St. Ignatius of Loyola

Today we honor St. Ignatius of Loyola. He lived during the time of Martin Luther. God chose him to start up a new religious order, The Society of Jesus, or, the Jesuits. If the Jesuits of today would get back to the teachings of their founder, instead of their 'socialistic' leanings, they would again be a force to reckon with, in dealing with heresy.

SAINT IGNATIUS of LOYOLA
Founder of the Society of Jesus
(1491-1556)

Saint Ignatius was born at Loyola in Spain, in the year 1491. He served his king as a courtier and a soldier until his thirtieth year. At that time a cannon ball broke the right leg of the young officer, who in a few days had reached the brink of death and received the Last Sacraments. It was the eve of the feast day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul; he fell asleep afterwards and believed he saw Saint Peter in a dream, restoring him to health by touching his wound. When he woke, his high fever was gone and he was out of danger, although lame. To pass the time of his convalescence after three operations, he asked for books; the Life of Christ and lives of the Saints were brought to him. He read them distractedly at first, then with profound emotion. He underwent a violent combat, but finally grace won out.

He began to treat his body with the utmost rigor and rose every night to weep over his sins. One night, he consecrated himself to the Saviour through the intercession of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners, swearing inviolable fidelity to the Son and His Mother. Not long afterwards, to fortify him in his good resolutions, Mary appeared to him surrounded by light, holding in Her arms the Child Jesus. His heart purified by this vision, Ignatius made a general confession and a pilgrimage to Montserrat, to venerate a miraculous image of the Mother of God and implore Her protection, then bought a rude long habit for the pilgrimage he was planning to make to Jerusalem. He set out on foot, wearing only one sandal for his lame leg.

He spent some time at Manreza caring for the sick and undertaking a life of austerity equaled only by the most celebrated anchorites. Living by alms, fasting on bread and water, wearing a hair shirt, he remained kneeling every day for six or seven hours in prayer. The devil made vain efforts to discourage him. He fell ill, however, and was carried to the hospital from the cavern where he was staying. It was only out of obedience to his director at Montserrat that he ceased his extreme penance, and found again, through his obedience, the peace of soul he had lost. At Manreza he composed his famous Spiritual Exercises for those on retreats, which ever since have brought to grace and fervor great numbers of souls.

After a journey to Rome and other points of pilgrimage in Italy, he embarked for the Holy Land. He wished to remain there to work for the conversion of souls, but was commanded by the enlightened Provincial of the Franciscans, under obedience, to return to Europe. He was then thirty-three years old.

Ignatius had already won certain Spanish compatriots to join him in the service of God; it was for them that he had composed the Exercises. With them he undertook studies for several years, and at the end of that time had four companions. He taught catechism while at Alcala, and virtually reformed the entire youth of that city.

In 1528, when he was already 37 years old, he went to Paris to study in the greatest poverty, eating his meals at a hospital with the poor. He was persecuted when he converted a number of young persons. It was in Paris, with six young companions, that at Montmartre the Society of Jesus was founded. They made a vow to go to Jerusalem in absolute poverty, or if this proved impossible, which it did, to go to Rome to the Vicar of Christ, and place themselves at his disposition for the service of the Church and the salvation of souls. Our Lord promised Saint Ignatius that the precious heritage of His Passion would never be lacking to his Society. By this term, heritage, the Saviour referred to the contradictions and persecutions the just must always face. Founded to combat error, the Company of Jesus has always had to bear the fury of those who favor it.

When Saint Ignatius was cast into prison at Salamanca on suspicion of heresy, he said to a friend who expressed his sympathy, "It is a sign that you have little love of Christ in your heart, or you would not deem it so hard a fate to be in chains for His sake. All Salamanca does not contain as many fetters, manacles, and chains as I would gladly wear for love of Jesus Christ." Saint Ignatius went to receive his crown on July 31, 1556.

Reflection: Ask Saint Ignatius to obtain for you the grace to desire ardently the greater glory of God, even though it may cost you much suffering and humiliation.




Ignatius of Loyola Quotes:

“Go forth and set the world on fire.”

“Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God.”

“To give, and not to count the cost
to fight, and not to heed the wounds,
to toil, and not to seek for rest,
to labor, and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will”

“God freely created us so that we might know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with him forever. God's purpose in creating us is to draw forth from us a response of love and service here on earth, so that we may attain our goal of everlasting happiness with him in heaven.
All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.
As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and union with God. But insofar as any created things hinder our progress toward our goal, we ought to let them go.”

“Lord, teach me to be generous;
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil, and not to seek for rest;
To labor, and not to ask for reward -
except to know that I am doing your will.”

“If God causes you to suffer much it is a sign that He has great designs for you and that He certainly intends to make you a saint. And if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity.”

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.”

“Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.”

FYI

JUST A NOTE

Hello all. I've noticed that I have picked up quite a few new readers of this blog, and I thank you. I guess people are starved for the eternal Truth, just as I am. However, we don't seem to get it from our leaders like we're suppose to. I just wanted to clue you in to the 'whys' that I do what I do. I use the Douay-Rheims version of the Bible. This is because of the fact that when I converted in 1982, I didn't know any Latin, can't read Hebrew or Greek. I wanted the oldest version in English that I could get that wasn't heresy. Hence, the Douay version. The New Testament came out in 1583, while the Old in 1609. This is a good fact for you when dealing with 'protestants'. The King James version came out in 1611. Since the words are different, hence changing the meanings, which one was changed? NOT the original, to be certain. And, all of the Catholic bibles printed since the last council more adhere to the King James version, with the exception of the seven extra books, and changing the numbers in Psalms (every one knows the 23rd Psalm. RIGHT?. It is actually the 22nd Psalm). The changes are noticeable, and this fact is especially evident in ALL of the verses pertaining to Our Blessed Mother, Mary. Here's a few noticeable changes, and I will start at the beginning of scripture, because I figure that if you hate Jesus' Mother, you're not really a true follower of Him. Anyway:

Genesis 3:15--After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they brought upon us 'original sin', which is why we need baptism. The serpent is also spanked. He is told that there will be enmities between him and the 'woman'. This Woman is Mary. Satan is told that war will be "between his seed and her seed, she shall crush, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." These words have been 'gender' modified to be 'him' and 'his' in the King James version, as well as the newer versions of so-called Catholic Bibles. This satisfies the protestants to no end. They pretty much hate Mary, who is the only one to say "yes" and agreed to carry our Saviour, thus becoming a 'living Ark' of the covenant.

Luke 1:28, 'and the angel being come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."' This verse denies her as being 'full of grace' in the King James and the newer 'catholic' bibles. They say: "Hail, O highly favored daughter." Totally different meanings. We're all favored sons and daughters of God, but she is the only one 'full of grace', something we are striving to be before we croak.

Luke 1:34, 'and Mary said to the angel: "How shall this be done, because I know not man?" This has been changed to: 'How can this be, since I know not man?' In the second version, she is denying that it is possible, while in the original she is questioning how it will take place. Another big difference!

Luke 1:46, This is Our Blessed Mother's Magnificat, which in the original is worth reading. 'And Mary said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord". In the newer versions it is something like this: "My being proclaims the goodness of the Lord." NOT the same meaning at all. In the original, it is telling us that if we look through Mary, we can see the Lord more clearly. In the second version, she is just stating what we all could say if we wanted to.

These are just a few changes that were made in scripture, and they are not worth reading if you want to save your soul. Now, onto more about this site. I go by the 'old' calendar of the Mass, mostly because of the fact that it contains more 'Holy' days, as well as more of the saints, which we do NOT find in the later 'Mass'. I'm not saying the new Mass is invalid, because it isn't. What I'm saying is that it is not very good if you want to save your soul, or if you're trying to find the Truth. It is more like a protestant service. I know this, because I was one. I even knew all of the songs, which were mostly the same ones I sang where I was going as a kid. A few years ago, I attended a funeral for one of my friends' dad. It was in an Episcopal church. Everything was exactly the as the 'new mass' except at their 'consecration' they said: "For many", instead of our 'for all'. Also, in my posts I mostly use 'The Liturgical Year' by Abbot Gueranger. It is 15 volumes and has every Sunday's readings and explanations of the same. It was written in the 1920's, and came out in English in 1946. I also have what I consider a vast library to help me help you.

On a quick note: When protestants ask you where the word 'Pope' is in Scripture, ask them this: "Where are the words 'personal Lord and Saviour'?" Maybe you can start to reel them in to the real Truth. However, you need to know it first.

