"The humbler the work, the greater should be your love and efficiency. Be not afraid of the life of sacrifice."~Blessed Mother Teresa
Monday, July 3, 2006
"The humbler the work, the greater should be your love and efficiency. Be not afraid of the life of sacrifice."~Blessed Mother Teresa
Double of the II Class (1955 Calendar): December 21
Today we remember the apostle Thomas, called Doubting Thomas. From the Tridentine Rite Website:
The feast of St. Thomas the Apostle is of double rite and its liturgical colour is red. According to tradition St. Thomas preached the Gospel in Asia and the Indian sub-continent. He is believed to have founded, inter alia, the St. Thomas Christians on the West coast of India, one of several groups using the East-Syrian family of liturgies
In an earlier section of the Gospel, St. Thomas said that he would go to Jerusalem to die with Jesus if needed. But, like the other apostles, he too left the Lord when the time came for the Crucifixion. And, after the Lord's Resurrection, St. Thomas is best known for doubting the Lord's Resurrection. While the disciples were in the upper room, the Lord appeared to them and ate with them. However, St. Thomas was not with them.
St. Thomas, after the events recorded in the Gospel, went off to preach the Gospel in India as Our Lord commanded: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:18-20).
St. Thomas went out and preached in Parthia, Persia, and India, even though he was reluctant to start the mission because he had to be taken into slavery by a merchant heading that way. Finally, he submitted himself to God's will and was freed from slavery. He formed many parishes and built many churches along the way. He is called the Apostle of India. Let us realize that we too are called to serve the Catholic Church and spread the Gospel. St. Thomas, the doubting apostle, eventually laid down his life for Jesus Christ. Our love for Christ must also be that great.
While in India, St. Thomas witnessed a group of people desperately trying to remove a post from the earth. With ease, St. Thomas removed it and thrust it back into the ground saying that water shall never again pass the point. Atop the post now stands Santhome Cathedral. And, quite miraculously, when the Tsunami of 2004 hit and destroyed much of the buildings in Chennai, the water stopped at the steps of the Cathedral. The miracle of St. Thomas is still alive.
St. Thomas the Apostle died in c.72 AD in India after being stabbed with a spear.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.All of us also experience some form of dryness in the spiritual life or doubting that our prayers will be heard. The words of St. Thomas, as many saints have taught, are incredibly helpful for our salvation. The exclamation of Thomas: "My Lord and My God" is one of the chief pieces of Scripture used to refute the heresy of Arianism. In those situations of spiritual dryness we should keep in mind the words of Thomas and Our Lord's reply to Him:
(Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
John 20:19-25
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."Even though St. Thomas was not with the apostles when they received the power to forgive sins, he did receive that power at a later time. That leads many scholars to admit that the apostles passed the power down to him through the imposition of hands. This same power has been passed down even until the present era. Our bishops and priests have that power because of Jesus Christ. If you have never gone to Confession, I highly encourage you to experience the greatest source of forgiveness on this earth in the confessional.
John 20:26-29
St. Thomas, after the events recorded in the Gospel, went off to preach the Gospel in India as Our Lord commanded: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:18-20).
St. Thomas went out and preached in Parthia, Persia, and India, even though he was reluctant to start the mission because he had to be taken into slavery by a merchant heading that way. Finally, he submitted himself to God's will and was freed from slavery. He formed many parishes and built many churches along the way. He is called the Apostle of India. Let us realize that we too are called to serve the Catholic Church and spread the Gospel. St. Thomas, the doubting apostle, eventually laid down his life for Jesus Christ. Our love for Christ must also be that great.
While in India, St. Thomas witnessed a group of people desperately trying to remove a post from the earth. With ease, St. Thomas removed it and thrust it back into the ground saying that water shall never again pass the point. Atop the post now stands Santhome Cathedral. And, quite miraculously, when the Tsunami of 2004 hit and destroyed much of the buildings in Chennai, the water stopped at the steps of the Cathedral. The miracle of St. Thomas is still alive.
St. Thomas the Apostle died in c.72 AD in India after being stabbed with a spear.
For more on the lives of all the Apostles, pick up a copy of "The Twelve: Lives and Legends of the Apostles" on paperback or as part of the online course on the Apostles, which includes a Certificate of Completion.
