15th Sunday after Pentecost

Tomorrow we celebrate the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. We will hear about the mother of Naim who had a dead son, and was on the way to bury him. Jesus feels compassion on the woman and heals the child. Now, for the lesson to be learned. The mother is the Church, and the child is us. Remember, Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Spouse. Jesus came to live and die in order to save us, who have strayed. In 'The Liturgical Year' by our beloved Abbot Gueranger, this was written by St. Laurence Justinian concerning these passages from the Gospel of St. Luke in regard to the Church:

'Then, all resplendent with the mystic jewels wherewith the Bridegroom had beautified her on the wedding day, she thrilled with joy at the increase of her children, both in merit and in number; she urged them to ascend to ever greater heights; she offered them to God; she raised them in her arms up towards heaven. Obeyed by them, she was, in all truth, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array. She stretched out her branches as the turpentine tree, and beneath their shadow she sheltered those whom she had begotten against the heat, and the tempest, and the rain. So long, then, as she could she was able to assemble. But her zeal, great as it was, has redoubled from the time she perceived that many, yea very many, had lost their first fervour. Now for many years she is mourning at the sight of how, each day, her Creator is offended, how great are the losses she sustains, and how many of her children suffer death. She that was once robed in scarlet has put on mourning garments; her fragrance is no longer perceived by the world; instead of the rich ornament of her breast, she is vested in haircloth. Her lamentations and tears are ceaseless. Ceaseless is her prayer, striving if, by by some way, she may make the present as beautiful as times past; and yet, as though it were impossible for her to call back that lovely past, she seems wearied with such supplication. The word of the prophet has come true: "They are all gone aside, they are become unprofitable together; there is none that doth good, no, not one!" (Psalms 13:3) The manifold sins committed by the Church's children against the divine precepts show that they who so sin are rotten members, members alien to the body of Christ. Nevertheless the Church forgets not that she gave them birth in the laver of salvation; she forgets not the promises they made to renounce the devil, and the pomps of the world, and all sin. Therefore does she weep over their fall, being their true mother, and never losing the hope of winning their resurrection by her tears. Oh what a flood of tears is thus every day shed before God! What fervent prayers does this spotless virgin send, by the ministry of the holy angels, up to Christ, Who is the salvation of sinners! In the secret of hearts, in lonely retreats, as well as in her public temples, she cries out to the divine mercy, that they, who are now buried in the filth of vice, may be restored to life. Who shall tell the joy of her heart, when she receives back living, the children she mourned over as dead? If the conversion of sinners is such joy to heaven, what must it be to such a mother? According to the multitude of the sorrows of her heart, so will be the consolations, giving joy to her soul.'

It is the duty of us Christians, who by God's mercy have been preserved from the general decay, to share in the anguish of our mother, the Church; we should humbly but fervently co-operate with her in all her zealous endeavors to reclaim our fallen brethren. We surely can never be satisfied with not being of the number of those senseless sons who are a sorrow to their, and despise the labour of her that bore them. Had we not the Holy Spirit to tell us how he that honoureth his mother is as one that layeth up to himself a treasure, the thought of what our birth cost her would force us to do everything that leis in our power to comfort her. She is the dear bride of the Incarnate Word; and our souls, too, aspire to union with Him. Let us prove that such union is really ours by doing as the Church does; that is, by showing in our acts the one thought, the one love which the divine Spouse always imparts to souls that enjoy intimacy with Him, because there is nothing He Himself has so much at heart; the thought of bringing the whole world to give glory to His eternal Father, and the love of procuring salvation for sinners.


Of course, this is NOT the path the Church has taken in the past 50+ years since Vatican II. That council, which was valid, has told us to accept others as they are because everyone goes to heaven, since God loves all and would not punish them, even though Jesus Himself said differently. We are told that others don't need to convert to the Catholic Church anymore. This is a giant PANTLOAD! They DO need to convert and come to the Church that Christ Himself started. It only makes sense! God is a fair and merciful God, but He is also the Just God we all have to face when we die.


Also, it is the feast day of St. Giles, one of the 'Fourteen Holy Helpers' that I wrote about on July 29. St. Giles is invoked against the plague, and for a good Confession. Here is the list:

The fourteen saints represented in the altar are:
• Agathius (or Acacius) (May 8), martyr, invoked against headache
• Barbara (December 4), virgin and martyr, invoked against fever and sudden death
• Blaise (also Blase and Blasius) (February 3), bishop and martyr, invoked against illness of the throat
• Catherine of Alexandria (November 25), virgin and martyr, invoked against sudden death
• Christopher (Christophorus) (July 25), martyr, invoked against bubonic plague
• Cyriacus (Cyriac) (August 8), deacon and martyr, invoked against temptation on the death-bed
• Denis (Dionysius) (October 9), bishop and martyr, invoked against headache
• Erasmus (Elmo) (June 2), bishop and martyr, invoked against intestinal ailments
• Eustachius (Eustace, Eustathius) (September 20), martyr, invoked against family discord
• George (April 23), soldier-martyr, for the health of domestic animals
• Giles (Aegidius) (September 1), hermit and abbot, invoked against plague, for a good confession
• Margaret of Antioch (July 20), virgin and martyr, invoked in childbirth
• Pantaleon (July 27), bishop and martyr, for physician

Decollation of St. John the Baptist

Today is the feast day of the decollation(beheading) of St. John the Baptist. He was the last prophet of the Old Testament. He was purified in his mother's womb at the salutation of our Blessed Mother when she visited St. Elizabeth, who was carrying the Baptist. He was the precursor of Christ, and he pointed him out at the river Jordan. He then baptized Him at His request. Anyway, this is the day he was beheaded by Herod at the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, his brother's wife. Since it had been told to him by the Baptist that he could NOT have his brother's wife, a plot was schemed to kill the Baptist. Salome danced for Herod and pleased him and filled him with lust. He told her to ask for anything and he would get it for her. She asked for the head of John the Baptist. This dismayed Herod, but he had it done.