And, a couple of sites I go to at times are the following:

calefactory.org
and:
Catholic Harbor of Faith and Morals

These sites have it all if you truly are searching for the Truth. Sorry if these sites didn't come up hi-lighted. It might be probably is me. Again.

Anyway, my blog site is hopefully to help those searching for the Truth, and I usually show them as I see them, with my own opinion sometimes. Okay, most of the time. Welcome to all new readers. I have designed this site all by myself; and, I go through thousands of pictures to get what I want to show. You can copy/paste all you want. Anything to get the Word out. I sincerely hope you can find something worthwhile here to help you on your journey. We're ALL on a journey anyway.


If you want, you can view my earliest posts and see why I converted. I think it's kinda humorous. At one time I said 'NO' to the Church, mainly because there was sooooo much to know and learn. I joined mainly to save money on my kid's tuition, and, to make a long story shorter, found out the Catholics had it right all the while. I never cared too much for reading when younger. However, since 1982, I don't seem to have enough time for reading and learning. Go figure, huh? I figure that Our Lady saw someone who was just stubborn enough, as well as being a stickler for details, to hold onto the Truth once he found it, no matter what, and she just kept reeling me in until I was safely in the boat, the Ark of Salvation. Hopefully, I can someday be considered a 'keeper'!

Fourteen Holy Helpers

Tomorrow begins the novena to the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Fourteen Saints, each with a specialty for a different part of the human body, to cure its' ailments, starts, I believe, tomorrow. We could all use some help in our frail bodies, and this is a perfect way to get it. You've heard of them before. I had never heard of them as a group before now, until a friend of mine and of my wife died. Her name was Margaret, and she died on the feast day of St. Margaret. When I searched St. Margaret, it said she was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. And here we are. And, as a note, I don't believe in coincidence. I received a book on the Holy Helpers just yesterday. Just in time for the novena. There's always a reason when we get what we get and when we get it. God always has a plan for us. The Holy Helper common feast day is August 8, so I think this date is right to start it. For each day, we have a prep prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori. There is also in imprimatur attached to this novena.


THE HISTORY:
The Fourteen Holy Helpers

A group of saints invoked with special confidence because they have proven themselves efficacious helpers in adversity and difficulties, are known and venerated under the name Fourteen Holy Helpers. Devotion to these fourteen as a group spread in response to the Black Plague which devastated Europe from 1346 to 1349. Among its symptoms were the tongue turning black, a parched throat, violent headache, fever, and boils on the abdomen. It attacked without warning, robbed its victims of reason, and killed within a few hours; many died without the last Sacraments. Brigands roamed the roads, people suspected of contagion were attacked, animals died, people starved, whole villages vanished into the grave, social order and family ties broke down, and the disease appeared incurable. The pious turned to Heaven, begging the intervention of the saints, praying to be spared or cured. This group devotion began in Germany--the Diocese of Wurzburg having been renowned for its observance. Pope Nicholas V attached indulgences to devotion of the Fourteen Holy Helpers in the 16th century.

Saint Christopher and Saint Giles were invoked against the plague itself. Saint Denis was prayed to for relief from headache, Saint Blaise for ills of the throat, Saint Elmo, for abdominal maladies, Saint Barbara for fever, and Saint Vitus against epilepsy. Saint Pantaleon was the patron of physicians, Saint Cyriacus invoked against temptation on the deathbed, and Saints Christopher, Barbara, and Catherine for protection against a sudden and unprovided-for death. Saint Giles was prayed to for a good confession, and Saint Eustace as healer of family troubles. Domestic animals were also attacked by the plague, and so Saints George, Elmo, Pantaleon, and Vitus were invoked for their protection. Saint Margaret of Antioch is the patron of safe childbirth.

The legends of the Fourteen Holy Helpers are replete with the most glorious examples of heroic firmness and invincible courage in the profession of the Faith, which ought to incite us to imitate their fidelity in the performance of the Christian and social duties. If they, with the aid of God's grace, achieved such victories, why should not we, by the same aid, be able to accomplish the little desired of us? God rewarded His victorious champions with eternal bliss; the same crown is prepared for us, if we but render ourselves worthy of it. God placed the seal of miracles on the intrepid confession of His servants; and a mind imbued with the spirit of faith sees nothing extraordinary therein, because our divine Saviour Himself said, "Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in Me, the works that I do, he also shall do, and greater than these shall he do" (John xiv. 12). In all the miraculous events wrought in and by the saints, there appears only the victorious omnipotent power of Jesus Christ, and the living faith in which His servants operated in virtue of this power.

The histories of the saints are called Legends. This word is derived from the Latin, and signifies something that is to be read, a passage the reading of which is prescribed. The legends of the saints are the lives of the holy martyrs and confessors of the Faith. Some of them occur in the Roman Breviary which the Catholic clergy is obliged to read every day. (The feast day, August 8, has even been taken off the Traditional calendar. Go figure)




THE NOVENA:



First Day: The Devotion to the Fourteen Holy Helpers


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: The practice of honoring and invoking the saints to obtain, through their intercession, help in the various needs of body and soul, is as old as the Church. At what period, however, the custom of having recourse to the fourteen saints called Holy Helpers originated, is unknown. Nevertheless it is certain that each one of them was invoked for his intercession with God since his entrance into heaven. Prayer is the Christian's resource in every difficulty: and difficulties and trials are never wanting on earth. Because the needs of mankind on earth are various, the faithful selected certain saints as intercessors in certain cases of distress, and obtained relief; hence these saints came to be regarded as special patrons in such trials, and were called Holy Helpers.

Practice: Make this novena with full confidence in the power of the intercession of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. During their earthly life they devoted their whole energy to the spreading of God's kingdom and the relief and succor of their fellow-men. Much more efficiently can they do so now when they are in the enjoyment of eternal happiness, and can supplicate for us at the very throne of God. The saints can help us through their intercession. God hears their prayers and He wrought miracles to confirm us in this belief, even whilst His servants sojourned here on earth. They desire and are willing to help us. St. Bernard says: "In heaven hearts do not grow cold; they are rather rendered more affectionate and tender. By receiving the crown of justice the saints were not hardened against the sufferings of their brethren on earth." Therefore, in calling on them, have full confidence in their power and ability to come to your aid.

Prayer: We beseech Thee, O Lord, to hear the prayer which we send up to Thee in honor of Thy glorified servants, the Fourteen Holy Helpers: and as we cannot rely upon our own justice, grant our petition through the intercession of those whose merits have made them especially dear to Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany and Prayers



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Second Day: The Destiny of Man


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: The Holy Helpers faithfully co-operated with God's designs concerning their eternal destiny. No obstacle could prevail on them to stray from the path of duty. Always and everywhere they fulfilled the will of God. You, too, have an eternal destiny. You are not your own master, but belong to God, whose servant and property you are. Therefore you must obey Him, and not your own inclinations; you must do His will, and not your own. God had the right of requiring our submission to Him without giving us a reward, because He is Our Lord; nevertheless He promised to give us Himself in reward for our faithful service. Ought this not be sufficient inducement for us to serve Him zealously and gratefully? Remember, moreover, that you shall be unhappy both in this and in the next world if you do not give yourself entirely to God, for Whom you were created. St. Augustine says: "Thou hast created us for Thee, O Lord, and our heart remains restless till it rests in Thee."

Practice: Thank God for the undeserved grace of creation and redemption. Make an act of contrition for having served Him so negligently. Promise amendment, and invoke the aid of God's grace through the intercession of the Holy Helpers.

Prayer: O God, Who according to the decrees of Thy providence hast created man for eternal bliss; grant, through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, that I may attain to my destiny by being united with Thee in this life and loving and praising Thee forever in heaven. Amen.

Litany and Prayers



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Third Day: The Virtue of Faith


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: The Holy Helpers were so thoroughly imbued with the virtue of divine faith, that they believed its sacred truths with perfect abandonment of their intellect, will, liberty, and whole being. They wavered not amid the severest torments, but remained firm until death in the confession of Christ. Our time is noted for assaults on the Faith and on the Church that teaches it. The Church, the depository of divine revelation, is blasphemed in her doctrine, in her precepts, in her sacraments, in her ministers, in her cult, in her entire essence. Were you never ashamed of your Catholic name? What cowardliness, what timidity, what downright malice!

Practice: Revive your faith by the consideration of the example of the Holy Helpers. Do not, from human respect, neglect the sanctification of the Lord's Day, the observance of days of fast and abstinence, the reception of the holy sacraments, the profession of your belief in the real presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, etc. Meditate frequently on the words of Christ: "He that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in heaven" (Matt, x. 33).

