Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
by VP
Posted on Friday May 31, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
St. John the Baptist, Front Royal VA. ©capg
Prayer to Mary for the Holy Church
Queen of heaven, thy immense love for
God maketh thee likewise love His Church. We pray thee, come to its help
amidst the ills under which it is now suffering, rent asunder as she is
by her own children. Thy prayers, being a mother’s, can obtain all from
that God Who loveth Thee so well. Pray then, pray for the Church; ask for enlightenment for so
many unbelievers who are persecuting it, and obtain for faithful souls
the necessary strength to resist being caught in the snares of the
unbelievers who would drag them down into their own ruin.
Source: St. Alphonsus' Prayer Book, 1888 Father Edward Saint Omer, Redemptorist.
Ad Caeli Reginam - The Queenship of Mary - ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XII ON PROCLAIMING THE QUEENSHIP OF MARY
" Let all, therefore, try to approach with greater trust the throne of grace and mercy of our Queen and Mother, and beg for strength in adversity, light in darkness, consolation in sorrow; above all let them strive to free themselves from the slavery of sin and offer an unceasing homage, filled with filial loyalty, to their Queenly Mother. Let her churches be thronged by the faithful, her feast-days honored; may the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all; may Christians gather, in small numbers and large, to sing her praises in churches, in homes, in hospitals, in prisons. May Mary's name be held in highest reverence, a name sweeter than honey and more precious than jewels; may none utter blasphemous words, the sign of a defiled soul, against that name graced with such dignity and revered for its motherly goodness; let no one be so bold as to speak a syllable which lacks the respect due to her name. By this Encyclical Letter We are instituting a feast so that all may recognize more clearly and venerate more devoutly the merciful and maternal sway of the Mother of God. We are convinced that this feast will help to preserve, strengthen and prolong that peace among nations which daily is almost destroyed by recurring crises. Is she not a rainbow in the clouds reaching towards God, the pledge of a covenant of peace?[62] "Look upon the rainbow, and bless Him that made it; surely it is beautiful in its brightness. It encompasses the heaven about with the circle of its glory, the hands of the Most High have displayed it."[63] Whoever, therefore, reverences the Queen of heaven and earth - and let no one consider himself exempt from this tribute of a grateful and loving soul - let him invoke the most effective of Queens, the Mediatrix of peace; let him respect and preserve peace, which is not wickedness unpunished nor freedom without restraint, but a well-ordered harmony under the rule of the will of God; to its safeguarding and growth the gentle urgings and commands of the Virgin Mary impel us.
52. Earnestly desiring that the Queen and Mother of Christendom may hear these Our prayers, and by her peace make happy a world shaken by hate, and may, after this exile show unto us all Jesus, Who will be our eternal peace and joy, to you, Venerable Brothers, and to your flocks, as a promise of God's divine help and a pledge of Our love, from Our heart We impart the Apostolic Benediction."
"On February 11, 2018, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments inscribed a new obligatory Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, into the General Roman Calendar. This memorial is celebrated every year on the Monday after Pentecost.
Latin liturgical texts were also promulgated the same day, and on January 13, 2022, the Congregation confirmed the English translation of those texts. (...)Mary, Mother of the Church by Pope Paul VI
"Taking into consideration the close ties by which Mary and the Church are bound together, to the glory of the Blessed Virgin and for our consolation, We declare Mary Most Holy to be Mother of the Church, that is, of the whole Christian people, faithful and Pastors alike, who invoke her as their most loving Mother; and We establish that by this sweetest of names the whole Christian people should henceforth give still greater honor to the Mother of God and offer her their supplications.
Venerable Brothers, this concerns a title by no means new to Christian piety; indeed the Christian faithful and the universal Church choose to invoke Mary principally by the name of Mother. In truth, this name belongs to the genuine nature of devotion to Mary, since it rests firmly on that very dignity with which Mary is endowed as the Mother of the Incarnate Word of God.
Just as the Divine Motherhood is the basis both for Mary's unique relationship with Christ and for her presence in the work of human salvation accomplished by Christ Jesus, so likewise, it is principally from the Divine Motherhood that the relationships which exist between Mary and the Church flow. Mary is indeed the Mother of Christ who, at the moment he assumed human nature in her virginal womb, joined to himself, as Head, his Mystical Body, which is the Church. Mary, therefore, as Mother of Christ, must also be regarded as Mother of all the faithful and Pastors alike, that is to say, of the Church.
Herein lies the reason why we, though unworthy and weak, yet in a spirit of trust and with ardent filial love, raise our eyes to her. She who once gave us Jesus, the fount of heavenly grace, cannot fail to offer her maternal help to the Church, especially at this time in which the Spouse of Christ strives with greater zeal to fulfill her salvific mission
These closest of bonds between our heavenly Mother and the human race urge Us, moreover, to foster and further strengthen this confidence. Even though she has been enriched with superabundant and wondrous gifts from God so as to be made worthy to be Mother of the Incarnate Word, nevertheless, Mary is very near to us. Like us, she is a child of Adam and so too our sister on account of our common human nature; she was preserved from the stain of original sin by reason of the future merits of Christ, but she added to these gifts received from on high the example of her own perfect faith and so merited the proclamation in the Gospel: "Blessed are you who have believed."
