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Traditional Sunday Holy Mass Propers
† Dominica in Quinquagesimae ~ Quinquagesima Sunday †
Statio ad S. Petrum ~ Station at St. Peter's
Anno Dómini 6 March 2011
Color: Violaceus ~ Violet Vestments ~ II Classis ~ Second Class Observance
Esto mihi in Deum protectórem, et in locum refúgii, ut salvum me fácias ~ Be Thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of refuge, to save me
Ecce ascéndimus Jerosólymam, et consummabúntur ómnia, quæ scripta sunt per prophétas de Fílio hóminis.... ~ Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of man...."
In Commemoration
† Saints Felicitas, Perpetua & Companions †
"All whatsoever you do in word or work, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
giving thanks to God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord"--- Blessed Apostle Saint Paul
"Let it not be as a murderer or a thief, a malefactor or a coveter of other men's goods that any of you suffer; but if it is for the name of Christian, let him be not ashamed, but glorify God in that name." --- Blessed Apostle Saint Peter ( First Epistle 4:15-16 )
The Seeds of Faith
The Meaning of Quinquagesima Sunday
By
Abbe Dom Prosper Gueranger
The Church gives us today another subject for our meditation: it is the vocation of Abraham. When the waters of the deluge had subsided, and mankind had once more peopled the earth, the immorality, which had previously excited God's anger, again grew rife among men. Idolatry, too, into which the antediluvian race had not fallen, now showed itself, and human wickedness seemed thus to have reached the height of its malice. Foreseeing that the nations of the earth would fall into rebellion against Him, God resolved to select one whom should be preserved those sacred truths, of which the Gentiles were to lose sight. This new people were to originate from one man, who would be the father and model of all future believers. This was Abraham. His faith and devotedness merited for him that he should be chosen to be the father of the children of God, and the head of that spiritual family, to which belong all the elect of both the old and the new Testament.
It is necessary, therefore, that we should know Abraham, our father and our model. This is his grand characteristic: fidelity to God, submissiveness to His commands, abandonment and sacrifice of everything in order to obey His holy will. Such ought to be the prominent virtues of every Christian. Let us, then, study the life of our great patriarch, and learn, the lessons it teaches in Genesis 12.
Could the Christian have a finer model than this holy patriarch, whose docility and devotedness in following the call of his God are so perfect? We are forced to exclaim, with the holy fathers: 'O true Christian, even before Christ had come on the earth! Was preached! He was an apostolic man before the apostles existed!' God calls him: he leaves all things-his country, his kindred, his father's house-and he goes into an unknown land. God leads him, he is satisfied; he fears no difficulties; he never once looks back. Did the apostles themselves more? But see how grand is his reward! God says to him: 'In thee shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed.' This Chaldean is to give to the world Him that shall bless and it. Death will, it is true, close his eyes ages before the dawning of that day, when one of his race, who is to be born of a Virgin And be united personally with the divine Word, shall redeem all generations, past, present, and to come. But meanwhile, till heaven shall be thrown open to receive this Redeemer and the countless just who have won the crown, Abraham shall be honored, in the limbo of expectation, in a manner becoming his great virtue and merit. It is in his bosom, ( 1 )-{ Blessed Apostle Saint Luke xvi: 22 } that is, around him, that our first parents (having atoned for their sin by penance), Noah, Moses, David, and all the just, including poor Lazarus, received that rest and happiness, which were a foretaste of, and a preparation for, eternal bliss in Heaven. Thus is Abraham honored; thus does God requite the love and fidelity of them that serve Him.
When the fullness of time came, the Son of God, who was also Son of Abraham, declared His eternal Father's power, by saying that He was about to raise up a new progeny of Abraham's children from the very stones, that is, from the Gentiles ( 1 )-{ Blessed Apostle Saint Matthew iii: 9 }. We Christians are this new generation. But are we worthy children of our father? Let us listen to the apostle of the Gentiles: 'By faith, Abraham, when called (by God), obeyed to go out into a place, which he was to receive for an inheritance: And he went out not knowing whither he went. By faith, he abode in the land, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise; for he looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God'(2)-{ Hebrews Xi. 8-10 }.
