WE HAVE A NEW POPE!

Today, the Church is blessed with another Pope. He has taken the name Francis. He has some firsts in his reign. He is the first pope from the Americas. He is the first of the Jesuit order. And, he is the first named Francis. Hopefully, he can start to right what is wrong in the Church so that we can heal.

He comes from Latin America, even though his parents are from Italy. I hope and pray that he doesn't subscribe to 'Liberation Theology.' It is very prevalent in Latin countries, and has ruined the Faith there. He loves the poor, which we always have with us. He is against abortion, for celibacy. Those two things right there has me in his corner already. Only time will tell.

I will be checking into prophecies about what happens to the black pope, since Jesuits are the "Black Robes'. It's not for us to know everything about the end times, but we have been given clues to it.


Most of all, though, let us pray....

O God, who in your providential design
willed that your Church be built
upon blessed Peter, whom you set over the other apostles,
look with favor, we pray, on Francis, our Pope,
and grant that he, whom you have made Peter’s successor,
may be for your people a visible source and foundation
of unity in faith and of communion.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Let us also pray that he is friendly to those who love the 'Mass of the Ages', the Traditional Latin Mass.

Viva Papa Francesco!

Pray for the election

Tomorrow will be the first day of selecting a new Pope. Please pray that we get a worthy one.

I just like the following Preface given us by the Roman pontifical regarding us penitents:

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always and in all places, give thanks to thee, O Holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through Christ our Lord: Whom thou, O almighty Father, didst will to be born among us by an ineffable Birth, that so he might pay to thee, his eternal Father, the debt contracted by Adam, and put our death to death by his own, and bear our wounds in his own Flesh, and cleanse away our stains by His Blood; hereby enabling us, who had fallen by the envy of the old enemy, to rise again by his mercy. Through him, O Lord, we suppliantly beseech and pray thee that thou graciously hear us making intercession for the sins of others, who are not worthy to plead for our own. Do thou, O most merciful Lord, recall to thyself, with thy wonted goodness, these thy servants, who have separated themselves from thee by their sins. For neither didst thou reject the most wicked Achab when he humbled himself before thee, but didst avert from him the punishment he had deserved. So, likewise, didst thou graciously hear Peter, when he wept, and didst afterwards give to him the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and thou didst promise the reward of that same kingdom to the thief when he trusted in thee. Therefore, O most merciful Lord! mercifully welcome back these for whom we offer to thee our prayers, and restore them to the bosom of thy Church, that the enemy may not triumph over them, but that they may be reconciled unto thee by thy coequal Son, and by him be cleansed from their guilt, and graciously admitted by him to the banquet of thy most holy Supper. May he in such wise refresh them by his Flesh and Blood, as to lead them, after this life's course is run, to the kingdom of heaven.

God the Holy Ghost, help the Cardinals in the upcoming days select a worthy successor of Peter. Please?

Laetare Sunday 2013

2013 Laetare Sunday-2013

Tomorrow is the Fourth Sunday, Laetare or Rose Sunday. We are over half the way to Easter, and we get to relax and rejoice a little. The Gospel is from St. John, and is when Jesus feeds 5000 men, plus how many other people were there with 5 loaves, and 2 fish. He's really teaching us about the Holy Eucharist and how it can feed us for ever, if we wish. And, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means 'House of Bread.' Go figure! Our beloved Abott Gueranger, speaking about these men, says this:

"These men, whom Jesus has been feeding by a miracle of love and power, are resolved to make Him their King. They have no hesitation in proclaiming him worthy to reign over them; for where can they find one worthier? What, then, shall we Christians do, who know the goodness and the power of Jesus incomparably better than these poor Jews:- We must beseech him to reign over us, from this day forward. We have just been reading in the Epistle, that it is He who has made us free, by delivering us from our enemies. O glorious Liberty! But the only way to maintain it, is to live under his Law. Jesus is not a tyrant, as are the world and the flesh; his rule is sweet and peaceful, and we are his Children rather than his Servants. In the court of such a King “to serve is to reign.” What, then, have we to do with our old slavery? If some of its chains be still upon us, let us lose no time, - let us break them, for the Pasch is near at hand; the great Feast-Day begins to dawn. Onwards, then, courageously to the end of our journey! Jesus will refresh us ; he will make us sit down as he did the men of the Gospel; and the Bread he has in store for us will make us forget all our past fatigues.
In the Offertory, the Church again borrows the words of David, wherewith to praise the Lord; but, to-day, it is mainly his goodness and power that she celebrates."

St. Francis de Sales, speaking on today's Gospel, quotes from Ecclus. ii:xi,

'No one who hoped in Him and in His Providence has ever been disappointed.'

Thus, if we believe in Him and the Holy Eucharist, we will be OK.


I would like to end with stanzas from the Tridion of the Greek Church:


We have passed one half of our journey through the holy fast; let us, then, as it behooves us, joyfully complete what remains. Let us anoint our souls with the oil of good works, that we may be made worthy to celebrate the divine sufferings of Christ our Lord, and to be brought to his venerable and holy Resurrection.

Jesus, he that planted the vine and hired the labourers, is near at hand. Come, ye brave fasters! let us receive the reward; for he that pays us is rich and merciful. After our short labours, he will requite our souls with his mercy.

