St. Barbara

Commemoration (1954 Calendar): December 4

Today is the feastday of St. Peter Chrysologus in the Roman Catholic Church. The Church also commemorates St. Barbara on this day in the Liturgy. St. Barbara is believed to have been martyred at Nicomedia under Emperor Maximinus of Thrace, about the year 235. She is invoked for the grace of preservation from sudden death.  We should not forget to invoke her patronage and ask for her intercession with our Divine Lord.

The following on St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr, is taken from Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876

The holy virgin and martyr, St. Barbara, who, from the most ancient times, has been celebrated in the whole Christian world, was born of heathen parents in Nicomedia, of Bithynia. She was much beloved by her father, Dioscorus, on account of her unusual intelligence. He appointed a tower as a special place, well fitted up, for her dwelling, and chose the best masters to instruct her in art and science, but especially in paganism, as he feared she might be induced to unite herself to one not agreeable to him, or be seduced by the Christians, of whom he was a great enemy. But just this solicitude of her father gave her cause to think, and thus to arrive at the knowledge of the true God. She contemplated the heavens, the sun, moon and stars, in their regular course; she meditated on the changing of the seasons; looked on the wonderful creation of the world and its inhabitants, and justly concluded from it that there must be a Creator--that He alone must be the true God, and that the gods she worshipped had no power. To these contemplations she united prayers, and also led a most blameless life. The Almighty, who forsakes not one who aids himself, gave her opportunity to become instructed in the Christian religion, and to receive holy baptism, without the knowledge of her father.  

Meanwhile, a suitor for her hand came to her father and asked his consent. Dioscorus was not unwilling to grant the wish, as the young man was his equal in rank and wealth; but he would make his daughter acquainted with the offer he had received for her before he gave his word. Barbara had a great many objections; and her father, who did not desire that she should hastily give her consent, and would not coerce her, urged her no further; and as he was about to set out on a long journey, he thought it but right to give her some time for consideration. Barbara requested to have, for her greater comfort, a bathingroom added to her dwelling, which Dioscorus gladly granted her. The object of the holy virgin was, to have a special apartment where, with those who, like herself, were secretly Christians, she could pray to the true God. The father ordered two windows for the new room; Barbara, however, had a third added, in honor of the three Divine Persons in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. The room was, by the pagan's order, adorned with idolatrous statues, with which the holy virgin would gladly have dispensed. Looking at them, she wept over the blindness of her father, who desired that she should worship them as gods. Going from one to another, she spat upon them, saying: "Those who honor you as gods are worthy to be turned into what you are made of--wood and stone." After this, she went to a column of marble, and with her fingers pressed the sign of the cross upon it, as if it had been wax. After her death, the health of many infirm, who devoutly kissed this miraculous cross, was restored. 

No sooner had her father returned from his journey, than he desired to know his daughter's resolution. Already prepared by prayer for the approaching struggle, she said, unhesitatingly, that she would never consent to marry a pagan, as, being a Christian, she had chosen a much more noble spouse, Christ the Lord. Her father was speechless at this unexpected answer, and, when able to control himself, told her either to renounce Christ, or prepare herself for the most cruel death. The greater the wrath of the blind Dioscorus became, the more fearless was Barbara. This enraged him so greatly, that he seized his sword to take her life on the spot. Barbara, to escape his rage, fled, while her father, sword in hand, pursued her out of the city. According to an ancient legend, the fugitive virgin came to a rock, which miraculously opened, thus offering her a passage, and shielded her, for the moment, against her father's wrath. The latter, however, was not touched by this visible miracle, but passed over the mountain and pursued the maiden, as the hound pursues the deer. Barbara had, meanwhile, taken refuge in a cave, and would not have been found had not two shepherds informed the infuriated father of her retreat. 

Hastening towards the place, he found her praying. No tiger could assail his prey with more rage than this tyrant assailed his innocent child. He threw her on the ground, stamped upon her with his feet, beat her, and finally dragged her by the hair into the hut of a peasant, where he locked her up, until he had her brought back to his house by soldiers. Now began her martyrdom, which was so severe, that what she had before suffered was as nothing in comparison; for, Dioscorus was determined to force her to deny Christ. Seeing, at last, that all was in vain, he gave her up to the governor, Martian, that she might be dealt with according to the laws of the land. 

