Holy Monday Traditional Mass Propers

You may download a PDF of the Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Spy Wednesday Mass propers in the pre-1955 rubrics by clicking here. Today's stational church is at St. Praxedes.

Vestments: Violet

INTROIT (Ps. 34:1-2)

Fight, O Lord, against those who fight me; war against those who make war upon me. Take Your sword and shield, and rise up to help me, O Lord, the source of my salvation. Ps. 34:3. Bring up Your lance, and block the way against my persecutors; say to my soul, "I am your salvation." Fight. O Lord, against those . . .

COLLECT

Almighty God, may the merits of the passion of Your only-begotten Son give us new strength, for our own weakness brings nothing but failure in the face of so many difficulties; who lives and rules with You . . .

LESSON (Isa. 50:5-10)

In those days, Isaias said, "The Lord God hath opened my ear, and I do not resist: I have not gone back. I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me. The Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded: therefore have I set my face as a most hard rock, and I know that I shall not be confounded. He is near that justifieth me, who will contend with me? let us stand together, who is my adversary? let him come near to me. Behold the Lord God is my helper: who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they shall all be destroyed as a garment, the moth shall eat them up. Who is there among you that feareth the Lord, that heareth the voice of his servant, that hath walked in darkness, and hath no light? let him hope in the name of the Lord, and lean upon his God."

GRADUAL (Ps. 34:23, 3)

Arise, O Lord, and be watchful in my defense and my cause, my God and my Lord. V. Bring up Your lance and block the way against my persecutors.

TRACT (Ps. 102:10; 78:8-9)

O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities. V. O Lord, remember not our iniquities of the past; let Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are being brought very low. (Here all kneel.) V. Help us, O God our Saviour, and for the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver me; and pardon us our sins for Your name's sake.

GOSPEL (John 12:1-9)

Jesus therefore, six days before the pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. And they made him a supper there: and Martha served. But Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said: "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor?" Now he said this not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief and, having the purse, carried the things that were put therein. Jesus therefore said: "Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial. For the poor you have always with you: but me you have not always."

A great multitude therefore of the Jews knew that he was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 142:9-10)

Rescue me from my enemies, o Lord; I flee to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.

SECRET

O Lord, may these sacred rites we perform cleanse us, so that we may be purified and brought closer to God who is their Founder. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Ps. 34:26)

Let all who rejoice at my misfortune be put to shame and confounded. Let those who speak maliciously of me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

POSTCOMMUNION

O Lord, may Your Sacraments fill us with holy fervor so that we may delight in the celebration and grace of this sacred rite. Through Our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE

Help us, O God of our salvation! Grant that we may come with joy to commemorate Your mercies through which we have been restored to a new life. Through Our Lord...

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Dominican Responses & Antiphons for St. Vincent Ferrer

The following is taken in part from the Dominican Breviary for the Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer:

R. The heavenly Father, the Ruler of all nations, sent, when the evening of the world came on, a new prophet, Vincent, the teacher of Christian people. He announces to men the approach of God’s judgment, * Which all men shall see with their eyes. V. Fear God: this is his favourite exclamation: the time is at hand for his judgment, * Which all men shall see with their eyes.

R. Treading in the arduous path of Christ, and shunning earthly pleasures, he convinced men of the truth, and put to flight the darkness of error. * He gave light to the countries of the west, and his name was proclaimed throughout the whole world. V. His doctrines were more welcome than sunlight, his word was more ardent than fire. * He gave light to the countries of the west, and his name was proclaimed throughout the whole world.

R. He spent the night over the sacred Scriptures, wakeful to contemplation and study: in the mom, like to a fair star, he shines with a wondrous ray of wisdom: * At evening he has a saving remedy for every kind of disease. V. There passes not an hour of his day, wherein he does not some good deed.
* At evening he has a saving remedy for every kind of disease.

R. He inflames the minds of his hearers by his words of eternal life: he inspires the hearts of men with a love of heavenly gifts: sublimely does he treat of virtues. * Teaching men how to bridle every vice. V. Eager crowds follow him, when he preaches his divine doctrines. * Teaching men how to bridle every vice.

