New Year's Eve-St. Sylvester

Today is the day honoring St. Sylvester, who was Pope in the 4th century. He was not a martyr (at least not in the sense we know of); he reigned through a relatively calm period, according to sufferings; he was called to be something else. He converted Constantine, who had been told that the way to cure his leprosy was to bathe in infant blood. Constantine was told by the Apostles Peter and Paul in a dream to contact Pope Sylvester instead. By doing this, he was cured and proceeded to rebuild Christianity. All thanks to Sylvester. This holy pope also was important in fighting Arianism. Too bad we don't hear much about people like this anymore! Anyway, our beloved Abott Gueranger tells us in this small portion that I have selected what St. Sylvester is known for:

'...The Church would therefore grace this glorious Christmas Octave with the name of one of her children, who should represent at Bethlehem the whole class of her unmartyred Saints. She chose a Confessor--St. Sylvester: a Confessor who governed the Church of Rome; and therefore the universal Church; a Pontiff whose reign was long and peaceful; a Servant of Jesus Christ adorned with every virtue, who was sent to edify and guide the world immediately after those fearful combats that had lasted for three hundred years, in which million of Christians had gained victory by martyrdom, under the leadership of thirty Popes--predecessors of St. Sylvester--and they, too, all Martyrs.
So that Sylvester is messenger of the Peace which Christ came to give to the world, of which the Angels sang on Christmas Night. He is the friend of Constantine; he confirms the Council of Nicea; he organizes the discipline of the Church for the new era on which she is now entering: the era of Peace. His predecessors in the See of Peter imaged Jesus in his triumph. His appearance during this Octave reminds us that the Divine Child who lies wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and is the object of Herod's persecution, is, notwithstanding all these humiliations, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the world to come."

St. Sylvester, pray for our current Holy Father and the Bishops, that they may pass on the entire Truth as you saw it.

Thank you.

RORATE CÆLI: Plenary Indulgence reminder: Te Deum

RORATE CÆLI: Plenary Indulgence reminder: Te Deum

It won't take that long.

St. Thomas-Archbishop of Canterbury

We have, this week, seen St. Stephen, the protomartyr, the killing of the Holy Innocents ( also called, the FLOWERS OF THE MARTYRS), St. John the Apostle all to brought to eternal life. Today we see St. Thomas of Canterbury, also called Thomas 'a Becket.
His life was something that we hopefully will see in these coming times. He was an Archbishop of the Church, and defender of the Faith. He would put the Church before the wishes of the local authorities, this time being another Henry, this one the 2nd. After banishment because he refused the king's word ahead of the Church's authority, he would be put to death in his own church, beheaded and his brain scattered all over the church to show the others what would happen if they refused the order of the king.

Will we see any Church authorities these days succumb to the world to save their necks, or will they 'man up' to save the Church? Already we see prosecutions in the Middle East, those who have given their lives for the Church. Will we see it here? How many will truly be a witness? The word martyr means 'witness'. It sure doesn't seem that there are many who will. To me, at least.

St. Thomas of Canterbury, pray for us that we might not be weak when the time comes.

St. John the Baptist

Today is the feast day of St. John, the Apostle. While he wasn't a martyr in the regular sense, he was one in every other sense. He was scourged and placed in boiling oil, but these things didn't slow him down much, even when he was an old man. There are many beautiful prayers for this day, and I think I have picked one to help reach our goal. This one is from the Mozarabic Missal, asking for help from the saint himself.

O Son of God, Begotten of the Unbegotten infinite God! who didst open the sacred treasury of thy Breast to thine Apostle, when he, reclining on thy Bosom, merited to drink in from the very fountain of thy Heart the streams of his own Gospel: look upon us with an eye of pity, that so by thee we may know thy mysteries, and do the good thou hast manifested unto us. Reveal unto us the hidden things of thy Heart, whereby we may be taught both the weakness of our own nature, and the Divinity which is thine. Show us thyself, that we may love thee; show us in ourselves what we must correct. That thus, by the prayers of thy beloved Disciple, our evil ways being converted, pestilence may flee from us, sickness disappear, and the sword be sheathed. May all that is adverse to Christian faith perish; may all that prospers it be strengthened. May famines cease, may dissensions be appeased, may the upholders of heresy be confounded. May the earth be pregnant with fruits, our souls be clad with virtues, and all good things come unto us all. That thus, faithfully serving thee our God, we may both use these gifts without sin, and, hereafter enjoy the bliss of possessing thee for eternity. Amen.

MERRY CHRIST-MASS!

...in Bethlehem of Juda, is born of the Virgin Mary, being made Man: THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO THE FLESH!

Hymn for the Vigil of Christmas, taken from the Anthology of the Greeks:

On a certain day, there was enrolled at Bethlehem, together with the old man Joseph, as being of the family of David, Mary, who bore in her virginal womb the divine fruit. The time of her delivery was come, and there was no place in the inn; and instead of a splendid palace for the Queen there was but a cave.

The moment has come for the accomplishment of the mystic prophecy: 'And thou Bethlehem, land of Juda, art not the least among the princes, for thou art the first to adorn the cave. For there shall come to me from thee the leader of the nations, born of a Virgin-Maid according to the flesh; it is Christ, who is God, and he shall rule his new people of Israel.' Let us all give him highest praise.
This is our God, and there is none other; he was born of a Virgin, and he conversed with men; the only-begotten Son becomes mortal, and is laid in a poor crib; the Lord of glory is wrapped in swaddling clothes; the star invites the Magi to adore him, and let us sing: O holy Trinity, save our souls!
Come, all ye faithful: let us be transported with divine enthusiasm; let us look at God coming in visible form from on high and descending into Bethlehem; then raising up our minds, let us bring to him our virtues as the myrrh we offer him, thus preparing, with faith, for his birth among us: let us sing, Glory in the highest be to God, one in three Persons, whose goodwill to man is thus made manifest! for thou, O Jesus! the Lover of man, hast redeemed Adam and restored the work of thy hands!
Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth! let the foundations of the earth be moved, and all the earth tremble: for God the maker of man has himself put on a created form, and he whose creative hand upheld his creatures, has, by mercy moved, clothed himself with a body. Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgements, and how unsearchable his ways!
O come, ye Christian people! let us see the prodigy that stupefies all thought and holds it in suspense; then let us devoutly adore, and sing our hymns with hearts full of faith. This day there hath come to Bethlehem a Maid that is to give birth to God! Choirs of angels are already there! Joseph, her spouse, seeing her, has already received the answer to his question: What is this mystery which I see in thee, pure Virgin? How canst thou bring forth, that never hast borne a mother's humiliation?
This day, there is born of a Virgin, he that holds in his hand the whole creation. He whose very essence 'tis to be intangible, has become mortal and is bound in swathing bands. he who, of old, in the beginning, poised and set the heavens, is laid in a manger. He who rained down manna on his people in the desert, is fed with milk at his Mother's breast, The Spouse of the Church invites the Magi; the Son of the Virgin accepts their gifts. We adore thy Nativity, O Jesus! show unto us thy divine manifestations.

Man, that is beautiful, isn't it?

MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND PEACE TO MEN OF GOOD WILL!

Friday-4th week of Advent 2011

Today we hear a hymn of the Birth of Christ, taken from the poet Prudentius:

Come forth, sweet Babe! Child of chastity, Child of a Virgin Mother! Come, O thou, our Mediator, Man and God.

Though thou didst come, in time, from the mouth of the most high Father, and becamest incarnate at the angel's word; yet hadst thou, O eternal Wisdom, dwelt for ever in the bosom of thy Father.

This eternal Wisdom manifested itself when it made heaven, light, and the other creatures; by the power of the Word were all these made, for the Word is God.

But having thus created the world, and fixed the laws of the universe, this creator and maker still left not his Father's bosom.

Until at length thousands of years rolled on, and then he deigned to visit the world grown old in sin.

For man, blinded with passion, paid adoration to empty vanities, and believed that brass, or stiff blocks of stone and wood, were God.

Abandoned to idolatry, they became the slaves of the treacherous enemy, and plunged their enslaved souls into the dark abyss.

But the Son of God compassionated this destruction of his fallen creatures; for it was the ruin of his Father's image.

He took to himself a mortal body, that by the resurrection of that body he might break the chain of death, and raise up man to his Father.

Thou forebodest his sufferings, O noble Virgin! and yet to give birth to this thy Son is an honour which adds fresh lustre to thy spotless purity.

Oh that Virgin Mother, what joy for the world does she contain within her! A new age, a golden light, will come by her.

And now, a prayer from "Paradisus Animae":

By his mediation may all things work together for us unto good, for there is no salvation in any other. As, then, he is truly present in this Sacrament, so let him be with us everywhere. Let him nourish, govern, preserve, protect and guide us, according to his merciful good pleasure, as the sheep of his pasture. Nothing that happens to us will be to our harm, if it do not separate us from our sovereign Good. It is well for me that I stay close to the Lord, for besides thee what have I in heaven, or what can I desire upon earth?

