ST FRANCIS AND THE WOLF

The Little Flowers of St. Francis, tr. by W. Heywood, [1906], at sacred-texts.com

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CHAPTER XXI

Of the most holy miracle which St. Francis wrought when he converted the very fierce wolf of Agobio

DURING the time that St. Francis dwelt in the city of Agobio, there appeared in the territory of Agobio a very great wolf, terrible and fierce, the which not only devoured animals but also men and women, so that all the citizens stood in great fear, because ofttimes he came nigh unto the city; and all
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men went armed when they went forth from the city, as if they were going to battle; and therewithal they were not able to defend themselves from him, when haply any man encountered him alone; and for dread of this wolf things came to such a pass that no one dared to leave the city. Wherefore, St. Francis, having compassion on the men of the city, was minded to go forth to meet this wolf, albeit the citizens altogether counselled him not to do so; and, making the sign of the cross, he went forth from the city with his companions, putting all his trust in God. And because the others feared to go farther, St. Francis alone took the road toward the place where the wolf was. And lo! while many citizens who had come out to behold this miracle were looking on, the said wolf made at St. Francis with open mouth. Whereupon St. Francis advanced towards him, and making over him the sign of the most holy Cross, called him unto him and spake to him after this manner: "Come hither, friar wolf. I command thee in Christ's name that thou do no harm to me nor to any other." O marvellous thing! Scarcely had St. Francis made the sign of the cross than the terrible wolf instantly closed his mouth and stayed his running; and, in obedience to that command, came, gentle as a lamb, and laid himself down at the feet of St. Francis. Then St. Francis spake unto him thus: "Friar wolf, thou dost much damage in these parts, and thou hast committed great crimes, destroying and slaying the creatures of God without His licence: and not only hast thou slain and devoured beasts, but thou hast also had the hardihood to slay men, made in the image of God; for the which cause thou dost merit the gallows as a thief and most iniquitous murderer; and all men cry out against thee and complain, and all this city is thine
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enemy. But I desire, friar wolf, to make peace between thee and them; to the end that thou mayest no more offend them and that they may forgive thee all thy past offences and neither men nor dogs may pursue thee any more." At these words, the wolf, by movements of his body and tail and eyes, and by bowing his head, showed that he accepted that which St. Francis said and was minded to observe the same. Thereupon St. Francis spake unto him again saying: "Friar wolf, inasmuch as it seemeth good unto thee to make and keep this peace, I promise thee that, so long as thou shalt live, I will cause thy food to be given thee continually by the men of this city, so that thou shalt no more suffer hunger; for I know full well that whatever of evil thou hast done thou hast done it through hunger. But seeing that I beg for thee this grace, I desire, friar wolf, that thou shouldst promise me that never from henceforward wilt thou injure any human being or any animal. Dost thou promise me this?" And the wolf, by bowing his head, gave evident token that he promised it. And St. Francis said: "Friar wolf, I desire that thou swear me fealty touching this promise, to the end that I may trust thee utterly". Then St. Francis held forth his hand to receive his fealty, and the wolf lifted up his right fore-foot and put it with friendly confidence in the hand of St. Francis, giving thereby such token of fealty as he was able. Thereupon St. Francis said: "Friar wolf, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come now with me, nothing doubting, and let us go and stablish this peace in the name of God". And the wolf went with him obediently, like a gentle lamb; wherefore the citizens beholding the same marvelled greatly. And anon, the fame thereof was noised abroad through all the city, and all the people,
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men and women, great and small, young and old, thronged to the piazza to see the wolf with St. Francis. And when all the folk were gathered together, St. Francis rose up to preach unto them, saying, among other things, how, by reason of sin, God permits such pestilences; and far more perilous is the fire of hell, the which must for ever torment the damned, than is the fury of a wolf which can only kill the body; how much then are the jaws of hell to be feared when the jaws of a little beast can hold so great a multitude in fear! "Turn ye then, most dear ones, turn ye to God, and do befitting penance for your sins, and God will save you from the wolf in this present world and from the fire of hell in that which is to come". And when he had done preaching, St. Francis said: "Hear ye, my brethren. Friar wolf, who is here before you, hath promised and sworn fealty to me, that he will make peace with you and never more offend you in anything; do ye now promise him to give him every day that whereof he hath need; and I become surety unto you for him that he will faithfully observe this covenant of peace." Then all the people with one voice promised to provide him food continually, and St. Francis spake unto the wolf before them all, saying: "And thou, friar wolf, dost thou promise to observe the covenant of peace which thou hast made with this folk, that thou wilt offend neither men nor beast nor any creature?" And the wolf kneeled him down and bowed his head, and, with gentle movements of his body and tail and ears, showed as far as he was able his determination to keep that covenant wholly. Said St. Francis: "Friar wolf, as thou didst me fealty touching this promise, without the gate, so now I desire that thou do me fealty, before all the people, touching thy promise, and that thou wilt not deceive
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me concerning my promise and surety which I have given for thee". Then the wolf, lifting up his right foot, put it in the hand of St. Francis. By which act, and by the other acts aforesaid, all the people were fulfilled with so great joy and wonder, alike for devotion toward the saint, and for the strangeness of the miracle, and for the peace with the wolf, that they all began to shout to heaven, praising and blessing God who had sent them St. Francis, who, by his merits, had freed them from the jaws of the cruel beast. And thereafter, the said wolf lived two years in Agobio, and entered familiarly into the houses, going from door to door, neither doing injury to any one nor receiving any; and he was courteously nourished by the people; and, as he thus went through the town and through the houses, never did any dog bark after him. Finally, after two years, friar wolf died of old age; whereat the citizens lamented much, because as long as they saw him going so gently through their city, they recalled the better the virtue and sanctity of St. Francis.