If, therefore, we be children of Abraham, we must, as the Church tells us during Septuagesima, look upon ourselves as exiles on the earth, and dwell by hope and desire in that true country of ours, from which we are now banished, but towards which we are each day drawing nigher, if, like Abraham, we are faithful in the various stations allotted us by our Lord. We are commanded to use this world as though we need it not, ( 3 )-{1 Corinthians vii: 31 } to have an abiding conviction of our not having here a lasting city ( 4 )-{ Hebrews xiii: 14 } and of the misery and danger we incur when we forget that death is one day to separate us from every thing we possess in this life.
How far from being true children of Abraham are those Christians who spend this and the two following days in intemperance and dissipation, because Lent is soon to be upon us! We can easily understand how the simple manners of our Catholic forefathers could keep a leave-taking of the ordinary way of living, which Lent was to interrupt, and reconcile their innocent carnival with Christian gravity; just as we can understand how their rigorous observance of the laws of the Church for Lent would inspire certain festive customs at Easter. Even in our own times, a joyous Shrovetide is not to be altogether reprobated, provided the Christian sentiment of the approaching holy season of Lent be strong enough to check the evil tendency of an innocent custom would be perverted, and the forethought of penance could in no sense be considered as the prompter of our joyous farewell to ease and comforts.
While admitting all this, we would ask, what right or title have they to share in these Shrovetide rejoicings, whose Lent will pass and find them out of the Church, because they will not have complied with the precept of Easter Communion? And they, too, who claim dispensations from abstinence and fasting during Lent, and, for one reason or another, evade every penitential exercise during the solemn forty days of penance, And will find themselves at Easter as weighed down by the guilt and debt of their sins as they were on Ash Wednesday - what meaning, we would ask, can there possibly be in their feast-making at Shrovetide?
Oh! That Christians would stand on their guard against such delusions as these, and gain that holy liberty of children of God,( 1 )-{ Romans viii: 21 } which consists in not being slaves to flesh and blood, and preserves man from moral degradation! Let them remember that we are now in that holy season, when the Church denies herself her songs of holy joy, in order the more forcibly to remind us that we are living in a Babylon of spiritual danger, and to excite us to regain that genuine Christian spirit, which everything in the world around us is quietly undermining. If the disciples of Christ are necessitated, by the position they hold in society, to take part in the profane amusements of these few days before Lent, let it be with a heart deeply imbued with the maxims of the Gospel. If, for example, they are obliged to listen to the music of theatres and concerts, let them imitate St. Cecilia, who thus sang, in her heart, in the midst of the excitement of worldly harmonies; 'May my heart, O God, be pure, and let me not be confounded!' Above all, let them not countenance certain dances, which the world is so eloquent in defending, because so evidently according to its own spirit; and therefore they who encourage they will be severely judged by Him, who has already pronounced woe upon the world. Lastly, let those who must go, on these days, and mingle in the company of worldlings, be guided by Saint Francis of Sales, who advises them to think, from time to time, on such considerations as these: that while all these frivolous, and often dangerous, amusements are going on, there are countless souls being tormented in the fire of hell, on account of the sins they committed on similar occasions; that, at that very hour of the night, there are many holy religious depriving themselves of sleep in order to sing the divine praises and implore God's mercy upon the world, and upon them that are wasting their time in its vanities; that there are thousands in the agonies of death, while all that gaiety is going on; that God and His angels are attentively looking upon this thoughtless group and finally, that life is passing away, and death so much nearer each moment ( 1 ) -{ Introduction to a Devout Life part iii. Chapter xxiii }.
We grant that, on these three days immediately preceding the penitential season of Lent, some provision was necessary to be made for those countless souls, who seem scarce able to live without some excitement. The Church supplies this want. She gives a substitute for frivolous amusements and dangerous pleasures; and those of her children upon whom faith has not lost its influence, will find, in what she offers them, a feast surpassing all earthly enjoyments, and a means whereby to make amends to God for the insults offered to His divine Majesty during these days of carnival. The Lamb, that taketh away the sins of the world, is exposed upon our altars. Here, on this His throne of mercy, He receives the homage of them who come to adore Him, and acknowledge Him for their King; He accepts the repentance of those who come to tell Him how grieved they are at having ever followed any other master but Him; He offers Himself to His eternal Father for poor sinners, who not only treat His favors with indifference, but seem to have made a resolution to offend Him during these days more than at any other period of the year.