Come, Lord Jesus. Come, let us adore Him!

Thursday-4th week of Advent 2011

Back to our readings, since yesterday I dedicated to St. Thomas, the Apostle. We are almost ready to receive Him in three days. First of all, our beloved abbot has a prayer to God the Father, asking for a healing of the Church, which we STILL need!

'...Remember Thy apostles and Thy martyrs; remember Thy saints who have founded Churches, and honoured them by their virtues and miracles; remember Thy bride the Church, and support her during her earthly pilgrimage, until the number of Thy elect is filled up. She longs to possess Thee in the eternal light of the vision; but Thou hast given her a heart with such mother's love, that she will not leave her children as long as there is one to save, not cease to save until that day come when there shall no more be a militant Church, but the one sole triumphant Church, inebriated with the enjoyment of the sight and embraces of her God. But that last day has not yet come, O Jesus! there is yet time for Thee to descend from heaven and visit Thy vineyard. Restore to the branches of the tree the leaves which have fallen in the storm of iniquity. Let this tree of Thy predilection bud forth new branches; and the old ones, which have separated from it, and have seemed to force Thy justice to cast them in the fire, let them be once more grafted on the parent trunk, so torn by their rupture from her. Come, O Jesus, for the sake of Thy Church; she is dearer to Thee than was the Jerusalem of old.'

Does anyone else think that the Church Militant is pretty much non-existent these days? Seems to me that the time is ripe now for something big to happen.

The following is taken from the Anthology of the Greeks:

Thy womb, O Mother of God, is the heap of wheat of the Canticle; carrying, in an ineffable manner, the ear of corn, which, like no other, grew without being sown; thy Child is the Word, and thou wilt give him birth in Bethlehem's cave: he it is will lovingly feed every creature with the knowledge of God, and free the human race from deadly hunger.
Whence comest thou, O pure Virgin? Thy father and mother, who are they? How dost thou carry thy Creator in thy arms? Mother, and yet a Virgin! These are great graces, and stupendous mysteries, which have been done in thee, all-holy creature! We adorn the cave as it behooves us, and we look for the star in the heavens: the Magi are coming from the east to our western world, to see the Saviour of men shining in thy arms as a bright torch.
O Mary! fair palace of our Master, how is it thou comest into so poor a cave, there to give birth to the King our Lord, O all-holy Virgin, bride of God?
Eve, indeed, by the crime of disobedience brought a curse into the world: but thou, Virgin-Mother of God, by the flower thou bearest, hast made blessing bloom in the world; therefore do we all magnify thee.
The Mother of God, when the birth of Christ was near, spoke thus to her spouse: Be not sad, Joseph, finding that I am Mother; for thou shalt see him who is to be born of me, and thou shalt rejoice and adore him as thy God. Let us commemorate this divine Mother, saying: 'Be glad, O full of grace! the Lord is with thee, and with us by thee.'

And now, our prayer for Holy Communion. This one was written by St. Peter Canisius:

O Almighty God, Ruler of the living and the dead, whose hand holds all things in being, look graciously upon all whom we commend to thy mercy, those who have authority over us, our family, relatives, benefactors, and all who have claims on us by reason of relationship or friendship. Bless our family, our home town, our country, that men and women there in every walk of life may live in peace, and, always earnestly seeking by their manner of life to please thee.

Kyrie, eleison

St. Thomas the Apostle

Today is the day we honor St. Thomas, the Apostle. He needed to see signs to believe, but Christ straightens him out on that point. I am going to let our beloved abbot do the explanation, since he can do a far better way to say it than I can.

'To none of the apostles could this day have been so fittingly assigned as to St. Thomas. It was St. Thomas whom we needed; St. Thomas, whose festal patronage would aid us to believe and hope in that God whom we see not, and who comes to us in silence and humility in order to try our faith. St. Thomas was once guilty of doubting, when he ought to have believed, and learnt the necessity of faith only by the sad experience of incredulity: he comes then most appropriately to defend us, by the power of his example and prayers, against the temptations which proud human reason might excite within us. let us pray to him with confidence.

Let us listen to a hymn of the Greeks, dedicated to St. Thomas:

When thy hand touched Jesus's side, thou didst find the perfection of good things; for, as a mystic sponge, thou didst thence imbibe the water of life, the fount of all that is good, and didst drink in everlasting life; whereby thou didst cleanse men's minds from ignorance, giving them to drink of the divine dogmas of the knowledge of God.
Thou didst, by thine own incredulity and thy after-faith, confirm such as were tempted; for thou didst proclaim to all men, how he, that is thy Lord and thy God, became incarnate on this earth for us, was nailed to the cross and suffered death, and had his side opened with a spear, whence we draw life.
Thou didst make all the Indies shine with much light, O most holy apostle, thou contemplator of the Divinity! For after thou hadst enlightened these people, and made them to be children of the light and day, thou, by the Spirit of God, didst wisely overthrow the temples of their idols, and didst elevate the people to the love of God, making them an honour and a glory to the Church, O thou that helpest us by thy intercession!
By the vision thou hadst of divine things, thou becamest, O apostle Thomas! the mystic cup of the Wisdom of Christ, which gives joy to the souls of the faithful. Thou wert the spiritual net, drawing men from the sea of ignorance. Hence is it, that thou camest from Sion as a stream of charity, watering the world with the divine dogmas. Thou didst imitate the Passion of Jesus, thou wert pierced in thy side, thou hast put on immortality. Pray to God, that he have mercy on our souls.'

Our abbot continues:

O glorious apostle, Thomas! who didst lead to Christ so many unbelieving nations, hear now the prayers of the faithful, who beseech thee to lead them to that same Jesus, who, in five days, will have shown Himself to His Church. That we may merit to appear in His divine presence, we need, before all other graces, the light which leads to Him. That light is faith; then, pray that we may have faith. Heretofore, our Saviour had compassion on thy weakness, and deigned to remove from thee the doubt of His having risen from the grave; pray to Him for us, that He will mercifully come to our assistance, and make Himself felt by our heart. We ask not, O holy apostle! to see Him with the eyes of our body, but with those of our faith; for He said to thee, when He showed Himself to thee: 'Blessed are they who have not seen, and have believed!' Of this happy number we desire to be. We beseech thee, therefore, pray that we may obtain the faith of the heart and will, that so, when we behold the divine Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, we may cry out: 'My Lord! and my God!'

Tuesday-4th week of Advent 2011

Today's hymn in honor of our Blessed Mother was comprised by St. Peter Damian.

May all earth and heaven be glad and resound with the praises which, in this double choir, are sung to the maternity of the Virgin.
Yea, this Virgin, Mother of the Word, is made the gate of heaven; she gave God to the world, and, by this, opened heaven to us.
This happy Mother of Jesus conceived him without humiliation, and bore him without a moan; such a Mother could not be under the law put on Eve.
O that rich treasury of Mary's womb! it held the price which purchased our redemption, setting us free from the yoke of our debt.
The Son of the eternal Father dwelt within her; the Holy Ghost overshadowed her; what is such a Virgin's womb but a new-made heaven?
To thee, Most High, who wast born of the Virgin, be praise! Honour ineffable be to the Father, and to the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Our Holy Communion prayer is in thanksgiving for others, and was from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Again and again, O Lord, we beseech thy goodness and mercy to hear and accept our prayer. Cleanse us in soul and body from all carnal and spiritual stain. Grant that we may be present, innocent and blameless, before thy holy altar. May all who here pray with us have increase of spiritual strength, of faith and wisdom, ever worshipping thee freely with reverence and love. So may they share in thy holy Mysteries and become worthy of thy heavenly kingdom.

Monday-4th week of Advent 2011

Here we go. The countdown begins. Our minds are going to try to be fresh, welcoming Christ into our lives again. We will have the prophets from Isaias to John announcing the coming. Today, we start with a hymn, which was composed by St. Ambrose, and is found in the Ambrosian breviary:

It is a mystery of the Church, it is a hymn that we sing to Christ, the Word of the Father, become the Son of a Virgin.
Among women, thou alone, O Mary! wast chosen in this world, and wast made worthy to carry in thy womb him who is thy Lord.
This is a great mystery, that is given to Mary: that she should see the God, who created all things, become her own Child!
How truly art thou full of grace, ever glorious Virgin! for of thee is born the Christ, by whom all things were made.
Come then, ye people, let us pray to the Virgin Mother of God, that she would obtain for us peace and indulgent mercy.
Glory be to thee, O Lord, who wast born of the Virgin! and to the Father and the Holy Ghost, for everlasting ages.
Amen.

