Sunday within Octave of Corpus Christi

Today, and every other day, we are invited to a Feast which had been prepared for someone else(the Jews). How fortunate we are to be among the elect to receive His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist!

I'm going to go back a couple of days to the Feast of Corpus Christi, and just listen to this beautiful prayer from the Greek church in the Mass called 'St. John Chrysostom's' mass. It is a before Communion prayer.


I believe, O Lord, and confess, that thou art Christ, Son of the living God, who camest into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the first.

"Receive me, communicating, this day, in thy mystic Supper. For I will not speak of thy mystery to thine enemies, nor, like Judas, give thee a kiss, but, like the thief, confess to thee: Remember me, O Lord, in thy kingdom!

Lord, I am not worthy that thou enter under the filthy roof of my soul: but, as thou deignedst to repose in the cave and manger of brute beasts; and in the house of Simon the leper, receive a sinner like myself, when she approached thee: deign, also, to enter into the crib of my senseless soul, and into my defiled, dead, and leprous body. And, as thou disdainedst not the unclean mouth of the sinner, who kissed thy most pure feet; so, O my Lord God, disdain not me, a sinner. But, good and merciful as thou art, vouchsafe to make me a partaker of thy most holy Body and Blood.

O my God! forgive, pardon, remit me whatsoever sins I have, either knowingly, or through ignorance, committed either by word or deed. Pardon me them all, for that thou art good and merciful; by the intercessions of thy most pure and ever virgin Mother, keep me from condemnation, that I may receive thy precious and immaculate Body unto the cure of soul and body. For thine is the kingdom, and power, and glory, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen."


Come, Lord Jesus!

Trinity Sunday

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! This is to all the father's out there. Hopefully, we have done a good job bringing up our kids to follow the truth. Some days I wonder. St. Joseph, pray for me and all father's. The following is the Athanasian Creed, which we don't hear anymore, but is appropriate today, since it is Holy Trinity Sunday.

Whosoever would be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith.
Which faith, except every one doth keep entire, and unviolated, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
Now the Catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
Neither confounding the Persons, not dividing the substance.
For one is the Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, the Holy Ghost is uncreated.
The Father is incomprehensible, the Son is incomprehensible, the Holy Ghost is incomprehensible.
The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Holy Ghost is eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
As also they are not three uncreateds, nor three incomprehensibles, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible,
In like manner the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Ghost is almighty.
And yet they are not three almighties but one almighty.

So, the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So, the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Ghost is Lord.
And yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord.
For, as we are compelled, by the Christian truth, to acknowledge each Person, by himself, to be God and Lord; so are we forbidden, by the Catholic religion, to say there are three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of now one, neither created not begotten.
The son is from the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son; not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
There is, then, one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity, there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less; but the whole three Persons are coeternal to one another, and coequal.
So that, in all things, as hath been already said above, the Unity is to be worshipped in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity.
He, therefore, that would be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation, that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and Man.
He is God, of the substance of his Father, begotten before the world; and he is Man, of the substance of his Mother, born in the world.
Perfect God, perfect Man; subsisting of a rational soul, and human flesh.
Equal to the Father according to his Godhead: less than the Father, according to his Manhood.
Who although he be both God and Man, yet he is not two, but one, Christ.
One, not by the conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by the taking of the Manhood unto God.
One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
For, as the rational soul and the flesh is one man, so Bod and Man is one Christ.

Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again, the third day, from the dead.
He ascended into heaven; he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
At whose coming, all men shall rise again with their bodies; and shall give an account of their own works.

And they that have done good, shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic faith; which except every man believe faithfully and steadfastly, he cannot be saved.

Come, Holy Ghost!

Today is the day which God hast made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!
Pentecost is finally here. The Apostles have waited ten days since they saw Jesus ascend into heaven, followed by scores of holy souls that had been waiting for this day for eons. Now, they will transform into people unlike anyone that has ever been seen. The Jews have their own pentecost, in which they rejoice since travelling through the sea, wandering in the desert for 50 days, to be given the Ten Commandments. This Pentecost, however, will not be sober, but happiness will abide. They will receive the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire. The new Church is to be spread by teaching. Therefore, the tongue will be needed to achieve this. Tongues of fire will set their own tongues on fire for the love of God!
This fire, as the holy Church says, "burns not but enlightens, consumes not but shines".

Those in attendance will hear them speaking in their own language. This is what I think this gift is, to speak in your own tongue and others will hear in theirs. However, they very well could have understood other languages as well.
Think of it, Mary is also there. Now, she had already received the Holy Ghost; in her Immaculate Conception, as well as at the Annunciation. However, this time is different. She also receives the tongue of fire, in order to help teach the fledgling Church. She gladly accepts her new assignment. It must have been AWESOME!!!!!

