebrate the Feast of Christ the King and All Saints/All Souls Day.  

Meditation: 

• Are we in the state of grace and thus prepared for our death?  
• Will we hear our Lord's words of encouragement, "Well done My good and faithful servant" or will we hear, "Depart from me.  I do not know you."
• Do we sufficiently imitate the lives of the saints so that we may die like them in holiness?

All you saints and angels who see God, pray for us!  Pray for our salvation.  Pray for our deeper conversions!  Pray for us to make reparation for sins and console our God who is much offended.  Kyrie eleison!

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Prepare for Halloween the Catholic Way

 

Image Source: CBCP News

Halloween, to a Catholic known as the Vigil of All Saints, is a day to be rescued from the pagan-inspired customs of our world today and restored to what it is. 

Part of our responsibility as Catholics is to spread the Faith to a world that has turned away from its Christian roots and embraced the idolatry of paganism, modernism, liberalism, communism, socialism, hedonism, and materialism.

What can we do?  One thing we can do is distribute Sacramentals on Halloween in addition to candy!

Think about passing out various items including:

▪ Aluminum Ball Chains
▪ St. Benedict Medals
▪ Guardian Angel Medals
▪ St. Michael Medals
▪ Gospel Holy Cards
▪ St. Michael Holy Cards
▪ St. Benedict Holy Cards

St. Paul Street Evangelization is offering many of these items at low prices for the purpose of distributing them far and wide.  And many of these items are available for sale in bulk from Amazon.com for low prices.

Take this opportunity to evangelize and be a witness for the Gospel.

I also recommend the article, Hallowe'en & All Souls Day customs taken from The Catholic World, November 1930, found by clicking here.

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Immaculate Heart of Mary: Refuge of Sinner

Listed in the Missal as a "Mass in Some Places" for October 20th is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Refuge of Sinners.

What does this feastday mean? The description for this feastday in the Angelus Press Missal summarizes:

The Heart of Mary is the divinely-appointed Refuge of sinners. "O God," exclaims St. Alphonsus, "how great shall be the remorse of the damned Christian in thinking that, during life, he could have saved his soul with so much facility be invoking  the intercession of this Mother of mercy; that he had not done so; and that there shall be no more time to do it."  "Perhaps," says St. Bonaventure, "we are in doubt whether Mary will hear us when we address our prayers to her.  No, Mary does not refuse, and never has refused, pity and aid to any sinner who has invoked her intercession."

That section is especially rich in meaning; I have read it a few times and encourage you to do the same.  May we never seek to ask often the Mother of God to pray for us and for our salvation.  It's easy for us to pray for what we want and need in that moment.  But we must remember to 1. pray daily (and often in the day) and 2. to pray for our salvation.

The Propers for Today's Mass:

Introit: Ps lxxxv: 1

Thou, O Lord, art compassionate and merciful, patient and of much mercy, and true. O look upon us and have mercy on us; save the children of Thine handmaid, the Mother of Thy Son, the Queen of all the world. (Ps.) Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and hear me; for I am needy and poor. Glory be.... Thou, O Lord....

Collect:

O God most kind, Who as a salvation for sinners and a refuge for the miserable, didst will the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Mother of Thine only Son and the distributor of His graces; grant, we pray, that while celebrating the memory of this most loving Mother’s Heart, we may obtain for sinners the grace of conversion, and for all the faithful an abundance of heavenly gifts. Through the same our Lord....

Epistle: Ecclesiasticus xxxvi: 1, 13-19

Have mercy upon us, O God of all, and behold us, and show us the light of Thy mercies. Gather together all the tribes of Jacob: that they may know that there is no God besides Thee, and may declare Thy great works: and Thou shalt inherit them as from the beginning. Have mercy on Thy people, upon whom Thy name is invoked: and upon Israel, whom Thou hast raised up to be Thy firstborn. Have mercy on Jerusalem, the city which Thou hast sanctified, the city of Thy rest. Fill Sion with Thine unspeakable words, and Thy people with Thy glory. Give testimony to them that are Thy creatures from the beginning, and raise up the prophecies which the former prophets spoke in Thy name. Reward them that patiently wait for Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful: and hear the prayers of Thy servants, according to the blessing of Aaron over Thy people, and direct us into the way of justice,

Gradual:

O Virgin Mother, do not forget when in the presence of the Lord to speak to Him in our favor, so that he may turn from us His anger. Remember the days of thy lowliness, invoke the Lord, speak to the King in our favor, and deliver us from death.

Allelúja: Esther vii: 3, 4

Allelúja. Allelúja. If I have found favor in Thy sight, give me my people for which I request, for they are given up to be destroyed and to perish.

During Septuagesima and Lent: Tract: Proverbs viii: 32-35

Now therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. v. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. v. He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:

During Paschaltide: Allelúja: Esther vii: 3, 4

Allelúja. Allelúja. If I have found favor in Thy sight, give me my people for which I request, for they are given up to be destroyed and to perish. Allelúja. (ibid. 2) What is thy petition that it may be granted thee? and what wilt thou have done: although thou ask the half of my kingdom, thou shalt have it. Allelúja.

Gospel: John ii: 1-11.
The Continuation of the Holy Gospel
according to John:

And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: “They have no wine.” And Jesus saith to her: “Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come.” His mother saith to the waiters: “Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye.” Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: “Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast.” And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: “Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now.” This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee; and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Offertory:

Out of love for Thy Mother, turn not away from us, O Lord, Thy mercy: but be pleased with the sacrifice we offer Thee today, for those who put their trust in Thee are never deceived.

Secret:

O Lord, our Redeemer, Whose death we commemorate in this sacrifice, by its merits and the prayers of Thy most loving Mother Mary, look kindly upon those who have offended Thee, that they may be converted from their wrong paths, serve Thee in penance, and thus be delivered from eternal damnation: Who livest and reignest...
 

Preface of the Blessed Virgin “in veneration.”

Communion:

Queen of the world, most loving Mary ever Virgin, obtain for us by thy prayers peace and salvation, thou who didst bring forth Christ the Lord, the Savior of all.

Postcommunion

O God, Who hast left us in this holy Table a help so precious for our mortal life: forget not Thy mercies, we pray; receive kindly the prayers which the blessed Virgin Mary with all her heart continually pours forth for sinners, and deign to bring them back to the path of righteousness and peace: Who livest and reignest....

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