Weekly Bulletin; Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Mission

SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Mission

P.O. Box 7352, York, PA, 17404

717-792-2789

SaintsPeterandPaulRCM.Com

SaintsPeterandPaulRCM@comcast.net

To Restore and Defend Our Ecclesiastical Traditions of the Latin Rite to the

Diocese of Harrisburg

 

SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Chapel

129 South Beaver Street, York PA 17401



“…this missal is hereafter to be followed absolutely, without any scruple of conscience or fear of incurring any penalty, judgment or censure, and may freely and lawfully be used…Accordingly, no one whatsoever is permitted to infringe or rashly contravene this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, precept, grant, direction, will, decree and prohibition.  Should any person venture to do so, let him understand he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.”

Pope St. Pius V, Papal Bull, QUO PRIMUM,

Codifying the traditional Roman Rite of the Mass 


Third Sunday of Lent

St. Thomas Aquinas, Confessor & Doctor

March 7, 2010

The Station today is made at St. Lawrence-without-the-Walls, one of the five patriarchal basilicas of Rome, where are buried the bodies of the two deacons Lawrence and Stephen.  In the Collect for St. Lawrence’s feast on August 10th, we pray that the flame of our sins may be quenched within us as the saint overcame the fire of his torments; while in that for St. Stephen’s Day, we undertake to love our enemies like this saint who prayed for his persecutors.  Here are two virtues, chastity and charity which were especially practiced by the patriarch Joseph whose history the Church gives us in this week in the Breviary.  For Joseph resisted the evil solicitation of Potiphar’s wife, while on the other hand he loved his brethren to the extent of rendering them good for evil.

    When Joseph told his brethren the dreams which foreshadowed his future greatness they became filled with hatred against him, and at the first opportunity got rid of him by throwing him into a disused pit.  After which, they sold him to some Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt and after, sold him to an Egyptian noble named Potiphar.  It was in this man’s house that he strenuously resisted the advances of his wife, thus becoming a great model of purity.  St. Ambrose says: “Today it is the history of the pious Joseph which invites our attention.  He possessed many virtues, yet he shone especially by his conspicuous chastity.  Rightly therefore, is this holy patriarch set before us as a mirror of chastity” (Matins).

    When Joseph was cast into prison, having been unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife, turning to God in prayer, he asked to be freed from his bonds.  In similar terms we say in the Introit: “My eyes are ever towards the Lord; for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare.”  And the Tract continues: “Behold as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, so are our eyes unto the Lord our God until He have mercy on us.”  And in the Collect we speak of almighty God who regards the desires of those who humble themselves, as stretching forth in our defense the right hand of His majesty.  In this event Pharaoh took Joseph from his prison, made him sit on his right hand and entrusted to him the government of his whole kingdom; and when through his gift of foreknowledge he predicted the famine which should last seven years, Pharaoh gave him the title “Savior of the people.”  Then Joseph’s brethren came to Egypt and he told them, “I am Joseph whom you sold.  Be not afraid; God has brought everything to pass that I may be the means of preserving you from death.”  Jacob’s happiness at seeing his son again was unbounded; and he came and lived with his sons in the land of Gessen which Joseph gave them.

    St. Ambrose says: “The jealousy of Joseph’s brethren is at the bottom of all the facts which make up his history.  Besides, it is recorded to teach us, that a perfect man does not give the rein to his desire to avenge an outrage or to render evil for evil” (Matins).

    Surely in all this we can recognize a type of Christ and His Church.  Jesus, the blessed Virgin’s Son, is in the highest degree the model of virginal purity; and in today’s Gospel we see Him contending in a special way with the unclean spirit; for so do St. Matthew and St. Luke describe the devil whom our Lord cast out of the dumb man by the finger of God, that is by the Holy Ghost.  So does the Church drive out the same unclean spirit from the souls of the newly baptized.  Lent was a time of preparation for Baptism and in administering this sacrament the priest breaths three times on the person to be baptized with the words: “Go out of the child, unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Ghost.”  St. Bede in his commentary on this Gospel says: “What then took place visibly is every day accomplished invisibly, in the conversion of those who become believers.  First the devil is driven out of their soul, then they perceive the light of faith; and finally their mouth, until then dumb, opens to praise God” (Matins).

    In the same sense in today’s Epistle St. Paul says: “No fornicator or unclean or covetous person…hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Fornication and all uncleanness, let it not so much as be named among you.”  And it is especially at this season of combat against Satan that we must imitate Christ of Whom Joseph was only the type.

    With regard to the virtue of charity, of which this patriarch has set us an example, the likeness to Christ and His Church is obvious enough.  Out Lord, too, was hated by His own people and sold by one of His apostles, and when He was dying on the cross He prayed for His enemies.  He had recourse to God and God glorified Him, making Him sit on His right hand in His kingdom.  As Joseph distributed the corn of nature, so at Easter Jesus will distribute the wheat of the Eucharist.  We know that as a condition of receiving Holy Communion, the Church requires that charity, of which an example was set by St. Stephen when he pardoned his enemies, and whose relics are kept in the Church where today’s station is held, the same charity above all, which our Lord practiced in an heroic degree when He “delivered Himself for us” on the cross, of which the Eucharist is the constant memorial.

    Thus Joseph, as a type of our Lord, and today’s station perfectly illustrate the Paschal mystery for which the liturgy prepares us at this season.

 

INTROIT:

Ps. 24.  My eyes are ever towards the Lord: for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare: look thou upon me, and have mercy upon me, for I am alone and poor.

Ps.  To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be disappointed.  Glory be, etc.  My eyes are ever towards the Lord, etc.

 

COLLECT:

We beseech Thee, almighty God, look upon the desires of Thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty to be our defense.  Through our Lord, etc.

 

From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and by the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of Thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace, that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom.  Through our Lord, etc.

 

Almighty and everlasting God, who rulest the living and the dead, and who art merciful to all those whom Thou foreknowest to be Thine by faith and works, we suppliantly implore Thee for all those for whom we have decided to pray- whether still in the body they live in this world, or separated from the body they have entered the future life- that through the intercession of all Thy saints they may obtain from Thy loving clemency the pardon of all their offenses.  Through our Lord, etc.

 

EPISTLE: Eph.  5, 1-9

Brethren, Be ye followers of God, as most dear children: and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness. But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints: or obscenity, or foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose: but rather giving of thanks. For know you this, and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person, which is a serving of idols, hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness: but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light: for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth.