ANT. Vincent, blessed with light prophetic, spoke admirably of the end of the world: he set, as the sun, in the western world, and surrounded by a troop of angels, he ascended to the bright mansions of heaven.

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Pre-1955 Holy Week Livestreams

As a follow up to my previous post, Comprehensive List of Live Streaming Traditional Latin Masses, here is a link of some places where you may watch live streams of the pre-1955 Holy Week services. Why is the 1954 Holy Week superior in many respects to the changes in 1955 that became part of the 1962 Missal? That topic is worthy of significant study. I would direct you to the Pre 1955 Holy Week Website or to the series of articles on this topic published by the New Liturgical Movement.

Many chapels and oratories of the FSSP and the ICKSP will be offering the pre-1955 rites. Unfortunately, the SSPX is stuck in a 1962 only mentality so you will notice they are not listed here. Besides the FSSP chapels that are listed here, more can be found on the FSSP website.

St. Mary's Oratory in Wausau, Wisconsin

UPDATED. They will now be live streaming on Youtube through Sensus Fidelium and not through their Facebook Page, as was done for Palm Sunday. All times are in Central Daylight Time (CDT).

Mater Ecclesia in Berlin, New Jersey

The liturgies will be live-streamed on the parish's Facebook. Yet the parish advised, "The ceremonies will be very stark and most basic. This will be the lowest Holy Week we have ever had at Mater, but we will plow ahead in the Spiritus Domini." Times are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

St. Joseph's Shrine in Detroit, Michigan

These are all in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles in Gower, Missouri

All broadcasts may be watching, along with other parts of the Divine Office, on their website.

St. Stephen the First Martyr in Sacramento, California

All times in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT):  Palm Sunday 8 a.m.; Holy Thursday 6 p.m.; Good Friday 5 p.m.; Holy Saturday Vigil Mass 4 p.m.; Easter Sunday 8 a.m. Livestreamed on YouTube.

St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis, MO

All times in Central Daylight Time. The live stream is viewable on YouTube.

THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS WILL BE OFFERING THE PRE-1955 RITES ALONG WITH THE PRE-1955 PRAYER FOR THE JEWS. THE ABOVE LOCATIONS WILL USE THE MODIFIED PRAYER CREATED BY POPE BENEDICT XVI.

St. Pius V Chapel in Oyster Bay, New York (SSPV)

St. Gertrude the Great in West Chester, Ohio

All liturgies will be live-streamed on their website and available for playback later. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

Additional locations and times will be listed here as I learn of them.

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Traditional Catholic Prayer for Epidemics

℣. Dómine, non secúdum peccáta nostre facias nobis.

℣. Deal not with us, Lord, according to our sins.

℟. Neque secúndum iniquittátes nostras retribuas nobis.

℟. And take not vengeance on us because of our misdeeds.

℣. Adjuva nos, Deus, salutáris noster.

℣. Help us, O God, our Deliverer.

℟. Et propter glóriam nóminis tui, Dómine, libera nos.

℟. And for Thy name’s sake, O Lord, free us.

℣. Dómine, ne memineris iniquitatum nostrarum antiquárum.

℣. Remember not, O Lord, our sins of old.

℟. Cito anticipent nos misericórdiæ tuæ, quia páuperes facti sumus nimis.

℟. Hasten to us with Thy compassion, for we are become exceeding poor.

℣. Ora pro nobis, sancte Sebastiáne.

℣ St. Sebastian, pray for us.

℟. Ut digni efficiátmur promissiónibus Christi.

℟. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

℣. Dómine, exaudi oratiónem meam.

℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟. Et clamor meus ad te véniat.

℟. And let my cry come unto thee.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.

℣. The Lord be with you.

℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

℟. And with Thy spirit.

Orémus

Exáudi nos, Deus salutáris noster: et intercedénte beáta et gloriósa Dei genitrice Maria semper vergine, et beáto Sebastiáno mártyre tuo, et omnibus Sanctis, pópulum tuum ab iracundiæ tuæ terróribus libera, et misericórdiæ tuæ fac largitáte securum.