Prayer:
Give us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, a share in the glory of today's festival of Thy blessed Apostle Thomas: and grant that we may be uplifted by his patronage and drawn with fitting devotion to equal him in faith. Through our Lord.
Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
Give us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, a share in the glory of today's festival of Thy blessed Apostle Thomas: and grant that we may be uplifted by his patronage and drawn with fitting devotion to equal him in faith. Through our Lord.
Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
Sunday, July 2, 2006
For the past few weeks I have asked this question on my blog's minipoll:
So, since I want to make this an enjoyable place for my visitors, I will not be adding background music to this blog at least for this year. I may post this poll again next year.
Closed
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Would you like background music added to this blog? I'm thinking of adding something that is in Latin.
I think I've given a fair amount of time for all of my readers to comment. Here are the results:
YES - 12 votes 40%
NO - 15 votes 50%
NO OPINION - 3 votes 10%
So, since I want to make this an enjoyable place for my visitors, I will not be adding background music to this blog at least for this year. I may post this poll again next year.
Closed
Then Curves is the place for you! Curves was founded in 1992 by Gary Heavin who currently owns 8000 branches country-wide. Gary Heavin is also a devout Catholic dedicated to saving the lives of unborn babies.
This is excellent news! I'm definitely going to refer people to the closest Curves now. And I want to thank the pro-abortion site, BellaOnline for pointing this out to me. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't go out of my way to refer people to Curves now.
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While Curves itself supports no one cause, Heavin himself is an avid Catholic with a firm belief in pro-life causes. Heavin matches the first $1,000 that each franchise raises for community causes such as walkathons to benefit pro-life pregnancy-care centers. In 2003, Heavin pledged one-million dollars (profit from Curves franchises and his two books on the Curves philosophy and phenomenon) to Care Net, a Christian organization that is pro-life and anti-Planned Parenthood (source)
This is excellent news! I'm definitely going to refer people to the closest Curves now. And I want to thank the pro-abortion site, BellaOnline for pointing this out to me. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't go out of my way to refer people to Curves now.
Blessed Mother Teresa:"We stand before the world as ambassadors of peace by preaching the message of love in action that crosses all barriers of nationality, creed, or country."
St. Padre Pio:
"God does not want you to experience the feeling of love for Him and your neighbor in a perceptible manner… How fortunate we are to be held so tightly to our heavenly tutor! We need do no more than we are doing at present; that is to love divine Providence and abandon ourselves in His arms and heart.No, my God, I desire no greater pleasure than my faith, my hope, my love; to be able only to say sincerely, even if sometimes without feeling, that I would rather die than abandon this virtue" (Letters III p 425).
It has been confirmed - Pope Benedict XVI will canonize four people on October 15, 2006. So far in his pontificate, he has canonized 5 people. This fall he will canonize these people:
- Mexican bishop Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878 - 1938)
- Italian priest Filippo Smaldone (1848-1923)
- Italian nun Rosa Venerini (1656-1728)
- Mother Theodore Guerin 1798 - 1858)
October 16, 2006, Update: I have posted on their canonization!
Last fall on October 29, 2005, several martyrs were already beatified. They were Father Francisco Castells Brenuy, Father José Boher Foix, Father José Juan Perot Juanmarti, Father Jose Tàpies Sirvant, María De Los Ángeles Ginard Martí, Father Pascual Araguàs Guàrdia, Father Pedro Martret Molet, and Silvestre Arnau Pascuet.
Thousands were murdered in the Spanish Civil War just because they were Catholic:
In Spain, one of Europe’s most staunchly Catholic countries, large numbers of Catholics were butchered during the 1936-1939 Civil War solely for being Catholic. Unlike the martyrdom in most parts of the world, whole sectors of the religious community were liquidated. At least 6,832 priests and religious were martyred, including 13 bishops. In the 20th century, probably no country witnessed so much bloodshed among its clergy.
The male religious martyred included 259 Claretians, 226 Franciscans, 204 Piarists, 176 Brothers of Mary, 165 Christian Brothers, 155 Augustinians, 132 Dominicans, and 114 Jesuits. The toll among the female orders was lower, but still shocking when we recall that these women could have had virtually nothing to do with the political struggle: 30 Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, 26 Carmelites of Charity, 26 Adoratrices, and 20 Capuchins, along with many others.
