Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 06-03-11, Mem. St. Charles Lwanga and his companions, martyrs

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 06-03-11 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

This prayer,  which dates from the twelfth century, is substituted for the Angelus during Easter Season.

 

The Regina Coeli 

 

In Latin

In English

Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia. V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia, R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia. Oremus: Deus qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.

Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia. V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia. Let us pray: O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

[Salvation]

Prayer for the Unborn

Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.

Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today who are not thinking of motherhood.

Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image - as well as theirs - made for eternal life.

Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts to love their babies and give them birth and all the needed care that a mother can give.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.

[Salvation]

Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

---

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

  O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

---

Hymn

Eternal Monarch, King most high,

Whose blood hath brought redemption nigh,

By whom the death of death was wrought,

And conquering grace’s battle fought:

Be thou our joy, O mighty Lord,

As thou will be our great reward;

Earth’s joys to thee are nothing worth,

Thou joy and crown of heaven and earth.

To thee we therefore humbly pray

That thou wouldst purge our sins away,

And draw our hearts by cords of grace

To thy celestial dwelling place.

So when the judgement day shall come,

And all must rise to meet their doom,

Thou wilt remit the debts we owe,

And our lost crowns again bestow.

All glory, Lord, to thee we pay,

Ascending o’er the stars today;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To Father and to Paraclete.

---

Psalm 37 (38)
The plea of a sinner in great peril

Do not punish me, Lord, in your rage.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your wrath,

  do not ruin me in your anger:

for I am pierced by your arrows

  and crushed beneath your hand.

In the face of your anger

  there is no health in my body.

There is no peace for my bones,

  no rest from my sins.

My transgressions rise higher than my head:

  a heavy burden, they weigh me down.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

Do not punish me, Lord, in your rage.

---

Psalm 37 (38)

O Lord, you know all my longing. Alleluia.

My wounds are corruption and decay

  because of my foolishness.

I am bowed down and bent,

  bent under grief all day long.

For a fire burns up my loins,

  and there is no health in my body.

I am afflicted, utterly cast down,

  I cry out from the sadness of my heart.

Lord, all that I desire is known to you;

  my sighs are not hidden from you.

My heart grows weak, my strength leaves me,

  and the light of my eyes – even that has gone.

My friends and my neighbours

  keep far from my wounds.

Those closest to me keep far away,

  while those who would kill me set traps,

  those who would harm me make their plots:

  they plan mischief all through the day.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

O Lord, you know all my longing. Alleluia.

---

Psalm 37 (38)

I confess my guilt to you, Lord; do not forsake me, my saviour. Alleluia.

But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

  like one who is dumb, I do not open my mouth.

I am like someone who cannot hear,

  in whose mouth there is no reply.

For in you, Lord, I put my trust:

  you will listen to me, Lord, my God.

For I have said, “Let them never triumph over me:

  if my feet stumble, they will gloat.”

For I am ready to fall:

  my suffering is before me always.

For I shall proclaim my wrongdoing:

  I am anxious because of my sins.

All the time my enemies live and grow stronger;

  they are so many, those who hate me without cause.

Returning evil for good they dragged me down,

  because I followed the way of goodness.

Do not abandon me, Lord:

  my God, do not leave me.

Hurry to my aid,

  O Lord, my saviour.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

I confess my guilt to you, Lord; do not forsake me, my saviour. Alleluia.

---

Christ, at your resurrection, alleluia,

– let heaven and earth rejoice, alleluia.

---

Reading	1 John 3:1-10 ©

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,

by letting us be called God’s children;

and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him,

therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;

all we know is, that when it is revealed

we shall be like him

because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope

must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

Anyone who sins at all

breaks the law,

because to sin is to break the law.

Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin,

and that in him there is no sin;

anyone who lives in God does not sin,

and anyone who sins

has never seen him or known him.

My children, do not let anyone lead you astray:

to live a holy life

is to be holy just as he is holy;

to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil,

since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.

It was to undo all that the devil has done

that the Son of God appeared.

No one who has been begotten by God sins;

because God’s seed remains inside him,

he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.

In this way we distinguish the children of God

from the children of the devil:

anybody not living a holy life

and not loving his brother

is no child of God’s.

Responsory

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us: not only shall we be called children of God, but we shall truly be his children, alleluia.

We know that when our future is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is: not only shall we be called children of God, but we shall truly be his children, alleluia.

---

Reading	A sermon by Pope Paul VI

The glory of the martyrs - a sign of rebirth

The African martyrs add another page to the martyrology – the Church’s roll of honour – an occasion both of mourning and of joy. This is a page worthy in every way to be added to the annals of that Africa of earlier which we, living in this era and being men of little faith, never expected to be repeated.

  In earlier times there occurred those famous deeds, so moving to the spirit, of the martyrs of Scilli, of Carthage, and of that “white robed army” of Utica commemorated by Saint Augustine and Prudentius; of the martyrs of Egypt so highly praised by Saint John Chrysostom, and of the martyrs of the Vandal persecution. Who would have thought that in our days we should have witnessed events as heroic and glorious?

  Who could have predicted to the famous African confessors and martyrs such as Cyprian, Felicity, Perpetua and – the greatest of all – Augustine, that we would one day add names so dear to us as Charles Lwanga and Matthias Mulumba Kalemba and their 20 companions? Nor must we forget those members of the Anglican Church who also died for the name of Christ.

  These African martyrs herald the dawn of a new age. If only the mind of man might be directed not toward persecutions and religious conflicts but toward a rebirth of Christianity and civilisation!

  Africa has been washed by the blood of these latest martyrs, the first of this new age (and, God willing, let them be the last, although such a holocaust is precious indeed). Africa is reborn free and independent.

  The infamous crime by which these young men were put to death was so unspeakable and so expressive of the times. It shows us clearly that a new people needs a moral foundation, needs new spiritual customs firmly planted, to be handed down to posterity. Symbolically, this crime also reveals that a simple and rough way of life – enriched by many fine human qualities yet enslaved by its own weakness and corruption – must give way to a more civilised life wherein the higher expressions of the mind and better social conditions prevail.

Responsory

God looks on, his angels look on, Christ, too, looks on as we struggle and strive in the contest of faith. What great dignity and glory are ours, what happiness to join battle in the presence of God and to be crowned by Christ, the Judge, alleluia!

Let us be armed with a great determination and be prepared to face the combat, pure in heart, sound in faith, and full of courage. What great dignity and glory are ours, what happiness to join battle in the presence of God and to be crowned by Christ, the Judge, alleluia!

---

Let us pray.

Lord God, you have made the blood of martyrs become the seed of Christians.

  In your love, grant that your Church, the field that was moistened by the blood of Saint Charles and his companions, may always yield a fertile harvest for you.

[We make our prayer] through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

  God for ever and ever.

Amen.

