"O most august and blessed Virgin Mary! Holy Mother of God! Glorious Queen of heaven and earth! Powerful protectress of those who love thee, and unfailing advocate of all who invoke thee! Look down, I beseech thee, from thy throne of glory on thy devoted child; accept the solemn offering I present thee of this month, specially dedicated to thee, and receive my ardent, humble desire, that by my love and fervor I could worthily honor thee, who, next to God, art deserving of all honor. Receive me, O Mother of Mercy, among thy best beloved children; extend to me thy maternal tenderness and solicitude; obtain for me a place in the Heart of Jesus, and a special share in the gifts of His grace. O deign, I beseech thee, to recognize my claims on thy protection, to watch over my spiritual and temporal interests, as well as those of all who are dear to me; to infuse into my soul the spirit of Christ, and to teach me thyself to become meek, humble, charitable, patient, and submissive to the will of God.
May my heart burn with the love of thy Divine Son, and of thee, His blessed Mother, not for a month alone, but for time and eternity; may I thirst for the promotion of His honor and thine, and contribute, as far as I can, to its extension. Receive me, O Mary, the refuge of sinners! Grant me a Mother's blessing and a Mother's care, now, and at the hour of my death. Amen."
~ Prayer to Our Lady to be said in the month of May.
On Sunday, May 5th of this year in Eddystone, PA, the SSPX Chapel of St. Jude gave the Most Blessed Sacrament in Holy Communion to four children for the first time. This chapel is led by the pastor Fr. Jordan Fahnestock. This particular Sunday was also the May Crowning for the Chapel.
During the Octave of Pentecost, the Church celebrates more especially the glories of the grace of the Holy Ghost and His secret work of sanctification in the Mystical Body of Christ.
The fasting and abstinence on the Ember Days of Pentecost is unique in the Church as these are the only Ember Days celebrated without violet vestments. But the Ember Days of Pentecost are meant to be a joyful fast.
In medieval times, families in many parts of Europe would suspend a carved and painted wooden dove over their dining table during this time of Pentecost. Such a custom could be easily revived for the throughout the Octave of the Pentecost -- and imagine that dining room table covered with a white tablecloth, sprinkled with red rose petals.
Dom Guéranger, O.S.B. in The Liturgical Yearinsightfully writes: "The Christian Pentecost, prefigured by the ancient one of the Jews, is of the number of the feasts that were instituted by the apostles. As we have already remarked, it formerly shared with Easter the honour of the solemn administration of Baptism. Its octave, like that of Easter, and for the same reason, ended with the Saturday following the feast. The catechumens received Baptism on the night between Saturday and Sunday. So that the Pentecost Solemnity began on the vigil, for the Neophytes at once put on their white garments: on the eighth day, the Saturday, they laid them aside."
Up until 1955 but after the time of Pope St. Pius X, Octaves were arranged in the following hierarchical order:
Privileged Octaves
Privileged Octaves of the First Order
Octave of Easter
Octave of Pentecost (Notice it's rank in the utmost category!)
Privileged Octaves of the Second Order
Octave of Epiphany
Octave of Corpus Christi
Privileged Octaves of the Third Order
Octave of Christmas
Octave of the Ascension
Octave of the Sacred Heart
Common Octaves
Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM
Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph
Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Octave of Saints Peter and Paul
Octave of All Saints
Octave of the Assumption of the BVM
Simple Octaves
Octave of St. Stephen
Octave of St. John the Apostle
Octave of the Holy Innocents
Sadly, Paul VI abolished the Octave in 1969, although he did not even realize it when he signed the authorization, in one sad example of his lack of oversight. Thankfully, Traditional Catholic priests keep this Octave. And even some priests who say the Novus Ordo Mass choose to celebrate Votive Masses in Honor of the Holy Ghost over this week.
Ember Days are set aside to pray and/or offer thanksgiving for a good harvest and God's blessings. If you are in good health, please at least fast during these three days and pray the additional prayers. Remember the words from the Gospel: "Unless you do penance, you shall likewise perish" (Luke 13:5)
Join the Church during these three days by fasting, abstaining from meat, and praying for vocations.
Ember Days this Pentecost: May 21, 24, and 25.
From New Advent:
Ember days (corruption from Lat. Quatuor Tempora, four times) are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered by the Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross). The purpose of their introduction, besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy. The immediate occasion was the practice of the heathens of Rome. The Romans were originally given to agriculture, and their native gods belonged to the same class.
At the beginning of the time for seeding and harvesting religious ceremonies were performed to implore the help of their deities: in June for a bountiful harvest, in September for a rich vintage, and in December for the seeding; hence their feriae sementivae, feriae messis, and feri vindimiales. The Church, when converting heathen nations, has always tried to sanctify any practices which could be utilized for a good purpose. At first the Church in Rome had fasts in June, September, and December; the exact days were not fixed but were announced by the priests. The "Liber Pontificalis" ascribes to Pope Callistus (217-222) a law ordering: the fast, but probably it is older. Leo the Great (440-461) considers it an Apostolic institution. When the fourth season was added cannot be ascertained, but Gelasius (492-496) speaks of all four. This pope also permitted the conferring of priesthood and deaconship on the Saturdays of ember week--these were formerly given only at Easter.