In this mortal life she embodied the perfect form of a disciple of Christ, she was the mirror of all virtues, and in her manner of life exemplified fully those beatitudes proclaimed by Christ Jesus. Consequently, the universal Church, while she lives out the many facets of her life and in her active zeal, draws from the Virgin Mother of God the peerless example of how to imitate Christ perfectly."
Source: From the Address of Pope Saint Paul VI, at the conclusion of the third session of the most holy Second Vatican Council(November 21, 1964: AAS 56 [1964], 1015-1016)
Trinity Sunday
by VP
Posted on Sunday May 26, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
“Go teach,” said Christ to His Apostles. Teach what? Not the opinions of Peter, James or John, not the sayings of Matthew, Philip or Bartholomew, not this or that system of belief, or these or those deductions of human reason; but “the things that I have commanded you.” And the command laid upon the twelve Apostles is still honored and obeyed by the priest in the Church of God. The priest, then, teaches, not in his own name, nor does he propose a doctrine thought out in deep study, but, “God exhorting through him” on account of his unity with the chair of Peter, he but echoes the divine voice, heard throughout Judea in the dawn of Christianity. The priest speaks and the world listens, not because of his words of deep reasoning, nor on account of his faultless diction, nor because of his fervent eloquence, but because he speaks as one having authority, the authority given by Jesus to His Apostles, and by them transmitted to him." Source: The Priesthood by Rev. M.S. Smith (The Homelitic Monthly and Pastoral Review, Trinity Sunday, May 1922) Special thanks to Robert Olson
Prayer to the Holy Trinity by Saint Elizabeth de la Trinité
"O my God, Trinity whom I adore, let me entirely forget myself that I may abide in You, still and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity; let nothing disturb my peace nor separate me from You, O my unchanging God, but that each moment may take me further into the depths of Your mystery ! Pacify my soul! Make it Your heaven, Your beloved home and place of Your repose; let me never leave You there alone, but may I be ever attentive, ever alert in my faith, ever adoring and all given up to Your creative action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified for love, would that I might be for You a spouse of Your heart! I would anoint You with glory, I would love You – even unto death! Yet I sense my frailty and ask You to adorn me with Yourself; identify my soul with all the movements of Your soul, submerge me, overwhelm me, substitute Yourself in me that my life may become but a reflection of Your life. Come into me as Adorer, Redeemer and Saviour.
O Eternal Word, Word of my God, would that I might spend my life listening to You, would that I might be fully receptive to learn all from You; in all darkness, all loneliness, all weakness, may I ever keep my eyes fixed on You and abide under Your great light; O my Beloved Star, fascinate me so that I may never be able to leave Your radiance.
O Consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, descend into my soul and make all in me as an incarnation of the Word, that I may be to Him a super-added humanity wherein He renews His mystery; and You O Father, bestow Yourself and bend down to Your little creature, seeing in her only Your beloved Son in whom You are well pleased.
O my `Three’, my All, my Beatitude, infinite
Solitude, Immensity in whom I lose myself, I give myself to You as a
prey to be consumed; enclose Yourself in me that I may be absorbed in
You so as to contemplate in Your light the abyss of Your Splendour !"
Ember Saturday in Whitsun Week. Christ was entombed. (Fast and half-abstinence)
by VP
Posted on Saturday May 25, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
Prayer for Good Harvest, Félix de Vigne
"As God was pleased at this time to show mercy to His apostles, in sending to them the Holy Ghost, to prepare them for duly satisfying that great charge, which Christ had committed to them, consider how desirable it is that He should show mercy to you likewise, and by the operation of the same Holy Spirit, vouchsafe to prepare you for satisfying the obligations, which belongs to your state. You are a Christian: endeavour therefore to understand the import of this word, and to have a sense of all the obligations annexed to this character. You have lived perhaps many years in this profession; but how little care have you taken to know the duties belonging to this name! Beg now that the Holy Ghost would enter into your soul, and that you may now live by his Spirit. He will take off your heart from the world, and practically convince you that all that belongs to this world is vanity and affliction of spirit. He will give you a dislike of all that has hitherto pleased you, to the prejudice of your soul; so that you will now have no relish for those entertainments, which you know to be vain and foolish. He will lessen in you all worldly solicitude; and let not the concerns of this life any more possess your heart with excess. You will then have it fixed in your mind that all the things of this world are but momentary, and daily pass away, and whether they please or displease us, must soon come to an end; and therefore that you ought not to afflict yourself about them, and much less, let the concern for them take off your heart from eternity.
This being an Ember Day, recommend to the fatherly providence of God the fruits of the earth; begging that by his blessing all may go on to a plentiful harvest. Beseech Him also to preserve us from all pestilential distempers, both in man and beast; and grant us such a sense of gratitude, that the enjoyment of his blessings may oblige us not only to be thankful, but likewise faithful to our merciful and gracious benefactor." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Prayers for Ember Days:
Listen, Almighty God, we beseech Thee, to the prayers which Thy universal Church offers to Thee at this time, beseeching Thy blessing on those who are about to be admitted to Thy Holy Service of the Altar, in particular on Deacons Cong lee and Ross Williams. Give Thy grace to all who are called to any office and administration amongst Thy clergy, and so replenish them with the truth of Thy doctrine, and indue them with innocence of life, that they may faithfully serve Thee, to the glory of Thy great name and the benefit of Thy Holy Church. Amen
O God, of Whose mercies there is no number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite, we humbly thank Thee for the gifts thou hast bestowed upon us. Continue Thy mercy to us, and give us also so much of Thy temporal blessings as Thou knowest to be for our good. Grant that the fruits of the earth may, by Thy holy favor, increase and multiply. Defend them from all drought, frosts or tempests, or whatever else may be hurtful to them. It is from Thy hand only that we look for succor, and to Thee we have recourse in all our necessities. Amen.