John had said concerning Christ: "He must increase and I must decrease." Thus the feast of the Decollation of St. John may be considered as one of the landmarks of the liturgical year. With the Greeks it is a holy day of obligation. Its great antiquity in the Latin Church is evidenced by the mention made of it in the martyrology called St. Jerome's, and by the place it occupies in the Gelasian and Gregorian sacramentaries. The precursor's blessed death took place about the feast Pasch; but, that it might be more freely celebrated, this day was chosen, whereon his sacred head was discovered at Emesa.

The vengeance of God fell heavily upon Herod Antipas. Josephus(a Jewish historian, who I believe converted), relates how he was overcome by the Arabian Aretas, whose daughter he had repudiated in order to follow his wicked passions; and the Jews attributed the defeat to the murder of St. John. He was deposed by Rome from his tetrarchate, and banished to Lyons in Gaul(France), where the ambitious Herodias shared his disgrace. As to her dancing daughter Salome, there is a tradition gathered from ancient authors, that, having gone out one winter day to dance upon a frozen river, she fell through into the water; the ice, immediately closing round her neck, cut off her head, which bounded upon the surface, thus continuing for some moments the dance of death.


Talk about Divine Justice!

St. Augustine

Today is the feast day of St. Augustine, one of the pillars of the early Church and a Doctor of the same Church. This means he knows what he is talking about! We should all read his 'Confessions', which he talks about his conversion back to the Church he had left for 30+ years while he was wandering around searching for the Truth. He had gone through a time where he didn't know where to turn for help. He had questioned the earth, sky, the seas, and all the creatures of the earth trying to find that peace of mind of knowing what was going on around him, and where life and everything came from. They all answered him: " We are not what you seek; seek above us. Seek Him Who made us."

His mother, Monica, had prayed for him for 30 years, to no avail. However, after that time, because of her prayers and enlisting St. Ambrose, he finally returned to his rightful place, within the fold of the True God. And boy, what a transformation! He became so fervent in his faith that he helped thousands come to that same Truth. He wrote many books and prayers; one of my favorites is the following. It's supposed to be after Holy Communion, but I think it should be before and after Confession. It was written in the year 430AD. It pretty much sums up our weaknesses. His life and conversion should tell us NOT to give up on our children, however far they might have strayed from what we tried to instill in them when they were small. They are adults now, so I guess they have to find the Truth in their own time. I just hope they get on board before they die. St. Monica, pray for our kids. Please?


St. Augustine's Prayer

Before Thy eyes, O Lord, we bring our offenses, and we compare them with the stripes we have received.

If we consider the evil we have wrought, what we suffer is little, what we deserve is great.

What we have committed is very grave, what we have suffered is very slight.

We feel the punishment of sin, yet withdraw not from the obstinacy of sinning.

Under Thy lash our inconstancy is visited, but our sinfulness is not changed. Our suffering soul is tormented, but our neck is not bent. Our life groans under sorrow, yet mends not in deed.

If Thou spare us, we correct not our ways; if Thou punish we cannot endure it.

In time of correction we confess our wrong-doing; after Thy visitation we forget we have wept.

If Thou stretchest forth Thy hand we promise amendment; if Thou withholdest the sword we keep not our promise.

If Thou strikest we cry out for mercy; if Thou sparest we again provoke Thee to strike.

Here we are before Thee, O Lord, confessedly guilty; we know that unless Thou pardon we shall deservedly perish.

Grant then, almighty Father, without our deserving it, the pardon we ask for; Thou who madest out of nothing those who ask Thee.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.


Following is a synopsis of his life.

SAINT AUGUSTINE
Bishop of Hippo and Doctor of the Church
(354-430)

Saint Augustine was born in 354 at Tagaste in Africa. He was brought up in the Christian faith but did not receive baptism, result of the practice, common in the first centuries, of deferring it until adulthood. An ambitious schoolboy of brilliant talents and violent passions, he early lost both his faith and his innocence. He pursued with ardor the study of philosophy. He taught grammar, rhetoric and literature for nine years in his native town of Tagaste, and in Carthage. He persisted in his irregular life and doctrinal errors until he was thirty-two. Then one day, stung to the heart by the account of some sudden conversions, he cried out, "The unlearned rise and storm heaven, and we, with all our learning, for lack of courage lie inert!" The great heart of this future bishop was already evident.

When as a genial student of rhetoric, he was at Milan, where Saint Ambrose was bishop, Augustine tells us later in his autobiography, the Catholic faith of his childhood regained possession of his intellect, but he could not as yet resolve to break the chains of bad habit. His mother helped him to separate from the mother of his son, Adeodatus, who had died as a young man; and she, after this painful separation, retired for life to a convent, regretting that she had long enchained this soul of predilection. Augustine's mother, Saint Monica, died soon afterwards.