Before Gelasius the ember days were known only in Rome, but after his time their observance spread. They were brought into England by St. Augustine; into Gaul and Germany by the Carlovingians. Spain adopted them with the Roman Liturgy in the eleventh century. They were introduced by St. Charles Borromeo into Milan. The Eastern Church does not know them. The present Roman Missal, in the formulary for the Ember days, retains in part the old practice of lessons from Scripture in addition to the ordinary two: for the Wednesdays three, for the Saturdays six, and seven for the Saturday in December. Some of these lessons contain promises of a bountiful harvest for those that serve God.
From Catholic Culture:
Since man is both a spiritual and physical being, the Church provides for the needs of man in his everyday life. The Church's liturgy and feasts in many areas reflect the four seasons of the year (spring, summer, fall and winter). The months of August, September, October and November are part of the harvest season, and as Christians we recall God's constant protection over his people and give thanksgiving for the year's harvest.
The September Ember Days were particularly focused on the end of the harvest season and thanksgiving to God for the season. Ember Days were three days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) set aside by the Church for prayer, fasting and almsgiving at the beginning of each of the four seasons of the year. The ember days fell after December 13, the feast of St. Lucy (winter), after the First Sunday of Lent (spring), after Pentecost Sunday (summer), and after September 14 , the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (fall). These weeks are known as the quattor tempora, the "four seasons."
Since the late 5th century, the Ember Days were also the preferred dates for ordination of priests. So during these times the Church had a threefold focus: (1) sanctifying each new season by turning to God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving; (2) giving thanks to God for the various harvests of each season; and (3) praying for the newly ordained and for future vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
One new order worthy of consideration is the Brigittini Servitores Sanctissimi Salvatoris (Brigittine Servitores of the Most Holy Savior) who are located adjacent to the FSSP parish in Tyler, TX. They have a website here. The group is still very small and new. They describe themselves thusly:
Essentially contemplatives, they engage in an apostolate of assisting
the Holy Father and bishops to implement “Ecclesia Dei Adflicta” and
Summorum Pontificum, while living a life centered on the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass and the full Divine Office in the 1962 Rite (sic: Missal).
They promote the public recitation of the Divine Office by helping
the Catholic faithful to appreciate and to recite it correctly and to
promote its public recitation also promoting Latin literacy through
seminars, formal courses of instruction, and correspondence courses.
They correspond with priests, religious and laity interested in the
traditional Latin liturgy and in the work of the Servitores, also
disseminating information regarding churches, parishes, and religious
orders using the Traditional Latin liturgy and other pertinent
information for the promotion of the same. They also organize days of
recollection and conferences for Catholics interested in the traditional
Latin liturgy.
You can contact the Brigittini Servitores as shown below:
Sister Margarita O.S.s.S.
Residentia Geatus Vilmos Apor
PO Box 4025 Tyler TX 75712 USA
The Brigittines were once widespread across northern Europe but many of their monasteries were destroyed during the Protestant uprising several hundred years ago. Let us pray for an increase in their numbers.
INTROIT Sap. 1:7
The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, alleluia! and that which contains all things has knowledge of His voice, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.
V. Glory be . . .
COLLECT - O God, who this day instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that through the same Holy Spirit we may always be truly wise and rejoice in His consolation. Through our Lord . . .
LESSON Acts 2:1-11
When the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming: and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire: and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: "Behold, are not all these that speak Galilean? And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."
GRADUAL Ps. 103:30
Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 103:30.
Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Alleluia! (Here all kneel.)
V. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love.
SEQUENCE
All kneel during the first verse
Holy Spirit, come and shine
On our souls with beams divine
Issuing from your radiance bright.
Come, O Father of the poor,
Ever bounteous of your store,
Come, our heart's unfailing light.
Come, Consoler, kindest, best,
Come our bosom's dearest guest,
Sweet refreshment, sweet repose.
Rest in labor, coolness sweet,
Tempering the burning heat,
Truest comfort of our woes.
O divinest light, impart
Unto every faithful heart
Plenteous streams from love's bright flood.
But for your blest Deity,
Nothing pure in man could be;
Nothing harmless, nothing good.
Wash away each sinful stain;
Gently shed your gracious rain
On the dry and fruitless soul.
Heal each wound and bend each will,
Warm our hearts benumbed and chill,
All our wayward steps control.
Unto all your faithful just,
Who in you confide and trust,
Deign the sevenfold gift to send.
Grant us virtue's blest increase,
Grant a death of hope and peace,
Grant the joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia!
GOSPEL John 14:23-31
At that time, Jesus answered and said to him: "If any one love me, he will keep my word. And my Father will love him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard is not mine; but the Father's who sent me. "These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled: nor let it be afraid. You have heard that I said to you: 'I go away, and I come unto you.' If you loved me you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe. I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world: cometh: and in me he hath not any thing. But that the world may know that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given me commandments, so do I. Arise, let us go hence."
