Feast of the Sacred Heart
by VP
Posted on Friday June 27, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"If it is true that by contemplating Christ, sinners learn from Him the “sorrow for sins” needed to bring them back to the Father, this is even more the case for sacred ministers. How can we forget, in this regard, that nothing causes more suffering for the Church, the Body of Christ, than the sins of her pastors, especially the sins of those who become “thieves and robbers” of the sheep (cf. Jn 10:1 ff.), lead them astray by their own private teachings, or ensnare them in the toils of sin and death? Dear priests, the summons to conversion and to trust in God’s mercy also applies to us; we too must humbly, sincerely and unceasingly implore the heart of Jesus to preserve us from the terrifying risk of endangering the very people we are obliged to save." -- Pope Benedict XVI, Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 19 June 2009
Prayer for Priests: O
Jesus, eternal High Priest, divine Sacrificer, Thou who in an
unspeakable burst of love for men, Thy Brethren, didst cause the
Christian Priesthood to spring forth from Thy Sacred Heart, vouchsafe to pour forth upon Thy priests continual living streams of infinite love. Live
in them, transform them in to Thee; make them, by Thy Grace, fit
instruments of Thy mercy; do Thou act in them and through them, and
grant, that they may become wholly one with Thee by their faithful
imitation of Thy Virtues; and, in Thy name and by the strength of Thy
spirit, may they do the works which Thou didst accomplish for the
salvation of the world.
Divine
Redeemer of souls, behold how great is the multitude of those who still
sleep in the darkness of error; reckon up the number of those
unfaithful sheep who stray to the edge of the precipice; consider the
throngs of the poor, the hungry, the ignorant and the feeble who groan
in their abandoned condition.
Return
to us in the person of Thy priests; truly live again in them; act
through them and pass once more through the world, teaching, forgiving,
comforting, sacrificing and renewing the sacred bonds of love between the Heart of God and the heart of man. Amen.St. Pius X (Raccolta 1907, Prayer 614. Rescript in his own hand. March 3, 1905 )
Allegory of the Holy Eucharist by Miguel Cabrera, 1750 pd
"Out
of devotion to the Holy Eucharist and the Passion of Christ grew the
devotion to the Sacred heart of Jesus with its feast and that of the S.
Priesthood of Christ (Octave of Corpus Christi), and the more recent
feast (1921) of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus on the Thursday following
the third Sunday after Easter. (American Ecclesiastical Review V 68, 1923 page 470)
"This
devotion does not substantially differ from the ordinary devotion to
the Sacred Heart. It merely emphasizes the act of supreme love of the
Heart in bestowing the gift of the Holy Eucharist upon us." The Raccolta
On
9 November 1921, Pope Benedict XV instituted the feast of the
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus to be celebrated on the Thursday within the
Octave of the Sacred Heart with a Proper Mass and Office. The feast
continues to be celebrated in some places. In instituting the feast,
Pope Benedict XV wrote: "The chief reason of this feast is to
commemorate the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the
Eucharist. By this means the Church wishes more and more to excite the
faithful to approach this sacred mystery with confidence, and to inflame
their hearts with that divine charity which consumed the Sacred Heart
of Jesus when in His infinite love He instituted the Most Holy
Eucharist, wherein the Divine Heart guards and loves them by living with
them, as they live and abide in Him. For in the sacrament of the Holy
Eucharist He offers and gives Himself to us as victim, companion,
nourishment, viaticum, and pledge of our future glory." The Raccolta
"122. It is likewise Our most fervent desire that all who profess themselves Christians and are seriously engaged in the effort to establish the kingdom of Christ on earth will consider the practice of devotion to the Heart of Jesus as the source and symbol of unity, salvation and peace. Let no one think, however, that by such a practice anything is taken from the other forms of piety with which Christian people, under the guidance of the Church, have honored the divine Redeemer. Quite the opposite. Fervent devotional practice towards the Heart of Jesus will beyond all doubt foster and advance devotion to the Holy Cross in particular, and love for the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. We can even assert - as the revelations made by Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude and to St. Margaret Mary clearly show - that no one really ever has a proper understanding of Christ crucified to whom the inner mysteries of His Heart have not been made known. Nor will it be easy to understand the strength of the love which moved Christ to give Himself to us as our spiritual food save by fostering in a special way the devotion to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, the purpose of which is - to use the words of Our predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII - "to call to mind the act of supreme love whereby our Redeemer, pouring forth all the treasures of His Heart in order to remain with us till the end of time, instituted the adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist."(122) For "not the least part of the revelation of that Heart is the Eucharist, which He gave to us out of the great charity of His own Heart."(123). (Encyclical Haurietis Aquas Pope Pius XII May 15, 1956).