Prayer: O God, I beseech Thee, through the faith of the Holy Helpers, grant me the grace to treasure in my heart the doctrines of our holy faith, to believe them firmly, to confess them bravely, and to live according to their precepts, that through that same faith I may become worthy to be admitted to Thy beatific vision in heaven. Amen.

Litany and Prayers



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Fourth Day: The Virtue of Hope


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: "Hope confoundeth not" (Rom. v. 6). According to the commentators these words of Holy Scripture are to be understood in the sense that our works must be in conformity with that which is the object of our hope; that is, we must live in such a manner that we really merit the reward of heaven. We sin against hope also by presumption in God's mercy, by despair, and by over-confidence in our own righteousness. According to Holy Scripture we cannot, of our own efficacy, perform a good act, but can do all in Him that strengthens us. All these truths are exemplified in the lives of the Holy Helpers. Their hope was based on the firm foundation of faith, and consequently, like it, firm, constant, and unwavering.

Practice: Like the Holy Helpers, hope to obtain from God all things necessary to salvation, for "the Lord is good to them that hope in Him, to the soul that seeketh Him" (Lam. iii. 25). Live so that He can fulfill His promises. Place no obstacle to His bounty and might by a sinful life.

Prayer: Eternal God of love and mercy, I thank Thee for all the benefits Thou hast conferred upon me, and hope to obtain, through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, all the graces necessary for my salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany and Prayers



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Fifth Day: The Love God


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: The love of God which inflamed the Holy Helpers showed forth in their whole life, and particularly at their death. We, too, ought to be inflamed with such love, for without it faith, wisdom, the gift of tongues, and good works in general, avail nothing; for the love of God must inspire them all. "And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good" (Rom. viii. 28). Such, and such alone, will receive the crown of life. Did not God love us first? To redeem us from sin and eternal death He spared not His only begotten, divine Son. All goods of life and fortune are gifts of His love, evidences of His infinite love. And we find it difficult to return this love? How ungrateful not to love God with your whole heart!

Practice: Imitate the Holy Helpers in their ardent love of God. Implore their intercession to obtain it. Meditate often on God's love for you, and your heart will be enflamed with love for Him.

Prayer: O God of mercy and love, I thank Thee from all my heart for the countless graces which Thy infinite love has bestowed on me. By the ardent love which the Holy Helpers had for Thee, I implore Thee to enkindle in my heart the flame of Thy love, so that I may remain in Thee and Thou in me. Amen.

Litany and Prayers



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Sixth Day: The Virtue of Charity


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: Charity is one of the fundamental virtues of the Christian religion. The moral doctrine preached by Christ is comprised in the words: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets" (Matt. xxii. 37-40). As in everything else, the Holy Helpers are our exemplars also in charity. Charity consists in wishing well to our fellow-men, rejoicing with the glad and sympathizing with the sad, doing good to all, excusing their faults whenever possible, disclosing them only when necessary, being friendly, indulgent, meek, and helpful toward them. We love our neighbor if we succor the poor and distressed, if we harbor no envy for the rich, if we esteem the just for their virtue, and hate--not the sinner--but sin. We love our neighbor if we are not content with harboring these sentiments in our heart, but show them by our actions.

Practice: Endeavor to exercise this charity according to the spirit of Christ. The love of your neighbor must not be a sentimental affection; it must not originate in casual qualities of character or rank, in inclination, etc., but must have the love of God for its motive. We must exercise charity toward all because God wills it, and in the manner in which He wills it. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Prayer: O God of charity, Who dost will that I love my neighbor for Thy sake, grant me the grace, through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, to be animated with that spirit of charity which embraces all and excludes none, which "is patient, kind, envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, endureth all things, and never falleth away" (1 Cor. xiii. 4-8). Amen.

Litany and Prayers



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Seventh Day: Human Respect


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: By the conscientious fulfillment of the duties of their state of life the Holy Helpers show us that the will of God alone was the motive of all their actions. Human respect, regard for the opinion of others, did not influence them. The cowardly fear, "What will people say?" was the ruin of many a soul. The enemy of mankind is ever intent upon preventing us from doing good through human respect. He insinuates that virtue and piety are out of date and ridiculed. From human respect many a person boasts of that which ought to make him blush; he thinks it discreditable to be less remiss in his religious obligations than others. Ought the opinion and ridicule of the world influence us to prevent our pleasing God? St. Paul says: "If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Gal. i. 10). Our Lord Himself tells us, "He that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in heaven" (Matt. x. 33).

Practice: Our Lord says: "So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Matt. v. 16). Do not stray from the path of duty on account of human respect; do not let yourself be influenced by the judgments of the world.

Prayer: Merciful God, Who gavest the Holy Helpers the grace to fulfill Thy will regardless of human respect; grant that we may obtain through their intercession and merits the courage to despise the opinion of men, and ever serve Thee with a fearless heart. Amen.

Litany and Prayers



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Eighth Day: Prayer


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: The Holy Helpers, well knowing the efficacy of prayer, assiduously devoted themselves to it. From it they drew that wonderful strength which sustained them in their combat for the Faith. Prayer is the elevation of the mind to God, intercourse with Him by acts of adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and petition. St. Chrysostom says of prayer: "Without prayer it is impossible to lead a good life; for no one can practice virtue except he humbly implores God for it, Who alone can give him the necessary strength. Who ceases to love and practice prayer, no longer possesses the gifts of the Spirit. But he that perseveres in the service of God, and deems it an irreparable loss to miss constant prayer, possesses every virtue and is a friend of God."

Practice: Offer yourself at the beginning of each day to God, and thereby you will belong to Him throughout its whole course. Renew your consecration to Him frequently during the day by short acts of virtue and especially by a good intention, thus rendering all your work a prayer, and you will attain perfection.

Prayer: O God, I implore Thee through the merits and intercession of the Holy Helpers, to grant me the spirit of prayer, that following their example I may walk in Thy presence and ever enjoy the consolation of intercourse with Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany and Prayers



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Ninth Day: Perseverance


Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for Whom you gave up all things and Who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, Whose beatific vision you enjoy, and Whom you praise and glorify forever. Amen.

Meditation: Victorious death was the reward of the Holy Helpers' perseverance in the service of God. During this novena you have, no doubt, formed many good resolutions, exclaiming with the Royal Prophet, "And I said, now I have begun" (Ps. Ixxvi. 11). But it happens that many, despite their good will, become remiss in the pursuit of virtue. Satan is assiduously trying to accomplish their ruin, representing to them and exaggerating the difficulties to be encountered on the path of virtue. They hesitate, falter, and finally turn back. This is the most unfortunate happening that can occur. Of the condition of such a one Our Lord Himself says: "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest; and not finding, he saith: 'I will return into my house whence I came out.' And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there. And the last state of that man becometh worse than the first" (Luke xi. 24-26). Are these words not a sufficient warning to encourage us to persevere in our good resolves?

Practice: In concluding this novena, survey again the depth of that incomprehensible eternity which is awaiting you. Contemplate in spirit the endless chain of centuries following each other there in reward or in punishment. Does this thought not banish all the difficulties of perseverance?

Prayer: O God, Whose mercies are infinite and whose goodness is without limit, I beseech Thee through the merits and intercession of the Holy Helpers, grant me the grace of perseverance in Thy love and service to the end. Thou, Who dost dispense so many favors through the Holy Helpers, despise not my prayer, but graciously hear and grant it. Amen.





Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers


Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.


Holy Mary, queen of martyrs,
pray for us*

St. Joseph, helper in all needs,*
Fourteen Holy Helpers,*
St. George, valiant martyr of Christ,*
St. Blase, zealous bishop and benefactor of the poor,*
St. Erasmus, mighty protector of the oppressed,*
St. Pantaleon, miraculous exemplar of charity,*
St. Vitus, special protector of chastity,*
St. Christophorus, mighty intercessor in dangers,*
St. Dionysius, shining mirror of faith and confidence,*
St. Cyriacus, terror of hell,*
St. Achatius, helpful advocate in death,*
St. Eustachius, exemplar of patience in adversity,*
St. Giles, despiser of the world,*
St. Margaret, valiant champion of the Faith,*
St. Catherine, victorious defender of the Faith and of purity,*
St. Barbara, mighty patroness of the dying,*
All ye Holy Helpers,*
All ye saints of God,*
In temptations against faith,*
In adversity and trials,*
In anxiety and want,*
In every combat,*
In every temptation,*
In sickness,*
In all needs,*
In fear and terror,*
In dangers of salvation,*
In dangers of honor,*
In dangers of reputation,*
In dangers of property,*
In dangers by fire and water,*

Be merciful, spare us, O Lord!
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord!


