ALEX SCHADENBERG: A letter from Sherri – Thank you for trying to protect my life.
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A letter from Sherri – Thank you for trying to protect my life.
Daily Archives: July 14, 2012
Michael and Michelle’s Wedding
In preaching at this wedding I have the great advantage of knowing both the bride and the groom—Michelle as an active and valued parishioner here, and Michael, though belonging to Holy Cross Parish, as a regular member of our group for young men. So I know what I’m talking about when I tell you that these readings you’ve just heard beautifully reflect the love and commitment you are gathered to witness today
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For the record: Spanish journalist says, "Lefebvrians will say ‘no’ to Rome."
Spanish ultra-”Progressive” religious news correspondent José Manuel Vidal reports the following tonight from Madrid: Lefebvrians will announce tomorrow [Sunday] that they say “no” to Rome They thank the Vatican for the rapprochement and for the possibility of dialogue that was offered to them José Manuel Vidal, July 14, 2012, at 2102 [9:02 PM, CEST, 7:02 GMT] (José Manuel Vidal).- There will be no return to Rome. The Superior of the Lefebvrians for Spain and Portugal, [Fr.] Juan María Montagut, will inform the faithful, after the 11 AM Mass, that the hierarchy of the SSPX, assembled in Écône, has decided to say “no” to the Vatican. The followers of [Abp.] Marcel Lefebvre do not return to the Roman fold. Mainly because they are not willing to accept the Second Vatican Council in all its farthermost points. The Vatican, by way of the [then] Prefect for the Doctrinal of the Faith, Cardinal Levada, had asked from them “the full acceptance of the Council”.
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For the record: Spanish journalist says, "Lefebvrians will say ‘no’ to Rome."
Communiqué of the General House of the Society of St. Pius X – SSPX to send statement to the Holy See [Updated]
The General Chapter of the Society of Saint Pius X ended this Saturday, July 14, 2012, in Econe (Switzerland). Gathered near Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s tomb, the capitularies have given thanks to God for the profound unity that prevailed among them during all these workdays. The General Chapter will soon make a common statement to Rome, which will then be made public. The General Superior, Bishop Fellay, thanks deeply all the priests and faithfuls for their fervent prayers during this chapter.
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Wherein My Book Sorting Continueth: “How many branches of wax-candle light, How many drops of weary heart’s blood!
Wherein My Book Sorting Continueth: “How many branches of wax-candle light, How many drops of weary heart’s blood!Posted on14 July 2012byFr. John ZuhlsdorfMy book culling goes apace.
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SSPX General Chapter Communique
This blog will be our Witness for the Faith. We see a need for good, traditional, Catholic fellowship.
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General Instruction of the…
Around 12 years ago, I discovered a great document: the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GRIM). I found this document on the Catholic Liturgical Library website, and read it in its entirety and referred back to it many times. It made the Mass more meaningful to me and, aside from a couple issues, let me know what exactly I should and should not be doing at Mass.
In 2002, the English translation of the GIRM Third Typical Edition for the U.S. was published; however, since I am Canadian and still bound to the 1975 GRIM, I didn’t read it. Two years ago, I made an attempt to get a hold of a working copy of the Canadian 3rd Edition of the GIRM, but nobody would give me one, so I read the U.S. version that had been already in use for 8 years.
The 3rd Edition of the GIRM was so interesting, I read it from beginning to end around 4 or 5 times. It addressed the questions that the 1975 GIRM was vague about, and to which no one had ever given me an authoritative and definite answer. However, it was not Canadian.
I still haven’t read the version approved for Canada, at least not in its entirety. When the 3rd Edition of the GIRM went into effect in Canada last Advent, I found out that the GIRM is found in the beginning of the Sacramentary (the big red book the priest uses at Mass). I’ve looked at it a bit, but not wanting to physically remove it from the church, I haven’t had an opportunity to read it from beginning to end yet. (If anyone knows where I can find an online version of it, let me know.) I will read it one day, but for now I’ve just read the U.S. version, which, I understand, is almost identical to the Canadian version.
When I found out that the GIRM is found in the Sacramentary, I discovered another place it could be found: the beginning of my Daily Roman Missal which I bought in the mid-1990s. Obviously it only has the 1975 GIRM in it, but I was completely unaware that I had a copy of the 1975 GIRM for over 5 years before I even knew it existed.