It was the pious Cardinal Gabriel Paleotti, archbishop of Bologna, who first originated the admirable devotion of the Forty Hours. He was a contemporary of St. Charles Borromeo, and, like him, was eminent for his pastoral ZEAL. His object in this solemn Exposition of the most blessed Sacrament was to offer to the divine Majesty some compensation for the sins of men, and, at the very time when the world was busiest in deserving His anger, to appease it by the sight of His own Son, the Mediator between heaven and earth. Saint Charles immediately introduced the devotion into his own diocese and province. This was in the sixteenth century. Later on, that is, in the eighteenth century, Prosper Lambertini was archbishop of Bologna; he zealously continued the pious design of his ancient predecessor, Paleotti, by encouraging his flock to devotion towards the blessed Sacrament during the three days of carnival; and when he was made Pope, under the name of Benedict XIV, he granted many Indulgences to all who, during these days, should visit our Lord in this mystery of His love, and should pray for the pardon of sinners. This favor was, at first, restricted to the faithful of the Papal States; but in the year 1765 it was extended, by Pope Clement XIII, to the universal Church. Thus, the Forty Hours' Devotion has spread throughout the whole world, and become one of the most solemn expressions of Catholic piety. Let us, then, who have the opportunity, profit by it during these last three days of our preparation for Lent. Let us, like Abraham, retire from the distracting dangers of the world, and seek the Lord our God. Let us go apart, for at least one short hour, from the dissipation of earthly enjoyments, and, kneeling in the presence of our Jesus, merit the grace to keep our hearts innocent and detached, whilst sharing in those we cannot avoid. ( 1 ) -{ The Litanies for the Forty Hours are given at the end of this volume. }
Thread Sources
A very special 'Thank you' to AmericanCatholic.org; ASU.edu; fisheaters.com; Friends of Fatima; catholic.org; and saints.sqpn.com, for edited commentaries and resources related to the presentation of today's Proper. Additional sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the 1945 Marian Missal
Introitus ~ Introit
Psalm XXX:III-IV ~ 30:3-4
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Esto mihi in Deum protectorem, et in locum refugii, ut salvum me facias : quoniam firmamentum meum, et refugium meum es tu: et propter nomen tuum dux mihi eris, et enutries me. Psalm 30:2 In te, Domine, speravit, non confundar in aeternum: in justitia tua libera me, et eripe me. V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen. Repeat : Esto mihi in Deum protectorem, et in locum refugii..... |
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Be Thou unto me a God, a Protector, and a place of refuge, to save me; for Thou art my strength and my refuge: and for Thy Name's sake Thou wilt lead me, and nourish me. Psalm 30:2 The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad. V. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Repeat : Be Thou unto me a God, a Protector, and a place of refuge....
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ORATIO ~ COLLECT
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Preces nostras, quaesumus, Domine, clementer Exaudi : atque a peccatorum vinculis absolutos, ab omni nos adversitate custodi, per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus. Collect For The Intercession Of
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Deus, qui diligéntibus te bona invisibília præparásti: infúnde córdibus nostris tui amóris efféctum; ut te in ómnibus, et super ómnia diligéntes, promissiónes tuas, quæ omne desidérium súperent, consequámur, per eúmdem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus. Collect For The Intercession Of The Saints
A cunctis nos quæsumus Dómine mentis et cópores defénde perículis: et intercedénet beáat et gloriósa semper Vírgine Dei Genitrice María, cum beáto Joseph, beátis Apóstolis tuis Petro et Paulo, et ómnibus Sanctis, salútem nobis tríbue benígnus et pacem; ut destrúctis adversitátibus et erróribus univérsis, Ecclésia tua secúra tibi sérviat libertáte. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum. Collect For The Living and the Dead
Omnipotens sempiterna Deus, qui vivorum dominaris simuesse praenoscis: te supplices exoramus; ut, pro quibus effundere preces decrevimus, quosque vel praesens saeculum adhuc in carne retinet, vel futurum jam exutos corpore suscepit, intercedentibus omnibus Sanctis tuis, pietatis tuae clementia omnium delictorum suorum veniam consequantur, per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Collect for God's Holy Church
Ecclésiæ tuæ, quæ-sumus, Dómine, preces placátus admítte: ut, destrúctis adversitátibus et erróribus univérsis, secura tibi sérviat libertáte. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum. Collect Against the persecutors of Holy Mother Church
Ecclesiae tuae, quaesumus, Domine, preces placátus admítte : ut, destrúctis adversitátibus et erróribus univérsis, secura tibi sérviat libertate, per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum
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D o Thou, we beseech Thee, O Lord mercifully hear our prayers, that we being loosed from the bonds of our sins, may by Thee be defended against all adversity, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God.