Proper Prayers for the Mass in the Extraordinary form for the Feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist, sweet companion in our exile, I adore Thee.
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, I adore Thee.
Heart solitary, I adore Thee.
Heart humiliated, I adore Thee.
Heart abandoned, I adore Thee.
Heart forgotten, I adore Thee.
Heart despised, I adore Thee.
Heart outraged, I adore Thee.
Heart ignored by men, I adore Thee.
Heart, lover of our hearts, I adore Thee.
Heart desirous of being loved, I adore Thee.
Heart patient in waiting for us, I adore Thee.
Heart eager to hear us, I adore Thee.
Heart longing to be prayed to, I adore Thee.
Heart source of new graces, I adore Thee.
Heart wrapped in silence, desiring to speak to souls, I adore Thee.
Heart, the sweet refuge of the hidden life. I adore Thee.
Heart, teacher of the secrets of union with God, I adore Thee.
Heart of Him Who sleeps yet ever watches, I adore Thee.
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, have pity on us,
Jesus, Victim, I desire to console Thee,
I unite myself to Thee, and sacrifice myself with Thee. I
I annihilate myself in Thy presence. I adore Thee.
I would forget myself to be mindful of Thee.
I would be forgotten and despised for love of Thee.
And be neither understood nor love, except by Thee.
I will silence myself to listen to Thee, I will abandon myself to lose myself in Thee.
Grant
that I may thus appease Thy thirst, the thirst for my sanctification
and salvation, and that being purified I am bestow on Thee a pure and
true love. I would not longer weary Thy patience; take possession of me,
I give myself to Thee.
I offer Thee all my actions, my intellect
to be illuminated by Thee, my heart to be guided by Thee, my will to be
made strong, my soul and body to be nourished, my misery to be
lightened. Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, whose blood is the life of my
soul, may it be no longer I that live but do thou alone live in me.
Amen. Blessed Sacrament Book Fr. Francis Xavier Lasance. page 676
Resources:
- The Eucharistic Christ: Reflections and Considerations on the Blessed Sacrament By Fr Albert Tesnière (PDF) 1897
- The Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Readings for the Month of June, by Fr. Albert Tesnière 1928
- A Neglected Gem in the Traditional Roman Missal: The Eucharistic Heart of Jesus by Peter Kwasniewski, PhD
Ember Saturday in Whitsun Week. Christ was entombed. (Fast and half-abstinence)
by VP
Posted on Saturday June 14, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
Prayer for Good Harvest, Félix de Vigne
"As God was pleased at this time to show mercy to His apostles, in sending to them the Holy Ghost, to prepare them for duly satisfying that great charge, which Christ had committed to them, consider how desirable it is that He should show mercy to you likewise, and by the operation of the same Holy Spirit, vouchsafe to prepare you for satisfying the obligations, which belongs to your state. You are a Christian: endeavour therefore to understand the import of this word, and to have a sense of all the obligations annexed to this character. You have lived perhaps many years in this profession; but how little care have you taken to know the duties belonging to this name! Beg now that the Holy Ghost would enter into your soul, and that you may now live by his Spirit. He will take off your heart from the world, and practically convince you that all that belongs to this world is vanity and affliction of spirit. He will give you a dislike of all that has hitherto pleased you, to the prejudice of your soul; so that you will now have no relish for those entertainments, which you know to be vain and foolish. He will lessen in you all worldly solicitude; and let not the concerns of this life any more possess your heart with excess. You will then have it fixed in your mind that all the things of this world are but momentary, and daily pass away, and whether they please or displease us, must soon come to an end; and therefore that you ought not to afflict yourself about them, and much less, let the concern for them take off your heart from eternity.