Urged also by a friend who had decided to adopt a celibate life, Saint Augustine took up a book of the Holy Scriptures, and read the Epistles of Saint Paul in a new light. A long and terrible conflict ensued, but with the help of grace the battle was won; he went to consult a priest and received baptism, returned to Africa and gave all he had to the poor. At Hippo, where he settled, he was consecrated bishop in 395. For thirty-five years he was the center of ecclesiastical life in Africa, and the Church's strongest champion against heresy. His writings, which compose many volumes, have been everywhere accepted as a major source of both Christian spirituality and theological speculation. The great Doctor died, deeply regretted by the entire Christian world, in 430.

Reflection: Read the lives of the Saints, and you will find yourself living amid company to whose standards you will be forced to raise, at least in some measure, your own in your daily life.

St. Augustine, pray for us and help us come to the total Truth as you did. Amen!

Something to remember!

I Love My Attorney



After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time on earth came to the end.

The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought
to be a court house.

The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table.

As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor'.

He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the
most evil person I have ever seen.

I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and gentle looking
man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him.

The corner door opened and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes.

He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I couldn't take my
eyes off of Him.

As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, 'Let us begin.'

The prosecutor rose and said, 'My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man
belongs in hell.'

He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the past when I cheated
others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life, and the more
he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank.

I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil
told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My
Attorney who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all.

I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that
at least equal out part of the harm I'd done?

Satan finished with a fury and said, 'This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have
charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.'

When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge
allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward.

As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty.

I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, 'HI, DAD,' and then He turned to address
the court.

'Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations.
And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished.'

Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed,
'However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted
Me as his Savior, so he is Mine.'

My Lord continued with, 'His name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch him
from Me. Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given justice, but rather
mercy.'

As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, 'There is nothing else
that needs to be done. I've done it all..'

The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words
bellowed from His lips.....

'This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed.'

I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next,
'Have you ever lost a case?'

Christ lovingly smiled and said, 'Everyone that has come to Me and
asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you,
~Paid In Full.'


Just think. An attorney who is NOT out only to get your money. He just wants YOU!

14th Sunday after Pentecost

Tomorrow is the 14th Sunday after Pentecost. We hear about all of sins of the flesh, self-pleasure, and how to avoid them in this world, since we are attacked every day by the enemy, Satan and his minions. But first of all, I would like to give a 'shout out' to St. Louis, who was King of France, and also has this day as his feast day. His words really pertain to tomorrow's readings. He said a couple of things when he was getting ready to die to his son, who would become Philip III and take over this reign of France. I thought they are very appropriate for these days also, and I would like to pass them along:

"Dear son, the first thing I admonish thee is that thou set thy heart to love God, for without that nothing else is of any worth. Beware of doing what displeases God, that is to say mortal sin; yea rather oughtest thou to suffer all manner of torments. If God send thee adversity, receive it in patience, and give thanks for it to our Lord, and think that thou hast done Him ill service. If He give thee prosperity, thank Him humbly for the same and be not the worse, either by pride or in any other manner, for that very thing that ought to make thee better; for we must not use God's gifts against Himself. Have a kind and pitiful heart towards the poor and the unfortunate, and comfort and assist them as much as thou canst. Keep up the good customs of thy kingdom, and put down all bad ones. Love all that is good and hate all that is evil of any sort. Suffer no ill word about God or our Lady or the saints to be spoken in thy presence, that thou dost not straightway punish. In the administering of justice be loyal to thy subjects, without turning aside to the right hand or to the left; but help the right, and take the part of the poor until the whole truth be cleared up. Honour and love all ecclesiastical persons, and take care that they be not deprived of the gifts and alms that thy predecessors may have given them. Dear son, I admonish thee that thou be ever devoted to the Church of Rome, and to the sovereign Bishop our father, that is the Pope, and that thou bear him reverence and honour as thou oughtest to do to thy spiritual father. Exert thyself that every vile sin be abolished from thy land; especially to the best of thy power put down all wicked oaths and heresy. Fair son, I give thee all the blessings that a good father can give to a son; may the blessed Trinity and all the saints guard thee and protect thee from all evils; may God give thee grace to do His will always, and may He be honoured by thee, and may thou and I after this mortal life be together in His company and praise Him without end."

We don't speak with the 'thees' and 'thous' any more, but you get the picture. Our beloved Abbot Gueranger epitomizes St. Louis with these words, which we ought to follow:

'He made a covenant before the Lord to walk after Him and keep His commandments; and cause them to be kept by all.' God was his end, faith was his guide: herein lies the whole secret of his government as well as of his sanctity. As a Christian he was a servant of Christ, as a prince he was Christ's lieutenant; the aspirations of the Christian and those of the prince did not divide his soul; this unity was his strength, as it is now his glory. He now reigns in heaven with Christ, who alone reigned in him and by him on earth. If then your delight be in thrones and sceptres, O ye kings of the people, love wisdom, that you may reign for ever.'

May the Lord grant us fortitude and perseverance, in these times and all the way to our death, so that we might share in the Inheritance He has prepared for us.

Now, to the readings for tomorrow. I'm going to focus on what St. Paul writes to the Galatians. He talks about mortifying his flesh, in order to appease God, Who has rescued him. As our Abbot says:

'Flesh and blood have had no share in their divine birth; flesh and blood have no hand in their regenerated life. Their first birth being in the flesh, they were flesh, and did the works of death and ignominy mentioned in the Epistle, showing at every turn that they were from slime of earth; but, born of the Spirit, they are spirit, and do the works of the spirit, in spite of the flesh which is always part of their being. For, by giving them of His own life, the Spirit has emancipated them, by the power of love, from the tyranny of sin, which held dominion over their members; and, having been grafted on Christ, they bring forth fruit unto God.