EXPLANATION The apostle requires us to imitate God, as good children imitate their father in well-doing and in well-wishing; besides he declares that all covetousness, fornication, all disgraceful talk and equivocal jokes should be banished from Christian meetings, even that such things should not be so much as mentioned among us; because these vices unfailingly deprive us of heaven. He admonishes us not to let ourselves be deceived by the seducing words of those who seek to make these vices appear small, nothing more than pardonable human weaknesses; those who speak thus are the children of darkness and of the devil, they bring down the wrath of God upon themselves, and all who assent to their words. A Christian, a child of light, that is, of faith, should regard as a sin that which faith and conscience tell him is such, and must live according to their precepts and not by false judgment of the wicked. Should any one seek to lead you away, ask yourself, my Christian soul, whether you would dare appear with such a deed before the judgment-seat of God. Listen to the voice of your conscience, and let it decide, whether that which you are expected to do is good or bad, lawful or unlawful.

ASPIRATION  Place Thy fear, O God, before my mouth, that I may utter no vain, careless, much less improper and scandalous words, which may be the occasion of sin to my neighbor. Strengthen me, that I may not be deceived by flattering words, and become faithless to Thee.

 

GRADUAL:

Ps. 9.   Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail; let the Gentiles be judged in Thy sight.  When my enemy shall be turned back, they shall be weakened and perish before Thy face.

 

TRACT:

Ps. 122.  To Thee have I lifted up my eyes, who dwellest in heaven.  Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters.  As the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress: so are our eyes upon the Lord our God, until He have mercy on us.  Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

 

GOSPEL:  Luke  11, 4-28  

At that time Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb. And when He had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration by it. But some of them said: He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. And others, tempting, asked of Him a sign from heaven. But He, seeing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall. And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? But if I by the finger of God cast out devils; doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth. But if a stronger than he is come upon him and overcome him, he will take away all his armor wherein he trusted, and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with Me, is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest: and not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out. And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.

Can a man be really possessed of a devil?

It is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that the evil spirit most perniciously influences man in a twofold manner: by enticing his soul to sin, and then influencing his body which he often entirely or partially possesses, manifesting himself by madness, convulsions, insanity, etc. Many texts of Scripture, and the writings of the Fathers speak of this possession. St. Cyprian writes: "We can expel the swarms of impure spirits, who for the ruin of the soul, enter into the bodies of men, and we can compel them to acknowledge their presence, by the force of powerful words." Possession takes place by the permission of God either for trial or as a punishment for sin committed (I Cor. 5, 5), and the Church from her Head, Jesus, who expelled so many devils, has received the power of casting them out as He did (Mark 16, 17; Acts 5, 16, 8, 6- 7, 16, 18). She however warns her ministers, the priests, who by their ordination have received the power to expel the evil spirits, to distinguish carefully between possession and natural sickness, that they may not be deceived (Rit. Rom. 3, 5-10), and the faithful should guard against looking upon every unusual, unhealthy appearance as an influence of Satan, and should give no ear to impostors, but in order not to be deceived, should turn to an experienced physician or to their pastor.

What is understood by a dumb devil?

The literal meaning of this is the evil enemy, who some times so torments those whom he possesses that they lose the power of speech; in a spiritual sense, we may understand it to mean the shame which the devil takes away from the sinner, when he commits the sin, but gives back again, as false shame, before confession, so that the sinner conceals the sin, and thereby falls deeper.

How does Christ still cast out dumb devils?

By His grace with which He inwardly enlightens the sinner, so that he becomes keenly aware that the sins which he has concealed in confession, will one day be known to the whole world, and thus encourages him to overcome his false shame. - "Be not ashamed to confess to one man," says St. Augustine, "that which you were not ashamed to do with one, perhaps, with many." Consider these words of the same saint: "Sincere confession subdues vice, conquers the evil one, shuts the door of hell, and opens the gates of paradise."

How did Christ prove, that He did not cast out devils by Beelzebub?

By showing that the kingdom of Satan could not stand, if one evil spirit were cast out by another; that they thus reproached their own sons who also cast out devils, and had not been accused of doing so by power from Beelzebub; by His own life and works which were in direct opposition to the devil, and by which the devil's works were destroyed. - There is no better defense against calumny than an innocent life, and those who are slandered, find no better consolation than the thought of Christ who, notwithstanding His sanctity and His miracles, was not secure against calumniation.

What is meant by the finger of God?

The power of God, by which Christ expelled the evil spirits, proved himself God, and the promised Redeemer.

Who is the strong man armed?

The evil one is so called, because he still retains the power and intellect of the angels, and, practiced by long experience, seeks in different ways to injure man if God permits.

How is the devil armed?

With the evil desires of men, with the perishable riches, honors, and pleasures of this world, with which he entices us to evil, deceives us, and casts us into eternal fire.

Who is the stronger one who took away the devil's armor?

Christ the Lord who came into this world that He might destroy the works and the kingdom of the devil, to expel the prince of darkness (John 12, 31), and to redeem us from his power. "The devil," says St. Anthony, "is like a dragon caught by the Lord with the fishing-hook of the cross, tied with a halter like a beast of burden, chained like a fugitive slave, and his lips pierced through with a ring, so that he may not devour any of the faithful. Now he sighs, like a miserable sparrow, caught by Christ and turned to derision, and thrown under the feet of the Christians. He who flattered himself that he would possess the whole orbit of the earth, behold, he has to yield!"

Why does Christ say: He who is not with me, is against me?

These words were intended in the first place for the Pharisees who did not acknowledge Christ as the Messiah, would not fight with Him against Satan's power, but rather held the people back from reaching unity of faith and love of Christ. Like the Pharisees, all heretical teachers who, by their false doctrines, draw the faithful from communion with Christ and His Church, are similar to the devil, the father of heresy and lies. May all those, therefore, who think they can serve Christ and the world at the same time, consider that between truth and falsehood, between Christ and the world, there is no middle path; that Christ requires decision, either with Him, or against Him, either eternal happiness with Him, or without Him, everlasting misery.

Who are understood by the dry places through which the evil spirit wanders and finds no rest?

"The dry places without water," says St. Gregory, "are the hearts of the just, who by the force of penance have drained the dampness of carnal desires." In such places the evil -one indeed finds no rest, because there his malice finds no sympathy, and his wicked will no satisfaction.

Why does the evil spirit say: I will return into my house?

Because he is only contented there where he is welcomed and received: those who have purified their heart by confession, and driven Satan from it, but labor not to amend, again lose the grace of the Sacraments by sin, and thus void of virtue and grace, offer a beautiful and pleasant dwelling to the devil.

Why is it said: The last state becomes worse than the first?

Because a relapse generally draws more sins with it, and so it is said: the devil will return with seven other spirits more wicked than himself, by which may be understood the seven deadly sins, because after a relapse into sin conversion to God becomes more difficult, as a repeated return of the same sickness makes it harder to regain health; because by repetition sin easily becomes a habit and renders conversion almost impossible; because repeated relapses are followed by blindness of intellect, hardness of heart, and in the end eternal damnation.

Why did the woman lift up her voice?