Collect For The Intercession Of
The Blessed Virgin Mary
O Almighty and Everlasting God, who hast granted to Thy servants, in confessing the true Faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Majesty to adore the Unity, we beseech Thee, that by steadfastness in the same Faith, we may ever be defended against all adversity, through the same Jesus Christ.
Collect For The Intercession Of The Saints
D efend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all dangers of mind and body: and through the intercession of the blessed and glorious Mary, ever Virgin, mother of God, of Saint Joseph, of Thy holy apostles, Saints Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Thy loving-kindness grant us safety and peace; that, all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom.
Collect For The Living and the Dead
O Almighty and Eternal God, Who hast dominion over both the living and the dead, and hast mercy on all Whom Thou knowest shall be Thine by faith and good works: we humbly beseech Thee that all for whom we have resolved to make supplication whether the present world still holds them in the flesh, or the world to come has already received them out of the body, may, through the intercession of all Thy saints, obtain of Thy goodness and clemency pardon for all their sins, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Collect For God's Holy Church
Graciously hear, O Lord, the prayers of Thy Church that, having overcome all adversity and every error, she may serve Thee in security and freedom. Collect Against the persecutors of Holy Mother Church
We beseech Thee, O Lord, mercifully to receive the prayers of Thy Church : that, all adversity and error being destroyed, she may serve Thee in security and freedom, through Jesus Christ our Lord |
EPISTOLA ~ EPISTLE ¤ 2 Corinthios XIII:I-III ~ 2 Corinthians 13:1-13
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Léctio Epístolæ beati Pauli Apóstoli ad Corinthios.
Fratres : Si linguis hominum loquar, et Angelorum, caritatem autem non habeam, factus sum velut aes sonas, aut cymbalum tinniens. Et si habuero prophetetiam, et noverim mysteria omnia et omnes sicentiam : et si habuero omnem fidem ita ut montes transferam, caritatem autem non habuero, Nihil sum. Et si distribuero in cibos papuperumomnes faculates meas, et si tradidero corpus meum, ita ut ardeam, caritatem autem non habuero, Nihil mihi prodest. Caritas patiens est, benigna est : Caritas non aemulatur, non agi perperam, non inflator, non est ambitiosa, non inflator, non est ambitiosa, non quaerit quae sua sunt non irriatur, non cogitate malum, non gaudet super inquitate, cogaudet autem veritati : omnia suffert, omnia credit, omnia seperat, omnia sustinet. Caritas nunquam excdidt :sive linguae cessabunt, sive scientia destruetur. Ex patre enim cognoscimus, et ex parte prophetamus. Cum autem venerit quod perfectum est, evacuabitur quod ex parte est. Cum essem parvulus, Loquebar ut parvulus, sapiebam ut parvulus, cogitabam ut parvulus. Quando autem factus sum vir, evacuavi quae errant parvuli, Videmus nunc per speculum in aenigmate: tunc autem facie ad vadiem. Nunc cognosco ex parte: tunc autem cognoscam sicuit et cognitius sum. Nunc autem manent, fides, spes, caritas, tria haec : major autem horum est caritas.
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A reading from the Epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.
Brethren: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy, and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge; and if I should have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing; Charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth: beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never falleth away; whether prophecies shall be away; whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall pass be destroyed. For we now in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known. And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
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GRADUALE ~ GRADUAL : ¤ Psalm CXXVI:XV-XVI ~ 76:15-16
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T u es Deus qui facis mirabilia solus : notam fecisti in gentibus virutem tuam. V. Liberasti in brachio tuo populum tuum, filios Israel et Joseph. |
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Thou art God that alone doest wonders: Thou has made Thy power known among the nations. V. With Thy arm Thou hast delivered Thy people, the children of Israel and of Joseph.