This being an Ember Day, recommend to the fatherly providence of God the fruits of the earth; begging that by his blessing all may go on to a plentiful harvest. Beseech Him also to preserve us from all pestilential distempers, both in man and beast; and grant us such a sense of gratitude, that the enjoyment of his blessings may oblige us not only to be thankful, but likewise faithful to our merciful and gracious benefactor." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Prayers for Ember Days:
Listen, Almighty God, we beseech Thee, to the prayers which Thy universal Church offers to Thee at this time, beseeching Thy blessing on those who are about to be admitted to Thy Holy Service of the Altar, in particular on Deacons Cong lee and Ross Williams. Give Thy grace to all who are called to any office and administration amongst Thy clergy, and so replenish them with the truth of Thy doctrine, and indue them with innocence of life, that they may faithfully serve Thee, to the glory of Thy great name and the benefit of Thy Holy Church. Amen
O God, of Whose mercies there is no number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite, we humbly thank Thee for the gifts thou hast bestowed upon us. Continue Thy mercy to us, and give us also so much of Thy temporal blessings as Thou knowest to be for our good. Grant that the fruits of the earth may, by Thy holy favor, increase and multiply. Defend them from all drought, frosts or tempests, or whatever else may be hurtful to them. It is from Thy hand only that we look for succor, and to Thee we have recourse in all our necessities. Amen.
Source: St. John's Manual 1856, Archbishop of New York John J. Hugues
Ember Friday in Whitsun Week. Christ was crucified (Fast and abstinence)
by VP
Posted on Friday June 13, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"THIS being the time, when the Holy Ghost, the Comforter as Christ had promised, came down upon the apostles, in the form of fiery tongues, and so replenished them with anew spirit, that they were now fitted for that great work, which Christ had recommended to them, of preaching His faith to all nations; with gratitude acknowledged this mercy, and give praise to God for the blessing of this time. The Holy Spirit was sent down upon the apostles to be their guide, to teach them, and lead them into all truth; to be their light, to go before them, and give them understanding: to be their comforter, to abide with them for ever. He was their life and strength; He prepared and fitted them to preach the faith of Christ to all nations, and to establish his Church as an eternal kingdom. Endeavour to be truly sensible of this goodness, and that living a faithful servant of God, you may have the benefit of His holy institution. Express your hearty desires, that as this Holy Church is your unspeakable comfort and support, amidst the distracted notions of an unbelieving world, so it may daily bring forth children to God, who may walk here by the Gospel and spirit of our Lord Jesus, and being translated from this Gis mystical body here on earth, may be added to those choirs above, there to give him eternal praises for all His mercies.
It being Ember Week, join in fasting, humiliation, and prayer, as the Church requires, and offer your petitions to God, in particular for those, who at this time are promoted to Holy Orders, throughout the Church; that the Holy
Ghost may rest upon them, and every way prepare them for that great and
difficult charge, to which they are called. Recommend to Almighty God
all the ministers of His holy altar, that they may be vested with holiness, and walk in all things, according to the sanctity of their vocation; that when the prince of pastors shall appear, they may receive an unfading crown of glory." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Prayer to the Holy Ghost for Priests
O Holy Ghost, Thou Friend of priests, send them daily Thy seven gifts, that they may live worthy of their calling, and become all to all in order to win souls for heaven. Give them patience with children, pity for the sick, humility toward the poor, and generosity toward the enemies of Thy holy Church. Make them active in teaching, untiring in the tribunal of penance, and zealous in distributing Holy Communion. Let them be terrible to the demons of hell and messengers of peace to all who are of good will. May Thy blessing accompany them wherever they may go; may Thy peace enter with them in the dwellings they may visit; mayest Thou bless all whom they may bless. Make them true apostles and saints. Amen. Come Holy Ghost, a compilation of prayers in honor of the Divine Spirit. 1932 Fr. Lester Martin Dooley.
Ember Wednesday in Whitsun Week.
by VP
Posted on Wednesday June 11, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"It may appear extraordinary, that in this great solemnity of joy and thanksgiving, the Church should oblige her children to fasting, humiliation, and penance. The reason is, that in this week bishops confer Holy Orders, ordaining priests, deacons, and other ministers of the Church. Being sensible how absolutely necessary the Holy Ghost is for them, in the discharge of their sacred functions, the Church summons the faithful to make their addresses to God in their behalf, in fasting and prayer; that so this spirit may be abundantly poured forth upon them, and they may thus be made worthy ministers of God's Church. This summons ought to be faithfully obeyed by all; inasmuch as this is a great concern of the whole body, of which they are members. Unhappy those, who on these days, when the Church obliges, never concern themselves about imploring the assistance of God's Holy Spirit for such as are presented for this important charge, but seek profanely their own amusement and satisfaction, when they should be making their application to God in the spirit of humility, for this public good. How ought we all then to pray this day, that none may be promoted to Holy Orders, but such as are called by Almighty God, and prepared by His special grace to be fit ministers in his Church. By the blood of His only Son, He has purchased to Himself a Church, for the glory of His name, and for instructing the whole world in His saving truths. Beg of Him therefore mercifully to secure it under His protection, and fulfil all His promises to it, that it may answer all those holy purposes, for which it was ordained. Pray to Him to be the pastor of all its pastors; and by the influence of His grace, so to direct and govern them, that they may be so many lights to the flock, and both by word and example, lead them in the way of salvation. And in a special manner recommend to His fatherly care, all, who at this time are promoted to Holy Orders throughout the Church." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Let us pray the Holy Spirit to enlighten our bishop in the choice of worthy candidates for the Holy Priesthood.