Martian at first showed compassion for the Saint, in consideration for her youth, and endeavored to win her by flattery and kind words. Not succeeding in this, he had recourse to severity, and had her whipped with scourges, until her whole body seemed to be but one great wound. After this, she was dragged to a dungeon, where she was left to die. The Almighty, however, who had destined her to still more glorious combats, sent an Angel during the night, who healed all her wounds, and encouraged her to perseverance, with the promise that she would overcome all tortures by Divine assistance. The following day she was again brought before Martian, who, not comprehending how Barbara had been healed, ascribed it to his gods. The virgin, however, said: " No, no, Martian! Wood and stone, of which your idols are made, have not this power. It is the work of the God of heaven and earth, whom I worship as the only true God, and for whose honor I am willing to die." Martian, full of anger at these words, ordered her to be tormented more cruelly than on the previous day. After her body was all bruised and wounded, she was barbarously burned with torches, and at last both her breasts were cut off. The torture was very great, but the eagerness of Barbara to suffer for Christ's sake was still greater. She gave no sign of pain, but turning her eyes to heaven, said: "Let not thy hand, O Lord, forsake me! In Thee I am full of strength; without Thee, I am powerless!"  

A new martyrdom followed after this. The tyrant commanded her to be scourged in public through all the streets of the city. This was more terrible to her than all her previous tortures; hence she turned to the Almighty, praying humbly that she might not be exposed to the eyes of the heathen. She was immediately surrounded by a bright lustre, that veiled her form from all eyes. The barbarous Dioscorus was present at the martyrdom of his holy daughter, from beginning to end, and not only looked with satisfaction at the whipping, burning, and cutting, but animated the executioners in their cruelties; and when Martian, at last, sentenced Barbara to be beheaded, he asked, as a favor, to be allowed to take the place of the executioner, and behead his daughter. Having obtained his request, Dioscorus took her to a neighboring mountain, followed by a great crowd of people. Barbara rejoiced to be thought worthy to die for Christ's sake; and no sooner had she reached the mountain, than she again thanked God for all the graces that He had bestowed upon her, and begged Him to assist her to the end. A voice was heard from on high, which invited the undaunted martyr to come and receive the crown that awaited her. Kneeling down, she bared her neck, and received from her father the fatal stroke. She was hardly twenty years of age. 

Juliana, a pious woman, who had been present at the martyrdom, burned with the holy desire to give her life, also, for Christ, and was beheaded on the same day, after she had suffered great torments. Her body was laid beside the body of St. Barbara; but her soul followed the soul of the fearless virgin into heaven, Quite different was the end of the inhuman father. Whilst he was descending from the mountain, with the blood of his innocent child still on his hands, a terrible thunder-storm arose, during which he was struck by lightning, and sank dead upon the ground. Thus the father went to hell on the same day on which his daughter ascended triumphantly to heaven. We must not omit to remark that St. Barbara is especially invoked in the whole Christian world for the grace of receiving the last sacrament before death; and many facts have shown that this invocation has the desired effect.

Collect:

O God, one of the marvelous examples of Your power was granting the victory of martyrdom even to delicate womanhood. May the example of the Blessed virgin martyr Barbara, whose birthday we celebrate today, draw us closer to You. Through our Lord . . .

Prayer in Honor of St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr, to Obtain a Good Death

O Lord, Who selected St. Barbara for the consolation of the living and the dying, grant us by her intercession ever to live in thy divine love and to put all our confidence in the merits of the most sorrowful passion of Thy Son. May the death of Him never surprise us, but, comforted by the holy sacraments of Penance, Holy Eucharist and Extreme Unction, may we set forward without fear towards eternal glory. This we beseech thee by the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

(Indulgence 100 days)

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Video of the Reception of the Habit at Saint-Vincent-Ferrier

Taking of habit at the convent of the Brotherhood Saint-Vincent-Ferrier

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The Divine Office & the Mass: Inseparable

Even if the Liturgical Office could be separated from the Mass, we should still be able to say that it unites those who take part in it to the intentions of Christ and His Church; but the two cannot be separated. The Divine Office is the prelude and preparation as well as the setting and sequence of the Eucharistic Mysteries. Archeologists have traced the many relationships between the Divine Office and the Mass. For example, the office of Matins presents a striking analogy with the night or morning service held in the primitive Church as a preparation for the Mysteriesi a reminiscence of which is still to be found in the early part of Holy Mass as we know it.

