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May 17th - St. Paschal Baylon |
Posted by: Stone - 05-17-2021, 10:25 AM - Forum: May
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May 17 – St Paschal Baylon, Confessor
The Seraph of Assisi was sure to depute some of his children to pay their court to his Risen Master. The one he sends today is the humblest and most unknown of men; another will follow, three days hence, powerful in word and work, and holding a palm in his hands, as a most devoted preacher of the Gospel. Paschal Baylon was a simple peasant. He was a shepherd-boy; and it was in tending his flock that he found the Lord Jesus. He had a great love for contemplation. Forests and fields spoke to him of their great Creator; and in order that he might be the more closely united with him, he resolved to seek him in the highest paths of perfection. He was ambitious to imitate the humble, poor and suffering Life of the Man-God; the Franciscan Cloister offered him all this, and he flew to it. On that blessed soil, he grew to be one of heaven’s choicest plants, and the whole earth has now heard the name of the humble Lay Brother of a little convent in Spain. Holy Church brings him before us today and shows him enraptured in the contemplation of his Jesus’ Resurrection. He had trod the path of humiliation and the cross; it was but just that he should share in his Master’s Triumph. It was of him, and of such as he, that this Divine Savior spoke, when he said: Ye are they that have continued with me in my temptations; and I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a Kingdom; that ye may eat and drink at my table, in my Kingdom, and may sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The account given by the Liturgy of the angelic life of this illustrious son of St. Francis, is as follows.
Quote:Paschal Baylon was born of poor and pious parents, et Torre-Hermosa, a small town of the Diocese of Seguenza, in Aragon. Even from his infancy, he gave many signs of future sanctity. Being endowed with a good disposition, and having a great love for the contemplation of heavenly things, he passed the years of boyhood and youth in tending flocks. He loved this kind of life more than any other, because it seemed to him best for fostering humility and preserving innocence. He was temperate in his food, and assiduous in prayer. He had such influence over his acquaintance and companions, and was so dear to them, that he used to settle their disputes, correct their faults, instruct their ignorance, and keep them out of idleness. He was honored and loved by them as their father and master; and even then, was often called the Blessed Paschal.
Thus did this flower of the valley bloom in the world—that desert and parched land; but once planted in the house of the Lord, he shed, everywhere around him, a wondrous odor of sanctity. Having embraced the severest sort of life, by entering the Order of the Discalced Friars Minor of strict observance, Paschal rejoiced as a giant to run his way. Devoting himself wholly to the service of his God, his once thought, both day and night, was how he could further imitate his Divine Master. His brethren, even they that were most advanced, soon began to look upon him as a model of seraphic perfection. As for him, he put himself in the grade of the Lay Brothers. Looking on himself as the off-scouring of all, he, with humility and patience, cheerfully took on himself the most tiring and menial work of the house, which work he used to say belonged to him by a special right. He mortified and brought into subjection his flesh, which, at times, would strive to rebel against the spirit. As to his spirit, he, by assiduous self-denial, maintained its fervor, and daily stretched himself forward to the things that were more perfect.
He had consecrated himself, from his earliest years, to the Blessed Virgin; he honored her, as his Mother, by daily devotions, and prayed to her with filial confidence. It would be difficult to describe the ardor of his devotion to the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. Even after his death, this devotion seemed to linger in his body; for when laid in his coffin, his eyes were seen to open and shut twice during the elevation of the sacred Host, to the astonishment of all that were present. He publicly and openly professed before heretics his faith in the dogma of the Real Presence, and had much to suffer on that account. His very life was frequently attempted; but, by a special providence of God, he was rescued from the hands of the wicked men who sought to kill him. Frequently, when at prayer, he was in ecstasy, and swooned away with the sweetness of love. It was on these occasions that he was supposed to receive that heavenly wisdom, whereby he, though uneducated and illiterate, was enabled to give answers upon the profoundest mysteries of Faith, and even write several books. Finally, being rich in merit, he happily took his flight to heaven, at the hour which he had foretold, in the year of our Lord 1592, on the sixteenth of the Calends of June (May 17), and on the Feast of Pentecost (the same on which he was born), being in his fifty-second year. These and other virtues having procured him great reputation, and being celebrated for miracles both before and after his death, he was beatified by Pope Paul the Fifth, and canonized by Alexander the Eighth.
Heaven opened to receive thee, O Paschal! Even when here below, the fervor of thy contemplations often gave thee a foretaste of the delights of eternal bliss; but now, every veil is drawn aside, and thou art face to face with Him thou so ardently desiredst to possess. Thou hast no further need to unite thyself with him by humiliation and suffering; what thou enjoyest, and what he, for all eternity, will have thee to enjoy, is his own glory, his own happiness, his own triumph. Deign to cast an eye of pity on us, who have not the eagerness thou hadst to walk in our Redeemer’s footsteps, and who, as yet, have but the hope of being united with him for eternity. Get us courage. Get us that love which leads straight to Jesus, which surmounts every obstacle of flesh and blood, and gives to man an admirable resemblance to his Divine Model.
The pledge of this happy transformation has been given to us by our being permitted to partake of the Paschal Mystery; oh! that it might be perfected by our fidelity in keeping close to our Divine Conqueror and Lord! Though he leave us, some time further, in this vale of tears, his eye is ever upon us, he longs to see us persevere in our loyalty to him. Yet a little while, and we shall see him! Behold! says he, I come quickly; hold fast that which thou hast. Behold! I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Thus will the Pasch of time he changed into the Pasch of eternity. Pray for us, O Paschal, that, like thee, we may hold fat that which, by the grace of our Risen Jesus, we already possess.
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Week within the Octave of the Ascension [Monday to Saturday] |
Posted by: Stone - 05-17-2021, 10:22 AM - Forum: Easter
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Monday Within the Octave of the Ascension
O rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes cœlos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis, alleluia.
O King of glory, Lord of hosts, who didst this day ascend in triumph above all the heavens! leave us not orphans, but send upon us the Spirit of truth, promised by the Father, alleluia.
The Kingship over men is not the only diadem given to our Emmanuel at his Ascension. The Apostle expressly tells us that he is, moreover, the Head of all Principality and Power. Noble indeed is man; but nobler far are the glorious Choirs of the Angelic Hierarchy. We have already seen that in the great trial whereby God tested the love of his Angels, many rebelled and were cast into hell; the rest, who were faithful, entered at once into the possession of their sovereign good, and began, round the throne of God, their ceaseless hymns of adoration, love, and thanksgiving.
But a portion of their happiness was reserved till the fulfillment of one of God’s decrees. Laden as they are with the most magnificent gifts, they await another; it is to be the completion of their joy and glory. God revealed them, at the first instant of their coming into existence, that he intended to create other beings, of a nature inferior to their own; and that of these beings, who were to be composed of body and soul, there should be one whom the Eternal Word would unite to himself in unity of Person. It was also revealed to them that this Human Nature (for whose glory and for God’s all things were made) was to be the first-born of every creature;that all Angels and men would have to bend their knee before him; that after suffering countless humiliations on earth, he would be exalted in heaven; and finally, that the time would be when the whole hierarchy of heaven, the Principalities and Powers, yea, even the Cherubim and Seraphim, would have him placed over them as their King.
The Angels, then, as well as Men, looked forward to the coming of Jesus. The Angels awaited him as he that was to confer upon them their final perfection, give them unity under himself as their head, and bring them into closer union with God by the union of the divine and created Natures in his own Person. As to us Men, we awaited him as our Redeemer and our Mediator: as our Redeemer, because sin had closed heaven against us, and we needed one that would restore us to our inheritance; as our Mediator, because it was the eternal decree of God to communicate his own glory to the human race, and this was to be by union with himself. While, therefore, the just ones on earth, who lived before the Incarnation, were pleasing to God by their faith in this future Redeemer and Mediator—the Angels in heaven were offering to the Divine Majesty the homage of their proffered service of this Man-God, their future King, who, in virtue of the eternal decree, was ever present to the Ancient of Days.
At length, the fullness of time came, and God, as the Apostle expresses it, brought into the world his first-begotten, the prototype of creation. The first to adore the Newborn King were not men, but the Angels, as the same Apostle assures us. The Royal Prophet had foretold that it would be so. And was it not just? These blessed Spirits had preceded us in their longings, not indeed of a Redeemer—for they had never sinned—but of a Mediator, who was to be the link of their closer union with infinite Beauty—the object of their eternal delight—in a word, the realization of the want there seemed to be even in Heaven, that is, of Jesus’ taking and filling up the place destined for him.
Then was accomplished that act of adoration of the Man-God, which was demanded of the Angels, at the first moment of their creation, and which, according to its being complied with or refused, decided the eternal lot of those noble creatures. With what love did not the faithful Angels adore this Jesus, the Word made Flesh, when they beheld him in his Mother’s arms at Bethlehem? With what transport of joy did they not announce to the Shepherds, and to us through them, the Glad Tidings of the Birth of our common King?