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TRACT : ¤ Psalm XCIX:I-II ~ 99:1-2
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J ubilate Deo, omnis terra: servite Domino in laetitia. V. Intrate in conspectus ejus, in exsultatione : scitote quod Dominus ipse est Deus. V. Ipse fecit nos, et non ipsi nos : nos autem populus ejus, et oves pascuae ejus. |
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Sing joyfully to God, all the earth : serve ye the Lord with gladness. V. Come in before His presence with exceeding great joy : know ye that the Lord He is God. V. He made us, and not we ourselves : but we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
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From A Series of 153 Woodcuts by Jerome Nadal, SJ,
published in Evangelicae Historiae Imagines c.1593
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| EVANGELIUM ~ GOSPEL - Blessed Apostle Saint Lucam XVIII:XXXI-XLIII ~ Luke 18:31-43
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† Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam †
I In illo tempore: Assumpsit Jesus duodecim, et ait illis : "Ecce ascendimus Jerosolymam, et consummabuntur omnia, quae scripta sunt per Phophetas de Filio hominis. Tradetur enim gentibus, et illudetur, et flagellabitur, et conspuetur : et postquam flagllaverint, occident eum, et territa die resurget." Et ipsi Nihil horum intellexerunt, et eat verbum istud absconditium ab eis, et non intelligebant quae dicebantur. Factum est autem cum appropinquaret Jericho, caecus quidam sedebit secus viam, mendicans. Et cum audiret turban praetereuntem, interrogabat guid hoc esset. Dixerunt autem ei, quod Jesus Nazarenus transfiret. Et clamavit, dicens : 'Jesu, fili David, Miserere mei.' Et qui praeibant, increpabant eum ut traceret. Ipse vero multo magis clamabat : 'Fili David, Miserere mei.' Stans autem Jesus, jussit illum adduci ad se. Et cum appropinquasset, interrogavit illum, dicens : "Quid tibi vis faciam?" At ille dixit : 'Domine, ut videam.' Et Jesus dixit illi : "Respice, fides tua te salvum fecit." Et confestim vidit, et sequebatur illum magnificans Deum. Et omnis plebs ut vidit, dedit laudem Deo.
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† The Gospel recorded by Blessed Apostle Saint Luke †
A t that time Jesus took unto Him the twelve and said to them : "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall by accomplished which were written by the Prophets concerning the Son of Man. For He shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and scourged and spit upon: and after they have scourged Him, they will put Him to death, and the third day He shall rise again." And they understood none of these things, and the word was hid from them, and they understood not the things that were said. Now it came to pass, when He drew nigh to Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging. And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying : 'Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.' And they that went before rebuked him, that he cried out much more : 'Son of David, have mercy on me.' And Jesus standing, commanded him to brought unto him. And when he was come near, He asked him, saying : "What wilt thou that I do to thee?" But he said: 'Lord, that I may see.' And Jesus said to him: "Receive thy sight, thy faith hath made thee whole." And immediately he saw and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. |
Homily For Quinquagesima Sunday
Anno Domini 6 February 2005
by Father Louis J. Campbell
"Qui legit, intelligat"
"He who readeth, let him understand"
Through a Glass Darkly
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Through the Looking Glass of Vatican II John XXIII wanted to take the faithful. The journey has been going nowhere for [nearly 50] years and getting more dangerous each day as a surrealistic scene descends on reality. Like Alice in Wonderland they are lost and cannot trust the Cheshire cat, Tweedle-Dum, Tweedle-Dee, or any of the other characters that have popped up in the newchurch.
"We see now through a mirror in an obscure manner," says St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:12. How obscure it can get, we do not yet know. But it took extreme care and constant vigilance even in apostolic times to keep the Faith from being corrupted by heresy. Charged by Our Lord with the heavy responsibility of protecting and preserving the "deposit of faith" was Blessed Apostle Saint Peter, the first pope: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith may not fail; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, strengthen thy brethren" ( Blessed Apostle Saint Luke 22:31,32 ).