This was by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost to shame the Pharisees who, blinded by pride, neither professed nor acknowledged the divinity of Christ, whilst this humble woman not only confessed Jesus as God, but praised her who carried Him, whom heaven and earth cannot contain. Consider the great dignity of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Son of God, and hear her praises from the holy Fathers. St. Cyril thus salutes her: "Praise to thee, Blessed Mother of God: for thou art virginity itself, the scepter of the true faith!" and St. Chrysostom: "Hail, O Mother, the throne, the glory, the heaven of the Church!" St. Ephrem: "Hail, only hope of the Fathers, herald of the apostles, glory of the martyrs, joy of the saints, and crown of the virgins, because of thy vast glory, and inaccessible light!"

Why did Christ call those happy who hear the word of God and keep it?

Because, as has been already said, it is not enough for salvation to hear the word of God, but it must also be practiced. Because Mary, the tender Mother of Jesus, did this most perfectly, Christ terms her more happy in it, than in having conceived, borne, and nursed Him.

SUPPLICATION O Lord Jesus! true Light of the world, enlighten the eyes of my soul, that I may never be induced by the evil one to conceal a sin, through false shame, in the confessional, that on the day of general judgment my sins may not be published to the whole world. Strengthen me, O Jesus, that I may resist the arms of the devil by a penitent life, and especially by scorning the fear of man and worldly considerations, and guard against lapsing into sin, that I may not be lost, but through Thy merits maybe delivered from, all dangers and obtain heaven

 

OFFERTORY:

Ps. 18.  The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart, and His judgments are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb: for Thy servant keepeth them.

 

SECRET:

May this victim, O Lord, cleanse our offenses, and sanctify the bodies and souls of Thy subjects to celebrate this sacrifice.  Through our Lord, etc.

 

Hear us, O God, our salvation, that through the power of this sacrament Thou mayest defend us from all enemies of soul and body and bestow upon us grace here and glory hereafter.  Through our Lord, etc.

 

O God, to whom alone is known the number of the elect who will be assigned to the happiness above, grant, we beseech Thee, through the intercession of all Thy saints, that all those for whom we have resolved to pray and all the faithful may have their names written and kept in the book of blessed predestination.  Through our Lord. etc.

 

PREFACE FOR LENT:

It is truly meet and just, right and profitable unto salvation , that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God.  Who by fasting of the body dost curb our vices, dost lift up our minds, dost give us strength and reward, through Christ our Lord.  Through whom the angels praise Thy majesty, the dominions adore it, and the powers are in awe.  Which the heavens and the hosts of heaven together with the blessed seraphim joyfully do magnify.  With these, we pray Thee, join our voices also while we say with lowly praise:  Holy, holy, holy, etc.

 

COMMUNION:

Ps. 83.  The sparrow hath found herself a house, and the dove a nest, where she may lay her young: Thy altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God; blessed are they that dwell in Thy house,  they shall praise Thee forever and ever.

 

POSTCOMMUNION:

We beseech Thee, O Lord, mercifully absolve from all guilt and deliver us from all dangers whom Thou allowest to partake of so great a mystery.  Through our Lord, etc.

 

May the offering of this divine sacrament cleanse and protect us, O Lord, we beseech Thee; and by the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, may it purify us from all sin and free us from all adversity.  Through our Lord, etc.

 

We beseech Thee, almighty and merciful God, that the sacraments we have received may purify us; and through the intercession of all Thy Saints, do Thou grant that from this sacrament we may not incur guilt and punishment, but may derive a saving intercession for pardon; may it wash away our sins; may it be strength to the weak and a bulwark against every evil of the world; may it bring remission of all their faults to the faithful, living and dead.  Through our Lord, etc.

 


Every kingdom divided against itself

shall be brought to desolation,

and house upon house shall fall….

He that is not with Me, is against Me:

and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth.

 

 


PROPER OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 7th:

    

7

Sun

3rd Sunday of Lent

St. Thomas Aquinas

sd

 V

 

Mass 9:00 AM; Confessions 8:00 AM; Rosary of Reparation 8:30 AM; For the Mission members

8

Mon

St. John of God, C

d

V

F

Mass 8:00 AM & Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:30 PM

9

Tue

St. Frances of Rome, W

d

W

F

Mass 9:00 AM & Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:30 PM

10

Wed

Forty Holy Martyrs

sd

W

F

Mass 8:00 AM & Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:30 PM; Confessions 5:30 PM

11

Thu

Ferial Day

 

W

F

Mass 8:00 AM & Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:30 PM

12

Fri

St. Gregory the Great, PCD

d

V

F/A

Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:00 PM; Stations of the Cross 5:30 PM

13

Sat

Ferial Day

 

W

F

Mass 9:00 AM; Confessions 8:00 AM; Rosary of Reparation 8:30 AM

14

Sun

4th Sunday of Lent

Laetare Sunday

sd

V

Rose

 

Mass 9:00 AM; Confessions 8:00 AM; Rosary of Reparation 8:30 AM; For the Mission members

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Notice:  The school was established as an independent corporation that has no legal relationship with Ss. Peter & Paul Roman Catholic Mission.  After a Mission board meeting, a letter was sent January 27th asking the school board to formally readdress this question.  The courtesy of a reply from Michael Kearney, the chairman of the School board has not been forthcoming.   Another open letter has now been sent to the School board that is enclosed in this bulletin requesting again that the School board reconsider their determination to be an organization independent from the Mission.

 

On the Third Sunday of each month, a collection will be taken for the needy among the Mission members, supporters and lastly, others asking our help.  Fr. Tetherow will be responsible for the distribution of these funds.

 

Planned Parenthood Abortuary in York has begun again to perform abortions.  The Rosary of Reparation will again be offered before the clinic.  During the Rosary of Reparation, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, a total of at least nine women have left without terminating the life of their child.  If you cannot be present please make an effort to support those who are with your prayers and sacrifices

 

The gravity of sin is determined by the interval which it places between man and God; now sin against faith, divides man from God as far as possible, since it deprives him of the true knowledge of God; it therefore follows that sin against faith is the greatest of all sins. 

St. Thomas Aquinas

 

St. Thomas of Aquinas is an honour to mankind, for perhaps there never existed a man whose intellect surpassed his.  He is one of the brightest ornaments of the Church, for not one of her doctors has equaled him in the clearness and precision wherewith he has explained her doctrines.  He received the thanks of Christ Himself, for having well written of Him and His mysteries.  How welcome ought this feast of such a saint to be to us during this season of the year, when our main study is our return and conversion to God! 

Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year, Feast of St. Thomas of Aquinas

 

The Church has ever proved indestructible. Her persecutors have failed to destroy her; in fact, it was during times of persecution that the Church grew more and more; while the persecutors themselves, and those whom the Church would destroy, are the very ones who came to nothing. 

Saint Thomas Aquinas

 

Be careful not to depend or rely much upon the friendship and protection of men. For they cannot sustain us by themselves; and when the Lord sees us leaning upon them, He withdraws from us. 