Let us pray

Vouchsafe to hear us, O God, our only salvation! And through the intercession of the glorious and blessed Mary, Mother of God and ever Virgin, of Thy blessed martyr, Sebastian and of all the saints, deliver Thy people from the terrors of Thy wrath, and restore their confidence by the outpouring of Thy compassion.

Propitiáre, Dónine, supplicatiónibus nostris: et animárum et córporum medére languóribus: ut remissióne percépta, in tua semper benedictióne lætémur.

Be moved to pity, O Lord, at our earnest entreaties, and heal the illnesses of body and soul; so that experiencing Thy forgiveness we may ever rejoice in Thy blessing.

Da nobis, quæsumus, Dómine, piæ petitiónis efféctum: et pestiléntiam mortalitatérmque propitiátus avérte; ut mortálium corda cognóscant, et te indignánte tália flagélla prodire, et te miserante cessáre. Per Dóminum.

We beseech thee, O Lord, grant us a hearing as we devoutly raise our petitions to Thee, and graciously turn away the epidemic of plague which afflicts us; so that mortal hearts may recognize that these scourges proceed from Thine indignation and cease only when Thou art moved to mercy. Through Our Lord.

℟. Amen

Ultimo benedicit cum Refiquia S. Crucis, dicens:

The priest then blesses people with a relic of the True Cross, saying:

Benedictio Dei omnipoténtis, Patris, et Filii, ✠ et Spiritus Sancti, descéndat super vos, máneat semper.

And may the blessing of Almighty God, Father, ✠ Son and Holy Ghost descend upon you and remain forever.

℟. Amen

Rituale Romanum l, Titulus IX, Cap. X

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Miracles Prove the Catholic Church’s Divine Origin

The Miracle of Saint Dominic by Biagio Bellotti

Reason & Miracles

As the book “My Catholic Faith” summarizes: “Divine Revelation comes down to us by two means: through Holy Scripture, written down under divine inspiration, and through Tradition, handed down orally from Apostolic times.”

Those are the two means of divine revelation we have to know the Faith, but we have tools to help us further understand the Faith that has been revealed by God.  One of those tools is our ability as human beings to reason.  Some things can be known by reason alone.  For example, it can be known by reason alone that God exists.  This is affirmed explicitly at the Council of Trent.  As we examine the created world, as we consider the perfection of creation, as we understand that there had to be a First Cause who started all things, we can use our reason to understand that there must be a divine being.  Reason does not inform us who that being is.  It just helps us understand that something doesn’t come from nothing.  That is our reason working. Reasoning should also be informed by strong, scholastic philosophy.

Another tool at our disposal to bring us to know these truths is the immense generosity of God in His miracles.  The miracles of God further prove the divine origin of the Catholic Faith.  So, by two such tools, namely the use of reason and of external proofs of miracles, we can come to believe what the Church teaches.

The Catholic Church as the Bastion of Miracles

The Catholic Church is the great bastion of miracles.  We have numerous miracles testifying to the authenticity of the Catholic Faith:

• The stigmata: Dozens of saints have had the visible marks of Christ on their body. 
• Eucharistic miracles: We have dozens of miracles, some of which have been scientifically examined, testifying to the truth that the Eucharistic Host is actually Christ’s flesh and blood. 
• Incorruptible Saints: We also have over 150 incorruptible saints whose incorruptibly defies all of science. 
• Miracles Worked Through the Saints: The blood of St. Januarius frequently liquefies. Throughout the centuries thousands of reported miracles have occurred at the tombs of the saints. St. Benedict and St. Dominic, among others, by the power of God resurrected people from the dead. Look up the lives of St. Padre Pio, St. Gregory the Wonderworker, St. Charbel, and countless others have performed miracles. To be canonized a saint, a miracle must be performed and found unexplained by science. The Miracles of the Saints are numerous enough to fill volumes of books. Over 400 saints have raised the dead to life.
• The Miracles Performed through the Blessed Virgin Mary: Over 70 people are been healed of incurable diseases in the waters of Lourdes.  The Miracle of the Sun at Fatima was witnessed by over 70,000 people. And we have many miracles of the Rosary including the Miracle at Hiroshima. Many other such Rosary miracles have occurred. The Miraculous Medal and the Brown Scapular continue to work miracles up to this day unexplained by science.