Source: St. John's Manual 1856, Archbishop of New York John J. Hugues
Ember Friday in Whitsun Week. Christ was crucified (Fast and abstinence)
by VP
Posted on Friday May 24, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
"THIS being the time, when the Holy Ghost, the Comforter as Christ had promised, came down upon the apostles, in the form of fiery tongues, and so replenished them with anew spirit, that they were now fitted for that great work, which Christ had recommended to them, of preaching His faith to all nations; with gratitude acknowledged this mercy, and give praise to God for the blessing of this time. The Holy Spirit was sent down upon the apostles to be their guide, to teach them, and lead them into all truth; to be their light, to go before them, and give them understanding: to be their comforter, to abide with them for ever. He was their life and strength; He prepared and fitted them to preach the faith of Christ to all nations, and to establish his Church as an eternal kingdom. Endeavour to be truly sensible of this goodness, and that living a faithful servant of God, you may have the benefit of His holy institution. Express your hearty desires, that as this Holy Church is your unspeakable comfort and support, amidst the distracted notions of an unbelieving world, so it may daily bring forth children to God, who may walk here by the Gospel and spirit of our Lord Jesus, and being translated from this Gis mystical body here on earth, may be added to those choirs above, there to give him eternal praises for all His mercies.
It being Ember Week, join in fasting, humiliation, and prayer, as the Church requires, and offer your petitions to God, in particular for those, who at this time are promoted to Holy Orders, throughout the Church; that the Holy
Ghost may rest upon them, and every way prepare them for that great and
difficult charge, to which they are called. Recommend to Almighty God
all the ministers of His holy altar, that they may be vested with holiness, and walk in all things, according to the sanctity of their vocation; that when the prince of pastors shall appear, they may receive an unfading crown of glory." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Prayer to the Holy Ghost for Priests
O Holy Ghost, Thou Friend of priests, send them daily Thy seven gifts, that they may live worthy of their calling, and become all to all in order to win souls for heaven. Give them patience with children, pity for the sick, humility toward the poor, and generosity toward the enemies of Thy holy Church. Make them active in teaching, untiring in the tribunal of penance, and zealous in distributing Holy Communion. Let them be terrible to the demons of hell and messengers of peace to all who are of good will. May Thy blessing accompany them wherever they may go; may Thy peace enter with them in the dwellings they may visit; mayest Thou bless all whom they may bless. Make them true apostles and saints. Amen. Come Holy Ghost, a compilation of prayers in honor of the Divine Spirit. 1932 Fr. Lester Martin Dooley.
Ember Wednesday in Whitsun Week.
by VP
Posted on Wednesday May 22, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
"It may appear extraordinary, that in this great solemnity of joy and thanksgiving, the Church should oblige her children to fasting, humiliation, and penance. The reason is, that in this week bishops confer Holy Orders, ordaining priests, deacons, and other ministers of the Church. Being sensible how absolutely necessary the Holy Ghost is for them, in the discharge of their sacred functions, the Church summons the faithful to make their addresses to God in their behalf, in fasting and prayer; that so this spirit may be abundantly poured forth upon them, and they may thus be made worthy ministers of God's Church. This summons ought to be faithfully obeyed by all; inasmuch as this is a great concern of the whole body, of which they are members. Unhappy those, who on these days, when the Church obliges, never concern themselves about imploring the assistance of God's Holy Spirit for such as are presented for this important charge, but seek profanely their own amusement and satisfaction, when they should be making their application to God in the spirit of humility, for this public good. How ought we all then to pray this day, that none may be promoted to Holy Orders, but such as are called by Almighty God, and prepared by His special grace to be fit ministers in his Church. By the blood of His only Son, He has purchased to Himself a Church, for the glory of His name, and for instructing the whole world in His saving truths. Beg of Him therefore mercifully to secure it under His protection, and fulfil all His promises to it, that it may answer all those holy purposes, for which it was ordained. Pray to Him to be the pastor of all its pastors; and by the influence of His grace, so to direct and govern them, that they may be so many lights to the flock, and both by word and example, lead them in the way of salvation. And in a special manner recommend to His fatherly care, all, who at this time are promoted to Holy Orders throughout the Church." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Let us pray the Holy Spirit to enlighten our bishop in the choice of worthy candidates for the Holy Priesthood.
"On Ember days we pray and make sacrifices for ourselves, our families, the Church and the world." We should never let these seasons pass without adding prayer to our fasts, or it may be compensating fast by prayer. Our prayer should be for the clergy, not only those ordained, though for them especially; but for the Sovereign Pontiff, the cardinals, bishops, parochial clergy, missionaries and religious orders, seminarians; and for the grace of vocation to the priesthood.
