Sunday, November 9, 2014

COMMUNION ON THE TONGUE VS IN THE HAND

The Doctrine of the Church Tells Us ,Communion on the Tongue Is an Apostolic Tradition Statements from Popes, Saints & Church Councils St. Sixtus I (circa 115): “The Sacred Vessels are not to be handled by others than those consecrated to the Lord.” St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church (330-379): “The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution.” St. Basil the Great considered Communion in the hand so irregular that he did not hesitate to consider it a grave fault. The Council of Saragossa (380): Excommunicated anyone who dared continue receiving Holy Communion by hand. This was confirmed by the Synod of Toledo. The Synod of Rouen (650): Condemned Communion in the hand to halt widespread abuses that occurred from this practice, and as a safeguard against sacrilege. 6th Ecumenical Council, at Constantinople (680-681): Forbade the faithful to take the Sacred Host in their hand, threatening transgressors with excommunication. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225- 1274): “Out of reverence towards this sacrament [the Holy Eucharist], nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest’s hands, for touching this sacrament.” (Summa Theologica, Part III, Q. 82, Art. 3, Rep. Obj. 8.) The Council of Trent (1545- 1565): “The fact that only the priest gives Holy Communion with his consecrated hands is an Apostolic Tradition.” Pope Paul VI (1963-1978): “This method [on the tongue] must be retained.” (Memoriale Domini) Pope John Paul II: “To touch the sacred species and to distribute them with their own hands is a privilege of the ordained.” (Dominicae Cenae, 11)

Monday, June 30, 2014

WAKE UP YOU SO CALLED CATHOLICS

I am asking for all of you Catholics out there to pray for our Church and its leaders. We are going into a very Dark and destructive period in our Catholic Church, as our leaders are leading the flock astray. Since Vatican II Council, our leaders have falsely been leading the flock into Apostasy, slowly eroding the Reverence to the Mass,and the sanctity of our Church. Do you realize that in order to have Communion in the hand, permission must be granted by the Vatican? Do you realize that it is not necessary for a priest or a parish to receive permission from the Bishop to have the Latin Mass? Do you realize that 55% of Catholics voted for the Democratic candidate and allowed the erosion ,and the attack by Barack Obama on our religious beliefs? AND EACH ONE OF YOU CATHOLICS WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR WHAT IS DONE BY THIS ANTI-CATHOLIC PRESIDENT AND HIS STAFF? He and his Liberal/Socialistic staff have shown themselves to be the biggest LIARS we have ever had in the White House? That you are guilty of all that he does to destroy our Country, as you have empowered him to be able to be able to enslave the American People? And yet you will say "I DIDN'T VOTE FOR HIM TO DO THAT". Yes you did, just as much as giving some one a loaded gun, and they kill someone with it. He has attacked our Catholic Church, and yet the Cardinal invited him to Dinner. What sort of signal does that send to the whole Catholic Church? Just the same as you telling your children "don't smoke", and they see you walking around smoking. YOU HAD BETTER OPEN YOU EYES, AND BEGIN PRAYING FOR OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH AS APOSTASY HAS TAKEN HOLD OF THE VATICAN, AND FILTERED DOWN THROUGH THE CARDINAL'S.BISHOP'S, PASTOR'S, AND PRIEST'S. Look at how far our church has diminished since Vatican II Council. And don't believe that you will escape the guilt of millions upon millions of unborn children through ABORTIONS. Almighty GOD, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit love children more than any others, how do you think Almighty GOD feels about the MURDER, of these unborn? It is up to you to be Militantly aggressive in demanding our church to return to the faith as taught by St. Peter and the Apostles. GO HAVE MERCY UPON US, AND WHAT HAS BECOME OF OUR CATHOLIC FAITH.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