From all sin,
Deliver us, O Lord.**

From Thy wrath,**
From the scourge of earthquake,**
From plague, famine, and war,**
From lightning and storms,**
From a sudden and unprovided death,**
From eternal damnation,**
Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation,**
Through Thy birth and Thy life,**
Through Thy cross and passion,**
Through Thy death and burial,**
Through the merits of Thy blessed Mother Mary,**
Through the merits of the Fourteen Holy Helpers,**
On the Day of Judgment, deliver us, O Lord!**
We sinners, beseech Thee, hear us.**


That Thou spare us,
We beseech Thee, hear us.***

That Thou pardon us,***
That Thou convert us to true penance,***
That Thou give and preserve the fruits of the earth,***
That Thou protect and propagate Thy holy Church,***
That Thou preserve peace and concord among the nations, ***
That Thou give eternal rest to the souls of the departed,***
That Thou come to our aid through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, ***
That through the intercession of St. George Thou preserve us in the Faith, ***
That through the intercession of St. Blase Thou confirm us in hope, ***
That through the intercession of St. Erasmus Thou enkindle in us Thy holy love,***
That through the intercession of St. Pantaleon Thou give us charity for our neighbor,***
That through the intercession of St. Vitus Thou teach us the value of our soul, ***
That through the intercession of St. Christophorus Thou preserve us from sin, ***
That through the intercession of St. Dionysius Thou give us tranquillity of conscience, ***
That through the intercession of St. Cyriacus Thou grant us resignation to Thy holy will,***
That through the intercession of St. Eustachius Thou give us patience in adversity, ***
That through the intercession of St. Achatius Thou grant us a happy death, ***
That through the intercession of St. Giles Thou grant us a merciful judgment, ***
That through the intercession of St. Margaret Thou preserve us from hell, ***
That through the intercession of St. Catherine Thou shorten our purgatory, ***
That through the intercession of St. Barbara Thou receive us in heaven, ***
That through the intercession of all the Holy Helpers Thou wilt grant our prayers, ***


Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Lord.


V. Pray for us, ye Fourteen Holy Helpers.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promise of Christ.


Let us Pray

Almighty and eternal God, who hast bestowed extraordinary graces and gifts on Thy saints George, Blase, Erasmus, Pantaleon, Vitus, Christophorus, Dionysius, Cyriacus, Eustachius, Achatius, Giles, Margaret, Catherine, and Barbara, and hast illustrated them by miracles; we beseech Thee to graciously hear the petitions of all who invoke their intercession. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, who didst miraculously fortify the Fourteen Holy Helpers in the confession of the Faith; grant us, we beseech Thee, to imitate their fortitude in overcoming all temptations against it, and protect us through their intercession in all dangers of soul and body, so that we may serve Thee in purity of heart and chastity of body. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Invocation of the Holy Helpers

Fourteen Holy Helpers, who served God in humility and confidence on earth and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific vision in heaven; because you persevered till death you gained the crown of eternal life. Remember the dangers that surround us in this vale of tears, and intercede for us in all our needs and adversities. Amen.

Fourteen Holy Helpers, select friends of God, I honor you as mighty intercessors, and come with filial confidence to you in my needs, for the relief of which I have undertaken to make this novena. Help me by your intercession to placate God's wrath, which I have provoked by my sins, and aid me in amending my life and doing penance. Obtain for me the grace to serve God with a willing heart, to be resigned to His holy will, to be patient in adversity and to persevere unto the end, so that, having finished my earthly course, I may join you in heaven, there to praise for ever God, who is wonderful in His saints. Amen.




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Concluding Prayer of Entire Novena:
(to be said at the conclusion of Day 9)

O Faithful servants of God and powerful protectors of man, Holy Helpers! Since Our Lord appointed you the heavenly advocates for our needs on earth, I confidently turn to you for help in my distress. Countless numbers praise you for aiding them with counsel in doubt, with consolation in anxiety, with health in illness, with safety in danger, with delivery from prison, and with help and assistance in all tribulations. Therefore I, too, have recourse to you, and implore you not to refuse me your aid.

Give thanks to God for me for all the graces He granted me during this novena. I ascribe them to your great merits and powerful intercession. I thank you all together, and each one in particular, for your interest in my favor before the throne of God. I commend myself to your continued protection, that I may one day be united with you in heaven, there to thank the Giver of all good things and to praise Him for all eternity. Amen.

St. Martha

Martha, sister of Mary Magdalen and Lazarus, is the owner of the house in Bethany, where Jesus spent a good portion of His time. She is the one, when Jesus was visiting, was busy with the housework, while Mary was at His Feet, listening. She was told that Mary had chosen the better portion when she was working. However, it is JUST as important to serve Him, too.

Glory, then, be to this daughter of Sion, of royal descent, who, faithful to the traditions of hospitality handed down from the Patriarchs and early Fathers, was blessed more than all of them in the exercise of this noble virtue! These ancestors of our Faith, pilgrims themselves and without fixed habitation, knew more or less obscurely that the Desired of Israel and the Expectation of the nations was to appear as a wayfarer and a stranger on earth; and they honored the future Saviour in the person of every stranger that presented himself at their tent door; just as we, their sons and daughters, in the Faith of the same promises now accomplished, honor Christ in the guest whom His goodness sends us. This relation between Him that was to come and the pilgrim seeking shelter made hospitality the most honored handmaid of divine charity. More than once did God show His approval by allowing angels to be entertained in human form. If such heavenly visitations were an honor of which our earth was not worthy, how much great was Martha's privilege in rendering hospitality to the Lord of angels! If before the coming of Christ it was a great thing to honor Him in those who prefigured Him, and if now to shelter and serve Him in His mystical members deserves an eternal reward, how much greater and more meritorious was it to receive in person that Jesus, the very thought of whom gives to virtue its greatness and its merit. Again, as the Baptist excelled all the other prophets by having pointed out as present the Messias whom they announced as future, so Martha, by having ministered to the person of the Word made Flesh, ranks above all others who have ever exercised the works of mercy.

Here we recognize a perfect type of the Church, wherein, with the devotedness of fraternal love, and under the eye of our heavenly Father, the active ministry takes the precedence, and holds the place of government over all who are drawn by grace to Jesus. We can understand the Son of God showing a preference for this blessed house; he was refreshed from the weariness of His journeys by the devoted hospitality He there received, but still more by the sight of so perfect an image of that Church for whose love He had come on earth.

Martha, then, understood by anticipation, that He Who holds the first place must be the servant, as the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister; and as, later on, the Vicar of Jesus, the Prince of Prelates in the holy Church, was to call himself the Servant of the servants of God. But in serving Jesus, as she served also with Him and for Him her brother and her sister, who can doubt that she had the greatest share in these promises of the God-Man: "He that ministers to me shall follow me, and where I am, there also shall my minister be, and my Father will honour him."

Nothing more is said of Martha in the Gospel, but it is not doubted that she was, with the other pious women, on Mount Calvary at the time of the Saviour's Passion, and later also present at His Ascension, and the coming of the Holy Ghost. All her biographers agree in the fact that, in the persecution of the Christians, she was placed by the Jews, with her brother and sister, in a boat which had neither sail nor oar, and was cast adrift on the high sea to perish. (You've seen those bumper stickers stating: 'God is my co-Pilot', haven't you?) Well, God was their pilot, and guided them to Marseilles, in France, where they safely landed. This miracle, together with their preaching, brought the people of Marseilles, and of Aix, and of the neighborhood to believe in Christ.

Magdalen, some time later, went into a desert, where she led a penitential life for thirty years. (Apparently, she was carried to heaven every day of this existence by angels, so that she could hear their songs of praise.) Lazarus was made Bishop of Marseilles and Maximin of Aix. Martha, however, after having converted many virgins to the Christian faith by her kind exhortations, and instilled into them a love of virginal chastity, selected a secluded place between Asignon and Arles, where she erected a dwelling. There she lived with her maid Marcella and several virgins, who desired, like herself, to spend their days far from the tumult of the world, in chastity and peace, and to lead a cloistral life; whence St. Martha is by many regarded, if not as the first founder, yet as a model of a religious life. She was a guide to all, and her example served as a rule to them whereby to regulate their conduct.