What is the hermeneutic of continuity?

Sunday, September 01, 2013

FROM THE BLOG 'UNAM SANCTAM CATHOLICAM'

What is the hermeneutic of continuity?

Ever since the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the term "hermeneutic continuity" has been proposed
 as descriptive of an interpretation of the Second Vatican Council that stresses continuity between
 pre and post-Conciliar teachings. This "hermeneutic of continuity" is generally opposed to a
 "hermeneutic of rupture", which sees Vatican II in terms of a break or rupture with tradition.
 Progressive are generally "rupturists", while conservative, orthodox Catholics favor
the hermeneutic of continuity proposed by Benedict XVI and enthusiastically embraced by
 those advocating a reform of the reform.

But what exactly is the hermeneutic of continuity? Is it as self-evident as the simple definition
 I gave above would lead us to believe? In fact it is not, and while I support the concept of
 the hermeneutic of continuity, I must firmly insist that we begin by understanding what
 the hermeneutic of continuity is exactly - and what it implies.

To say that the hermeneutic of continuity stresses continuity between pre and
post-Conciliar teaching is not sufficient, because there is two ways one can interpret
 what this means, and as we shall see, much is riding on which approach one prefers.

Two ways of interpreting "hermeneutic of continuity":

1) The teaching of the Second Vatican Council is already in perfect continuity
 with Tradition, and in proposing a hermeneutic of continuity, we are being
 asking to realize and appropriate this truth. The hermeneutic of continuity is 
simply recognizing what the Council "really taught" as opposed to what liberals 
drew out of it. In this interpretation, discontinuity is a myth that must be dispelled
 by proper catechesis.

2) The teaching of the Second Vatican Council presents a departure from
 Catholic Tradition, and in proposing for a hermeneutic of continuity, 
we are being asked to look for a way to reconcile Conciliar teaching with
 pre-Conciliar teaching. The hermeneutic of continuity consists in new statements
 or actions on the part of the Magisterium, bishops and priests to bring the 
Vatican II documents into synthesis with prior Magisterial
 teaching. In this interpretation, discontinuity is a fact that must be rectified.