As long as he lived upon this earth and submitted to every humiliation and suffering in order to redeem us from sin and make us worthy to become his Members, the Blessed Spirits ceased not to contemplate and adore him. The Ascension came; and from that day forward, it is on the throne prepared at the Father’s right hand that they behold and adore their Lord and King. At the solemn moment of Jesus’ Ascension, a strange joy was felt in each choir of the heavenly hierarchy, from the burning Seraphim to the Angels who are nearest to our own human nature. The actual possession of a good, whose very expectation had filled them with delight, produced an additional happiness in those already infinitely happy Spirits. They fixed their enraptured gaze on Jesus’ beauty, and were lost in astonishment at seeing how Flesh could so reflect the plenitude of grace that dwelt in that Human Nature as to outshine their own brightness. And now, by looking on this Nature(which, though inferior to their own, is divinized by its union with the Eternal Word), they see into further depths of the uncreated Sea of Light. Their love is more burning, the zeal is more impetuous, their hymns are more angelic; for, as the Church says of them, the Angels and Archangels, the Powers and Dominations, the Cerubim and Seraphim, praise the majesty of the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ: per quem majestatem tuam laudant Angeli.
Add to this the joy these heavenly Spirits must have experienced at seeing the immense multitude that accompanied Jesus from earth to heaven. According to their respective merits, they were divided among the various choirs, and placed on thrones left vacant by the fallen angels. Their bodies are not yet united to their souls; but is not their flesh already glorified in that of Jesus? When the time fixed for the general Resurrection comes, the trumpet of the great Archangel will be heard, and then these happy souls will again put on their ancient vesture, the mortal made immortal. Then will the holy Angels, with fraternal enthusiasm, recognize in Adam’s features a likeness of Jesus, and in those of Eve a likeness of Mary, and the resemblance will even be greater than it was when our First Parents were innocent and happy in the Garden of Eden. Come quickly, O thou glorious day, whereon the bright mystery of the Ascension is to receive its final completion, and the two choirs of Angels and Men are to be made one in love and praise under the one Head, Christ Jesus!
It is St. Ambrose who is to help us today, by the following beautiful Hymn,
to celebrate the mystery of the triumph of our Human Nature in Jesus.
The Hymn is inserted in the Breviary of Milan.
Hymn
Optatus votis omnium
Sacratus illuxit dies
Quo Christus, mundi spes, Deus,
Conscendit cœlos arduos.
The sacred Day, longed for by us all, hath shone upon us: the Day whereon Christ, our God, the hope of the world, ascended to the highest heavens.
Ascendens in altum Dominus,
Propriam ad sedem remeans,
Gavisa sunt cœli regna,
Reditu Unigeniti.
When our Lord ascended on high—returning to his rightful throne—the kingdom of heaven rejoiced, for it was the return of the Only Begotten of the Father.
Magni triumphum prælii!
Mundi perempto principe,
Patris præsentat vultibus
Victricis carnis gloriam.
O triumph of the great battle! Having defeated the prince of this world, Jesus presents to his Father the Flesh that had won the glorious victory.
Est elevatus nubibus
Et spem fecit credentibus,
Aperiens paradisum,
Quem protoplastus clauserat.
He was raised up on a cloud, and opening the gate of heaven, which our First Parent had closed against us, he inspired believers with hope.
O grande cunctis gaudium!
Quod partus nostræ Virginis,
Post sputa, flagra, post crucem,
Paternæ sedi jungitur.
What a joy was this to all mankind, that the Son of our Virgin-Mother—after being spit upon, and scourged, and crucified—was placed upon his Father’s throne!
Agamus ergo gratias
Nostræ salutis vindici,
Nostrum quod corpus vexerit
Sublimem ad cœli regiam.
Let us, then, give thanks to him that avenged us and wrought our salvation, for that he took our Flesh and made it dwell in the heavenly Courts above.
Sit nobis cum cœlestibus
Commune manens gaudium,
Illis quod se præsentavit,
Nobis quod se non abstulit.
Let there be a lasting fellowship of joy between the Angels and us—they rejoice because he offered himself to their delighted gaze; we, because he ceased not to be our Brother.
Nunc provocatis actibus
Christum exspectare nos decet
Vitaque tali vivere,
Quæ possit cœlos scandere.
It behoves us now, by the practice of virtues of which he has set us the example, to await our union with Christ, and so live as to merit our ascension into heaven.
Gloria, tibi Domine,
Qui scandis super sidera,
Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu
In sempiterna sæcula.
Amen.
Glory be to thee, O Lord, who ascendest above the stars! and to the Father, and to the Holy Ghost, for everlasting ages. Amen.
We may use this Prayer of the Mozarabic Breviary, wherewith to close the day.
Christe Dei virtus, et Dei sapientia, qui propter nos, et nostram salutem descendens e cœlis, humani generis carne vestiri dignatus es, ut dignissima societate nos tua Deitate vestires, et quod mortale descendendo susceperas, immortalitati ascendendo donares; tribue nobis interventu solemnitatis hodiernæ, qua te cœlos ascendentem et sequi cupimus et gaudemus, ut benignissimæ dispensationis hujus munera cognoscentes, reddamus pietati tuæ quod solum possumus, vota laudum; exspectantes secundi adventus tui æternorum solatia gaudiorum.
O Jesus! the power and wisdom of God! who, coming down from heaven for our sake and for our salvation, deignedst to clothe thyself in human flesh, that, by a most merciful union, thou mightest clothe us with thy divinity, and that, by ascending into heaven, thou mightest enrich with immortality the mortality thou assumedst by descending upon our earth;—grant, we beseech thee, by the merit of this day’s solemnity (whereon we rejoice at and desire to imitate thine Ascension) that we may acknowledge the favor of this most loving dispensation, by paying to thy mercy the only homage in our power—the offering of our praise, and awaiting thy second coming which is to console us with joys eternal.
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TX Gov. Expected to Sign Bill Banning Abortions When Fetal Heartbeat Is Detected |
Posted by: SAguide - 05-16-2021, 11:17 AM - Forum: Abortion
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Texas Governor Expected to Sign Bill Banning Abortions When Fetal Heartbeat Is Detected
Texas Gov. Greg Abbot is expected to sign into law a bill that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can occur as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.
Texas Senate Bill 8, also known as the Texas Heartbeat Act or “heartbeat bill” was passed in the state Senate 18-12 on Thursday, and awaits Abbott’s signature. The Republican governor has indicated that he will sign the bill on the same day.
“The Texas Legislature PASSES the heartbeat bill,” Abbot wrote on Twitter. “It’s now on its way to my desk for signing.”
State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., one of two Democrats who voted in support of the bill, told The Dallas Morning News: “I hope that we can continue to do our best to make sure that those soon to be born babies have an opportunity to be born and live in our world.”
The Texas legislation differs from the other states’ heartbeat law in that the state of Texas is forbidden from enforcing the ban on abortion. Instead, private citizens—except for the individual who impregnated the woman through rape or incest—may file lawsuits against doctors, clinics, and anyone who “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise, if the abortion is performed or induced in violation of this chapter, regardless of whether the person knew or should have known that the abortion would be performed or induced in violation of this chapter.”
The bill does not include an exception for rape or incest besides in cases where the woman’s life is endangered.
“The Texas Heartbeat Act is novel in approach, allowing for citizens to hold abortionists accountable through private lawsuits,” pro-life group Texas Right to Life said in a statement, adding that the bill did not “punish women who obtain abortions.”
Planned Parenthood said that it will challenge the bill if it becomes law. The one billion dollar organization continued to operate as an “essential” business during the pandemic offering abortion and other services.
“We want to make one thing clear: Planned Parenthood will continue to fight for the RIGHT to abortion access, no matter what,” the organization said in a tweet.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas also said that it will fight the bill.
“Texas lawmakers have passed extreme legislation that would ban abortion as early as 6 weeks,” the group said. “But let’s be clear: this dangerous bill is unconstitutional, abortion in Texas is still legal, and we will keep fighting.”
There has been misinformation spread from some opponents of the bill, including the ACLU, which said that the bill allowed anyone to sue.
This bill is so extreme it would allow anyone in the country—wherever they are—to bring a lawsuit in Texas for violating the law. This means a rapist who impregnates a teenager seeking an abortion in Texas, could sue the doctor who performs it,” the organization said in a statement.
The bill states the opposite of what opponents claim, “notwithstanding any other law, a civil action under this section may not be brought by a person who impregnated the abortion patient through an act of rape, sexual assault, incest, or any other act prohibited by Sections 22.011, 22.021, or 25.02, Penal Code.”
