CAPG's Blog 

The purification of the Virgin Guido Reni

"On this day, on which we celebrate the purification of the blessed Virgin Mary, consider if you have not sufficient motives to oblige you to undertake your own purification. How much do you want of those holy dispositions, which brought the blessed Virgin this day to the temple? Though you can never hope to obtain either humility or obedience to equal hers; yet the distance between you and her gives scope to your endeavors to advance many degrees beyond what at present are. You have a wide field open before you, wherein to work upon yourself, and make some progress towards that purification, without which you can have no advantage in this day's solemnity.

Candles being blessed and distributed on this day, in memory of Christ's being acknowledged and declared the light of the Gentiles, in taking a candle you are to confess Christ to be the true light of the world, and beg that He will mercifully please to be a light to you, both living and dying. If you follow Him, He will be a light to your feet, and conduct you into the ways of true humility and obedience, who in submission to His Father's will, humbled Himself even to the death of the cross. By His help, you will soon discover all the frauds of your treacherous nature; you will learn to unmask all those vain pretexts, by which you are so often misled, and plainly distinguish between the dictates of self-love or corrupt practice, and the commands of God.

It is for want of this light that you so often go out of the way; while, as in the absence of the sun, you set up other lights in his place, so in not having the light of Christ and His justice to direct you, you substitute in His place a false light, and a false justice to be your guide. To how many unavoidable dangers must you then be exposed, when the way in which you are obliged to walk is so very narrow, and attended with precipices on every side? How can you here go on with any safety, when you have nothing before you but false lights, which confound the sight, and often blind your eyes?

This is the true cause of all the errors, injustices, and wickedness in the world. Men go on in the most unwarrantable ways, and they all have their reasons, which give them a sort of assurance and satisfaction in what they do: they have a kind of light which ever accompanies them, but they are not sincere in examining what light it is. They are not solicitous to take Christ with them; and then the enemy is ready enough to offer them false lights in his place. Their deceitful nature is too ready to accept them, because they lead to what pleases. Hence many taking but one false step in the beginning, it is often followed by most destructive consequences, which are almost irrecoverable. Hence we see a world almost entirely corrupt, and even great numbers of those who pretend to salvation, living in the practice of daily frauds, injustice, and oppressions; in most notorious disorders of prodigality, pride, self-love, and intemperance: and yet all generally persuading themselves that things are well enough. Thus blind and deluded they go on, till the entrance into eternity opens their eyes.

And how will you escape this misfortune; being equally subject to the same misery with others, of deceiving yourself? You have no other means to prevent it, but by making choice of that divine light, which is this day offered you, even Christ Himself. Beg therefore earnestly, that He will ever be a light to you: commit yourself to His guidance: have great confidence in His assistance; begin nothing without Him; submit with humility and obedience to all the ways of His commands and providence; and be ever on the watch, that no consideration of yourself, or the world, may draw you out of this way. Beg of Jesus, to let His light go before you, and to give you so sincere and docile a heart, as ever to follow where He directs." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother

Tradition: the churching of women

• Some traditional customs of the church can raise hackles. One of those of recent memory is something called “the churching of women.” Many people — incorrectly — believed that women were not allowed to return to Mass after childbirth because of some impurity on their part. While no longer common in the church, this ritual took place until the liturgical changes after Vatican II in the early 1970s and involved the return of mothers to the celebration of Mass after the birth of a child. Why women stayed away from church after a birth? Compass, Official publication Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin  By Patricia Kasten | Catholic News Service | February 1, 2015

• "Instruction for women after Childbirth: "Churching of women"
  
  
  The law of purification in the Old Testament, it is true, no longer applies to Christian women, because the Church has done away with Jewish ceremonies. But the spirit and intention of that law the Church would yet have complied with. She permits women, therefore, to remain at home, with a good conscience, for six weeks after childbirth, or so long as circumstances may require, without attending divine service, in order to care for their health. This permission is, at the same time, an excellent admonition:

- to women: that, in order to their recovery, they should refrain from anger, from exposure, from hard labor, from injurious food;

- to men: not to refuse their wives during this period, set apart by God Himself under the Old Law, the rest and attention which their nature requires.

But when this time is past the Church desires that women, should, after the example of Mary, repair to the church with their children, to procure the blessing of the priest, to give thanks to God for their safe delivery, to dedicate their children to Him, and to implore of Him, with the priest, grace to bring up their offspring in piety and holiness. In this consists the so-called "churching of women"; and, from what has been said, it is evident, not only that it contains nothing to be ashamed of, but that it should by no means be omitted by such as desire God's blessing. "
Goffine's Devout instructions on the Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays and holydays:1896

Wikipedia

"16. Do not be deceived, my brethren. Those who ruin homes will not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, if those who do this to gratify the flesh are liable to death, how much more a man who by evil doctrine ruins the faith in God, for which Jesus Christ was crucified! Such a filthy creature will go into the unquenchable fire, as will anyone that listens to him.

17. The Lord permitted myrrh to be poured on His head that He might breathe incorruption upon the Church. Do not let yourselves be anointed with the malodorous doctrine of the Prince of this world, for fear he may carry you off into captivity, away from the life that is in store for you. Why do we not all become wise, having received knowledge of God, that is Jesus Christ! Why do we perish in folly, failing to appreciate the gift which the Lord has sent us in truth!" Source: St. Ignatius of Antioch Epistles To the Ephesians, 1946 p 66.