OFFERTORY Ps. 67:29-30
Make lasting what You have wrought in us, O God; in Your temple in Jerusalem let the kings offer presents to You, alleluia!
SECRET - Bless our offering, O Lord, and cleanse our hearts by the light of the Holy Spirit. Through our Lord . .
COMMUNION
Acts 2:2, 4
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, alleluia! And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began speaking of the wondrous deeds of God, alleluia, alleluia!
POST COMMUNION -May the coming of the Holy Spirit cleanse our hearts, and, as a heavenly dew, water them to bring forth good fruit. Through our Lord . . .
I wish to present some images from the Confirmations and the Pontifical Low Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Kansas City, Missouri, from Saturday, May 11, 2013.
58 confirmands (32 young men and 26 ladies) knelt before Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais to receive the Holy Ghost and become Soldiers of Christ. Please join me in praying for all of them.
Today is the Vigil for Pentecost, and tomorrow we will celebrate the Descent of the Holy Spirit and the foundation of the Church. Pentecost marks the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.
Fast and Abstain on the Vigil of Pentecost
Today's preparation should not be underestimated. Catholics should fast and abstain from meat today in order to better conform themselves to celebrate this High Holy Day of Pentecost. The Vigil of Pentecost has been a day of required fasting and abstinence for centuries and it was kept as such even through the early 1960s.
The days of obligatory fasting as listed in the 1917 Code of Canon Law were the forty days of Lent (including Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday until noon); the Ember Days; and the Vigils of Pentecost, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, All Saints, and Christmas.
On January 28, 1949, the United States bishops issued modified regulations on abstinence in America again after receiving a ruling from the Sacred Congregation of the Council. Partial abstinence replaced complete abstinence for Ember Wednesdays, Ember Saturdays, and the Vigil of Pentecost.
By 1962, the laws of fasting and abstinence were as follows as described in "Moral Theology" by Rev. Heribert Jone and adapted by Rev. Urban Adelman for the "laws and customs of the United States of America" copyright 1961: "Complete abstinence is to be observed on all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, the Vigils of Immaculate Conception and Christmas. Partial abstinence is to be observed on Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays and on the Vigil of Pentecost. Days of fast are all the weekdays of Lent, Ember Days, and the Vigil of Pentecost."
Shortly after the close of the Second Vatican Council, Paul VI issued an apostolic constitution on fasting and abstaining on February 17, 1966, called Paenitemini, whose principles were later incorporated into the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Paenitemini allowed the commutation of the Friday abstinence to an act of penance at the discretion of the local ordinaries and gave authority to the episcopal conferences on how the universal rules would be applied in their region. Abstinence which previously began at age 7 was modified to begin at age 14. Additionally, the obligation of fasting on the Ember Days and on the remaining Vigils was abolished.
The Mass for Pentecost was formerly celebrated during the night and has
since been anticipated. It seems that the Vigil was modeled on that of
Easter. As was observed on Holy Saturday, a vigil was kept during the night of
Pentecost Sunday to prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism. The Feast of
Whitsun - the term Whitsunday is another name for Pentecost, alluding to
the white vestments of the neophytes - is as ancient as that of Easter.
The Saturday following the Octave of Pentecost officially begins the
Season After Pentecost. For the special prayers and readings for the pre-1955 Vigil of Pentecost, click here.
While the Novus Ordo calendar unfortunately only has 2 octaves,
traditional Catholics will be familiar with the idea of multiple
overlapping Octaves. The practice of celebrating an Octave, while not
only traced to the time spent by the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin
Mary awaiting the Paraclete also has its origins in the Old Testament
eight-day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36) and
the Dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 7:9). Very truly, Christ did
not come to abolish the Old Law but to fulfill it.
This is one of the most important celebrations in the Church's liturgical year. I've prepared for this day through the Original Novena. The Feast of Pentecost (i.e., Whitsunday) is one of the principal feasts in the life of the Church. After tomorrow's Feast (and the subsequent Octave), we will conclude Pascaltide and begin the Season after Pentecost.
Collect for the Vigil of Pentecost from the 1962 Missal:
Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that the splendor of Thy brightness may shine forth upon us, and the light of Thy light may, by the illumination of the Holy Ghost, confirm the hearts of those who have been born again by Thy grace. Through our Lord...in the unity of the same Holy Ghost
Born on the Feast of Pentecost in 1540, St. Paschal lived a quiet start to his life, just as our Lord did. His name Paschal refers to "the Pasch (Passover) of the Holy Ghost" which is the Spanish term for Pentecost. Until the age of 20, Paschal (1540-92) tended flocks on the hills of Aragon. He would carry a book with him and beg passersby to teach him the
alphabet and to read, and as he toiled in the fields he would read
religious books.