Thirty years she lived thus in great austerity, abstaining from meat and wine. She was devoted to prayer, and it is written of her, that she threw herself upon her knees to pray one hundred times during the day and as often during the night. Her virginal chastity she preserved until her death, the hour of which was revealed to her a year before she departed. A fever which seized her, and lasted until she died, was regarded by her as a means to become more like her Saviour and increase her merits. Hence she was always cheerful in her suffering, bearing it with angelic patience. Eight days before she died, she heard heavenly music, and saw the soul of her sister, accompanied by many angels, ascend to heaven, which not only filled her soul with divine joy, but also with the fervent desire soon to be re-united with Christ. The Saviour Himself deigned to appear to her, saying: "Come, beloved one; as thou hast received Me in thy terrestrial home, so will I receive thee now in My heavenly mansion." St. Martha was transported with joy, and the nearer the hour of her death approached, the more fervent became her prayers and her desire to be with God. Shortly before her end, she desired to be laid upon the ground, which was strewn with ashes, and after having given her last instructions to those under her, she raised her eyes to heaven and gave her virgin soul to the Almighty, while she pronounced the words her beloved Saviour had spoken: "Lord, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." Her tomb has been glorified by God with many miracles, and is held in great veneration.


PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
:
Without doubt, you think St. Martha greatly blessed because she had the high honor to receive our Lord into her house and to serve Him. But why do you not estimate your own much greater happiness? Who is He, whom you receive in Holy Communion, in a much more excellent manner, than Martha received Him? Is He not the same Jesus who went into her house? He comes more frequently to you--or is ready to do so--than He ever visited Martha. Ah! recognize this great blessing and use it to your salvation. May you also prepare yourself most assiduously to receive your Lord, and to serve Him well, in order that He may one day receive you into His kingdom. To receive Holy Communion is one of the most effectual means to gain salvation. "He that eateth this Bread shall live for ever," says Christ. (John, vi.) Live, then, in this world, in sanctifying grace, and live in heaven, in the presence of the Almighty.

Martha lived an austere life during thirty years, prayed day and night, preserved her chastity, constantly practiced good works, and suffered sickness with cheerful patience. Whoever lives thus, may well say at the end of his days: "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit." But whoever employs neither his mind, his body, nor his soul in the service of God, who gratifies every wish of the body and stains his soul with sin, without trying to purify it again, who is indolent in doing good works, who uses the members of the body, the faculties of the mind, more to offend God than to serve Him; who manifests no patience in sickness and trial, who detests penance and austerities; who seldom prays, and is unchaste; cannot truly say with confidence, in his last hour: "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit." For, how can he hope that God will receive into His hands a soul, which, during a whole lifetime, was rather in the hands of Satan than in those of the Almighty, a soul which lived more according to the will of Satan than the will of God; and, finally, a soul which gave not the body, that clothed it, to the service of the Most High? "He is too arrogant," writes St. Gregory of Nyssa, "who having, during his life, constantly warred against the Almighty by sin and vice, hopes, like another Moses, to die in the arms of the Lord." If you desire, therefore, at your last moment, to commend your soul into the hands of your Saviour with a well-founded hope that He will receive it, employ now your mind and all the faculties of your soul, in the service of your God, as Martha did.

To this effect is the admonition of St. Peter: "They shall commend their souls in good deeds to the faithful Creator." (I. Peter, iv.) If we commend now our mind, our soul to God with good deeds, we can commend it at the end of our lives to Him, with the certain hope of salvation. Now, while on this earth, we must serve God with soul and body; for God has promised eternal life to His servants. If you will not do this, the promise of God was not made for you. "Whoever does not fulfill the commandments of the Lord, vainly expects what the Lord has promised," says St. Chrysostom.


Prayer:

Now that, together with Magdalene, thou hast entered for ever into possession of the better part, thy place in heaven, O Martha, is very beautiful. For they that have ministered well, says St. Paul, shall purchase to themselves a good degree, and much confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus (1 Tim. iii. 13). The same service which the deacons, here alluded to by the Apostle, performed for the Church, thou didst render to the Church's Head and Spouse; thou didst rule well thine, own house, which was a figure of that Church so dear to the Son of God. But God is not unjust, that He should forget your work and the love which you have shown in His name, you who have ministered and do minister to the saints (Heb. vi. 10). And the Saint of saints Himself, thy indebted guest, gave us to understand something of thy greatness, when, speaking merely of a faithful servant set over the family to distribute food in due season, He cried out: Blessed is that servant whom when his lord shall come, he shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods (St. Matth. xxiv. 46, 47). O Martha, the Church exults on this day, whereon our Lord found thee thus continuing to serve Him in the persons of those little ones in whom He bids us seek Him. The moment had come for Him to welcome thee eternally. Henceforth the Host most faithful of all to the laws of hospitality, makes thee sit at His table in His own house, and girding Himself, ministers to thee as thou didst minister to Him.

From the midst of thy peaceful rest, protect those who are now carrying on the interests of Christ on earth, in His mystical Body, which is the entire Church, and in His wearied and suffering members the poor and the afflicted. Bless and multiply the works of holy hospitality; may the vast field of mercy and charity yield ever-increasing harvests. May the zeal displayed by so many generous souls lose nothing of its praiseworthy activity; and for this end, O sister of Magdalene, teach us all as our Lord taught thee, to place the one thing necessary above all else, and to value at its true worth the better part. After the word spoken to thee, for our sake as well as thine own, whosoever would disturb Magdalene at the feet of Jesus, or forbid her to sit there, would deserve to have his works frustrated by offended heaven.

9th Sunday after Pentecost

This Sunday is the 9th Sunday after Pentecost. We hear about Jesus overlooking the eternal city of Jerusalem. He knows that he is to be condemned and put to death, being nailed to the Cross. He weeps and laments, because He knows that this city will eventually be destroyed. This happened in the year of 70 A.D. Just so it happens, this is a few years after His Apostles, Peter and Paul, we killed on the same day (June 29) in the year of 67 A.D. Coincidence? I think NOT! You mess with God, you will pay.

According to our beloved Abbot Gueranger:

'As the God-Man had said, the terrible day came suddenly, and as a snare, upon this immense assemblage of people. The empire(Roman) was in the hands of Vespasian; the prosperous fortune of Rome was re-established on the whole of the frontiers; and Titus had just reached Caesarea, with orders to put an end to the eastern question. He sent word to the legions then in Judea to effect, from the respective points they occupied, a joint concentration towards the capital. When the tenth legion marched from Jericho and was seen encamped on Mount Olivet--that is, on the very place where Jesus wept as He looked on Jerusalem, and foretold the siege which was to be its ruin--the unexpected arrival of the Romans alarmed the pilgrims, and made them busy themselves with preparations for a battle, rather than for the solemnization of the Pasch(which was nearing). the several parties agreed to forget, at least for a day, their own animosities, and unite all their forces together; they made two desperate sallies, for the purpose of dislodging the enemy form the Mount; but each time they were repelled.

The Pasch which is about to be celebrated is, as ever, and now more than ever, the Passover of the Lord; but the Lord is no longer leading the sons of Jacob to their deliverance by it. Juda has made himself the enemy of the Lamb, whose Blood should be the sign of the redeemed of the Pasch. Whilst the Blood of this divine Lamb is enriching the whole earth, whilst the light of the vanquisher of death is illumining the whole world, Juda is there, obstinately keeping to his figures and shadows. More stiff-necked than the Egyptian, and more guilty than Pharoah, he would, if he could, hold the true Israel in the trammels of his own slavish law, just as he once vainly tried to make the true Son of God an everlasting prisoner in the tomb. As to Jesus, He has, years ago, set Himself free; and now, more terrible than He was in Mesraim, He is passing over, as the avenger both of Himself and of His Church. The Pasch--the feast of feasts, whose memory is every Sunday brought back to us--is now about to receive its final completion. On the Tuesday of our Easter, we were saying: "How terrible will be the passage of the Lord over Jerusalem, when the sword of the Roman legions shall destroy a whole people!"'

This is pure and simple history. When Jesus died on the Cross, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. (Keep in mind that this veil was approximately 40ft. high). At that moment, the old system of the Old Testament was over, with the new to take over. The obstinate Jews refused to believe in God becoming man, and thus, refused all of His teachings, along with the continued teachings of His Apostles. The high priests had said: "Let it be on our heads and on the heads of our grandchildren." (Okay, have it your way. Good luck with that!)

On a side note, we here in our diocese had a bishop who had the kids receiving Holy Communion in 2nd grade, and then, 2 years later, receiving 'First Confession', which is 'bass ackwards'. When asked by believers to please change the order, he promptly said: "Let it be on my head." What a dope! Well, he has since passed on. I wonder how that thought progression went for him!?

Anyway, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and also told them that they had made His temple into a den of thieves. The way I see it, considering what has happened to the Church in the past 60+ years, that they have discarded the Faith, instead of selling it. BEWARE of the wolves who are dressed in sheep's clothing! Some might be dressed in cassocks, or wearing birettas!