Do we have reported Eucharistic miracles in Lutheran churches or Anglican ones?  No.  Yet in the Catholic Church we do. Over 500 people have had the visible (or invisible) wounds of Christ known as the Stigmata on their body including St. Catherine of Siena, St. John of God, St. Francis, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, St. Marie of the Incarnation, and St. Pio of Pietrelcina.  We also have over 150 incorruptible saints whose incorruptibly defies all of science.  And we have dozens of confirmed and verified apparitions in history not only of our Blessed Mother but also of St. Michael the Archangel and other saints. And when miracles are examined by modern science, they still find them unexplainable. 

As the website, ProtestantErrors.com illustrates, the true Church ought to be resplendent with miracles and only the Catholic Church has been shown to be accompanied with repeated first-class miracles.

Satan Knows This. That's Why He Attacks the Catholic Church

God, in His goodness and generosity, showers us with proofs of the accuracy of the Catholic Church’s doctrines.  And this too is why Satan is not attacking Lutherans, or Baptists, or Muslims.  He is attacking the Catholic priesthood; he is infiltrating our seminaries and leading men ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ to betray their office and sexual assault children – an absolutely diabolical and unspeakable blasphemy.  And Satan does this because in the Catholic Church is the truth.  Why would he waste his time on attacking those souls who are already under his rule?

Let us always be prepared to give an account of our faith (cf. 1 Peter 3:15), and we can do this by understanding the truth of the Catholic Faith as seen through both intellectual arguments as well as through miracles. By these means, let us be missionaries to all we encounter.

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Replacing the Glory Be in the Rosary During Passiontide

The Church begins today on Passion Sunday the most penitential time of the year. During these final two weeks leading up to the holy festival of Easter, we are reminded of the penance of the season by the covering of the statues and images in our churches and in our homes. Additionally, in the Traditional Mass we will notice the further omission of several prayers at the beginning of Mass during the Prayers at the foot of the altar in addition to the Glory Be (known in Latin as the Gloria Patri).

The Gloria Patri is omitted in the Mass and in parts of the Divine Office. Concerning the Divine Office, it is suppressed during the responsories in the Office though kept for most of Passiontide at the end of the Psalms. However, starting with Matins of Holy Thursday said on the night of Spy Wednesday it disappears completely. The day draws close at hand when the whole Church will mourn the Lord's Passion and Death.

It can - though it doesn't have to be - omitted in the Rosary as well. While this practice is more common in certain Catholic countries than others, it makes sense to omit the Glory Be during Passiontide from our prayers, including the Rosary, as we feel the increasing reality of Calvary drawing ever closer. This is also consistent with the Church's official prayers which during this period omit this last remaining expression of joy in the Church's liturgy. Darkness closes in. 

In place of the Glory Be, this prayer is traditionally added:

V: Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem
R: Mortem autem crucis

V: Christ became obedient for us even unto death
R: even unto the death of the cross

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Why Pray the Divine Office?

The introduction given below was written by Fr. Pius Parch, and it is included in the beginning of several breviaries as a means to introduce a person to the spirituality of the Divine Office.

If you are new to the Breviary and want to have a guided approach to praying the Office, use Divinum Officium. I recommend either Divinu Afflato, Reduce 1955, or Rubrics 1960. The 1960 rubrics here are the ones that are used in connection with the Tridentine Mass said according to the 1962 Missal.

If you are looking to upgrade to having the books yourself, I recommend the best English/Latin books out there which use the 1960 Rubrics: The Baronius Press Edition.

The following is taken from the excellent work of Fr. Pius Parch:

The breviary is the official prayerbook of the Catholic Church, the prayer said in the name of the Church. It could be said that the Holy Ghost and the Church have been working on it for more than 3,000 years, and it has become the basic book of prayer. It contains the Divine Office, or the formal prayers which the Church puts into the mouths of her priests and religious.