[Salvation]

Divine Intimacy Devotional

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

Presence of God

"I return thanks to You, O God, one and true Trinity, one sovereign divinity, holy and indivisible unity." (Roman Breviary)

Meditation

1. From Advent until today, the Church has had us consider the magnificent manifestations of God's mercy toward men: the Incarnation, the Redemption, Pentecost. Now she directs our attention to the source of these gifts, the most Holy Trinity, from whom everything proceeds. Spontaneously, there rises to our lips the hymn of gratitude expressed in the Introit of the Mass: "Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity; we will give glory to Him, because He has shown His mercy to us": the mercy of God the Father, "who so loved the world that He gave it His only-begotten Son" (cf. John 3,16); the mercy of God the Son, who to redeem us became incarnate and died on the Cross; the mercy of the Holy Spirit, who deigned to come down into our hearts to communicate to us the charity of God and to make us participate in the divine life. The Church has very fittingly included in the Office for today the beautiful antiphon inspired by St Paul: "Caritas Pater est, gratia Filius, communicatio Spiritus Sanctus, O beata Trinitas!"; the Father is charity, the Son is grace and the Holy Spirit is communication: applying this, the charity of the Father and the grace of the Son are communicated to us by the Holy Spirit, who diffuses them in our heart. The marvellous work of the Trinity in our souls could not be better synthesized. Today's Office and Mass form a veritable paean of praise and gratitude to the Blessed Trinity; they are a prolonged Gloria Patri and Te Deum. These two hymns — one a succinct epitome, and the other a majestic alternation of praises — are truly the hymns for today, intended to awaken in our hearts a deep echo of praise, thanksgiving and adoration.

2. Today's feast draws us to praise and glorify the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, not only because of the great mercy They have shown to men, but also and especially in Themselves and for Themselves: first, by reason of Their supreme essence which had no beginning and will never have an end; next, because of Their infinite perfections, Their majesty, essential beauty and goodness. Equally worthy of our adoration is the sublime fruitfulness of life by which the Father continually generates the Word, while from the Father and the Word proceeds the Holy Spirit. The Father is not prior to, or superior to the Word; nor are the Father and the Word prior to or greater than the Holy Spirit. The three divine Persons are all co-eternal and equal among Themselves: the divinity and all the divine perfections and attributes are one and the same in the Father, in the Son and in the Holy Spirit. What can man say in the presence of such a sublime mystery? What can he understand of it? Nothing! Yet what has been revealed to us is certain, because the Son of God Himself, "who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1,18). But the mystery is so sublime and it so exceeds our understanding, that we can only bow our heads and adore in silence. "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are His judgments, and how unsearchable are His ways!" exclaims St Paul in today's Epistle (Romans 11, 33-36). He who, having been "caught up in paradise", could neither know nor say anything except that he had "heard secret words which it is not granted to man to utter" (2 Corinthians 12, 2-4). In the presence of the unspeakable mystery of the Trinity the highest praise is silence, the silence of the soul that adores, knowing it is incapable of praising or glorifying the divine Majesty worthily.

Colloquy

"O eternal Trinity, You are a deep sea in which the more I seek the more I find, and the more I find, the more I seek to know You. You fill us insatiably, because the soul, before the abyss which You are, is always famished; and hungering for You, O eternal Trinity, it desires to behold truth in Your light. As the thirsty hart pants after the fount of living water, so does my soul long to leave this gloomy body and see You as You are, in truth.

"O unfathomable depth! O Deity eternal! O deep ocean! What more could You give me than to give me Yourself? You are an ever-burning fire; You consume and are not consumed. By Your fire, You consume every trace of self-love in the soul. You are a Fire which drives away all coldness and illumines minds with its light, and with this light You have made me know Your truth. Truly this light is a sea which feeds the soul until it is all immersed in You, O peaceful Sea, eternal Trinity! The water of this sea is never turbid; it never causes fear, but gives knowledge of the truth. This water is transparent and discloses hidden things; and a living faith gives such abundance of light that the soul almost attains to certitude in what it believes.

"You are the supreme and infinite Good, good above all good; good which is joyful, incomprehensible, inestimable; beauty exceeding all other beauty; wisdom surpassing all wisdom, because You are Wisdom itself. Food of angels, giving Yourself with fire of love to men! You are the garment which covers our nakedness; You feed us, hungry as we are, with Your sweetness, because You are all sweetness with no bitterness. Clothe me, O eternal Trinity, clothe me with Yourself, so that I may pass this mortal life in true obedience and in the light of the most holy faith with which You have inebriated my soul." (St Catherine of Siena)

[Salvation]

Saint Charles Lwanga & Companions, Martyrs

Saint Charles Lwanga & Companions, Martyrs
Memorial
June 3rd

 

King Mwanga of Uganda launched persecutions of Christians in response to their opposition to his homosexual and corrupt court. St. Charles, the master of his pages, was martyred with fourteen other pages on June 3, 1886; other companions were killed later.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

 

Patronage:
African Catholic Youth Action, Catholic youth, converts, torture victims

Collect:
Father,
You have made the blood of the martyrs
the seed of Christians.
May the witness of Saint Charles and his companions
and their loyalty to Christ in the face of torture
inspire countless men and women
to live the Christian faith.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: II Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14
It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine's flesh. One of them, acting as their spokesman, said, "What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers."

And when he was at his last breath, he said, "You accursed wretch, you dismiss us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws."

After him, the third was the victim of their sport. When it was demanded, he quickly put out his tongue and courageously stretched forth his hands, and said nobly, "I got these from Heaven, and because of His laws I disdain them, and from Him I hope to get them back again." As a result the king himself and those with him were astonished at the young man's spirit, for he regarded his sufferings as nothing.

When he too had died, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the same way. And when he was near death, he said, "One cannot but choose to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being raised again by Him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life!"

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:1-12
Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Prayers:

• Martyrs of Uganda, pray for the faith where it is danger and for Christians who must suffer because of their faith. Give them the same courage, zeal, and joy you showed. And help those of us who live in places where Christianity is accepted to remain aware of the persecution in other parts of the world. Amen
• Dear Lord, the Uganda Martyrs were willing to give their lives as witness of their faith in You. Help us to have the same courage and bestow upon us the faith of these martyrs - that we too may live our lives as witness to Your Love for us, and our love of You.

 

"The African martyrs add another page to the Church's roll of honor -- an occasion both of mourning and of joy. These African martyrs herald the dawn of a new age. If only the mind of man might be directed not toward persecutions and religious conflicts but toward a rebirth of Christianity and civilization! Africa has been washed by the blood of these latest martyrs, and first of this new age (and, God willing, let them be the last, although such a holocaust is precious indeed). Africa is reborn free and independent."
- from the homily at the canonization of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions by Pope Paul VI

Died at Namugongo, Uganda, 1885-1887; beatified in 1920; canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964; feast added to the Roman Calendar in 1969; declared the protomartyrs of Black Africa. Twenty-two Catholic men, including seventeen young pages between the ages of 13 and 30, plus some Protestants, were martyred by King Mwanga of Uganda. Their heroic courage rivalled that of the early martyrs.

Catholic Christianity began to take root in Uganda after Cardinal Lavigerie's White Fathers established missions in central Africa in 1879. Progress was made under the rule of the not unfriendly local chieftain named Mtesa; however, his successor, Mwanga detested the faith that would accuse him of debauchery.