He then became a Franciscan Brother and spent the rest of his years mainly as doorkeeper in various friaries of Spain. St. Paschal chose to work in poverty as he said, "I was born poor and am resolved to die in poverty and penance." All through his life he was animated with a burning love for the Holy Eucharist, a love so intense that it enabled him to speak triumphantly to heretics about the most obscure mysteries of the Faith. He was a mystic and contemplative, and he had frequent ecstatic visions. He would spend many nights before the altar in prayer. At the same time, he sought to downplay any glory that might come from this piety. He passed from earth to Heaven in 1592. He was beatified by Pope Paul V and canonized by Pope Alexander VIII.
Pope Leo XIII declared him patron of all Eucharistic confraternities and congresses. Christian art usually depicts him wearing the Franciscan habit and bearing a monstrance, signifying his devotion to the Holy Eucharist. During the Red Terror at the time of the Spanish Civil War his grave was desecrated and his relics burned by anticlerical leftists.
Collect:
O God, who didst adorn blessed Paschal Thy Confessor with a wonderful love for the holy Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood: mercifully grant that we too may be worthy to receive the rich spiritual graces which he received from this divine banquet; who lives and reigns with God the Father...
Today the Holy Church celebrates the life of St. Ubadlus, Bishop of Gubio and Confessor. Born to noble parents, St. Ubaldus lived a pious childhood. After his father died while Ubadlus was still quite young, the boy became a canon regular for the local Cathedral.
He felt a vocation to become a monk, and entered to the Monastery of St. Secondo in the same city, where he remained for some years. Recalled by his bishop, he returned to the cathedral monastery, where he was made prior. Having heard that at Vienna Blessed Peter de Honestis some years before had established a very fervent community of canons regular, to whom he had given special statutes which had been approved by Paschal II, Ubald went there, remaining with his brother canons for three months, to learn the details and the practice of their rules, wishing to introduce them among his own canons of Gubbio.
After being consecrated Bishop of Gubio by Pope Honorius II, he returned to his people and became a perfect pattern of all Christian virtues and a
powerful protector in all their spiritual and temporal needs. It is said that St. Ubaldus helped prevent Frederick Barbarossa from sacking Gubio when the bishop went out on the road to plead with Frederick.
He died of natural causes after a long and painful two year illness in 1160.
At the solicitation of Bishop Bentivoglio, Pope Celestine III canonized him in 1192. His power, as we read in the Office for his feast, is chiefly manifested over the evil spirits, and the faithful are instructed to have recourse to him "contra omnes diabolicas inequities".
The power St. Ubaldus possessed against evil spirits was evident. The
Church moves in a spirit world--good angels are all about, while
constant vigilance is exercised against Satan and his devils. The
liturgy contains a considerable number of exorcisms and adjurations.
Then there are a series of sacramentals directed against the power of
evil spirits; for example, holy water, palms, candles. Hold these
sacramentals in highest esteem. — Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Similarly, Dom Gueranger writes in the Liturgical Year:
In order to honour her eternal High Priest, the Church presents to him this day the merits of a pontiff who, after his mortal career, was admitted into a happy immortality. Ubaldus, here on earth, was the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like his divine Master, he received the holy anointing of priesthood; he was a mediator between God and man; he was the shepherd of a flock; and now he is united with our Risen Jesus, the great Anointed, the Mediator, the Shepherd. In proof of his influence in heaven, Ubaldus has had given to him a special power against the wicked spirits who lay snares for our perdition. It has frequently happened that the simple invocation of his name has sufficed to foil their machinations. The Church has fixed this day as his feast with the view of encouraging the faithful to have recourse to his protection.
Collect:
Help us, O Lord, and stretch out Your right hand in compassion to save us from the wickedness of the devil, through the intercession of Your blessed confessor bishop Ubaldus. Through Our Lord . .
Today we celebrate the life of St. John Baptist de la Salle. Born April 30, 1651, St. John would live until Good Friday, April 7, 1719. He would be remembered especially as the founder of the Brothers of Christian Charity. This order, despite its former greatness, has fallen considerably since Vatican II.
La Salle received the tonsure at the young age of eleven and was named canon of Rheims Cathedral when he was fifteen. He was sent to the College des Bons Enfants, where he pursued higher studies and, on July 10, 1669, he took the degree of Master of Arts. When De La Salle had completed his classical, literary, and philosophical courses, he was sent to Paris to enter the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice on October 18, 1670. His mother died on July 19, 1671, and on April 9, 1672, his father died. This circumstance obliged him to leave Saint-Sulpice on April 19, 1672. He was now twenty-one, the head of the family, and as such had the responsibility of educating his four brothers and two sisters. He completed his theological studies and was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 26 on April 9, 1678. Two years later he received a Doctorate in Theology.
De La Salle became involved in education little by little, without ever
consciously setting out to do so. He lived in a time when society was
characterized by great disparity between the rich and the poor. Jean
Baptiste de la Salle believed that education gave hope and opportunity
for people to lead better lives of dignity and freedom.
In 1685, he founded what is generally considered the first normal school — that is, a school whose purpose is to train teachers — in Rheims, France.
