St. Flavian, MARTYR.
by VP
Posted on Saturday December 21, 2024 at 11:00PM in Poetry
"A NOBLE Roman, who by order of Julian the Apostate had his face disfigured with those marks of infamy, which were the usual punishment of thieves and malefactors. Being afterwards cast forth into banishment, he there gave himself wholly to prayer, and prepared for that life, for which he had contemned all that is in this.
The festivals of martyrs often return, that you may give glory to the Head of the martyrs, and learn something of their spirit. And what advance have you hitherto made? How do you bear reproaches and contempts? How do you submit to the daily difficulties of your state: to the distempers and pains, with which God is pleased to visit you? How do you bear the trouble of your own infirmities and indiscretion? Resentments, impatience, and passion may be your inclination, but ought not to be allowed and indulged in, if уou think to walk by the patterns so often set before you. Stand then with resolution against all such weakness, and begging the patience of the martyrs, bend down your neck to the trouble, whatever it be, that so you may come to the practice of what you profess.
Pray that you may improve in virtue under all trials; and take care, while you profess to honour the martyrs, that you dishonour not their festivals, by passion or impatience. If you can happily overcome these evils, and quietly submit to those exercises of trouble,
which God is pleased to ordain for your portion, this will lay good
dispositions in your soul, such as will bring you to the reward of a martyr, though you may never be called to shed your blood for Christ, patience and contentment under all troubles are the dispositions of a martyr; there is nothing wanting, but the hand of the executioner." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Ember Saturday Advent : the day Christ was entombed.
by VP
Posted on Friday December 20, 2024 at 11:00PM in Ember Days
Source: Our Lady Mother of Priests Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.
Saturday in Ember Week.
"The Church directs the Ember-days to be spent in humiliation, fasting and prayer. Besides the two objects of obtaining a blessing on the fruits of the earth, and upon those who are promoted at this time to Holy Orders, she enjoins us to pray for a seasonable time, and that God would preserve us from all pestilential distempers. All creatures are in the hands of God. Beg of Him therefore mercifully to dispose all, so that they may contribute to our life and health, and not to our destruction. We have offended God in all His creatures, and if all of them were to be armed against us, we could not complain of any injustice, because our sins deserve the greatest of His rigours. But appeal to His goodness still; and beseech Him to forgive our iniquities, and to oblige us to be more faithful to Him by the wonders of his mercy, and not of His justice." The Catholic Year, Fr. John Gother
"All
good Catholics must needs feel an interest in the future priests of the
Church, for ordination not only confers an immense privilege on those
who are ordained, but also affects the salvation of those souls, who are
hereafter to be entrusted to their care. The recurrence of the Ember
Days should, therefore, remind all to pray:
1. for vocations to the priesthood, that God would send fit laborers for reaping the harvest;
2. that those about to be ordained may be filled with the true spirit of their high calling;
3. for the success of the labors of the Bishops and clergy, both secular and regular, as also for their welfare.
We may sum up by stating that the three good works, styled eminent, are inculcated upon us at the Ember seasons. Prayer and fasting hold a prominent place: St. Leo, who said so much on Ember days, adds alms-giving: " Let us spend in good deeds," he says, "What we take from indulgence." No better time than the Ember Days could be chosen to lay aside, or offer, and alms towards the support of seminaries and other institutions of the training of candidates for the priesthood; or for an object which is equally important, the maintenance of the clergy in general.
To carry out the success these intentions of the Church at Ember-tide, no new confraternity need be established; all that is required is a full appreciation of the spirit of the Church as manifested in her Liturgy and observances, when these seasons come round. The test of true love for our Lord, as His own words tell, is obedience to His Will. We may apply to the Church, His representative, and her ordinances, this same test of true love, which He Himself has given: "If you love Me, keep my commandments." Source:The Ember Days. page 20 Publication of the Catholic Truth Society Vol. XXXII Dom Columba Edmonds OSB
A Prayer for Vocations to St. John Vianney:
O God our Father, You promised "I will
appoint shepherds for My sheep who will shepherd them so that they need
no longer fear and tremble:
and none shall be missing." (Jer. 23:4-5). Hear the prayers of Your
flock. Through the intercession of Your beloved priest, Saint John
Vianney,
we beg You to call to the sacramental priesthood generous men who will
desire nothing more than to serve You in imitation of Your Son, Our
Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest. And after You call them, we pray
that You sustain the doubtful, console the discouraged, and strengthen
the weak as they start the long and demanding preparation for the
priesthood.