Source: Catholic Herald
Saturday, July 1, 2006
Listed on the 1969 Calendar of Saints for the United States, the Church today celebrates the life of Blessed Junípero Serra. Specifically in the United States, the Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Blessed Junípero Serra, who gave nearly his entire life to evanglize non-believers. This is someone I truly admire because evangelization is close to my heart.
He was originally born as Miguel Jose Serra on the island of Mallorca, Spain on November 24, 1713. When he entered the Franciscan Order in 1730, he took the name of Junípero, the name of the companion friar of St. Francis of Assisi. He was ordained in 1737, and he taught philosophy and theology at the University of Padua for twelve years. Then at the age of 37, he answered an inner calling to go to the New World and convert the natives so that they might be saved.
Blessed Junípero arrived at Vera Cruz, Mexico and walked the 250 miles to Mexico City along with his companion. Along the way he received an insect bite on his leg that would remain with him for the rest of his life. At times it would become life threatening. For the next 18 years, Blessed Junípero evangelized the people of central Mexico and the Baja Peninsula. He became president of the missions there.
However, politics soon entered the situation. Charles III of Spain ordered an expedition to beat Russia to territory south of Alaska. Jose de Galvez persuaded Junipero to set out for present-day Monterey, California along with him. The first mission he founded after the 900 miles journey north was in San Diego (1769). At that time the expedition was nearly canceled due to a shortage of food. Blessed Junípero and another friar began a novena that would lead up to the day of the departure, March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph. And, on that day, a relief ship arrived allowing Blessed Junípero to continue onward.
Numerous missions would follow including San Antonio and San Gabriel (1771), San Luis Obispo (1772), San Francisco and San Juan Capistrano (1776), Santa Clara (1777), and San Buenaventura (1782). I suggest you look at a map of California missions.
Blessed Junípero frequently faced death from non-Christian natives as well as cruel military commanders. Yet through prayer and faith, he saved many souls; he would frequently pray from midnight until dawn. He baptized over six thousand people and confirmed five thousand. The amount of miles he traveled would have encircled the earth. Blessed Junípero also helped make the "Bill of Rights" for Native Americans a reality. He died on August 28, 1784, of tuberculosis and is buried at Mission San Carlo Borromeo in Carmel, Monterey, California. He was beatified in 1988.
Read much more
Photo Source
Devotion to the Precious Blood is connected to devotion to the Passion and Death of Our Lord since through the shedding of His Blood, mankind was redeemed. Consequently, one can say the Church has always honored the Blood of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:9 states, "we are justified by His blood", and Hebrews 13:12 states, "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate." 1 John 1:7 also writes of the Precious Blood: "...and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin." We would do well to meditate on the seven times Christ shed His Precious Blood for our salvation. As Fr. Peter Scott reminds us:
"The veneration of the Precious Blood of Our Divine Saviour is as old as the Passion in which it was shed. It is founded on the simple doctrine of the Incarnation, namely that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity took a human nature to Himself, and that this human nature is the human nature of God. We call this the hypostatic union. Every part of Christ’s human nature is united to the second divine Person. This includes his Precious Blood, to which is consequently owed the adoration that is owed to God Himself, that of Latria. We consequently do not need any private revelation to tell us about devotion to the Precious Blood, but find it deeply rooted in the deposit of the Faith."
Closer to our modern era, devotion to the Precious Blood has been greatly encouraged by Blessed Gaspar Buffalo, founder of the Congregation of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Pope Pius IX was exiled from Rome in 1849. A companion of Pope Pius IX was Don Giovanni Merlini, the third general of that Congregation. Don Giovanni Merlini suggested to Pope Pius IX that he make a vow to give the Feast of the Precious Blood to the entire church if he should regain the papal territory.
We owe the institution of a special feast in honour of the Precious Blood to Pope Pius IX, who on August 10, 1849, from his exile in Gaeta, did just that - he ordered its celebration in commemoration of the defeat of the forces of the revolution that enabled him to return to Rome. Then, it was Pope Pius XI, who gave it the status of a first class feast, in commemoration of the 19th centennial of the mystery of the Redemption. The Feast of the Precious Blood is celebrated on July 1st.