And now, a prayer for humility, taken from the 12th century, and written by St. Aelred of Rievaulx:

See me, sweet Lord, see me. In thy loving kindness, most merciful, is my hope, for thou seest me as a faithful physician would, anxious to heal and correct only as a truly kind Master would. This, then, I ask from thee, the very fount of kindness, trusting simply in thy powerful mercy and in thy merciful power. I ask thee to forgive my sins, to rouse me from my half-heartedness, forgetting my ingratitude and remembering only thy goodness. There are, too, those vices and evil passions which even yet war in me, whether due to long-standing evil habits, or by my carelessness daily repeated, or to the deep-seated weakness of my frail nature, or even to the scarce-recognized temptings of the evil spirits. Against all these foes let thy gentle grace give me strength and courage.

4th Sunday of Advent 2011

The Lord is now nigh: come, let us adore Him!

For today's thoughts, I'm going to let our beloved abbot talk to us.

Oh, the joy of Thy coming, dear Jesus! How great it must needs be, when the prophecy says shall be like an everlasting crown upon our heads. And could it be otherwise? The very desert is to flourish as a lily, and living waters are to gush forth out of the parched land, because their God is coming. Come, O Jesus, come quickly, and give us of that water, which flows from Thy sacred Heart, and which the Samaritan woman, the type of us sinners, asked of Thee with such earnest entreaty. This water is Thy grace; let it rain upon our parched souls, and they too will flourish; let it quench our thirst, and we will run in the way of Thy precepts and examples. Thou, O Jesus, art our way, our path, to God; and Thou art Thyself God; Thou art, therefore, both our way and the term to which our way leads us. We had lost our way; we had gone astray as lost sheep: how great Thy love to come thus in search of us! To teach us the way to heaven, Thou hast deigned to come down from heaven, and then tread with us the road which leads to it. No! there shall be no more weak hands, nor feeble knees, nor faint hearts; for we know that it is in love that Thou art coming to us. There is but one thing which makes us sad: our preparation is not complete. We have some ties still to break; help us to do it, O Saviour of mankind! We desire to obey the voice of Thy Precursor, and make plain those rugged paths, which would prevent Thy coming into our hearts, O divine Infant! Give us to be baptized in the Baptism of the waters of penance; Thou wilt soon follow, baptizing us in the Holy Ghost and love.

As a side note, my knees are worse since I became a Catholic 30 years ago, but I need the penance, so I shall have to suck it up and keep on! Also, when I am needed to serve the Traditional Mass, my knees don't seem to hurt so much. Go figure!

Lord, have mercy on us, and keep us in your grace and in your sights.

Saturday-3rd week of Advent 2011

We start our with a hymn taken from the Anthology of the Greeks:

As a royal throne, thou carriest the Creator; as a living couch, thou encirclest the King, O creature most dear to God:

Branch most vigorous, thou didst bud forth the Christ on whom we lean and are supported; for Aaron's branch, which, of old, budded unplanted, was a type of thee, thou chaste dove, and ever a Virgin.

To sing the more than wonderful manner of thy extraordinary and incomprehensible maternity, is above the power of all the choirs of men: for no mind, no thought, no understanding, no words, can reach the mystery.

Isaias, seeing the unspeakable miracle, the ineffable miracle of thy maternity, spoke thus divinely: The holy Spirit hath come upon thee, O Mother of God! preserving thee, as heretofore he kept entire the burning bush: and, therefore, we cry out with the angel: Rejoice, O thou tabernacle of God!


And now, a prayer from St. Thomas More:

Give me grace to amend my life, and to ave an eye to mine end, without grudge of death, which to them that die in thee, good Lord, is the gate of a wealthy life.

Kyrie, Eleison

Friday-3rd week of Advent 2011

Today is the day that I share with St. Eusebius, who was another Bishop who fought against the Arian heresy in the 4th century. He is one that defended the Incarnation of our Lord, against poor odds. It just goes to show, that if God is in our side, we are in the majority and will prevail. It's my birthday, and with it, more aches and pains, less memory, etc. Just kidding. I'm relatively well, considering what my friends are going through.

We begin our prayers with one from the Gallican sacramentary:

O Lord God, Father almighty, purify the recesses of our heart, and mercifully wash away all the stains of our sins; and grant, O Lord, that, cleansed from our sins by thy merciful blessing, we may await in confidence the dread and terrible coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Now, as an act of humility, we offer this prayer which was from the 7th century, and found in the Gothic Breviary:

O Jesus our God, who didst offer thy face to those who struck it, and wert otherwise loaded with reproaches for our sake, grant to us, thy poor servants, that learning the lesson thou gavest in thy Passion, we may cheerfully bear our burden, having been taught by thee, who art meek and humble of heart, that this befits us.

St. Eusebius, pray for me.

Thursday-3rd week of Advent 2011

The first thing we have is taken from the Roman-French missals, and was composed in the 11th century:

Let us sing together to our God, who created all things; By whom all ages were made;
The firmament, which shines with much light, and the countless stars;
The sun, the ornament of the world; the moon, which is the night's beauty; and all shining things;
The sea, the land, the hills, the plains, and the deep rivers;
The wide space of the air, through which float birds, and winds, and rain;
All these obey thee alone, O God, as their Maker and King.

Now and evermore, for endless ages; Their praise is thy glory;
Who for our salvation didst wend thine only-begotten Son, in whom could be no sin, to suffer on earth for our sins.

We beseech thee, O holy Trinity, to govern and protect our souls and bodies, and grant us forgiveness of our sins. Amen.

And now, a prayer for protection, from "Paradisus Animae".

O Lord, who hast prepared a table before us, against all who afflict us, and settest thereon the bread which strengthens the heart of man to meet all the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; give me, by this heavenly and life-giving food, strength not to yield to any temptation, but steadfastly to cleave to thee. Let me not strive to be the friend of worldlings, or worldly in my ways; but, by the power of this holy food, let me be transformed into thee, that I may wish only to please thee, and fear to displease thee. Let me hold the world in low esteem, because in this food I know heaven, and to the Lord of the world give welcome.

Wednesday-3rd week of Advent 2011

Our first selection is taken from the missal of Cluny of 1523, a prose in honor of the Blessed Virgin:

The angel, entering the Virgin's chamber, and gently bidding her not to fear, says to her: Hail, Queen of virgins! thou shalt conceive in thy womb the Lord of heaven and earth; and still remaining a Virgin, thou shalt bring forth the salvation of mankind, O gate of heaven bringing to the world the remedy of its iniquities!

How shall this be, replied the Virgin, for I know not man? How wouldst thou have me break the vow which I have sworn to keep?

The grace of the Holy Ghost shall accomplish all these things, said the angel. Fear not, but rejoice. I assure thee thy virginity shall be left intact: the power of God shall maintain it.

To this the noble Virgin answering, said to the angel: I am the lowly handmaid of the omnipotent God.

Consenting to thy word, O heavenly messenger, bearer of so great a secret, and desiring to see fulfilled what thou announcest, I am ready to obey the decree of God.

The angel left her, and in that moment her virginal womb conceived the Word made flesh from hers.

This was his chosen enclosure for nine months: then he left it, and began the great combat, carrying the cross upon his shoulders, wherewith he struck the enemy who brought death into the world.

O dear Mother of Jesus, who didst bring peace to angels and to men by giving birth to Christ,

Pray for us to this thy Son, that he be merciful to us, and forgive us our sins, and give us his assistance, whereby, after this exile, we may possess the blessed joys of eternal life. Amen.


And now, our prayer of thanksgiving, given to us by St. Peter Eymard:

The most sacred moment of the Christian's life is the moment of thanksgiving. You have at your service the King of heaven and earth, your Saviour, open-handed to fulfill your desires. Ask, ask for much. Jesus is your supreme good; value your opportunity.