The bill will take effect on Sept. 1 if signed into law.
States Tightening Abortion Restrictions
According to the pro-choice research and policy organization Guttmacher Institute, 61 abortion restrictions have passed in 13 states since Jan. 1. Within four days between April 26-29, about 28 abortion restrictions were signed into law in seven states, accounting for 46 percent of all legislation passed this year.
In Montana, three bills were signed by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte on April 26 banning abortion beginning at 20 weeks, requiring the abortion provider to inform patients of the opportunity to view an ultrasound and hear a fetal heartbeat of the unborn child before potentially having an abortion, and regulating how abortion-inducing drugs are administered.
While in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, also signed three bills into law that go into effect on Nov. 1. The bills signed into law on April 27 prohibits an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected except when the woman’s life is in danger, requiring abortions to be performed only by a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, and suspending a doctor’s license for at least one year if they perform abortions in violation under certain circumstances.
On April 29, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Bill 177 that requires abortion providers to inform patients that they may discontinue the abortion-inducing drug after they had taken the first of the two pills procedure. The law goes into effect in July.
In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little, also a Republican, signed House Bill 366 (pdf) into law on April 27, banning abortion after the fetal heartbeat is detected, except in the case of a medical emergency or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.
Also on April 27, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona signed Senate Bill 1457 (pdf) that bans abortions of an unborn child with a genetic abnormality, prohibits mail delivery of the abortion-inducing drug, and prohibits state funds to go toward organizations that provide abortion “unless an abortion is necessary to save the life of the woman having the abortion.”
At the beginning of April, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, signed the Born Alive Infant-Means of Care (SF34) bill that ensures any baby born alive following a failed abortion receives similar care as any other infant born alive. The law takes effect on July 1.
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May 16th - Sts. Ubaldus and John Nepomucen |
Posted by: Stone - 05-16-2021, 07:36 AM - Forum: May
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May 16 – St Ubaldus, Bishop and Confessor
In order to honor her Eternal High Priest, the Church presents to him this day the merits of a Pontiff who, after his mortal career, was admitted into a happy Immortality. Ubaldus, here on earth, was the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like his Divine Master, he received the holy Anointing of Priesthood; he was a Mediator between God and man; he was the Shepherd of a flock; and now, he is united with our Risen Jesus—the great Anointed, the Mediator, the Shepherd. In proof of his influence in heaven, our Ubaldus has had given to him a special power against the wicked Spirits, who lay snares for our perdition. It has frequently happened that the simple invocation of his name has sufficed to foil their machinations. It is with the view of encouraging the Faithful to have recourse to his protection that the Church has fixed this day as his feast.
Let us now read the account she gives of the virtues of the saintly Bishop.
Quote:Ubaldus was born at Gubbio in Umbria, of a noble family. He was, from childhood, formed, in the most admirable way, to piety and learning. When grown up, he was frequently urged to marry; but nothing could shake his resolution of leading a life of celibacy. On being ordained Priest, he divided his fortune between the poor and the Churches, and entered among the Canons Regular of the Order of St. Augustine. He established that Institute in his own country, and was for some time a most fervent observer of all its regulations. The fame of his virtue spread far and wide. Pope Honorius the Second compelled him to accept the charge of the Church of Gubbio; and, accordingly, he was consecrated Bishop.
Having taken possession of his See, he changed little or nothing of his mode of life; but he began to apply himself more than ever to the practice of every virtue, in order that he might the more effectually, both by word and example, procure the salvation of souls, for he was a pattern of the flock in all earnestness. His food was scanty, his dress unpretending, his bed hard and most poor. While always bearing about, in his body, the mortification of the Cross, he every day refreshed his spirit with prayer, in which he seemed insatiable. The result of such life was meekness of so admirable a nature, that he not only bore the worst injuries and insults with patience, but he even treated his persecutors with surprising affection, and showed them all possible kindness.
During the last two years of his life, he suffered much from sickness. In the midst of the most acute pains, whereby he was made pure as gold that is cleansed in the furnace, he ceased not to give thanks to God. Finally, on the holy Feast of Pentecost, after governing for many years, and in a most laudable manner, the Diocese that had been entrusted to him, he slept in peace, venerated for his holy life and miracles. He was canonized by Pope Celestine the Third. God has given him a special power for driving away unclean spirits. His body, which has remained incorrupt for several centuries, is honored with much devotion, by the Faithful of the city of Gubbio, which he has more than once rescued from the calamities that threatened it.
O blessed Pontiff! be thou our protector against the spirits of hell. They are devoured by envy at seeing how Man, that lowly and feeble creature, has become the object of God’s predilection. The Incarnation of the Son of God, his Death on the Cross, his glorious Resurrection, the Sacraments which give us the life of Grace—all these sublime means, whereby the infinite goodness of God has restored us to our lost dignity, have excited the rage of the old enemy, and he seeks revenge by insulting, in us, the Image of our Creator. At times, he attacks man with all the frenzy of angry jealousy. To mimic the operations of Sanctifying Grace—which, so to speak, makes us the instruments of God’s good pleasure—Satan sometimes takes possession of our fellow creatures, and makes them his slaves. Thy power, O Ubaldus, has often manifested itself by rescuing these unhappy victims of the devil’s jealousy; and holy Church, on this day, celebrates the special prerogative conferred on thee by our Heavenly Father. Relent not in the exercise of thy charitable office. And yet, O holy Pontiff, thou knowest that the snares of the wicked spirits are more injurious to the souls than to the bodies of men. Have pity, then, on the unhappy slaves of sin, who, though the divine Sun of the Pasch has risen upon them, are still in the darkness of guilt. Pray for them, that they may become, once more, Children of the Light, and share in the Easter Resurrection which Jesus offers to all.
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Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension |
Posted by: Stone - 05-16-2021, 06:45 AM - Forum: Easter
- Replies (5)
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INSTRUCTION ON THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
Taken from Fr. Leonard Goffine's Explanations of the Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays, Holydays, and Festivals throughout the Ecclesiastical Year
36th edition, 1880
THIS Sunday and the whole week should serve as a preparation for the festival of Pentecost ; that we may be enabled by good works and pious devotional exercises, to receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost. At the Introit the Church sings: Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee, allel. My heart hath said to thee: I have sought thy face, thy face, O Lord, I will seek: turn not away thy face from me, allel. allel. The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? (Ps.xxvi. 7—9.) Glory be to the Father, &c.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. Almighty, everlasting God, grant us ever to have a will devoted to Thee,and to serve Thy majesty with a sincere heart. Through.
EPISTLE. (i Peter iv. 7 — 11.) Dearly beloved, be prudent, and watch in prayers. But before all things, have a constant mutual charity among yourselves; for charity covereth a multitude of sins. Using hospitality one towards another without murmuring: as every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the words God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the power which God administereth; that in all things God may be honored through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Quote:EXPLANATION. The practice of the virtues which St. Peter here prescribes for the faithful, is an excellent preparation for the reception of the Holy Ghost, for nothing renders us more worthy of His visit than true love for our neighbor, the good use of God's gifts, and the faithful discharge of the duties of our state of life. Strive, therefore, to practise these virtues and thus make yourself less unworthy of the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Say daily during the week the following prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, who hast assembled the people of all tongues in unity of faith, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy divine love.
GOSPEL. (John xv. 26 — 27., to xvi. 1 — 4.) At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me: and you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized. They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God. And these things will they do to you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things I have told you, that, when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you.
Why is the Holy Ghost called the Paraclete?
Because He consoles those who suffer persecution for justice' sake, that is, those who are persecuted because of their truly Christian life, their defence of truth and justice whether by word or pen, or by their life, as did the apostles and other saints, who were filled with the greatest and sweetest delight while suffering for Jesus' sake.
How did the Holy Ghost give testimony of Christ?
Through the apostles and disciples whom He made so eloquent and so courageous that they intrepidly professed and preached Christ to be the Son of God, and the true Messiah. This doctrine He confirmed by astounding miracles, and sealed it by their blood which they shed in its defence The Holy Ghost still gives testimony of Christ through the Church, that is, the clergy, through whom He speaks, and who must, therefore, be listened to reverently. We must also give testimony of Christ and profess by our lives, by patience in crosses and afflictions that He is our Teacher, our Lord, and our God; for if we do not thus acknowledge Him in this world, He will deny us before His Father in heaven. (Matt. x. 33.)
Did the Jews sin in persecuting and putting to death the apostles?
Undoubtedly; for although they erroneously believed they were doing God a service, their ignorance and error were very sinful and deserving of punishment, because they could easily have known and been instructed in the truth.
