Monday in Holy Week (Fig Monday)

Monday in Holy Week (Fig Monday) 

via http://liturgialatina.blogspot.com/

Monday in Holy Week

Station at St Praxedes's

The Station was originally held at SS. Nercus and Achilleus but the tottering state of this church caused it to be transferred in the XIIIth century to St. Praxedes'. The precious Pillar of the Flagellation, so called, brought over from the Holy Land by Cardinal Colonna at the time ofthe Fifth Crusade, was placed by him in this his titular church, where it is still kept. In exchange for the iron ring attached to this pillar St. Louis presented the church with the three thorns of the Holy Crown that are still preserved there. The relics of many martyrs, gathered from the suburban catacombs, were brought into this church under Pope Paschalis I.

In the Epistle Isaias, typifying Jesus prophesies His obedience and the indignities of His Passion. He likewise foretells His triumph, for He has placed His trust in God, who will raise Him to life again. Finally he shows how the Jews were to be confounded. Then the Gentiles through baptism, the public penitents by being reconciled, and the faithful by their Easter Confession and Holy Communion will pass from darkness in the light of which Jesus is the fount.

The Gospel tells of the supper of which Jesus partook in the house of Simon the leper six days before the Pasch. While Martha, all activity, served at table, Mary, more loving, went up to Christ, and breaking the big narrow neck of an alabaster vase filled with an ointment of great price poured the contents over His feet. And Jesus commends her for having thus anticipated the embalming of His body. The indignant protests of Judas lead us to fear the crime into which he will fall an a result of his avarice. Finally the presence at the supper of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised to life, is a forecast of the coming victory of Christ over death. The choice of this Gospel is not without connection with that of the Stational church: St. Praxedes and St. Pudentiana put their house at the disposal of Pope St.Pius I., like Mary and Martha received Jesus into theirs.

Judica, Domine, nocentes me, expugna impugnantes me: apprehende arma et scutum, et exsurge in adjutorium meum, Domine, virtus salutis meae. * Effunde frameam meam, et conclude adversus eos, qui persequuntur me: die animae meae: Salus tua ego sum. 
Judge Thou, O Lord, them that wrong me, overthrow them that fight against me: take hold of arms and shield, and rise up to help me, O Lord, the strength of my salvation. * Bring out the sword, and shut up the way against them that persecute me: say to my soul, I am thy salvation.
(Psalm 34:1-3 from the Introit of Mass)

Da, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut, qui in tot adversis ex nostra infirmitate deficimus: intercedente unigeniti Filii tui passione respiremus.

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who fail through infirmity in our many difficulties, may be relieved through the merits of the passion of Thine only-begotten Son. 
(Collect)

http://www.frcoulter.com/pics/station-churches/lent6/lent6.html#Monday 

"LET not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me."  John 14:1

Our Lady of Fatima admonished us to "pray much for the holy father". We should today more than ever take this to heart.  I was deeply moved this morning by this photo of Benedict XVI and Papa Francesco in the chapel of Castel Gandolfo. I was inspired for a number of reasons. Firstly, to see both of them kneeling united in prayer before a traditional style altar with veiled (!) crucifix for Passiontide. Secondly, because they are both knelt in prayer before what appears to be an image of the holy Virgin of  Częstochowa beseeching her intercession for holy mother church. 

I have had a week to reflect on the election of Papa Francesco.  I must say in all honesty that I let my heart be troubled when he first appeared on the balcony. I had very mixed emotions.  I suppose it was because I have been praying so earnestly that the next papacy would pick up where Benedict XVI left off. I have prayed for a restoration of an authentic "Sensus Catholicus" and attainment of a Roman spirit (romanità) to permeate the holy, Roman Church once more.

  As a traditionalist, I have no illusions. I made a promise to refrain from any commentary about our new holy father. I promised that I would watch, pray and offer sacrifices on his behalf to wait and see. I’m going to be 47 and I have never had any illusions since the death of Paul VI. I remember some words of Archbishop Lefebvre at the election of John Paul II in 1978 that gave many reason for hope. He stated that the Church in Poland was still "very traditional".  I prayed then and trusted that the newly elected pontiff would restore order and a sensus catholicus to the Church.  However, his papacy was despite his personal sanctity a very big disappointment for me. 