Tuesday-3rd week of Advent 2011

Today's thought is from the Anthology of the Greeks:

Be thou ready, O Bethlehem, for now Eden is open unto all; rejoice, O Ephrata, for the tree of life has blossomed in the cave from the Virgin; for her womb has become a mystic paradise, wherein is the divine plant, of which if we eat we shall live, and not, like Adam, die; for Christ is born, that he may raise up his image which had fallen in the beginning.
Christ comes willingly to minister to us; the Creator puts on the creature's form; he that is rich in the Godhead, mercifully bestows on the needy Adam a new creation and birth.
He has bowed down the heavens, and, taking up his abode in the Virgin, he comes in our flesh to be born in Bethlehem's cave, as it is written; and he that gives life to children in the womb has himself become a child: let us all go forth to meet him with our hearts full of ardour and joy.
The all-wise Lord thus born, comes among his own to receive hospitality from his own creatures; let us receive him, that this divine Babe of the cave may make us the guests of the paradise of delights.
Now is the portal of the divine Incarnation opened to all: be glad, ye heavens: exult with joy, all ye angels! let the earth and its inhabitants rejoice in spirit with the shepherds and the magi.
The Virgin, as a precious vase of alabaster, bears the divine perfume into the cave, there wisely and ineffably to yield what she contains, that she may fill our souls with the delicious fragrance.
Ye angelic Powers: hasten thither. Ye who dwell in Bethlehem, prepare the crib, for Christ is coming to be born; Wisdom advances towards you. Receive our greetings, O thou Church of God! and let us, O ye people, thus sing in honour of the divine Mother's joy: Blessed be our God, that cometh!
Christ our God shall come manifestly, and shall not delay; he shall appear born of a spotless Virgin; he shall be laid in a cave; and thou, the crib of senseless beasts, receive into thyself, wrapt in swathing bands, him, whom the heavens cannot contain, and whose single word absolves our senseless sins.
Sing, O Isaias! show us the Word of God, predict the bush that is to be on fire, yet not consumed; the Virgin Mary. Put on thy splendour, the rays reflected from the Deity, O Bethlehem! open thy gates, O Eden! Set out on your journey, ye Magi, to see the Saviour laid in swaddling clothes in a manger, Him whom your star, standing over the cave, pointed out to you the Lord and giver of life, the Saviour of our race.

Man, is that pretty or what!?

Our Communion prayer is short and sweet and to the point. It comes from Roquet in 'La Messe, approche du Mystere'.

The Eucharist is not merely the Sacrament which gives us the Body of Christ for our food. It is also, and chiefly, the Sacrament which makes us able to say "Thank you" to God.

So, let's say, "Thank you, Jesus!"

Monday-3rd week of Advent 2011

The following is an hymn for Advent, found in the Mozarabic breviary:

Let all the assembly of Christ's faithful ones laud the graces that are nigh, and sing their highest praises to their Creator.
When his only-begotten Son, who created this world, redeemed us, he fulfilled the promises which the heaven-sent prophets spoke in the ages past.
The Word having come down from heaven, and shown himself to men, took away the punishment due to their sins; and assuming our nature, though but dust, he vanquished the prince of death.
Born of a Mother in time, but begotten eternally from the Father, in the two substances there is but one Person, that is the Person of the Word.
God has come into this world made man, that our old man being changed into the new, we may put on new beauty by being regenerated in the new-born God.
Let the Gentiles, who have received this new birth of grace, in gladness and exultation at the trophy won by the divine Nativity, keep every year its feast.
Let this coming of Jesus be celebrated with devout solemnity by all, who have so just a share in the glory of this great day.
That so, when the second coming shall burst upon the world and fill it with fear, this most humble expression of our devout celebration of the first may give us confidence.
To God the Father, and to his only Son, and to the Holy Spirit, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

And now, a prayer of thanksgiving after we have received Him in the Holy Eucharist from St. Augustine:

Wherefore, having given our hearts to our Lord God, the Father Almighty, let us with pure hearts, so far as our littleness allows, give him our deepest and most sincere thanks. Let us with all our hearts beseech his singular kindness that he may, in his goodness, hear our prayers that, by his power, he may free our thoughts and acts from all that is unworthy, increase our faith, guide our minds, grant us holy thoughts and lead us to his own joys.

Gaudete!--Follow the Light

Today is Gaudete Sunday. We are to be full of joy, as our Saviour is to born in our lives again. From the 'Liturgical Year', our beloved abbot tells:

'O holy Roman Church, city of our strength! behold us thy children assembled within thy walls, around the tomb of the fisherman, the prince of the apostles, whose sacred relics protect thee from their earthly shrine, and whose unchanging teaching enlightens thee from heaven. yet, O city of strength: it is by the Saviour, who is coming, that thou art strong. He is thy wall, for it is He that encircles, with His tender mercy, all thy children; He is thy bulwark, for it is by Him that thou art invincible, and that all the powers of hell are powerless to prevail against thee. Open wide thy gates, that all nations may enter thee; for thou art mistress of holiness and the guardian of truth. May the old error, which sets itself against the faith, soon disappear, and peace reign over the whole fold!'

GAUDETE IN DOMINO SEMPER: ITERUM DICO, GAUDETE.
Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice.

Antiphon of the Magnificat:

Blessed art thou, O Mary, who didst believe the Lord; what the Lord said to thee shall be fulfilled in thee, Alleluia.

May we see the light, and follow it always.

Saturday-2nd week of Advent 2011

The following is a prose in honor of the Blessed Virgin, from the Cluny missal of 1523:

Gabriel, sent from heaven, faithful bearer of the word, holds sacred converse with the holy Virgin.
In the inner chamber he discloses the good and sweet word; and inverting the name of Eve, Eva becomes Ave, his salutation Hail!
The covenant made, instantly there was present the Word made flesh; and yet the pure Maid a Virgin still for ever.
Parent like no other; Mother, yet not losing the treasure; giving birth to her child, yet not in pain or travail.
Unheard-of prodigy! 'tis so indeed, and all thou, my soul, canst do is to believe it: we have not power to loose the latchet.
It is the great, the wondrous portent of the burning bush; let him that would approach, take off the sandals from his feet.
A dry branch, with not one drop of dew, once yielded a flower and fruit; it was a new law, a new way: so was it when the Virgin brought forth her Son.
What a blessed Fruit! a Fruit of joy, not of woe. There will be no Adam deceived, if men but eat of this.
He is our Jesus, the good Jesus, lovely burden of a lovely Mother! He who has a throne in heaven, has a stable for his birth place!
May he, that for our sake was thus born, wipe away all our guilt; for our sojourn here is full of dangers.
Amen.

Our prayer for Holy Communion today comes from St. John Chrysostom, and is before partaking:

Not in lightness of heart, O Christ my God, do I venture to approach thee, bu as trusting in thine infinite goodness, and in the fear that being drawn apart from thee, I may become the prey of our spiritual enemy. There do I pray unto thee, O Lord, who alone art holy, that thou wouldst sanctify me in soul and body, in heart and mind; that thou wouldst wholly renew me and fill me with reverence of thee. Be thou my help and my Guide, govern my life in the ways of peace. Make me worthy to obtain with thy saints a place at thy right hand, through the prayers and supplications of thy most pure Mother, of thy ministering Angels and Powers, and of all thy saints who from the ages have found favour before thee. Amen.

What a CROCK!

I couldn't let this go by without saying something. Recently, we had a drone shot down, or whatever, in the Middle East. I think it was in Iran. Anyway, with the technology these days, it would have been easy to pinpoint where it was and destroy it where it stood. I mean, they can find us where we are in the world, whether in our cars or by our phones. Anyway, our 'beloved' president gave an order NOT to destroy it! This should enrage us to no end! It was probably that he didn't want any innocent Muslims to be hurt in the process, given the fact that he is himself a Muslim! Well, if our enemies have to capability to find out our technologies, they are NOT innocent and we must destroy it! I find this to be a giant:

I certainly he doesn't get four more years next year; we can't afford him and his policies!

Friday-2nd week of Advent 2011

After a few days of saints and our Blessed Mother's Immaculate Conception, we can continue with Advent's prayers. We can get back to thinking about what Christmas is REALLY about again. The first hymn is from the Mozarabic breviary:

Only-begotten Son of the Father, thou comest to us by the Virgin, consecrating us all by the dew of Baptism, and by faith regenerating us.
The Most High coming from heaven has taken on himself the form of man, returning after conquering death, and giving us the joys of a new life.
Wherefore, we beseech thee, O Redeemer, descend upon us in thy mercy, and give to our hearts the brightness of the divine light.
To God the Father, and to his only Son, and to the holy Paraclete, be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

Protestants do not understand this point: That when Mary she gave her fiat, allowed it to be done as God wished, that Jesus come through her. Thus, all of the mercy we have obtained, plus all the graces we have been given, in a way, have come through Mary, also. On of our beloved past Popes, Leo XIII, said it very clearly in his Encyclical, Octobri Mense, which was dedicated to Mary and the study of her. He states as follows:

"With equal truth may it be also affirmed that, by the will of God, Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God, for mercy and truth were created by Jesus Christ. Thus as no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother."

Nuff said!