The Psalms of the Nocturns correspond to the Introit and Gradual; while in the Lessons from the Old Testament or from the Epistles, in the second nocturn giving the legends of the Saints, in the Homily on the Gospel, there are relics of the Prophecies, the Apostolic Messages to the Churches, the Acts of the Martyrs and the parts of the Gospel, which were read in those early celebrations. Then, the Catechumens were dismissed, and this Missa was followed by the Holy Sacrifice. According to some scholars, the Te Deum may be nothing else but an ancient kind of IZZatio or Preface. This close dependence of the Breviary on the first part of Mass is at least a very plausible theory.

Thus, from its connection with the Divine Mysteries and because it is the official prayer of the Church, the Divine Office leads to union with the purposes of God and with the intentions of Christ and His Church.

Source: Liturgical Prayer by Clerissac

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How Many Times a Year Must a Priest Say Mass?

 

Taken from a book from Moral and Pastoral Theology: The sacraments in general, baptism, confirmation, Holy Eucharist, penance, indulgences, censures by Henry Davis 1938

All priests are bound to celebrate Mass several times (three or four times at least and on any days) each year. There is no clear reason for assigning any particular days.  This obligation is a grave one, and probably based on divine precept.  It is, of course, highly becoming that every priest should, if possible, celebrate daily, and this is the more important if the faithful wish to receive Holy Communion...

Father John Laux in Mass and the Sacraments adds:

Priests who are not pastors are bound to say Mass several times a year. If they do not say Mass on Sundays and holy-days of obligation, they are obliged to assist at Mass just like the faithful.

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Father Jason Barone's First Mass Highlight Video

We evangelize most effectively when we present the timeless truth and beauty of Catholicism. As important as it is to teach others about the faith, even more importantly we must show them the faith. There is nothing more beautiful to behold, nothing more worthy of our time and participation, than the beautiful Catholic Mass.

The [above] video features highlights from the First Mass of Thanksgiving for Father Jason Barone of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina. Following his ordination in June 2012, Fr. Barone chose to offer a Solemn High Mass at the outset of his priestly ministry.

Photographed by Brent Hohman and the team at Momentum Studio, this video remains to date one of the best visual presentations of a Traditional Latin Mass that I have ever seen.

Now consider this: the average situation comedy on television today, minus commercials, runs approximately 22 minutes. The video below is only 18 minutes in length; time well spent.

As many of the faithful still have little opportunity to see such a beautiful liturgy in person, videos such as this become even more important to share.

This is our faith. This is our tradition. This is our beautiful Catholic Mass.

Source: Liturgy Guy

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Missionaries of St. John the Baptist - Park Hills, Kentucky

About the MSJB:

The purposes for which this private association, the Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist (MSJB), is formed:

(1) To work toward the establishment of a new religious Institute of Diocesan Right within the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky under the authority of the Bishop of said diocese;

(2) To establish a community in view of (1) in which common religious life is lived in a more disciplined and traditional way including the celebration of the liturgy according to the usus antiquior of the Roman Rite, with the liturgical books of 1962 being normative. The Missionaries of St. John the Baptist desire to be faithful to the observance of the liturgical traditions according to the dispositions of the motu proprio, Ecclesia Dei Adflicta, issued on July 2, 1988, as well as the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum (cf. art. 3), issued on July 7, 2007, and promulgated on September 14, 2007.

Explanation of Our Shield

The shield is for battle in the Lord’s army and is blue for Our Lady of Victories.