"On Ember days we pray and make sacrifices for ourselves, our families, the Church and the world." We should never let these seasons pass without adding prayer to our fasts, or it may be compensating fast by prayer. Our prayer should be for the clergy, not only those ordained, though for them especially; but for the Sovereign Pontiff, the cardinals, bishops, parochial clergy, missionaries and religious orders, seminarians; and for the grace of vocation to the priesthood.
Brief Meditations for Pentecost Ember Days
Today is Ember Wednesday of the Summer or Pentecost Embertide. These Ember Days fall during the week after Pentecost (the traditional octave of Pentecost), near the summer solstice. The three focal points for the Ember Days of this period of the year are:
1) to ask God to bless especially the wheat harvest,
2) to thank God for the season of summer, and
3) to ask for special graces for those being ordained as priests during this season.
- An excellent prayer for this purpose is the Litany of the Saints, in which so many bishops, priests, and levites are invoked; or the Rosary may be appropriately said, grouping those for whom we pray into five classes (Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Seminarians), corresponding to the five decades.
- Listen, Almighty God, we beseech Thee, to the prayers which Thy universal Church offers to Thee at this time, beseeching Thy blessing on those who are about to be admitted to Thy Holy Service of the Altar. Give Thy grace to all who are called to any office and administration amongst Thy clergy, and so replenish them with the truth of Thy doctrine, and indue them with innocence of life, that they may faithfully serve Thee, to the glory of Thy great name and the benefit of Thy Holy Church. Amen
- O God, of Whose mercies there is no number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite, we humbly thank Thee for the gifts thou hast bestowed upon us. Continue Thy mercy to us, and give us also so much of Thy temporal blessings as Thou knowest to be for our good. Grant that the fruits of the earth may, by Thy holy favor, increase and multiply. Defend them from all drought, frosts or tempests, or whatever else may be hurtful to them. It is from Thy hand only that we look for succor, and to Thee we have recourse in all our necessities. Amen. Source: St. John's Manual 1856, Archbishop of New York John J. Hugues
Source: Ember Days (Cure d'Ars Prayer Group)
Sunday for Priests
by VP
Posted on Sunday June 08, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
O Holy Spirit, Creator, be propitious to the Catholic Church; and by Thy heavenly power make it strong and secure against the attacks of its enemies; and renew in charity and grace the spirit of Thy servants, whom Thou has anointed, that they may glorify Thee and the Father and His Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. amen.
Manual of prayers to the Holy Ghost by Very Rev. Fr. Felix of Jesus 1941
Priests' First Saturday
by VP
Posted on Saturday June 07, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
Mary as Mother of Priests is in the Dominican Priory Church of the Holy Cross in Leicester. by Lawrence OP
"Listen to what our Holy Father, Pope Pius XI, says: " God in heaven and I on earth, we desire nothing more ardently than prayer and sacrifice for priests...Let us beg God that He may give holy priests! If we have this, all else will follow; but if this be wanting, all else will avail nothing." It was from this trend of thought that the idea of the Priest's Saturday" took its origin, which idea the Superior General of the Salvatorian Fathers placed before the Holy Father in special private audience on November 21, 1934. His Holiness was much pleased with the plan and said, in conclusion: "We heartily praise and bless the work....We repeat, the thing pleases Us, We praise and bless it heartily."
What is the plan?