Look at these for a moment and notice how different the two approaches are. While both
call for an interpretive schema that stresses continuity, the former denies the existence of
 objective discontinuity while the latter actually takes it for granted. It might be
objected that the latter interpretation actually puts one in the camp of the rupturists, since
 it presumes that there is a true divergence between Conciliar teaching and
Catholic tradition - an objective rupture. But it is important to point out that a
true rupturist interpretation not only acknowledges the rupture, but celebrates it
and works to further it. We, on the other hand, acknowledge the fact of a rupture,
 but work to rectify it, to close the gap, to bring all things into harmony inasmuch
 as is possible.

It is in the second sense that I, too, believe a hermeneutic of continuity is vitally
 important for restoration. But this does not consist of simply returning to
the documents, uncovering the "riches" of the Council, or stressing what
the Council "actually taught" as opposed to how it was "implemented."
I have written elsewhere on how the Council Fathers noted many problems
 with the Conciliar documents from the outset; I have alsodemonstrated that
 the theory of a council "hijacked" by the media and other outside interests is
 not tenable. We need, desperately need, a hermeneutic of continuity,
 but it does not simply consist in rediscovering the documents or returning
 to what the Council "really taught." These are dead ends.

It would be worth asking: if there really is an objective discontinuity,
a real rupture of sorts, what's the use in trying to "bring it into harmony"
 with tradition? Discontinuity, by definition, means there is no continuity,
 and if so, how can we speak of "reconciling" or synthesizing it?

In acknowledging an objective discontinuity, I do not mean to say that the break
 is so grave, the chasm so wide, that it cannot be crossed. The majority of
the Council Fathers, even men of unimpeachable orthodoxy like Marcel Lefebvre,
ultimately signed off on the Council documents, which indicates that they must
 have believed that the documents were compatible with Tradition in some sense,
 even if only "with great difficulty." Vocabulary was novel, the manner of
 speech was different from prior Councils, different angles or aspects
 of questions were explored which previously had not been, the ends
of the Council were pastoral rather than dogmatic, and the very "mood"
of the Council was profoundly different from previous Councils.
All of these things taken together signify an objective "change of direction"
in the Church's understanding of itself - but, as Vatican II itself and Paul VI
 himself noted, this orientation was fundamentally pastoral, which ultimately
means discretionary. If the Church wanted to, they could go back to its
 pre-Conciliar orientation or even adopt a new one without any change in teaching.
 So, when we speak of harmonizing or bridging the gap, we mean not the
attempt to put a square peg into a round hole, but rather effecting a true metanoia,
a change of direction, within the Church, such that her fundamental orientation
 is realigned with Tradition.

But this means we must confess that the orientation is currently not aligned.
In calling for a hermeneutic, we are implicitly acknowledging that there
 is a discontinuity that needs to be addressed. Or, as Chris Ferrara put it recently,
 "What kind of Council needs a 'hermeneutic' just to understand Catholic teaching?"
 If the hermeneutic of continuity is more than just "rediscovering the riches"
of the Council, then it is in fact something extrinsic that needs to be applied.
 It is something akin to a syllabus, or an explanatory note followed up by
 a rigorous campaign of implementation - a dedicated, intentional effort on the
 part of the Magisterium to impose continuityon the Council by stating
 definitively how the documents are to be interpreted and bringing them
 into harmony with Tradition.

Can this be done? A recent statement of the SSPX opined that the Council could
 only be brought into harmony "with great difficulty." But to counter that with
Cardinal Newman, "ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt."
 So, yes, we need a hermeneutic of continuity, but paradoxically, this hermeneutic
 of continuity must begin from the premise of acknowledging an
 objective discontinuity. Only if you acknowledge where you are can you
 even begin to think about where you ought to be going.

THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS

Today is the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. It is a praiseworthy practice to ask every day for the protection of our holy guardian angel above all in times of doubt, hopelessness and temptation. We should like Padre Pio work to cultivate and deepen our friendship with our holy guardian angel. 