I may have pondered (briefly) a possible return of tradition when I was overtaken with the notion that perhaps men such as Cardinal Burke or Cardinal Ranjinth (or miracle of miracles Bishop Athanasius Schneider) might have a chance of becoming pope. I underestimated the strong current within the church against tradition.  I do not know for certain but wager that this current within the Church seeks a  continuity with the last 40+ years rather than with what existed previously. It is the past 50 years such Churchmen would seek to commemorate and canonize rather than clarify the difficulties of Vatican II through a "new syllabus" as called for by Bishop Schneider (and others) a few years ago. I fear we shall no doubt continue to see a canonization of Vatican II and its' spirit....in the "year of faith" and beyond.  I was further disturbed at the joy raised among known enemies of the Church at the election of Cardinal Bergoglio (Hans Kung among others).  I immediately thought of some of Anne Catherine Emmerich's prophecies when enemies of the Church sought to carry out their own will regarding the future of the Church but as Anne Catherine Emmerich wrote, "Such was to be the new Church…But God had other designs…” ^{33  "}Such was the new church to be, and it was for it that he had set fire to the old one; but God designed otherwise….” ³⁶  http://www.catholicrevelations.org/PR/bl%20anna%20maria%20katarina%20emmerick.htm

God is in control.  God certainly has other plans and designs. God will not allow the wills of carnal, misguided men to destroy His Church. They may think they have had their say and that they have the upper hand but this is an illusion. The enemies of the Church within her bosom might falsely believe that they shall have a Church in their own image and likeness. A church they have sought to create for decades. "But God has other designs" 

I  was greatly edified to read on another blog the visit of the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima to the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and her recption by Cardinal Bergoglio some years ago.  I read that Papa Francesco prays 15 decades of the most holy rosary every day and has a deep devotion to Our Lady.  I read also with great joy  that Father Nicholas Gruner "the Fatima priest" received letters from Cardinal Bergoglio.   This gives me great reason to hope that perhaps Papa Francesco will be the pope to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  In fact Antonio Ruffini the stigmatist who died in 2010 said as much.  We can (and should) pray for this intention.  The 100th anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal is fast approaching.  A friend wrote me these insightful lines this past week in this regard:

the hundredth anniversary of the Fatima apparitions approaches. We know what happened to the King of France after exactly one hundred years of failing to carry out the Consecration of France to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as Our Lord requested in another so-called ‘private apparition’ — to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1689. King Louis was guillotined and France descended into a revolutionary bloodbath that changed the whole world for the worse.”

And we know too what happened to the Jesuits in the 18^th century when they failed to promote the revelations of the Sacred Heart that had first been conveyed to St Claude la Colombiere.

We must pray a great deal for the holy father. There is a very praiseworthy endeavor put forth by the Latin Mass Society to present a "Spiritual Bouquet" to the holy father. You can follow this link and fill it out and either send it by email or post it to the address.   We have great reason for hope but we must pray very much!

http://www.lmschairman.org/2013/03/spiritual-bouquet-for-pope-francis.html

CATHEDRA PETRI CHAIR OF ST PETER

Unfortunately dear readers I have been busy with a new place of employment and have been unable to add new material to this blog. I should however like to say that I am encouraged by the large amount of readers who have added their names to the petition to which this blog is dedicated. I would like to encourage you all to make known this petition far and wide. On the feast of the Chair of St Petrus traditionally the statue of St Peter in Saint Peter's Rome is clothed in a beautiful cope (not unlike those being worn of late in Rome Deo Gratias) and crowned with the beloved Triregnum Tiara. We all pray that our Holy Father will revive the use of this symbol of his sublime office soon.

PLEASE READ AND SIGN AND MAKE KNOWN THE FOLLOWING PETITION TO THE HOLY FATHER FOR A RETURN OF THE TRIREGNUM

THE FOLLOWING PETITION TO THE HOLY FATHER CAN BE SIGNED AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: Petition for a return of the Papal triregnum tiara Petition ...

Most Holy Father,

We are most grateful to you for your continued untiring dedication in restoring the sacred to the holy liturgy & above all we thank you for your Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum" and the restoration of the Classical Rite. We can only applaud your efforts to restore continuity in the Church. We especially laud your continued effort to restore the use of venerable papal vestments & other traditions thereby reaffirming the dignity of your office as the Vicar of Christ. Many if not most of us were born during or after the Second Vatican Council. Many of us feel robbed of our sacred patrimony as Roman Catholics and are therefore all the more grateful to your holiness for your work for the "hermeneutic of continuity" in holy mother church. Most of us were deeply saddened at the abandonment of the triregnum & papal coronation as provided for by your predecessor his holiness of blessed memory Paul VI in his 1975 Apostolic Constitution "Romano Pontifici Eligendo". This venerable ceremony and crowning with the papal triregnum so full of rich symbolism calling to mind the very kingship of Jesus Christ would be but one more blessed opportunity to pay tribute to our patrimony. We the undersigned faithful humbly beg you Holy Father to restore the venerable tradition of the triregnum to the papal ceremonial. The patriarchs of the Orthodox east do not refrain from their own traditions & insignia of their patriarchal office and authority therefore all the more fitting is it that you holy father the vicar of Christ, the patriarch of all the west, the bishop of Rome should wear that ancient symbol of your office the triregnum. For as Mgr Nabuco states in his "Ius Pontificalium" : "Being exempt from all human authority, [The Apostolic Lord: (The Pope)] is crowned with a Tiara and uses it vested with the Sacred Vestments as a sign of his supreme dignity in temporal as well as in spiritual matters."