Those Christians who neglect all religious instruction hardly know what is necessary for salvation, and make light of many things which are grievous sins; as also those who are in doubt whether they justly or unjustly possess certain goods, and yet through fear of being compelled to make restitution, neglect to settle the doubt, such are in culpable ignorance.
What must every Christian know and believe in order to be saved?
That there is but one God, who has created and governs all things; that God is a just judge, who rewards the good and punishes the wicked; that there are in the Deity three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; that the Son of God became man for love of us, taught us, and by His death on the cross redeemed us; that the Holy Ghost sanctifies us by His grace, without which we cannot become virtuous or be saved; that man's soul is immortal.
PETITION. Send us, O Lord Jesus! the Paraclete, that He may console and strengthen us in all our afflictions. Enlighten us by Thy Holy Spirit that we may learn and live in accordance with the truths of faith. Amen.
INSTRUCTION ON SCANDAL
These things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized. (John xvi. 1.)
How is scandal given?
BY speaking, doing or omitting that which will be to others an occasion of sin. Scandal is given indifferent ways, for instance: if you dress improperly, speak improper words, or sing bad songs, by which you can see, that your neighbor will be tempted to think, desire, or act wrongly; or what is worse, if you act sinfully in the presence of others, or bring bad books, books against good morals, or against the holy faith, among people; if you incite others to anger, cursing, and vengeance, or if you prevent them from attending church, the sermon, or catechetical instruction, &c. In all these things you become guilty of scandal, as well as of all the sins to which it gives rise.
If at the Last Judgment we will be unable to give an account of our own sins, how then can we answer for the innumerable sins caused by the scandal we have given? Therefore Christ pronounces a terrible woe to those who give scandal. Woe to that man, He says, by whom the scandal cometh! It were better for him, that a mill- stone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matt, xviii.)
How do parents give scandal?
By giving their children bad example; by excessive anger, cursing and swearing; by avarice, injustice and cheating; by discord and quarrels; by gluttony in eating and drinking; by extravagance and vanity in dress; by sneering at religion, good morals, &c; by not keeping their children from evil company, but sometimes even bringing them into it; by not punishing and endeavoring to eradicate their children's vices. How much parents sin through such scandals, cannot be expressed; at the Day of Judgment their children will be their accusers!
How do masters give scandal to their servants and those under their care?
In the same way as parents do to their children; by keeping them away, or not urging them by their own example or command to attend church on Sundays and holy- days; by giving them meat on fastdays; by commanding them to do sinful things, such as stealing, injuring others, &c.
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INSTRUCTION ON PREPARATION FOR PENTECOST
1. We should withdraw, after the example of the m T Blessed Virgin and the apostles, to some solitary place, or at least avoid, intercourse with others, as much as possible; speak but little, and apply ourselves to earnest and persevering prayer; for in solitude God speaks to man.
2. We should purify our conscience by a contrite confession, become reconciled to our neighbor, if we have lived in enmity; for the Holy Ghost, as a spirit of peace and purity, lives only in pure and peaceful souls. (Ps. lxxv. 3.)
3. We should give alms according to our means, for it is said in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts x.) of the Gentile centurion Cornelius, that by prayer and alms-deeds he made himself worthy of the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
4. We should fervently desire to receive the Holy Ghost, and should give expression to this longing by frequent aspirations to God, making use of the prayer: "Come, O Holy Ghost, &c."
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Hate Crime: Brooklyn Church Vandalized — Crucifix Toppled, American Flag Burned |
Posted by: Stone - 05-15-2021, 02:26 PM - Forum: Anti-Catholic Violence
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Hate Crime: Brooklyn Church Vandalized — Jesus Statue Toppled, American Flag Burned
Evil is on a rampage in New York.
Last night, someone hopped the fence of St. Athanasius Church in Brooklyn.
They destroyed the statue of Jesus and burned an American flag hanging outside.
The New York Post reported:
Quote:A statue of Jesus was smashed and an American flag burned outside a Catholic church in Brooklyn — in what cops are calling a possible hate crime.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. Thursday when an unknown person hopped the fence at St. Athanasius Church on Bay Parkway at 61st Street in Bensonhurst, police said.
The vandal pushed over a statue of Jesus’s crucifixion, breaking it into pieces, and torched an American flag hanging outside the rectory, according to cops.
The pastor of the church, Msgr. David Cassato called this an “act of hatred” and one “the saddest day of my twenty years here.”
NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is looking into it.
The identity of the individual is unknown at this time.
Here are images of the damage caused:
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Catalog of Compromise, Change, and Contradiction in the SSPX |
Posted by: Stone - 05-15-2021, 07:29 AM - Forum: The New-Conciliar SSPX
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Catalog of Compromise, Change, and Contradiction in the SSPX
N.B.: Normally, The Catacombs treats information obtained from Cathinfo with the same reservations as information obtained from say, a sedevacantist site or a Conciliar site. But there are occasions when a good article is published on a sedevacantist or Conciliar site that is shared here - an article that doesn't promoted those particular errors but perhaps does shed light on some other aspects of the crisis of our times.
Similarly, we are sharing here a Cathinfo member's work that has begun collecting a centralized 'data bank' of evidence of the SSPX's steady progression into the Conciliar Church.
This 'Catalog' is rather long so it will be posted in segments for ease of reading.
✠ ✠ ✠
Catalog of Compromise, Change, and Contradiction in the SSPX
[Slight formatting changes from the original - all emphasis in the original.]
#1: Change (New Mass Participation Sinful or Not?)
All the SSPX faithful should be well familiar with the little blue book, Christian Warfare, published by the SSPX and promoted and used on their Ignatian retreats. In the section on the Examination of Conscience, under the third commandment (page 289 in the 2006 edition) we find the following:
Quote:Have you attended and actively participated in the "New Mass"? Have you received Holy Communion in the hand?
Yet, in the new edition, this sentence was replaced with:
Quote:Have you received Holy Communion in the hand knowing that it leads to Sacrilege and loss of faith in the Real Presence?
Have you attended and actively participated in non-Catholic religious services? tradcatresist.blogspot.com/2018/06/lastweek-fr-morgan-celebrated-his.htm
Clearly the SSPX no longer wishes to suggest attending the Novus Ordo is sinful.
#2: Contradiction (SSPX’ers Married by Conciliarists?)
In the US District, the old SSPX Marriage Form M-2(a) required a signature of the marriage parties before a Society priest would consent to perform the wedding. That form includes the following passage:
Quote:"Moreover, I insist on my right to receive all the sacraments in an entirely traditional way, and consequently refuse to have my wedding celebrated by a priest who celebrates the new Mass, or in a church in which the new Mass is celebrated.”
Today, however, the SSPX has accepted to be bound by the April 4, 2017 "Pastoral Guidelines" of Cardinal Mueller (authorized by Pope Francis) which state, among other things:
"Insofar as possible, the Local Ordinary [that is, normally the local Diocesan Bishop] is to grant the delegation to assist at the marriage to a priest of the Diocese (or in any event, to a fully Quote:regular priest), such that the priest may receive the consent of the parties during the marriage rite..." rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/step-by-step-vatican-issues-marriage.html
This is a clear and direct contradiction to SSPX Marriage Form M-2(a) of the US District (which presumably has either subsequently been edited to bring itself into compliance with this new norm, or discarded altogether).
#3: Contradiction (Trap vs No Trap)
One year after the episcopal consecrations, Archbishop Lefebvre warned the faithful that any overtures from modernist Rome were nothing but a trap:
Quote:"That is why what can look like a concession is in reality merely a maneuver to separate us from the largest number of faithful possible. This is the perspective in which they seem to be always giving a little more and even going very far. We must absolutely convince our faithful that it is no more than a maneuver, that it is dangerous to put oneself into the hands of Conciliar bishops and Modernist Rome. It is the greatest danger threatening our people. If we have struggled for twenty years to avoid the Conciliar errors, it was not in order, now, to put ourselves in the hands of those professing these errors." sspx.org/en/one-year-after-consecrations
Bishop Fellay (under the most anti-traditional Pope in history) thinks otherwise. In his 8/24/16 Australian conference, he said:
Quote:"But in itself, you cannot imagine anything better than what is offered there. And such a thing that you cannot think ‘That’s a trap.’ It’s not a trap. And if somebody is offering something like that, we are offered something like that, it can be only because he wants good to us. He wants the good of Tradition, he wants Tradition to spread within the Church.”
NB: As the YouTube video of this conference was removed for obvious reasons, we will divert the reader to Issue #37 of The Recusant, where he may find a transcription of the quoted passage, posted here: Recusant #37
#4: Contradiction (A strict right to know?)
Archbishop Lefebvre:
Quote:"They have indeed a strict right to know that the priests who serve them are not in communion with a counterfeit church, promoting evolution, pentecostalism and syncretism." www.sspxasia.com/Documents/Archbishop-Lefebvre/Archbishop_Lefebvre_and_the_Vatican/Part_I/1988-07-06.htm
vs.