Devotions:
- Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
- Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus (approved by Pope John XXIII on February 24, 1960)
- Offering in Reparation to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus (approved by Pope Pius VII on September 22, 1817)
- An Offering of the Precious Blood for Souls
On the Cross:
Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord hear my voice. Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord wilt mark iniquities; Lord who shall stand it? For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason
of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning-watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plentiful redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Eternal rest give unto them. O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. From the gate of hell. Deliver their souls, O Lord. May they rest in peace. Amen. O Lord, hear my prayer. And let my cry come unto Thee. The Lord be with you. And with thy Spirit. Let us Pray: O God the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, we beseech Thee to grant to the souls of thy servants the remission of their sins, so that by our prayers they may obtain pardon for which they long. O Lord, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. May they rest in peace. Amen.
On Large Beads:
Eternal rest give to them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
Three Small Beads:
Act of Faith: My God, I believe in Thee, because Thou art Truth
itself
Act of Hope: My God, I hope in Thee because Thou art infinitely good
Act of Charity: My God, I love Thee with my whole heart and above
all things because Thou art infinitely perfect.
On Small Beads:
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love. Sweet Heart of Mary be my salvation.
At the end:
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us. St. Joseph, model and patron of those who love the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
Purgatory exists! I encourage the saying of this prayer for all of the pour souls there. We could very well end up there one day ourselves, and then we will need the prayers of the living too. (Photo Source)
I'm very busy today, but I wanted to post this joke I received in my inbox:Lost on a rainy night, a nun stumbles across a monastery and requests shelter there. Fortunately, she's just in time for dinner and was treated to the best fish and chips she's ever had.
After dinner, she goes into the kitchen to thank the chefs. She is met by two brothers, "Hello, I'm Brother Michael, and this is Brother Charles."
"I'm very pleased to meet you. I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful dinner. The fish and chips were the best I've ever tasted. Out of curiosity, who cooked what?"
Brother Charles replied, "Well, I'm the fish friar," She turned to the other brother and says, "then you must be...?" "Yes, I'm afraid I'm the chip monk."
Please pray for Pope Benedict XVI's intentions for the Month of July:
General: That all those who are in prison, and especially young people, may receive the necessary support from society to help them rediscover a sense to their own existence.
Missionary: That in the mission territories, different ethnic and religious groups may live in peace and together build a society inspired by human and spiritual values.
Please also pray for the Intentions on the Catholic Community Forum's July Rosary Intentions Thread.
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General: That all those who are in prison, and especially young people, may receive the necessary support from society to help them rediscover a sense to their own existence.
Missionary: That in the mission territories, different ethnic and religious groups may live in peace and together build a society inspired by human and spiritual values.
Please also pray for the Intentions on the Catholic Community Forum's July Rosary Intentions Thread.
Today is July 1, 2006, and we begin the Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus. I am particularly fond of the Litany of the Precious Blood. We must remember that each of us is worth something. We were all purchased for a price - the blood of the Eternal Son of the Father, Jesus Christ.Please see my post Devotions to the Precious Blood for documents and devotions.
I posted a few days ago about a group of atheists I have been talking with on the Internet. I have posted what I hope is my last reply to them. Here is what I wrote to them:
I am sorry if any of you took a lot of time in your comments. I am sorry for this. But, I realize that I can't change them. I am writing this looking a crucifix. His hands are bleedings. His feet are pierced. The man of love that created the world and performed miracles, is condemned to die. And still He died for them. Jesus Christ is forgiveness.
I pray and hope that the people of that forum see charity in my words. For we are a people of faith. We are not the ones insulting and persecuting others like they insist the Church does. We silently accept all persecution and offer it up to our Master. We then are worth something because Jesus gives us strength! I did not use profanity and repeatedly thanked them. For that I was insulted regardless with profane words. For it sadly is the "blind leading the blind and both shall fall into the ditch."