On an end note, keep this in mind. This comes from the Epistle for this Sunday; St. Paul writes to the Corinthians:

'Wherefore he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall. Let no temptation take hold on you, but such as is human: and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able but will make also with temptation issue that you may be able to bear it.'

Therefore, what we experience now is a test sent by the Father. He knows how strong or weak we are, and He tests us, sometimes to the limit. So, this is where we find out just how strong our Faith really is.



THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY AND TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM

Has our divine Savior's prophecy concerning, the city of Jerusalem been fulfilled?

Yes, and in the most terrible manner. The Jews, oppressed by the Romans their cruel masters, revolted, killed many of their enemies, and drove them out of Jerusalem. Knowing well that this would not be permitted to pass unavenged, the Jews armed themselves for a desperate resistance. The Emperor Nero sent a powerful army under the command of Vespasian against the city of Jerusalem, which first captured the smaller fortresses of Judea, and then laid siege to the city. The want and misery of the inhabitants had already reached the highest pitch; for within the city ambitious men had caused conflicts; factions had been formed, daily fighting each other, and reddening the streets with blood, while the angry Romans stormed outside. Then a short time of respite was granted to the unfortunate Jews. The Emperor Nero was murdered at Rome in the year of our Lord 68; his successor Galba soon died, and the soldiers placed their beloved commander Vespasian upon the imperial throne. He then left Jerusalem with his army, but in the year he sent his son Titus with a new army to Judea, with orders to capture the city at any price, and to punish its inhabitants.

It was the time of Easter, and a multitude of Jews had assembled from all provinces of the land, when Titus appeared with his army before the gates of Jerusalem, and surrounded the city. The supply of food was soon exhausted, famine and pestilence came upon the city and raged terribly. The leader of the savage revolutionists, John of Gischala, caused the houses to be searched, and the remaining food to be torn from the starving, or to be forced from them by terrible tortures: To save themselves from this outrageous tyrant, the Jews took the leader of a band of robbers, named Simon, with his whole gang into the city. John and Simon with their followers now sought to annihilate each other. John took possession of the temple. Simon besieged him; blood was streaming in the temple and in the streets. Only when the battle-din of the Romans was heard from without, did the hostile factions unite, go to meet the enemy, and resist his attack. As the famine increased, many Jews secretly left the city to seek for herbs. But Titus captured them with his cavalry, and crucified those who were armed. Nearly five hundred men, and sometimes more, were every day crucified in sight of the city, so that there could not be found enough of crosses and places of execution; but even this terrible sight did not move the Jews to submission. Incited by their leaders to frenzy, they obstinately resisted, and Titus finding it impossible to take the city by storm, concluded to surround it by walls in order to starve the inhabitants. In three days his soldiers built a wall of about ten miles in circumference, and thus the Saviour's prediction was fulfilled: Thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side.

The famine in this unfortunate city now reached its most terrific height; the wretched inhabitants searched the very gutters for food, and ate the most disgusting things. A woman, ravenous from hunger, strangled her own child, roasted it, and ate half of it; the leaders smelling the horrible meal, forced a way into the house, and by terrible threats compelled the woman to show them what she had eaten; she handed them the remaining part of the roasted child, saying.: "Eat it, it is my child; I presume you are not more dainty than a woman, or more tender than a mother." Stricken with horror they rushed from the house. Death now carried away thousands daily, the streets and the houses were full of corpses: From the fourteenth of April when the siege commenced. to the first of July, there were counted one hundred and fifty-eight thousand dead bodies; six hundred thousand others were thrown over the walls into the trenches to save the city from infection. All who could flee, fled; some reached the camp of the Romans in safety; Titus spared the helpless, but all who fell into his hands armed, were crucified. Flight offered no better security. The Roman soldiers had learned that many Jews had swallowed, gold to secure it from the avarice of the robbers, and therefore the stomachs of many were cut open. Two thousand such corpses were found one morning in the camp of the Romans. The attempts of Titus to prevent this cruelty were unavailing. Finally, when misery had reached its height, Titus succeeded in carrying the fort, Antonia, and with his army forced a passage as far as the temple which had been held by John of Gischala with his famous band. Desirous of saving the temple, Titus offered the revolutionists free passage from it, but his proposition was rejected, and the most violent contest then raged; the Romans trying to enter the temple, and being continually repulsed, at last, one of the soldiers seized a firebrand, and threw it into one of the rooms attached to the temple. The flames in an instant caught the whole of the inner temple, and totally consumed it, so that this prediction of our Lord was also fulfilled. The Romans butchered all the inhabitants whom they met, and Titus having razed the ruins of the temple and city, plowed it over, to indicate that this city was never to be rebuilt. During the siege one million, one hundred thousand Jews lost their lives; ninety-seven thousand were sold as slaves, and the rest of the people dispersed over the whole earth.

Thus God punished the impenitent city and nation, over whose wretchedness the Saviour wept so bitterly, and thus was fulfilled the prediction made by Him long before.

What do we learn from this?

That as this prediction so also all other threats and promises of the Saviour will be fulfilled. The destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, the dispersion of the Jews, are historical facts which cannot be denied, and testify through all centuries to the truth of our Lord's word: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matt. XXIV. 35.)

And our beloved Abbot Gueranger finishes up. This is just a small portion of the reading for this Sunday in 'the Liturgical Year':

Terrible lesson which the Church learned and has never forgotten, that no blessing, no past holiness, is of itself a guarantee that the place thus favoured will not afterwards draw down on itself desecration and destruction! (I believe that this once blessed country has had its blessing taken away because of all the bad things that happen here.)



Prayer for the Preservation of Faith


O my Redeemer, will that terrible moment ever come, when but few Christians will be found animated with a spirit of faith? that moment when, provoked to indignation, Thou wilt remove from us thy protection? The vices, the evil habits of our children, have perhaps irrevocably moved thy justice this very day to vengeance! O Thou who art the author and finisher of our faith, we conjure Thee, in the bitterness of our hearts, humbled and contrite, not to permit the beautiful light of faith to be extinguished in us. Be mindful of thy mercies of old, cast a compassionate regard upon that vine which Thou hast planted with thy right hand, which was bedewed with the sweat of the Apostles, watered with the precious blood of thousands upon thousands of martyrs and the tears of so many generous penitents, and made fruitful by the prayers of so many confessors and innocent virgins. O divine Mediator, have regard for those zealous souls who incessantly raise their hearts to Thee and pray for the maintenance of that most precious treasure, the true Faith. Suspend, O must just God, the decree of our reprobation, turn away thine eyes from our sins, and fix them on the adorable blood, shed upon the Cross as the price of salvation, and daily pleading for it, on our behalf, upon our altars. Oh, preserve us in the true Catholic Roman Faith. Infirmities afflict us, annoyances wear us away, misfortunes oppress us: but preserve to us thy holy faith ; for, endowed with this precious gift, we shall willingly bear every sorrow, and nothing can affect our happiness. On the other hand, without this supreme treasure of the faith, our misfortunes will be unspeakable and immense. O good Jesus, author of our faith, keep it pure; keep us safe within the bark of Peter, faithful and obedient to his successor, thy True Vicar here on earth, that so the unity of holy Church may be preserved, holiness fostered, the Holy See kept free and protected, and the universal Church extended, to the advantage of souls. O Jesus, author of our faith, humble and convert the enemies of thy Church ; bestow on all Kings and Christian Princes, and on all the faithful, peace and true unity; strengthen and maintain all in thy holy service, to the end that we may live by Thee and die in Thee. Ah! my Jesus, author of our faith, in Thee I would live, and in Thee would I die. Amen.


(Indulgence 300 days--Leo XIII.)

St. Anne, Grandmother of Jesus

Saint Anne, chosen by God to be the mother of Mary, His own Blessed Mother on earth, was the spouse of Saint Joachim. Ancestor of the Eternal King and High Priest, Joachim was of the royal house of David, while Anne was of Levitical descent. Their lives were wholly occupied with prayer and good works. One thing only was wanting to their union - they were childless, and this was held as a bitter misfortune among the Jews. At length, when Anne was well advanced in age, Mary was born, the fruit rather of grace than of nature, and the child more of God than of man.

In the words of our Blessed Abbot Gueranger, who puts it so beautifully:

'Anne was, as it were, the starting point of redemption, the horizon scanned by the prophets, the first span of the heavens to be empurpled with the rising fires of dawn; the blessed soil whose produce was so pure as to make the angels believe that Eden had been restored to us. But in the midst of the incomparable peace that surrounds her, let us hail her as the land of victory surpassing the most famous fields of battle; as the sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, where our humiliated race took up the combat begun before the throne of God by the angelic host; where the serpent's head was crushed, and Michael, now surpassed in glory, gladly handed over to his sweet Queen, at the first moment of her existence, the command of the Lord's armies.'