Submitted respectfully in the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

Out of necessity

Since my work schedule now requires me to work more Sundays a month than I would like I am now out of necessity to make a painful decision. There is only one diocesan sponsored usus antiquior in my city on any given Sunday. There are 2 or 3 that are either SSPX, Sedevacantist, Sedeprivationist ect at various chapels. My dilemma is one that I'm sure many out there are faced with: what to do when I am unable to assist at the diocesan sponsored usus antiquior? I would not have issue with going to a chapel of SSPX. I have at this time opted to try to find a tolerable missa ordinaria which is like finding a needle in a haystack. It is a real dilemma of conscience for me. I have issue with alot that goes on at most parish liturgies. My real dilemma is that because of circumstances being the way they are ie. 'EXTRAORDINARY ministers of the Eucharist', hand communion, and just the whole decorum that goes along with celebrations of average missa ordinaria. My biggest issue is not being able to kneel for holy communion which bothers me a great deal and so normally (like today) I went with out and made a spiritual communion which is a great sacrifice. Would that there were parishes like a former one of mine Church and School of St. Agnes or St. Joseph Catholic Church, Detroit, Michigan or St John Cantius Parish to name a few places where the missa ordinaria are celebrated with as much hermeneutic of continuity as possible. Alas I don't have this option. I beg your prayers that the liturgical landscape will begin to change soon.

FASTING

This will be the third year or so that i've sought to hold to a more traditional fast during the season of Lent. This means for me one major meal and two smaller meals that together do not equal the major meal. I try because of my blood sugar to drink pure fruit juice between my meals. As I long ago gave up flesh meats I try to limit my use of eggs and dairy to Sundays without being too scrupulous about it. This being more akin to the fast held by eastern churches. I find I do very well increasing my intake of fresh vegetables, legumes & whole grains. I also try to drink lots of fresh water. The practice of fasting has made me appreciate food and God's providence alot more. Fasting has made me more grateful for God's bounty and much more aware.

The fisheaters website has alot of wonderful information on Fasting and Abstinence. I am going to try to include some good lenten recipes for all my readers.

Shrove Tuesday

I took the opportunity to be 'shriven' this past Saturday morning. I've always liked that word 'shriven'. I have very vivid memories of the lively celebrations of Carnival in Cologne and the Rhineland where I lived for many years. The one thing that always amazed me was that in many places where Carnival is celebrated it's become nothing more than an opportunity for sin and hedonistic indulgence for people who have no intention of giving up anything for Lent let alone offending almighty God.

I've always liked this work by Bruegel, "The fight between carnival and Lent". If you get a chance to see view it up close it's quite extraordinary (Click on the picture to enlarge it). It's very full of symbolism. If you look closely in the upper right hand corner you can see penitents leaving the Church (after having been shriven). I hope most of you had the opportunity to go to confession today or are planning to do so soon.

The Lenten rigours begin tomorrow. The current law of the Church obliges us to fast and abstain from meat on only two days Ash Wednesday (tomorrow) and Good Friday as well as abastaining from all meat on all the fridays of Lent. I gave up meat long ago in order to live a more simple life so I try to fast more during Lent and to give up dairy and eggs on the fridays of lent (as is the custom in the eastern rite churches). If any of you need any recipes for making lenten fare, I would be most happy to send them to you.

The Code of Canon Law states that Fridays throughout the year and in the time of Lent are penitential days for the entire Church. Although fasting usually refers to any practice of restricting food, there is a distinction, in the Church, between fast (limiting food to one full meal a day, with two smaller meals allowed) and abstinence (abstaining from eating meat.) Abstinence from meat on Fridays as the universal form of penance on all Fridays is no longer mandatory. We may choose another way of observing the Church's requirement for acts of penance on Fridays, but we are not to neglect it, either.
Since the change in the abstinence rules, some people have become confused about the requirement to observe penitential days. As a result, the discipline of fasting (or abstaining from meat) or any form of regular penance has all but disappeared. Confession, or the Sacrament of Penance (or Reconciliation) has sharply declined, as well.
Both fast and abstinence are required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. For the record, rules of the Church in the United States about fasting and abstinence in effect since 1966 state that:
"Catholics in the United States are obliged to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays during the season of Lent. They are also obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. Self-imposed observance of fasting on all weekdays of Lent is strongly recommended. Abstinence from flesh meat on all Fridays of the year [excluding solemnities like Christmas which may fall on Friday] is especially recommended to individuals and to the Catholic community as a whole." (ref. Canons 1249-1253, Code of Canon Law)