O God! thou Giver of life! open to me the gate of penance. My spirit keepeth watch in thy holy temple; but the temple of the flesh, which I have to carry with me, is defiled with many sins. Have pity on me, notwithstanding; and in thy tender mercy, cleanse me.

Come, let us, who are in the mystic Vine, produce fruits of penance. Here labouring, let our feasting be, not in meat and drink, but in prayer and fasting and good works. Our Lord, being pleased with our labour, will pay us with that, whereby he, the one God, rich in mercy, will forgive us the debt of our sins.


Kyrie, Eleison

Also, don't forget to change your clocks tonight ahead one hour, lest you be late for Church. Some already don't give enough time to prepare for Mass, so the hour will be lost to you.

There is an interesting web site to go to. It will give you a Cardinal to pray and/or fast for during the Conclave to elect our next Pope. This would be a good thing for us to do. Maybe some real prayers would help get a worthy successor. The site is:

www.http://adoptacardinal.org

Please consider doing this.

3rd Sunday of Lent 2013

Tomorrow is the 3rd Sunday of Lent. We hear about Jesus casting a devil out from a deaf and dumb man. According to our Blessed Abbot, Gueranger:


'As soon as Jesus had cast out the devil, the man recovered his speech, for the possession had made him dumb. It is an image of what happens to a sinner, who will not, or dare not, confess his sin. If he confessed it, and asked pardon, he would be delivered from the tyranny which now oppresses him. Alas! how many there are who are kept back, by a dumb devil, from making the confession that would save them! The holy season of Lent is advancing; these days of grace are passing away; let us profit by them; and if we ourselves be in the state of grace, let us offer up our earnest prayers for sinners, that they may speak, that is, may accuse themselves in confession and obtain pardon.'

Jesus ends the Gospel reading from St. Luke by saying; "...blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it."


I'd like to end with a prayer from the Mozarabic breviary for the beginning of this 3rd week.

'Having now passed the fourteenth day of this season, which forms the tithe of our year, we lift up our eyes to thee, O Lord, who dwellest in heaven. Show mercy to the miserable, and heal them that are wounded. Grant that the journey we have begun may be prosperous. Direct our hearts in the way of thy commandments. Through thee may we find the way of light; through thee, may we be inflamed with the bright burning of thy love. Grant rest to our labours, and a home to us that labour; that having gained thy good pleasure by our observance of these days, we may deserve to be partakers of thy glory.'

Novena for the election of the Sovereign Pontiff

We need to start this Novena today, and that the Cardinals select a faithful, viligent, and strong successor.

VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come. From thy bright heavenly throne! Come, take possession of our souls. And make them all Thine own!

Thou who art called the Paraclete, Best gift of God above, the Living Spring, the Living Fire, Sweet Unction, and True Love!

Thou who are sevenfold in Thy grace, Finger of God's right hand, His Promise, teaching little ones to speak and understand!

O guide our minds with Thy blest light, with love our hearts inflame, and with Thy strength, which never decays, confirm our mortal frame.

Far from us drive our hellish foe, True peace unto us bring, and through all perils guide us safe beneath Thy sacred wing.

Through Thee may we the Father know, through Thee the Eternal Son, and Thee the Spirit of them both Thrice blessed Three in One.

Now to the Father, and the Son Who rose from death, be glory given, with Thee, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.


V/Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created:
R/And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.


THE COLLECT OF THE MISSAL FOR THE ELECTION OF A POPE

O Lord, with suppliant humility, we entreat Thee, that in Thy boundless mercy Thou wouldst grant the most Holy Roman Church a Pontiff, who by his zeal for us, may be pleasing to Thee, and by his good government may ever be honoured by Thy people for the glory of Thy Name. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

V/Most Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary,
R/pray for us who have recourse to thee!
V/Saint Pius V,
R/pray for us.
V/Saint Pius X,
R/pray for us.

2nd Sunday of Lent

His top three Apostles have been privileged to many things, and tomorrow's reading shows it. They have seen Him transfigured before their eyes, but in a few days will totally deny Him. Our beloved Abbot Gueranger expounds on this:

After the Resurrection our three Apostles made ample atonement for this cowardly and sinful conduct, and acknowledged the mercy wherewith Jesus had sought to fortify them against temptation, by showing them His glory on Mt. Tabor a few days before His Passion. Let us not wait til we have betrayed Him; let us at once acknowledge that He is our Lord and our God. We are soon to be keeping the anniversary of His Sacrifice; like the Apostles, we are to see Him humbled by His enemies and bearing, in our stead, the chastisements of Divine justice. We must not allow our faith to be weakened, when we behold the fulfilment of those prophecies of David and Isias, that the Messias is to be treated as a worm of the earth, and be covered with wounds, so as to become like a leper, the most abject of men, and the Man of sorrows. We must remember the grand things of Mt. Tabor, and the adorations paid Him by Moses and Elias, and the bright cloud, and the Voice of the eternal Father. The more we see His glory and divinity; we must join our acclamations with those of the angels and the twenty four elders, whom St. John, one of the witnesses of the Transfiguration, heard crying out with a loud voice: 'The Lamb that was slain, is worthy to receive power and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and benediction!'

I will end with the Collect of tomorrow's Mass:

O God, who seest how destitute we are of all strength, preserve us both within and without, that our bodies may be free from all adversity, and our souls purified from all evil thoughts.