Although good teaching was important to John Baptist, spiritual formation was more so; and, in the face of a rampant Jansenism, he was advocating frequent and even daily Communion. When his foundation was firmly rooted and oriented, he resigned as superior, living thereafter as the humblest of his subjects. He died two years later, on Good Friday.
He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII on May 24, 1900, and was inserted in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints in 1904. Because of his life and inspirational writings, he was proclaimed as the Patron Saint of Teachers on May 15, 1950, by Pope Pius XII
Collect:
O God, You inspired the holy confessor John Baptist to teach the poor and to lead the young in the path of truth, and then founded a new congregation in Your Church through him. May his intercession and example fill us with zeal to glorify You by the saving of souls, so that we may also share his reward in Heaven. Through Our Lord . . .
The theme of this month's Holy Cross Seminary Newsletter resolves on prayer and the necessity to place prayer first in our lives - even before our apostolic works. The full newsletter is below but I quote from it now to highlight some noteworthy sections:
Prayer is work and it is the work of God. Man was.
created in order to share in the divine occupation of.
glorifying God in his life on earth and in heaven.
Nonetheless, man may, and must, apply himself to the.
vicissitudes of life in a prayerful manner, as is befitting.
the talents God has given him.
What a work prayer is! It is a work we do not take on alone. Christ was sent to dwell among us for this reason – to pray for
us and to pray with us. Christ is our success. If we refuse to work with Him, our prayer becomes restless, we seek distractions
from His loving and piercing gaze, and we avoid prayer for some other good work. This temptation to ignore prayer for good
works is the fallacy of activism. Activity becomes a replacement for prayer and may accomplish some good, but for others who
will profit from the work – for such an activist is not growing, but is spiritually undeveloped and therefore risks losing his soul.
St. Paul illustrates this danger: But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should
become a castaway (I Corinthians 9:27).
How many misguided souls made spiritual dwarves are caught up in busy-work and not the work of adoring God as He
wishes? Such a soul has no recollection and fails to purify his intentions in his activities, which become more and more for the
glory of the worker. By contrast, the true apostolate is genuine when the apostle is “pre-occupied” with, and steeped in, the life of
prayer.
St. Pius X, in Hærent Animo (his 1908 Encyclical on priestly holiness, §27) says: There are some who think, and even declare openly,
that the true measure of the merits of a priest is his dedication to the service of others; consequently, with an almost complete disregard for the cultivation of the virtues which lead to the personal sanctification of the priest (these they describe as passive virtues), they assert that all his energies and fervour should be directed to the development and practice of what they call the active virtues. One can only be astonished by this gravely erroneous and pernicious teaching.
The 1917 Code of Canon Law directs Bishops to ensure that their clergy adhere to a regimen that fosters holiness of life and
“success” in the ministry, beginning with frequenting the Sacrament of Penance, daily mental prayer, regular visits to the Blessed Sacrament, the
daily Holy Rosary and examination of conscience and the spiritual retreat.
Many of us Catholics may have a difficult time articulating the reason why our Lord ascended into Heaven? Why did He have to ascend in order to accomplish His divine mission of redemption? What exactly is the effect of His Ascension? The reason that we fail to understand the answer is one of the chief reasons why we neglect to adequately celebrate the Ascension and Ascensiontide.
Why Did Our Lord Ascend into Heaven?
The answer to this fundamental question is found in the Preface for the Ascension, a Preface found in the Traditional Roman Rite but abandoned in the Novus Ordo.
It is truly meet and just, right and availing unto salvation that we should at all time and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty and everlasting God; through Christ or Lord. Who after His resurrection appeared and showed Himself to all His disciples; and while they beheld Him, was lifted up into heaven, so that He might make us partakers of His Godhead. And therefore with angles and archangels, with thrones and dominations, and with all the heavenly hosts, we sing a hymn to Thy glory, saying without ceasing...
The answer to our question is underlined above - "so that He might make
us partakers of His Godhead." Our Lord ascended for us. He ascended so that we might become divine.
Dom Guéranger, O.S.B. expresses this sublime reason for our Lord's Ascension thusly:
Jesus ascended into heaven. His Divinity had never been absent; but, by Ascension, His Humanity was also enthroned there, and crowned with the brightest diadem of glory. This is another phase of the mystery we are now solemnizing. Besides a triumph, the Ascension gave to the sacred Humanity a place on the very throne of the eternal Word, to whom it was united in unity of Person. From this throne, it is to receive the adoration of men and of angels. At the name of Jesus, Son of Man, and Son of God—of Jesus who is seated at the right hand of the Father almighty—“Every knee shall bend, in heaven, on earth and in hell.”
Dom Gueranger elsewhere reflects as to why the Ascension is always mentioned in the Canon of the Mass. Here he expresses similar noteworthy sentiments:
The feast of the Ascension shows us the work of God in its completion. Hence it is that the Church, in her daily offering of the holy sacrifice, thus addresses the eternal Father: the words occur immediately after the consecration, and contain the motives of her confidence in the divine mercy: ‘Wherefore, O Lord, we Thy servants, as also Thy holy people, calling to mind the blessed Passion of Christ Thy Son our Lord, His Resurrection from the dead, and His admirable Ascension into heaven, offer unto Thy most excellent Majesty a pure, holy, and unspotted Host.’