This is why I must become a priest. I am going to do it for love. I still care about each one of them on that blog. I want every last one of them to be in peace forever. I don't want any of them to have to go to hell and look upon the face of the devil. St. Catherine received a vision of the devil once from Our Lord. And she told Him that she would rather walk on burning coals for the rest of eternity than go to hell and look upon the devil's face for one more moment.
I am called to live a life of love and serve everyone. And, I will serve Him in anyway possible. I am called to forgive those that attack me and pray for them. I have done that and will continue to do that.
So my friends, may the Lord, the God of peace, bless you all for your prayers and advice.
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Well for the most part, no one wanted to just assume something for the sake of discussion. I asked just to keep this a civil conservation without profanity and my request was ignored. I said I care about everyone here and for that I was told that I am not cared for. I ask for you guys to prove your side of the story about God and you don’t.And, as I expected, they began to insult me again here (you will have to scroll down near the bottom). They also admit in one comment that they have found the comments of you guys, my fellow Catholic friends, on my other post. They said that they deleted all of your comments (again near the bottom). Again they insulted me.
I’m done here. I know I haven’t made a difference with anyone that I’ve talked with. But, I appeal to those that are reading my words without responding - please know that God is real. He is in the Catholic faith, the only denomination that goes back to the time of the apostles. I am here because I care. I used “please” several times and still people just don’t listen. For those of you out there that haven’t responded, seek Jesus Christ. Don’t remain in darkness. Go out to Jesus Christ and experience forgiveness, love, and hope, which reach unimaginable depths in Christ.
Again to those out there that are searching I ask:
Why do you doubt Jesus Christ? Do you believe that Alexander the Great existed? Do you believe King Tut existed? Why would you doubt Jesus Christ? There are many proofs of His life, death, and Resurrection. Historians have taught me there is proof for His existence. The story was recorded by 4 separate authors and today it’s in a book called the Bible.
Look at the faith of the martyrs, the apostles, and the saints. For 2,000 years, millions of people willingly laid down their lives rather than denouce Jesus. Certainly they would not die for nothing.
Look to the fact that the Church has survived every persecution that was thrown against it. Look to the place of Jesus’s Ascension. The spot where Christ had stood could never be covered with pavement; and more than that, the marble slabs placed there burst upwards into the faces of those who were laying them. The footmarks in the dust there prove that the Lord had stood on that spot: the footprints are discernible and the ground still retains the depressions his feet had left. They can not be covered.
Look at the miracles of the Holy Eucharist especially the Miracle of Lanciano that I posted about but no one commented on. Look also to the apparations of Mary in Guadalupe, Knock, Fatima, and Lourdes. Look at the Miracle of the Sun witnessed by 70,000 people in Fatima, some from a great distance than the rest of the group.
I am leaving this forum now. I just ask that no one respond to anymore of my words here. If you don’t, I have no reason to come back and say anything.
For those of you out there that are unsure of God, again I say “seek Him” becasue if you do, you will find Him. If anyone here ever wants to truly search for God or convert to the Catholic faith, I will help you in anyway that I can. You can contact me through my blog.
Good bye, everyone! And, I wish to thank the administration here for allowing me to stay and voice my opinion. I will leave now and no longer bother any of you again.
I am sorry if any of you took a lot of time in your comments. I am sorry for this. But, I realize that I can't change them. I am writing this looking a crucifix. His hands are bleedings. His feet are pierced. The man of love that created the world and performed miracles, is condemned to die. And still He died for them. Jesus Christ is forgiveness.
I pray and hope that the people of that forum see charity in my words. For we are a people of faith. We are not the ones insulting and persecuting others like they insist the Church does. We silently accept all persecution and offer it up to our Master. We then are worth something because Jesus gives us strength! I did not use profanity and repeatedly thanked them. For that I was insulted regardless with profane words. For it sadly is the "blind leading the blind and both shall fall into the ditch."
This is why I must become a priest. I am going to do it for love. I still care about each one of them on that blog. I want every last one of them to be in peace forever. I don't want any of them to have to go to hell and look upon the face of the devil. St. Catherine received a vision of the devil once from Our Lord. And she told Him that she would rather walk on burning coals for the rest of eternity than go to hell and look upon the devil's face for one more moment.