The Sacred and Immaculate Hearts at the center show how the whole world needs to have them for its focus. All the arrows of the cross point inward to them! Without them man is lost! Thus, as they have asked of us, we must give them everything in a total consecration and spend our lives in dedication to them... as the very center of counter-revolution!

The shell is for baptism when we first received the armor of God as members of the Church Militant on earth. It also stresses the importance of St. John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ.
Three drops of water for the Most Holy Trinity as well as the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience (which act as a second baptism for religious), and the virtues of faith, hope and charity (given at baptism).

The fleur-de-lys is for Our Lady and for France, the country of our founder, Fr. Jean Baptiste Rauzan (d. 1847), as well as the purity of heart needed for religious and sound preaching.

The Cross is that of St. John the Baptist, being red for his martyrdom.

The sword is for preaching, referring to the saying from Isaias 49:2 “And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword.”

The motto of the Missionaries is that of St. John the Baptist: “A voice of one crying in the desert, prepare ye the way of the Lord” (Matt. 3:3).

A Little History

This private association of the faithful, officially recognized as the Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist (MSJB), stems from the spiritual legacy of the Congregation of the Priests of Mercy, which was originally founded at Lyon, France, in 1808, by the Very Reverend, Jean Baptiste Rauzan, a zealous priest of Bordeaux. Fr. Rauzan noted that after the great upheaval which the Church suffered in France during the Revolution, the clergy and people sought from heaven extraordinary ways to foster the salvation of souls. Many ways were employed to revitalize the faith. A congregation of missionaries was desired which would be at the call of their excellencies, the bishops. Consequently, Archbishop Joseph Cardianal Fesch, requested that Fr. Rauzan found such a missionary society first at Lyons under the Empire in 1808, and organized at Paris during the first days of the Restoration in 1814. These first Missionaries of France received, without difficulty, the privileges of a legally constituted society.

On February 18, 1834, Pope Gregory XVI, of holy memory, established and erected this little band of missionaries as a pontifical society under the title of the Priests of Mercy of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. By 1961, the Holy See fulfilled the long held desire of Fr. Rauzan by further elevating the institute to a full religious congregation with the members adding the public vow of poverty to that of chastity and obedience.

In the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, mitigations in religious discipline and liturgical revisions were observed in many institutes that caused some religious to seek restoration. Two members of the Congregation of the Priests of Mercy, inspired by various papal documents and exhortations calling for reform, sought permission to establish a new institute that would not only embrace a more rigorous consecrated life, but would also employ all the Sacraments according to their usus antiquior. The superior and the council of the congregation, as well as the Bishop of Covington, Kentucky, Roger J. Foys, agreed to this new foundation.

The Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist seek to maintain the spiritual and liturgical patrimony left to them by Fr. Jean Baptiste Rauzan, including making use of much of his original rule. The same revolutionary errors he confronted and corrected are now fully entrenched in the modern world. Like the great Precursor of our Lord, therefore, we, too, are a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord and making straight His paths (Isaias 40:30), so that all things may be restored in Christ the King. Such counter-revolutionary work within ourselves, within our community, within the membership of Holy Church, and within society in general, however, is tempered by modern man's need for the Mercy of God. Since our dearest Lord came not to condemn the world but to save the world (John 12:47), we look to imitate the methods of the greatest of Prophets and Fr. Rauzan who were sent to turn the heart of the fathers to their children and the heart of the children to their fathers: lest (God) come and strike the earth with anathema (Malachias 4:6).

Vocations

For more information, please visit their website: https://www.msjb.info/vocations/ 

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Indulged Prayers in Honor of St. Stanislas Kostka

At the repeated prayer of the Father Procurator-General of the Venerable Congregation called Pii Operarii (Pious Labourers) here in Rome, to propagate amongst the faithful the devotion towards St. Stanislas Kostka, as especially calculated to augment the love of our blessed Lady, Pope Pius VII., by two decrees, April 3 and May 1, 1821, and Leo XII., by two other decrees, Jan. 21 and Feb. 25, 1826 (all of which were published by the S. Congr. of Indulgences, May 13,1826), granted -

i. A plenary indulgence on the Feast of the Saint, Nov. 13, or on that Sunday on which, for the convenience of the people, this feast shall be celebrated de licentia Ordinarii, to all the faithful who, after Confession and Communion, shall visit the church or public oratory where it is celebrated, and pray according to the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.