Peter was soon busy encouraging the others and confirming the faith of the infant Church. The Apostles had to meet in Jerusalem as early as the year 49 A.D., to decide whether or not Gentile converts were obliged to keep the Mosaic Law, including circumcision. The Council of Jerusalem, over which Blessed Apostle Saint Peter presided, and which all the living Apostles attended, including Blessed Apostle Saint Paul, decreed that it was no longer necessary for Christians to keep the Jewish Law. This was only the first of twenty Church councils ( or twenty-one if you want to count Vatican II ) called together by the pope, or at least approved by him, to defend the Church and its traditional rites and teachings. A few years after the Council of Jerusalem Blessed Apostle Saint Paul still found it necessary to declare to the Galatians, who had come under the influence of the Judaizers, heretics who still required the observance of the Mosaic Law:
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"I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you to the grace of Christ, changing to another gospel; which is not another gospel, except in this respect that there are some who trouble you, and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from Heaven should preach a gospel to you other than that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema!" ( Galatians 1:6-8 ).
Heresy has raised its ugly head in every age, requiring the continuing vigilance of the successors of Blessed Apostle Saint Peter to protect the deposit of faith. The popes themselves, since early times, as is evidenced by the oath taken by Pope Saint Agatho in 681 AD, have sworn to uphold the received Tradition, that is, until the oath was refused by the last two conciliar popes. The oath, which reads like an expanded version of the words of Blessed Apostle Saint Paul quoted above, reads in part:
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"I vow to change nothing of the received Tradition, and nothing thereof I have found before me guarded by my God-pleasing predecessors, to encroach upon, to alter, or to permit any innovation therein; To the contrary: with glowing affection as her truly faithful student and successor, to safeguard reverently the passed-on good, with my whole strength and utmost effort;… To guard the Holy Canons and Decrees of our Popes as if they were the Divine ordinances of Heaven, because I am conscious of Thee, whose place I take through the Grace of God, whose Vicarship I possess with Thy support, being subject to the severest accounting before Thy Divine Tribunal over all that I shall confess; I swear to God Almighty and the Savior Jesus Christ that I will keep whatever has been revealed through Christ and His Successors and whatever the first councils and my predecessors have defined and declared… Accordingly, without exclusion, We subject to severest excommunication anyone - be it ourselves or be it another - who would dare to undertake anything new in contradiction to this constituted evangelic Tradition and the purity of the Orthodox Faith and the Christian Religion, or would seek to change anything by his opposing efforts, or would agree with those who undertake such a blasphemous venture" ( Liber Diurnus Romanorum Pontificum, Patrologia Latina 1005, S. 54).
Surely there is a severe accounting to be made when one must search the ruins for anything that survives of the Church that was. Where are the good and holy bishops and priests, the prayerful and devoted nuns and brothers, t he chant and the Catholic hymns, the processions, the devotions, the shrines, the pilgrims? Why the scandals, the fallen priests, the deserted convents, the decimated seminaries, the closed churches, the disheartened faithful?
And where is Peter, to whom the faithful have looked for two t Blessed Apostle Sainthousand years to be encouraged and confirmed in the faith of the Apostles? The sheep know the voice of the Shepherd, but what is this we hear about all men having the Spirit of God (though Jesus said the world could not receive Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him [ Blessed Apostle Saint John 14:17 ] ), everyone going to Heaven, freedom of religion, two valid covenants, praying with unbelievers and idolaters, a New Theology, a New Mass, a New Pentecost, a New Church? In these things we do not hear the voice of the Shepherd, and we have fled in all directions from the heresy. "I will smite the shepherd," says the Lord, "and the sheep will be scattered" ( Blessed Apostle Saint Mark 14: 27 ). The miracle is that we, though a remnant Church, are still strong in the faith. "They've got the churches, but we've got the faith" ( Saint Athanasius ) - the "Faith of our fathers, living still."
We are seeing the darkness before the dawn, so the darkness itself should encourage us to believe that the Lord will soon come. These verses from G. K. Chesterton's poem, The Ballad of the White Horse, tell us to keep the faith, even in the darkest times:
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From The Ballad of White Horse
Out of the mouth of the Mother of God
Like a little word come I;
For I go gathering Christian men
From sunken paving and ford and fen
To die in a battle, God knows when,
By God, but I know why.
And this is the word of Mary,
The word of the world's desire;
No more of comfort shall ye get,
Save that the sky grows darker yet
And the sea rises higher.