Now, here is our prayer for Holy Communion. This is for after Communion, as an act of humility:

Look, O tender Father, upon the face of thy Christ; and since he who is now so closely united to me is thy beloved Son, in whom thou hast ever been well pleased, regard me, too, I humbly beseech thee, with merciful eyes. his is the guardianship and protection, his the merits which hearten me in my approach to thee, that in thy loving regard for him, thou mayest mercifully and graciously look upon me also as his slave and servant for ever. Permit not, I implore thee, that soul to perish which has so often received into itself thy Son, who was sent by thee, and came into this world to seek and save that which was lost. Grant me this of thy infinite mercy. --Paradisus Animae

The Immaculate Conception

Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother. I remember when I was working, and a fellow worker commented on the immaculate conception of Jesus. Now, he was a man of thought, and I respected him a lot. However, when I told him that this day was for His Mother, he just stopped and stared at me. When I asked him that, if he were able to form his own mother, wouldn't he want her to be as perfect as possible? He answered in the affirmative. I said, 'So did Jesus', and the only way she could be as perfect as possible was to clear her from the taint of 'original sin' which we all have inherited. Since He was God, this could easily be done. I left him stroking his full beard as I had more work to do.

This is just such an awesome day in the Church's year, that words cannot fully understand or explain it satisfactorily. Our beloved abbot tells us in a better way than I can a sampling of this day, describing when Gabriel came in person to a mere human been.

'And how can we do less than admire and love the incomparable purity of Mary in her Immaculate Conception, when we hear even God, who thus prepared her to become His Mother, saying to her, in the divine Canticle(Canticles iv.7), these words of complacent love: 'Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee!' It is the God of all holiness that here speaks; that eye, which sees all things, finds not a vestige, not a shadow of sin; therefore does He delight in her, and admire in her that gift of His own condescending munificence. Wee cannot be surprised after this, that Gabriel, when he came down from heaven to announce the Incarnation to her, should be full of admiration at the sight of that purity, whose beginning was so glorious and whose progress was immeasurable; and that this blessed spirit should bow down profoundly before this young Maid of Nazareth, and salute her with, 'Hail, O full of grace!' And who is this Gabriel? An Archangel, that lives amidst the grandest magnificences of God's creation, amidst all the gorgeous riches of heaven; who is brother to the Cherubim and Seraphim, to the Thrones and Dominations; whose eye is accustomed to gaze on those nine angelic choirs with their dazzling brightness of countless degrees of light and grace; he has found on earth, in a creature of a nature below that of angels, the fulness of grace, of that grace which had been given to the angels measuredly. This fulness of grace was in Mary from the very first instant of her existence. She is the future Mother of God, and she was ever holy, ever pure, ever Immaculate.

May this wonderful Mother pray for us today and always, and deliver as many souls from purgatory today as possible. Amen!

Wednesday-2nd week of Advent 2011

Today is December 7, and it is also the feast day of St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, Italy. Along with St. Nicholas from yesterday, he was one of the 318 bishops who defended the Faith against the Arian heresy. Thank God they prevailed.

With the sweet way of talking, he converted many Arians, as well as a young man whose mother, Monica, had asked Ambrose to prayer for her son. Eventually, the young man was converted from his evil ways, and baptized into the Catholic Church. His name was Augustine. He went on to become one of the most knowledgeable saints of the Faith. His transcribing of scripture in various languages led to us having a certain set of books to study, because it was determined which ones were Divinely inspired.
Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, and St. Gregory the Great were the first Holy Doctors of the Church, and deserve our thanks and prayers, especially in this trying time in the Church, when the shepherds seem to have gone blind. Let's ask these saints to help today's church, especially our Holy Father.

Let us now study a hymn honoring this great saint:

Let us all sing the praises of our august father, who drove from the land the turbid storms of a tempestuous age.
A babe, he sleeps; when lo! a swarm of bees lights on his flowery lips; these honeymakers thus telling us that here was one who would captivate men by the sweetness of his eloquence.
Prescient of the future, he must have his infant hand honoured with kisses; and he who has scarce been freed from swathing bands, plays with the fillets of a mitre.
A boy cries out, and Milan would have Ambrose receive the mitre: Ambrose flees from it, but honours ever pursue those who run from them.
At last the sacred mitre crowns this head where wisdom sits; the helmet once on, our warrior gives Arius battle.
Unflinching, he fears neither sceptres, nor a haughty empress; and when a blood-stained Caesar attempts to enter the church, he closes the doors against him and repels him from the holy spot.
He washes away the sins of Augustine in the heavenly laver of baptism; companion to the martyrs by his faith, he discovers the relics of martyrs.
Holy pontiff, now with thy scourge drive away far from us the furious wolf of hell: that flock which thou once didst govern, let it for ever enjoy thy protection.
To God the Father, and to His only Son, and to the holy Paraclete, be glory now and for all ages.
Amen.

Pearl Harbor!

Today is the 70th anniversary of the senseless slaughter of lives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Our 'beloved' FDR knew the times, the dates, and everything else about the attack, yet refused to inform the military at Pearl Harbor so they could defend themselves. The bastard! Of course, he was a 33rd degree Mason, and apparently intent on destroying everything we have, killing innocent lives, and starting to lead us to a one-world government. I wonder how it went when he finally croaked? I would bet, 'Not too good.' Let's pray for all of those who were slaughtered at Pearl, and, if they haven't reached happiness yet, maybe we can help push them over into the Eternal Light.

Tuesday-2nd seek of Advent 2011

Today is December 6th, the feast day of St. Nicholas(NOT Santa Claus). I'd like to dedicate this day's prayers for him. He was one of 318 bishops who contested Arius during that heresy in the 4th century.

The follow sequence is from the middle ages, and composed by Adam of Saint-Victor singing the praises of St. Nicholas:

With our hearts and songs in unison, let us exult on this festive solemnity of blessed Nicholas.
When a babe in his cradle, he began to fast.
And thus deserved, before weaned from the breast, the joys of heaven.
He enters, when a boy, upon a course of studies,
Yet follows not, yet knows not, impurity.
Blessed confessor indeed, whose worth was known by a message from heaven,
At whose bidding he was promoted and exalted to the supreme dignity of pontiff.
There was in his soul the most tender compassion, which prompted him to bestow continual benefits on those who suffered oppression.
He averted infamy from virgins by the gold he gave; and by the same he relieved their father's poverty.
Some mariners had set sail; when a furious storm attacked them, and their bark was well-nigh wrecked:
Despairing of life, and in this extreme danger, they cry out with one voice, saying:
'O holy Nicholas! help us out of these straits of death, and lead us into harbour!
'Yea, lead us into harbour, thou whose kind heart is ever ready to help them that are in affliction.'
They prayed; not was it in vain: for lo! a voice was heard saying: 'I am here to help you.'
Straightway arose a favourable wind: the storm was lulled: the sea was calm.
From his tomb there flows an abundant oil:
It heals all kinds of sickness, through the intercession of the saint.
We who are now living in this world, have already suffered shipwreck in the sea of sin:
Ah! glorious Nicholas, lead us into the harbour of salvation, where there is peace and glory.
There is an unction, which thy merciful prayers must get us from the Lord:
It is that unction which healed the wound of Magdalene's many sins.
May they that keep this feast come to the eternal joys;
And may Jesus crown them after this life is run,
Amen.

And now, a prayer from the Gallican Sacramentary for today:

O merciful and most loving God, by whose will and bounty our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself that he might exalt the whole human race, and came down to what was lowest that he might raise up the humble: who, being God, did become man, born of a Virgin, to the end that he might re-form in man the heavenly image that had been corrupted; grant that this thy people may cling to thee, and that they, whom thou hast redeemed by the bounty, may ever please thee by devoted service.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Before we get too far into the season of Advent, I thought I'd present what the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" really means.

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

The Twelve Days of Christmas are December 26 to Epiphany, January 6. The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English carol written during the time of persecution in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, against Roman Catholics. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was a coded message that helped young Catholic children learn the tenets of the Faith and be able to recite them without fear of going to jail. Each “day” has a hidden meaning concerning teachings of the Catholic Faith.

The “true love” refers to God. The “me” who receives the gifts, refers to every baptized person. The Pear Tree is the cross and the Partridge is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Christ is symbolically portrayed as a mother partridge that fakes injury to trick predators from her helpless chicks. It reminds us of Christ’s sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37

1. THE PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE REFERS TO JESUS ON THE CROSS

2. Turtle Doves: The Old and New Testaments
3. French Hens: The Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Also,the
Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity
4. Calling Birds: The four Gospels and/or the four Gospel writers-Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John
5. Gold Rings: The first 5 Books of the Old Testament; also the five wounds
of Jesus Christ
6. Geese A-laying: The Six days of Creation
7. Swans A-swimming: The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the seven
Sacraments
8. Maids A-milking: The Eight Beatitudes
9. Ladies dancing: The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10. Lords A-leaping: The Ten Commandments
11. Pipers piping: The Eleven Faithful Apostles after Judas’s betrayal
12. Drummers drumming: The Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed


Enjoy the song, as now it really has meaning. Teach the kids.

Monday-2nd seek of Advent 2011

First of all, we had an interesting Mass yesterday. Two busloads of school children (Catholic) were brought to our Traditional Mass as sort of a field trip, to show them this Mass, so they can compare it to the one they go to. Hopefully, some liked it and convince their parents to attend. We had incense and everything, just for them.