Neo-SSPX:
Quote:"Non-SSPX members [i.e., the faithful] do not have a strict right to be kept informed about the internal affairs of the SSPX, which is a religious congregation." sspx.org/en/news-events/news/%E2%80%9Cneed%E2%80%9D-know-all-vs-peace-soul-3073
#5: Contradiction (Bishop de Galarreta vs Bishop de Galarreta)
On the matter of a practical accord with unconverted Rome, Bishop de Galarreta contradicted himself in only one years' time. Initially ruling out a merely practical accord, the bishop in 2011 said:
Quote:"Following the Roman proposal, the real question, crucial, is: should we, can we, we take the path of a "possible" practical agreement first? Is it prudent and appropriate to maintain contacts with Rome leading to such an agreement? As far as I am concerned, the answer is clear: we must refuse this path because we cannot do something evil so that a good (a good which is, moreover, uncertain) can come from it, and also because this would necessarily bring about evils (very certain) for the common good that we possess, namely that of the Society and of the family of Tradition. [...] How then does this not go against the defence and public confession of faith, against the public need to protect the faithful and the Church? In this regard, if we make a purely practical agreement we are, in the present circumstances, already engaging in duplicity and ambiguity. The very fact is a public testimony and a message: we cannot be in "full communion" with the authorities who remain modernists." www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/reflections-on-a-roman-proposal-(full-text)/
Very good!
But only one year later, the exact opposite:
Quote:"The Society’s position is much more precise and clear now than it was six months ago; it is much better, for we do not exclude the possibility of Providence choosing to bring about a return to the Faith through conversion [on the Part of Rome, presumably – Ed.] We have simply said: if there is not firstly a return on the part of Rome or of the next Pope to Tradition [...] but if this Pope wishes simply to allow Tradition, what are the conditions that would allow us to accept a canonical normalization, in view of the good that we could do in the Church and this good is considerable? We must not deny this possibility.” archives.sspx.org/sspx_and_rome/bishop_de_galarreta_conference_10-13-2012.htm
The SSPX had "recovered its profound unity" at the chapter, putting the company ahead of the Faith.
#6: Contradiction (Bishop Fellay Suicidal?)
From a February/2009 interview with The Remnant regarding autonomy from the diocesan bishops:
Quote:Brian Mershon: Do you foresee any oversight by territorial diocesan bishops once the Society is regularized?
Bp. Fellay: That would be our death.” www.remnantnewspaper.com/Archives/2009-mershon-interview-fellay.htm
Three years later, Bishop Fellay had apparently lost his fear of death:
Quote:Bishop Fellay: "It is still true—since it is Church law—that in order to open a new chapel or to found a work, it would be necessary to have the permission of the local ordinary. We have quite obviously reported to Rome how difficult our present situation was in the dioceses, and Rome is still working on it. Here or there, this difficulty will be real, but since when is life without difficulties?" archives.sspx.org/superior_generals_news/bishop_fellay_dici_interview_about_rome_6-8-2012.htm
#7: Contradiction (Bishop Fellay vs Archbishop Lefebvre on Vatican II)
Archbishop Lefebvre blames the Council:
Quote:"Without rejecting this Council wholesale, I think that it is the greatest disaster of this century and of all the past centuries, since the founding of the Church." www.angelus.online/en_US/8362/120253/a_matter_of_principle.html
Bishop Fellay excuses or downplays the Council:
Quote:"I think, we see that many things which we would have condemned as being from the council are in fact not from the council, but the common understanding of it." https://youtu.be/DdnJigNzTuY
#8: Contradiction: (A Deal with Unconverted and Modernist Rome?)
Archbishop Lefebvre:
Quote:"It is, therefore, a strict duty for every priest wanting to remain Catholic to separate himself from this Conciliar Church for as long as it does not rediscover the Tradition of the Church and of the Catholic Faith.” (Spiritual Journey, p. 13)
vs.
Bishop Fellay (speaking of his discussions with modernist Rome in his 2/2/12 Winona sermon):
Quote:"We told them very clearly, if you accept us as is, without change, without obliging us to accept these things, then we are ready." archives.sspx.org/superior_generals_news/bishop_fellay_sermon_february_2_2012.htm
This very thread will suffice to demonstrate that the SSPX has not been accepted as they are, but has instead undergone a radical transformation in pursuit of a canonical regularization.
#9: Change (Is Vatican II Part of Tradition?)
Archbishop Lefebvre commenting on a statement of Cardinal Suenens:
Quote:"It was Cardinal Suenens who exclaimed, “Vatican II is the French Revolution in the Church” and among other unguarded declarations he added
“One cannot understand the French or the Russian revolutions unless one knows something of the old regimes which they brought to an end… It is the same in church affairs: a reaction can only be judged in relation to the state of things that preceded it”.
What preceded, and what he considered due for abolition, was that wonderful hierarchical construction culminating in the Pope, the Vicar of Christ on earth. He continued: “The Second Vatican Council marked the end of an epoch; and if we stand back from it a little more we see it marked the end of a series of epochs, the end of an age”.
vs.
Bishop Fellay in response to a question from the CNS as to whether Vatican II formed part of Catholic Tradition:
Quote:"I would hope so,” he said, when asked if Vatican II itself belongs to Catholic tradition...The pope says that . . . the council must be put within the great tradition of the church, must be understood in accordance with it. These are statements we fully agree with, totally, absolutely,” the bishop said. https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2012/0...holic.html
NB: As we shall see later, this same response from Bishop Fellay evinces an acceptance of the "hermeneutic of continuity."
#10: Contradiction (More on Vatican II and Tradition)
In March/2013, Fr. de Cacqueray (then District Superior of France) wrote the following in his Letter to Friends and Benefactors:
Quote:"Be that as it may, the Society strongly refuses to admit that Vatican Council II belongs to the Tradition of the Church. We claim on the contrary, that in many points this Council is diametrically opposed to it." sspx.org/en/sspxs-treatment-profound-injustice
Yes, that was surely the SSPX's traditional position.
However, was Fr. de Cacqueray unaware that only 9 months prior, Bishop Fellay had made the following statement?:
Quote:"Although he stopped short of endorsing Pope Benedict's interpretation of Vatican II as essentially in continuity with the church's tradition -- a position which many in the society have vocally disputed -- Bishop Fellay spoke about the idea in strikingly sympathetic terms.
"I would hope so," he said, when asked if Vatican II itself belongs to Catholic tradition.
"The pope says that ... the council must be put within the great tradition of the church, must be understood in accordance with it. These are statements we fully agree with, totally, absolutely," the bishop said." rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2012/05/fellay-speaks-to-usbishopss-catholic.html
Do you find Bishop Fellay's response to be a strong "refusal to admit that Vatican II belongs to the Tradition of the Church?"
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May 15th – St John Baptist de la Salle |
Posted by: Stone - 05-15-2021, 06:48 AM - Forum: May
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May 15 – St John Baptist de la Salle, Confessor
John Baptist de la Salle, the teacher of the humble, takes his place today beside Leo the Great, Athanasius, and Gregory of Nazianzum. He has no fear. The victor of Paschal Time is the same Jesus who said during his mortal life: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, that kingdom of heaven which, after entering into his glory, he manifests so fully upon earth. On the other hand, the Lion of Juda is never more terrible in his anger than when he beholds evil men conspiring to keep from him the little ones of whom he forms his court.
The promise made in Holy Scripture that they that instruct many to justice shall shine as stars for all eternity is addressed not only to the great doctors of the science of salvation, but also the humblest Christian teacher, and the supreme Pontiff, when inscribing the name of the saint of today among those of the blessed, declared that the inspired words “apply in an especial manner to those who, like him, have left all things and devoted themselves to the instruction of the baptized from earliest infancy in the teaching of the Gospel and the precepts which lead to life eternal.”
John Baptist de la Salle was a true disciple of our blessed Lord, and entered so fully into the thought of his Master that no sacrifice was too great for him if only he might carry it out, and no suffering, humiliation, or persecution could hinder him from persevering in the accomplishment of his works of love. He suffered from misunderstanding and lack of support all through his life, but is he less great in heaven today on that account?
The following account of him is given in the Breviary:
Quote:John Baptist de la Salle was born of a noble family at Rheims. When quite a child he showed by his ways and actions that he would be called to follow our Lord and attain great sanctity. He studied literature and philosophy at Rheims, and though his virtues and quick intelligence endeared him to all, he avoided the company of his fellows that he might be free to contemplate God in solitude. He was made a cleric when very young, and was only sixteen when given the rank of a Canon at Rheims. He went to Paris to study theology at the Sorbonne, and was received at the Seminary of St. Sulpice. He was soon forced to return home by the death of his parents, whereupon he undertook the education of his brothers, which he carried on, without interrupting his own studies, to the great advantage of his pupils, as soon became evident.