Man, therefore, who was once a slave to concupiscence, has regained on the on the Cross of Christ that equilibrium of his existence which is true liberty. The supremacy, which the soul had forfeited in punishment for her revolt against God, has been restored to her by the laver of the water of Baptism...He too demands atonement...For this purpose He mercifully takes man, now that he is enfranchised, and confides to him the task of sharing with His divine Majesty in taking revenge on their common enemy and usurper. Then again, this mortifying the flesh and keeping it in subjection is a necessary means for retaining the good position already obtained. It is true that the rebel has been made incapable of damaging those who are in Christ Jesus, and who walk not according to the flesh and its vile suggestions; but it is equally true that the rebel is rebel still, and is ever watching for opportunities to assail the spirit. If one were Antony in the desert, the flesh would be fierce in its assaults even there. If the saint were a Paul, just fresh from the third heaven of his sublime revelations, the flesh would have impudence enough to buffet even him. So that, had we no past sins to atone for, the commonest prudence would urge us to take severe measures of precaution against an enemy who is so fearfully untiring in his hatred of us, and, what is worse, lives always in our own home. St. Paul, of whom we were just speaking, says of himself: "I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, perhaps...I should become reprobate!"

So, if Paul still had to fight these tendencies even after what he went through, we too need to rein in our urges in order to appease God, Who will judge us according to our lives.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Please?

THANKS!

I just wanted to say thanks to all who visit this blog. And, especially to the people of Russia, who seem to be leading the pack in views. Maybe now is the time for the Consecration of that country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as she requested. That is; the Holy Father, with ALL the Bishops of the entire world in union with him, on the same day, at the same hour, naming specifically Russia. THIS is what she requested. Some Popes have did a consecration of the world, with no mention of Russia. Some have done one, mentioning Russia, but not with all of the bishops. Not one has done it the way she requested at Fatima. NONE! And, with Putin putting it out there about same-sex anything; and, being right, we all ought to rally around our Blessed Mother and finally do what she asked, to bring peace (as heaven sees it), to the world, thus ending all of the wars and the chaos. Anyway, thanks to all who read this blog, and especially the Russian people.

ONLY SHE CAN HELP US! She is the Ark of the new covenant, who brought forth, in her womb, the fulfilling of all the prophecies of the Old Testament: JESUS

Holy Mary, pray for us.

13th Sunday after Pentecost

Tomorrow is the 13th Sunday after Pentecost. We will hear about all the blessings that we each have received, and how few bother to return to give thanks to God. I'm going to let our beloved Abbot Gueranger explain it, as he does such an extraordinary job at it.

'...we are blessed with graces in abundance: eternal Wisdom has spared us the trials our forefathers had to contend with, by giving us to live in the period which has been enriched by all the mysteries of salvation. There is a danger, however, and our mother the Church does her utmost to avert us from falling into it; it is the danger of forgetting all those blessings. Ingratitude is the necessary outcome of forgetfulness, and today's Gospel justly condemns it. On this account, the Epistle, and here our Introit, remind us of the time when man had nothing to cheer him but hope: a promise had, indeed, been made to him of a sublime covenant which was, at some distant future, to be realized; but, meanwhile, he was very poor, was a prey to the wiles of satan, his cause was to be tried by divine justice, and yet he prayed for loving mercy.'

'...This day last week we were considering how important are faith and charity to a Christian who is living under the Law of grace. There is another virtue of equal necessity: it is hope; for, although he already have the substantial possession of the good things which will constitute his future happiness, the Christian is prevented by the gloom of this land of exile from seeing them. Moreover, this mortal life being essentially a period of trial, wherein each one is to win his crown, the struggle makes even the very best feel, and that right to the end, the weight of incertitude and anguish. Let us, therefore, pray with the Church, in her Collect, for an increase of the three fundamental virtues of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may deserve to reach the perfection of the good which is promised us in heaven, let us sue for the grace of devotedness to the commandments of God, which lead us to our eternal home.'

We hear in the Gospel of St. Luke, about the ten lepers who are cured by Jesus, and how just one from that group bother to come back and say thanks. This is like last week, when those of the Jewish persuasion, go past the man dying along the side of the road. Only the Samitarian bothers to stop and take care of him. This week only a Samitarian bothers to come back and give thanks to Jesus. These 'Samitarians' represent us. The Jews missed the boat again, and, therefore, we must give thanks to God for all He has done for us. Especially for us who actually have the Faith which God Himself has established. And that is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, which is based in Rome, the eternal city this side of the heavenly Jerusalem. Too bad most who call themselves Catholic don't believe this. We must live up to our vows by stopping and giving thanks, especially for those who don't bother.

Let us finish with the prayer of the Magnificat:

O almighty and eternal God, grant unto us an increase of faith, hope, and charity: and, that we may deserve what thou promisest, make us to love what thou commandest. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns in the Unity of the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Assumption of our Blessed Mother Mary

Assumption of Our Blessed Mother
Tomorrow is the Eve of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, body and soul, into heaven. I'm posting this today because tomorrow is very busy. It only makes sense that Mary should have her virginal, immaculate body, taken back into heaven where she belongs. She is our model, our help, and our hope in these times. She even helps us when we fail and fall short in doing what we are supposed to do. So, not only is she blessed, but we are too for having her as our mother!