And now, we continue to see prayers that we don't hear anymore, from a variety of sources. The first is from the Ambrosian liturgy:

O Jesus, almighty Son of God, mercifully come and save thy people on the day of thy Nativity; and deign, with thy wonted compassion, to deliver us from all the anxieties and fears of this present time. Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

Next we hear a prayer from the 9th century by the Abbot Grimald for after Holy Communion, an act of humility:

Almighty, Eternal God, Jesus Christ our Lord, look mercifully upon my sins through this receiving of thy Body and Blood, and through the intercession of St._____, for thou didst say: "He who eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood lives continually in me and I in him." Therefore I humbly pray that thou wouldst create a clean heart in me, and renew in me an upright mine that I may deserve to share in eternal joys. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Advent--2011

VENITE, ADORAMUS!

Come, let us adore Him!

"And there shall come forth a branch out of the rod of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the Spirit of knowledge and of Godliness: and he shall be filled with the Spirit of the fear of the Lord" Isaias XI

St. Jerome, whose words are read by the Church in the lessons of the second nocturn of this Sunday, says that the branch which cometh forth from the root of Jesse, is the Blessed Virgin Mary, who had contact with no shrub or plant; and that the flower is the Lord Jesus, who says in the Canticle of canticles: 'I am the flower of the field, and the lily of the valley.' In the middle ages the tree of Jesse, with its prophetic branches, was carved on the cathedral porches, was painted on the windows, was embroidered on the hangings of the sanctuary, and the melodious voice of the priests sang its praises as follows:

The root of Jesse gave out a branch, and the branch a flower; and on the flower resteth the holy Spirit.
The Virgin Mother of God is the branch, her Son the flower. And on the flower resteth the holy Spirit.

St. Bernard, commenting upon this responsory, in his second Advent homily, says: 'The Virgin's Son is the flower, a flower white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands; a flower on whom the angels love to look; a flower whose fragrance restores the dead; a flower, as himself assures us, of the field, not of a garden: for the flowers of the field bloom without man's care, no man has sown their seed, no man has cultivated them. Just so the Virgin's womb, a meadow verdant in an endless spring, has brought forth a flower, whose beauty will never droop, whose freshness will never fade. O Virgin, branch sublime, to what a height art thou frown! Even up to Him that sitteth on the throne, even to the Lord of majesty. It was sure to be so, for thou castest deep down the roots of humility. O plant of heaven indeed! precious above all, holier than all. O tree of life indeed! alone worthy to bear the fruit of salvation!'

How appropriate, since her Immaculate Conception is remembered this coming Thursday. Don't miss it!

Come, let us adore Him and honor Her.

Saturday-the 1st week of Advent

We begin today with a prose in honor of the Blessed Virgin, and is found in all Roman-French missals:

God, the lover of man, sends to the Virgin no less an angel than him who is called God's strength, the Archangel Gabriel.
May this strong messenger be speedily at his work; may he stay the rights and laws of nature in the Virgin's delivery.
May the King of glory, when born, triumph over nature; may he reign and command; may he take away from the midst of men all leaven and rust.
May he humble proud heads; may this God, mighty in war, trample in his power on the necks of the haughty.
May he cast forth the prince of this world; and make his Mother share with him the empire which his Father has given him.
Go forth, messenger of God, announce these gifts; lift up, by the virtue of thy annunciation, the veil of the ancient Scripture.
Approach, tell thy announcement: say, when thou art in her presence: 'Hail!' Say: 'O full of grace!' Say: 'The Lord is with thee!' and then: 'Fear not!'
Receive, O Virgin, the divine deposit; by him fulfill thy chaste purpose, and keep thy vow.

The Maid hears and accepts the announcement; she believes and conceives, and brings forth a Son, but he is the admirable,
The counsellor of mankind, God and Man, Father of the world to come, the Prince of peace.
May his firmness render us firm, lest human frailty should make us stumble into the abyss.
But may the Giver of pardon, granting us pardon and grace, obtained by the Mother of grace, dwell within us.
May he that grants us pardon of our sins, wipe away all our guilt, and give us the country in the starry heaven. Amen.

Our prayer which comes before Holy Communion is next, and comes fr St. Augustine:

O God, to whom belong all things, in whom are all things, I beseech thee, spare my soul, spare my evil deeds, spare my iniquities. Visit me in my sickness and cure my trouble. Give me a heart that will love thee, intelligence with which to know thee, ears to hear thy voice, eyes of the soul to see thee. Give me a spark of thy wisdom to show me the way of justice and to teach me to avoid the wiles of the enemy.

Friday-The first week of Advent

Things are starting to look festive around here today. Decorations, the tree, lights, etc. Real Christmasy! And now, we move on. Today's hymn is taken from the Anthology of the Greeks:

Let us sing, in gladness of heart, the canticles of the pre-vigil of the birth of Christ; for he, who is coequal with the Father and the Spirit, having, in his great compassion for our miseries, clothed himself with the leaven of our clay, is to be born in the city of Bethlehem; and shepherds with angels will hymn his ineffable birth.
Let us play loud on our cymbals, let us shout our songs of victory; Christ is to appear visibly; the predictions of the prophets are fulfilled; he, who they foretold would appear amongst mortals, is to be born in a holy cave, and to lie in a crib a little child.
Get thee ready, O Bethlehem! Eden, open thy gates! Land of Juda, put on thy best! Let the heavens be glad, let men exult! To enrich the poverty of Adam by the abundance of his mercy, Life is in that crib, the rich One is in that cave, yet the divine Nature suffers no change or confusion.
From the clouds drop down dew from on high. He who puts the clouds in the air, he the adorable God, has descended in a cloud, and that cloud is the Virgin: he has done this, that light everlasting may shine from him on those who heretofore were in darkness and peril.
O most sweet Child, how shall I feed thee? said the blessed Lady. How shall I take thee into my arms, thou that holdest all things in thy power? How shall I wrap thee in swathing bands, that coverest the whole earth with clouds?
My Babe, said the Virgin Mother of Christ, how shall I hide thee, bright Sun, in swaddling clothes? How shall I so imprison thee that holdest all things? Shall I be able to fix my gaze on thee, whom the many-eyed spirits dare not look upon?
Get ready, then, O Bethlehem, all that is needed for the birth. And thou, Joseph, go and be enrolled with Mary. O crib ever venerable! O ye bands that swathe our God, holding in your folds the Life that breaks the bands of death, and ties us mortals to immortality, Christ Jesus our God.


Man, that is an awesome hymn, something to really think about! The next reading is before Holy Communion, and from the Coptic liturgy:

Once more we ask and pray thy goodness, O lover of mankind, for ourselves, thy servants, who bow their heads before thy glory. Grant us thy mercy and free us from our sins; and where we have done wrong, knowingly or unknowingly, whether in word or deed, whether from fear or cowardice, do thou, kindly God and Lover of us all, grant thy forgiveness. Bless us all, make us clean of heart, fill our minds with reverence of thee, and guide us in the way of thy will.

Thursday--1st week of Advent

Just as soon as I get my driveways all cleared out, here comes the snowplow. I should get stock in Epsom salts. Anyway, we move on, only slower.
This first prayer is from the Ambrosian missal:

Almighty and everlasting God, who, by the coming of thine only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, didst deign to shine on us with a new light; grant unto us, that as we deserved to have Him as our companion in the form of our body, by the birth the Virgin gave Him; so also we may merit to be His companions in the kingdom of His grace; who liveth and reigneth with thee for ever and ever. Amen.

And now, our prayer for the Holy Eucharist as an act of praise:

O everlasting kingdom, kingdom of endless ages, whereon rests the untroubled light and the peace of God which passes all understanding, where the souls of the saints are at rest, and everlasting joy is upon their heads, and sorrow and sighing have fled away. Oh how glorious is the kingdom in which thy saints reign with thee, O Lord, clothed with light as with a garment, and having on their heads a crown of precious stones! For there is infinite, unfading joy, gladness without sorrow, health without a pang, life without toil, light without darkness, life without death; where the vigor of age knows no decay, and beauty withers not, nor doth love grow cold, now joy wane away, for there we look evermore upon the face of the Lord God of Hosts. I see Him at last whom I have ardently desired, I hold Him I have hoped for; I possess Him I have longed for...I embrace in the fullness of charity Him with whom I remained united by all the love of my heart; it is Him I praise, Him I bless, Him I adore, Him, my God, who lives for ever and for ever. Amen.
St. Augustine

1st Wednesday of Advent

I'm a little late today with a post, since we had an instant winter, with a few inches of that white stuff on everything. And, I had 8 homes to plow out, as well as picking up a couple more. I used some muscles that I haven't used for some time. Come to me, Epsom salts! Anywho, here's today's installment. It is from the Mozarabic missal:

It is meet and just, and available to us in all things, that we always should extol, by all possible praises, thy clemency, O almighty Father, who didst create us in holiness and nobleness, and, when the fraud of the old serpent had seduced us, didst in pure mercy deliver us from death. Thou didst foretell, in past ages, that the Son, whom thou wast to send in the flesh for us, would come on this earth and would be born of a Virgin, and by thy holy prophets didst foretell the advent of his birth; and this to the end that he who had been promised, having been long expected, might give great joy to the world when he should come in the fulness of time. Wherefore we pray and beseech thee, that thou, who didst not suffer thy creature to perish, because thou art truly compassionate and merciful, but didst restore what was lost by the humble coming of thy Son, wouldst now so protect, so keep, so heal, so defend, so free, what thou hast found and repaired and restored, that in that dread coming, whereby thy Son shall come a second time to judge those by whom and for whom he himself was judged, he may so find the creatures that he has redeemed, that he may eternally possess those whom he purchased with the price of his Blood.