Mary, Mother of priests, and example of faithful, humble,
and joyful acceptance of Godʼs will, help all those who are called to
the priesthood to open their ears and hearts to the gentle call of the
Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Litany for the Church (For private use)
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, Divine Founder of the Church, hear us.
Christ, Who didst warn of false prophets, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.
St. Michael, Defender in Battle, pray for us.
St. Peter, the Rock upon which Christ built His , Church, pray for us.
St. Paul, Protector of the Faithful Remnant, pray for us.
St. Francis of Assist, Re-builder of the Church, pray for us.
St. Anthony, Hammer of Heretics, pray for us.
St. Pius V, Restorer of the beauty of the Sacred Liturgy, pray for us.
St. Pius X, Foe of Modernism, pray for us.
All ye Holy Angels and Archangels, pray that we may resist the snares of the Devil.
St. Catherine of Siena, pray that Christ's Vicar may oppose the spirit of the world.
St. John Fisher, pray that bishops may have the courage to combat heresy and irreverence.
St. Francis Xavier, pray that zeal for souls may be re-enkindled in the clergy.
St. Charles Borromeo, pray that seminaries may be protected from false teachings.
St. Vincent de Paul, pray that seminarians may return to a life of prayer and meditation.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus, pray that religious may rediscover their vocation of love and sacrifice.
St. Thomas More, pray that the laity may not succumb to the Great Apostasy.
St. Francis de Sales, pray that the Catholic press may again become a vehicle of Truth.
St. John Bosco, pray that our children may be protected
from immoral and heretical instruction.
St. Pascal, pray that profound reverence for the Most Blessed Sacrament may be restored.
St. Dominic, pray that we may ever treasure the Holy Rosary.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Jesus, our God, in these dark hours when Thy Mystical Body
is undergoing its own Crucifixion, and when it would almost seem to
be abandoned by God the Father, have mercy, we beg of Thee, on Thy
suffering Church. Send down upon us the Divine Consoler, to enlighten our minds and strengthen our wills.Thou,
O Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, Who canst neither deceive nor
be deceived, have promised to be with Thy Church until the end of time.
Give us a mighty Faith that we may not falter; help us to do Thy Holy
Will always, especially during these hours of grief and uncertainty. May Thy Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of
Thy Holy Mother be our sure refuge in time and in eternity. Amen
O Oriens. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Friday December 20, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
“
O Orient, Splendor of eternal light and Sun of justice ; come and
enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
1.
The night of pagan times was long and dark, and seemed hopeless. Deeper
and deeper the nations were sinking in misery and vice. But at length
the Orient, the brightness of the eternal light of heaven, rose, and
scattered the darkness, changing the gloom into a brilliant day. So too
for those who have been long shrouded in the dense gloom of sin or
sorrow there waits the same divine Light, ready to scatter their
darkness in a moment, if only they will draw nigh to Him. He waits for
me, ready to brighten my path, to scatter my sins and sorrows, if I will
avail myself of His love.
2. That rising Light is the Sun of
justice, Who shall exercise His justice in delivering the captive, and
in recompensing His friends a hundred, nay, a thousandfold, for every
little service done to Him. For His justice is virtually identical with
His mercy, and rejoices to employ itself in works of pity and of love.
3.
Come then, O Orient, O Sun of justice ; shine on those who sit in
darkness, on those who are enveloped in the thick mists of heathendom
and heresy. Come and enlighten their ignorance, that they may not
perish. Come and deliver them from the shadow of death, for they cannot
deliver themselves. Pour upon them such a flood of light and grace as
may guide their feet into the way of peace."Meditations # 25 for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena: Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priests:Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves. Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more.