I'm going to, as I do a lot, let the Abbot Gueranger, explain it as no one does. He was instrumental in writing the thesis beforehand in 1854, when Pope Pius IX proclaimed the great Assumption we have been given to think about. The Abbot was also present during the First Vatican Council, when the proclamation of the primacy of Peter and his infallibility was in question. He is truly a saint, if you ask me. Anyway, here is the writing for the Assumption:

The Traditional Catholic Liturgy
Adapted from The Liturgical Year by Abbot Gueranger
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—August 15

The Ancient Coptic Rite Icon of the Assumption states: "Today the Virgin Mary ascended to Heaven; rejoice, for She reigns with Christ forever." The Church will close Her chants on this glorious day with this sweet antiphon, which resumes the object of the Feast and the spirit in which it should be celebrated.

No other solemnity breathes, like this one, at once triumph and peace; none better answers to the enthusiasm of the many and the serenity of souls consummated in love. Assuredly that was as great a triumph when Our Lord, rising by His own power from the tomb, cast Hell into dismay; but to our souls, so abruptly drawn from the abyss of sorrows on Golgotha, the suddenness of the victory caused a sort of stupor to mingle with the joy of that greatest of days. In presence of the prostrate angels, the hesitating apostles, the women seized with fear and trembling, one felt that the divine isolation of the Conqueror of death was perceptible even to His most intimate friends, and kept them, like Magdalene, at a distance.

Mary's death, however, leaves no impression but peace; that death had no other cause than love. Being a mere creature, She could not deliver Herself from that claim of the old enemy; but leaving Her tomb filled with flowers; She mounts up to Heaven, flowing with delights, leaning upon Her Beloved (Cant. 8: 5). Amid the acclamations of the daughters of Sion, who will henceforth never cease to call Her Blessed, She ascends surrounded by choirs of heavenly spirits joyfully praising the Son of God. Never more will shadows veil, as they did on earth, the glory of the most beautiful daughter of Eve. Beyond the immovable Thrones, beyond the dazzling Cherubim, beyond the flaming Seraphim, onward She passes, delighting the heavenly city with Her sweet perfumes. She stays not till She reaches the very confines of the Divinity; close to the throne of honor where Her Son, the King of ages, reigns in justice and in power; there She is proclaimed Queen, there She will reign for evermore in mercy and in goodness.

Among the feasts of saints, this is the solemnity of solemnities. "Let the mind of man," says St. Peter Damian, "be occupied in declaring Her magnificence; let his speech reflect Her majesty. May the Sovereign of the world deign to accept the goodwill of our lips, to aid our insufficiency, to illumine with her own light the sublimity of this day."

It is no new thing, then, that Mary's triumph fills the hearts of Christians with enthusiasm. If certain ancient calendars give to this Feast the title of Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we cannot thence conclude that in those times the Feast had no other object than Mary's holy death; the Greeks, from whom we have the expression, have always included in the solemnity the glorious triumph that followed Her death.

At Rome the Assumption or Dormition of the Holy Mother of God appears in the 7th century to have already been celebrated for an indefinite length of time; nor does it seem to have had any other day than August 15. According to Nicephorus Callistus, the same date was assigned to it for Constantinople by the Emperor Mauritius at the end of the 6th century. The historian notes, at the same time, the origin of several other solemnities, while of the Dormition alone, he does not say that it was established by Mauritius on such a day; hence learned authors have concluded that the Feast itself already existed before the imperial decree was issued, which was thus only intended to put an end to its being celebrated on various days.

At that very time, far away from Byzantium, the Merovingian Franks celebrated the glorification of Our Lady on January 18. However the choice of this day may be accounted for, it is remarkable that the Copts on the borders of the Nile announce on January 28, the repose of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and the Assumption of Her body into Heaven; they, however, repeat the announcement on August 21, and two weeks earlier they, like the Greeks, begin their Lent in honor of the Mother of God.

Some authors think that the Assumption has been kept from apostolic times; but the primitive liturgical documents are silent about it. The hesitation as to the date of its celebration, and the liberty so long allowed with regard to it, seem to point to the spontaneous initiative of divers Churches, owing to some fact attracting attention to the mystery or throwing some light upon it. Of this nature we may reckon the account everywhere spread abroad about the year 451, in which Juvenal of Jerusalem related to the Empress St. Pulcheria and her husband Marcian the history of the tomb which the Apostles had prepared for Our Lady at the foot of Mount Olivet, and which was found empty of its precious deposit. The following words of St. Andrew of Crete in the 7th century show how the solemnity of the Assumption gained ground in consequence of such circumstances. The Saint was born at Damascus, became a monk at Jerusalem, was afterwards Deacon at Constantinople, and lastly Bishop of the celebrated island from which he takes his name; no one then could speak for the East with better authority. "The present solemnity," he says, "is full of mystery, having for its object to celebrate the day whereon the Mother of God fell asleep; this solemnity is too elevated for any discourse to reach; by some this mystery has not always been celebrated, but now all love and honor it. Silence long preceded speech, but now love divulges the secret. The gift of God must be manifested, not buried; we must show it forth, not as recently discovered, but as having recovered its splendor. Some of those who lived before us knew it but imperfectly; that is no reason for always keeping silence about it; it has not become altogether obscured; let us proclaim it and keep a feast. Today let the inhabitants of Heaven and earth be united, let the joy of Angels and men be one, let every tongue exult and sing Hail to the Mother of God."