The Priest's Saturday:
It is something quite simple and easy, yet immeasurable great in its results. You should make it a point to offer the Saturday after the First Friday of each month to your Savior, through the hands of Mary, the great mediatrix of all graces, for the sanctification of all the priests and students for the priesthood throughout the whole world. For this purpose you should give the Saturday wholly and entirely to Him, that is to say, Holy Mass, Holy Communion, all prayers, labors, sacrifices, joys and sorrows. Whatever you cannot do on this day (Holy Mass and Holy Communion) you ought to supply immediately on Sunday. So there is really nothing new for you to do. You merely offer up this Saturday (or even every Saturday or some other day) for the sanctification of priests. It is not a case of any sodality of fraternity or anything like that. Like the First Friday in honor of the Sacred Heart, the Priest's Saturday seeks to become something religiously observed by all the Catholics of the world.
(...) Concern about the holiness of priests is the concern of the Heart of the Divine Savior and of His blessed Mother. Therefore, you also should be sure to take part in this "apostolate to the apostles. " The Holy Father, all bishops, all priests, all students for the priesthood, and especially also your own pastor, earnestly beg of you thus to participate."
Source: Priest's Saturday Series, #2 Prayers and Devotions for Priest's Day. used with permission
Priests' First Saturday. Prayer:
Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Who hast
entrusted the whole work of Thy redemption, the welfare and salvation of
the world, to priests as Thy representatives, through the hands of Thy
most holy Mother and for the sanctification of Thy priests and
candidates for the priesthood I offer Thee this present day wholly and
entirely, with all its prayers, works, sacrifices, joys, and sorrows.
Give truly holy priests who, inflamed with the fire of Thy divine love,
seek nothing but Thy greater glory and the salvation of our souls.
And thou, Mary, good Mother of priests, protect all priests in the
dangers of their holy vocation and, with the loving hand of a Mother,
also lead back to the Good Shepherd those poor priests who have become
unfaithful to their exalted vocation and have gone astray. Amen
In addition to the above make it a point also to recite frequently the following:
Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Who Hast entrusted the weal and woes of
Thy Holy Church to priests, with all the fervor of my heart I recommend
to Thee the wants of my pastor and all priests. Enrich them more and
more with true priestly sanctity. Give them generous, all embracing,
apostolic hearts, full of love for Thee and for all Thy souls, so that
they, being themselves sanctified in Thee, may sanctify us who are
confided to their care, and may lead us safely to heaven. Bestow upon
them in rich abundance all Thy priestly graces!
Let them ever
give us a glowing example of love and fidelity towards Holy Mother
Church, towards the Pope, and bishops, and grant that by word and
example they may shine as models of every virtue.
Most loving
Jesus, bless all their priestly labors and sacrifices! Bless all their
prayers and words at the altar and in the confessional, in the pulpit,
and in school, in confraternities, and at the bedside of the sick!
Protect and preserve them in all dangers from within and from without.
Divine Savior, give to Thy Church priests who abound in true holiness!
Call many good boys and young men to the priestly and religious state!
Aid and sanctify all those who are to become Thy priests! And to the
souls of departed priests grant everlasting rest.
But to me
give a true spirit of faith and humble obedience, in order that in my
pastor I may ever behold the representative of God and willingly follow
all his teachings. Amen
Month of June: Sacred Heart
by VP
Posted on Sunday June 01, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
May: Month of the Sacred Heart
Virtue: Obedience
Sacred Heart, Brittany
Act of Reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Most Sweet Jesus, whose overflowing
charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and
contempt, behold us prostrate before Thee, eager to repair by a special
act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries to which Thy loving
Heart is everywhere subject.
Mindful, alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great
indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we
humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary
expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins
of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their
obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or,
renouncing the promises of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke
of Thy law.
We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage
committed against Thee; we are now determined to make amends for the
manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and
behavior, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the
innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holy days, and the
shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints. We wish also
to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on earth and Thy
priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or
terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very crimes of nations who resist the
rights and teaching authority of the Church which Thou hast founded.
Would that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood.
We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor,
the satisfaction Thou once made to Thy Eternal Father on the cross and
which Thou continuest to renew daily on our altars; we offer it in union
with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and
of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make
recompense, as far as we can with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect
of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the
past. Henceforth, we will live a life of unswerving faith, of purity of
conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and
especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to
prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to
follow Thee.
O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother,
our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make
of this act of expiation; and by the crowning gift of perseverance keep
us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee,
so that we may all one day come to that happy home, where with the
Father and the Holy Spirit Thou livest and reignest, God, forever and
ever. Amen.