Happy Candlemas

• I wish you all dear readers where ever you are a very happy and blessed Candlemas. I went to the early traditional Mass this morning at 7am. Unfortunately, we didn't have the procession and blessing of candles. I remember growing up with the 'forma ordinaria' that the liturgy for this day included a gathering outside the church or oratory with blessing of candles and priest & people processing into the Church. Unfortunately during my childhood we didn't celebrate this beautiful feastday with the blessing of candles or procession. This like so many of the ancient observances fell into disuse after the council. It's very important to have blessed candles in the home. They are used to meet the priest at the door with the Blessed Sacrament when he comes on sick calls and to have on the bedside table in the sick room. If you like me were unable to get any at Church you can get them here: http://www.theholyfamily.com/Candles.htm




• We live in dark times. We need all the light we can get! I think few of you would disagree with this. We as traditional Catholics need to be 'a light to the nations' and to all of those around us. There is such beauty and richness to our Catholic faith. Septuagesima is fast ending. Lent will be upon us soon. It's time for us to get our 'lenten rule' formulated. Last year I did my best to assist at the traditional Mass every day. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to do that this year but i'll try to do something. Let's all make a holy Lent. Let us pray that with the revival of the ancient liturgy that such beautiful traditions will be revived as well. Pray fervently for the holy father, pray for the consecration and conversion of Russia, pray for a revival and return to holy tradition.

in memoriam Pater Andreas Hoenisch SJM

• I received very sad news from Austria yesterday. Father Andreas Hoenisch SJM the founder of SJM - Congregation (Servi Jesu et Mariae) passed to his eternal reward in the night between Thursday and Friday. Father Hoenisch was an ardent advocate of tradition and continuity. He was deeply ignatian in his spirituality. He was a priest of the Society of Jesus until such time as he was unable to continue on as a traditional Jesuit and founded the Servi Jesu et Mariae in 1988 with the consent of the bishop of the diocese of Augsburg, Germany. A more detailed account of the life of this holy man can be read at The New Liturgical Movement: Fr Andreas Hönisch SJM

• I became familiar with the Servi Jesu et Mariae whilst living in Germany and making pilgrimages to the marian shrine Marienfried near Ulm, Germany. The Catholic scouting movement founded by Pater Hoenisch always had a strong gathering there. I've been prayerfully considering a vocation with the Servi Jesu et Mariae. I had spoken a few months back with Pater Hoenisch about this. I am deeply saddened that I shall no longer have the chance in this life to meet this wonderful priest. I am consoled that he can now pray for me and my vocation. I ask for all your prayers for the repose of the soul of this holy priest.

• The Lord has blessed is in these bleak and dismal times with such priests who are few and far between and who have remained faithful to tradition and continuity and for this I shall remain eternally grateful.

Der Herr gib Ihm die ewige Ruhe und das ewige Licht erleuchte Ihm.

'

St Agnes

Today is the feast of St. Agnes virgin & martyr St. Agnes Eve & St. Agnes Day . I should like to commemorate her and the great church of St. Agnes in St. Paul, Minnesota Church and School of St. Agnes which celebrates its' patronal feast today. It was at St. Agnes Church in the twin cities where I first found a truly Catholic spiritual home. It was where I first witnessed and was a part of what would come to be called, "the hermeneutic of continuity". Whatever your position is regarding the Novus Ordo Missae and its' kalendar I think we can all agree that the work put forth by the great msgr richard j schuler (RIP) for "the hermeneutic of continuity" was a very great work. St. Agnes Church was a well watered oasis of sanity in those bleak years following the council when it seemed the whole church had lost its' way. I shall always be eternally grateful to Msgr. Schuler and to St Agnes Church for being there for me and countless others at a time when authentically Catholic places of worship & liturgy were few and far between. It was at St Agnes that I first took part in Benediction of Blessed Sacrament, it was where I first heard Gregorian Chant, it was where I first learned the words of the Pater Noster and it was where I first saw a housling cloth covered altar rail where the faithful kneel to receive the Blessed Sacrament.

I would urge anyone who is fortunate enough to live in the twin cities to visit St Agnes Church and for those who might be visiting to not miss attending Holy Mass there at 10 am on Sundays. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Msgr. Schuler. St. Agnes virgin & martyr pray for us!