Let me close with a sequence composed by Adam of St. Victor about the mystery of Pentecost:

'O Divine Paraclete, who proceedest equally from the Father and the Son! with thy glowing fire, give eloquence to our tongues, and make our hearts fervent in their love for thee.
Love of the Father and the Son! equal and coequal with them in essence! thou fillest and fosterest all things: and though in thyself immovable, thou governest the stars, and givest motion to the heavens.
Light most dear and bright! thou puttest to flight the gloom of our soul's darkness. "Tis thou that purifiest the pure, and takest away sin and its rust.
Thou teachest us the truth; thou showest us the way of peace and the path of justice. Thou shunnest the hearts of perverse sinners; thou enrichest the hearts of the good with the gift of knowledge.
With thee as teacher, there is no obscurity; when thou art present, there is no impurity. The soul that possesses thee, is cheerful; and her conscience is joyful and pure.
Thou changest the elements; by thee have the Sacraments their efficacy: thou drivest away all evil power: thou bringest to nought the wickedness of our enemies.
When thou comest to us, our hearts are soothed; when thou enterest, dark clouds are put to flight. O sacred Fire! when thou visitest us, thou inflamest our souls; not burning them, but purging them from the dross of care.
Thou givest wisdom and fervor to souls that once were ignorant and drowsy and heedless. Thou inspirest the tongue, thou formest its speech; and the charity thou givest, makes the heart prompt to all that is good.
O helper of them that are heavily laden! O Comforter of the afflicted! O refuge of the poor! Give us a contempt for earthly things, and draw our affections to the love of what is heavenly.
Consoler and Creator, and guest, and lover of humble souls! Drive all evil from us, cleanse our sins, bring concord where now is discord, and support us by thy protection.
O thou that heretofore didst visit, teach, and strengthen the timid disciples, deign to visit us; vouchsafe to console us and the faithful throughout the world.
Equal is the majesty, equal the power, and one the divinity, of the Three Persons. Thou proceedest from the Father and the Son, and art coequal in all things with them.
Being, therefore, infinite in all perfections as is the Father, accept from us thy poor servants the praise that is due to thee, equally with the Father and the Son. Amen.'

COME, HOLY GHOST!

Just reading

I was reading yesterday the one for Wednesday within the octave of the Ascension. I found this interesting, therefore I write. One thing I read which I will NOT put in is when the Abbott mentions about the whole world knowing about and celebrating the Ascension. Funny (not really) that our beloved bishops decide to NOT have people have to go to church twice in one week, so they had the Ascension last Sunday. So much for remembering and celebrating! I'm thinking, how about if we have Pentecost next Tuesday instead of Sunday. Any takers?

Anyway, here's the sequence from the 14th or 15th century from Finland.

"Be glad, all ye people, and sing our festive songs, for it is the triumph of Christ! He returns to heaven, leading thither the trophies he has won; and as he ascends, the jubilant sound of the trumpet is heard.
Oh! how grand is the glory that is this day conferred on the Son of God! The fruit of our earth is this day exalted above all the thrones of the heavenly court.
Like Moses, he enters the tabernacle, and people flock to see the grandeur of the mystery: the men of Galilee stand looking up to the cloud that received him out of their sight.
When Elias was taken up from earth, he gave his twofold spirit and his mantle to Eliseus: when Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave to his servants the talents of his grace.
Like Jacob, he passed over the Jordan, enduring sufferings of wondrous avail to us, and the staff he used was the cross. He returned to heaven with two troops,--- of angels, and of souls (set free from limbo),---and laden with treasures.
This is the mighty one, who, having conquered the gates of death, entered heaven with glory. He is the King of hosts, at whose bidding and presence the triple creation trembles.
The Father calls his Son to sit with him on his throne, until he make his enemies bow down before him, vanquished by force or love. He reigns in the highest heavens; he is to come again upon our earth to judge the consciences of all, saints and sinners.
Of come, thou avenging God! come in thy mercy, when we are to appear before thee seated on thy throne. On that day, show unto us thy wonted mercy, and give us to ascend to the endless life of future glory. Amen."

Sunday after the Ascension

This is the Sunday after Our Lord's Ascension. What an AWESOME!!! sight that must have been. Jesus leading the way to heaven, and behind Him was the vast oceans of holy souls from the beginning of the world who have earned their place in heaven. Undescribable!
Apparently, in the Middle Ages, this Sunday within the octave of the Ascension was called the Sunday of Roses, because it was the custom to strew the pavement of the churches with roses, as an homage to Christ who ascended to heaven when earth was in the season of flowers. At least they appreciated things in their day, quite unlike our day when we are not even expected to go to church twice in one week! What an atrocity! We would be like protestants! Oh yeah, we already are.
Anyway, let us wait for the Holy Spirit, just like the Apostles did.

Lord, have mercy.