POPE FRANCIS' PREFERENCE FOR HERESY

FROM www.newchristorchaos.com Jorge’s Preferential Option for Heresy and Those Who Profess It Posted on April 30, 2014 Fresh off of his “canonization” of “Saints John XXIII” and “Saint John Paul II” three days ago now, Jorge Mario Bergoglio went on something called “Twitter” to write the following: “Inequality is the root of social evil.” (See Inequality Root of all Social Evil.) Sigh. Heavy sigh. This man is obsessed. He is a 1960s/1970s revolutionary who, despite all of his protestations to the contrary, has a Marxist view of the world. Although Jorge Mario Bergoglio has repeated this mantra of “inequality is the root of social evil” repeatedly throughout the course of the past thirteen months, seventeen days, including in Evangelium Gaudium, November 26, 2013, this obsession is just another sign of his absolutely manifest rejection of the Catholic Faith. Jorge Mario Bergoglio does not realize that inequality is inherent in the nature of created things. God ordered the Nine Choirs of Angels according to a hierarchy, assigning to each a specific function. Archangels, Angels, and Principalities have been assigned to watch over the ordering of the universe down to its smallest detail, including the eternal and temporal welfare of human beings. Powers, Virtues, and Dominations have been assigned to watch over the multiplicity of causes that govern the universe. Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim contemplate the glory of the Most Blessed Trinity. God made inequality inherent in the nature of the world and in all created things. There are distinctions between males and females, distinctions that can no amount of sloganeering or surgical mutations can eliminate. While God cares equally for all creatures, whether great or small (cf. Wisdom 6: 8), He metes out his punishment as unequally as He distributes various gifts and talents, expecting more from those to whom more has been given, thus making their punishment more severe for the misuses of that which had been given unto them. (with permission of Dr. Droleskey I have copied the above excerpts)

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

FROM THE NEW WEBSITE, NEWCHRISTORCHAOL.COM

(I have always loved his posts,and all true Catholic's should visit his new website, and learn your Catholic religion, and the false teachings that the Modernists are polluting the minds of young adults and your children. Here is but a short copy of one of his latest posts. Please contribute what you can for this great Catholic teacher.) NEW CHRIST OR CHAOS Many Catholics around the world have heard sermons preached in favor of evolutionism, environmentalism (including concerns about “global warming”) and feminism. In other words, many Catholics around the world have heard sermons delivered by men who believe exactly what Jorge Mario Bergoglio does, which is why the currently reigning universal public face of apostasy is so very popular with Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Consider the fact that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, while discoursing two days ago at the Cas Santa Marta on Chapter Nineteen of Saint Matthew’s Gospel, discussed the question that the Pharisees had posed to Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?–Matthew 19: 4) without ever mentioning the simple fact that the Divine Redeemer condemned divorce, teaching us that those who divorce and remarry commit adultery: [1] And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these words, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea, beyond Jordan. [2] And great multitudes followed him: and he healed them there. [3] And there came to him the Pharisees tempting him, and saying: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? [4] Who answering, said to them: Have ye not read, that he who made man from the beginning, Made them male and female? And he said: [5] For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh. [6]Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.[7] They say to him: Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put away? [8] He saith to them: Because Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. [9]And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that shall marry her that is put away, committeth adultery.(Matthew 19: 1-9.) As was the case with Luther and Calvin and Henry VIII and Cranmer and Wesley and Knox and others, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who is only following in the footsteps of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI himself (see“There’s Been This Division , which dealt with the press reports of Walter “Cardinal” Kasper’s address to the consistory of conciliar “cardinals” on Friday, February 21, 2014, and Novus Ordo Watch’s Father Ratzinger’s 1972 Article on Divorced and Remarried Catholics), simply ignores those parts of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition he believes are “too harsh” for the Catholics of “today.” Remember, the conciliar liturgical revolutionaries, who boast of including almost the entirety of Holy Writ in the triennial cycle of Sunday readings and biennial cycle of weekday readings, saw fit to exclude Saint Paul’s condemnation of homosexual and lesbian behavior contained in Chapter One of his Epistle to the Romans: Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness, to dishonour their own bodies among themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie; and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use against which is their nature. And in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men working that which is filthy, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

THE DIVINE MERCY PRAYER FOR SATURDAY

Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy." Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen. Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/novena.htm#9#ixzz2rQCwu1gl

Friday, January 24, 2014

PURGATORY

Friday's Divine Mercy Prayers. If you knew the suffering that those in purgatory were going through, you would pray for them every chance you get. St. Faustina was given a glimpse of purgatory, and her description was not pleasant. Think about your loved ones who have passed on, and continuously pray for them. I offer my communion every Sunday for them, and every day I pray for them. I think that will be giving a love gift for your loved ones and friends that have crossed over. Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice." Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen. Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/novena.htm#8#ixzz2rKj3jUYO