St. Vincent de Paul

 

Christians! Remember your baptismal vow; you have renounced Satan : take care, then, that by a culpable ignorance you are not dragged into apostasy.  It is not a phantom that you renounced at the font; he is a real and formidable being, who, as our Lord tells us, was a murderer from the beginning… During this holy season, the Church is putting within your reach those grand means of victory – fasting, prayer, and almsdeeds.  …be not deceived; your enemy is not slain.  He is irritated; penance has driven him from you, but he has sworn to return…the enemy of mankind never despairs of regaining his prey.  His hatred is as active now as it was at the very beginning of the world… let us ever remember that our whole life is to be a warfare.  Our soldier-like attitude will disconcert the enemy, and he will try to gain victory elsewhere. 

Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year, Third Sunday of Lent

 

The mercy which God commands us to show to our fellow-creatures, does not consist only in corporal and spiritual almsdeeds to the poor and the suffering; it includes, moreover, the pardon and forgetfulness of injuries.  This is the test whereby God proves the sincerity of our conversion.  With the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.  If we, from our hearts, pardon our enemies, our heavenly Father will unreservedly pardon us.  These are the days when we are hoping to be reconciled with our God; let us do all we can to gain our brother; and for this end, pardon him, if needs be, seventy times seven times.  Surely, we are not going to allow the miserable quarrels of our earthly pilgrimage to make us lose heaven!  Therefore, let us forgive insults and injuries, and thus imitate our God Himself, who is ever forgiving us. 

Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year, Third Week of Lent

 

I never heard anything bad said of me which I did not clearly realize fell short of the truth.  If I had not sometimes – often, indeed – offended God in the ways they referred to, I had done so in many others, and I felt they had treated me far too indulgently in saying nothing about these…. O Lord, how can a person like me, who deserves to be tortured by demons for eternity, be insulted?  If I am badly treated in this world, is it not just?  Really, Lord, I have nothing to offer You in this regard… I know that I am so guilty in Your eyes that I feel that those who insult me are treating me too well, although they think they are offending me, not knowing me as well as You do. 

St. Teresa of Avila

 

Oh! How truly can we see that pride dishonors God and is very displeasing to Him, since it was necessary for You, the Son of God, to be so humiliated in order to atone for such dishonor!  We can truly say also that vanity is a monstrous thing, since in order to destroy it, You were willing to be reduced to such humiliation!  Oh! How firmly must we believe that in the eyes of God humility is an infinitely precious treasure and a jewel most pleasing to Him, since You, His divine Son, willed to be so humiliated to make us love this virtue, and to urge us to imitate You in the practice of it, and thus merit the grace to perform its works! 

St. John Eudes

 

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling to the ground die, itself remaineth alone.  But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.  He that loveth his life shall lose it : and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal.  If any man minister to Me, let him follow Me : and where I am, there also shall My minister be.  If any man minister to Me, Him will My father honour. 

John 12, 20-36

 

Remember in your charity the following pray requests:

Please pray for our expectant mothers: Stephanie Fonticoba, Patricia Kisielnicki, and Andrea Ebert,

For the welfare of Fr. Paul DaDamio and Fr. John Tokarick,

The welfare of Marie Mackin, the mother of Joseph Mackin, who is ill,

The conversion of Lorraine Marbach, the grandmother of Paul Marbach, 

Peter Schriver, the brother of Dan Scriver, who is seriously ill,

Mrs. Tetherow requests our prayers for Bryan Tetherow family,

For expectant mothers who have asked for our prayers: Maria Noel,

Welfare of the Victor and Geraldine Caceres family,

The Drew’s ask our prayers for the Joe and Tracy Sentmanat family, welfare of Keith and Lisa Drew, and the Timothy and Christy Koziol Family, 

For Bob, a man who lives by the chapel, has asked for our prayers in his behalf,

For the health and welfare of Don Emlett and his family,

Pamela Noel petitions our prayers for her father, George Glass, who is failing health,

Ryan Boyle grandmother, Jane Boyle, who is failing health,

Mel Gibson and his family, please remember in our prayers,

Stephen Majchrzak, a Catholic from Baltimore who is dying from cancer requests our prayers,

The Sbardello Family asks our prayers for their son, Rocco Sbardello, who is gravely ill and in need of conversion,

Eileen Rzecinski asks our prayers for her health,

Crystal Keating asks our prayers for the welfare of her grandmother, Mary Noel, her family, her husband, Eugene, and Mary Altland,

Gail Lewis requests our prayers for her friend, Betty Geiger, who has been diagnosed with cancer,

The welfare of Conde McGinley, a long time pillar within the traditional movement,

Joseph Montagne, who suffered a heart attack and stroke on December 28th,

Rev. Timothy A. Hopkins, asks our prayers for himself, his mother, and for the Mission of St. Philomena in Miami,

The health and welfare of Augusta Wildt,

For the welfare of Ed Snell and Luanne Ferguson and their legal cases in the defense of children in their mother’s womb,

For the conversion of the daughter of Simon O’Leary, Margaret E. O'Neill, her husband Robert, and their seven children,

For the welfare of Anthony Maleski, a young Catholic father of three severely injured in a train accident,

Barbara Taaffe asks prayers for Etta Vanderwerken, and her brother, John Cox, Kenneth Abare, Andres Heckenkamp, and Louis DeMeotto,

Ebert’s request our prayers for the Andreas and Jenna Ortner Family,

Michelle Parthemore requests our prayers for the welfare of her family,

David Romeo asks our prayers for the health and welfare of his wife, Kim, and his aunt, Margaret Romeo,

Cecilia Nico requests prayers for the health and conversion for Sharon O’Connell, Kate Neason & Barb Bucher,

Joyce Paglia has asked prayers for George Richard Moore Sr., and her children, Lease, Christopher, Perry, and Debbie,

The health and welfare of our friend, Don Lewis,

The special intention and welfare of Julio Vargas, and for the conversion of Karla and Grace Vargas,

The Pitman’s request our prayers for the health and welfare of Theresa Wagner, Jan Sigler, Lois Curtis, Jennie Johansen, and for Caroline’s sister, Charlotte Grossane, who has been diagnosed with cancer,

The health of Nancy Bennett, the daughter of Peg and Bill Barry,

Helen Crane, the aunt of David Drew who is in failing health,

Jason Kolinsky, asks our prayers for his intention,

For the welfare of Anthony and Joyce Paglia, who are responsible for the beautiful statuary in our chapel,

The Drew’s ask your prayers for the Gene Peters Family, the John Manidis Family, the Sal Massinio Family, and John Cuono,

Please pray for Fr. Michael Jurecki, an old and faithful traditional priest, who is in failing health,

Philip Thees asks our prayers for his family, for McLaughlin Family, and the conversion of Helen Mackewicz and Bruce Heller, the welfare of Dan Polly Weand and, and the conversion of Sophia Herman, the special intention of John and Louis Fergale, the welfare of Deacon Michael Erdeck and his wife Nancy, the health of Grace Prestano, Connie DiMaggio, and his uncle, John Thees.