Ember Friday Advent : Christ was crucified (Fast and abstinence)
by VP
Posted on Thursday December 19, 2024 at 11:00PM in Ember Days
Station of the Cross, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh NC
Friday in Ember Week.
"This being an Ember-day,
fail not to pray for all the intentions of the Church in the institution
of these days. One important object of your prayers should be, to beg a
blessing upon all those who are at this time promoted to Holy Orders.
God has ordained His Church to be provided with pastors for the good of
the flock: beseech Him therefore to have mercy on all who at this time
receive Holy Orders. Beg of Him to give them a spirit answerable to
their function; that they may be a light to all those, who are to be under their charge. Pray to Him
to give them a zeal for the good of souls, that they may be ready to do
good to all, according to their necessities, and be prepared at all
times to give their life for their flock." The Catholic Year, Fr. John Gother
Prayer for our Bishop:
O Jesus, Prince of Pastors, Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, give our bishops ................ all those virtues, which they need for their sanctification! May they watch over themselves and the entire flock, with which the Holy Spirit has entrusted them! Fill their hearts with Thine own Spirit! Give them faith, charity, wisdom and strength! Send them faithful co-laborers in the great work of saving and guiding souls! Make them shepherds after Thine own heart, living only for their holy office, fearing nobody but Thee, and hoping for nothing but Thee, in order that when Thou shalt come, to judge shepherds and flocks, they may obtain the unfading reward of eternal life! Amen Imprimatur: Most Rev. Vincent S. Waters, D.D. Raleigh, N.C. March 25, 1956
"The violence of the enemy is always directed against those priests who
are most generous and most loyal.The more you are like your Divine
Model, your Savior and your God, the more certainly will you be the
target for the calumnies, the abuse and persecutions of the wicked." Revs. Jacques Nicolas et P. Millet, S.J. (Jesus Living in the Priest: Considerations on the greatness and Holiness of the Priesthood)
Way of the Cross for Priests ( Especially for those who are suffering persecution)
O Clavis David. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Thursday December 19, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
"O
Key of David, and Scepter of the house of Israel ; Who openest and no
man shutteth, and shuttest and no man openeth ; come and deliver from
the prison-house the captive who sits in darkness and in the shadow of
death"
1. The key and the scepter are the symbols of supreme
authority ; they indicate the sway that the Savior is to hold over His
faithful people, and the right which He alone possesses of opening the
gate of heaven to the children of men, and of extending to them the
golden scepter of His mercy and forgiving love. To me, O Key of David,
unworthy though I am, open in Thy mercy the door of heaven ; stretch out
to me,all undeserving, the scepter of Thy favor and Thy love.
2.
Thou shuttest, O Lord, and no man opens. O shut not upon me the door
which will admit me to draw nigh to Thee! Shut not upon me the door of
Thy mercy and grace. Shut not the door which leads me into the inner
sanctuary of Thy love. Shut not the door of that fold wherein Thy
favorite children dwell in peace and happiness. Shut not, above all, the
door of paradise at my last hour.
3. Come then, O Lord, and
open to me now the door of my captivity. I am a captive to my own
self-will ; a captive to my want of charity ; a captive to my vanity and
love of display; a captive to my self-indulgence and dislike of
mortification ; a captive to a thousand faults of which I am scarcely
conscious. Come, O Lord, and set the captive free. I am weak, and cannot
break my chains unless I receive from Thee the necessary strength ;
come, O Lord Jesus, come quickly. "
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena: Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more.
O Radix Jesse. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Wednesday December 18, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
“O
Root of Jesse, Who standest for a sign to the nations, before Whom
kings shall shut their mouth, of Whom the Gentiles shall entreat mercy ;
come to set us free, and no longer delay.”
1. The King Who is
to come is of the root of Jesse, since He is of David’s royal line. He
is the true David, Who laid low the spiritual Goliath, the prince of
darkness, who in pagan times defied the power of the living God. He is
above all the Man after God’s own heart, in that the one motive of His
heart was to carry out His Father’s will. If this is the motive power of
my life, then I too am of the root of Jesse, and in spite of failings
am a man after God’s own heart, just in proportion as this motive is
ever present to me.