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

THE ERRORS OF VATICAN COUNCIL II CONTINUE

Catholic reactions to the Church crisis January 22, 2014 District of the US The post-conciliar crisis remains unabated as the modernist errors introduced by the Second Vatican Council continue to afflict the Catholic Church. The poisonous effects of Modernism have been multifold, even extending to the persecution of so-called "traditionalists", that is, Catholics who are merely trying to practice the entire and pure Faith as defined by Tradition. A consequence of this post-conciliar persecution has been an unjust treatment of the Society of St. Pius X (and its founder, Archbishop Lefebvre), instigated by the liberals in early 1973 and culminating with the Hot Summer of 1976. This persecution of the SSPX has gone so far as to accuse its priests of belonging to a priestly society that lacks “full communion” with the Catholic Church as well as her permission to carry out their sacerdotal ministry. Thus according to these charges, the SSPX's priests lack the necessary facilities to administer the sacraments and in doing so contravene Church law. In answer to these false charges we offer some republished articles that demonstrate (via Canon Law, theology and historical precedence) that the SSPX is not only in union with the Roman Catholic Church, but that its priests (as well as other traditional ones) continue to legitimately exercise their priestly functions for the good and salvation of souls. The state of necessity (the justifying cause of the SSPX's actions) SSPX's treatment: A profound injustice Supplied jurisdiction & traditional priests As for dealing with the crisis itself, Catholics must take care not to overreact, particularly in dealing with ecclesiastical authorities, thus continuing to show the respect that is owed to their office, while nevertheless resisting their Modernist novelties. To better understand this point, we offer again Some notes on the resolution of the Church crisis as well as Fr. Juan-Carlos Iscara's article, St. Basil's economy of silence.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

THE DIVINE MERCY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church*, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion." Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen. *Our Lord's original words here were "heretics and schismatics," Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/novena.htm#5#ixzz2r31uQYZS

Monday, January 20, 2014

THE DIVINE MERCY PRAYERS

The Divine Mercy Novena Background St. Faustina The Image Feast of Mercy Indulgence The Chaplet The Novena The Hour Second Coming Audio/Video Home Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said: "These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy." In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her: "On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls." The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are: DAY 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners DAY 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious DAY 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls DAY 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him DAY 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren DAY 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children DAY 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy DAY 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory; DAY 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm. During the Solemn Novena leading to Divine Mercy Sunday, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy should be offered each day for the day's intentions. First Day "Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me." Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen. Second Day "Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind." Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen. * In the original text, Saint Faustina uses the pronoun "us" since she was offering this prayer as a consecrated religious sister. The wording adapted here is intended to make the prayer suitable for universal use. Third Day "Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness." Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen. Fourth Day "Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me, I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy." Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen. *Our Lord's original words here were "the pagans." Since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII, the Church has seen fit to replace this term with clearer and more appropriate terminology. Fifth Day "Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church*, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion." Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen. *Our Lord's original words here were "heretics and schismatics," since He spoke to Saint Faustina within the context of her times. As of the Second Vatican Council, Church authorities have seen fit not to use those designations in accordance with the explanation given in the Council's Decree on Ecumenism (n.3). Every pope since the Council has reaffirmed that usage. Saint Faustina herself, her heart always in harmony with the mind of the Church, most certainly would have agreed. When at one time, because of the decisions of her superiors and father confessor, she was not able to execute Our Lord's inspirations and orders, she declared: "I will follow Your will insofar as You will permit me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus " I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice with which You speak to me" (497). The Lord confirmed her action and praised her for it. Sixth Day Today bring to Me the Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence. Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen. Seventh Day Today bring to Me the Souls who especially venerate and glorify My Mercy*, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death. Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen. *The text leads one to conclude that in the first prayer directed to Jesus, Who is the Redeemer, it is "victim" souls and contemplatives that are being prayed for; those persons, that is, that voluntarily offered themselves to God for the salvation of their neighbor (see Col 1:24; 2 Cor 4:12). This explains their close union with the Savior and the extraordinary efficacy that their invisible activity has for others. In the second prayer, directed to the Father from whom comes "every worthwhile gift and every genuine benefit,"we recommend the "active" souls, who promote devotion to The Divine Mercy and exercise with it all the other works that lend themselves to the spiritual and material uplifting of their brethren. Eighth Day "Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice." Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen. Ninth Day "Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy." Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen. Diary, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul (c) 1987 Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/novena.htm#ixzz2qwriDhYR

Saturday, January 11, 2014

WHY THE TRADITIONAL MASS?