 

“Could You Not Watch One Hour With Me?” (Matt.26, 40)

Holy Hour of Adoration and Reparation
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Monday thru Friday

"He is The Bread sown in the virgin, leavened in the Flesh, molded in His Passion, baked in the furnace of the Sepulcher, placed in the Churches, and set upon the Altars, which daily supplies Heavenly Food to the faithful."   St. Peter Chrysologus (400-450)

 

Pray for the Repose of the Souls:

For Margaret Vagedes, the aunt of Charles Zepeda, who died January 6th,

Fr. Enrique Rueda, who died December 14th,

Barbara Sahd, the grandmother of Stephanie Fonticoba who died December 7th,

Anton Moore, the brother of Stan Moore who died December 2nd,

Fr. Peterson asks our prayers for his brother, Leonard Edward Peterson, and his cousin, Wanda, who died this October,

Philip Thees petitions our prayers for Beverly Romanick, who died November 9th,

Fr. Didier Bonneterre, the author of The Liturgical Movement, who died September 15th, and Fr. John Peek, who died September 7th,

Derrick Palengat, Andre Ebert’s godfather,

Brother Francis, MICM, the superior of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Richmond, NH, who died September 5th,

Elizabeth Vargas requests prayers for her grandmother, Petrona Zeballos Zolva, and her uncle, Nelson Torchino,

Walter Joseph Bialek, the father of Alice Mansell,

Rodolfo Zelaya Montealegre, the father of Claudia Drew, who died May 24th,

Mary Cahill, a friend of the Drew’s who died August 12th,

Crystal Keating requests our prayers for Doug Emlet,

Barbara Taaffe asks our prayers for Lorinda Bargallo, Helen Zibolshi,  Rose Satalino, and her brother, Joseph Cox,

Rev. Francis Clifford, a devout and humble traditional priest, who died on March 7th,

The Pitman’s ask our prayers for Howard Corl, who died February 10th,

Elizabeth Mirarchi, the sister of Conde McGinley,

Simon P. O’Leary who died November 4th,

David Romeo asks our prayers for his aunt, Gloria Jean Romeo, and his uncles, Stanley Calderia and John Calderia,

Cecilia Nico requests prayers for the repose of her aunt, Ethel Fonner, who died Oct. 16th,

The grandfather of Tyler Kauffman, Fredrick Anthony Iamurri,

Joyce Paglia has asked for our prayers for her son, George Richard Moore, who died May 14th, 

Fr. Peterson asks our prayers for the repose of the souls of the six priests who were ordained with him sixty years ago,

Joseph and Eleanor Lauctes, the brother-in-law and sister of Regina Spahalski, and her brother, Bernard Adams,

Emilce Vargas, the grandmother of Julio Vargas, and his grandfather, Carlos Gutierrez,

Benjamin Sorace, the uncle of Sonya Kolinsky,

Kelly Donovan Jacquot, the sister-in-law of Gail Lewis,

Jim Lewis, the brother of Don Lewis,

Sue Heindel, the sister of Pam Noel

 

Philanthropy may be generous, and its workings may be admirable for ingenuity and order; but it never can look upon the poor man as a sacred object, because it refuses to see God in him.  Pray for the men of this generation, that they may at length desist from perverting charity into a mere mechanism of relief.  The poor are the representatives of Christ, for He Himself has willed that they be such; and if the world refuses to accept them in this their exalted character, if it deny their resemblance to out Redeemer, it may succeed in degrading the poor, but by this very degradation it will make them its enemies. Thy predilection, O John of God, was for the sick; have pity, therefore, on our times… pray for us… Enkindle holy charity within our hearts, that during these days, when we are striving to draw down the mercy of God upon ourselves, we also may show mercy. 

Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year, Feast of St. John of God

 

Story From the First History on the Life of St. Gregory the Great

The Vita Beatissimi Papae Gregorii Magni Antiquissima, the earliest history of  St. Gregory the Great, the Apostle to the Anglo-Saxons, was written by a monk in the latter part of the 7th century at Whitby, the great abbey founded in 656 on the north-east coast of England (which is now in ruins from the Protestant reformation). The manuscript was discovered in a Swiss monastery, the Benedictine Abbey of St Gall, and translated by the renowned English medievalist, Cardinal Francis Aidan Gasquet, OSB.  The history relates that as St. Gregory was walking through Trajan’s Forum, he was moved with pity for the poor pagan emperor, (who had died during the Parthian campaign in 117 A.D. and his cremated remains returned to Rome and eventually placed below Trajan’s column that still stands today), because of a story of how the emperor had personally addressed the pleading of a poor widow and obtained justice for her and her orphaned children.  The history relates how at the prayer of St. Gregory, the emperor was raised from the dead so that he could receive the sacrament of Baptism and thus obtained eternal salvation.  The history was an important source for St. Bede’s History of the English Church and People and was also incorporated in Dante’s Divine Comedy, Purgatorio X.  

 

The greatness of contemplation can be given to none but those who love….Whoever wishes to hold the fortress of contemplation must first of all train in the camp of action….We ascend to the heights of contemplation by the steps of action….He who would climb to a lofty height must go by steps, not leaps. 

Pope St. Gregory the Great

 

When one puts all his care on God, and rests wholly upon Him, being careful, meanwhile, to serve Him faithfully, God takes care of him; and the greater the confidence of such a one, the more the care of God extends over him; neither is there any danger of its failing, for God has an infinite love for those souls that repose in Him.  

St. Francis de Sales

 

Christian humility does not lower, it elevates; it does not cast down, but gives courage, for the more it reveals to the soul its nothingness and abjection, the more it moves it toward God with confidence and abandonment.  The very fact that in everything – in essence as in act, in the natural as in the supernatural order – we depend on Him, and that we can do nothing without Him, shows us that God wants to sustain us continually by His help and His grace… “Amen, I say to you, unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18, 3-4). 

Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., Divine Intimacy

 

Whoever serves God with a pure heart, and, setting aside all individual and human interests, seeks only His glory, has reason to hope for success in all he does, and especially under circumstances, when, according to human judgment, there is no help; for the Divine works are above the sight of human prudence, and depend upon a loftier principle. 

St. Charles Borromeo

 

The Church will be punished because the majority of her members, high and low, will become so perverted.  The Church will sink deeper and deeper until she will at last seem to be extinguished, and the succession of Peter and the other Apostles to have expired.  But, after this, she will be victoriously exalted in the sight of all doubters. 

St. Nicholas of Fluh, 1417-1487, prophecy

 

THE POWER OF JESUS                              THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Presence of God:  O Jesus, divine Strength, I come to You to seek support for my weakness, and infirmity.