Brief Meditations for Pentecost Ember Days
Today is Ember Wednesday of the Summer or Pentecost Embertide. These Ember Days fall during the week after Pentecost (the traditional octave of Pentecost), near the summer solstice. The three focal points for the Ember Days of this period of the year are:
1) to ask God to bless especially the wheat harvest,
2) to thank God for the season of summer, and
3) to ask for special graces for those being ordained as priests during this season.
- An excellent prayer for this purpose is the Litany of the Saints, in which so many bishops, priests, and levites are invoked; or the Rosary may be appropriately said, grouping those for whom we pray into five classes (Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Seminarians), corresponding to the five decades.
- Listen, Almighty God, we beseech Thee, to the prayers which Thy universal Church offers to Thee at this time, beseeching Thy blessing on those who are about to be admitted to Thy Holy Service of the Altar, in particular on Deacon Cong lee andRoss Williams. Give Thy grace to all who are called to any office and administration amongst Thy clergy, and so replenish them with the truth of Thy doctrine, and indue them with innocence of life, that they may faithfully serve Thee, to the glory of Thy great name and the benefit of Thy Holy Church. Amen
- O God, of Whose mercies there is no number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite, we humbly thank Thee for the gifts thou hast bestowed upon us. Continue Thy mercy to us, and give us also so much of Thy temporal blessings as Thou knowest to be for our good. Grant that the fruits of the earth may, by Thy holy favor, increase and multiply. Defend them from all drought, frosts or tempests, or whatever else may be hurtful to them. It is from Thy hand only that we look for succor, and to Thee we have recourse in all our necessities. Amen. Source: St. John's Manual 1856, Archbishop of New York John J. Hugues
Source: Ember Days (Cure d'Ars Prayer Group)
Pentecost
by VP
Posted on Sunday May 19, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
Digitized by google
Jesus, Good Shepherd, You sent us the Holy Spirit to guide Your Church
and lead her faithful to You through the ministry of Your priests.
Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, grant to Your priests wisdom in leading,
faithfulness in teaching, and holiness in guarding Your sacred Mysteries.
As they cry out with all the faithful, "Abba, Father!" may Your priests be ever
more closely identified with You in Your divine Sonship and offer their own lives
with You, the one saving Victim. Make them helpful brothers of one another,
and understanding fathers of all Your people.
On this Pentecost Sunday, renew in Your priests deeper faith, greater trust in You,
childlike reliance on our Mother Mary, and unwavering fidelity to the Holy Father and his bishops.
Holy Mary, intercede for your priests.
St. Joseph, protect them.
St. Michael, defend them.
St. John Vianney, pray for them.
Amen.
Our Lord spoke these words to His apostles before His Passion,- but they were not to have effect till after His ascension into heaven. It was not His will that they should have the courage and confidence to which He here exhorts them till that time which we celebrate today, when the Holy Ghost came upon them and fitted them for the great work to which they were appointed. Even while our Lord was with them after His resurrection, and still more after He had ascended and left them to themselves, they were anxious and fearful, not daring to call themselves His disciples or to risk anything for His sake. But when they received the Holy Ghost all this was changed. They confessed Christ openly; all their doubts and fears were gone; and "they rejoiced," as we read in the Acts, "that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus. And they ceased not every day, in the temple and from house to house, to teach and preach Christ Jesus."
Now, we ought to imitate their conduct after Pentecost, and not that before. For we have not the excuse that they had before that time. We have received the Holy Ghost, as they did. He has not come on us visibly in fiery tongues, but He has come just as really and truly in the sacrament of confirmation which we have received. There is no reason for us to be troubled or afraid; when the Holy Ghost came into our hearts He brought courage and confidence with Him ; He brought them to each one of us, as He did to the holy apostles.
And He gave this courage and confidence to each of us for the same reason as to them, because we have all to be apostles in our own way and degree. We have not all got to preach Christ publicly, as they did, but we have all got to speak a word for Him when the proper occasion comes. We have not all got to die for Christ, as they did, but we have got to suffer something for the sake of our faith in Him, and that quite often, too, it may be. We have a real duty in this matter; we shall be rewarded if we fulfill it, and punished if we do not. It was not for His apostles only but for each one of us that those words of His were meant: "Everyone that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven ; but he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven."
And yet how often must it be acknowledged, to our shame and disgrace, that Christians do deny their Lord and Master before men! I do not mean that they deny their faith, and say they are not Catholics when they are asked; this, thank God, though it does happen, is not so very common. But is it not common enough to find young Catholic men and women with whom one might associate for years and never suspect them to be Catholics, and, in fact, be quite sure that they were not and this not merely because they do not parade their religion, but because they do not defend it when it is attacked; because they agree with, and even express, all sorts of infidel, heretical, false, and so-called liberal opinions, that they may not give offense; or even, perhaps, with out any sort of need, but only to win favor for themselves by falling in with the fashion of those with whom they associate.