King Mwanga of Uganda took as chief steward a young Christian named Joseph Msaka Balikuddembe. Joseph detested the king's debauched ways, especially his attempts to corrupt other young men of Uganda, whom the steward tried to protect. Mwanga distrusted foreign visitors, fearing they might report his evil ways to the British government, which had given him his power.

In October 1885, Mwanga ordered his followers to kill an Anglican missionary, Bishop James Hannington. The Catholic steward Joseph protested at the murder of a fellow Christian. The following month, Mwanga had him beheaded. "A Christian who gives his life for God is not afraid to die," Joseph proclaimed. "Mwanga has condemned me without cause; but tell him I forgive him from my heart." To the king's astonishment, the Christians were not cowed by his sudden outrage.

Six months later Mwanga's savagery was even worse. He discovered that a 14-year-old page, Mwafu, had been receiving instruction in the Catholic faith. He called for Denis Sebuggwago, who had been teaching the page, and killed him by thrusting a butcher's cleaver or spear through his throat. That night Charles Lwanga, the new master of the pages, baptized five of them including Kizito, who he had repeatedly rescued from Mwanga's pederasty.

The next day the baptisms were discovered. Enraged, Mwanga assembled all the pages and ordered the Christians to separate themselves from the others. Fifteen, all under the age of 25, did so at once and were later joined by two others who were already under arrest and by two soldiers. They were asked if they wished to remain Christian and each replied, "Until death." The king then ordered every Protestant and Catholic living in the royal enclosure to be put to death.

Thirty-two Catholics and Protestants were led 37 miles away to a place called Namugongo to be burned to death in a literal holocaust. Three were killed on the way. One of these, a district judge named Matthias Kalemba, declared, "God will rescue me. But you will not see how he does it, because he will take my soul and leave you only my body." He was cut into pieces and left to die slowly by the roadside.

The rest of the martyrs were taken to Namugongo. They were imprisoned there for seven days while a huge pyre was prepared. At the appointed time on Ascension Day, they were forced to lie down on reed mats. Wrapped up in the mats and tightly bound, they were laid side by side. Fuel was poured on them, and they were set afire. As their executioners sang barbarously, the martyrs died confidently praying to their Savior.

The persecution spread. A leader among the confessors was Matthias Murumba, who was killed with revolting cruelty. During the reign of Mwanga about 100 Christians of various denominations were martyred.

• Andrew Kagwa (Kaggwa, d. 1886) was a native chief of Kigowa and the royal bandmaster of King Mwanga. He was baptized in 1881, converted his wife, and became active in missionary work. He had gathered a large body of catechumens around him. Condemned to death for the faith, he right arm was severed from his body before he was beheaded.
• Charles Lwanga (d. 1886) was a servant of the king, who was baptized in November 1885 and martyred the following June. He succeeded Joseph Mkasa as master of the pages and continued his predecessor's censure of the king's homosexual practices and corruption of the young pages. This intensified King Mwanga's hatred of Catholics.
• Denis (Dionysius) Sebuggwago (Sebuggwawo) (d. 1885) was a servant of the King. He killed with a butcher's cleaver by the king himself because he was caught teaching the catechism. He was the first victim of the persecution.
• John Maria Muzeyi (d. 1886) practiced the corporal works of mercy until his martyrdom.
• Joseph Mikasa (Mkasa, Musaka) Balikuddembe (d. 1885), was the Christian steward in charge of the pages, at the court of King Mwanga of Uganda. He was beheaded on November 15, when he denounced the king's notorious immoralities and his murder of Joseph Harrington, a Protestant missionary, and his group.
• Kizito (d. 1886), 13-year old boy, who went to his death "laughing and chattering," was saved from the king's pedophilic tendencies by Charles Lwanga, who baptized the child.
• Mbanga (Mbaga) Tuzinde (d. 1886) was a page to the king and the adopted son of the chief executioner. He had to resist the pleas of his family up until the moment of he was thrown on the pyre at Namuyongo. At the last moment his father killed him with a blow to the neck to prevent him from suffering the agony of burning.
• Matthias Kalemba (d. 1886) was a Membo judge, who was tortured to death.
• Matthias Murumba, a Muslim assistant judge who converted, first to Protestantism, then to the Catholic faith. He was baptized by Fr. Livinhac, then martyred on Kumpala Hill.
• Pontain Ngondwe (d. 1886), a soldier in the Royal Guard (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Farmer, Faupel, Gill, Thoonen, Walsh, White).

(source: For All the Saints, Saint Patrick's church, Washington, DC)

[Salvation]

ACT OF HOPE

O MY GOD, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and Life Everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.  Amen
                                                         ~~~~~~

 

[annalex]

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 16
20.	Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.	Amen, amen dico vobis : quia plorabitis, et flebitis vos, mundus autem gaudebit ; vos autem contristabimini, sed tristitia vestra vertetur in gaudium.	αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οτι κλαυσετε και θρηνησετε υμεις ο δε κοσμος χαρησεται υμεις δε λυπηθησεσθε αλλ η λυπη υμων εις χαραν γενησεται
21.	A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.	Mulier cum parit, tristitiam habet, quia venit hora ejus ; cum autem pepererit puerum, jam non meminit pressuræ propter gaudium, quia natus est homo in mundum.	η γυνη οταν τικτη λυπην εχει οτι ηλθεν η ωρα αυτης οταν δε γεννηση το παιδιον ουκετι μνημονευει της θλιψεως δια την χαραν οτι εγεννηθη ανθρωπος εις τον κοσμον
22.	So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you.	Et vos igitur nunc quidem tristitiam habetis, iterum autem videbo vos, et gaudebit cor vestrum : et gaudium vestrum nemo tollet a vobis.	και υμεις ουν λυπην μεν νυν εχετε παλιν δε οψομαι υμας και χαρησεται υμων η καρδια και την χαραν υμων ουδεις αιρει αφ υμων
23.	And in that day you shall not ask me any thing. Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you.	Et in illo die me non rogabitis quidquam. Amen, amen dico vobis : si quid petieritis Patrem in nomine meo, dabit vobis.	και εν εκεινη τη ημερα εμε ουκ ερωτησετε ουδεν αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οτι οσα αν αιτησητε τον πατερα εν τω ονοματι μου δωσει υμιν

[annalex]

20. Verily, verily, I say to you, That you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
21. A woman when she is in travail has sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
22. And you now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you.

CHRYS. Then He shows that sorrow brings forth joy, short sorrow infinite joy, by an example from nature: A woman when she is in travail has sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

AUG This comparison does not seem difficult to understand. It was one which lay near at hand, and He Himself immediately shows its application. And you now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice. The bringing forth is compared to sorrow, the birth to joy, which is especially true in the birth of a boy. And your joy no man takes from you: their joy is Christ. This agrees with what the Apostle said, Christ being risen from the dead dies no more (Romans 6:9).

CHRYS. By this example He also intimates that He loosens the chains of death, and creates men anew. He does not say however that she should not have tribulation, but that she should not remember it; so great is the joy which follows. And so is it with the saints. He said not that a boy is born, but that a man, a tacit allusion to His own resurrection.