Meditation:

    1.  On the first Sunday in Lent, the Church showed us Jesus in His Struggle with the devil, but while she presented Him to us then in an attitude of humble defense before the devil's temptations, today we see Him in an attitude of attack which culminates in a glorious victory.

    The Gospel (Lk 2, 14‑29) tells us that there was a poor man possessed by the devil and he " was dumb. " By a single act of His divine power Jesus " cast out the devil, " and when he went out, " the dumb spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration at it. " But the enemy, as if to avenge his defeat, insinuates into the minds of the Pharisees the shameful calumny : " He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. " Jesus is accused of being possessed by the devil and of having received from the devil power to free the possessed man. Our Lord, however, wills to completely unmask the enemy and with clear logic replies that Satan cannot give Him such power, because thereby Satan himself would be helping to destroy his own kingdom. No, it cannot be so : Jesus drives out devils by " the finger of God," by divine virtue. If Satan is powerful and his satellites join with him in the struggle to rule over man, Jesus is still more powerful and will overcome him and snatch away his prey. He has come to destroy the kingdom of Satan and to establish the kingdom of God.

    If in these days God still permits the devil to carry out his evil work against individuals and society, Jesus by His death on the Cross has already paid the price of our victory. This treasure is at our disposal. Through the virtue and grace of Christ, every Christian has the power to overcome the enemy's attacks. The triumph of evil should not disturb us, for it is only an apparent victory. The might of Jesus is stronger and He is the one and only victor.

    2.  We must work in union with Jesus that His victory over evil may be our own. In today's Gospel the Master Himself shows us several aspects of this collaboration.

    " Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation " ; in these words Our Lord tells us that union is the secret of victory‑union with Him above all, for without Him we can do nothing, but also union with our neighbor. If we would work for the triumph of good, let us collaborate ‑ one heart and one soul ‑ with our superiors and our fellow religious. We can often labor with much more efficacy in achieving good if we give up our own personal ideas and act in perfect harmony with others. It may even be necessary sometimes to renounce opinions, plans, and ways which are better in themselves. Let us not be deceived; unity is always to be preferred. Division never leads to victory.

    " He that is not with Me is against Me, " Jesus adds. Christianity does not tolerate indifference. He who is not firmly on Christ's side, working with Him for the extension of His kingdom, by this very fact is opposed to Him and to what is good. He is an enemy of Christ and a partisan of evil. To omit the good one could do and ought to do is evil, and is consenting to the extension of evil.

    The first condition necessary for victory over evil is active cooperation in the work of Christ in union with our brethren. The second condition is vigilance. Jesus warns us that the enemy of good is lying in wait. Even after he leaves a soul, he is ready to return, more powerful than before, " with seven other spirits more wicked than himself " if he finds the soul empty and open to his snares. To halt the approach of evil we must watch in prayer, filling our heart with God so that there will be no place in it for the enemy. And there is no place when the soul is wholly united to God through the acceptance and observance of His word, of His will. In fact, Jesus answered to the woman who praised His Mother : " Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. " Of course, the Virgin Mary is blessed because she gave birth to the Redeemer, but she is still more blessed through her perfect union with Him in the observance of His word. This blessedness is not reserved for Mary alone; it is offered to every soul of good will and constitutes the greatest guarantee of victory over evil, for one united to God becomes strong with His strength.

COLLOQUY:

    " My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare. Look Thou upon me, and have mercy on me; for I am alone and poor. Keep Thou my soul and deliver me : I shall not be ashamed, for I have hoped in Thee " (Ps 24,15‑20).

    " O eternal Trinity, O most high and eternal Trinity, You give us the Word, full of sweetness and love. 0 sweet and loving Word, Son of God, if our nature is weak and capable of every evil, Yours is strong and disposed to good, because You have received it from Your eternal, all‑powerful Father. O sweet Word, You have strengthened our weak nature by uniting it to Yourself. Our nature is fortified by this union, for the power of Your Blood takes away our weakness. We are also strengthened by Your doctrine, for he who follows it in truth, perfectly clothing himself with it, becomes so strong and capable of good, that he loses, as it were, the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit and can overcome every evil. So You, O eternal Word, substituted for our human weakness the strength of Your divine nature which You received from the Father; and this strength You have given to us by Your Blood and Your doctrine.

    " O sweet Blood, You fortify and illumine the soul; in You it becomes angelic, because You cover it with the fire of Your charity so that it forgets itself entirely and can no longer see anything except You.

    " O divine Truth, You give so much strength to the soul which clothes itself with You, that it never falters under the weight of adversity or beneath the burden of troubles and temptations, but in every struggle it gains a great victory. I am wretched because I have not followed You, O eternal Truth; hence I am so weak that in every least tribulation I fall" (St. Catherine of Siena).

 

Humility is to charity what the foundation is to a building.  Digging the foundation is not building the house, yet it is the preliminary, indispensable work, the condition sine qua non.  The deeper and firmer it is, the better the house will be and the greater assurance of stability it will have.  Only the fool “built his house on the sand,” with the inevitable consequence of seeing it crumble away very soon.  The wise man, on the contrary, “built… upon a rock” (Mt. 7, 24-26); storms and winds might threaten, but his house was unshakable because its foundation was solid.  Humility is the firm bedrock upon which every Christian should build the edifice of his spiritual life.  Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., Divine Intimacy

 

Pride may yield resentment rather than gratitude for gifts

    Let us now consider the first case, namely: gratitude toward someone with whom we are not linked by an intimate relationship.  An example would be receiving financial assistance or help in a dangerous situation or being defended by someone when we are wrongly accused.  If someone refuses to acknowledge such a debt of gratitude and finds it difficult to admit this dependence on another, it indicates an alarming degree of pride.  If the generosity of the other does not move and gratify the recipient, then his heart is still hardened and imprisoned in pride.

    Pride struggles against the bond that is implied in being indebted to another.  The notion that one owes something to another, that one might even have to reciprocate if a similar situation would arise for the other, is felt as a restriction of freedom and independence.  The situation of the helper in relation to the one he helps clearly includes a form of ascendancy on the part of the helper.  It is deeply characteristic of pride that the beauty of the helper’s generosity is ignored and only a resentment against his formal superiority is felt.

    There are still other distinctions to be made.  For example, the worst kind of ingratitude exists when the very generosity of the helper incurs resentment.  The help is indeed accepted, because there is no other way out of the difficult situation, but one already takes offense at the superiority implied by the moral value of the benefactor.  This is followed by the desire to misinterpret, to repress, or to deny the generosity involved.

    In another case, the… person would “swallow” this formal superiority if it did not put him under obligation to the other.  This person is not so ungrateful that he cannot grasp the debt of gratitude arising from his acceptance of the benefit.  He feels the reality of this bond.  But in his perverted urge for freedom, in his need for unconditional independence, his primary perception of the debt of gratitude is that it is oppressive.  A Hindu saying clearly expresses this form of resistance against gratitude: “Why are you persecuting me?  I have never done you a favor.”

Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand, The Art of Living

 

Defamation: Both Detraction and Calumny are the same Species of Sinfulness

Good esteem is the opinion which men express in words regarding the excellence of another.   This esteem is violated by defamation whereby one secretly blackens the good name of another.  Modern theologians usually distinguish defamation into detraction and calumny.  Detraction is the unjust revelation of another’s genuine but hidden fault; calumny is the untruthful imputation of some fault not actually committed.  Older theologians spoke of calumny, detraction, and defamation, without making any distinction between them so far as their morality was concerned.  In this category must also be included tale-bearing which is a form of detraction that sows discord between friends.

Unjust defamation whether it be simple detraction or calumny is a grave sin contrary to justice and charity which admits of slight matter.  This is evident from the words of St. Thomas: “It is a serious matter to take away the good esteem of another, because amongst man’s temporal possessions nothing is more precious than his good name; if he lacks this he is prevented from doing many good things.  Therefore it is said: ‘Take care of your good name; for this will be a more lasting possession of yours than a thousand valuable and precious treasures.’ And therefore detraction considered in itself is grievously sinful.”

Rev. Dominic Prummer, O.P., Handbook of Moral Theology

 

The Tridentine Profession of Faith of Pope Pius IV, Iniunctum Nobis, prescribes adherence to the “received and approved rites of the Catholic Church used in the solemn administration of the sacraments.” The ‘received and approved rites’ are the rites established by custom, and hence the Council of Trent refers to them as the “received and approved rites of the Catholic Church customarily used in the solemn administration of the sacraments (Sess. VII, can XIII). Adherence to the customary rites received and approved by the Church is an infallible defined doctrine: The Council of Florence defined that “priests…. must confect the body of the Lord, each one according to the custom of his Church” (Decretum pro Graecis), and therefore the Council of Trent solemnly condemned as heresy the proposition that “ the received and approved rites of the Catholic Church customarily used in the solemn administration of the sacraments may be changed into other new rites by any ecclesiastical pastor whosoever”

Fr. Paul Kramer, The Suicide of Altering the Faith in the Liturgy

 

     "However, the term disciplina in no way applies to the liturgical rite of the Mass, particularly in light of the fact that the popes have repeatedly observed that the rite is founded on apostolic tradition (several popes are then quoted in the footnote). For this reason alone, the rite cannot fall into the category of 'discipline and rule of the Church.' To this we can add that there is not a single document, including the Codex Iuris Canonici, in which there is a specific statement that the pope, in his function as the supreme pastor of the Church, has the authority to abolish the traditional rite, In fact, nowhere is it mentioned that the pope has the authority to change even a single local liturgical tradition. The fact that there is no mention of such authority strengthens our case considerably.
     "There are clearly defined limits to the plena et suprema potestas (full and highest powers) of the pope. For example, there is no question that, even in matters of dogma, he still has to follow the tradition of the universal Church-that is, as St. Vincent of Lerins says, what has been believed (quod semper, quod ubique, quod ab ominibus). In fact, there are several authors who state quite explicitly that it is clearly outside the pope's scope of authority to abolish the traditional rite."

Msgr. Klaus Gamber, The Reform of the Roman Liturgy

 

After the Second Vatican Council, the impression arose that the pope really could do anything in liturgical matters, especially if he were acting on the mandate of an ecumenical council. Eventually, the idea of the givenness of the liturgy, the fact that one cannot do with it what one will, faded from the public consciousness of the West. In fact, the First Vatican Council had in no way defined the pope as an absolute monarch. On the contrary, it presented him as the guarantor of obedience to the revealed Word. The pope's authority is bound to the Tradition of faith, and that also applies to the liturgy. It is not "manufactured" by the authorities. Even the pope can only be a humble servant of its lawful development and abiding integrity and identity . . .. The authority of the pope is not unlimited; it is at the service of Sacred Tradition. 

Pope Benedict XVI, Spirit of the Liturgy

 

Envy is the most dangerous of our passions and the worst of evils; and the fact of its being a domestic evil only adds weight to its gravity.  Rust consumes iron, and envy consumes the heart.  The viper when born rends the entrails of its mother, and envy in like manner destroys the soul that gives it birth…. The envious and the jealous are easily recognized by their physiognomy.  Their eyes are dull and heavy, their jaws drooping, their brows contracted, their mind agitated and wanting judgment in their appreciation of others.  They can see no good in acts of virtue, nor in eloquent words, nor in anything which the world admires.  Vultures leave sweet-smelling meadows for the attraction of putrid carrion, and flies throng round festering wounds.  In like manner the envious man does not stop and dwell on the beauty and greatness of good deeds, but turns to their defective aspect; and as imperfection is to be met with in everything, he delights in divulging it, and seeks to make this imperfection the characteristic mark of his neighbor… Besides this, envious men are very skilful in giving a bad appearance to what is good in itself, and in calumniating virtue by speaking of it as bordering on vice.  They call a determine man audacious and rash, and a temperate on cold-blooded; with them justice is cruelty; prudence, cunning; liberality, prodigality; and a wise administration, parsimony… We may say that every species of merit is an offence to envy, as every kind of light hurts weak eyes. 

St. Basil the Great, On Envy

 

 

Envy conceals itself under every possible pretext, and takes pleasure in secret and treacherous schemes.  Hinted slanders, calumnies, betrayal, every kind of fraud and deceit, are its work and portion.

Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

 

 

Endeavor to acquire the virtues in which you believe your brother to be wanting; then you will no longer be sensible of his defects, because they will have ceased to exist in yourself. 

St. Augustine

 

The virtue of fortitude protects a person from loving his life so much that he loses it.

Josef Pieper, A Brief Reader on the Virtues of the Human Heart

 

 

True Humility and Magnanimity Will Always Be Found Together

     Nothing shows the way to a correct understanding of humility so clearly as this: that humility and magnanimity not only are not mutually exclusive but also are near to one another and intimately connected; both together are in opposition to pride as well as to faintheartedness.  What indeed does magnanimity mean?  Magnanimity is the expansion of the spirit toward great things; one who expects great things of himself and makes himself worthy of it is magnanimous.  The magnanimous person is to a certain extent “particular”: he does not allow himself to become concerned with everything that comes along, but rather only with the great things that are suitable for him.  Magnanimity seeks above all great glory: “The magnanimous person strives toward that which is worth the highest glory.”  In the Summa Theologica it is stated, “If one disdains glory in such a manner that he makes no effort to do that which merits glory, that action is blameworthy.”  On the other side, the magnanimous one is not broken by disgrace; he looks down on it as unworthy of himself.  In general the magnanimous man regards with disdain anyone who is narrow-minded.  He would never be able to esteem another so highly that he would do anything improper for that person’s sake.  According to Thomas, the words of the Psalm (15:4) apply to the magnanimous “disdain for men” by the just man: “He looks with contempt on the reprobate.”  Undaunted uprightness is the distinctive mark of Magnanimity, while nothing is more alien to it than this: to be silent out of fear about what is true.  One who is magnanimous completely shuns flattery and hypocrisy, both of which are the issue of a mean heart.  The magnanimous person does not complain, for his heart does not permit him to be overcome by any external evil.  Magnanimity encompasses an unshakable firmness of hope, a plainly defiant certainty, and the thorough calm of a fearless heart.  The magnanimous person submits himself not to the confusion of feelings or to any human being or to fate - but only to God. 