In 1870 an earnest desire was expressed to have the doctrine of Mary's Assumption defined as a dogma of faith; however, due to the Italian civil war, the Vatican Council was suspended too soon to complete our Lady's crown. This was accomplished in 1950, by His Holiness, Pope Pius XII.


Also, I would like to add something which was read in the 'City of God' by Ven. Mary of Agreda,that when Mary died, it was on a Friday at 3pm, like her Son. Her Assumption, again like her son, was on the following Sunday. She copied Him even unto death. Also, the Apostles, who were dispersed throughout the world, were transported by angels to be at her side. The Apostles loved her, so what's wrong with protestants?

Holy Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.

Also, think about all of the souls who will be delivered on this day by our Blessed Mother!

12th Sunday after Pentecost

Tomorrow we celebrate the 12th Sunday after Pentecost. We are told of the 'Good Samaritan', and how this man who was from another country(which was despised by the Jews), and help someone in need that he happened to be passing. The Jewish nation even today refuses to see what is right in front of their faces. The Eternal Truth. We are to try to be so much better than this. According to our beloved Abbot Gueranger:

'The Christian, on the contrary, with the holy daring of which the Apostle(Paul) speaks, removes all intermediaries between God and himself, and draws aside the veil of all figures. 'Beholding the glory of the Lord with face uncovered, we are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord', for we become other christs, and are made like to God the Father, as is His Son Jesus Christ.

Thus is fulfilled the will of the almighty Father for the sanctification of the elect. God sees Himself reflected in these predestined, who are become, in the beautiful light divine, conformable to the image of His Son. He could say of each one of them what He spoke at the Jordan and on Thabor: "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." He makes them His true temple, verifying the word He spoke of old: "I will set my tabernacle in the midst of you: I will walk among you, and will be your God; I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north: "Give up!" and to the south: "Keep not back!" Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth!'

Such are the promises, for whose realization we should, as the apostle says, be all earnestness in working out our sanctification, by cleansing ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, in the fear of God, and in His love.'

The kings and prophets of the Old Testament looked ahead to what was coming, but we are the ones who see it. Speaking of these people of old, our Abbot continues:

'...Heedless of the mockeries, as well as of the persecutions, of the world that was not worthy to possess such men, these champions of the faith were seen wandering in the deserts, sheltering in dens and caves, and yet happy in the love of One whom they knew they were not to see until long ages after their death.

Do we, then, who are their descendants,--we for whom they were obliged to wait, in order to enjoy a share of those blessings which their sighs and vehement desires did so much to hasten,--appreciate the immense favor bestowed on us by our Lord? Our virtue scarcely bears comparison with that of the fathers of our Faith; and nevertheless, by the descent of the Holy Spirit of love, we have been more enlightened than ever were the prophets, for, by that Holy Spirit, we have been put in possession of the mysteries which they only foretold. How is it, then, that we are so sadly slow to feel the obligation we are under of responding, by holiness of life, and by an ardent and generous love, to the liberality of that God, who has gratuitously called us from darkness to His admirable light? Having so great a cloud of witnesses over our heads, let us lay aside the burden of sin which impedes us, and run, by patience, in the fight proposed to us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of Faith, who, having joy set before Him, preferred to endure the Cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God. We know Him with greater certainty than we do the events which are happening under our eyes, for He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, is ever within us, incorporating His mysteries into us.'

As Jesus Himself says in the Gospel according to St. Luke tomorrow: "BLESSED ARE THE EYES THAT SEE THE THINGS WHICH YOU SEE. FOR I SAY TO YOU, THAT MANY PROPHETS AND KINGS HAVE DESIRED TO SEE THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE, AND HAVE NOT SEEN THEM: AND TO HEAR THE THINGS THAT YOU HEAR, AND HAVE NOT HEARD THEM."

May we see what we are suppose to, and hear what we're suppose to, and pass it on. Let us help those who are not as fortunate as us, having the True Faith.

St. Lawrence

Today we honor and remember St. Lawrence, deacon of the Church of Rome in the early years. He saw the Holy Father martyred, and was told by him that he too shall have great things happen to him. When arrested by Valerian, he was told to bring the riches to him, since this new Church had so much within it. Lawrence went out and got the homeless, the poor, the blind and weak, etc. Lawrence told the ruler that such as these were the riches to God. The ruler was furious at this pompous show. He ordered Lawrence tortured, and when that didn't seem to make him see his errors in not worshiping the gods, ordered him to be grilled alive. Lawrence did NOT cease to praise and thank God for all he had been given. Lawrence even told the torturers to turn him over and eat, since one side was done. We are all called to be courageous in trying times, and, hopefully, we can be as strong as St. Lawrence. Maybe, if we get the chance, we could ask him for his help. I'd like to end with a prayer from the Mozarabic liturgy:

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst enable the most blessed Lawrence, burning with the fire of Thy Charity, to overcome the heat both of passions and of sufferings: for he trampled alike both on gold and the fire, and was found liberal in giving to the poor and faithful in the burning of his body; grant us, through his intercession, that being kindled by the breath of the Holy Spirit, we may overcome the flames of concupiscence and may be consumed by the fire of all sanctity, so that after our passage through this life, our lot may be found among those saints for whom we now offer Thee our homage.