He was ordained priest, and said his first Mass with the intense faith and love which, throughout his life, he brought to the holy Mysteries; but his zeal for the salvation of souls made him devote himself wholly to the service of his neighbor. He was made superior of the Sisters of the Holy Child, founded for the education of girls, and by his prudent government saved their institute from dissolution. From this he turned his attention to the education of poor boys. God had raised him up for this very end, namely that he should found in the Church a new family of religious men devoted to the training of children, particularly the poor. This work, which had been entrusted to him by divine Providence, was successfully accomplished in spite of many trials and contradictions by the establishment of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
His first helpers in this great and arduous work he received into his own house, and then, establishing them in a more suitable dwelling, gave them a careful training in those wise laws and regulations which were afterwards confirmed by Pope Benedict XIII. His humility and love of poverty caused him first of all to resign his canonry and to distribute all his property among the poor; and finally, after many unsuccessful attempts to do so, he spontaneously resigned the government of the Institute which he had founded. His solicitude for the Brethren and for the schools which he had opened in various places suffered no diminution, though he began to give himself more assiduously to the direct service of God in fasting, watching, and other austerities. He spent his nights in prayer. His virtues were conspicuous, especially his obedience, conformity to the will of God, and love of the Holy See. At length, full of merits, and fortified with the Sacraments of the Church, he fell asleep in the Lord in the sixty-eighth year of his age. Pope Leo XIII beatified him and, after fresh miracles had been worked through his intercession, proceeded to his canonization in the year of Jubilee, 1900.
O God, who hast raised up the holy confessor John Baptist to promote the Christian education of the poor and to confirm the young in the way of truth and, through him, hast gathered together a new family within thy Church: mercifully grant through his intercession and example that we may burn with zeal for thy glory in saving souls, and may share his crown in heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Thus, O father of Christian schools, does Holy Church pray today in thy honor. She is as full of confidence as through the trials of thy mortal life had been sufficient to guard thy sons against similar sufferings; as serene as though the future of thy work were assured. And yet, might we not say that the culminating point of thy glorification on earth seems to have given the signal for the triumph of hell over thy labors? But the Church is strong in her experience of twenty centuries, and she fears no persecution. She knows that if the tree be planted by God, the hurricane will but strengthen its roots, and that a house built upon a rock can brave the wind and the floods. We too, like the Church, are full of hope, trusting in thy merits and thy intercession. Even if ruin seem complete, the divine Head of all who suffer persecution assures us that the tomb itself, though sealed by the powers of this world, cannot guarantee to Death the secure possession of his victim.
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Second year of Covid-19 pandemic set to ‘be far more deadly’ – WHO chief |
Posted by: Stone - 05-15-2021, 06:28 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
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Second year of Covid-19 pandemic set to ‘be far more deadly’ – WHO chief
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the second year of the ongoing pandemic is set to be deadlier than the first, while urging countries to help boost the COVAX vaccine scheme against Covid-19.
Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus laid out the WHO’s concerns about the slow rollout of the vaccination scheme, as rich countries snap up doses to inoculate their own population, instead of ensuring that at-risk groups in lower income countries are protected.
“We’re on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first,” Tedros stated, before going on to urge states to reconsider vaccinating younger members of their population and “instead donate vaccines to COVAX.”
The WHO has been critical of governments focused on achieving a 100% domestic inoculation, rather than working toward the global effort to tackle the virus.
Accepting that he understands why nations might want to take a domestic-first approach, he urged governments to address the low vaccine supply in low and lower-middle income countries where they haven’t had enough doses to even fully immunize healthcare workers.
The COVAX scheme is an international project, launched by the WHO, the European Commission and France, to help ensure rapid, fair and equitable access of Covid vaccines to people in all countries, particularly those in less fortunate nations. Since its creation, the program has sent 59 million doses of Covid vaccines to 122 participating countries.
The latest remarks from the WHO chief come amid concern that new variants of the Covid-19 virus, specifically the Indian strain, could cause a global spike in case numbers, as it appears more transmissible than the original disease. While there is no reported evidence to show it evades Covid vaccines currently in use, health officials have expressed concern that it could spread quickly in countries that have had slow inoculation drives or a lower uptake of jabs.
See also: Short excerpt of an MSN video on WHO warning concerning second year of the pandemic set to be deadlier than the first.
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Head of Canadian public health says COVID restrictions will be lifted only after 75% are vaccinated |
Posted by: Stone - 05-15-2021, 06:10 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
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WHO-linked head of Canadian public health says COVID restrictions will be lifted only after 75% are vaccinated
WHO-connected Theresa Tam has a mysteriously hidden background and has been keeping Canada in lockstep
with often wrong, contradictory, Gates- and CCP- controlled WHO policies.
Theresa Tam, chief public health officer of Canada
OTTAWA, Ontario, May 14, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — The strictest lockdown measures in North America were extended on Thursday as Ontario’s premier Doug Ford announced that “stay-at-home” rules will continue across the province until June 2.
Ontario schools, businesses, restaurants, and outdoor parks, including golf courses and tennis courts, have been closed, and citizens of the most populous province have been told not to leave their homes except for essential services since April 3.
Restrictions like these in various parts of Canada will only be lifted when 75% of Canadian adults have taken at least one dose of an experimental COVID vaccine and 20% have received two doses by mid-summer, said Theresa Tam, the head of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), though depression, anxiety, and unemployment have soared, and one in six businesses report that they are unlikely to survive these measures.
Restrictions will remain, even after vaccines
Even if 55% of adults get a first dose of the vaccine, that would result in the epidemic “resurging and overwhelming hospitals,” so lockdowns would remain in place, claimed Tam, presenting “modelling scenarios” of the future last month.
But even if three quarters of adults were vaccinated, Tam said she would still force Canadians to wear masks, practice social distancing, and isolate.
“At this point, restrictive measures could be gradually eased as long as adequate test, trace, isolate capacity and individual precautions are maintained,” she said.
U.S. dropping cases
The bar for freedom is extraordinarily high considering that in the United States, which has a surplus of vaccine and slumping demand, just 58.7% of adults over age 18 have received one COVID shot, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At this much lower threshold, new COVID-positive case counts have nonetheless plummeted south of the border, the CDC reports. Even states that have eased or abandoned COVID restrictions altogether — including Texas, Mississippi and Georgia — show COVID infection and death rates dropping week on week, despite open businesses and absence of mask mandates.
COVID surges in vaccinated nations
Tam’s ultimatum is not supported by data from countries with strong uptake that are seeing COVID cases soar. The most vaccinated country in the world, Seychelles, an island in the Indian Ocean off Africa, with 62% of its population fully vaccinated, nonetheless saw new cases more than double recently, with 37% of infections occurring among those who have received two doses of a COVID vaccine.
Maldives is another island country where high vaccination status has not translated into COVID protection. There, 35% of the population has received two doses of the vaccine, but reported cases per 100,000 people spiked in the past five, seven and 14 days, nearly doubling.
Call for inquiry
Independent MP Derek Sloan (Hastings-Lennox and Addington) said Tam’s 75% target is “absurd” and “just one of all the ways” her handling of the pandemic is flawed.
Sloan has been critical of Tam since the beginning of her work as Canada’s “top doctor,” pointing out that she was serving the global interests of the World Health Organization rather than Canada’s.
“There’s opacity in almost everything that’s going on,” Sloan told LifeSiteNews. He and Randy Hillier (MPP for Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston) held a press conference Thursday demanding a royal commission investigate the Liberal administration’s, including Tam’s, handling of the pandemic. “The federal government has, by virtue of PM Trudeau’s briefings and others, failed to properly explain available data to Canadians, putting them in a perpetual state of fear with no end in sight,” Sloan said.
“The new information we are learning from provinces, surrounding vaccine safety and testing issues, is simply the last straw and requires the convening of a royal commission of inquiry into Canada’s full pandemic response.”
Obscure bio
Tam, who’s biography for PHAC is identical to the one posted by the WHO where she works as a consultant, does not indicate any medical practice experience. Her enthusiasm for lockdowns and forced quarantine measures extends back at least a decade to a National Film Board 2010 documentary about a theoretical pandemic in which she said that public health authorities would employ powers to quarantine people in mandatory settings. “It’s potential you could track people, put bracelets on their arms, have police and other setups to ensure quarantine is undertaken,” she said.
A tax-funded public health servant, Tam’s income is nonetheless unpublicized — as is her personal life. No one seems to know if Tam has claimed Canadian citizenship, is married or has children, and details of her life except that she is Chinese, grew up in Hong Kong, and gained a medical degree in England, are scarce. Even the universities of Alberta and British Columbia, where her bio says she studied, do not boast of her alumni status.