And how often, again, do Christians, even if they do stand up for their faith, cast contempt on it in the eyes of the world by acting and talking just as if it had no power over their lives, and was never meant to have any! They curse, and swear, and talk immodestly, just as those do who do not profess to believe in God and Christ, and even, perhaps, worse. Or if they do not go so far as this, they laugh at profanity and impurity, and make companions of those who are addicted to these vices ; and this they do, not because they really wish to do or to sanction such things, but merely from a miserable weakness that prevents them from facing a little contempt and unpopularity. What would they do, if called on to shed their blood for Christ, who cannot bear even to be laughed at a little for being practical Catholics? They are like cowardly soldiers who run away from a battle at the first smoke from the enemy's guns.
You know what a shame it is for a soldier to be a coward. And now try to remember, dear Christians, especially on this holy day, that a Christian has got to be a soldier, and that if he is a coward he disgraces himself and his cause. The Holy Ghost is given to us in confirmation that we may not be weak and cowardly, but strong and perfect Christians, and true soldiers of Jesus Christ. If you have not yet received Him in this way make haste to do so; if you have, make use of the graces which He has given you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid; there is nothing to be afraid of, for God is on your side. Do not fear but rather count it a joy to suffer a little persecution for His name. "
Ascension
by VP
Posted on Thursday May 09, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
Image source: Prince of Glory digitized by google public domain
"Our Savior ascended into Heaven in order to leave Priests upon earth as stewards and dispensers of the gifts which (as St. Thomas says) He sends from His eternal throne in Heaven, where He sits as God and Lord.
If visible miracles are less frequent in these days than they were in the first ages of Christianity, yet spiritual miracles are still of frequent occurrence; for says St. Gregory Holy Church now works in spiritual things what the Apostles did in corporal things. In truth, Her ministers cast our the devil from the souls of the Faithful; they speak with that tongue of the Apostles which is not spoken by others; they take up serpents, that is to say, those vices which creep about the world, and would induce penitents to fall again into sins; in Sacramental Confession they drink in with the ear the poison of sinful narratives, and this poison does not hurt them; they cure the sick, that is to say, those who are tormented with spiritual maladies, so says St. Bernard. And these miracles are greater than corporal miracles, inasmuch as they are concerned with men's souls, with grace, with eternity; which are more precious than the body, and nature, and time, says St. Gregory.
Therefore, let us rejoice in the Lord that we (priests) are destined to such great works! Source: Meditations for the use of the Clergy, Fr. Angelo Scotti
On the Ascension of our Lord, by Bishop Richard Challoner:
"CONSIDER first, that our Lord, after having employed forty days upon earth, to comfort and encourage his disciples, to confirm them in the faith of his Resurrection, and to instruct them in the mysteries of His kingdom, on the fortieth day taking them out with him to Mount Olivet, lifted up His hands and gave them His blessing, and so ascended up visibly to Heaven before their eyes, till a cloud interposed, and took Him out of their sight. Bow thyself down, my soul, to receive with joy and gratitude this blessing of thy Saviour ascending now to His Father, and to thy Father; follow Him in spirit, and contemplate the triumphs and joy of all the heavenly legions that come out to meet Him, and attend Him to His Father's throne: see how He brings along with Him all the patriarchs, prophets, and spirits of the just, into those regions of eternal bliss, and presents them to His Father as the first fruits of His purchase, which He had made upon earth, with His precious Blood. See with joy thy human nature, in the person of thy Lord, raised above all the Cherubims and Seraphims, and seated at the right hand of God; and exercise thyself upon this occasion in acts of love, in the way of congratulation, and of rejoicing at the exaltation and triumphs of thy Saviour.
Consider 2dly that our Lord by His Ascension, has taken possession of the kingdom of Heaven, not only for Himself, but also for us. He purchased this kingdom for us with His own blood, He opened the gates of it by His death, He showed us the way to it by His resurrection, and by His ascension He has given us, as it were, an earnest of our coming one day to reign there with Him. He is our head, we are His members; it is but natural that where the head is, there the members should also be; it would be unnatural, it would be keeping them in a state of violence, to keep them separate from their head. What comfort then to Christian souls to see their head, by this mystery of His Ascension unto Heaven, raised to the highest seat in that eternal kingdom, in order to draw them thither after Him, and in the midtime, preparing a place for them there, that He may in proper time, come and "take them to Himself, that where He is they also may be !" St. John xiv.
Consider 3dly, what further motives we have for rejoicing in the Ascension of our Lord, when we reflect that He has entered into Heaven in quality of our parent, of our friend, of our advocate and mediator, of our high priest, &c. Oh what encouragements are here to raise our hopes! We have a tender Father in Heaven, the true parent of our souls, Who has also power in the court of Heaven, and takes exceedingly to heart our true interest; we have there in the person of our Redeemer, a most affectionate friend, who loves us with an incomparable love; we have a most faithful mediator and advocate, who ever pleads for us with the powerful eloquence of His sacred wounds, which He continually presents to His Father in our behalf; we have a high priest, who to make atonement for us, has carried into this heavenly sanctuary, not the blood of oxen, or of goats, but His own most sacred Blood, shed for obtaining for us an everlasting redemption. O see my soul, upon how many accounts thou oughtest to rejoice on the festival of the Ascension of our Lord, if thou either lovest Him or thyself."
Conclude to consider this festival of the Ascension of our Lord, as one of the principal solemnities of the year. The Church of God considers it as such, and therefore, daily commemorates in a particular manner, in the most sacred mysteries, not only the Passion and Resurrection, but also the Ascension of our heavenly Spouse, as the mystery which put the last seal as it were, to the great work of our redemption, and placed this flesh of ours in heaven, even at the right hand of the Father, which, at the fall of our first parents, had been sentenced to return to its original earth."
Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel on Mt. Gargano, Italy
by VP
Posted on Wednesday May 08, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
Saint Michael, Sacred Heart Dunn, NC
"The holy archangel Michael has ever been honoured in the Christian Church as her guardian under God, and as the protector of the faithful. For God is pleased to employ the zeal and charity of the good angels and their leader against the malice of the devil. To thank Almighty God for this benefit of his merciful providence, is this festival instituted by the Church in honour of the good angels: in which devotion she has been encouraged by several apparitions of this glorious archangel. Among others it is recorded that St. Michael, in a vision, admonished the bishop of Siponto to build a church in his honour on Mount Gargano, in the kingdom of Naples, which happened in the fifth century.
Many apparitions of good angels in favour of men, are recorded both in the Old and New Testaments. It is mentioned in particular of this special guardian and protector of the Church, that in the persecution of Antichrist he will powerfully stand up in her defense: At that time shall Michael rise up, who standeth for the children of thy people. He is not only the protector of the Church, but of every faithful soul. He defeated the devil by humility; we are enlisted in the same warfare. His arms were humility and an ardent love of God: the same must be our weapons.
Give thanks to God for that glory which the angels enjoy. Unite with them in adoring your Creator, and falling down before the Lamb who sits upon the throne. Acknowledge their praises to be justly due; rejoice that God is worthily praised by them; and lament the unworthy performance of that part which belongs to you. Give thanks for the fidelity of St. Michael and the other angels in resisting the dragon; and for the victory
which they gained. Pray for a like fidelity, as often as you shall be
assaulted by that powerful enemy; and beseech God that in all
temptations his holy angels may stand by you. If those pure spirits, who
had none to tempt them, fell from heaven, how ought man to fear, who is
encompassed with a body of sin, and has the world and hell against him? Help us therefore, O God, or we perish." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
"Guardian Angel of Holy Church! now is the time for thee to exert all the might of thine arm. Satan is furious in his efforts against the noble Spouse of thy Master; brandish thy bright sword, and give battle to this implacable enemy. The Kingdom of Christ is shaken to its very foundations. (...). Is it that the reign of the Man of Sin is about to be proclaimed on the earth? Are we near that Last Day, when this guilty world having been destroyed by fire, thou art to exercise, in the name of the Sovereign Judge, the terrible office of separating the goats from the sheep?—If this earth is still to exist; if the mission of the Church is not yet completed; is it not time for thee, O Michael! to show the Dragon of hell that he may not, with impunity, insult on this earth the God who created it, who redeemed it, and whose name is King of kings, and Lord of lord? The torrent of error and crime is unceasingly dragging the world to the brink of the precipice; save it, O glorious Archangel, by confounding the dark plots which are laid for its destruction!" Dom Gueranger
Prayer to the Holy Angels for Parishes :
All you legions and choirs of Angels,
please make haste to come to the aid and defense of our One Holy Roman
Catholic Church. Led by St. Michael, may She be protected from
destruction within by all modernistic attempts that try to diminish the
true presence of God and take away His proper and due respect! In
particular, come to the aid of my parish (name your parish) that it may
remain or be remade to be a place of reverence and a stronghold from
which the One True Triune God may continue to lead and strengthen us.
Amen.
Rogation Wednesday: On Other Exercises of the Love of God
by VP
Posted on Wednesday May 08, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
"Consider first, that Divine Love is also exercised in the penitential way by souls that, like Magdalene, (of whom our Lord pronounced that many sins were forgiven her because she loved much), go daily to the feet of Christ, in spirit, to wash them with their tears, flowing from a heart full of a sense of the infinite goodness of God, and of a deep regret for having offended that infinite goodness by their sins. This exercise of penitential love, as we see in the case of Magdalene, is most acceptable to our Lord, and most effectual for obtaining the discharge of all our sins; and, if diligently pursued, is capable of advancing even those that have been the greatest sinners to a high degree of virtue and sanctity. And whosoever has forfeited his baptismal innocence by mortal sin, if he would follow the rules of Christian prudence in choosing the safest way in a case where his all is at stake, should endeavor to pursue this exercise of penitential love, and never end it but with his life. Thus did all those great penitents of old who became afterwards such glorious saints. And this kind of exercise of love will become in a manner natural to all such as have a right sense of what God is and what sin is, and of the dreadful evil they have been guilty of in offending, though it were but once in their life, so great and so good a God.
Consider 2ndly, that there are also other ways of mourning in which we may exercise a love of God, most agreeable to Him, and beneficial to ourselves. As when we sit down at the foot of the cross, and there contemplating the extreme anguish and distress, the stripes and wounds, the racking pains and torments of our dear Redeemer, with all that complication of sufferings in all kinds which he endured in His passion for the love of us, we excite in our souls suitable affections of an ardent love in the way of compassion for our crucified Lover, and feed this fire with tears, flowing at the sight of His blood; which, as it shows forth in the most sensible manner His tender affection for us, so it most strongly calls for a return of our love, accompanied with a bitter grief to see our beloved treated with so much cruelty and contempt. Upon the same principle of the concern that every true lover has, to see the outrages offered to his beloved, we may also exercise a love most agreeable to our Lord, in mourning for the innumerable sins that are daily committed against Him throughout the whole world; to see His infinite goodness slighted, His sacred laws and ordinances trodden under foot, His mercies continually abused, and His most adorable majesty treated with the utmost contempt, by poor blind mortals, made by Him, and for Him redeemed by the blood of His Son, and loaded with innumerable favors, to engage them to love Him and serve Him. Oh! how can any true lover of God endure to see these outrages offered to His infinite majesty without having His heart perfectly broken with grief to see His Love thus abused?