February: Month of the Holy Family

Virtue: Humility

Holy Family, Saint Joseph Catholic Church Raleigh NC ©CAPG

A prayer to the Holy Family for the fulfillment of our Christian duties.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to love our Holy Church as we ought above all earthly things, and to show our love for it always and with the evidence of deeds.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to profess, as we ought, openly, with courage and without human respect, the faith we received as a gift with holy baptism
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to co-operate in the defense and propagation of the faith, as we ought, in the manner proper to us, by means of our words, our substance, and even the sacrifice of life itself
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to bring our life, as we ought, into perfect conformity with the precepts of the law of God and of the church, that so we may always live by the charity of which they are the expression. Amen.

The New Raccolta 1903 Pope Leo XIII, May 17, 1890

Mary as Mother of Priests is in the Dominican Priory Church of the Holy Cross in Leicester. by Lawrence OP

"Listen to what our Holy Father, Pope Pius XI, says: " God in heaven and I on earth, we desire nothing more ardently than prayer and sacrifice for priests...Let us beg God that He may give holy priests! If we have this, all else will follow; but if this be wanting, all else will avail nothing." It was from this trend of thought that the idea of the Priest's Saturday" took its origin, which idea the Superior General of the Salvatorian Fathers placed before the Holy Father in special private audience on November 21, 1934. His Holiness was much pleased with the plan and said, in conclusion: "We heartily praise and bless the work....We repeat, the thing pleases Us, We praise and bless it heartily."

What is the plan?

The Priest's Saturday:

It is something quite simple and easy, yet immeasurable great in its results. You should make it a point to offer the Saturday after the First Friday of each month to your Savior, through the hands of Mary, the great mediatrix of all graces, for the sanctification of all the priests and students for the priesthood throughout the whole world. For this purpose you should give the Saturday wholly and entirely to Him, that is to say, Holy Mass, Holy Communion, all prayers, labors, sacrifices, joys and sorrows. Whatever you cannot do on this day (Holy Mass and Holy Communion) you ought to supply immediately on Sunday. So there is really nothing new for you to do. You merely offer up this Saturday (or even every Saturday or some other day) for the sanctification of priests. It is not a case of any sodality of fraternity or anything like that. Like the First Friday in honor of the Sacred Heart, the Priest's Saturday seeks to become something religiously observed by all the Catholics of the world.

(...) Concern about the holiness of priests is the concern of the Heart of the Divine Savior and of His blessed Mother. Therefore, you also should be sure to take part in this "apostolate to the apostles. " The Holy Father, all bishops, all priests, all students for the priesthood, and especially also your own pastor, earnestly beg of you thus to participate."

Source: Priest's Saturday Series, #2 Prayers and Devotions for Priest's Day. used with permission

Priests' First Saturday

Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Who hast entrusted the whole work of Thy redemption, the welfare and salvation of the world, to priests as Thy representatives, through the hands of Thy most holy Mother and for the sanctification of Thy priests and candidates for the priesthood I offer Thee this present day wholly and entirely, with all its prayers, works, sacrifices, joys, and sorrows.

Give truly holy priests who, inflamed with the fire of Thy divine love, seek nothing but Thy greater glory and the salvation of our souls.

And thou, Mary, good Mother of priests, protect all priests in the dangers of their holy vocation and, with the loving hand of a Mother, also lead back to the Good Shepherd those poor priests who have become unfaithful to their exalted vocation and have gone astray. Amen

In addition to the above make it a point also to recite frequently the following:

Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Who Hast entrusted the weal and woes of Thy Holy Church to priests, with all the fervor of my heart I recommend to Thee the wants of my pastor and all priests. Enrich them more and more with true priestly sanctity. Give them generous, all embracing, apostolic hearts, full of love for Thee and for all Thy souls, so that they, being themselves sanctified in Thee, may sanctify us who are confided to their care, and may lead us safely to heaven. Bestow upon them in rich abundance all Thy priestly graces!

Let them ever give us a glowing example of love and fidelity towards Holy Mother Church, towards the Pope, and bishops, and grant that by word and example they may shine as models of every virtue.

Most loving Jesus, bless all their priestly labors and sacrifices! Bless all their prayers and words at the altar and in the confessional, in the pulpit, and in school, in confraternities, and at the bedside of the sick!
Protect and preserve them in all dangers from within and from without.

Divine Savior, give to Thy Church priests who abound in true holiness! Call many good boys and young men to the priestly and religious state! Aid and sanctify all those who are to become Thy priests! And to the souls of departed priests grant everlasting rest.

But to me give a true spirit of faith and humble obedience, in order that in my pastor I may ever behold the representative of God and willingly follow all his teachings. Amen

Capg

Saint Brigid

Prayer:

"O holy St. Brigid, thou who art the light, the ornament, and the glory of the Church of Ireland, be the heavenly patron of its people, and be the especial friend and the protectress of the priests of the sanctuary. Let those who offer sacrifice to the name of God, be worthy of their exalted duties.