Although there is a Facebook fan page for Tam with a few hundred following, the woman dictating the country’s COVID response for the past year appears to be extremely unpopular with Canadians. Nearly 65,000 citizens signed a petition to have her fired for her bungling in the early days of the pandemic when she refused to stop flights from China. Whenever videos are posted of her announcements to the public by the mainstream media — almost a daily occurrence since she first enforced emergency measures more than a year ago — “dislikes” outnumber “likes” by orders of magnitude, and comments are disabled.
Tam had attracted international attention for her public health advice to Canadians to wear a mask and to [...]
No answers
LifeSiteNews sent question’s to Canada’s public health agency asking what scientific evidence Tam relied on to choose 75% as a target vaccination quota, what evidence she had of long-term safety of the experimental vaccines she was demanding Canadians take to regain their freedom, and her response to the high vaccination/high COVID case count scenarios in places like the Seychelles. The tax-funded agency refused to reply.
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Pope Pius XII consecrates the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 31, 1942 |
Posted by: Stone - 05-14-2021, 09:51 AM - Forum: Articles by Catholic authors
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Pope Pius XII consecrates the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 31, 1942
Adapted from HERE
On October 31st 1942, in the midst of some of the darkest days and the terrible calamities engulfing the world during World War II, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is thought that this consecration was carried out at the behest of Our Lord's petition to Blessed Alexandrina of Balazar (see here) for the world to be entrusted to the most pure Heart of His Blessed Mother. Major battle operations were taking place around this time (battle of "El Alamein" in Africa, battle of Stalingrad in Russia, and other important offensives were taking place in the Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands Campaign in the Pacific), and important victories were obtained for the Allies shortly after the consecration was carried out. In Stalingrad, the Axis forces were encircled by Soviet troops on November 19 1942, and final victory was achieved in January 1943 when German Sixth Army commander Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrendered. By the same year, Africa was already firmly in the control of the Allied forces. Winston Churchill noted in his monumental 5 volume published history of World War II that the hinges of fate turned in favor of the Allies by December 1942, shortly after the consecration carried out by Pope Pius XII. Sir Winston Churchill said: "Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat."
Our Lord had revealed to Sister Lucy of Fatima that he would grant a shortening of the war so thoroughly merited by the sinful world as a result of the consecration.
Quote:"His Holiness will obtain that these days of tribulation [World War II] will be shortened if he obeys My desires in making the act of consecration of the whole world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary with a special mention of Russia."
Even though the Consecration was clearly pleasing to Our Lord, and thus brought about an earlier conclusion to the horrors and butchery of World War II, it must be noted that it did not fulfill Heaven's request made at Fatima that Russia should uniquely and specifically be mentioned in an act of Consecration in union with the world's bishops, and this consecration would not effect merely a temporary cease in hostilities but a lasting world peace - the Pax Mariana. According to Sister Lucia writing at the beginning of 1943 (see here):
Quote:"God has already shown me His satisfaction with the act, although incomplete according to His wishes, performed by the Holy Father and several bishops. He promises in return to put a stop to the war soon. The Conversion of Russia is not for now."
The Consecration prayer (full text at the end) contains a special, oblique reference to Russia and the Orthodox Christian faithful:
"Give peace to the people separated by error and schism,
Particularly those, who have special devotion to You
And among whom there was no home, where Your venerable Icon was not honoured,
Though at present it may be hidden in the hope for better days.
Bring them back to the One Fold of Christ, under the One True Shepherd."
Hence, the consecration prayer alludes to the request made at Fatima (namely, to consecrate Russia, not the world, in union with the world's bishops), but falls short of Heaven's request. No doubt, this special mention of Russia brought about graces at a future date for the country. ... it must be noted that Russia has not converted to Catholicism - they are still separated by "error and schism", they are still not in the "One Fold of Christ, under the One True Shepherd". The miraculous conversion of the Orthodox to the unity of the Catholic Church will only take place when the consecration of Russia is finally complied by the pope according to Heaven's desires (see here).
In the first book I ever read on the Fatima apparitions (nearly 20 years ago) I distinctly remember the author mentioning the Holy Father's anguished voice in the radio address delivered to Portugal wherein the pope delivered the Consecration prayer in Portuguese as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Fatima apparitions. The photo below shows a very serious and stern looking Pius XII delivering the radio address on that day, the anguish for all the suffering victims of the atrocious conflict underway during that very moment clearly visible in his face (Msgr. Montini, the future Pope Paul VI, is on the far right of the photograph):
Here is the complete Consecration Prayer:
Queen of the Holy Rosary,
Help of the Christians,
Refuge of the human race,
Conqueress in God’s battlefields,
To You and to Your Immaculate Heart
In this tragic hour of human history
We entrust and consecrate ourselves,
And the Holy Church.
She is the Mystical Body of Your Jesus,
Suffering and bleeding in so many parts
And tormented in so many ways,
We consecrate to You the whole world torn by bitter strive
And consumed by the fire of hatred
The victim of its own wickedness.
Look with compassion to all material and moral destruction
To the suffering and fears of fathers and mothers
Of husbands and wives, of brother and sisters and innocent children.
Look at the many lives cut down in the flower of youth
So many bodies torn to pieces in brutal slaughter
So many souls tortured and troubled
And in danger of being lost eternally.
Oh, Mother of Mercy, obtain peace for us from God!
Obtain especially those graces, which can convert human hearts quickly.
Those graces, which can prepare, establish and insure peace.
Queen of Peace, pray for us;
Give the world at war the peace for which all are longing,
Peace in Truth, Justice and the Charity of Christ.
Give them peace of the arms and peace of mind,
That in tranquility and order
The Kingdom of God may expand.
Grant Your protection to infidels
And to those still walking in the shadow of death;
Give them peace and permit that the sun of truth may raise upon them;
And that together with us
They may repeat before the Only Saviour of the World:
"Glory to God in the highest
And peace on earth among men of good will" (Lk 2.14)
Give peace to the people separated by error and schism,
Particularly those, who have special devotion to You
And among whom there was no home,
Where Your venerable Icon was not honoured,
Though at present it may be hidden
In the hope for better days.
Bring them back to the One Fold of Christ,
Under the One True Shepherd.
Obtain peace and complete liberty for the Holy Church of God,
Check the spreading flood of neo-paganism,
Arouse within the faithful love of purity
The practice of Christian life and apostolic zeal,
So that the people who serve God,
May increase in merit and number.
All of humanity were once consecrated to the Heart of Your Son.
All our hopes rest in Him, Who is in all times
Sign and pledge of victory and salvation.
Forever we consecrate ourselves to You
And to Your Immaculate Heart,
Oh, Mother and Queen of the World!
May Your love and patronage hasten the victory of the Kingdom of God,
May all nations, at peace with each other and with God, proclaim You Blessed
And sing with You from one end of the earth to the other,
The eternal Magnificat of glory, love and gratitude
To the Heart of Jesus, in which alone,
They can find Truth, Life and Peace.
~ Pope Pius XII
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Novena to the Holy Ghost in anticipaion of Pentecost - begins Friday after Ascension |
Posted by: Stone - 05-14-2021, 08:14 AM - Forum: Novenas
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NOVENA to the HOLY GHOST
Taken from the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel (Massachusetts) newsletter
Begins nine days before Pentecost - this year on Friday, May 27th 2022
The Novena to the Holy Ghost is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord when He sent His Apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Ghost on the First Pentecost. There, in company with the Mother of God, they prayed.
It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength and love so sorely needed by every Catholic today.
FIRST DAY
Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!
From Thy clear celestial height.
Thy pure beaming radiance give!
THE HOLY GHOST
Only one thing is important -- eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared -- sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us."
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, Who has vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
ACT OF CONSECRATION to the HOLY GHOST
On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body, to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light, and listen to Thy voice, and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee, by Thy compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus, and looking at His five wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood, and adoring His opened side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace, O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, "Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Amen.
PRAYER for the SEVEN GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST
O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thy Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth; the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with Thee and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints; the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.
SECOND DAY
Come, Thou Father of the poor!
Come, with treasures which endure!
Come, Thou Light of all that live!
THE GIFT OF FEAR
The gift of Fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread nothing so much as to offend Him by sin. It is a fear that arises, not from the thought of hell, but from sentiments of reverence and filial submission to our heavenly Father. It is the fear that is the beginning of wisdom, detaching us from the worldly pleasures that could in any way separate us from God. "They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls."
Prayer
Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set Thee, my Lord and God, before my face forever, help me to shun all things that can offend Thee, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Thy Divine Majesty in heaven, where Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
THIRD DAY
Thou, of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.