Renew the earth with the True Mass You are here:homerenew the earth with the true mass The True Mass has the potential to positively renew the Catholic Church and thus the world at large if completely liberated. The traditional Roman Mass was technically freed as of the publication of the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum (July 7, 2007). Nonetheless, the Mass of All Time continues to face obstacles (such as complete recognition of its liturgical status as the liturgical norm of the Roman Church or blockage of its implemenation in dioceses). Thus the points made in this SiSiNoNo article of May 2007 are still valid today. Free the Mass and the face of the earth shall be renewed At a time when many rumors are abuzz over a possible liberalization of the traditional Mass, there is no lack of discussion about the opportuneness or need for such a move. [this actually occurred on July 7, 2007 via Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum —Ed.] Everyone remembers the words of Cardinal Franjo Seper when John Paul II was considering the possibility of such a liberalization during the audience he granted Archbishop Lefebvre on November 18, 1978. The then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith opposed such a decree with the words: “They [the traditionalists] make a banner of the Mass.” Cardinal Seper’s comment could be the theme of countless commentaries illustrating different aspects of the issue, but it seems to us more useful to focus on another kind of objection. A certain number of priests who habitually celebrate according to Pope Paul VI’s rite have a hard time envisioning the far-reaching effects a liberalization of the celebration of the traditional Mass could have. Long accustomed to the new liturgy, which they have celebrated since their priestly ordination, these priests do not grasp the positive changes that could result for the Church from such a liberating measure. To understand the ways in which this return of the traditional rite could change many things for the better in the Church and in the world, one must first briefly consider the difference between the two liturgies, the traditional and the new. The traditional liturgy We begin with the traditional liturgy, which has for 15 centuries enjoyed the right of possession[1] and the right of prescription.[2] A sacrifice. When speaking about the Mass, the first aspect that Catholic doctrine sets forth is its sacrificial character. In the Old Testament, the prophet Malachias had announced the institution of a sacrifice that would be offered to God everywhere, and which would be a pure offering.[3] Thus it is not surprising that the Council of Trent in its XXII session defined the Mass as the unbloody renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary: ...on the night that He was betrayed, so that He might leave to His beloved spouse the Church a visible sacrifice (as the nature of man demands), whereby that bloody sacrifice once to be completed on the Cross might be represented, and the memory of it remain even to the end of the world [I Cor. 11:23ff.] and its saving grace be applied to the remission of those sins which we daily commit, declaring Himself constituted “a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech,” [Ps. 109:4] offered to God the Father His own body and blood under the species of bread and wine and under the symbols of those same things gave to the apostles (whom He then constituted priests of the New Testament), so that they might partake, and He commanded them and their successors in the priesthood in these words to make offering: “Do this in commemoration of me, etc.” [Lk. 22:19], as the Catholic Church has always understood and taught.[4] The Mass is thus the renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary under the species of bread and wine. The sacrament of the Eucharist is consequently a sacrifice, and a visible sacrifice (as human nature requires). During the Last Supper, Christ, though in an anticipated manner, made present the sacrifice that He would not accomplish in His body until the following day. The mode of the realization of the sacramental sacrifice was defined by Pope Pius XII when he spoke explicitly of the double consecration of bread and wine as an efficacious sign of Christ’s death: For by the “transubstantiation” of bread into the body of Christ and of wine into His blood, His body and blood are both really present: now the Eucharistic species under which He is present symbolize the actual separation of His body and blood. Thus the commemorative representation of His death, which actually took place on Calvary, is repeated in every sacrifice of the altar, seeing that Jesus Christ is symbolically shown by separate symbols to be in a state of victimhood.[5] A propitiatory sacrifice. Catholic doctrine assigns to all prayer and sacrifice a quadruple finality: latria, thanksgiving, propitiation, and impetration. These four attributes specify the nature of sacrifice. The propitiatory end (or reparation) is proper to our fallen world, the result of original sin. Before original sin, our first parents had to adore God, thank Him, and petition Him for His graces, but they were under no obligation to make reparation. Not having sinned, they did not need to make reparation in order to be reconciled with their God. This is no longer the case for sinful mankind, which, even for their prayers merely to be heard by God, must make reparation. Failure to mention the propitiatory character of the Mass would be to live in the illusion of a sinless mankind. In Paradise, before original sin, a sacrifice offered uniquely for adoration, thanksgiving, and impetration would have been possible. After original sin, such a sacrifice henceforth would be illusory unless propitiation were joined to the other three ends mentioned. The essentially