AUG. To this joy it is better to refer what was said above: A little while and you shall not see Me, and again, a little while and you shall see Me. For the whole space of time that this world continues is but a little while. Because I go to the Father, refers to the former clause, a little while and you shall not see Me, not to the latter, a little while and you shall see Me. His going to the Father was the reason why they would not see Him. So to them who then saw Him in the body He says, A little while and you shall not see Me; for He was about to go to the Father, and mortals would thenceforth never see Him again, as they saw Him now. The next words, A little while and you shall see Me, are a promise to the whole Church. For this little while appears long to us while it is passing, but when it is finished we shall then see how little a time it has been.

ALCUIN. The woman is the holy Church, who is fruitful in good works, and brings forth spiritual children to God. This woman, while she brings forth, i.e. while she is making her progress in the world, amidst temptations and afflictions, has sorrow because her hour is come; for no one ever hated his own flesh.

AUG. Nor yet in this bringing forth of joy, are we entirely without joy to lighten our sorrow, but, as the Apostle said, we rejoice in hope (Romans 12:12); for even the woman, to whom we are compared, rejoices more for her future offspring, than she sorrows for her present pain.

ALCUIN. But as soon as she is delivered, i.e. when her laborious struggle is over, and she has got the palm, she remembers no more her former anguish, for joy at reaping such a reward, for joy that a man is born into the world. For as a woman rejoices when a man is born into the world, so the Church is filled with exultation when the faithful are born into life eternal.

BEDE. Nor should it appear strange, if one who departs from this life is said to be born. For as a man is said to be born when he comes out of his mother's womb into the light of day, so may he be said to be born who from out of the prison of the body, is raised to the light eternal. Whence the festivals of the saints, which are the days on which they died, are called their birthdays.

ALCUIN. I will see you again, i.e. I will take you to Myself. Or, I will see you again, i.e. I shall appear again and be seen by you; and your heart shall rejoice.

AUG. This fruit indeed the Church now yearns for in travail, but then will enjoy in her delivery. And it is a male child, because all active duties are for the sake of devotion; for that only is free which is desired for its own sake, not for any thing else, and action is for this end. This is the end which satisfies and is eternal; for nothing can satisfy but what is itself the ultimate end. Wherefore of them it is well said, Your joy no man takes from you.

23. And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say to you, Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

CHRYS, Again our Lord shows that it is expedient that He should go: And in that day shall you ask Me nothing.

AUG. The word ask here means not only to seek for, but to ask a question: the Greek word from which it is translated has both meanings.

CHRYS. He says, And in that day, i.e. when I shall have risen again, you shall ask Me nothing, i.e. not say to Me, Show us the Father, and, Where do You go? since you will know this by the teaching of the Holy Ghost; or, you shall ask Me nothing, i.e. not want Me for a Mediator to obtain your requests, as My name will be enough, if you only call upon that: Verily, verily, I say to you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you. Wherein He shows His power; that neither seen, or asked, but named only to the Father, He will do miracles.

Do not think then, He said, that because for the future I shall not be with you, that you are therefore forsaken; for My name will be a still greater protection to you than My presence: Hitherto have you asked nothing in My Name; ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Catena Aurea John 16

[annalex]

The Joy of All Who Sorrow

Russian icon

[Salvation]

Catholic

Almanac:

Friday, June 3
Liturgical Color: Red
Today is the Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs. Charles was the king’s servant in Uganda. He and his fellow servants converted to Catholicism, angering the king. They became the Martyrs of Uganda, dying between 1885 and 1887.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: June 03, 2011
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Father, you have made the blood of the martyrs the seed of Christians. May the witness of Saint Charles and his companions and their loyalty to Christ in the face of torture inspire countless men and women to live the Christian faith. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

RECIPES

• Mafé

ACTIVITIES

• Namedays
• Religion in the Home for Preschool: June
• What is a Nameday?

PRAYERS

• June Devotion: The Sacred Heart
• Novena to the Holy Spirit
• Novena to the Holy Spirit (2)
• Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
• Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit

3rd

  Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs Old Calendar: St. Clotildem widow (Hist)

Today, together with the whole Church, we honor twenty-two Ugandan martyrs. They are the first martyrs of Sub-Saharan Africa and true witnesses of the Christian faith. Charles Lwanga, a catechist and a young leader, was martyred in 1886 with a group of Catholic and Anglican royal pages, some of whom were not yet baptized. King Mwanga, who despised the Christian religion, gave orders that all the Christian pages in his service be laid upon a mat, bound, placed onto a pyre and burnt. This took place at Namugongo, just outside Kampala.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Corpus Christi. This feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on Sunday, June 6.

Historically today is the feast of St. Clotilde. With her husband King Clovis (c. 466-511) she founded the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled the Franks for over 200 years. They were married in 492 or 493, and she converted him to Christianity in 496. When Clovis died, Clotilde retired to Tours. Her sons' quarrels caused her great sorrow. She died at the tomb of St. Martin of Tours and was buried in Sainte-Genevieve in Paris, a church that she and Clovis founded.

The Novena to the Holy Spirit begins today.

---

St. Charles Lwanga and Companions
Charles was one of twenty-two Ugandan martyrs who converted from paganism. He was baptized November 1885, a year before his death, and became a moral leader. He was the chief of the royal pages and was considered the strongest athlete of the court. He was also known as "the most handsome man of the Kingdom of the Uganda." He instructed his friends in the Catholic Faith and he personally baptized boy pages. He inspired and encouraged his companions to remain chaste and faithful. He protected his companions, ages 13-30, from the immoral acts and homosexual demands of the Babandan ruler, Mwanga.

Mwanga was a superstitious pagan king who originally was tolerant of Catholicism. However, his chief assistant, Katikiro, slowly convinced him that Christians were a threat to his rule. The premise was if these Christians would not bow to him, nor make sacrifices to their pagan god, nor pillage, massacre, nor make war, what would happen if his whole kingdom converted to Catholicism?

When Charles was sentenced to death, he seemed very peaceful, one might even say, cheerful. He was to be executed by being burned to death. While the pyre was being prepared, he asked to be untied so that he could arrange the sticks. He then lay down upon them. When the executioner said that Charles would be burned slowly to death, Charles replied by saying that he was very glad to be dying for the True Faith. He made no cry of pain but just twisted and moaned, "Kotanda! (O my God!)." He was burned to death by Mwanga's order on June 3, 1886. Pope Paul VI canonized Charles Lwanga and his companions on June 22,1964. We celebrate his memorial on June 3rd on the Roman Calendar. Charles is the Patron of the African Youth of Catholic Action.

— www.Savior.org

Patron: African Catholic Youth Action; Catholic youth; converts; torture victims.

Things to Do:

• Learn more about Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. See what the Catholic Relief Services are doing and how you might help. Visit the Holy Childhood Association to find out more about mission work in Africa and to find activities and prayer services.

• These Christian martyrs refused to give in to the homosexual demands of the king. They are saints who respected their bodies and loved the commandments of God. Pray today to be strong in times of temptations against purity. Read the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's document, Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons.

---

St. Clotilde
St. Clotilde was Queen of the Franks, born in Lyons France, probably around the year 470. In 492 or 493, she married Clovis, king of the Franks, converting him to Christianity on Christmas Day. When Clovis died in 511, Clotilde had to deal with feuds and murders conducted by her sons: Clodomir, king of Orleans; Childebert I, king of Paris; and Clotaire, king of Soissons and the Franks. When Clotaire killed two of his nephews, who were the brothers of St. Clodoald (Cloud), Clotilde left Paris and resided thereafter in Tours.