Here is an excellent article on fostering our friendship with our guardian angel:

Steps Toward a Living Friendship with Your Angel

Here is an excellent audio series on the Holy Angels by Father John Horgan:

Angels of God

St Charles Borromeo: Prayer to One's Guardian Angel

Prayer to One's Guardian Angel for a Happy Death

My good Angel: I know not when or how I shall die. It is possible I may be carried off suddenly, and that before my last sigh I may be deprived of all intelligence. Yet there are many things I would wish to say to God on the threshold of eternity. In the full freedom of my will today, I come to charge thee to speak for me at that fearful moment. Thou wilt say to Him, then, O my good Angel:

That I wish to die in the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church in which all the saints since Jesus Christ have died, and out of which there is no salvation.

That I ask the grace of sharing in the infinite merits of my Redeemer and that I desire to die in pressing to my lips the Cross that was bathed in His Blood!

That I detest my sins because they displease Him, and that I pardon through love of Him all my enemies as I wish myself to be pardoned.

That I die willingly because He orders it and that I throw myself with confidence into His adorable Heart awaiting all His Mercy.

That in my inexpressible desire to go to Heaven I am disposed to suffer everything it may please His sovereign Justice to inflict on me.

That I love Him before all things, above all things and for His own sake; that I wish and hope to love Him with the Elect, his Angels and the Blessed Mother during all eternity.

Do not refuse, O my Angel, to be my interpreter with God, and to protest to Him that these are my sentiments and my will. Amen.

~ Saint Charles Borromeo

OCTOBER IS THE MONTH DEDICATED TO THE MOST HOLY ROSARY

The first of October ushers in the month which holy mother Church sets aside as dedicated to Our Lady's Rosary. Our Lady's rosary has always been dear to me since childhood. I was given my first rosary and taught to pray it by the nuns in religion class. We would always begin class by praying a decade of it and ending with a decade. It is most unfortunate that devotion to Our Lady and her rosary has waned in the past 40 plus years. It is above all to be deplored that the daily family rosary said in common at the family altar has given way to television and activities of every kind. It was in religion class that I first learned about Our Lady coming to Fatima and the message of Fatima has influenced my faith and life ever since. Our Lady (who identified herself at Fatima as 'the lady of the rosary') told us "You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war for only she can obtain this."  I campaigned as a boy very strongly for the family rosary. I knew even as a young boy how important this devotion is for the development of an authentically Catholic family life. I am convinced to this day that much would not have befallen us as a family had we been faithful to Our Lady's daily rosary: apostasy, indifference to the faith among other things.  I cannot urge you enough dear reader to recite the rosary every day yourself and with your families. I cannot stress enough how much faithfulness to this simple devotion every day will transform those who pray it faithfully each day. 

Some years ago, I learned about the apostolate of the Universal Living Rosary. Each member of the Universal Living Rosary of St Philomena receives a decade for life which he or she prays every day. The remainder of that particular rosary is prayed by others and all members thereby participate in the graces and fruits of it. I seek personally to pray at least five decades each day often times I have time for more (especially when driving). I plead with everyone to make an effort this October to begin to pray the holy rosary daily. The late Fr Hugh Thwaites SJ, a very holy convert priest was a tireless apostle of the daily family rosary. The article below is taken from his own writings is very edifying:

The Importance of the Family Rosary

This article is taken from the booklet "Our Glorious Faith and How To Lose It" written by Fr. Hugh Thwaites, S.J. It contains different stories of how we can lose our faith but this paper will deal only with the Holy Rosary. Fr. Thwaites' words on this subject are as follows:

Without delay now, I want to talk about my theme. It seems to me that a principal cause of the loss of faith is the dropping off in the practice of the family rosary.