From the Raccolta, #256 (S. P. Ap., June 1, 1928 and March 18, 1932); Enchridion of Indulgences #26. This prayer was prescribed to be recited on this feast by Pope Pius XI
Queenship of Mary
by VP
Posted on Saturday May 31, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
Our Lady, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Front Royal, VA
"Queen
of heaven, thy immense love for God maketh thee likewise love His
Church. We pray thee, come to its help amidst the ills under which it is
now suffering, rent asunder as she is by her own children. Thy prayers,
being a mother’s, can obtain all from that God Who loveth Thee so well.
Pray
then, pray for the Church; ask for enlightenment for so many
unbelievers who are persecuting it, and obtain for faithful souls the
necessary strength to resist being caught in the snares of the
unbelievers who would drag them down into their own ruin.
Encyclical of Pope Pius XII on Proclaiming the Queenship
of Mary to the Venerable Brethren, the Patriarchs, Primates,
Archbishops, Bishops, and Other Local Ordinaries in Peace and Communion
with the Holy See.
"47. Since we are convinced, after
long and serious reflection, that great good will accrue to the Church
if this solidly established truth shines forth more clearly to all, like
a luminous lamp raised aloft, by Our Apostolic authority We decree and
establish the feast of Mary's Queenship,
which is to be celebrated every year in the whole world on the 31st of
May. We likewise ordain that on the same day the consecration of the
human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary be
renewed, cherishing the hope that through such consecration a new era
may begin, joyous in Christian peace and in the triumph of religion.
48.
Let all, therefore, try to approach with greater trust the throne of
grace and mercy of our Queen and Mother, and beg for strength in
adversity, light in darkness, consolation in sorrow; above all let them
strive to free themselves from the slavery of sin and offer an unceasing
homage, filled with filial loyalty, to their Queenly Mother. Let her
churches be thronged by the faithful, her feast-days honored; may the
beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all; may Christians gather, in
small numbers and large, to sing her praises in churches, in homes, in
hospitals, in prisons. May Mary's name be held in highest reverence, a
name sweeter than honey and more precious than jewels; may none utter
blasphemous words, the sign of a defiled soul, against that name graced
with such dignity and revered for its motherly goodness; let no one be
so bold as to speak a syllable which lacks the respect due to her name."
(...)
52.
Earnestly desiring that the Queen and Mother of Christendom may hear
these Our prayers, and by her peace make happy a world shaken by hate,
and may, after this exile show unto us all Jesus, Who will be our
eternal peace and joy, to you, Venerable Brothers, and to your flocks,
as a promise of God's divine help and a pledge of Our love, from Our
heart We impart the Apostolic Benediction."
Source: Ad Caeli Reginam
The Ascension: Festival of Encouragement
by VP
Posted on Thursday May 29, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"The Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven." MARK XVI. 19.
1. Reconstruction of the event.
2. He had been the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
3. He ascended to claim the Kingdom for Himself and all who believe in Him.
4. Remembrance of this day, the hope and strength of His disciples.
"THE Ascension is the grand finale of the drama of Christ's life on earth. Short as are the accounts of it in the gospels and Acts of the Apostles, we can reconstruct devoutly the events of this blessed day. St. Luke tells us that "He led them out as far as Bethania." What tender condescension of our Blessed Lord! For the last time He wended His way along the lower slopes of Mount Olivet, accompanied by the disciples and His holy Mother. He loved His friends to the end; and we are told in the gospel that Jesus loved Martha and Mary. So He passed by their home in Bethania with a last, loving look; and at the grave of Lazarus and the house of Simon the leper where He had supped, and mounted the gentle rise to Olivet. There He had spent many a night in prayer; from there He had looked down upon Jerusalem and begun His humble triumph on Palm Sunday, and lower down He had commenced His sacred Passion six weeks before. Now that all things had been accomplished by the Son of Man, how befitting to rise hence and to enter into His glory. Picture the touching scene of His last farewell. Each of those favoured ones received a look of ineffable love; words of encouragement, to be treasured all life long; they were permitted to kiss His sacred feet, and the hand of blessing was laid upon their heads bowed down in adoration. It is beyond us to realize the farewell of the Mother and the Son! The Mother's heart would yearn never to be parted, but, according to His Will, that Mother gave up her divine Son to become the Mother of the infant Church. Her presence was needed to encourage the Apostles: to be a model to them, and to be a living proof that the Saviour, though departed to enter into His glory, had been a real Man born of the Virgin Mary; Who had lived for us; died for us on the Cross; and had risen again, immortal and glorified, to prove that He was not only Man, but God!