After much prayer over the years, Anne's prayers are answered: "And behold an angel of the Lord stood by (possibly St. Gabriel), and said to her: "Anne, God has heard thy prayer; thou shalt conceive and bear a child, and thy fruit shall be honored throughout the whole inhabited earth." And in due time Anne brought forth a daughter, and said: "My soul is magnified this hour." (Sound somewhat familiar?) And she called the child Mary; and giving her the breast, she intoned this canticle to the Lord:

"I will sing the praise of the Lord my God: for He has visited me and has taken away my shame, and has given me a fruit of justice. Who shall declare to the sons of Ruben that Anne is become fruitful? Hear, hear, O ye twelve tribes: behold Anne is giving suck!" (From the Protevangelium Jacobi.)

With the birth of Mary the holy matron began a new life; she watched Her every movement with reverent tenderness, and, aware of the little one's destiny, felt herself hourly sanctified by the presence of her Immaculate Child. But she had vowed her daughter to God; to God the child Mary had already consecrated Herself, and to Him Anne gave Her back. Mary was three years old when Anne and Joachim led Her to the Temple steps, saw Her pass by Herself into the inner sanctuary, and then saw Her no more. Thus was Anne left childless in her old age, and deprived of her purest earthly joy. The holiest parents on earth could not, in the plan of God, raise this Child as was needed: Mary had to suffer from Her earliest years. Saint Anne and Saint Joachim humbly adored the Divine Will, and continued to watch and pray, until God called them to unending rest. (Remember Simeon and Anna in the temple? This Anna was to take care of Mary through these years.)

Let us conclude with this praise and prayer to out Lord, from the Ambrosian Missal of Milan:

'It is right and just to give thanks to Thee, O eternal God, Who by a singular privilege of Thy grace, hast exalted the blessed Anne. To whose desire of fruitfulness thou didst give a gift so magnificent and so far surpassing all others, that from her was born Mary, the Virgin of virgins, the Lady of the angels, the Queen of the world, the star of the sea, the Mother of Thy Son, Who is both God and Man.

O almighty everlasting God, Who didst give to blessed Anne, after the affliction of long barrenness, the grace to bear a glorious fruit;grant, we beseech Thee, that, as her merits intercede with Thee for us, we may be made fruitful in works of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.'

St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin and Grandmother of Our Lord, please pray for us.

St. James, APOSTLE

SAINT JAMES the GREATER
Apostle
Patron of Spain
(†44)

Among the twelve Apostles, three were chosen to be the close companions of our Blessed Lord, and of these James was one. He, with Peter and John, was admitted to the house of Jairus when his dead child was raised to life (Luke 8:40 ff.); only these three were taken up to the high mountain of Thabor and beheld the face of Jesus shining as the sun, and His garments white as snow (Mark 9:2-7). These three alone witnessed the fearful agony in Gethsemane. (Luke 22:39-45)

What was it that won James a place among the favorite three? Faith, burning, impetuous and outspoken, the straightforwardness of the true Israelite, were visible in him; but these qualities needed purifying before the "Son of Thunder" could proclaim the Gospel of peace. St. Mark relates that Christ called James and his brother, on account of the vehemence of their zeal, "Boanerges," or children of the thunder, because they announced the Gospel with such earnestness, that their voices penetrated the hearts of men, like the rolling of the thunder, and moved them to recognize and receive the truth. It was James who suggested fire from heaven to consume the inhospitable Samaritans, and who sought a place of honor beside Christ in His kingdom. Yet Our Lord, in rebuking his presumption, prophesied his faithfulness unto death. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, we read that the mother of James and John, Salome, had come to Christ, asking Him to place one of her sons on His right hand, the other on His left in His kingdom. The Saviour reproved the two Apostles for their ambition, saying: "You know not what you ask." After this, He asked them: "Can you drink of the Chalice that I shall drink?" And they resolutely replied: "Yes, we can."

He went to Spain after the death of Our Lord, and remained there for nine years, according to tradition. The famous Basilica of Saint James of Compostello, one of the most frequented pilgrimage sites of Europe, the site also of countless miracles, commemorates the memory of the nation's beloved Apostle. (Let us keep in mind that James overcame the Mussulman (the 'peaceful religion') plague in Iberia. We could sure use his help these days)

In the year 44 Saint James, who was at that time in Jerusalem, was brought before King Herod Agrippa. The Apostle had been preaching fearlessly there, curing the sick and the blind, and delivering possessed persons. Two magicians were sent by the authorities to stop his doings by their charms, but both were converted. His enemies were not defeated by that, however, and paid two Roman captains to incite a sedition during the Apostle's preaching, then seize him as its author. A certain Josias, a scribe among the Pharisees, put a cord around his neck and took him before the third Herod, grandson of the first, murderer of the Innocents, and nephew of the second, who had the Baptist decapitated. This new sycophant of the Roman Emperors, desiring to conciliate the Jews and make them forget his non-Jewish origins, decided to do so by persecuting the Christians. Without delay he condemned Saint James to die by the sword. When the man who had brought him to the tribunal saw the courage with which he went to martyrdom he declared that he, too, was a Christian.

As they were being hurried to execution, he (Josias), implored James' forgiveness. The Apostle kissed him, saying: "Peace be with you." He was taken with the Apostle to the place of execution, where Saint James and his convert died together.(What strikes me is the fact that one of the 'sons of thunder' is the first of the Apostles to die, while the other one, John, is the last to die. Just sayin' I don't know if it means anything, but I thought it was interesting.)

His body was afterwards translated to Compostella, where it is honoured with the highest veneration; pilgrims flock thither from every part of the world, to satisfy their devotion or pay their vows. The memory of his natalis is celebrated by the Church to-day, which is the day of his translation. But it was near the feast of the Pasch that, first of all the Apostles, he shed his blood, at Jerusalem, as a witness to Jesus Christ.

The Saint one night left the city with his disciples and went to the banks of the river Ebro, to offer his prayer there undisturbed. Suddenly the Blessed Virgin, who at that time was still on earth, appeared to him, surrounded by many angels. James recognized her immediately, and, falling on his knees before her, honored her as the Mother of his Redeemer. She said to him: "Thou shalt build upon this place, a Church in my honor; for I know that the inhabitants of Saragossa will conceive an especial devotion to me, for which reason I will henceforth protect them." James obeyed her words, and erected a Church which although small at the beginning, was afterwards enlarged and rebuilt in its present form. This Church is still called the "Church of the Pillar of St. Mary," because the Blessed Virgin appeared to the Apostle on a pillar which yet remains.


The Apostle won the three crowns of heroism: he is a Doctor par excellence of the Faith, he was the first Apostle to be martyred, and according to Saint Epiphanus and other historians, he always conserved his virginity. He is the patron of Spain. A Spanish author by the name of Tamayo reports fifteen different apparitions of Saint James to the kings and princes of Spain, followed each time by some specific assistance for the benefit of the land.

No sooner was James called by Christ to follow Him, than unhesitatingly he left home and everything and followed the Saviour. If he had not done so, or if he had delayed, who knows if a second call would have reached him, and if he would not have gone to eternal destruction? God calls you already so long to follow Him, to do penance, to correct your life, to manifest greater fervor in His service, to avoid all occasions of evil, to break off all sinful associations, to confess your evil deeds, to restore what you have no right to possess, to repair the reputation of your neighbor, which you have injured by your slanders, etc. He calls you by an inner, voice, and by your confessor, or through sermons. Why do you not follow Him? Why do you delay from day to day? Oh! take heed, that the menace of God be not verified in you: "I called and you refused: I stretched out my hand and there was none that regarded. You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions. I will also laugh at your destruction. (Prov. i.)" If you do not wish to become yourself an example of this dreadful menace, resolve to-day to follow the call of your God, and to act according to His exhortations. Delay not longer, or He may cease to invite you, and you will go to destruction.

We must all desire a place in the kingdom of our Father; but, can we drink the chalice which He holds out to each one of us? 'Possumus', we must say with Saint James - "We can!" - but only in the strength of Him who drank it first for us.


Prayer:
O glorious Apostle, Saint James, who by reason of thy fervent and generous heart wast chosen by Jesus to be a witness of His glory on Mount Thabor, and of His agony in Gethsemane; thou, whose very name is a symbol of warfare and victory: obtain for us strength and consolation in the unending warfare of this life, that, having constantly and generously followed Jesus, we may be victors in the strife and deserve to receive the victor's crown in heaven. Amen.