Today I discovered that I’ve been completely ignorant of the existence of another document that I’ve had in my possession for around 8 years. Earlier today I received a package in the mail that contain the Mundelein Psalter. I’ve been praying the Liturgy of the Hours for almost 12 years, but it has been a slow process in gaining bits and pieces on how to pray it correctly. Most of what I’ve gain was from personally praying it with others. I bought the Mundelein Psalter so I can learn how to chant the Hours like I chanted them at the Sacred Music Colloquium XXII a few weeks ago. When I opened the Mundelein Psalter and looked at the table of contents, the first thing was the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours.
Why did I never find this document before? I looked in my breviary. It wasn’t there. Then I thought, “Maybe it’s in Volume I.” It was! I looked in my one volume Christian Prayer, which I used before I got my four volume Liturgy of the Hours 8 years ago. It had the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours Abridged. Not the whole thing, but some important parts were there.
I wonder how many more documents I have that I don’t know about. I’ve got a lot of books, both in print and on my computer. Many I’ve only referred to specific parts using the index at the back. I wonder what I would find if I look at the table of contents.
The first thing I’m going to read in the Mundelein Psalter is the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours. Not only will the Mundelein Psalter teach me how to chant the Liturgy of the Hours, the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours in it should make the Liturgy of the Hours more meaningful to me and let me know what exactly I should and should not be doing while praying the Hours.
By the way, I also found the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours on the EWTN website, the Catholic Liturgical Library website, the Liturgy Office of England & Wales website, the Lay Dominicans ~ Western Province website, and I’m sure Google will provide a number of others. It’s amazing how much solid information is available, online and in my bookshelf, but I don’t know about it because I never thought to look for it.
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I am struggling with my Rosary prayer. Where should my attention be during the Rosary?
I am struggling with my Rosary prayer. Where should my attention be during the Rosary?
Q: Dear Dan, I used to pray the Rosary daily, but lately I have become frustrated with it and am confused about where my 
attention should be focused while praying it. One Hail Mary, I find myself meditating on how painful it must have been for Jesus to be scourged at the pillar, and what great love it took for him to tolerate that for our sake. However, during that prayer, I was not paying attention to the actual words of the Hail Mary or asking her to “pray for us sinners.” Another Hail Mary, I find myself paying attention to the words of the prayer, but not at all meditating on the mystery. Where is the “right” place for our attention to be focused when we pray the rosary? It doesn’t seem right to neglect the mystery. It also doesn’t seem right to cheaply say the words to the Hail Mary while thinking about something totally different, like the Scourging at the Pillar. Thank you.
A: Dear Friend, this is a great question. The simple answer is that your attention should be on God. Here’s what the Catechism says about our attention during vocal prayer (#2700):
Through his Word, God speaks to man. By words, mental or vocal, our prayer takes flesh. Yet it is most important that the heart should be present to him to whom we are speaking in prayer: “Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of words, but on the fervor of our souls.”
If your heart is in any way focused on or drawn to God, you are headed in the right direction.
To be more specific regarding the Rosary, Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (well worth reading it its entirety) said:
Mary constantly sets before the faithful the “mysteries” of her Son, with the desire that the contemplation of those mysteries will release all their saving power. In the recitation of the Rosary, the Christian community enters into contact with the memories and the contemplative gaze of Mary.
So, when we pray the Rosary, we pray it with Mary, and through the eyes of Mary with our focus joining her focus – Jesus Himself.
Our first task with the Rosary is to join her in each scene (mystery) presented. As we join her, we ask for her help and prayers as we gaze upon Christ. To bring this reality closer to our hearts, we can imagine ourselves standing with Mary. We are both looking at Christ in agony in the garden. We whisper to her to pray for us as we realize what is happening to Christ, and for us. We repeat our requests to her as both of us continue to engage with the mystery.
Regardless of where we find ourselves after our initial efforts to focus our prayer on Christ, there are several principals that can help us maintain our peace when our minds seem to wander off:
- Distractions are Normal: Our job is to gently, by an exercise of our will, reject the distraction and turn our attention back to God. If we spend our entire prayer time turning back to Him, we have done well.