"And the Lord Jesus was taken up to heaven.” He had declared Himself thus: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John xiv. 6). The way of salvation He had shown to men by His obedience to His heavenly Father; by doing good to all; by being meek and humble of heart; by forgiving His enemies; by dying on the Cross for our salvation.
The truth He had taught them. He had renewed the commandments of old and explained and amplified them. He had taught them that the blessedness of life was to be found in poverty, in suffering, in peace, in cleanliness of heart, in suffering persecution for justice' sake.
The life! For from whence could man draw the power to obey the truth, to follow the way, but from that loving God made man, Who made us partakers of His own strength, endurance, and immortality; Who crowns our endeavours in this short life on earth with a never-ending life of glory?
And thus, when our Lord ascended into heaven, the Apostles did not lose Him, He only went before themtheir Leader, the Victor-to claim that heaven which He had won for us. On ascending, He had lifted up His hands and bestowed such a blessing upon them that their faith rose superior to His departure, and their hearts rejoiced. They had not lost Him! He had associated them with Himself in His triumph, as the Church sings this day, "Ascendo ad Patrem Meum" (I ascend to My Father and to your Father; to My God and to your God).
What a divine encouragement this vision of their beloved Master ascending to His Kingdom was to the Apostles! They had now to return, wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and then commence their labours. Yes, their labours, their persecutions, their martyrdom before their glory. As their Master, so they themselves. And He had said to them before His departure, "Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead" (Luke xxiv. 46).
How the remembrance of the Ascension has been the source of the heroism of the saints! Not only to the Apostles, a vivid, lifelong remembrance; but to the martyrs amidst their tortures; to the hermits and fathers of the desert amidst trials and temptations; to the inmates of cloisters, during the slow martyrdom of obedience and unchanging monotony of life. It was heavenly sunshine to them, that lifted up their souls, and made them hopefully and bravely cling to their King and Master, Christ. Aye, and amongst the poor, unknown faithful, amidst their daily trials and labour and sorrows, the memory that Christ, their Lord, has won the Kingdom for them, has prepared a home for them, is waiting with the welcome on His lips, till they have fought the good fight and been faithful. Oh, how many have persevered through this blessed remembrance !
Rogation Wednesday: On Other Exercises of the Love of God
by VP
Posted on Wednesday May 28, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"Consider first, that Divine Love is also exercised in the penitential way by souls that, like Magdalene, (of whom our Lord pronounced that many sins were forgiven her because she loved much), go daily to the feet of Christ, in spirit, to wash them with their tears, flowing from a heart full of a sense of the infinite goodness of God, and of a deep regret for having offended that infinite goodness by their sins. This exercise of penitential love, as we see in the case of Magdalene, is most acceptable to our Lord, and most effectual for obtaining the discharge of all our sins; and, if diligently pursued, is capable of advancing even those that have been the greatest sinners to a high degree of virtue and sanctity. And whosoever has forfeited his baptismal innocence by mortal sin, if he would follow the rules of Christian prudence in choosing the safest way in a case where his all is at stake, should endeavor to pursue this exercise of penitential love, and never end it but with his life. Thus did all those great penitents of old who became afterwards such glorious saints. And this kind of exercise of love will become in a manner natural to all such as have a right sense of what God is and what sin is, and of the dreadful evil they have been guilty of in offending, though it were but once in their life, so great and so good a God.
Consider 2ndly, that there are also other ways of mourning in which we may exercise a love of God, most agreeable to Him, and beneficial to ourselves. As when we sit down at the foot of the cross, and there contemplating the extreme anguish and distress, the stripes and wounds, the racking pains and torments of our dear Redeemer, with all that complication of sufferings in all kinds which he endured in His passion for the love of us, we excite in our souls suitable affections of an ardent love in the way of compassion for our crucified Lover, and feed this fire with tears, flowing at the sight of His blood; which, as it shows forth in the most sensible manner His tender affection for us, so it most strongly calls for a return of our love, accompanied with a bitter grief to see our beloved treated with so much cruelty and contempt. Upon the same principle of the concern that every true lover has, to see the outrages offered to his beloved, we may also exercise a love most agreeable to our Lord, in mourning for the innumerable sins that are daily committed against Him throughout the whole world; to see His infinite goodness slighted, His sacred laws and ordinances trodden under foot, His mercies continually abused, and His most adorable majesty treated with the utmost contempt, by poor blind mortals, made by Him, and for Him redeemed by the blood of His Son, and loaded with innumerable favors, to engage them to love Him and serve Him. Oh! how can any true lover of God endure to see these outrages offered to His infinite majesty without having His heart perfectly broken with grief to see His Love thus abused?