In Austria, after World War II, there was a complete collapse of vocations. One year, apparently, no one at all entered the seminaries. So the bishops held a synod, to find out how it could be that this had happened. The conclusion they reached was that the war had so disrupted family life that the centuries-old practice of the rosary in the home had stopped, and had just not started up again. This is my experience, too; when the rosary goes, the faith soon collapses.

I remember someone telling me of a friend of his, a great Catholic, the pillar of the parish, whose children had all lapsed, one after the other. They had all fallen away from the sacraments and from attending Mass. So I said to him, "I wouldn't mind betting that your friend had been brought up to recite the family rosary when he was a boy, and that his children haven't." The next time I saw him, he said that this was indeed true. His friend had recited the family rosary at home when he was a boy, and when he had got married and started his own family they all said the rosary. But then, one evening when they were about to start the rosary, one of the children switched on the television, and that was that. The custom of the family rosary was dropped, and in due course, they gave up the practice of the faith.

After this life, that one unrebuked action will be seen to have affected the eternity of many people. God sent His Mother to Fatima to tell us that we had to say the rosary every day. There were no other prayers She asked us to say. Accordingly, we should do what She asked.

A layman I met once who did not say his rosary told me that he read the breviary every day. That is fine. It is what priests have to do. It is the prayer of the Church. So in a way it is better than the rosary. But it is not what Our Lady asked for. She asked for the rosary. If a mother sends her child to the shop for a bottle of milk, and he comes back instead with ice cream, is she pleased? In a way, ice cream is better than milk, but it is not what she asked for.

In that most holy home at Nazareth, do you think that Our Lady had to ask for anything twice? If we want in any way to be like Jesus, we must do what His Mother asks. If we do not, can we expect things to go right? We cannot with impunity disobey the Mother of God. She knows better than we the dangers of this spiritual warfare. She sees more clearly than we do the dangers that beset us.She warns us: You must say your rosary every day.

If the garage mechanic warns you that your car needs repairing or else it will break down, surely you would heed that warning. If the gas gauge warns you that you need more gas, do you do nothing about it? And if Our Lady comes to Fatima and tells us, not just once but six times, that we must say the rosary every day, do we disregard that warning? If we do, we have only ourselves to blame when we find that our children have lapsed from the faith.

I know that Fatima is only a private revelation, but nevertheless the Church has endorsed it, and that makes it rash for us to disregard it. If the Church informs us that Our Lady really did come to Fatima and tell us these things, then we must harken to her words. It really seems to me that those Catholics who do not take Fatima seriously and say the rosary every day in their homes are very akin to the Jews who laughed at Jeremiah. If God sends us His prophets and we do not take them seriously – well, we have the whole of the Old Testament to tell us what happens as a result. But at Fatima, God sent us, not His prophets, but His Immaculate Mother.

So I think that the abandonment of the family rosary is a main reason why so many Catholics have lost the faith. It seems to me that the Church of the future is going to consist solely of those families who have been faithful to the rosary. But there will be vast numbers of people whose families used to be Catholic.

In my work of going round visiting homes, I have seen this conclusion borne out time and again. Homes can be transformed by starting the recitation of the daily rosary. I remember a woman telling me that she could not thank me enough for having nagged her into starting it; it had united her family as never before. And I remember another home where I called. There was a strange tension there: the children were silent and the wife seemed withdrawn, but the husband was willing to start the family rosary. When I called back again a couple of months later, the atmosphere was quite different. The children were chatty and the wife was friendly, and the husband walked down the road with me afterwards and said how amazing it was that the home was so much happier.

One reason, I think, why the daily rosary makes for a happy home, is this. From what some possessed people have said, and from what some of the saints have said, it seems certain that demons fear the rosary. It makes their hair stand on end, so to speak. Holy water certainly drives them out, but they come back again. The daily rosary drives them out and keeps them out. It is rather like living in an old house where there are mice everywhere. The only way to get rid of them is to bring cats. If you get a couple of cats, after a week or two there simply will not be any more mice. Mice fear the very smell of cats. And in a home where the rosary is said every day, after a time the demons realize they are impotent in front of Our Lady, and go elsewhere.