The two chief objectives which the breviary fulfills are:

1. It is the prayer of the Church as a body

1. The breviary is above all the prayer of the Church. It is helpful to understand the difference between private prayer and liturgical prayer. In private prayer I pray, mostly for myself and my own affairs. It is I who stand in the center of action. But in liturgical prayer, that is, in the breviary, it is not primarily I who am praying, but the Church, the Bride of Christ. The object of Her prayer is broader: all the needs of God’s kingdom here on earth. In liturgical prayer, I am like a leaf on the great living tree of the Catholic Church. I share Her life and Her problems. The Church is praying through my mouth; I offer Her my tongue to pray with Her for all the great objectives of redemption, and for God’s honor and glory.

The Church weeps through our tears with those who weep, rejoices through our joys with those who rejoice, does penance through our penances with those who are repentant. All the sentiments of Holy Mother Church find their echo in us. This gives a deeper content to our prayer; we spread out far beyond our own selves. It is through the breviary that we participate objectively in the official ministry and care of souls. The objectives of the Church, the objectives of Christ’s redemption, become ours. We should approach our prayer of the breviary saying: Now the Church is praising God through my mouth; now the Church is struggling after souls with my hands!

2. It is a guide to genuine spiritual growth for the individual soul, religious or lay

The breviary fulfills a second purpose. In the universal spirit of prayer as described above, the individual soul is not to lose sight of itself. The individual, too, must grow; that is the subjective side of liturgical prayer. The breviary is a staff and guide to heaven. For us,it can be compared to the Angel Raphael who led the young Tobias successfully through all the dangers of his journey. It leads us through the Church year. As our Catholic churches sanctify space, so the breviary sanctifies time. By the arrangement of prayers in the sequence of canonical hours, we are made to progress in building up the temple of grace within our soul. By means of the “hours” of the Divine Office the Church puts sword and trowel into our hands for every time-segment of the day. The breviary, as the prayer of the canonical hours and as the prayer of the Church year, is in the highest sense the guide for souls.

St. Benedict said, “Let nothing be preferred to the work of God.” Is this the case nowadays? Are we not a race of action, of restless, unwearying activity, and not of quiet, contemplative prayer? We say, of course, that prayer is good, but wonder sometimes what we get by it. We tend to want to work and labor to “make ourselves useful.” Has God changed, or have we, nowadays, less need of Him? Can human activity supply the place of divine grace, and is it not solely by prayer that divine grace is called down upon us?

When Israel fought against Amalec, Moses on the mountain was raising his hands in prayer. It was not the fighting warriors that vanquished the enemy, for as often as Moses let fall his hands it was Amalec that got the upper hand. This Old Testament story has often been used in favor of the Church praying as compared with the Church militant. At the present time, more than ever, we stand in need of prayer, and of the solemn prayer in common (if and where possible) of the Divine Office.

The worship of God is the first and most important duty of the human race. Man is a rational being created to praise God, says St. John Chrysostom, to offer to God the worship of all creation. It is not sufficient that each individual should comply with this duty by only his own prayers. The relation of God to man, of the Creator to the creature, of the King of kings to His subjects, demands a solemn common worship, sacrifice, and prayer, such service as Holy Church offers to God.

The human race must offer to God, socially, either as a united body or by due representation, its tribute of adoration, praise; and thanksgiving. If each individual member of a congress were to offer its respects to the Head of State in private, this would by no means have the same significance as if all did so in common, or by special and solemn deputation. That’s what God requires, for He has written: “All the nations that Thou hast made shall come and adore before Thee, O Lord”; “Praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye peoples.” Next to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which the work and fruit of our Redemption is continually re-presenced and perpetuated, the Divine Office gives the greatest glory to God, and is most closely united and intimately connected with that Sacrifice.

The Holy Mass is the sun and the canonical hours the rays which surround it. Without Christ Himself, there would be no rays, but on the other hand the rays announce and spread far and wide the glory of the sun, and it is by their means that we receive the sun’s light and heat. The Divine Office is divine in its origin and source, divine in the Object of its praise, and divine in form, which is of no human invention. The Holy Ghost lives, works and speaks in the Church, and we-have to thank Him for its contents, its arrangement, and its words, which He has inspired. It is the official prayer of the Church, and as She is the Mystical Body of Christ, every breath in Her Body belongs to Him. He is Her Head, and Her prayer, Her language, Her voice are His, and therefore divine. “He Himself praises Himself,” says St. Augustine.