- Christ is the Key: Whenever our hearts are drawn to Christ in any way, we should follow that inclination. Sometimes, we should follow it even to quiet contemplation where we discontinue our vocalization of the prayer and simply gaze at Him. If we are not bound by religious duty to complete prayers in any specific way, we are free to set these formal prayers aside when they bring us to the very reason and highest purpose of our efforts in prayer – to adore Him.
In the end, it is important that you rest in Him and His work on your behalf. Yes, you should strive for increased devotion and attention to Him in prayer. However, when our fervent hearts find frustration, it is a good sign that our general focus regarding prayer is off track.
Show up – Engage – Pray – Redirect – Rest – Rejoice – Repeat
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I am struggling with my Rosary prayer. Where should my attention be during the Rosary?
Detachment – Navigating the Interior Life Spiritual Dictionary
Detachment – Navigating the Interior Life Spiritual Dictionary
DETACHMENT: In asceticism the withholding of undue affection for creatures for the sake of the Creator. When mortal sin is involved, detachment 
is imperative for salvation. Detachment from creatures that are an obstacle to complete service of God is a normal condition for growth in holiness.
This Spiritual Dictionary Term is an excerpt from the Glossary of Dan’s book Navigating the Interior Life – Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God. To learn more, click here.
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Detachment – Navigating the Interior Life Spiritual Dictionary
Top Ten Saints For Sinners
If you’re struggling with sin, if temptations are half-killing you, if all seems lost – maybe have a word with one of the following in prayer, and ask for a little help. After all, as my parish priest always reminds me, we are a community.1
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Communiqué of the General House of the Society of St. Pius X – SSPX to send statement to the Holy See
The General Chapter of the Society of Saint Pius X ended this Saturday, July 14, 2012, in Econe (Switzerland). Gathered near Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s tomb, the capitularies have given thanks to God for the profound unity that prevailed among them during all these workdays. The General Chapter will soon make a common statement to Rome, which will then be made public. The General Superior, Bishop Fellay, thanks deeply all the priests and faithfuls for their fervent prayers during this chapter. Ecône, July 14, 2012 Communiqué de la Maison générale de la Fraternité Saint-Pie X Le Chapitre général de la Fraternité Saint-Pie X s’est achevé ce samedi 14 juillet 2012, à Ecône (Suisse)
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THIS JUST IN….QUEEN’S JUBILEE CONCERT — OH MY, SHAKE AND RATTLE THAT THRONE — IT’S A WHOLE NEW MONARCHYEveryone seems to be having fun and enjoying the whole royal deal, but the staid fountain in front of Buck House may never recover from being so garishly covered,…and the Palace itself (always a bit of an architectural yawn, except for the fence) got the tarting up of its life with delightfully clever projected images below the rooftop performance of Our House by the band Madness (whose name I had never heard until tonight, but at least the song was familiar to this old fart). H.R.M.
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in~de~pend~ence:freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of othersUnder our roof, first we celebrate ‘Judicial Independence Day’ (June 12) marking the promulgation of one small article ["quamdiu se bene gesserint"] within the otherwise execrable, anti-Catholic Act of Settlement of 1701; Then on July 1st we celebrate Canada (formerly ‘Dominion’) Day, commemorating the establishment of the Dominion of Canada under the British North America Act of the British Parliament in 1867. And then, wheresoe’er we may be, we remember the 4th of July, American Independence Day, this year the 236th anniversary of the founding of the Great Experiment which is the United States of America — the place that, for all its faults and streaks of crassness, is still the first and last and best bastion of real freedom for the mind and the ambition and the wandering feet of its citizens.Apparently it can look like this in New York City:’Round here in Newfoundland, it looked like this
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Fr. Robert Pasley on the Dies Irae
Requiem Mass – June 27, 2012 CMAA Colloquium, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Today we offer this Requiem Mass for the Souls of all the deceased members of the Church Music Association of America. Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
On this day on which we pray for the dead, and meditate upon the reality of death in relation to our Faith, I would like to take a few moments to meditate upon one of the most sublime poems ever composed for the Sacred Liturgy.
It has been said,
“Sacrae poeseos summum decus et Ecclesiae Latiniae keimelion est pretiosissimum.”