And now, a prayer for Holy Communion. This is from a book which I have not been able to track down. It's probably in Latin anyway, so I would be at a disadvantage. It is called "Paradisus Animae", and it is in the 'Thanksgiving prayers'; this one is for the act of trust:

'O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in thee. Why art thou sad, O my soul, and why dost thou trouble me? Hope in God, the fountain of all good, and the Author of all grace, whom thou hast present with thee in this Sacrament; go to him with all confidence for he is sweet and meek, and of great mercy to all that call upon him. He alone is able to give us all things, nay he is willing to give us all things, because he is supremely good. O God, my hope! my heart rejoices when I receive thee in this Sacrament, because I clearly trust that there is nothing thou wilt not give us, who hast given us thyself. In thee, O Lord, do I trust; let me not be disappointed in my hope.'

1st Tuesday of Advent

As promised, another entry from 'The Liturgical Year'. This is is a hymn, composed in the 9th century, and taken from the hymnarium of Blessed Joseph-Maria Tommasi:

May the sun, and stars, and land, and sea, sound forth the coming of the most high God: may the rich and poor unite their songs of praise to the Son of the supreme Creator!
He is the Saviour promised to our fathers; the glorious offspring of a Virgin: the Son of the mighty God born of him before the morning star.
He is the King of glory, and is coming to rule as God over kings, trample our wicked enemy beneath his feet, and heal this sick world of ours.
Let the angels rejoice, let all nations exult; he that is high is coming in lowliness to save what had been lost.
A God-Man is born, and the holy Trinity reigns; the Son co-eternal with the Father, our Lord, descends upon our earth.
Let the prophets cry out, and prophesy: Emmanuel is nigh unto us. Let the tongues of the dumb speak, and ye, poor lame ones, run to meet Him.
Let the lamb and the wild beast feed with each other:: let the ox and the ass know him that lies in the manger.
The royal glittering standard ushers in our divine Chief: ye kings prepare your gifts for the noble and royal Babe.
O the blessed message sent to the Virgin Mary! By believing she conceives; she is a Mother, and a Virgin knowing not man.
All ye nations and islands applaud this grand triumph. Run swiftly as the stag, lo! the Redeemer is coming.
Let the eyes of the blind, who have been sitting in darkness, now learn to throw off the murky night, and open to the true light.
Let Galilee, and Greece, and Persia, and India, receive the faith: a God deigns to become man, and remains the Word with the Father.
Praise, honour, power, glory, be to God the Father, and to the Son, together with the Holy Ghost, for eternal ages. Amen.

And now a hymn by Thomas Aquinas (1227-1274), for Holy Communion:

This faith to Christian men is given--
Bread is made flesh by words from heaven:
Into his Blood the wine is turned:
What though it baffles nature's powers
Of sense and sight? This faith of ours
Proves more than nature e'er discerned.

Concealed beneath the twofold sign,
Meet symbols of the gifts divine,
There lie the mysteries adored:
The living Body is our food;
Our drink the ever-precious Blood;
In each, one undivided Lord.

Not he that eateth it divides
The sacred food, which whole abides
Unbroken still, nor knows decay;Be one, or be a thousand fed,
They eat alike that living Bread
Which, still received, ne'er wastes away.

The good, the guilty share therein,
With sure increase of grace or sin,
The ghostly life, or ghostly death:
Death to the guilty; to the good
Immortal life. See how one food
Man's joy or woe accomplished.

Monday of the first week of Advent

I'm going to try to enter something every day of this Advent season, because I need to be reminded of why I am here. Most of what I put down will be from the "Liturgical Year", by Abbot Gueranger, from the late 1920's.

Today's entry is a prose from the 11th century, and taken from the ancient Roman-French missals.

Thou our eternal salvation, the never-failing light of the world.
Light everlasting and our true redemption.
Moved with compassion to see the human race perish by its idolatry offered to its very tempter.
Thou didst descend to these depths of our misery, yet not leaving thine own high throne above.
Then, by thy own gratuitous love, assuming our human nature,
Thou didst save all on earth that was lost.
Giving joy to this world.
Come, O Christ, purify our souls and bodies.
And make them thy own pure abode.
Justify us by thy first coming.
And in thy second, deliver us;
That so, when thou judgest all things, on the day of the great light,
We may be adorned with a spotless robe, and may follow thy footsteps wheresoever they are seen. Amen.

I also would like to offer some prayers from a book that I have, "Devotions for Holy Communion". It was put together in the late 1950's, and I think that it has just some awesome prayers, which we never hear any more. It's also very hard to find, but I have two of them. Anyway, here is one from the Gothic Breviary in the 7th century.

We blush with shame, O Lord, to call thee Father, we who have forfeited the dignity of sons. Yet, because with Fatherly affection thou dost save us, even when judging our faults, so, unworthy sons as we are, we may still make our appeal to thy Fatherly care. In this moment of true sorrow, then, let our sins be forgotten. So, if not by our deserving, at least by our love, we may be entitled to call thee Father.

And so it begins again!

Another liturgical year is upon us. Seems like the last few months just flew by to me. Winterizing my yard, as well as doing it to about 8 others that I maintain. Anyway, we are given yet another chance to straighten out our lives, so as to get closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us hope that this time we can get it right, in order to be acceptable to God.

Isaias gets us started this year by condemning the Jewish nation, which could be all of us these days. He says: "...my people hath not known me, and my people hath not understood. Woe to this sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children. They have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards. For what shall I strike you any more, you that increase transgression? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is sad. From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein; wounds, and bruises, and swelling sores; they are not bound up, nor dressed, nor fomented with oil."

Our beloved Abbot Gueranger sums it up far better than I can: 'The whole world is in expectation of its Redeemer; come, dear Jesus, show Thyself to it by granting it salvation. The Church, Thy bride, is now commencing another year, and her first word is to Thee, a word which she speaks in the anxious solicitude of a mother for the safety of her children; she cries out to Thee, saying: 'Come!' No, we will go no farther in our journey through the desert of this life without Thee, O Jesus! Time is passing quickly away from us; our day is perhaps far spent, and the shades of our life's night are fast coming on; arise, O divine Sun of justice. Come! guide our steps and save us from eternal death.'

Also, remember what Our Blessed Mother said to the kids at Fatima: "Men must no longer offend our Divine Lord, Who is already offended too much", and, "Men must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins."


Come Lord Jesus!

Pray for us, Blessed Mother

Conscientious Catholic: RORATE CÆLI

I posted this last year, after I learned that Pope XII gave the United States an exemption for the Friday after Thanksgiving, allowing us to eat meat, thus, not letting turkey get nasty, and so we can keep on with Thanksgiving! At least one Pope cared about us! He was the last good one for us and the Church. Enjoy, and have a Happy Thanksgiving! CC

Conscientious Catholic: RORATE CÆLI

Conscientious Catholic: Last Sunday

Conscientious Catholic: Last Sunday
This post was first posted last year. I want to repeat it, since I can. It also will remind me what I need to do. I'd like to end with the Antiphon of the Magnificat:

'Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful; that, becoming more zealous as to the fruit of the divine work, they may receive the greater remedies of thy goodness.'

22nd Sunday after Pentecost

Today is the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost. According to Honorius of Autun, a Theologian, Philosopher, and encyclopedia writer of the 12th century, today has reference to the days of Antichrist. The Church, foreseeing the reign of the man of sin, and as though she were actually undergoing the persecution which is to surpass all others, takes her Introit of this Sunday from Psalm De profundis, from the 129th psalm.

Does anyone else think that we are in the end times as I do? Evil is everywhere, anti-Catholic thinking is everywhere, the Bilderbergers control all of the world's money, the US is tanking, and, moreover, everything seems to be in shambles. We are just ripe for the entire takeover of everything. Especially with idiots in charge.