It is not enough for man to hope in the merits of his Redeemer’s Passion, which cleansed him from his sins; it is not enough for him to add to the commemoration of the Passion that of the Resurrection, whereby our Redeemer conquered death; man is not saved, he is not reinstated, except by uniting these two mysteries with a third: the Ascension of the same Jesus who was crucified and rose again.
Heaven was not opened until our Lord's Ascension:
It was fitting that Christ, the conqueror of death, would be the first to open the gates of Heaven. He did so not on the day of His Resurrection but 40 days later when He opened Heaven, led the souls of the just from the Limbo of the Fathers (e.g. Adam, Eve, Moses, Isaiah, et cetera) into Heaven, and He took His seat at the right hand of the Father. For the first time in world history, human flesh had entered Heaven.
As St. Thomas Aquinas stated in the Summa:
"Ascending on high, He led captivity captive," because He took with Him to heaven those who had been held captives by the devil—to heaven, as to a place strange to human nature. captives in deed of a happy taking, since they were acquired by His victory
Reflection from Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: "In the Ascension the Savior did not lay aside the garment of flesh with
which He had been clothed; for His human nature would be the pattern of
the future glory of other human natures, which would become
incorporated to Him through a sharing of His life. Intrinsic and deep
was the relation between His Incarnation and His Ascension. The
Incarnation or the assuming of a human nature made it possible for Him
to suffer and redeem. The Ascension exalted into glory that same human
nature that was humbled to the death." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Life of
Christ)
Today the Holy Church celebrates the feastday of St. Robert Bellarmine (4 October 1542 – 17 September 1621), who was one of the most notable Catholics during the Catholic Counter Reformation. His saintly example and teachings helped preserve the Church against the heresies of the Protestants.
St. Robert Bellarmine was born the third of ten children of Vincenzo Bellarmine and Cinzia Cervini, a family of nobles, albeit poor ones. His mother, a niece of Pope Marcellus II, was dedicated to almsgiving, prayer, meditation, fasting, and mortification. It was these traits that Robert would be famous for one day. In this manner, may we see the importance of faith active in the family life.
Robert suffered assorted health problems all his life. Educated by Jesuits as a boy, he later joined the Jesuits on September 20, 1560, despite the opposition of his father who wanted Robert to enter politics. The young Robert studied at the Collegio Romano from 1560 to 1563, Jesuit centers in Florence, Italy in 1563, then in Mondovi, Piedmont, the University of Padua in 1567 and 1568, and the University of Louvain, Flanders in 1569.
He was ordained to the priesthood on Palm Sunday, 1570 in Ghent, Belgium. He served as a Professor of Theology at the University of Louvain from 1570 to 1576. At the request of Pope Gregory XIII, he taught polemical theology at the Collegio Romano from 1576 to 1587. While there he wrote Disputationes de Controversiis Christianae Fidei adversus hujus temporis hereticos, the most complete work of the day to defend Catholicism against Protestant attack.
He served as the Spiritual director of the Roman College from 1588, and he taught Jesuit students and other children while he wrote a children‘s catechism, Dottrina cristiana breve. Shortly thereafter he wrote a catechism for teachers, Dichiarazione piu copiosa della dottrina cristiana.
St. Robert was the confessor of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga until his death, and then St. Robert worked for the boy‘s canonization. In 1590 he worked in France to defend the interests of the Church during a period of turmoil and conflict. He served as a member of the commission for the 1592 revision of the Vulgate Bible as well as the rector of the Collegio Romano from 1592 to 1594. Thereafter, he was the Jesuit provincial in Naples, Italy from 1594 to 1597, followed by the role of Theologian to Pope Clement VIII from 1597 to 1599.
He is most well known for his role as examiner of bishops and consultor of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition in 1597; he was strongly concerned with discipline among the bishops. Created a Cardinal-priest on March 3, 1598, by Pope Clement VIII, he continued to live an austere life in Rome, giving most of his money to the poor. At one point he used the tapestries in his living quarters to clothe the poor, saying that “the walls won’t catch cold.”
He helped Saint Francis de Sales obtain formal approval of the Visitation Order. He was graced with the honor of being named Archbishop of Capua, Italy on March 18, 1602. He served in the two conclaves of 1605.
Concerning the controversy over Galileo, St. Robert Cardinal Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church, as well as Pope Urban VIII, welcomed Galileo’s research; they
even presented him with medals and gifts. They wholeheartedly welcomed
his hypothesis; however, when Galileo began to promote it as truth
without providing concrete evidence, trouble arose with the Catholic
Church. That matter is a separate issue. He wrote Tractatus de potestate Summi Pontificis in rebus temporalibus adversus Gulielmum Barclaeum in opposition to Gallicanism. He opposed action against Galileo Galilei in 1615, and established a friendly correspondence with him, but was forced to deliver the order for the scientist to submit to the Church.