On this day on which we pray for the dead, and meditate upon the reality of death in relation to our Faith, I would like to take a few moments to meditate upon one of the most sublime poems ever composed for the Sacred Liturgy.
It has been said,
“Sacrae poeseos summum decus et Ecclesiae Latiniae keimelion est pretiosissimum.”
“It is the chief glory of sacred poetry and the most precious treasure of the Latin
Church.”
This poem has been translated into almost every language and has over 230 individual translations in English.
I speak of the the Dies Irae.
There are many theories about its origin. Most historians seem to think that it came into existence between 1253 and 1255 AD. There are also many theories about its author. A good number of scholars attribute it to Thomas of Celano, the friend, fellow friar, and biographer of Saint Francis of Assisi. It very quickly found its way into the Roman Missal and became a standard part of the Funeral Liturgy until 1970. It was in constant use for over 700 years.
The Dies Irae is rich with an inexhaustible spiritual depth. It is a reflection upon the words of Sacred Scripture and it has something very important to tell us as we pray for the dead, meditate upon death, and prepare for the day of our own death.
It begins with reverent fear and humility.
He is King of Tremendous Glory. The trumpet will sound as he comes to Judge the world. All that is not holy will lay in ashes. The dead will be summoned before His Throne.
Modern man must once again learn to know his place before the majesty of God. God is greater than the power of the sun that shines in the sky. He is greater than the power of all the stars in the universe. He is incomprehensible in glory and strength – and He will come to Judge us – to Judge you – to Judge me. Those steeped in sin, unrepentant, arrogant, presumptuous, and proud must know and be warned that it will be a Day of Wrath, a dreadful day. For those who die in the friendship of God but still in need of cleansing it will be a place of purifying fire – a time of purgatorial cleansing
The Dies Irae tells us that the truth will be revealed. All our thoughts, words and actions will be brought to light. God is a God of truth and he cannot be fooled by lies and deception. We are individually responsible for our actions. There is no more chance to blame others for what we have done – “The book of life will be outspread, and all that it contains will be read, to try the living and the dead.
God is a God of Justice. He must repay good for good and meet out punishment for evil. He does not overlook our sins if we do not repent, and if we have repented we still need to do penance to repair the damage. – “Then shall the judge His throne attain, and every secret sin arraign, till nothing unavenged remain.”
All of a sudden, after these very sober and somber thoughts, the mood changes and we now see the other side of God’s relationship with us.
He is a God of Mercy. He will save us if we call out to Him. He will forgive us if we repent of our sins. “What shall my guilty conscience plead, and who for me will intercede, When even saints forgiveness need.” “King of Tremendous Majesty, Who savest whom Thou savest, free, Thou fount of Pity, save thou me.” “ Remember, Jesus Lord I pray, for me Thou walkest on life’s way, confound me not on this last day.
Christ, our Lord and Savior understands our weakness because he became one of us. “Twas me Thy weary footsteps sought, my ransom on the cross was bought, let not such labor come to naught.”
The Lord is full of compassion. “ As Thou didst Mary’s sin efface, And take the thief to Thine embrace, So dost Thou give me hope of grace.”
He accepts a contrite heart and sincere penance. “Prostrate, my contrite heart, I rend, My God, My Father, and my Friend, do not forsake me in the end.”
Finally, we are once again reminded of Holy Fear, Humility and Reverence – “Oh day of weeping, day of woe, when rising from his pyre below, the sinner to his judge shall cry, Spare me, Thou mighty God on High.
And then, with one final gasp, our last request, a prayer filled with tenderness and hope…
AH, Pie Jesu Oh Good Jesus Oh Merciful Jesus Oh gentle Jesus – Savior blest, Grant to them all, eternal Rest. Amen.
It takes your breath away – and yet I have barely skimmed the surface.
What depth
What balance
What realism
How Candid, how hope filled, what a jewel of our spiritual and liturgical heritage.
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The Screwtape Letters: Finding the modern day demons.
The Screwtape Letters: Finding the modern day demons.Jul 14th, 2012 by deaconmike Where have all the demons gone?
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July 14th and 15th- O Buona Ventura!
Commemoration of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Bonaventure was a great Doctor of the
Church and minister general of the Franciscan order.