I am called to live a life of love and serve everyone. And, I will serve Him in anyway possible. I am called to forgive those that attack me and pray for them. I have done that and will continue to do that.
So my friends, may the Lord, the God of peace, bless you all for your prayers and advice.
"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:10-11)
Friday, June 30, 2006
Tomorrow, July 1, 2006, a law will go into effect for Alabama.
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It will "...protect pregnant women and their unborn children from acts of violence. The measure holds criminals who kill or injure a mother's baby accountable for two crimes when he attacks a pregnant woman. The law applies throughout pregnancy and makes the state one of 24 to protect women during all nine months of pregnancy and one of 34 that offer legal protection through all or part of pregnancy."This was previously signed into law by Governor Riley back in April 2006.
Source: LifeNews
"In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone" (St. John of the Cross)Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain
She came from a poor family and just barely survived. As a child, she was miraculously healed through the intercession of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Mother Angelica entered a Canton Convent even though her mother strongly disapproved. Later on, it took tremendous work just to establish her convent in Indiana. Then she worked to spread the Gospel through writing. After all of this came EWTN and the world's first Catholic shortwave radio station called WEWN. She went further and created another convent in 13th Century style. All of this was done trusting in God. She started off with nothing with each project and left the rest to God. For that she encountered much debate and problems mainly from several liberal US bishops.
If you are a fan of EWTN, this book is a must read. If you don't have the time but want to learn more about the book, check out the CatechismClass Book Summary on "Mother Angelica".
Thursday, June 29, 2006
"Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the alter in the hands of the priest" (St. Francis of Assisi)The Eucharist is only valid when consecrated by a validly ordained priest, which is not possible for the protestants. I ask for prayers that all protestants, non-believers, & other non-Catholics will see the Truth of the Sacrament and embrace it.
Image Source: Cafeteria is Closed
On June 27, 2006, the Diocese of Joliet, IL welcomed J. Peter Sartain, 54, as the fourth bishop of the diocese. He replaces Bishop Joseph Imesh who had to retire because he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. Bishop Imesh has led the Diocese of Joliet since 1979 and was no supporter of the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditionalism in general.
Bishop Sartain appears to be a wonderful man, and I'm extremely happy that Illinois has this good bishop now. Bishop Sartain was previously the Bishop of Little Rock since 2000. In Little Rock he allowed four Tridentine Masses. Right now the Diocese of Joliet has zero, so please pray that the people there will be able to experience the Tridentine Mass. Please pray for Bishop J. Peter Sartain as he leads his 600,000 member flock.
Photos:
MMichael R. Schmidt/ Staff Photographer
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
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Bishop Sartain appears to be a wonderful man, and I'm extremely happy that Illinois has this good bishop now. Bishop Sartain was previously the Bishop of Little Rock since 2000. In Little Rock he allowed four Tridentine Masses. Right now the Diocese of Joliet has zero, so please pray that the people there will be able to experience the Tridentine Mass. Please pray for Bishop J. Peter Sartain as he leads his 600,000 member flock.
Photos:
Double of the I Class (1955 Calendar): June 29
The Catholic Church honors many, many saints and today is one of principal importance since ancient times. Today, June 29, we celebrate the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, who both loved God so fervently they died for the One True Faith. Can we imitate the humility of St. Peter, who was crucified upside down since he claimed that he was unworthy to die in the same manner as Our Lord?
For more on the lives of all the Apostles, pick up a copy of "The Twelve: Lives and Legends of the Apostles" on paperback or as part of the online course on the Apostles, which includes a Certificate of Completion.
The great Liturgist Dom Guéranger, O.S.B. said thus of this day:
Holy Mass in 2008:
Prayer:
O God, Who hast made this day holy by the martyrdom of Thine Apostles Peter and Paul: grant that Thy Church may in all things follow the precepts of those through whom she received the beginnings of the Faith. Through our Lord.
Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
The great Liturgist Dom Guéranger, O.S.B. said thus of this day:
It would be difficult to insist more than does today’s liturgy on the episode of Peter’s captivity in Jerusalem. Sever antiphons and all the capitula of this Office are drawn from thence; the Introit has just sung the same; and the Epistle gives in full the history of the event in which the Church is particularly interested on this feast. The secret of her preference can easily be divined. This festival celebrates the fact that Peter’s death confirms the queen of the Gentile world in her august prerogatives of sovereign lady, mother and bride; but the starting-point of all this greatness was the solemn moment in which the vicar of the Man-God, shaking the dust from his feet over Jerusalem, turned his face westwards, and transferred to Rome those rights which the Synagogue had repudiated. It was on quitting Herod’s prison that all this happened. “And going out of the city,” says the Acts, “he went into another place.” This other place, according to the testimony of history and tradition, is no other than Rome, then about to become the new Sion, where Simon Peter arrived some weeks afterwards. Thus, catching up the angel’s word, the Gentile Church sings this night in one of her responsories at Matins: “Peter, arise, and put on thy garments: gird thee with strength to save the nations; for the chains have fallen from off thy hands.”
Just as in bygone days Jesus slept in the bark that was on the point of sinking, so Peter was sleeping quietly on the eve of the day fixed for his death. Tempests and dangers of all kinds are not spared, in the course of ages, to Peter’s successors. But never is there seen in the bark of holy Church the dire dismay which held aghast the companions of our Lord in that vessel, tossed as it was by the wild hurricane. Faith was then lacking in the breasts of the disciples, and its absence caused their terror. Since the descent of the Holy Ghost, however, this precious faith, whence all other gifts flow, can never be lost in the Church. It is faith that imparts to superiors the calmness of their divine Master; faith maintains in the hearts of the Christian people that uninterrupted prayer, and humble confidence which silently triumphs over the world and the elements, even over God himself. Should the bark of Peter near the abyss, should the Pilot himself seem to sleep, never will holy Church imitate the disciples in the storm of Lake Genesareth. Never will she set herself up as judge of the due means and moments for divine Providence, nor deem it lawful for her to find fault with him who is watching over all: remembering that she possesses within her a better and surer means than any other of bringing to a solution, without display or commotion, the most extreme crises; never ignoring that if intercessory prayer does not falter, the angel of the Lord will surely come at the given hour to awaken Peter and break his chains asunder.
Oh, how far more powerful are a few souls that in their unobtrusive simplicity know how to pray, than all the policy and all the soldiers of a thousand Herods put together! The small community assembled in the house of Mary, mother of Mark, were few indeed in number; but thence, day by day and night by night, arose one continual prayer; fortunately, that fatal naturalism was unknown there, which, under the specious pretext of not tempting God, refrains from asking of him the impossible, whenever there is question of the Church’s interests. This pest of naturalism is a domestic enemy harder far to grapple with, at a critical moment, than the crisis itself! To be sure, the precautions taken by Herod Agrippa not to suffer his prisoner to escape his hands do credit to his prudence, and certainly it was an impossible thing asked for by holy Church, when she begged the deliverance of Peter at such a moment: so much so, indeed, that even those who were praying, when their prayers were heard, did not at first believe their own eyes! But the prevailing force of their strength was just in that—namely, to hope against all hope—for what they themselves knew to be holy foolishness; that is to say, to submit in prayer the judgment of reason to the sole view of faith!
Bishop Bonaventure Giffard
Ss. Peter and Paul As A Holy Day of Obligation
The first catalog of Holy Days comes from the Decretals of Gregory IX in 1234, which listed 45 Holy Days. In 1642, His Holiness Pope Urban VIII issued the papal bull "Universa Per Orbem" which altered the required Holy Days of Obligation for the Universal Church to consist of 35 such days as well as the principal patrons of one's one locality. In that listing, Ss. Peter and Paul was listed as a Holy Day of Obligation.
In fact, all of the feasts of the Apostles were Holy Days of Obligation on the Universal Calendar from 932 AD - as cited by Father Weiser on page 279 in his "Christian Feasts and Customs" - to 1911. However, most localities did not observe all of these feastdays as Holy Days. The Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul was the most commonly observed Holy Day among the feasts of the apostles. Even after the changes to Holy Days of Obligation in Ireland in the mid-1700s, Ss. Peter and Paul remained a day of double precept.