The sublimity of this solemn praise of God implies also its efficacy. Our divine Lord Himself has said: “Wheresoever two or three are united in My name, there am I in the midst of them,” and again, “Whatsoever you shall ask in My name, I will give it to you.” “Thy prayer,” says St. John Chrysostom, “is not of such efficacy when thou prayest alone as when thou prayest with thy brethren,” for, as St. Ambrose observes, “If many souls unite they become powerful, and God cannot despise the prayers of a multitude.”

They who sing psalms together as a well-ordered army in battle array do violence to heaven most pleasing to God. Individuals are like drops carried on by the force of the stream. Devotion in common arouses, vivifies, enkindles. It overcomes, to a certain extent, the lukewarm distractions of the individual and unites him in the harmony of the choir, and thus the common prayer and praise resound like one voice rich and full-toned, well pleasing to God. It is the one voice of the Catholic Church, of His Son, to which He must listen.

List of the hours:  Matutinum (Matins), Laudes (Lauds), Prima (Prime), Tertia (Terce), Sexta (Sext), Nona (None), Vesperae (Vespers), and Completorium (Compline).

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Preface for the Reconciliation of the Penitents

Those familiar with the history of the Roman Rite will be familiar that in times past, public sinners were expelled from the Church on Ash Wednesday and received again on Holy Thursday. Whereas today, we are more familiar with the journey that catechumens are making to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil, several centuries ago, the penitents were also making a similar journey to the holiest of all celebrations, Easter.

While this does not still take place on Holy Thursday, we should still nevertheless pray for so many lapsed and fallen away Catholics to return to the Sacrament of Confession and be restored to God's grace. During this Lenten Season, we should often pray for sinners. One great means to do so is to pray the Seven Penitential Psalms on Fridays after Matins and Lauds, a practice that was done up until the Breviary reforms of St. Pius X.

We can likewise offer other prayers for the conversion of sinners, such as of course the Holy Rosary for them. We can pray these prayers now and offer our intentions of this day, in union with the whole Sacrifice of the Mass, for the conversion of lapsed Catholics.

Lastly, the following beautiful Preface given us by the Roman pontifical was formerly recited during the reconciliation of the public penitents. 

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always and in all places give thanks to thee, O Holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through Christ our Lord: Whom thou, O almighty Father, didst will to be born among us by an ineffable Birth, that so he might pay to thee, his eternal Father, the debt contracted by Adam, and put our death to death by his own, and bear our wounds in his own Flesh, and cleanse away our stains by his Blood; hereby enabling us, who had fallen by the envy of the old enemy, to rise again by his mercy. Through him, O Lord, we suppliantly beseech and pray thee that thou graciously hear us making intercession for the sins of others, who are not worthy to plead for our own. Do thou, O most merciful Lord, recall to thyself, with thy wonted goodness, these thy servants, who have separated themselves from thee by their sins. For neither didst thou reject the most wicked Achab when he humbled himself before thee, but didst avert from him the punishment he had deserved. So, likewise, didst thou graciously hear Peter, when he wept, and didst afterwards give to him the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and thou didst promise the reward of that same kingdom to the thief when he trusted in thee. Therefore, O most merciful Lord! mercifully welcome back these for whom we offer to thee our prayers, and restore them to the bosom of thy Church, that the enemy may not triumph over them, but that they may be reconciled unto thee by thy coequal Son, and by him be cleansed from their guilt, and graciously admitted by him to the banquet of thy most holy Supper. May he in such wise refresh them by his Flesh and Blood, as to lead them, after this life’s course is run, to the kingdom of heaven.