2. Jesus is a sign to the nations; a sign of
contradiction to His enemies, but before Whom the most powerful will
have to shut their mouth in humble subjection; a sign to His friends,
the men of good-will in every clime and country, who will be drawn to
Him to offer their joyful homage at His feet, entreating of Him that
mercy which He is more ready to grant than they to ask. To me He is a
sign, either fondly loved, or neglected and treated as of no account.
3.
O Root of Jesse, O King and Savior, come and set us free ; free from
all that displeases Thee, free from the snares that entangle our feet,
free from our perverse attachment to our own will, free from the power
of the devil, free from our slowness in obeying Thy commands and holy
inspirations, free from all that hinders us in Thy service ; come and
say the word, and we shall be delivered. "
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena: Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more.
Ember Wednesday Advent: Christ is betrayed
by VP
Posted on Tuesday December 17, 2024 at 11:00PM in Meditations
Ember Wednesday in Advent.
"This being Ember-week, we
are required to humble ourselves in fasting and prayer, and to observe
these days according to the spirit of the Church. Beg a blessing on the
fruits of the earth, and pray for all those, who at this time are
promoted to Holy Orders, that they may be worthy ministers of the
Church. It is by God's blessing that the earth is fruitful for the
relief of our necessities. Beg of Him to be favourable to us at this
time, and give His wonted blessing to the earth, that whatever seed is
committed to it may bring forth its increase for our support and
comfort; and that finding the wonderful effects of God's goodness, we
may be mindful of the mercy, and give Him the glory." The Catholic Year, Father John Gother.
Prayer:
Divine Savior Jesus Christ, Thou are the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. Oh, be in a very special way the Good Shepherd of those poor lost priests who are also appointed by Thee to be leaders of Thy people, but who have broken the oath of their holy ordination and have become unfaithful to their exalted calling. Bestow upon these poorest of the poor the very fullness of that pastoral solicitude with which Thou dost so faithfully seek the sheep that are lost! Touch their hearts with the irresistible ray of grace which emanates from Thine all-merciful love! Enlighten their minds and strengthen their wills, that they may turn away from all sin and error and come back to Thy holy altar and to Thy people. O most compassionate Savior! Remember that Thou didst once redeem the souls of Thine erring priests with Thy Precious Blood and in infinite preferential love didst impress upon them the indelible character of the priesthood. Put wholly to shame those miserable helpers of Satan who lay snares for the virtue of priests and endanger the holy ideal of the priesthood. Most graciously accept our prayers and sacrifices for poor priests who have gone astray and hear our earnest petition. Amen
St. Anthony of Padua, defender of the Holy Eucharist, obtain for us holy priests.
St. John-Mary Vianney, model of sacerdotal holiness, obtain for us holy priests.
St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionary priests, obtain for us holy priests.
St. Therese of the Child-Jesus and of the Holy Face, victim offered for the sanctification of priests, obtain for us holy priests.
Saints and Servants of God, obtain for us holy priests.
Imprimatur - Bishop John F. Null (April 18, 1948)
Litany to Obtain Holy Priests:
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Christ, hear us
Christ, Graciously hear us
God, Our Heavenly Father, have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us
God, The Holy Ghost, have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, Three Persons in one God, have mercy on us
Lord, obtain for us priests
Lord, obtain for us holy priests and make us docile to their teachings
Holy Mary, Queen of the Clergy, obtain for us holy priests
Saint Joseph, Patron of the Church, obtain for us holy priests
Saint Michael, splendor and protector of the Church militant, obtain for us holy priests
All you holy Saints and Archangels, obtain for us holy priests
All you holy Patriarchs and Prophets, obtain for us holy priests
All you holy Martyrs and Virgins, obtain for us holy priests
All you holy Bishops and Confessors, obtain for us holy priests
All you holy Priests and Doctors, obtain for us holy priests
All you holy Founders of religious orders, obtain for us holy priests
St. Anthony of Padua, defender of the Holy Eucharist, obtain for us holy priests
St. John-Mary Vianney, model of sacerdotal holiness, obtain for us holy priests
St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionary priests, obtain for us holy priests
St. Therese of the Child-Jesus and of the Holy Face, victim offered for
the sanctification of priests, obtain for us holy priests
Saints and Servants of God, obtain for us holy priests.