"We see now through a mirror in an obscure manner, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I have been known" ( 1 Corinthians 13:12 ). †
Blessed be the Holy Name of Jesus, now and for all eternity. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
OFFERTORIUM ~ OFFERTORY ¤ Psalm CXVIII:XII-XIII ~ 118:12-13
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Benedictus es, Domine, doce me justifications tuas : in labiis meis pronuntavi omnia judicia oris Tui. . |
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Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy justifications : with my lips I have pronounced all the judgments of Thy mouth.
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SECRETA ~ SECRET
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Haec hostia, Domine, quaesumus, emundet nostra delicta : et ad sacrificium celebrandum, subditorum tibi corpora mentesque sanctificer, per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium Tuum, Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus per Dóminum. Secret For The Blessed Virgin Mary
In méntibus nóstris, quæsumus, Dómine, veræ fídei sacraménta confírma: ut, qui concéptum de Vírgine Deum verum et hóminem confitémur; per ejus salutíferæ resurrectiónis poténtiam, ad ætérnam mereámur perveníre lætítiam. Per eúmdem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Secret for the Octave of the Feast of the Holy Innocents
Sanctorum Tuorum, Domine, nobis pia non desit oratio: quae et munera nostra conciliet, et Tuam nobis indulgentiam semper obtineat. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium Tuum, Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum.. Secret For The Intercession Of The Saints
Exaudi nos, Deus salutaris noster : ut per hujus sacramenti virtutem, a cunctis nos mentis et corporis hostibus tuearis; gratiam tribunes in praesenti, et gloriam in futuro. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Secret For The Living and the Dead
Deus, Cui soli cogniuts est numerus electorum in superna felicitate locandus: tribue quaesumus; ut, intercedentibus omnibus Sanctis Tuis, universorum, quos in oratione commendatos suscepimus , et omnium fidelium nomina, beatae praedestinationis liber adscripta retineat. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Secret for God's Holy Church
Prótege nos, Dómine, tuis mystériis serviéntes: ut divínis rebus inhæréntes, et córpore tibi famulémur et mente. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
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M ay these sacrifices, we beseech Thee, O Lord, cleanse our offenses, and sanctify the bodies and minds of Thy servants for the celebration of this sacrifice, through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. Secret For The Blessed Virgin Mary
May this victim, we beseech Thee, O Lord, cleanse away our sins, sanctifying Thy servants in both soul and body for the celebration of this sacrifice, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, One God, forever and ever. Amen. Secret For The Holy Innocents
Let not the loving prayer of Thy Saints fail us, O Lord: may it render our offerings pleasing to Thee, and ever obtain for us Thy pardon, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, One God, forever and ever. Amen. Secret For The Intercession Of The Saints
Graciously hear us, O God our Savior, and by the virtue of this sacrament protect us from all enemies of soul and body, bestowing on us both grace in this life and glory hereafter. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Secret For The Living and the Dead
O Almighty and Eternal God, O God, Who alone knowest the number of the elect to be admitted to the happiness of Heaven, grant, we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of all Thy saints, the names of all who have been recommended to our prayers and of all the faithful, may be inscribed in the book of blessed predestination. Protect us, O Lord, who assist at Thy mysteries; that, fixed upon things divine we may serve Thee in both body and mind, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost; One God; forever and ever, Amen. Secret For God's Holy Church
Protect us, O Lord, who assist at Thy mysteries, that, cleaving to things divine, we may serve Thee both in body and in mind.
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Preface for the Most Holy Trinity
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Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancta, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus. Qui cum unigenito Filio: tuo et Spiritu Sancto, unus es Deus, unus es Dominus: non in uninus singularitate personae, sed in unius Trinitae substantiae. Quo denim de tua Gloria, revelante te, credimus, hoc de Filio tuo, hod de Spiritu Sancto, sine differentia discretionis sentimus. Ut in confessione verare, sempitiernaeque Deitatis, et in personis proprietas, et in essential unitas, et in majestate adoretur aequalitas. Quam laudant Angeli atque Archangeli, Cherubim, quoque ac Seraphim: qui non cessant clamare quotodie, una voce dicentes : SANCTUS, SANCTUS, SANCTUS... |
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It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, ever-lasting God: Who, together with Thine only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, are one God, one Lord: not in the oneness of a single Person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For what we believe by Thy revelation of Thy glory, the same do we believe of Thy Son, the same of the Holy Ghost, without difference or separation. So that in confessing the true and everlasting Godhead, distinction in persons, unity in essence, and equality in majesty may be adored. Which the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim also and Seraphim do praise: who cease not daily to cry out with one voice saying: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY...