Lastly, here follows the devout formula given by the Roman pontifical in the reconciliation of penitents:

O God, the most loving Creator, and most merciful Redeemer of mankind! who, when man, through the devil's malice, forfeited eternal life,didst redeem him by the Blood of thine only Son; restore to life these thy servants, who thou wiliest not should be dead to thee. Thou abandonest not them that go astray; receive these that have returned to the right path. We beseech thee, O Lord, let thy mercy be moved by the tears and sighs of these thy servants; heal their wounds; stretch forth thy saving hand, and raise them up: lest thy Church be robbed of a part of her body; lest thy flock should suffer loss; lest the enemy should rejoice in the perdition of them that are of thy family; lest the second death should seize them that were regenerated in the waters of salvation. To thee, therefore, O Lord, do we thy suppliants pour forth our prayers, to thee the weeping of our heart. Spare them that trust in thee, and, in thy mercy, suffer them not to fall under the sentence of thy judgment to come, whereby they would be condemned to punishment. Let not the horrors of darkness, or the scorching of flames come nigh to them. They have returned from the way of error to the path of justice; let them not be again wounded. What thy grace hath conferred, and thy mercy hath reformed, let it remain in them whole and for ever. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Rare Urbi et Orbi Blessing In Response to COVID-19

Update: The full video may be watched here:


The Vatican News website reports:

On Friday, 27 March, [Pope Francis] will preside over a moment of prayer on the sagrato of St Peter’s Basilica, the platform at the top of the steps immediately in front of the façade of the Church. “I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the means of communication," he said.  

The ceremony will consist in readings from the Scriptures, prayers of supplication, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; and will conclude with Pope Francis giving the Urbi et orbi Blessing, with the possibility of gaining a plenary indulgence for all those who listen to it live through the various forms of communication. The blessing “to the City [of Rome] and to the World” is normally only given on Christmas and Easter.

It is an extraordinarily rare event for an Urbi et orbi to take place any time other than Christmas or Easter. This follows the release of a special indulgences issued in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

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How Can I Be Forgiven From Venial Sins Without Confession?

What is the difference between Mortal & Venial Sin?

Sins can be grouped into two categories: mortal and venial sins. This is attested to in the Scriptures which mention this distinction in 1 John 5:16-18:

"If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that is not a deadly sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not deadly. There is sin which is deadly; I do not say one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not deadly. We know that anyone born of God does not sin, but He who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him."

Mortal sin is "deadly" sin since it destroys satisfying grace in the soul. The consequence of this is the most serious - to die with mortal sin on the soul is the only determinant if a soul will go to Hell for all eternity or not.

All sins are venial sins unless they are mortal sins. And to be a mortal sin, it must meet 3 characteristics:

1. Grave Matter: The act must involve a serious offense or violation of a moral law. Not all sins are considered grave matter; they must be significant in their nature. Examinations of Conscience will help determine which sins are mortal. Offenses against the Commandments or the Church's precepts are mortal sins. For an examination just on venial sins, the guide by St. Anthony Mary Claret is a good resource.
2. Full Knowledge: The person committing the sin must have a clear understanding that what they are doing is a serious offense against God's law. Ignorance or lack of awareness may reduce culpability.
3. Deliberate Consent: The individual must commit the sinful act with full and voluntary intent. Coercion or external factors that compromise free will may diminish culpability. If someone commits a sin while sleepwalking, for instance, there would likely be no sin committed.

The Forgiveness of Mortal Sins: The Sacrament of Confession

The Sacrament of Confession is the means that our Divine Lord has established so that we may receive forgiveness for our sins. This is the ordinary means of forgiveness. Ordinarily, this means that only in Confession can a soul in the state of mortal sin be restored to a life of grace and friendship with God as a result of the way that God has ordered the world to work. Q. 780 of the Baltimore Catechism states:

What sins are we bound to confess? A. We are bound to confess all our mortal sins, but it is well also to confess our venial sins.

What can those do who may not access the Sacrament of Reconciliation? If someone is in a faraway distant land or on a battlefield and dying, what do they do? What even should we do if we become ill with a virus and feel life slipping away and fear that no priest will be able to hear our Confession?

In such situations, we are reminded that God has bound salvation to the Sacraments, but He Himself is not bound by His Sacraments. St. Maximilian Kolbe wrote to his followers shortly before WWII:

"Whoever can, should receive the Sacrament of Penance.  Whoever cannot, because of prohibiting circumstances, should cleanse his soul by acts of perfect contrition: i.e., the sorrow of a loving child who does not consider so much the pain or reward as he does the pardon from his father and mother to whom he has brought displeasure."