propitiatory character of the Mass was mentioned in the Council of Trent’s declaration quoted above. It is also affirmed in the very words of the consecration of the wine: “...which shall be shed for you and for many unto the remission of sins.” The new liturgy When attempting to define the New Mass, a number of interrelated terms crop up: A meal. The new liturgy is presented first of all as a fraternal meal, a “synaxis,” according to the definition given in Article 7 of the Institutio Generalis of the Mass of Pope Paul VI. This first definition of the Mass comes from the meal of the Last Supper during which Christ instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist as well as from the fraternal meal that would often accompany the celebration of the holy mysteries in the primitive Church (cf. I Cor. 11:17-22, 33-34). A narrative. A second approach of Pope Paul VI’s Mass emphasizes the account of the institution. During the celebration of the Mass, the institution of the Eucharist is narrated. Moreover, it is indeed thus that the GIRM [General Instruction of the Roman Missal] defines the moment of the Consecration. It is then a question of explicitly referencing the narrative of the Last Supper to provide a context for Christian celebrations. A memorial. Lastly, a third definition of Pope Paul VI’s Mass would consist in emphasizing the commemorative aspect of such a liturgy. Just as the Hebrews celebrated the Passover in memory of the crossing of the Red Sea and commemorated the deeds of God on behalf of the chosen people, so it would be in the New Testament, in which the Church commemorates during Mass the death of Christ on Calvary and the benefits He pours forth upon mankind. Besides, is this not what Christ Himself commanded the Apostles the night of Holy Thursday when he told them: “Do this in memory of me” (Lk. 22:19; I Cor. 11:24-25)? Before considering the concrete consequences of these divergences on the definition of the Mass, allow us briefly to bring a Catholic light to bear upon these recent definitions of the Mass. 1) Is the Mass essentially a meal? No, for the Council of Trent has defined: “Can. 1: If anyone says that...the act of offering is nothing else than Christ being given to us to eat: let him be anathema.”[6] 2) Is the Mass essentially a narration? No, for according to the teaching of the same Council, For, after He had celebrated the ancient feast of the Passover, which the multitude of the children of Israel sacrificed [Exod. 12:1ff.] in memory of their exodus from Egypt, He instituted a new Passover, Himself to be immolated under visible signs by the Church through the priests, in memory of His own passage from this world to the Father, when by the shedding of His blood He redeemed us and “delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into His kingdom” [Col. 1:13].[7] 3) Is the Mass essentially a memorial? No, for Jesus Christ enjoined the Apostles to perform an action and not simply to commemorate an event: “Do this...in memory of me,” which the Council of Trent defines in these terms: If anyone says that the sacrifice of the Mass...is a mere commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the Cross, but not one of propitiation...: let him be anathema.[8] In conclusion, if Catholic theology can easily incorporate what is true in the partial definitions of the Mass that have emerged during the last 40 years, it is because it gives the adequate definition of the Mass as a propitiatory sacrifice. The Mass being thus defined by its essence, it is then possible to show that it is also, but secondarily, a meal, a narration, and a memorial.[9] Having briefly recalled the differences between the traditional Mass and the new Mass, let us try to see what a return to the traditional Mass would signify for the life of the Church. We shall consider successively the sacerdotal life, religious life, family life, and the apostolate. Sacerdotal life Archbishop Lefebvre used to say “No Mass, no priest; no priest, no Mass.” This was the adage he repeated incessantly in his conferences. There is nothing new in this, since St. Paul wrote to the Hebrews that “every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Heb. 5:1). A vast difference, thus, exists between the minister of Jesus Christ, priest and victim, who sacramentally renews the sacrifice of Calvary (as the traditional liturgy presents it to us) and the president of the assembly, charged with telling us of the deeds and gestures of the Master (as the new liturgy presents it to us). At the head of his flock, but turned towards God like all the faithful for he also needs to make reparation for his sins, the priest of the traditional liturgy centers everything on Christ, who by His divine nature transcends the created order. President of the assembly, which he considers in an all too human encounter, the priest of the new liturgy tries to make the divine emerge from the animation of the assembly. Disappearing completely behind an immutable rite, the priest of the traditional liturgy tries to efface himself as an individual in order to lead souls to God. Obliged to innovate continually in order to hold the attention of the faithful on what is happening, the priest of the new liturgy runs the risk of putting himself forward instead of and in the place of Jesus Christ. Whether the priesthood is considered in terms of the divine call it presupposes, the preparation it requires, the ministry to which it leads, or its perseverance in the midst of an evil world, the traditional Mass will always remind the priest of this truth: he is priest and victim, following our Lord. Complaints are made that vocations are becoming rare. Why not return to the priestly ideal left us by our Lord? This ideal is to be found in the words of St. Paul: “For I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (I Cor. 2:2), an