ii. An indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines on every one of the ten Sundays before his feast, kept in honour of the ten months of novitiate made by the Saint; to be gained by visiting the church or oratory where these Sundays are kept, and praying as above.

iii. An indulgence of 100 days every day of the Novena preceding his feast, for assisting devoutly at the said Novena with contrite heart, and praying as above.

iv. An indulgence of 100 days, once a day, to all who shall say a Pater and Ave before a picture of the Saint exposed in any church or public oratory, and pray as above, &c.

v. A plenary indulgence may be gained by the faithful by practising this exercise for a month continuously, on any one day in the month when, after Confession and Communion, they shall pray as above. Whoever, by reason of a lawful impediment, shall be unable to say in church the Pater and Ave prescribed, may say it wherever he likes on such days in the month as he is so hindered, and by so doing he shall gain this Plenary Indulgence.

vi. An indulgence of 100 days, in addition to the seven years and seven quarantines granted for the above-named ten Sundays, to all who, being contrite in heart, shall assist at the day’s Retreat called "the Retreat of St. Stanislas," wherever it is made, once in the week, and who shall pray according to the mind of the Sovereign Pontiff.

All these Indulgences, at first granted for the kingdom of the Two Sicilies, were afterwards extended to the Pontifical States for any church or public oratory where the devotion to St. Stanislas is or shall be introduced, as appears from the decree above named, Feb. 25, 1826; and the same Pope Leo XII., by another decree of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, March 3, 1827, made them available for the whole Catholic world, even for private monastic churches and oratories of seminaries, colleges, refuges, monasteries and houses of retreat for both sexes.

Furthermore the Sovereign Pontiff Pope Pius IX., by an autograph Rescript kept in the Segretaria of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, dated March 22, 1847, granted -

vii. An indulgence of 300 days, to be gained once a day by all the faithful who in honour of this Saint shall say the three following prayers for Purity, Charity, and a Good Death, adding to each one Pater, one Ave, and one Gloria.

And the same Pope, by a decree of the same S. Congr. of July 10, 1854, has vouchsafed to add -
viii. A plenary indulgence to all the faithful who shall say these prayers, with the Pater, Ave, and Gloria, once a day for a month together; to be gained by them on that day in each month when, after Confession and Communion, they shall visit a church or public oratory, and pray there for a time according to the mind of his Holiness.

THE PRAYERS.

For Purity.

St. Stanislas, my most pure patron, Angel of purity, I rejoice with thee at the extraordinary gift of virginal purity which graced thy spotless heart; I humbly pray thee, obtain for me strength to overcome all impure temptations, and inspire me with constant watchfulness to guard my purity, - that virtue so glorious in itself, and so acceptable to God.
Pater. Ave. Gloria.

For Charity.

St. Stanislas. my most loving patron, Seraph of charity, I rejoice with thee at the ardent fire of charity which kept thy pure and innocent heart always at peace and united to God; I humbly pray thee, obtain for me such ardour of divine love, that it may consume away every other earthly affection, and kindle in me the fire of His love alone.
Pater. Ave. Gloria.

For a Good Death.

St. Stanislas, my most tender and most mighty patron, Angel of purity and Seraph of charity, I rejoice with thee at thy most happy death, which arose from thy desire to contemplate our Lady assumed into heaven, and was caused by the excess of thy love for her. I give thanks to Mary, because she thus accomplished thy desires; and I pray thee, by the lustre of thy happy death, to be my advocate and my patron in my death. Intercede with Mary for me, to obtain for me a death, if not all happiness like thine, yet calm and peaceful, under the protection of Mary my advocate, and thee, my special patron.
Pater. Ave. Gloria.