He served as an elector in the conclave of 1621 and was considered for Pope. Instead, he would serve as the Theological Advisor to Pope Paul V as well as the Head of the Vatican library and the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Rites. He also bore the role of Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Index.
He died on September 17, 1621. He was canonized in 1930 and one year later proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on September 17, 1931.
His remains, in a cardinal's red robes, are displayed behind glass under a side altar in the Church of Saint Ignatius, the chapel of the Roman College, next to the body of his student, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, as he himself had wished.
Collect:
O God, You fortified Your blessed bishop and doctor Robert with remarkable learning and courage to expose the dangers of error and defend the rights of the Holy See. May we grow in love of truth, and may they who have been led astray by falsehood come back to the unity of Your Church through the intercession of Your saint. Through Our Lord . . .
As announced this morning to the members of the Joliet Latin Mass Community:
Effective August 5th, 2013, Bishop Conlon has appointed Fr Joseph R Valentine FSSP as Administrator of St Joseph Parish in Rockdale. This move will provide a much more stable "home" for the Traditional Latin Mass in the Joliet Diocese and, with God's help, allow us to solidify what we have accomplished and move forward in ways that were not possible before.
We are grateful to Bishop Conlon for this opportunity, and to the faithful of St Joseph's for allowing us to become a part of their community; May it be a fruitful relationship for all! St Joseph, pray for us!
What this will mean:
We will have a Sunday morning Mass time for the Latin Mass in the Joliet area.
We will have daily Latin Masses at St Joseph's (the daily Masses at Ss Peter & Paul, Naperville will be discontinued, at least for the time being).
The 5:30 PM Sunday Mass at Ss Peter & Paul will continue as before.
The Noon Sunday Mass at St Bernard's will be discontinued.
The neighboring parishes will provide priests to celebrate an English Novus Ordo Mass on Saturday Evening for the parishioners who desire it.
Source: Press Release from the Joliet Latin Mass Community
Hear, O Lord, my voice as I cry to You, alleluia! my heart has spoken to You; I have sought You. Your presence, O Lord, I will seek; hide not Your face from me, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 26:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? V. Glory be . . .
COLLECT
O Almighty and Eternal God, make our wills devoted to You so that our hearts may sincerely serve Your majesty. Through Our Lord . . .
EPISTLE I Peter 4:7-11
Beloved: Be prudent therefore and watch in prayers. But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins. Using hospitality one towards another, without murmuring, As every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another: as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak, as the words of God. If any minister, let him do it, as of the power which God administereth: that in all things God may be honoured through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia! Ps. 46:9
God reigns over all the nations, God sits on His holy throne. Alleluia!
V. John 14:18. I will not leave you orphans; I go away, but I will come to you, and your heart shall rejoice. Alleluia!
GOSPEL John 15:26-27; 16:1-4
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me. And you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the beginning."These things have I spoken to you things have I spoken to you that you may not be scandalized. They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God. And these things will they do to you; because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things I have told you, that when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them."
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 46:6
God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy, the Lord is taken up with the sound of trumpets, alleluia!
SECRET
Cleanse us through this spotless offering, O Lord, and let our souls be made strong by Your heavenly grace. Through Our Lord . . .
COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 17:12-13, 15
Father, while I was with them, I kept them whom You gave Me, alleluia! but now I am coming to You; I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from evil, alleluia, alleluia!
POSTCOMMUNION
Grant, O Lord, that we may always be grateful for the Sacramental Gift that we have just received. Through Our Lord . . .
Rejoice Mary, Mother of God, Virgin, full of grace, the Lord is with
thee: blessed art thou among women and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb,
for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls. Meet it is in truth, to
glorify thee, O Birth-giver of God, ever blessed, and all undefiled, the
Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare
more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without stain didst bear God
the word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.
O gracious Mother of the gracious God, O most pure and blessed Mary,
the Mother of God, pour the mercy of thy Son and our God upon my
impassionate soul, and with thine intercessions set me unto good
deeds, that I may pass the rest of my life without blemish and, with thine
aid, attain heaven. O Virgin mother of God, the only one who art pure and
blessed. O Queen of the Heavenly Host, Defender of our souls: being
delivered from evil, as thy servants, O Mother of God, we offer unto thee
the hymns of thanks and victory; but as thou hast power invincible,
deliver us from all calamity, that we may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O
ever-Virgin Bride!