     It is with some amazement that one learns that this profile of magnanimity is traced line for line in the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas.  It was necessary to bring this to mind, for in the Treatise on Humility it is stated several times that humility does not conflict with magnanimity.  One can now consider what this sentence, unuttered as a warning and a precaution, truly means to say.  It means nothing else that this: that a “humility” that would be too narrow and too weak to bear the inner tension of coexistence with magnanimity is indeed no humility. 

Josef Pieper, A Brief Reader on the Virtues of the Human Heart

 

 



  

Ecumenism the Mother of Indifferentism or Is It Its Daughter?

86% of Catholics hold that “many religions can lead to eternal life.” Only 10% of Catholics hold that the Catholic Church “is the one true faith.” 

Pew Poll

Man may, in the observance of any religion whatever, find the way of eternal salvation, and arrive at eternal salvation. – Condemned. 

Pope Pius IX, Syllabus of Modern Errors, Dec. 8, 1864

 


The Religion of Sloth

   If we are going to turn away from spiritual joy, we are going to look for joy elsewhere. And so the slothful man ends by putting something else in the place of the revealed spiritual good.

        For the mainstream Catholic clergy, ecumenism is that something else. It is the substitute for the Divinely revealed spiritual good. It has been the driving force of every papacy since John XXIII’s; the overarching concern of most every precept and policy to issue from Rome these past 40-some years. It is the reason there is a New Mass. It is the reason we are identified as traditionalists. We are resisting the new religion fashioned by sloth. We are the declared enemies of ecumenism. We are, quite simply, Catholic.

         And because we are Catholic, we are either despised or ignored by the vast majority of the Catholic hierarchy. We are not of their faith. We do not attend their Mass. And we are an irritating, hateful reminder of the spiritual good from which they have turned away.

Edwin Faust, Catholic commentator


 

The precious light of faith will go our in souls because of the almost total moral corruption… The licentiousness will be such that there will be no more virgin souls in the world… By having gained control of all the social classes, the sects will tend to penetrate with great skill into the heart of families and destroy even the children… Priests will abandon their sacred duties and will depart from the path marked out for them by God.  The then Church will go through a dark night for lack of a Prelate and Father to watch over it with love, gentleness, strength and prudence. 

Our Lady of LaSalette to Melanie

 

Many apostatizing from Christianity, the brightness of the faith will be dimmed by this cloud of apostasy, since the heavenly Sun grows dim or shines in splendor according to my faith.  And as in its monthly eclipse the moon, by reason of the earth coming between it and the sun, disappears from view, so likewise the holy Church, when the vices of the flesh stand in the way of the celestial light, can no longer borrow the splendor of the divine light from the Sun of Christ.  And in the persecutions it was invariable the love of this life that stood in the path of the divine Sun.  Also the stars, that is men surrounded by the praise of their fellow Christians, shall fall as the bitterness of persecution mounts up. 

St. Ambrose, commenting on the St. Luke’s account of the Great Apostasy in Catholic prophesy


 

Ecumenism of St. Francis of Assisi

So great was the faith of men and women, so deep their reverence toward the Saint of God that whoever touched but the hem of his habit deemed himself indeed blessed.  Whenever he entered a city, the clergy rejoiced and rang bells, men and women became jubilant, children gleefully clapped their hands, broke branches from the trees and met him with songs of joy.  The damnable heresies were routed, the faith of the Church strengthened and while the faithful rejoiced, the heretics were put to flight… He declared most strongly that in all things and above all things, the Faith of the Holy Roman Church should be maintained, revered and observed, that in this Faith alone was salvation and by this Faith alone all could be saved.

Thomas of Celano on St. Francis of Assisi.  Thomas of Celano was a Franciscan contemporary of St. Francis and his first biographer.  He is also the author of the Dies Irae

 

Ecumenism of St. Paul, Apostle

Now I beseech you, brethren, to mark them who cause dissensions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and to avoid them; for they that are such serve not Our Lord Christ, but their own belly, and by pleasing speeches and good words seduce the hearts of the innocent (Rom. 16:17).

 

Ecumenism of St. John, Apostle

And this is charity, that we walk according to his commandments. For this is the commandment, that, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in the same: For many seducers are gone out into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh: this is a seducer and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that you lose not the things which you have wrought: but that you may receive a full reward. Whosoever revolteth, and continueth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine, the same hath both the Father and the Son. If any man come to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him, God speed you. For he that saith unto him, God speed you, communicateth with his wicked works.   (2 John 1, 6-11)

 

Ecumenism of Pope Pius XI

Meanwhile they (the heretics and schismatics) affirm that they would willingly treat with the Church of Rome, but on equal terms, that is as equals with an equal: but even if they could so act. it does not seem open to doubt that any pact into which they might enter would not compel them to turn from those opinions which are still the reason why they err and stray from the one fold of Christ. This being so, it is clear that the Apostolic See cannot on any terms take part in their assemblies, nor is it anyway lawful for Catholics either to support or to work for such enterprises; for if they do so they will be giving countenance to a false Christianity, quite alien to the one Church of Christ. Shall We suffer, what would indeed be iniquitous, the truth, and a truth divinely revealed, to be made a subject for compromise? For here there is question of defending revealed truth.  Mortalium Animos

 

and, the Ecumenism of Pope Benedict XVI

In our troubled world, so frequently marked by poverty, violence and exploitation, dialogue between cultures and religions must more and more be seen as a sacred duty incumbent upon all those who are committed to building a world worthy of man. The ability to accept and respect one another, and to speak the truth in love, is essential for overcoming differences, preventing misunderstandings and avoiding needless confrontations…. A sincere dialogue needs both openness and a firm sense of identity on both sides, in order for each to be enriched by the gifts of the other.  In this spirit, then, I encourage you to persevere in your important work with patience and renewed commitment.

Recent Address to the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations

 

...that it is necessary to obey a pope in all things as long as he does not go against the universal custom of the Church, but should he go against the universal customs of the Church, he need not be followed. 

Pope Innocent III

 

The Holy Spirit has not been promised to the successors of Peter that, under His revelation, they might make known a new doctrine, but in order that, with His assistance, they sacredly preserve and faithfully set forth the revelation transmitted by the Apostles, that is to say, the deposit of the faith. 

Vatican Council I, Pastor Aeternus

 

 

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