He
was born at Bagnorea in the Papal
States in 1221, and was given the name John in baptism. He became
seriously ill at an early age. As a result, his
mother sought out St. Francis, who happened to be preaching in the
vicinity
and begged him to come and heal her child. The saint prayed over the
child, and immediately he was cured. It is reputed that, at this point,
St. Francis is said
to have uttered the prophetic words: “O buona ventura – O blessed
things
to come!” Thus, we have the name Bonaventure.
Bonaventure
entered the Order of St.
Francis at a young age . Completing his initial formation , he
continued his studies under the great Alexander of Hales. Alexande of
Hales admired the talent and the virtues of the young friar. He used to
say it appeared that Adam had not sinned in this young
man. This is not to say that Bonaventure was any different from the
rest of us as far as original sin is concerned, but he was a truly holy
and devout individual.
During
his studies, Bonaventure made a point to spend many
an hour in contemplation of Christ’s suffering and he was most devoted
to Our Blessed Lady. After his ordination to the priesthood he
devoted himself with extraordinary zeal to the salvation of souls.
He
was appointed professor of theology at the University of Paris at the
early
age of 27 which attests to his acdemic abilities. Bonaventure and
Thomas Aquinas, of the Order of St. Dominic,were the shining lights of
this great university. He easily grasped theology with his heart as well
as with his mind, and it shed its radiance on his conduct as well as
his
words.
Once
St. Thomas found Bonaventure raised in ecstasy above
the earth. Bonaventure was writing the biography of St. Francis, at
the time. When St. thomas left he commented “Let us leave a
saint to write about a saint.” Once Thomas asked St.
Bonaventure from which books he obtained his knowledge and
Bonaventure pointed to the crucifix as the source.
By
1257 Blessed John of Parma had resigned the
office of minister general of the Franciscan Order. As a result,
Bonaventure was unanimously chosen, at the to fill this position. He
governed the order
for 18 years, and regulated everything that pertained to its life and
the
external activity of the friars with such circumspection or prudence
that he
soon was referred to as the second founder of the
order.
He defended the order against
great and learned opponents. Bonaventure divided the Franciscan world
into provinces. He created ordinances for the faithful observance of the
rule which were form
the basis for all future constitutions of the order. His humility is
demonstrated by the fact that he would perform the lowliest duties
within his community. He began the custom of ringing the Anglelus bell
in all Franciscan churches and this soon became a custom in all the
Catholic world.
In
spite of all his responsibilities as minister general , he still found
time to preach and to write books of great
learning. He tried to decline all ecclesiastical honours, but in
1273, Pope Gregory X asked him to accept the
bishopric of Albano and made him a cardinal. After the Pope
consecrated him bishop, he entrusted him with the direction of the
Council of Lyons. It was at this council that the schismatic Orthodox
also attended this assembly. At their arrival
Bonaventure delivered an address, which he opened with the text:
“Arise, O
Jerusalem, and stand oh high: and look about towards the east, and
behold thy
children gathered together from the rising to the setting sun.”
(Baruch. 5:5). It was due to his effort that the Orthodox were reunited
to the Church of
Rome. Alas, this was not to continue.
By
the
third session of the council he became ill. The end soon came and the
Pope himself administered
extreme unction. Bonaventure died
during the night between the 14th and 15th of July, 1274. At a
magnificent requiem mass the Pope and members of the council witnessed
the burial of this great saint.
Pope Sixtus IV canonized him in 1482 and he was given
the title of Doctor of the Church in 1587. He has also become known as the the Seraphic Doctor.
the title of Doctor of the Church in 1587. He has also become known as the the Seraphic Doctor.
Commemoration of Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church
Blessed
be the Name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his; I
thank you, O God of my Fathers, who has given us wisdom and might, that
you have revealed the deep and secret things
V. With my lips, I have been telling of all the judgements of your mouth.
R. I have had more delight in the way of your testimonies than in all manner of riches.
Almighty
God, you gave to your servant Bonaventure special gifts of grace to
understand and teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Grant that by
this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom
you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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July 14th and 15th- – St. Bonaventure 1221-1274
O Buona Ventura! In the calendar of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, from which this Sodality originated, the Memorial of St
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