St. Lawrence, pray for us

TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD!

TRANSFIGURATION
Today is the Transfiguration of our Lord in front of the three Apostles. Can you imagine what that must have been like? Probably made them think that they were going to die at any moment. Having fears like this only to have Jesus say, "Do not be afraid." Only if we are under the influence of sin would we be shivering in our boots. I just hope that the end of my life, I can say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the Faith."
Have you ever wondered why you keep committing the same faults over and over again? I do. I'm a repeater. It's very frustrating! It makes me think of the St. Augustine prayer for after Communion. Maybe it should be before Confession.

Before Thine eyes, O Lord, we bring our sins, and we compare them to the stripes we have received.
It we examine the evil we have wrought, what we suffer is little, what we deserve is great.
What we have committed is very grievous, what we have suffered is very slight.
We feel the punishment of sin, yet withdraw not from the obstinacy of sinning.
Under Thy lash our inconstancy is visited, but our neck is not bent.
Our life groans under sorrow, yet amends not in deed.
If Thou spare us, we correct not our ways; if Thou punish, we cannot endure it.
In time of correction we confess our wrongdoing; after Thy visitation we forget that we have wept.
if Thou stretchest forth Thy hand, we promise amendment; If Thou strikest, we cry out for mercy.
If Thou sparest, we again provoke Thee to strike.
Here we are before Thee, O Lord, confessedly guilty; we know that unless Thou pardon we shall deservedly perish.
Grant then, O almighty Father, without our deserving it, the pardon we ask; Thou Who madest out of nothing those who ask Thee.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

V. Deal not with us, O Lord, according to our sins.
R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities

Let us pray.

O God, Who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy suppliant people, and turn away the scourges of Thy wrath, which we deserve for our sins. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.



St. Andrew of Crete speaks on the point that we might come across in our daily lives; and that is if the Holy Spirit somehow makes His presence known, will we do what is right with it?:

"If the vocation revealed to thee this day be so great and so holy, reverence the call of God. Do not ignore thyself, despise not a gift so great, show not thyself unworthy of the grace, be not so slothful in thy life as to lose this treasure of heaven. Leave earth to the earth, and let the dead bury their dead; disdaining all that passes away, all that dies with the world and the flesh, follow even to heaven, without turning aside, Christ who leads the way through this world for thee. Take to thine assistance fear and desire, lest thou faint or lose thy love. Give thyself up wholly; be supple to the Word in the Holy Ghost, in order to attain this pure and blessed end: thy deification, together with the enjoyment of unspeakable goods. By zeal for the virtues, by contemplation of the truth, by wisdom, attain to Wisdom, who is the principle of all, and in whom all things subsist."

After our Gospel from this past Sunday, let's hope and pray that our ears hear what we need to hear, and our tongue proclaim it everywhere. Let Christ say to us: "Ephpheta! Be thou opened!"

Musings of a Pertinacious Papist: The Franciscans of the Immaculate, Bill Buckley and the Old Latin Mass

I hope the 'Pertinacious Papist' doesn't mind if I post this. It is so beautiful! Brought a tear, considering wht Our Lord gets these days at the Nervous Order doings:

Musings of a Pertinacious Papist: The Franciscans of the Immaculate, Bill Buckley and the Old Latin Mass

I especially like what Buckley said. It sums it up pretty well.


"As the late William F. Buckley wrote of the Mass back in 1979,

"As a Catholic, I have abandoned hope for the liturgy, which, in the typical American church, is as ugly and as maladroit as if it had been composed by Robert Ingersoll and H.L. Menchen for the purpose of driving people away. Incidentally, the modern liturgists are doing a remarkably good job, attendance at Catholic Mass on Sunday having dropped sharply in the 10 years since a few well-meaning cretins got hold of the power to vernacularize the Mass, and the money to scour the earth in search of the most unmusical men and women to preside over the translation. The next liturgical ceremony conducted primarily for my benefit, since I have no plans to be beatified or remarried, will be my own funeral; and it is a source of great consolation to me that, at my funeral, I shall be quite dead, and will not need to listen to the accepted replacement for the noble old Latin liturgy. Meanwhile, I am practicing Yoga, so that, at church on Sundays, I can develop the power to tune out everything I hear, while attempting, athwart the general calisthenics, to commune with my Maker, and ask Him first to forgive me my own sins, and implore him, second, not to forgive the people who ruined the Mass."

11th Sunday after Pentecost

Tomorrow is the 11th Sunday after Pentecost. First of all, St. Paul will tell us about him being the least of the Apostles, since he had been instrumental in persecuting the early Christians. We have all been guilty of this sat some time or other. Whether we talk bad about someone, being intolerant of others at times, and, generally not doing all the time what God expects from us. Admit it. The great saint, St. Augustine, was this way for 30+ years, doing whatever he wanted, disregarding all that is good. Thanks to his holy mother, Monica, and St. Ambrose, he reformed his life and became one of the Doctors of the Church, and one of its most prolific writers. As our beloved Abbot Gueranger says, he (Augustine)was as Saul was for a period of time:

'Like Augustine, who was but imitating Paul, 'he glorifies the just and the good God by publishing both the good he has received and the evil of his own acts; and this in order to win over to the one sole Object of his praise and his love the minds and hearts of all who hear him.' Augustine, in his 'Confessions', talks about himself: 'Great art Thou, O Lord, and exceedingly to be praised. Great is Thy power, and of Thy wisdom there is not number.' 'And yet,' says the saint, 'man wishes to praise Thee--man, a mere speck of Thy creation, who carries about him his own mortality, and the testimony of his sin, and the testimony that Thou resists the proud; and yet this man wishes to praise Thee--man, a mere speck of Thy creation. Receive, then, the homage which is offered by the tongue that was formed for the purpose of praising Thee. Let my flesh and all my bones, that have been healed by Thee, cry out: "Who, O Lord, is like unto Thee?" Let my soul praise Thee, that she may love Thee; and; that she may praise Thee, let her confess Thy mercies. I wish now to go over in my mind all my long wanderings, and I will confess the things which fill me with shame, and will make of them a sacrifice of joy. Not that I love my sins, but it is that I may love Thee, O my God, that I recall them to mind; it is out of love of Thy love that I now recur to those bitter things, that I may taste Thy delights, O Sweetness that never deceives! O Thou that collects all my powers, and recalls them from the painful scattering into which they had been thrown by my separation from Thee. O Thou one centre of all being
! What am I to myself, when I have not Thee, but a guide that leads me to the abyss? Or, what am I, when all is well with me, but a little one that is sucking in the milk which Thou provides, or enjoying Thee, the Food that knows not corruption? And what manner of man is any man, for he is but a man? Let them that are strong and mighty--them that have not as yet had the happiness of being laid low and cast down--let them laugh at me! I am a weak man, and poor, and I give Thee praise. For that I need neither voice nor words; the cries of the thought are what Thou hearest. For when I am wicked, my being displeased with myself is a real praise to Thee; but when I am pious, my not attributing it to myself is again a real praise to Thee; for if Thou, O Lord, bless the just man, it is because Thou hast first justified him when he was ungodly.'

Makes you think, doesn't it?

Now we hear about Jesus healing the deaf and dumb man. We know He does it, but here is what the holy fathers of the Church tell us:


'this man represents the entire human race, exclusive of the Jewish people. Abandoned for four thousand years in the sides, that is, in the countries of the north, where the prince of this world was ruling as absolute master, it has been experiencing the terrible effects of the seeming forgetfulness on the part of its Creator and Father, which was the consequence of original sin. Satan, whose perfidious craftiness caused man to be driven out of Paradise, has made him his own prey, and nothing could exceed the artifice he has employed for keeping him in his grasp. Wisely oppressing his slave, he adopted the plan of making him deaf and dumb, for this would hold him faster than 'chains of the adamant' could ever do. Dumb, he could not ask God to deliver him; deaf, he could not hear the divine voice; and thus the two ways for obtaining his liberty were shut against him. The adversary of God and man, satan, may boast of his tyranny. The grandest of all God's creations looks like a failure; the human race, in all its branches, and in all nations, seems ruined; for even that people which God had chosen for His own, and which was to be faithful to Him when every other privileges than to deny its Lord and its King, more cruelly than all the rest of mankind...The Church brings him to Jesus, beseeching Him to lay His divine hand upon him. No human power could effect his cure. Deafened by the noise of his passions, it is only in a confused way that he can hear even the voice of his own conscience; and, as to the sounds of tradition, or the speakings of the prophets, they are to him but as an echo, very distant and faint. Worst of all, as his hearing, that most precious of our senses, is gone, so, likewise, is gone the power of making good his losses; for, as the Apostle teaches, the one thing that could save him is Faith, and Faith cometh by hearing.'

Our Jesus groans when they have brought this poor creature before Him...' He opens the ears and loosens the tongue of this man. We should all be attentive to the teachings (ALL OF THEM) and await those words Jesus used to this man; Let Him say in regard to us and our senses: "Ephpheta! Be thou opened!

Novena to St. Philomena

Hello to all! I am circulating this novena to St Philomena with the hope that you all can join in, with any and all intentions close to your heart. It will start on August 3rd (today),and ends on the 11th, her feast day. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you like, the more the merrier. :) Recognized saints have invoked St. Philomena's intercession, as the Cure d'Ars, and have been successful. Even Popes have invoked her.

St Philomena, who's name is glorified in Heaven and feared in Hell, Pray for us!
St Philomena, who wore out the furry of your executioners, pray for us!
St Philomena, new light of the church militant, pray for us!

God bless.

p.s I highly recommend making some sort of sacrifice corresponding with this novena. Nothing is too small.

NOVENA PRAYER TO
SAINT PHILOMENA
We beseech Thee, O Lord, to grant us the pardon of our sins by the intercession of Saint , virgin and martyr, who was always pleasing in Thy sight by her eminent chastity and by the profession of every virtue. Amen.

Illustrious virgin and martyr, Saint Philomena, behold me prostrate before the throne whereupon it has pleased the Most Holy Trinity to place thee. Full of confidence in thy protection, I entreat thee to intercede for me with God, from the heights of Heaven deign to cast a glance upon thy humble client! Spouse of Christ, sustain me in suffering, fortify me in temptation, protect me in the dangers surrounding me, obtain for me the graces necessary to me, and in particular
(Here specify your petition).
Above all, assist me at the hour of my death. Saint Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us. Amen.

O God, Most Holy Trinity, we thank Thee for the graces Thou didst bestow upon the Blessed Virgin Mary, and upon Thy handmaid Philomena, through whose intercession we implore Thy Mercy. Amen.