Excerpted from Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, Stephen Bunson

Things to Do:

• Read this longer biography of St. Clotilde by Fr. Butler.

[Salvation]

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

---

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

  O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

---

Hymn

Eternal Monarch, King most high,

Whose Blood hath brought redemption nigh,

By whom the death of Death was wrought,

And conquering Grace’s battle fought.

Ascending to the throne of might,

And seated at the Father’s right,

All power in heaven is Jesu’s own,

That here his manhood had not known.

That so, in nature’s triple frame,

Each heavenly and each earthly name,

And things in hell’s abyss abhorred

May bend the knee and own him Lord.

Yea, Angels tremble when they see

How changed is our humanity;

That flesh hath purged what flesh had stained

And God, the Flesh of God, hath reigned.

Be thou our joy and strong defence,

Who art our future recompense;

So shall the light that springs from thee

Be ours through all eternity.

---

Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me

Have courage, my son: your sins are forgiven you. Alleluia.

Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy;

  in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.

Wash me ever more from my guilt

  and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know how guilty I am:

  my sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone have I sinned,

  and I have done evil in your sight.

Know this, so that you may give just sentence

  and an unbiased judgement.

See, I was conceived in guilt,

  in sin my mother conceived me;

but you love truth in the heart,

  and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom.

You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean;

  you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness;

  the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

Turn your face away from my sins

  and wipe out all my transgressions;

create a pure heart in me, God,

  put a steadfast spirit into me.

Do not send me away from your presence,

  or withdraw your holy spirit from me;

give me again the joy of your salvation,

  and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit.

I will teach the unjust your ways,

  and the impious will return to you.

Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour,

  and my voice will glory in your justice.

Open my lips, Lord,

  and my mouth will proclaim your praise;

for you do not delight in sacrifices:

  if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you.

The true sacrifice is a broken spirit:

  a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.

Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Zion,

  so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt,

Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings;

  then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

Have courage, my son: your sins are forgiven you. Alleluia.

---

Canticle	Habakkuk 3

The Lord will appear in judgement

Lord, you came forth with strength to save your people; you came with your Anointed One, alleluia.

Lord, I heard what you gave me to hear,

  and I was struck with awe of your work.

In the midst of the years, bring it to life;

  in the midst of the years you will make it known.

When you are angry, you will remember your mercy.

God will come from Theman,

  the holy one from the mountain of Pharan.

His glory has covered the heavens

  and the earth is full of his praise.

His brightness shall be like light itself,

  rays shining from his hands –

  there is his strength hidden.

You went forth for the salvation of the people,

  for salvation with your anointed one.

You made a way through the sea for your horses,

  in the silt of many waters.

I have heard you, Lord,

  and my stomach churns within me;

  at the sound of your voice my lips tremble.

My bones rot away, my steps stumble.

I will rest and be quiet on the day of tribulation

  and let it overtake those who have invaded us.

For the fig will not flower,

  the vines will not fruit,

  the work of the olive will be lost.

The fields will yield no food,

  the flocks will be cut off from the sheepfold,

  there will be no cattle in the stalls.

But I will rejoice in the Lord, take joy in God my saviour.

The Lord God is my strength.

  He will make me as sure-footed as the deer.

  He will lead me up to the heights.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

Lord, you came forth with strength to save your people; you came with your Anointed One, alleluia.

---

Psalm 147 (147B)
God, the foundation of Jerusalem

Sion, praise your God, for he has established peace in your land, alleluia.

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem

 — Zion, praise your God.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates,

  he has blessed your children.

He keeps your borders in peace,

  he fills you with the richest wheat.

He sends out his command over the earth,

  and swiftly runs his word.

He sends down snow that is like wool,

  frost that is like ashes.

He sends hailstones like crumbs

 — who can withstand his cold?

He will send out his word, and all will be melted;

  his spirit will breathe, and the waters will flow.

He proclaims his word to Jacob,

  his laws and judgements to Israel.

He has not done this for other nations:

  he has not shown them his judgements.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

Sion, praise your God, for he has established peace in your land, alleluia.

---

Short reading	Acts 5:30-32 ©

It was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.

---

Short Responsory

The Lord has risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.

– The Lord has risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.

He who hung on the tree for our sake, alleluia, alleluia.

– The Lord has risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– The Lord has risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.

---

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

We see Jesus crowned with glory and honour because of his passion and death. Alleluia.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

  for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.

He has raised up the sign of salvation

  in the house of his servant David,

as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,

  his prophets through the ages:

to rescue us from our enemies

  and all who hate us,

to take pity on our fathers,

  to remember his holy covenant

and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

  that he would give himself to us,

that we could serve him without fear

 – freed from the hands of our enemies –

in uprightness and holiness before him,

  for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:

  for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,

to let his people know their salvation,

  so that their sins may be forgiven.

Through the bottomless mercy of our God,

  one born on high will visit us

to give light to those who walk in darkness,

  who live in the shadow of death;

  to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

We see Jesus crowned with glory and honour because of his passion and death. Alleluia.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

Christ has ascended into heaven and is ready to send the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. Let us celebrate his greatness and turn to him in prayer:

– Send us your Spirit.

Christ, risen into the heaven, send the Promised One from the Father down to us,

  so that we may be clothed in power from on high.

– Send us your Spirit.

You willed that your disciples should be wise as serpents and innocent as doves:

  through your Spirit, teach us both wisdom and innocence.

– Send us your Spirit.

You sit at the right hand of the Father: pray for us as our High Priest;

  pray for us as our Head.

– Send us your Spirit.

Give us a share in your tribulations

  and a share in your glory.

– Send us your Spirit.

---

Our Father, who art in heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

  and forgive us our trespasses,

  as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

Lord God, you have made the blood of martyrs become the seed of Christians.

  In your love, grant that your Church, the field that was moistened by the blood of Saint Charles and his companions, may always yield a fertile harvest for you.

[We make our prayer] through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

  God for ever and ever.

Amen.

---

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

AMEN

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 16:20-23

“I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice.” (John 16:22)

Take a close look at this verse. Jesus promised his disciples that their hearts would rejoice when he saw them again, not when they saw him. Doesn’t that seem odd? What is it about Jesus seeing us that would fill us with joy?

Part of the answer lies in the Book of Psalms. Over and over again in the psalms, we find verses like these: “Look upon me, answer me, Lord,” or “Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your kindness” (Psalm 13:4; 31:17).

These verses and so many more tell us what a privilege it is to have Almighty God look upon us. They tell us that his gaze is one of power, love, and compassion. They tell us that every time God looks at us, good things happen.

Of course we all want to see Jesus. Who wouldn’t want to finally be face-to-face with their Savior and the lover of their souls? But we want to see him so that we can look into his eyes and see the love that he has for us. We want to see him so that we can have the assurance that comes from the way he looks at us.