(Indulgence of 300 days)

The Gospel in a Nutshell

The Gospel in a Nutshell

Dom Gérard Calvet OSB, (November 18, 1927 – February 28, 2008). Founder and First Abbot of Sainte Madeleine du Barroux. From an article first published in Itinéraires.


ONE DAY, as we were asking a Carmelite sister to tell us how she made her prayer, her heart to heart with the Lord, she responded that, for thirty-five years, one phrase of the Gospel was enough for her, and she returned to it without ceasing. It seemed to her that drawing on another source would be to be unfaithful to her particular vocation, or at least to the attraction which the Lord had given to her for her time of mental prayer. It is very true that the interior life, more than a response to passing impulses, is chiefly an effort to persevere in the direction of a continuous line flowing form the first grace.

The phrase that our Carmelite was taking in this way was drawn from the Gospel of John: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). The whole doctrine of salvation is contained in these few words: the divine paternity, the redemptive Incarnation, the role of faith, the drama of reprobation and the perspective of eternal happiness. The ancients gave a name to this verse of the Gospel of Saint John: they called it Evangelium in nuce, the Gospel in a nutshell. Let’s read it slowly and lets pause over each word so that we draw out the sap. This is perhaps the surest way to approach the great mystery of the Incarnation, this essential mystery, source of all the others, by which God touches the world. Lets try!

God so loved the world… Everything flows from the Trinity. Everything that is divine, everything that comes down from God and leads man to God can only be an out-flowing of the Love of the Trinity: God so loved the world... There is a great consolation and sweetness in this profession of faith in divine charity. It is something that makes the fear and the news of the worst catastrophes lose their strength, like smoke that is blown away by the wind. So is there bad news? Can it be as bad as renouncing Love?

One can say that the race of saints has for two thousand years been working and plowing this field and have only been drawing the consequences of this essential good news, invoked so often: Deus caritas est. God is love. But according to a logic which made the ancient Greeks mock, it was necessary, so that this love express itself, so that it pour itself out on man, that God send His Son. This is the second part of our phrase.

... that he gave His only Son...


Here is what the poor inhabitants of this earth couldn’t imagine or conceive. Neither did they even dream of it in their myths and fables: Heaven crossing the frontiers of this earth, the angels singing the glory of God above the stable, a world transfigured by the unspeakable presence of a Divine Person, One of the Trinity, Unus de Trinitate, will say the Fathers, who learns to walk, to read and to write, a God-Man who plays, who cries, who sings, living the same life as his human brothers and sisters, born of a woman, bent under the Law, working and suffering, dying as the offering of a propitiatory sacrifice. Unimaginable: rising from the dead and sharing with human beings the gift of the Spirit, making his brothers and sisters members of His Body, sanctifying though faith and the sacraments, and through living a new life. This is what we call the redemptive Incarnation and it makes faithful hearts sing a song of thanksgiving until the end of time. Nothing strikes us more insistently than Saint John speaking of this unfathomed mystery: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you” (1 Jn 1,1-3). It seems that the Apostle stays dazzled by the great miracle and that he never ceased to be amazed with joy and enthusiasm by remembering it.

... so that whoever believes in Him may not perish... Here for us to see is the great virtue of Faith placed at the centre of this affirmation, between the proclamation of God who loves the human race and each one of us and the announcement of the promises of eternity. To believe, to invest in and build one’s life on the word of God, God whom we will never see here below: this is not just the price and pledge of salvation. It is already to enter into the life of God: The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony of God in him (I John 5:4). The believer carries inside an inner awareness which is the living sign of his or her belonging to God. The Holy Spirit gives testimony in our own spirits that we are sons of God (Rm 8:16). Maybe more than visible victories, this is the victory over the world: This is the victory over the world, our Faith (I Jn 5:4). There are so many statements about the first of the theological virtues. No opinion, no merely human belief can overcome such a divine certitude. It helps and upholds the soul of a Carmelite during her two hours of daily mental prayer; it supports the patience of the persecuted and the courage of the martyrs faced with the great trial.

Pay attention to this brief expression of St. John: “...will not perish...” suggests the essential evil from which the faith delivers us, the terrible end which is damnation. In his brilliant Mémorial Blaise Pascal says of this: "May I never be separated from from You!" Only souls of prayer and meditation can begin to understand the idea of the cost of separation from God and from eternal life; they alone taste ahead of time the goods of eternity, because through the mist and fog of our exile, and the obscure night of faith, they mysteriously embrace, in advance, the One who contains in Himself the totality of all future joys. It is truly where our meditation reaches its conclusion.

...but have eternal life... What is eternal life? “This is eternal life, that they know You, and Him whom You have sent, Jesus Christ” (Jn 17:3). Eternal life means the soul in the state of grace, passing from the regime of faith to the regime of vision. It is the bird inside the egg in the state of a chick, and suddenly appearing free, in the fulness of Heaven. The soul which has entered into eternal life blossoms in Paradise. She is born of God. Mustn’t we sacrifice everything right now? Which of us wouldn’t want to have a foretaste of something of what God has promised in eternity? Ah! How much our poor hope would be revived! How we would find ourselves more fully grown, if a little of the light of glory which has been promised to us would light up our vision and transform us interiorly!

And that is exactly what Saint Paul peacefully explains to the Corinthians, when he describes to them this nobility and this new liberty which belongs to the Christian who lives by and according to the Holy Spirit, “because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And all of us, with faces uncovered, reflect like a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are transformed in this same image, going from glory to glory, from and through the Lord who is the Spirit” (II Cor 3:17).

We know that this present life is eternal life already begun, but we don’t really believe it. We know that visible things are only for a time, and that the invisible are eternal, but we don’t live like that. How little preachers speak of the invisible and eternal realities! How rare are those who speak of the joys of paradise! And even so, through all the beauties and all the kindness of this earth, will we have a thirst for something else?


[Translated by Fr. Paul J. McDonald]


Early life of Fr. Calvet

Calvet was born in Bordeaux, Gironde on November 18, 1927. He took his vows to become a Benedictine monk in the Benedictine Abbey of Madiran on February 4, 1951. Calvet was ordained a Catholic priest on May 13, 1956. In 1963 he was sent to help with the foundation of a daughterhouse of his abbey in Tournay, Brazil.

Upon returning from Brazil in 1968 he found the religious life in the abbey completely changed in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. Feeling unable to live with those changes he asked for and received the permission to leave the abbey for some time. After having spent some time at Fontgombault Abbey and Montrieux Charterhouse, he settled down as a hermit in Bédoin 1970, again with the permission of his superiors.

Foundation and Exclusion
View of Sainte-Madeleine Abbey in winter

Shortly after beginning life as a hermit he was contacted by young men who aspired to become traditional Benedictine monks, but could not find the Traditional life in the post-conciliar monasteries. He accepted them as postulant, who still made their first vows into the hands of the abbot of Tournay. In 1974 he invited Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre to confer minor orders on the aspirants, for which he and his foundation were excluded from the Subiaco Congregation.
Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux

After acquiring land near Le Barroux (Provence), France, construction of Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux Abbey began in 1980. The construction was completed during the 1980s. During the 1980s, Gérard Calvet was, together with Archbishop Lefebvre, one of the focal persons of the Traditional Catholic movement.

After having first supported the decision of Archbishop Lefebvre to ordain bishops, he decided he could not follow this way after having read an article about a Chinese Bishop who spent more than thirty years in prison for being obedient to the pope. Therefore the monastery was reconciled with the Vatican in 1988 and elevated to an abbey in 1989, with Gérard Calvet being the first abbot.

From September 18 to 27, 2008, the Congress of Benedictine Abbots took place in Rome. The Confoederatio Benedictina Ordinis Sancti Benedicti, the Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict, admitted to its membership the Abbey of Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux (it also is listed now on the Confederation's website). The abbey, which is attached to the usus antiquior, 'older use', continues to depend from the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. As the source for this news, the website of the French Bishops' Conference, puts it:

"This integration manifests that this community pursues its way of belonging to the normal structures of the Church and of fraternal collaboration with the monasteries of the Benedictine family."

Works

Calvet supported the foundation of the Chartres Pilgrimage, a three day annual pilgrimage for traditional Catholics from Paris to Chartres, France. In 1986, he published Tomorrow Christendom, which sharply criticized the lack of Christian spirituality in Europe. In 1994 he was arrested when he led a protest in which he and several other monks chained themselves to the equipment of an abortion clinic, thus stopping the operation of the clinic for one day. He was considered to be an important figure in contemporary Catholic Traditionalism.