To celebrate with reverence the Holy Mysteries, obtain for us holy priests
To offer every day the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, obtain for us holy priests
To feed the people of God with the Bread of life, obtain for us holy priests
To promote the splendors of the Divine Worship, obtain for us holy priests
To regenerate souls through baptism, obtain for us holy priests
To instruct the faithful in the Holy Faith, obtain for us holy priests
To keep the faithful in the fear of the Lord, obtain for us holy priests
To announce to all the Word of God, obtain for us holy priests
To unmask and combat false doctrines, obtain for us holy priests
To fortify the Faith of those who doubt, obtain for us holy priests
To support and encourage those who fail, obtain for us holy priests
To raise up those who fall and to reconcile them to God, obtain for us holy priests
To bring back to God those who rejected Him, obtain for us holy priests
To protect christian morality, obtain for us holy priests
To fight with zeal the corruption of morality, obtain for us holy priests
To bless holy unions, obtain for us holy priests
To defend the honor and sanctity of marriage, obtain for us holy priests
To strengthen the happiness of our christian families, obtain for us holy priests
To fortify and console our sicks and those who suffer, obtain for us holy priests
To assist our dying ones, obtain for us holy priests
To lead our dead to eternal happiness, obtain for us holy priests
To pray and offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for our dead, obtain for us holy priests
To give glory to God, and to give grace and peace to souls of good will, obtain for us holy priests.
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
The Lord chose for Himself priests so that they will offer Him a worthy thanksgiving.
Let us pray: God Almighty and merciful, favorably grant the prayers of
Your faithful and grant to those whom You have given the immense
generosity of your clemency, to be elevated to the service of the
heavenly mysteries, to become worthy ministers at Your sacred altars, so
that their teachings be confirmed by your sanctification, through Our
Lord Jesus-Christ, Amen.
Translated by CAPG (Litanies pour Obtenir de Saints Prêtres: Private Litany to obtain Holy Priests)
O Adonai. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Tuesday December 17, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
“
O Lord, and Leader of the house of Israel, Who didst appear to Moses in
a flame of fire in the bush, and didst give to him the law on Mount
Sinai, come to redeem us with Thy stretched out arm.”
1. The
Savior for Whom we look is also Our Lord (Adonai), the Leader and Chief
to whom we have sworn fealty. We speak of Him continually under the
familiar name of Our Lord, and each time we do so we reassert our
acknowledgment of the obligation to follow where He leads, and to be
subject to Him in all things. O happy followers of such a Leader! If we
tread in His footsteps, and obey His voice, He will set our feet in
green pastures, and lead us to the fountains of the water of life.
2.
The flame of fire in the burning bush was a figure of Jesus in Mary's
sacred womb. Holy indeed was the place where God was present, and whence
He promised to His people their deliverance from Egypt. So He still
speaks as if concealed in Mary’s womb, and reminds us that He has made
her holy with a holiness second only to His own; and when we draw nigh
to her we hear His voice announcing to us that He has heard our prayers
offered through her, and will come to deliver us from our enemies.
3.
What shall be our prayer to Him when He inspires us to make our request
with boldness at the throne of grace ? Come to redeem us with Thy
stretched-out arm. Come to deliver us from the effects of our past sins.
Come to deliver us from the attachment to some sin that still lurks
within us. Come to deliver us from all our countless negligences and
imperfections. Come with Thine arm stretched out to ward us from the
foe, O Lord and Lover of our souls. " Meditations # 22 for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena: Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more.
Ember Days Winter (December 18, 20, 21)
by VP
Posted on Monday December 16, 2024 at 11:00PM in Prayers
Let us, therefore, revive Embers days!
Let us again pray, fast, and abstain for more faithful priests!