So today in prayer, try to picture Jesus looking at you. Let him see into your heart. Let him see your hopes and fears, your needs and desires. It’s okay. He knows them already. But if you give him the chance to look closely, you’ll begin to see yourself as he sees you: as a valued member of his family, as a beloved child of his Father, and as a brother or sister who really is deserving of his love and affection.

Just as a small child is happy to know that Mom or Dad is nearby watching, you will find great comfort and security in knowing that Jesus’ eyes are upon you. You can turn to him in the midst of any situation and see him gazing at you, his attention fixed on you. Let his look of love move you to love him more deeply in return. You are never alone!

“Jesus, I am amazed at the way you look upon me. Open the eyes of my heart to see you so that I can receive your life today. Only you can bring me the joy and peace I need.”

Acts 18:9-18; Psalm 47:2-7

[Salvation]

 

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Daily Marriage Tip for June 3, 2011:

“On their wedding day the couple says a definitive “yes” to their vocation of marriage. Then the real work of marriage begins” (Love and Life in the Divine Plan).

[Salvation]

Secret Harbor ~ Portus Secretioris

03 June 2011

He is so near

Do you suppose it matters little what Heaven is and where you must seek your most holy Father? I assure you that for minds which wander it is of great importance not only to have a right belief about this but to try to learn it by experience, for it is one of the best ways of concentrating the mind and effecting recollection in the soul.

You know that God is everywhere; and this is a great truth, for, of course, wherever the king is, or so they say, the court is too: that is to say, wherever God is, there is Heaven. No doubt you can believe that, in any place where His Majesty is, there is fullness of glory.

Remember how Saint Augustine tells us about his seeking God in many places and eventually finding Him within himself. Do you suppose it is of little importance that a soul which is often distracted should come to understand this truth and to find that, in order to speak to its Eternal Father and to take its delight in Him, it has no need to go to Heaven or to speak in a loud voice? However quietly we speak, He is so near that He will hear us: we need no wings to go in search of Him but have only to find a place where we can be alone and look upon Him present within us. Nor need we feel strange in the presence of so kind a Guest.

We must talk to Him very humbly, as we should to our father, ask Him for things as we should ask a father, tell Him our troubles, beg Him to put them right, and yet realize that we are not worthy to be called His children.

Avoid being bashful with God, as some people are, in the belief that they are being humble. It would not be humility on your part if the King were to do you a favour and you refused to accept it; but you would be showing humility by taking it, and being pleased with it, yet realizing how far you are from deserving it.

~ Saint Teresa of Avila, ‘The Way of Perfection’ ~

 

Posted by Jeffrey S. J. Allan at 11:22

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

Time for another "Tra le sollecitudini"

By

Father Mark

 on June 3, 2011 2:11 AM |

 

The Primacy of Gregorian Chant

The Holy Father's Letter to the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music (13-5-11) has prompted me to share with the readers of Vultus Christi some of my own impressions of Sacred Music here in Italy. I write, of course, out of my own very limited experience here over the past ten days. The Holy Father writes:

I wish to highlight a fundamental aspect that is particularly dear to me: how the essential continuity of the teaching on sacred music in the Liturgy has been perceived since St. Pius X up til today, despite the natural evolution. In particular, the Pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul II, in the light of the conciliar constitution "Sacrosanctum Concilium," wished to reaffirm the end of sacred music, namely, "the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful" (No. 112), and the fundamental criteria of Tradition, which I limit myself to recall: the sense of prayer, of dignity and of beauty; the full adherence to the texts and to the liturgical gestures; the involvement of the assembly and, finally, the legitimate adaptation to the local culture, preserving at the same time the universality of the language; the primacy of Gregorian chant, as supreme model of sacred music, and the wise appreciation of the other expressive forms which form part of the historical-liturgical patrimony of the Church, especially but not only, polyphony; the importance of the "schola cantorum," in particular in the cathedral churches. They are important criteria, which must be considered carefully also today.

At times, in fact, these elements, which are found in "Sacrosanctum Concilium," such as, in fact, the value of the great ecclesial patrimony of sacred music or the universality that is characteristic of Gregorian chant, were considered expressions of a conception that responded to a past to be overcome and neglected, because it limited the liberty and creativity of the individual and the communities. However, we must always ask ourselves again: Who is the authentic subject of the liturgy? The answer is simple: the Church. Not the individual or the group that celebrates the liturgy, it is first of all the action of God through the Church, which has her history, her rich tradition and her creativity.

The liturgy, and consequently sacred music, "lives from a correct and constant relation between healthy 'traditio' and legitimate 'progressio,'" keeping very present that these two concepts -- that the conciliar Fathers clearly underscore -- integrate mutually because "tradition is a living reality that, because of this, includes in itself the principle of development, of progress" (Address to the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, May 6, 2011).

The Mass at San Giuliano Park

A model of what the Second Vatican Council intended was given at the Mass celebrated by the Holy Father on 8 May 2011 in San Giuliano Park on the occasion on his recent visit to Venice. To my edification and delight a schola cantorum sang the complete Proper of the Mass in Gregorian Chant, while the vast crowd of the faithful alternated the Paschaltide Ordinary (Mass I) Lux et Origo with the choir. The organizers of this celebratIon are to be commended and congratulated.

The Beatification Mass in Faicchio

The Mass of Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God Mother Maria Serafina del Sacro Cuore on 28 May 2011 gave me a firsthand experience of what appears to be the norm in most of Italy. As Dom Samuel Weber, O.S.B. is fond of saying, "I'm just reporting."

The Proper of the Mass was completely ignored. The Introit, Offertory, and Communion were replaced by songs composed in the popular style. While these pieces were not entirely devoid of scriptural and theological content they were not "the Mass" itself. Consequently, the faithful were not singing the Mass; they were, rather, singing at Mass.

This, of course, deprives the faithful of the richness of the liturgy itself and, at the same time, deprives the celebrant of the very texts out of which the Church would have him preach the homily.

Low Mass With Hymns

The celebrant of the Mass of Beatification was His Eminence, Angelo Cardinal Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. His Eminence has a fine singing voice. He chose, nonetheless, to speak nearly all those parts of the Mass that, in so solemn and festive occasion, ought to be sung. To my dismay, HIs Eminence recited in a spoken tone of voice even the Preface of the Mass, the most lyrical and solemn element of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, one that, by its very nature cries out to be sung.

The end result was an anomaly: on this most festive occasion there was, in effect, nothing more than a Low Mass with a sung Ordinary (Mass VIII) De Angelis and with hymns. Very disappointing.

Feast of San Marcellino in Piedimonte Matese

On the morning of 2 June 2011, it was again His Eminence, Angelo Cardinal Amato who celebrated a Pontifical Mass in the glorious baroque Church of San Marcellino in Piedimonte Matese.

A deacon, vested in a splendid red dalmatic and surrounded by a magnificent baroque decor read the Gospel in a spoken tone of voice that rendered it banal. The Gospel could have been, and should have been chanted.

Again, absolutely nothing of the Proper of the Mass was sung. The Ordinary was sung in Italian, using a rather sentimental popular setting of the Gloria with a refrain. The Creed was recited: very disappointing on an occasion when the sung Creed would have been marvelously expressive of the faith of the Church and of her martyrs through the ages.