O virgin, spotless, undefiled, unstained, all-chaste
and Pure Lady, Bride of God, who by the glorious birth-giving hast united
God the Word with Man and linked our fallen nature with Heavenly Things;
who art the hope of the hopeless, the helper of the oppressed, the ready
protection of those who haste unto thee, and the refuge of Christians;
despise me not, who am defiled and sinful, who by my wicked thoughts,
words and deeds, have become an unworthy servant, and by my slothfulness
have turned into a slave to evil affections. O Mother of the God of Love,
have mercy and compassion upon me, a sinner and a prodigal. Accept this
prayer which is offered to thee from my impure lips; and putting forward
thy maternal influence with thy Son, my Lord and Master, beseech Him to
open unto me the lovingkindness of His grace; beseech Him to overlook my
countless transgressions, to give me true repentance and to make me to be
a zealous doer of His commandments. And thou, being gracious and
compassionate and tender-hearted, be thou ever present with me in this
life as my defender and helper, so that I may turn aside the assault of my
enemies, and guide me into salvation; help my poor soul at the hour of my
death, and drive far from it all the dark forms of the evil ones. And in
the dreadful Judgement Day, deliver me from everlasting punishment, and
present me as an inheritor of the ineffable glory of the son, our God.
O may I obtain this, most-holy Lady and Birth-giver of God, through
thine intercessions and mediations, by the grace and exceeding great love
of thine Only-Begotten son, my Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ, to
Whom is due, with the eternal Father and the All-Holy, Good and
Life-Giving Spirit, all honor and glory and worship, now and ever, and
unto ages of ages. Amen.
O most glorious Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ our God, accept our
prayers and present them to thy son and our God, that He may, for thy
sake, enlighten and save our souls.
While few universities bearing the name of their holy founders are still truly Catholic, many of them still house great treasures of the Church. Last week I traveled to DePaul located in Chicago, IL, and toured their library. Inside, I found a beautiful vestment and several stained glass windows that each were individually praiseworthy for their beauty.
The following is a selection of the treasures present at the DePaul Library.
A cope is a priestly vestment. Woven by hand with gold and silk brocade on silk in Lyon, France in 1925, this cope was purchased for the 50th Anniversary of St. Vincent de Paul parish. It was worn by a priest who represented the Vincentian order at the 1926 Eucharistic Congress in Chicago. According to the importer's description: "The Vestments derive their name from the fact that throughout the suit angelic forms appear, adoring God and chanting His praise."
In
this image you can see a close-up on the upper most part of the Cope.
The intricate design beautifully depicts the Coronation of our Blessed
Lady by the Trinity.
In this close up, you may see the great detail that went into this beautiful, sacred vestment.
Located in the Library, this depiction of the Miraculous Medal is just one of the many beautiful stained glass windows still preserved on campus. This particular stained glass image is located directly above the location of the cope pictured above.
Novena to the Holy Ghost Pray especially starting on the day after Ascension Thursday, ending on
the Pentecost
First Day:
Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and
the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all our sins, vouchsafe
to send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom
and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge
and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
Second Day:
Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may
set Thee, my Lord and God, before my face forever; help me to shun all things
that can offend Thee, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of
Thy Divine Majesty in heaven, where Thou livest and reignest in the unity
of the ever Blessed Trinity, God world without end. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
Third Day:
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such
a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for
His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
Fourth Day:
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in times of trouble and
adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give
me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome
and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
Fifth Day:
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will
of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize
their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking
ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
Sixth Day:
Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know
and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see
the eternal light in Thy light; and in the light of glory to have a clear
vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
Seventh Day:
Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always
do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from
all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments
to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
Eighth Day:
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly
things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them
above and beyond all passing joys and satisfactions of the earth. Help me
to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
Ninth Day:
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity,
joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance,
that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful
submission to Thy inspiration, may merit to be united eternally with Thee
in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's
INTROIT Acts 1:11 <
Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? Alleluia! He shall come in the same way as you have seen him going up to heaven, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ascension Thursday in the liturgical year marks the 40th day after Easter Sunday and the day we celebrate Our Lord's Glorious Ascension into Heaven. The Ascension has three principal parts: the departure of Jesus from earth, His going up into heaven, and taking His place at the right hand of the Father.
As Our Lord ascended, He rose to sit forever at the right-hand of the Father, since He abides eternally in the Father’s bliss, which is termed as “the right hand.” And, while many of us are familiar with the image of Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father, the Scriptures do in one instance mention Christ standing – not sitting – at the right hand of the Father. This instance is during the stoning of Stephen. Reflecting upon this St. Gregory says in a Homily on the Ascension (Hom. xxix in Evang.), "it is the judge's place to sit, while to stand is the place of the combatant or helper. Consequently, Stephen in his toil of combat saw Him standing whom He had as his helper. But Mark describes Him as seated after the Ascension, because after the glory of His Ascension He will at the end be seen as judge."
Regarding the place from which Christ ascended, Sulpicius, bishop of Jerusalem, says, and the 'Gloss' also says, that when a church was built [on the Mount of Olives] later on, 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. He also says that 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.
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Matthew is a Third Order Dominican from Chicago and an expert on Catholicism, with an emphasis on Traditional Fasting. He has written for "A Catholic Life" since 2005. Matthew is a Certified Catechist and is a speaker available to address your next parish or Catholic conference gathering. Matthew spends his leisure time traveling, teaching, writing, and enjoying Catholic culture. He is also a writer for "Catholic Family News" and "The Fatima Center." Please contact Matthew directly regarding advertising requests for A Catholic Life or in regard to speaking engagements.
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