Consider 3rdly, that, besides these exercises of the love of benevolence in the penitential and compassionate way, there is another most perfect exercise of love, and which comes the nearest to the love of the blessed in heaven; and that is, in the way of joy and congratulation - as when we rejoice in God and in His boundless perfections; when we are delighted to think that He is what He is, infinitely good, infinitely holy, infinitely happy, infinitely perfect; that He is the sovereign Lord of all, and that nothing can be added to Him, because He is every way infinite. O, what a comfort, what a pleasure, what a joy it is to a true lover of God to think that whatsoever may come to himself, or to any other thing in the world, his Love at least, whom he loves without comparison more than himself and all things else, will always be infinitely glorious, infinitely rich, and infinitely happy! O how like is this love to that of the blessed, even to that love that makes them blessed, which is an eternal joy in God and in all the beauties and perfections they contemplate in Him - this is their eternal delight.
Conclude to dedicate thyself for time and eternity to this most perfect love of God. Make it thy employment here, and it will be thy eternal reward hereafter. In the mean time, labor also to promote as much as thou canst, upon every occasion, the praise and glory of thy maker, the interests of His kingdom, the fulfilling of all His wills, as well in thyself as in all others; be concerned at every thing that displeases Him, put thy heart continually in His hands, give thyself and all things else to Him a hundred times in the day. Such acts as these, frequently repeated in the day, will secure to thee the rich treasure of divine love; by such exercises thou wilt effectually choose the better part, which will never be taken from thee."
Source: Challoner's MeditationsthenOn this day of Rogation, we beg of Thee, O Lord, in Thy mercy, to hear and answer our fervent petitions:
Do Thou, O Lord, defend Thy Holy Church and all Its members against the
snares of the enemy, the powers of evil, and all temporal misfortunes;
Deliver us, O Lord.
From all false doctrine and loss of faith; Deliver us, O Lord.
From famine, disease, and plague; Deliver us, O Lord.
From all captivity by our enemies; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the legions of Hell; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of the world and the flesh; Deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of pride and disobedience; Deliver us, O Lord.
That Godʼs Holy Church may dwell in peace and unity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thy True Catholic Church may spread throughout all nations; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve, bless, and defend the Bishop Thou hast chosen to govern Thy flock; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to the members of Thy Church the grace to live
in humility and obedience; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all the members of Thy Holy Church be preserved from all spiritual and physical harm; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst sustain all the members of Thy One, True, Church in
holiness, physical well-being, and material necessity; O Lord, we
beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst convert all peoples to Thy One, True, Holy, Catholic Church; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church and our parishes from all
division, dissension, and disunity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve Thy Church from all those who have fallen into heresy and schism; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst inspire in the hearts of the faithful a greater spirit of charity; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant the blessings of wisdom and holiness to our
Clerics in preparing for the Priesthood; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear
us.
That Thou wouldst preserve our Priests and Religious in the spirit of
charity, piety, holiness, and fervent zeal for souls; O Lord, we beseech
Thee, hear us.
Thou wouldst bless all of our missionary and apostolic labors and grant
abundant conversion of souls; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant abundant laborers to work in the harvest of
souls, and grant to all of our Religious perseverance in their holy
Vocation; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst imbue our youth with the spirit of piety and love of their Holy Faith; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant to Thy Church a favorable outcome in all our
court cases, legal actions, and attacks of the press and all of our
enemies; O Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bless our Diocese, our Priory, our Friary, our
Seminary, our Convent, our schools, and all our apostolic undertakings; O
Lord, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Let us pray:
Almighty and Everlasting God, we commend unto Thee Thy Holy Catholic
Church: that Thou wouldst grant unto Her peace, unity, and Thy
protection, while shielding Her against the attacks of Her enemies and
subjecting to Her the powers of evil. We thank Thee, O Lord, for the
many blessings Thou hast bestowed upon us, and we beseech Thee to assist
us to live peaceful and tranquil lives; through the same Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