This must be one reason why, as they say, "the family that prays together stays together." In that home, utterly free of evil spirits, there is an atmosphere one does not find outside. In a demon-infested city like London, where I live, such a home is an oasis of God's grace, and people find a comfort and peace there which they enjoy greatly. We human beings are not meant to live in the company of demons, but with God and with the angels and saints in heaven.

So, as I see it, in this effort we are making to keep the faith and pass it on, the practice of the rosary is absolutely indispensable. Whatever else a person may do, even though they go to Mass every day, they still need to say the rosary in their home. It is the medicine our Mother has told us to take, to keep our faith strong and healthy.

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The Power of the Rosary

The most holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or, above all, spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the holy Rosary. With the holy Rosary, we will save ourselves; we will sanctify ourselves; we will console our Lord, and obtain the salvation of many souls.Conversation between Sr. Lucy of Fatima and Fr. Fuentes, Dec. 26, 1957

"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors." Pope Pius XI

"Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the Rosary devotion." Pope Pius IX

"The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying." Pope Leo XIII

St. Dominic prayed to Our Lady that she would force the devils who possessed a man to reveal the truth about devotion to her. The devils were forced by Our Lady to reveal: "Now that we are forced to speak we must also tell you this: Nobody who perseveres in saying the Rosary will be damned, because she obtains for her servants the grace of true contrition for their sins and by means of this they obtain God's forgiveness and mercy."

Miracles of the Rosary:

Battle of Lepanto, 1571 - On Sunday, October 7, the Christian and Turkish fleets met in Lepanto Gulf, off the coast of Greece. The bitter battle finished with a brilliant victory of the Christians who where vastly outnumbered. That very evening Pope St. Pius V had at Rome a clear knowledge of this success. The same afternoon, the Confraternities of the Rosary, particularly in Rome, had marched through the streets in procession reciting the Rosary. This victory put an end to the naval power of the Turks and saved Christian Europe. To this day this victory has been attributed to the praying of the Rosary. The feast of “The Most Holy Rosary” is celebrated on October 7 now and the month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary.

Rosary Miracle at Hiroshima - August 6th, 1945 There was a home eight blocks (about 1 kilometer) from where the A-Bomb went off in Hiroshima Japan. This home had a church attached to it which was completely destroyed, but the home survived, and so did the eight German Jesuit missionaries who prayed the rosary in that house faithfully every day. These men were missionaries to the Japanese people, they were non-military, but because Germany and Japan were allies during WWII they were permitted to live and minister within Japan during the war. Not only did they all survive with (at most) relatively minor injuries, but they all lived well past that awful day with no radiation sickness, no loss of hearing, or any other visible long term defects or maladies. Naturally, they were interviewed numerous times (Fr. Schiffer, a survivor, said over 200 times) by scientists and health care people about their remarkable experience and they say "we believe that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home." Of course the secular scientists are speechless and incredulous at this explanation - and they are sure there is some "real" explanation - but at the same time over 55 years later the scientists are still absolutely bamboozled when it comes to finding a plausible scenario to explain the missionaries’ unique escape from the hellish power of that bomb.

Russians Pullout of Austria, 1948 - After World War ll, the Allies turned over Catholic Austria to communist Russia. For three years the Austrian people endured this tyranny. Then, a Franciscan priest, Father Petrus, remembered how the Christians although greatly outnumbered had defeated the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto through the Rosary, and he launched a Rosary crusade. Through it 70,000 people, one tenth of the Austrian population, pledged to say the Rosary daily for the Soviets to leave their country. Austria was valuable to the Russians because of its strategic location, rich mineral deposits and oil reserves. Yet on May 13, 1955, the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, the Russians signed the agreement to leave Austria, and they did so without one person being killed and without one shot being fired. It is the only time that the militant atheistic forces of Marxism have ever peacefully left a country in which they held power. Military strategists and historians are baffled as to why the Russians pulled out. But we are not - it was the power of the Rosary.