Again, His Eminence recited in a spoken tone of voice all of the parts belong to the celebrant. This was acutely disappointing, given both his ability to sing, and the solemnity of the occasion. And again, the end result was a Low Mass with a sung Ordinary in Italian and popular hymns.

In the Local Parish

We Southern Italians love to sing, and sing we do! The faithful are deprived, nonetheless, of the authentic chants of the Church. Since my arrival here, not once have I heard the Proper of the Mass (even recited) nor anything even remotely related to it.

The Ordinary of the Mass is trivialized by settings in Italian that are sentimental and that have no organic continuity with the musical tradition of the Church. Not once have I heard a priest sing the orations or the Preface of the Mass and this in a culture where to sing is to love, and to love is to sing.

Usquequo Domine

The Motu Proprio of Pope Saint Pius X, Tra le sollecitudini (22 November 1903) has yet to be implemented. In fact, it continues to be transgressed widely and habitually. In conclusion, allow me to say that the situation is, if possible, even worse in the United States. Usquequo Domine?

Remedy? A New "Tra le sollecitudini"?

Would it not be opportune for the Holy Father to issue a Motu Proprio with, if you will pardon the expression, some teeth in it? Such a document might give to the following the force of law:

1. The distinction between a Missa Recitata and a Missa Cantata is to be clarified, restored, and implemented. At every Missa Cantata, the priest celebrant is obliged to sing the salutations and dialogical elements, the orations, the Preface, the Per Ipsum, the Pater Noster, the LIbera nos, the Blessing, and the Dismissal.

2. At every Missa Cantata, the Gospel is to be cantillated according to the traditional tones provided in the Graduale Romanum and in the Missal. It is moreover fitting and praiseworthy that the First Lesson and Epistle also be cantillated according to the tones provided in the same books.

3. The response to the Prayers of the Faithful will be one of those given in the last edition of the Missale Romanum, even when the intentions themselves are cantillated in the vernacular.

4. The Ordinary of the Mass, including the Credo, is to be sung in Latin and in Gregorian Chant as given in the Kyriale of the Graduale Romanum, or in suitable polyphonic settings.

5. The Proper of the Mass, including the Offertorium, is no longer an optional element, nor may it be replaced by any other chant or song. It may be sung in Latin as given in the Graduale Romanum, or in the vernacular, provided that the melodies used for vernacular text are derived from the corresponding Gregorian Chant and preserve its modal character.

6. At the Missa Recitata, the Proper of the Mass must be recited. The Offertorium is to be restored to the Missale Romanum and to all the vernacular editions thereof.

7. The Gradual Chant and the Alleluia are to be included in future editions of the Missale Romanum and the Lectionary, both in Latin and in the vernaculars, and are to be presented henceforth as legitimate and praiseworthy alternatives to the Responsorial Psalm and Alleluia of the current Lectionary.

P.S. Some will, of course, object that not every priest is capable of singing the parts of the Mass that belong to him. A curious objection. I distinctly remember that in the former dispensation, when the stipend for High Mass was significantly more than the stipend for a Low Mass, priests seem to have had no difficulty in singing their parts, even when their vocal abilities were not outstanding.

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

Will the New English Translation Be Enough?

By

Father Mark

 on June 3, 2011 9:17 AM | Permalink |

 

Pondering

Having had time, over the past few days and nights, to reflect on various aspects of the reform of the Sacred Liturgy, and in the light of what I have been experiencing here in Italy, it occurred to me that I might share some of my thoughts with the readers of Vultus Christi.

Mass Facing the People: The Single Greatest Obstacle to the Reform

Here in Italy it is evident that churches were designed and constructed with an eye to the absolute centrality of the altar with priest and people facing together in the same direction. The placement, within perfectly proportioned sanctuaries, of secondary altars to allow for Mass facing the people has utterly destroyed the harmony, order, and spaciousness that the Sacred Liturgy, by its very nature, requires.

The Cheek-by-Jowl Ambo

Adding insult to injury, these versus populum altars are, more often than not cheek by jowl with a lectern (or ambo) that effectively impedes any movement around the altar, and positively discourages the incensation of the altar at the Introit and Offertory of the Mass.

Crucifix, Candles, and Flowers

Here in Italy -- and also in France -- the traditional symmetrical arrangement of the candles and crucifix has all but disappeared in favour of a curious asymmetrical disposition that nearly always includes a bouquet of flowers placed at one end of the altar, one, two, or three candles at the opposite end, and a crucifix somewhere in the sanctuary that may or may not be construed as having an inherent relationship with the altar.

The Priest Magnified

Apart from these considerations, the most deleterious effect continues to be the magnification of the priest and of his personality. The theological direction of all liturgical prayer -- ad Patrem, per Filium, in Spiritu -- is obscured, while the priest, even in spite of himself, appears to be, at every moment, addressing the faithful or engaging personally with them.

It's All About Me

Certain priests and bishops, marked by a streak of narcissism, abuse their position in front of and over the congregation to soak up the attention and energy of the faithful, attention and energy that, by right, belong to God alone during the Sacred Liturgy.

Placed in front of and over the congregation, priests an bishops all too easily give in to an arrogant liturgical clericalism, subjecting the faithful to their own additions amendments, comments, and embolisms. The faithful, being a captive audience, are subjected to the personality of the priest, which can and often does obscure the purity of the liturgical actions and texts that constitute the Roman Rite.

Translation and Business As Usual

The New English Translation of the Roman Missal will not, of itself, be enough to bring about an authentic reform and renewal of the Novus Ordo Missae. A deeper and broader reform is needed, one that must, necessarily, begin with bishops and with their priests charged with the care of souls.

Where to Start?

What concrete steps might be taken? It is fully within the authority of bishops to mandate and prescribe, for example, that two arrangements of the sanctuary will be allowed in their dioceses.

The Altar

In churches possessing an ad orientem altar integral to the architectural genius of the original design of the apse or of the sanctuary, secondary versus populum altars should be removed, and the sanctuaries should be restored to the original order, harmony, and spaciousness that characterized them.

In churches possessing only a versus populum altar, that altar should be so arranged as to place the crucifix, with the corpus facing the priest, in a central position with three candles at either side, following the Roman practice. Ideally there should be a space of minimally five feet on all sides of a free-standing altar, so as to facilitate the necessary ritual incensations and so as to allow, whenever possible, the celebration of the Mass ad orientem.

[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

---

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

  O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

---

Hymn

Sing we triumphant hymns of praise,

New hymns to heaven exulting raise:

Christ, by a road before untrod,

Ascendeth to the throne of God.

The holy Apostolic band

Upon the Mount of Olives stand,

And with the Virgin Mother see

Jesu’s resplendent majesty.

O grant us thitherward to tend,

And with unwearied hearts ascend

Toward thy kingdom’s throne, where thou

(As is our faith) art seated now.

All glory, Lord, to thee we pay,

Ascending o’er the stars to-day;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To Father and to Paraclete.

---

Psalm 114 (116A)
Thanksgiving

The Lord saved my soul from the power of death, alleluia.

I love the Lord, for he has heard

  the cry of my appeal;

because he has turned his ear to me as I call on him,

  day by day.