ideal faithfully reproduced in the traditional Mass. Questions are raised about priestly formation in the seminaries. If the ideal of the priesthood lies in a special conformity of the priest with the cross of Christ, would it not be necessary to place at the center of the seminary and seminarian training the mystery of the faith which is the unbloody renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary? The causes for the departure from the priesthood of more than 60,000 priests during the decades of the 1960’s and 70’s are sought. Instead of limiting the investigation to sociological analyses and blaming the modern world, would it not be better to restore to priests their essential finality: the Mass that is a sacrifice? There is no doubt that the scandals that have stained the priesthood during the last few decades, especially in the US, are regrettable and require reparation. But is it not cruel to require heroism of priests immersed in a hypersexualized world without giving them an effective armament for their perseverance? What dose of renunciation is contained in a Mass-meal? What measure of mortification is to be found in a narrative of the Institution? What resolutions flow from a memorial of the Passion? Only grace will save us: the grace of Jesus Christ, the grace of Calvary, the grace of the holy Mass. Religious life What we have said of the priestly life is also true of the religious life. The sanctification of the individual by the practice of the evangelical counsels — by means of the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience — is only possible and realizable through the sacrifice of the Cross. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt. 16:24). “Let him deny himself,” let him “take up his cross” — where, when, how? The monks and nuns find the answer in daily assistance at the holy Mass. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” advises St. Paul. Where is the most perfect expression of the Lord’s sentiments to be found if not in the holy sacrifice of the Mass and in the venerable prayers the Church has fashioned over the centuries to serve as a jewel box for the gem which is the Real Presence? The Canon of the traditional Mass has nothing sentimental or strained about it. In keeping with the vision of faith, it draws us into sentiments of propitiation, renunciation, and of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. An attentive rereading of the Roman Canon brings out its sober objectivity: the objectivity of sin, the objectivity of our condition as sinners, the objectivity of reparation, the objectivity of sacrifice. What monks and nuns need is not a sentimental, subjective piety, even if it is liturgical; but rather, strong, clear principles that illuminate the way of renunciation to which they have been called by Christ. Here again, a rite centered on man, on the participation of the community, on the fraternal meal, will be of no use to those who must elevate the world by their daily life of renunciation and sacrifice. Family life If consecrated souls are not able live up to their sublime vocation of perfection without the sacrifice of the Mass, what can be said of Christian people in constant contact with the world and its spirit? For, if monks and nuns are, as it were, the professionals of holiness by their special vocation received from God, the faithful, and in particular those called to the married state, must not lag behind in this regard. When our Lord speaks about sanctification, He speaks of only one way, the narrow way, and of one gate, a narrow gate (Mt. 7:14). There are not, then, two ways to get to heaven: on the one hand, one that would be incumbent on consecrated souls in the priesthood or the religious life; and on the other, another that would be for Christian couples. No, there is only one Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, and only one way to get to heaven, the cross. What well-educated layman, priest, or bishop could fail to lament over the weakening of the ideals of married and family life nowadays. We need only mention widespread concubinage, the increase in the number of remarried divorcees, and the multiplication of causes for annulments, etc. Certainly, these scandals are not exclusive to our time, and the Church has always had much ado to remedy the situation. But has it really been a good idea to impose on the Church over the last four decades a Mass that is no longer defined as a sacrifice? Isn’t the model St. Paul holds up that of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:23)? But where was this union sealed, if not on the cross? If we want to give married couples a chance at persevering in fidelity to their promises, then we must give back to them the Mass that is a sacrifice. It is only in the Mass that the spouses will begin to understand the fidelity of Christ to His Spouse, the Church, and of the Church to her Spouse, Christ. Only the Mass that is a sacrifice will enable the spouses to pay the price demanded for the unity, indissolubility, and fecundity of their union. If the Mass comes back in its sacrificial form and the modern form fades away, then the spouses will know what they must do as regards having children and their Christian upbringing, and the life of family piety in the home. Even in the cases of irremediable human tragedy in which one of the spouses is infected by a fatal communicable disease, the two spouses will know the will of God for them. They will also find the strength in the sacrifice of Christ, renewed on our altars, to live in perfect chastity. The apostolate The priestly ministry of the 21st century often unfolds against a backdrop of dechristianization, secularization, paganism, or indifference — so many worries for the Catholic priest who is attentive to the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to reign over souls.