The Country That Saved Itself - Brazil 1962 - In 1962 there was a looming threat of communist takeover in Brazil. A woman there named Dona Amelia Bastos was known to have formed a Rosary rally among the Brazilian women there to do their part in opposing the looming threat. Their goal was simply to pray the Rosary in large groups asking the Virgin Mary for help in opposing the Communist takeover which the President of Brazil was leaning toward at the time. In Belo Horizonte 20,000 women reciting the rosary aloud broke up a Communist rally. In Sao Paulo, 600,000 women praying the rosary in one of the most moving demonstrations in Brazilian history, caused the President of Brazil to flee the country and not a single death was encountered, sparing the country from Communist takeover.

The above accounts are just a few of the countless examples of The Power of the Rosary!

Saint Therese of Lisieux - "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway" Blog

St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)

"Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love."

"Sometimes, when I read spiritual treatises in which perfection is shown with a thousand obstacles, surrounded by a crowd of illusions, my poor little mind quickly tires. I close the learned book which is breaking my head and drying up my heart, and I take up Holy Scripture. Then all seems luminous to me; a single word uncovers for my soul infinite horizons; perfection seems simple; I see that it is enough to recognize one's nothingness and to abandon oneself, like a child, into God's arms. Leaving to great souls, to great minds, the beautiful books I cannot understand, I rejoice to be little because only children, and those who are like them, will be admitted to the heavenly banquet."

"For me, prayer is a movement of the heart; it is a simple glance toward Heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and love in times of trial as well as in times of joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus...I have not the courage to look through books for beautiful prayers...I do like a child who does not know how to read; I say very simply to God what I want to say, and He always understands me."

Saint Therese of Lisieux - "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway" Blog

APOSTOLATE Of ST JOSEPH PRINCE Of The CHURCH: Pope Francis Consecrates Vatican City to St Michae...

APOSTOLATE Of ST JOSEPH PRINCE Of The CHURCH: Pope Francis Consecrates Vatican City to St Michae...: ... (Vatican Radio) "We ... consecrate Vatican City State to St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus, the guardian of the Holy Family. May ...



Original - Prayer to St. Michael

“O Glorious Prince of the heavenly host, St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the battle and in the terrible warfare that we are waging against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the evil spirits. Come to the aid of man, whom Almighty God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of Satan.

“Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. That cruel, ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity.

“These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where the See of Holy Peter and the Chair of Truth has been set up as the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be.

“Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly find mercy in the sight of the Lord; and vanquishing the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.

V. Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
R. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered the root of David.
V. Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
R. As we have hoped in Thee.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Let us pray.

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as supplicants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious St. Michael the Archangel, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all the other unclean spirits who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen.”


Roman Raccolta, July 23, 1898, supplement approved July 31, 1902,
London: Burnes, Oates & Washbourne Ltd., 1935, 12th edition.

POPE ALEXANDER VI

POPE ALEXANDER VI

I never imagined that I would ever be inspired much less edified by the papacy of Alexander VI. However, it is precisely just such an example of the divine origin of the papacy as that of Rodrigo Borgia who became Alexander VI. I was reminded reading the posting in Rorate Coeli Blog that in spite of his often scandalously sinful personal life, that he kept intact in its' purity the liturgy, mission and doctrine of the holy, Roman Church.

 It is encouraging to me to be reminded that God can (and does) write straight the crooked lines of weak and unfortunately even immoral Churchmen. God can use the most wretched of us to accomplish His designs and bring greater good from even the most miserable of people and circumstances. This is for me a great consolation especially living in times such as these. 

I (as many of us) have been disheartened and saddened in the past few months sifting through utterances from Rome. I have often given in to melancholy.  I was so distressed last night that I found it difficult to even pray. This is the work of the enemy. We cannot afford to give in to such temptation. We must continue to pray without ceasing and to fight the good fight. 