At the time of America's formation, the holy days of obligation, in addition to every Sunday, were as follows for the new country: the feasts of Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Annunciation, Easter Monday, Ascension, Whitsun Monday, Corpus Christi, Ss. Peter and Paul, Assumption, and All Saints. But even though these were the "official" holy days, practices varied across the dioceses in the United States as there was no uniformity until 1885.
In 1722, Bishop Giffard, the Vicar Apostolic of London, approved a dispensation "on behalf of the mission of Maryland for the ease and quiet of poor Catholics of that Mission" to sanction a dispensation of holy days. He granted the Maryland Superior the faculties to dispense Catholics from holy days and fasting obligations. As American Catholic Quarterly Review notes, "Bishop Giffard permitted the Jesuits to dispense Catholics in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania from the obligations of all holy days for just cause, e.g. getting in crops at harvest, between May 1 and September 30, respect for the feasts of Ascension, Easter Monday, Corpus Christi, and Assumption."
On March 9, 1777, Pope Pius VI "dispensed all Catholics in the kingdom of Great Britain from the precept of hearing Mass and abstaining from servile works on all holydays except the Sundays of the year, the feasts of Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Annunciation, Easter Monday, Ascension, Whitsun Monday, Corpus Christi, St Peter and St Paul, Assumption, and All Saints." As the Catholic Dictionary of 1861 further states: "The Vigils of the Feasts thus abrogated his Holiness transferred to the Wednesdays and Fridays of Advent, on which he ordered that fast should be kept as in Lent or Embertide, 'although it is an English custom to keep fasts and vigils on Friday.' The pope adds a power to the Vicars Apostolic to dispense from the precept of abstaining from servile works on SS. Peter and Paul falling in the hay-harvest, and the Assumption in the wheat-harvest, provided Mass has been previously heard, if possible."
And Ss. Peter and Paul seemed to have been dispensed for those Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, America's first Archdiocese. An 1818 Ordo for the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore does not list Ss. Peter and Paul as a required day of precept.
Before 1885, holy days varied within various jurisdictions in the United States. Those formerly French colonies (which followed the Holy Days as set by Quebec) differed from the English. This disunity continued for the young United States since new territories (e.g. Florida, Texas, and Oregon) did not follow the same holy days of obligation and the same fasting days.
In 1840, Pope Gregory XVI dispensed the remaining dioceses then in the United States from keeping Ss. Peter and Paul as a Holy Day of Obligation. Permission however was granted to the United States on December 19, 1840, to solemnize the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul the Sunday following June 29th. Such permission had been given for this Feastday in addition to Epiphany, Corpus Christi, and the patrons of the place to the French by Pope Pius VI on April 9, 1802.
In fact, it was a requirement for priests in the United States to continue to solemnize the feast on the following Sunday - a requirement that continued even through the 1962 Missal. Matters Liturgical from 1959 notes:
"The external solemnity of the feast of Corpus Christi must be transferred in the United States and celebrated on the Sunday following; this is also prescribed for the feast of SS. Peter & Paul (June 29), when this feast falls on a week day (Indult of Nov. 25, 1885). Hence, where on Sundays the principal Mass is usually a sung Mass, on the Sundays following these feasts this sung Mass in churches and public oratories must, and in semi-public oratories may, be of the transferred external solemntiy (S.R.C. 2974, IV; 4269, IX). This Mass shall be celebrated as on the feast, with only those occurring Offices to be commemorated as are noted in n. 209 f, even if the Mass is one of two or more different sung Masses, the rubrics in M.R.: ADD., v, 4 being now abrogated."
Its observance as an external solemnity in other nations (e.g. France) is optional. As such, liturgists like Father J.B. O'Connell do not mention this requirement in his rubrics for Votive Masses as he did not write from an American perspective.
Despite these changes over the centuries, the fact that so many observed Ss. Peter and Paul as a Holy Day for so long underscore our own need to keep this day holy, to attend the External Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul on the upcoming Sunday, and our need to keep the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul as a day of fasting and abstinence.
Holy Mass in 2008:
Prayer:
O God, Who hast made this day holy by the martyrdom of Thine Apostles Peter and Paul: grant that Thy Church may in all things follow the precepts of those through whom she received the beginnings of the Faith. Through our Lord.
Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
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