Consider 3rdly, that, besides these exercises of the love of benevolence in the penitential and compassionate way, there is another most perfect exercise of love, and which comes the nearest to the love of the blessed in heaven; and that is, in the way of joy and congratulation - as when we rejoice in God and in His boundless perfections; when we are delighted to think that He is what He is, infinitely good, infinitely holy, infinitely happy, infinitely perfect; that He is the sovereign Lord of all, and that nothing can be added to Him, because He is every way infinite. O, what a comfort, what a pleasure, what a joy it is to a true lover of God to think that whatsoever may come to himself, or to any other thing in the world, his Love at least, whom he loves without comparison more than himself and all things else, will always be infinitely glorious, infinitely rich, and infinitely happy! O how like is this love to that of the blessed, even to that love that makes them blessed, which is an eternal joy in God and in all the beauties and perfections they contemplate in Him - this is their eternal delight.
Conclude to dedicate thyself for time and eternity to this most perfect love of God. Make it thy employment here, and it will be thy eternal reward hereafter. In the mean time, labor also to promote as much as thou canst, upon every occasion, the praise and glory of thy maker, the interests of His kingdom, the fulfilling of all His wills, as well in thyself as in all others; be concerned at every thing that displeases Him, put thy heart continually in His hands, give thyself and all things else to Him a hundred times in the day. Such acts as these, frequently repeated in the day, will secure to thee the rich treasure of divine love; by such exercises thou wilt effectually choose the better part, which will never be taken from thee."
Source: Challoner's MeditationsthenOn this day of Rogation, we beg of Thee, O Lord, in Thy mercy, to hear and answer our fervent petitions:
Do Thou, O Lord, defend Thy Holy Church and all Its members against the
snares of the enemy, the powers of evil, and all temporal misfortunes;
Deliver us, O Lord.
From all false doctrine and loss of faith; Deliver us, O Lord.
From famine, disease, and plague; Deliver us, O Lord.
From all captivity by our enemies; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the legions of Hell; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of the world and the flesh; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of pride and disobedience; Deliver us, O Lord.
That Godʼs Holy Church may dwell in peace and unity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thy True Catholic Church may spread throughout all nations; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve, bless, and defend the Bishop Thou hast chosen to govern Thy flock; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to the members of Thy Church the grace to live
in humility and obedience; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all the members of Thy Holy Church be preserved from all spiritual and physical harm; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst sustain all the members of Thy One, True, Church in
holiness, physical well-being, and material necessity; O Lord, we
beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst convert all peoples to Thy One, True, Holy, Catholic Church; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church and our parishes from all
division, dissension, and disunity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church from all those who have fallen into heresy and schism; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst inspire in the hearts of the faithful a greater spirit of charity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant the blessings of wisdom and holiness to our
Clerics in preparing for the Priesthood; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear
us.
That Thou wouldst preserve our Priests and Religious in the spirit of
charity, piety, holiness, and fervent zeal for souls; O Lord, we beseech
Thee, hear us.
Thou wouldst bless all of our missionary and apostolic labors and grant
abundant conversion of souls; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant abundant laborers to work in the harvest of
souls, and grant to all of our Religious perseverance in their holy
Vocation; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst imbue our youth with the spirit of piety and love of their Holy Faith; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to Thy Church a favorable outcome in all our
court cases, legal actions, and attacks of the press and all of our
enemies; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bless our Diocese, our Priory, our Friary, our
Seminary, our Convent, our schools, and all our apostolic undertakings; O
Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Let us pray:
Almighty and Everlasting God, we commend unto Thee Thy Holy Catholic
Church: that Thou wouldst grant unto Her peace, unity, and Thy
protection, while shielding Her against the attacks of Her enemies and
subjecting to Her the powers of evil. We thank Thee, O Lord, for the
many blessings Thou hast bestowed upon us, and we beseech Thee to assist
us to live peaceful and tranquil lives; through the same Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Rogation Tuesday: On Acts of Divine Love
by VP
Posted on Tuesday May 07, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
"Consider first, that the love of God is like a fire: its nature is to be always in motion, and always tending upwards towards its heavenly element; it quickly expires and dies if it lies idle. Wherefore if we would keep it alive, we must nourish it, and blow it up by frequent acts of love; and those not mere verbal acts, by telling God that we love Him, whilst our heart perhaps is far from Him, but by the real exercise of loving God both in our heart and in our works. We exercise the love of God in our heart, by affection; we exercise the love of God in our works, by effects. We love God with a love of chaste concupiscence, when in heart and work we tend to Him as our sovereign good, and aspire after the eternal enjoyment of Him. We love Him with a love of benevolence, that is of sincere and perfect friendship and charity, when both in heart and work we give our whole selves, with all our thoughts, words, and deeds, and all things else to Him, as being infinitely good in Himself. It is just we should exercise ourselves in acts of the love of God in both these ways, as in both these ways He is infinitely amiable but more especially that we should tend to love Him with the love of benevolence, by giving ourselves and all things to Him.