THE GIFT OF PIETY
The gift of Piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our most loving Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake persons and things consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority, His Blessed Mother and the Saints, the Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors, our country and its rulers. He who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of his religion, not a burdensome duty, but a delightful service. Where there is love, there is no labor.
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
FOURTH DAY
Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE
By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear, and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will an impulse and energy which move it to undertake without hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot human respect, and to endure without complaint the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. "He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved."
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude uphold my soul in time of troubles and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
FIFTH DAY
Light immortal! Light Divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill!
THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE
The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth–in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretense of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity, and directs us to glorify Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first, and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. "Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it."
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
SIXTH DAY
If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay;
All his good is turned to ill.
THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING
Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Ghost, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to "walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light of Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
SEVENTH DAY
Heal our wounds–our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away!
THE GIFT OF COUNSEL
The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must be done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. "Above all things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct thy way in truth."
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
EIGHTH DAY
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray!
THE GIFT OF WISDOM
Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of Wisdom it is written "all good things come to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands." It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, whilst the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Savior: "Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light."
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them forever. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
NINTH DAY
Thou, on those who evermore
Thee confess and Thee adore
In Thy sevenfold gifts, descend:
Give them comfort when they die;
Give the life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end. Amen.
THE FRUITS of the HOLY GHOST
The gifts of the Holy Ghost perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Ghost, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue becomes more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Ghost. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.
Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary on the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
********************************
PRAYER TO THE HOLY GHOST
Come, O Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created;
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray - Oh God, Who hast instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the same Spirit we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
- From the Roman Missal
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May 14th – St Boniface of Tarsus, Martyr |
Posted by: Stone - 05-14-2021, 07:50 AM - Forum: May
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May 14 – St Boniface, Martyr
The Apostle of the Gentiles, explaining the mystery of the Pasch, tell us that Baptism is the sepulcher of our sins, and that we rise from it together with our Redeemer, having our souls radiant with the life of grace. Our holy Faith teaches us that he who gives his life for Christ or his Church, washes away, in his own blood, every stain from his soul, and rises to life everlasting: it is as though he received a second Baptism, which reproduces all the effects belonging to the great Sacrament of Regeneration. We have today a sinner, who being purified by Martyrdom and rebaptized in his own blood, is numbered among the privileged ones who share in the glory of our Risen Jesus. Boniface, by his immoralities, had scandalized the city where he lived; but his repentance was most complete. He longed to suffer the cruelest tortures for the love of the God he had offended, and thus make atonement for the sinful pleasures in which he had indulged. His wish was granted; suffering transformed him into the Saint whose Feast is kept on this day, and whose virtues are an homage to the Divine Conqueror of sin and death.
Holy Church thus commemorates, in her Office, the bravery of this generous-hearted Martyr.
Quote:Boniface was a citizen of Rome, and had held criminal intercourse with a rich lady, by name Aglaë. He afterwards was so grieved for this immoral conduct that, by way of penance, he devoted himself to the looking for and burying the bodies of Martyrs. In one of his travels, he left his companions; and finding, on arriving at Tarsus, that many were being put to divers tortures for the Christian Faith, he approached them, kissed their chains, and did all in his power to urge them to bear patiently the short labor of sufferings which were to be followed by eternal rest. For this he was seized, and his flesh was torn by iron hooks. Sharp reeds were also thrust up his fingernails, and melted lead was poured into his mouth. His only exclamation, in the midst of these tortures, was: “I give thee thanks, Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God!”
He was then put, head foremost, into a cauldrom of boiling pitch; and when he was taken out, and found to be unurt, the judge, in a fit of anger, ordered him to be beheaded. During his execution, a great earthquake was felt; whereupon, many of the pagans were converted to the Faith of Christ our Lord. On the day following, his companions, who were in search of him, were told that he had suffered martyrdom. They bought his body for five hundred pieces of silver; and having embalmed and shrouded it, they had it taken to Rome. All this was made known, by an Angel, to Aglaë, who had also devoted herself to penance and good works. She, therefore, went to meet the Martyr’s relics. She built a Church, which was named after the Saint, and in which he was buried on the Nones of June (June 5th). The Martyr’s soul passed into heaven on the day before the Ides of May (May 14th), at Tarsus, a city of cilicia, under the Emperors Dioclesian and Maximian.
The Angels rejoiced more at thy conversion, O Boniface, than at the fidelity of the ninety-nine just; but their joy was redoubled when they found that heaven gained, in thee, not only a Penitent, but a Martyr too. Receive, also, the congratulations of holy Church, which celebrates the memory of thy victory. Rome is still in possession of thy holy Relics, which repose in the Church on Mount Aventine, where once stood the house of her that imitated thy repentance. In both her and thee, we have a proof of the infinite mercy of our Risen Jesus, who called the two sinners from spiritual death to the life of grace. Have compassion, O holy Martyr, on those poor sinners, whom this Easter has not yet brought back to their Redeemer. The Alleluia has resounded through the whole universe, and yet it has failed to rouse them from their sleep of sin. Pray for their resurrection. Their days are numbered; and perhaps they are not to see another Easter. Yet do we hope in the divine Mercy, which has shown us its power by making thee and Aglaë to be vessels of election. We, therefore, unite our prayers with thine, O Boniface, that our Lord may grant a resurrection to our Brethren. Hope is our armor in this peaceful contest with Divine Justice, which delights in being vanquished by prayer. Present our prayer before the Throne of God; and many of those that are now spiritually dead will come to life again, and their conversion will cause joy to the Angels, as thine did.
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The Conciliar SSPX follows the Conciliar Church for the Feast of the Ascension |
Posted by: Stone - 05-14-2021, 07:35 AM - Forum: The New-Conciliar SSPX
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The celebration of the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the fortieth day after Easter, always on a Thursday, is one of 'great antiquity,' dating back from Apostolic times:
Quote:Feast of the Ascension
The fortieth day after Easter Sunday, commemorating the Ascension of Christ into heaven, according to Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, and Acts 1:2.
In the Eastern Church this feast was known as analepsis, the taking up, and also as the episozomene, the salvation—denoting that by ascending into His glory, Christ completed the work of our redemption. The terms used in the West, ascensio and, occasionally, ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by His own powers. Tradition designates Mount Olivet near Bethany as the place where Christ left the earth. The feast falls on Thursday. It is one of the Ecumenical feasts ranking with the feasts of the Passion, of Easter and of Pentecost among the most solemn in the calendar, has a vigil and, since the fifteenth century, an octave which is set apart for a novena of preparation for Pentecost, in accordance with the directions of Leo XIII.
History
The observance of this feast is of great antiquity. Although no documentary evidence of it exists prior to the beginning of the fifth century, St. Augustine says that it is of Apostolic origin, and he speaks of it in a way that shows it was the universal observance of the Church long before his time. Frequent mention of it is made in the writings of St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and in the Constitution of the Apostles. The Pilgrimage of Sylvia (Peregrinatio Etheriae) speaks of the vigil of this feast and of the feast itself, as they were kept in the church built over the grotto in Bethlehem in which Christ was born (Duchesne, Christian Worship, 491-515). It may be that prior to the fifth century the fact narrated in the Gospels was commemorated in conjunction with the feast of Easter or Pentecost. ...
St. Pius X codified the eight Holy Days of Obligation for the Universal Church which, included the Feast of the Ascension, in the 1917 Code of Canon Law.
In the U.S. because of the influences of the different Catholic immigrants coming into America from all over Europe, the American bishops met in Baltimore to give uniformity to American Holy Days of Obligation:
Quote:When the Third Plenary Council met in Baltimore [1884], the bishops approved the uniform calendar of six holy days now observed: Mary, Mother of God; Ascension: Assumption of Mary; All Saints; Immaculate Conception; Christmas. The decision of the bishops was approved by the Holy See in 1885.
But as we all know, after Vatican II nothing went unscathed by the 'reforms' and in 1991, the US bishops removed the Feast of the Ascension as a Holy Day of Obligation.
It has been noted quietly for a few years that the now-Conciliar SSPX has followed suit in several of their U.S. chapels and now notes that the Feast of the Ascension is no longer a Holy Day of Obligation. Here is the bulletin for St. Mary's Kansas (for 2021) making it very clear the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a Feast honored since the time of the Apostles, is no longer obligatory in U.S. SSPX chapels [PDF here]:
The language from the Conciliar SSPX is now identical to that of the Conciliar Fraternity of St. Peter [see here]:
Sadly, this is yet another example of the slide of the now-Conciliar SSPX toward the modernism of the Conciliar Church, the Church of the Second Vatican Council, which we have been witnessing since the formal, never-retracted Doctrinal Declaration of Bishop Fellay on behalf of the SSPX in 2012.
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