The Forgiveness of Mortal Sins: An Act of Perfect Contrition

Thus, there is one additional means to receive forgiveness: An Act of Perfect Contrition. This, too, is the only way that protestants with valid Baptism, but without valid Confession, can be saved. We know that there is no salvation outside of the Church, but for those souls who die seemingly separated from the Church, we must pray that they can make a perfect Act of Contrition, repent of their sins, long for union with God and His Church, and thus cheat the devil and merit a crown of glory.

There are two kinds of contrition (i.e., sorrow) that we can have for our sins. The most common is imperfect contrition which is sorrow out of a fear of losing Heaven or suffering in Hell. The other is perfect contrition which is sorrow entirely out of a love of God and regret for offending Him.

The Catholic Encyclopedia on Contrition states: "Catholic teaching distinguishes a twofold hatred of sin; one, perfect contrition, rises from the love of God Who has been grievously offended; the other, imperfect contrition, arises principally from some other motives, such as loss of heaven, fear of hell, the heinousness of sin, etc. (Council of Trent, Sess. XIV, ch. iv de Contritione)."

While those who are dying without Confession and with mortal sin on their souls will need to make such a perfect Act of Contrition in order to avoid hell, we too can seek to make perfect acts of contrition whenever we sin, even if we plan to soon seek out the Sacrament of Confession and receive absolution.

The formula for an Act of Contrition:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.

The perfect act of contrition, though, is not just a mere fact of saying this formula. It truly requires the proper disposition of being detached from all sins - even venial sins. It is not an easy thing to do, especially those who sin often throughout their lives.

If you are in good health now, make a resolution to say 3 Hail Marys every day to ask for the grace to die in the state of grace with Last Rites.

 The Forgiveness of Venial Sins:

What has been mentioned so far is the forgiveness of mortal sins, those that would deprive a soul of Heaven. The Sacrament of Confession and Perfect Acts of Contrition would both remove mortal sins and venial sins. Is there, however, a way to remit venial sin by itself? There actually is.

However, an important clarification: assuming a person has both moral sin and venial sin on his soul, it is not possible to remove only the venial sins this way and leave the mortal sins for the Confessional. Why? St. Thomas Aquinas explains:

"As stated above (III:87:3), there is no remission of any sin whatever except by the power of grace, because, as the Apostle declares (Romans 4:8), it is owing to God's grace that He does not impute sin to a man, which a gloss on that passage expounds as referring to venial sin. Now he that is in a state of mortal sin is without the grace of God. Therefore no venial sin is forgiven him" (Summa Theologica, Third Part, Question 87: The remission of venial sin, Article 4)

For those, however who only have venial sins on their souls, the Angelic Doctor continues by explaining what the means for remitting the venial sins are:

"No infusion of fresh grace is required for the forgiveness of a venial sin, but it is enough to have an act proceeding from grace, in detestation of that venial sin, either explicit or at least implicit, as when one is moved fervently to God. Hence, for three reasons, certain things cause the remission of venial sins: first, because they imply the infusion of grace, since the infusion of grace removes venial sins, as stated above (Article 2); and so, by the Eucharist, Extreme Unction, and by all the sacraments of the New Law without exception, wherein grace is conferred, venial sins are remitted. 

"Secondly, because they imply a movement of detestation for sin, and in this way the general confession [i.e. the recital of the Confiteor or of an act of contrition, the beating of one's breast, and the Lord's Prayer conduce to the remission of venial sins, for we ask in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses."

"Thirdly, because they include a movement of reverence for God and Divine things; and in this way a bishop's blessing, the sprinkling of holy water, any sacramental anointing, a prayer said in a dedicated church, and anything else of the kind, conduce to the remission of venial sins" (Summa Theologica, Third Part, Question 87: The remission of venial sin, Article 3)

Thus, we learn that the Sacraments, such as receiving Holy Communion, remit venial sin, although we of course may never receive Holy Communion without prior Sacramental Confession for mortal sin. We also learn that the Confiteor, the Our Father, and blessing ourselves with Holy Water all remit venial sin.

So if you find yourself away from the Sacrament of Confession, do not lose heart. Make use of the prayers and Sacramentals at your disposal.

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