Consider 2ndly, that benevolence is a love by which we wish all manner of good to the person beloved; a love by which we earnestly seek and procure whatever may be for his honor, interest, or pleasure; by which we delight in all his advantages, and are concerned at all his losses, etc. Wherefore, if we would make proper acts of the love of benevolence towards God, we must desire, seek, and procure, as much as lies in us, the greater honor and glory of His name, and the propagation of His kingdom, both in our own hearts and throughout the whole world, and pray that all men may know Him, love Him, and serve Him; we must rejoice at every thing that is agreeable to his Holy Will, and be concerned at every thing that offends Him. This is the proper exercise of the love of benevolence; these are far better acts of divine charity than merely telling God that we love Him. My soul, what are thy dispositions? Dost thou sincerely desire and heartily pray that all the world may know, love, and serve thy God; that all his creatures in heaven and earth may give perpetual glory to Him; that the reign of sin may be abolished; and that the kingdom of God may take possession of all hearts; that none may resist or rebel against His orders; but that all may embrace and bow down, and adore His Divine Will? If so, there is no doubt but thou lovest God. Such as these are perfect acts of the love of God.
Consider 3rdly, that the exercise of the love of God, which, above all others, is recommended in Holy Scriptures, is the loving of his Divine Law and the keeping of His commandments. "This is the charity (that is the love) of God that we keep his commandments," 1 John v. 3. "He that keepeth his word, in him, in very deed, the charity of God is perfected,’ chap. ii. 5. The beloved disciple continually recommends acts of this kind of Divine Love, and the Psalms are full of aspirations or breathings of a soul that is in love with the Holy Law and commandments of God. This devotion to the commandments of God is loving God indeed with a true and effectual love, because it is giving up for His sake what is most dear to us, viz., our own will and liberty, and making a present of it to Him; it is giving Him what He chiefly calls for at our hands; whatsoever else we give Him can never content Him. He always prefers the sacrifice of obedience before all other sacrifices, because here we sacrifice to Him our own clear will, and immolate it, as it were, to His honor and glory. This kind of love is the safest from illusions, for whosoever loves the commandments of God and His Divine Will, and makes all that is in him submit thereunto, most certainly loves God, and is in the right way that will bring him safe to God. No other devotion without this can secure any man.
Conclude to exercise thyself daily in all these ways of loving God, and ever remember that loving God and keeping His commandments go always hand-in-hand, because we cannot love God without loving His Will, notified to us by His commandments."
Source: Challoner's MeditationsthenOn this day of Rogation, we beg of Thee, O Lord, in Thy mercy, to hear and answer our fervent petitions:
Do Thou, O Lord, defend Thy Holy Church and all Its members against the
snares of the enemy, the powers of evil, and all temporal misfortunes;
Deliver us, O Lord.
From all false doctrine and loss of faith; Deliver us, O Lord.
From famine, disease, and plague; Deliver us, O Lord.
From all captivity by our enemies; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the legions of Hell; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of the world and the flesh; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of pride and disobedience; Deliver us, O Lord.
That Godʼs Holy Church may dwell in peace and unity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thy True Catholic Church may spread throughout all nations; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve, bless, and defend the Bishop Thou hast chosen to govern Thy flock; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to the members of Thy Church the grace to live
in humility and obedience; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all the members of Thy Holy Church be preserved from all spiritual and physical harm; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst sustain all the members of Thy One, True, Church in
holiness, physical well-being, and material necessity; O Lord, we
beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst convert all peoples to Thy One, True, Holy, Catholic Church; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church and our parishes from all
division, dissension, and disunity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church from all those who have fallen into heresy and schism; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst inspire in the hearts of the faithful a greater spirit of charity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant the blessings of wisdom and holiness to our
Clerics in preparing for the Priesthood; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear
us.
That Thou wouldst preserve our Priests and Religious in the spirit of
charity, piety, holiness, and fervent zeal for souls; O Lord, we beseech
Thee, hear us.
Thou wouldst bless all of our missionary and apostolic labors and grant
abundant conversion of souls; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant abundant laborers to work in the harvest of
souls, and grant to all of our Religious perseverance in their holy
Vocation; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst imbue our youth with the spirit of piety and love of their Holy Faith; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to Thy Church a favorable outcome in all our
court cases, legal actions, and attacks of the press and all of our
enemies; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bless our Diocese, our Priory, our Friary, our
Seminary, our Convent, our schools, and all our apostolic undertakings; O
Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Let us pray:
Almighty and Everlasting God, we commend unto Thee Thy Holy Catholic
Church: that Thou wouldst grant unto Her peace, unity, and Thy
protection, while shielding Her against the attacks of Her enemies and
subjecting to Her the powers of evil. We thank Thee, O Lord, for the
many blessings Thou hast bestowed upon us, and we beseech Thee to assist
us to live peaceful and tranquil lives; through the same Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.