Wednesday (20th): the day Christ was betrayed (Fast and half-abstinence)
Friday (22nd): Christ was crucified (Fast and abstinence)
and Saturday (23rd): the day Christ was entombed. (Fast and half-abstinence)
"Many Christians, alas, scarcely know the purpose of the Ember days. They have been appointed in order that the faithful pray for good priests, and may supplement their prayers by fasting and good works. Good priests must be obtained through prayer. The greatest blessing for a parish is a good, zealous priest. Those who often pray for priests will draw God's blessing upon themselves, and will experience the assistance and blessing of the priest in the hour of death."Rev. Ferreol Girarday C.S.S.R
The observance of Ember days is a very old tradition, going back to the
Apostolic time and taking after the Roman Pagan customs that held
festivals on each seasons of the year. In 494, Pope Gelasius I used
the Ember Saturdays to confer ordination to the priesthood.
From
their origins, Ember days had a two fold purpose: to pray for the
laborers and for the fruits of the harvest. During these three days,
Catholics were thanking Our Blessed Lord "for the gifts of nature" asking
Him "to teach men to make use of them in moderation, assist the needy"
but most of all to pray for more good priests. Ember Days: Catholic Encyclopedia
In 1969, Pope Paul VI excluded the embers day from being mandatory
days of fast and abstinence and left their celebrations to the
discretion of the local bishops. Even though the US Bishops' Conference
has decided not to celebrate them, we may still choose to do so as a
personal devotion since its observance at home or small communities is
not discouraged:
"17. Vigils and Ember Days, as most now know, no
longer oblige to fast and abstinence. However, the liturgical renewal
and the deeper appreciation of the joy of the holy days of the
Christian year will, we hope, result in a renewed appreciation as to why
our forefathers spoke of "a fast before a feast." We impose no fast
before any feast-day, but we suggest that the devout will find greater
Christian joy in the feasts of the liturgical calendar if they freely
bind themselves, for their own motives and in their own spirit of
piety, to prepare for each Church festival by a day of particular
self-denial, penitential prayer and fasting."
Vigils and Ember Days (USCCB) 1966
"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. 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, corresponding to the five decades." Publications of the Catholic Truth Society, (Volume 24)
"The fast of the Ember days has been instituted principally to obtain of God good, holy and zealous priests for His Church. On this point especially depend the honor and welfare of the Church and the salvation of mankind. History proves, beyond all doubt, that a careless and tepid clergy do greater injury to the Church and to the souls of men than a bitter and bloody persecution. Persecution, in its outcome, proves beneficial to the Church and sends heroic martyrs to heaven, but a clergy devoid of holiness and virtue is the scourge of souls and the disgrace of the Church." Rev. Ferreol Girarday C.S.S.R
O Sapientia (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Monday December 16, 2024 at 11:00PM in Advent Sermons
"Before
the feast of Christmas, the coming Savior is welcomed in seven
antiphons, which greet Him under various titles, and entreat Him to come
quickly to enlighten and deliver His people.
“O Wisdom, Who
earnest forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching in Thy strength
from end to end, and sweetly disposing all things, come and teach us the
way of prudence."
1. The first title given to Jesus is that of
Wisdom. He was the Eternal Wisdom of God, and the source of all wisdom
to men from one end of time to the other. With Him all wisdom ; without
Him no wisdom. Yet I have sometimes fancied myself wise when I was
acting quite apart from Him, and perhaps His wishes or commands. What
utter folly !
2. It is the Eternal Word that disposes all things
sweetly. Everything that happens in heaven or earth is arranged by Him,
and is arranged not unkindly, or harshly, or bitterly,but sweetly. Why
then do I regret what I ought to know He has arranged sweetly, i.e. t
with designs of love for me if I take it in the right spirit ?
3.
Come and teach us the way of prudence. This is our first petition to
Him Who is to come. If only He imparts prudence, all must be well.
Prudence chooses the right end, viz., the glory of God, and the right
means to the end, viz., what we know God asks of us now, and in our
present circumstances. Teach me, O Jesus, that lesson of prudence which
will guide me safe to the kingdom of heaven."
Meditations #21 for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Prayer to the Holy Infant for priestsJesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more