" We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;"  2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Marini to be named Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship?!?!?

You better sit down for this one.............


Marini to be named Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship?!?!?

FEAST OF THE NORTH AMERICAN MARTYRS

Some years ago, I had the great grace to make the 75 mile "Pilgrimage of Restoration" on foot from Lake George to Auriesville in the state of New York. I believe very firmly that it was through the blood and continued intercession of the North American martyrs that my own faith was restored to an increased zeal and vigor. I do not think I realized at the time just how much this work of the Holy Ghost upon my soul would be. I am ashamed to say that although I made the pilgrimage with faith, piety and devotion, my mind and heart were in many ways "stuck in Egypt". I deeply regret that though I am grateful that this exercise in faith is still bearing fruit in my own life spiritually. I was edified and moved to tears in the past few days viewing some television documentaries about the lives of the North American martyrs. One of the narrators in one particular film said, "You will never be the same after being here" (referring to Auriesville, NY).  I can vouch for that. I have never been to the Canadian shrine. Though, I feel very inspired to do so. Let us ask for many graces on this their feast day. Let us pray for a Catholic restoration in North America and the world.  If you have never made the pilgrimage of restoration, I would urge you to consider doing so. Here is their webpage: PILGRIMAGE OF RESTORATION

here is a link to more information regarding the lives of The North American Martyrs

Cardinal Ranjith, "the time of the Reform of the Reform" for the "liturgy of all time"

A translation of a posting from the excellent Italian Catholic Blog of Don Luciano Micheli

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Reform of the Reform and "liturgy of all time"

Cardinal Ranjith, "the time of the Reform of the Reform" for the "liturgy of all time"

On the New Liturgical Movement blog the contents of the letter written by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith were published - Cardinal Ranjith the former secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship - addressed to the participants of this meeting a Vox. The letter is a strong and important statement in defense of the Vetus ordo (Traditional Mass) and the urgent and timely reform of the Reform of the liturgy of Paul VI.

The authority of this prelate also lends more weight using clear and explicit words that come at a period now ready to receive them and make them fruitful, since now the permitted bad-interpretation and incorrect application of the conciliar texts of Vatican II (also recognized by the Cardinal in his letter), and especially following the "condemnation" of the pestilential "spirit of the Council", now recognized as the major culprit responsible for the problems of the Church and Liturgical Reform (unwanted, as well as made, by the Council Fathers).

LETTER:

I wish to express first of all, my gratitude to all of you for the zeal and enthusiasm with which you promote the cause of the restoration of the true liturgical traditions of the Church. 

As you know, it is worship that enhances faith and its heroic realization in life. It is the means with which human beings are lifted up to the level of the transcendent and eternal: the place of a profound encounter between God and man. 

Liturgy for this reason can never be what man creates. For if we worship the way we want and fix the rules ourselves, then we run the risk of recreating Aaron's golden calf. We ought to constantly insist on worship as participation in what God Himself does, else we run the risk of engaging in idolatry. Liturgical symbolism helps us to rise above what is human to what is divine. In this, it is my firm conviction that the Vetus Ordo represents to a great extent and in the most fulfilling way that mystical and transcendent call to an encounter with God in the liturgy. Hence the time has come for us to not only renew through radical changes the content of the new Liturgy, but also to encourage more and more a return of the Vetus Ordo, as a way for a true renewal of the Church, which was what the Fathers of the Church seated in the Second Vatican Council so desired. 

The careful reading of the Conciliar Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,Sacrosanctum Concilum shows that the rash changes introduced to the Liturgy later on, were never in the minds of the Fathers of the Council.

Hence the time has come for us to be courageous in working for a true reform of the reform and also a return to the true liturgy of the Church, which had developed over its bi-millenial history in a continuous flow. I wish and pray that, that would happen.

May God bless your efforts with success.

+Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith
Archbishop of Colombo
24/8/2011