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COMMUNIO ~ COMMUNION ¤ Blessed Apostle Saint Luke LXXVII:XXIX-XXX ~ 77:29-30
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Manducaverunt, et saturati sun nimis, et desiderium eorum attulit eis Dominus: non sun fraudati a desiderio suo.
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They did eat, and were filled exceedingly, and the Lord gave them their desire: they were not defrauded of that which they craved.
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POSTCOMMUNIO ~ POSTCOMMUNION
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QQuaesumus, Omnipotens Deus ut qui caelestia alimenta percepimus, per haec contra omnia adversa muniamur, per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum. Qui vivis et regnas in cum Deo Patri in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, unum Deum. Postcommunion For The Blessed Virgin Mary
Quos tantis, Dómine, largíris, uti mystériis; quæsumus ut efféctibus nos eórum veráciter aptáre dignéris. Per eúmdem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spíritus Sancti, Deus. Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Postcommunion For The Intercession Of The Saints
Mundet et múniat nos quáesumus Dómine dívini sacraménti munus oblátum: et intercedénte beáta Vírgine Dei Genitríce María, cum beáto Joseph, beátis Apóstolis tuis Petro et Paulo, et ómnibus Sanctis; a cunctis nos reddat et pervérsitátibus expiátos, et advérsitátibus expedítos. Per eúmdem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fiiium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spíritus Sancti, Deus. Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Postcommunion For The Living and the Dead
Purificent nos, quaesumus, Omnipotens et misericors Deus, sacramenta quae sumpsimus : et, intercedentibus omnibus Sanctis tuis, praesta; ut hoc tuum sacramentum non sit nois reatus ad poenam, sed intercession salutaris ad veniam : sit ablution scelerum, sit fortitude fragilium sit contra omnia mundi pericula firmamentum ; sit vivorum atque mortuorum fidelium remissio omnium delictorum. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Postcommunion for God's Holy Church
Quæsumus, Dómine Deus noster, ut quos divína tribuis participatióne gaudére, humánis non sinas subjacére perículis. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fiiium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spíritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
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We We beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who have received this heavenly nourishment may be strengthened by it against all adversities, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God. For ever and ever. Amen Postcommunion For The Blessed Virgin Mary
Merciful God, who ceasest not to lavish upon us the riches of Thy sacraments; grant that we may ever draw near to Thine Altar with deepest reverence and with faith unwavering, through the Lord. Postcommunion For The Intercession Of The Saints
Graciously hear us, O God our Savior, and, by virtue of this Sacrament, defend us from all enemies of soul and body, bestowing upon us Thy grace here and Thy glory hereafter. Postcommunion For The Living and the Dead
May the sacraments which we have received purify us, we beseech Thee, O almighty and merciful Lord; and through the intercession of all Thy saints, grant that this Thy sacrament may not be unto us a condemnation, but a salutary intercession for pardon; may it be the washing away of sin, the strength of the weak, a protection against all dangers of the world, and a remission of all the sins of the faithful, whether living or dead, through the Lord. Postcommunion for God's Holy Church
Protect us, O Lord, who assist at Thy mysteries, that, cleaving to things divine, we may serve Thee both in body and in mind.
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PRAYER OVER THE MANY
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Inclinantes se, Domine, majestati Tuaee, propitiatus intende; ut, Qui divino munere sunt refecti, caelestibus semper nutriantur auxiliis, per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum.
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Look down, O Lord, in Thy mercy, upon those who bow before Thy majesty; that they who are refreshed by Thy divine gift may ever be sustained by heavenly aid, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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THE BLESSING
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V. Sit Nomen Domini benedictum.
R. Ex hoc nunc, et usque in saeculum.
V. U Adjutorium nostrum in Nomine Domini.
R. Qui fecit colum et terram.
V. Benedicat vos, Omnipotens Deus:
V. Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus, descendat super vos, et maneat semper.
R. Amen.
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V. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
R. Now and for ever more.
V. U Our help is in the Name of the Lord.
R. Who made Heaven and earth.
V. May Almighty God bless thee:
V. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, descend upon thee, and always remain with thee.
R. Amen.
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† - Holy Queen of Heaven and Earth, pray for us. - †
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