The ropes of death surrounded me,

  Hell held me tight,

I had found pain and tribulation –

  but I called on the Lord’s name:

  “O Lord, free my soul.”

The Lord is compassionate and just;

  our God takes pity on us.

The Lord cares for the simple –

  I was brought low, but he saved me.

Return, my soul, to your rest,

  for the Lord has looked after you;

he has rescued my spirit from death, my eyes from tears,

  he has saved my feet from stumbling.

I shall walk in the presence of the Lord

  in the land of the living.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

The Lord saved my soul from the power of death, alleluia.

---

Psalm 120 (121)
The guardian of the people

The Lord protected his people as the apple of his eye. Alleluia.

I shall lift my eyes to the hills:

  where is my help to come from?

My help will come from the Lord,

  who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip:

  he will not doze, your guardian.

Behold, he will not doze or sleep,

  the guardian of Israel.

The Lord is your guardian, the Lord is your shade;

  he is at your right hand.

By day the sun will not strike you;

  nor the moon by night.

The Lord will guard you from all harm;

  the Lord will guard your life.

The Lord will guard your coming and your going

  both now and for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

The Lord protected his people as the apple of his eye. Alleluia.

---

Canticle	Apocalypse 15

A hymn of adoration

The Lord is my strength and protection: he is my salvation. Alleluia.

Great and wonderful are your deeds,

  O Lord God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,

  O King of the ages!

Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord?

  For you alone are holy.

All nations shall come and worship you,

  for your judgements have been revealed.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

The Lord is my strength and protection: he is my salvation. Alleluia.

---

Short reading	Hebrews 5:8-10 ©

Christ, although he was the Son, learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.

---

Short Responsory

The Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Alleluia, alleluia.

– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Alleluia, alleluia.

He will teach you everything.

– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Alleluia, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Alleluia, alleluia.

---

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

Your Father in heaven will give his Holy Spirit to those who ask. Alleluia.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

  and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.

For he has shown me such favour –

  me, his lowly handmaiden.

Now all generations will call me blessed,

  because the mighty one has done great things for me.

His name is holy,

  his mercy lasts for generation after generation

  for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:

  he has scattered the proud and conceited,

  torn princes from their thrones;

  but lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

  the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

  he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,

  to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

Your Father in heaven will give his Holy Spirit to those who ask. Alleluia.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us give praise to Christ, whom the Holy Spirit anointed, and pray to him:

– Seated at the right hand of the Father, intercede for us.

Lord, look down on all who bear the name of Christians:

  may the Holy Spirit draw them together into one.

– Seated at the right hand of the Father, intercede for us.

Enlighten all who suffer persecution in your name,

  so that they know how to answer their persecutors.

– Seated at the right hand of the Father, intercede for us.

May everyone acknowledge you as the true vine,

  and become branches bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

– Seated at the right hand of the Father, intercede for us.

Christ, king of all the earth, you rose into heaven amid jubilation:

  reign over all the peoples of the earth.

– Seated at the right hand of the Father, intercede for us.

May all who have been united to your death and resurrection through baptism

  pass with you from death into life.

– Seated at the right hand of the Father, intercede for us.

---

Our Father, who art in heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

  and forgive us our trespasses,

  as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

Lord God, you have made the blood of martyrs become the seed of Christians.

  In your love, grant that your Church, the field that was moistened by the blood of Saint Charles and his companions, may always yield a fertile harvest for you.

[We make our prayer] through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

  God for ever and ever.

Amen.

---

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

AMEN

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

On Grieving and Rejoicing

INTERNATIONAL | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions, martyrs (June 3, 2011)

June 3, 2011
Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions, martyrs
Father John Doyle, LC

John 16:20-23a

Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this prayer I offer you my whole self: my thoughts, desires, decisions, actions, hopes, fears, weaknesses, failures and petty successes. I open my entire being to you, aware that you know everything already. I’m certain of your mercy and of the purifying power of your penetrating, loving gaze.

Petition: Lord, give me great peace and interior joy in the midst of life’s trials.

1. “You Will Weep”  Grief is not an agreeable experience in itself. Jesus doesn’t promise his disciples that by following him they will be shielded from the sorrow characteristic of any exile in a foreign land. A Christian’s value system is diametrically opposed to the worldly view. Be honest and the common opinion will consider you backward or naive. Be kind and you will be seen as gullible. Be faithful to the love of your spouse and you will be seen as having repressive tendencies. The list could go on and on. An authentic Christian stands out among the fingers of the world as truly the sorest thumb. Have I accepted this unpleasant and challenging element of Christianity?

2. “I Will See You Again”  “Your grief will become joy.” The disciples were surprised and discouraged by Jesus’ crucifixion, but Jesus’ death would not be the final scene in the play. After the dramatic events of Calvary came the joy of the Resurrection, a new and glorious life. How happy the disciples must have been to see Our Lord again! But even then Jesus seems to play “peek-a-boo” with his disciples. He walks though walls bringing them joy and then he just disappears again. We can have a similar experience in prayer. The alternation of dryness and consolation is an essential part of God’s pedagogy with us. Sometimes it seems that the Lord is right beside us and other times that he is on foreign business. Am I able to exercise my faith in the presence of the Lord beyond the state of my feelings at the moment?

3. “Your Hearts Will Rejoice” Sometimes the charge is leveled against Christianity that its moral prohibitions are a source of sorrow and frustration. A closer look shows a different picture entirely. The closeness of the Lord, along with the recognition that the goods of this world are fundamentally good gifts lavished by the Father upon his children, brings profound joy. When we are able to distinguish the presence and action of the Lord in every created thing and through every circumstance, we experience a joy unknown to the world. “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” Do I have this joy founded on my faith and the awareness of God’s immense personal love? Does my obedience to the moral law stem from a complete trust in God who desires my happiness?

Conversation with Christ: My Jesus, when you are near me I experience great joy. I know that you are always with me. Help me to exercise my faith and to be able to strengthen the faith of those of my brothers and sisters who need me to show them your love.

Resolution: I will offer up any difficulty that the Lord sends me today for those who do not yet have the joy of his friendship.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Are You Doing Violence Without Noticing It?

June 3rd, 2011 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Acts 18:9-18 / Jn 16:20-23

Government statistics tell us that the majority of violent crimes, including murder, are committed by friends or family members of the victims. Sometimes, of course, the crime is for gain: I want what you’ve got, so I take it by force. But more often, there is no such gain in sight, just anger, a desire for revenge, or some desperate form of escape.

In most families and church communities disputes don’t ordinarily reach the level of physical violence, but they do quite often reach a level where real violence is done to people’s spirits. It seems that we are far too willing to cross the threshold of spiritual violence, even when the matters in question are trivial. If you doubt it, look at the hatefulness that is sometimes so visible within church communities about matters of taste or preference which ultimately have nothing to do with morality or the real core of life.

Our vocation as Christians is to help one another thrive, each in our own way. There’s a simple habit that can help you do that more consistently and effectively. Before you act or speak, ask the simple question: Will this help my neighbor to thrive or not? The answer is almost always obvious, and the very habit of asking the question with a sincere heart will lay you open to receive the grace to speak or remain silent, to act or be still. And your heart will be glad!