Source: The Raccolta

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Praying for Vocations Is NOT Optional

The Lord Jesus commands that we foster vocations, "Ask the master of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest" (Mt 9:38).  Praying for priestly vocations is not optional.  This might be a revelation for many a good Catholic.  Praying for priestly vocations is not a matter of spiritual taste or preference.  Rather, praying for priestly vocations manifests our shared responsibility in obtaining from God the many "other Christs" - the priests needed chiefly for offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and for reconciling penitents, but also for evangelizing, for instructing converts, and for performing the countless works of education, culture, and charity granted by God to the world through His holy priesthood.

Source: FSSP's April 2017 Newsletter

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Videos in Honor of the Poor Souls

Sin has three consequences: Guilt, Debt, and Stain of Sin. Confession can remove the guilt; the sinner or anyone on behalf of the sinner can "pay" the debt, but only the sinner can remove the stain of sin by by amending their life and correcting their spiritual malfunctions. To say of the recently departed that "they dead are no longer suffering" belies a profound lack of charity for those souls. The souls in Purgatory suffer incredibly for even the smallest transgression; we ought to offer indulgences and Masses for the Poor Souls.

How Long the Souls Remain in Purgatory? How does Mass remove the stain of sin for souls in Purgatory? How are the Poor Souls focused on the will of God? Learn the answers in these excellent videos in this month of November, dedicated to the Poor Souls

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Profession of Dom Ildephonse on the Feast of the Holy Cross

From the Simple Profession of Dom Ildephonse on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, earlier this year:

+ My Son, in the Introit of today’s Mass our holy mother the Church sings: “It behooves us to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: in whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection: by whom we are saved and delivered.” There are many words written and spoken about the monastic life, but few are more apt, more poignant, than these words given us by the Church’s Sacred Liturgy today. For a monk is a man who, in dying to himself and to the ways of the world, truly embraces the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and who finds in that embrace salvation, life and resurrection.

One year ago today, on this blessed feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross you were clothed in the habit of a novice. And now, today, after a year of testing, a year of bearing patiently with the limitations and exigencies of our small monastic foundation—and yet, also, a year of fidelity to the life of prayer and work which is to be found in any monastery, great or small, that is worthy of the name—you come vow yourself to this life for three years. You are doing a foolish thing. There are so many other things you could be doing. And yet, as has become clear throughout your time of testing, you can do no other thing than this today, for it is to this monastic obedience that Almighty God calls you.

The Gradual of today’s Mass mediates on the reality that “Christ became obedient for us unto death: even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath exalted Him, and hath given a Name which is above every name.” Once again the words of the Sacred Liturgy sing most eloquently of the monastic vocation: obedience unto death is the path to exaltation in heavenly glory! Our Lord himself suffered terribly. Your monastic life will certainly know times of difficulty and may even, as the twenty-first century unfolds, bring you suffering and persecution the likes of which we hope have been consigned to history. My Son, no matter how dark the shadows of the Cross that fall upon you may be, know that they are always cast by the light of Easter morning. Hold fast to our Lord’s teaching that “He who perseveres to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

In the holy perseverance that is your vocation you are not alone. As the formula of your vows makes clear, you will live your monastic life in a monastery, with the fraternal love of your brethren. You will live it in the communion of the whole Church, in union with our Bishop and with the local Church of Fréjus-Toulon. You will call upon the saints—particularly those saints whose relics are kept here—to assist you. And you have the support of family and friends who are here with us today, of the good people of this beautiful village of La Garde-Freinet who are so kind and generous to us, and of many others besides who have sent pledges of Masses and prayers being offered for your intentions today.

Today the Church blesses you and solemnly prays for your faithful perseverance in the vows you are about to make. But today is not about you, my son. Today is about God: it is an eloquent testimony to what Almighty God can do with and for each and every one of us—whatever our particular vocation may be—if only we are prepared to deny ourselves, take up the burden of the Cross and follow Christ without reserve: to Calvary, certainly, but with the even greater certainty of unending life beyond.

To that end you—indeed, we all—can do no better than make the words of the Collect of this Mass our prayer:

“Grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who on earth, acknowledge the mystery of redemption wrought upon [the Holy Cross], may be found worthy to enjoy the rewards of that same redemption in heaven.”

Source: Facebook

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