This only makes sense, since towards the end of the liturgical year, we are to focus on the end of the world as we know it. We are to suppose to be the light of the world, not hiding under the proverbial basket. St. John Chrysostom says that the "stars shine in the night; they glitter in the dark; so far from growing dim amidst the gloom that surrounds them, they seem all the more brilliant. So will it be with thee, if thou art virtuous amidst the wicked; thy light will shine so much the more clearly." St. Augustine says: "As the stars keep on their course in the track marked out for them by God, and grow not tired of sending forth their light in the midst of darkness, neither heed they the calamities which may be happening of earth; so should do those holy ones whose conversation is truly in heaven; they should pay no more attention to what is said or done against them, than the stars do."

Therefore, in light of what is happening in the world today, no matter how difficult it is to speak the Truth, no matter the persecutions we endure in this life, we are still seeking the Kingdom of God with all of the great things attached to it!

One of the sayings that I have on my desk is this from St. Augustine:

"The True God will let not sheep be deceived that does not want to be deceived. Nor will He abandon any soul that has not first abandoned Him."

Another saying I have is this: It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds. Samuel Adams

Lord, grant us perseverence! Please?!

21st Sunday after Pentecost

Today is the 21st Sunday after Pentecost. We are encouraged to fight the good fight, and also to make good the debt we owe to our Eternal Father before our demise. If we can get to that final time, hopefully we can say, "I have fought the good fight, I have kept the Faith."

St. Paul, my patron saint when I entered into the Faith, tells us in his letter to the Ephesians, just how to fight this current and ongoing fight:

'Brethren: Be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of His power.Put ye on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Therefore, take unto the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; in all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'

We know that we will not be pushed beyond our strength. We also know, that if we know the Faith that comes to us from the Apostles, that we are stronger and can endure the harder tests.

Lord, have mercy

The Pastor's Corner: November 2011

How come we haven't heard of this miracle? It is apparent that abortionists and their supporters wouldn't want us to see this. Check out the short video under the main paragraph. Just click on 'the Pastor's Corner' below.

The Pastor's Corner: November 2011

All Souls' Day

Today we pray for all of the souls that have not met the payment of their debt, and are in purgatory. Not too many pray for them anymore, and so they are stuck. Following is a site I found, depicting what this day is about, and what to do for these souls. Pray for them! Click on the 'All Souls Day' words below, as it is a link.

All Souls' Day

CHRIST THE KING!

Our Liturgical Year begins and ends with Christ, the Eternal King. He humble Himself to become a human like us, went through His horrible Passion for us, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven where He is crowned King of everything. Let us spread His message to all we know, so that we can be with for all eternity.

JESUS CHRIST, KING, NOW AND FOREVER!

Know the TRUTH about the Government Health Care Bill H.R.3200 - Key Points

Everyone needs to see this. If this makes you think that the health care plan is good, then you are just another useful idiot. Wake up, America!

19th Sunday after Pentecost

Today we hear, once again, about the wedding feast, and what happens when our garments are not clean enough to enter. We heard this same at the beginning of the liturgical year, and now, toward the end, we hear it again. If our souls are not clean, we do not enter the eternal kingdom yet, and must be cleansed. St. Gregory, great saint and great Pope, tells us what these passages mean.


'The kingdom of heaven is the assembly of the just; for, the Lord says by a prophet: "Heaven is My throne"; and Solomon says: "The soul of the just man is the throne of wisdom"; and Paul calls Christ the Wisdom of God. If, therefore, heaven be the throne of God, we must evidently conclude that, as Wisdom is God, and the soul of the just man is the throne of Wisdom, this soul is a heaven... The kingdom of heaven, then, is the assembly of the just...If this kingdom is said to be like to a King, who made a marriage for his Son, your charity at once understands who is this King, who is the Father of a Son, King like Himself. It is He, of whom the psalmist says: "Give to the King Thy judgment, O God, and to the King's Son Thy justice!" God the Father made the marriage of God His Son, when He wished that He, who had been God before all ages, should become Man towards the end of ages. But we must not, on that account, suppose that there are two persons in Jesus Christ, our God and our Saviour...It is, perhaps, clearer and safer to say, that the King made a marriage for His Son, in that, by the mystery of the Incarnation, He united the Church to Him. The womb of the Virgin-Mother was the nuptial chamber of that Bridegroom, of whom the psalmist says: and He, as a Bridegroom, cometh out of His bride chamber!'



Lord, help us understand these mysteries so that we can be invited into the wedding feast.

18th Sunday after Pentecost

Today we heard from the 'God with us' Gospel, Matthew. It tells us about the man in sin, whose friends prayed for him and brought him to Jesus to be freed from the chains of sin. Jesus obliges. The Church continues to this day to forgive us our many sins, and will until the end of time, no matter what non-Catholics say. Jesus said it, I believe it, that settles it!

The priest who does our Latin Mass is from Sicily, and was a small child when the war was beginning to rage there. He tells us about losing a close relative, and decides to enter the priesthood. We are so glad he did. Him, along with other Italian priests, run the Saint Louis Center in Chelsea, Michigan. They house and take care of children, some of whom have grown, because their parents would not take of them any more.

They are the Servants of Charity. They were founded by Blessed Louis Guanella, who is to be canonized later this month. He was told and blessed by Pope Pius X, to start this charity to help those who can't help themselves anymore. I believe our priests had met him in his later years. Also, our main priest, Fr. Joseph Rinaldo, was told in the late 60's by another Saint, Padre Pio, to come to the U.S., because his life would be in danger if he remained in Italy. I think he was speaking unfavorably about the Mafia.

Anyway, these holy priests from Italy do our Mass most Sundays, and would probably appreciate it if people would support them in their charity. There is a large Italian community down in that area, and they do a lot! I guarantee it would be a very worthwhile donation. Maybe we could ask Fr. Guanella to help up make up our minds.

17th Sunday after Pentecost

Love God; loves others! The two great Commandments. They take in the whole of the Ten Commandments. The first three being towards God, with the other seven towards others. When I was a fledgling in the Faith, an older friend told me that being lukewarm is 'not so hot'. I've always remembered this, and hopefully will keep on remembering it.

Now, I, as usual, will let the good Abbot instruct us as to being charitable to others.

'Let us Christians, out of contempt for satan, who stirred up the expiring Synagogue thus to lay snares for the Son of God, turn these efforts of hatred into an instruction which will warm up our love. The Jews, by rejecting Christ Jesus, sinned against both of the commandments which constitute charity, and embody the whole law; and we, on the contrary, by loving that same Jesus, fulfill the whole law.

Jesus is the brightness of eternal glory, one, by nature, with the Father and the Holy Ghost; He is the God whom the first commandment bids us love, and it is in Him also that the second has its truest and adequate application. For not only is He as truly Man as He is truly God, but He is the Man par excellence, the perfect Man, on whose type, and for whom, all other men were formed; He is the model and the brother of all of them; He is at the same time the leader who governs them as their King, and offers them to God as their High Priest; He is the Head who communicates to all the members of the human family beauty, and life, and movement, and light; He is the Redeemer of the human family since it has fallen, and on that account He is twice over the source of all right, and the ultimate and highest motive, even when not the direct object, of every love that deserves to be called love here below. Nothing counts with God, excepting so far as it has reference to Jesus. As St. Augustine says, God loves men only inasmuch as they either are, or may one day become, members of His Son; it is His Son that He loves in them; thus He loves, with one same love though not equally, His Word, and the Flesh of His Word, and the members of His Incarnate Word. Now, charity is love--love such as it is in God, communicated to us creatures by the Holy Ghost. Therefore, what we should love, by charity, both in ourselves, and in others, is the divine Word, either as being, or, according to another expression of the same St. Augustine, 'that He may be,' in others and in ourselves.

Let us take care, also, as a consequence of this same truth, not to exclude any human being from our love, excepting the damned, who are absolutely and eternally cut off from the body of the Man-God. Who can boast that he has the charity of Christ if he do not embrace His unity? The questing is St. Augustine again. Who can love Christ, without loving, with Him, the Church, which is His body? without loving all His members? What we do--be it to the least, or be it to the worthiest, be it of evil, or of good--it is to Him we do it, for He tells us so. Then, let us love our neighbor as ourselves, because of Christ, who is in each of us, and who gives to us all union and increase in charity.'

After all this, I'm going to make a comment. We hear all of the time about faith, hope, and love. In Corinthians, it is faith, hope, and charity. Now, I think love and charity are related, but I don't think they are the same thing at all. We can love our neighbor because God tells us to. However, I don't think it is true love unless we give of ourselves to them because of charity, whether it be doing something for them without expecting something in return, or just being there for them in times of need. We try to be good examples for them, hopefully helping them come to the true Faith before they die.

Lord, have mercy on us