Thursday, June 30, 2011

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Part 11)



Let us consider what Fr. John Croiset tells us are the effects of the perfect love of Jesus.  The effects are many.  Let us look first at love of the poor:

"Among Christ's followers the poor stand in a special relation to Jesus Christ, they wear His livery; so when we assist them, it is Jesus Christ Himself that we assist in their person. It is, then, evident that charity towards the poor should be  an ordinary effect of true love for Jesus Christ.  This love for Jesus Christ should inspire us not only with compassion for the poor, it should inspire us also with love and respect for them; such love for Jesus Christ has induced even great kings to serve His poor with their own hands."

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Part 10)



As June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  See a review of previous posts here.

Now we will consider what Fr. Croiset tells us regarding the "marks of perfect love of Jesus Christ and of true devotion to His Sacred Heart:"

"A person, then, who is solidly virtuous and who loves Jesus Christ perfectly is a man without self-love, without guile, without ambition; he is a man who is at all times severe on himself, granting himself no indulgence, but kind towards others and interpreting all that they do in a good sense.  He is honest without being affected, polite without being cowardly, obliging without seeking his own interest; he is extremely exact without being scrupulous, he keeps himself continually united to God without contention; he is never idle, yet never allows excessive eagerness to appear, he is never too much preoccupied or distracted with his occupations because he keeps his heart always free and is constantly concerned with the great affair of his life, his eternal salvation."

Thought about Hell lately?




Fr. Z recommends thinking about the four last things, Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, at least once a day.  It's a very salutary practice.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Religion of Peace (Part 19)


                 St. Nicholas, patron of children, please pray for these unfortunate ones

I hesitated before posting this, because it is so shocking and horrible.  Before clicking the link consider that the story concerns highly upsetting crimes involving children.  I post it in the belief that a true measure of one's adversary provides an advantage in any contest.

"Sex grooming" of children (never heard of that before) by Muslim gangs, in England

Gay marriage in NY - thanks to Archbishop Molloy High School!



                                          Stanner Pride - in what, exactly?

Both Governor Andrew Cuomo, the prime mover of the recently passed gay marriage legislation, and Joseph Addabbo, a key vote for gay marriage in the state senate,  are not only alumni of this Catholic high school in Queens, but inductees in the school's Hall of Fame

Your tax dollars at work


                                                 Our woman in Rome


The US State Dept worked overtime to ensure that Lady Gaga participated in the Gay Pride festivities in Rome last week.  I wonder why this was of paramount national importance?  While we wait for the Lady Gaga experts at America magazine to explain, here is the story, courtesy of Moonbattery.

Hail, Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Courtesy of New Liturgical Movement, here is an excerpt from a letter by Pope St. Leo the Great (d. 461 AD) regarding Peter and Paul, the two saints whose feast we celebrate today:

No distinction must be drawn between the merits of the two
And over this band, dearly-beloved, whom God has set forth for our example in patience and for our confirmation in the Faith, there must be rejoicing everywhere in the commemoration of all the saints, but of these two Father's excellence we must rightly make our boast in louder joy, for God's Grace has raised them to so high a place among the members of the Church, that He has set them like the twin light of the eyes in the body, whose Head is Christ. About their merits and virtues, which pass all power of speech, we must not make distinctions, because they were equal in their election , alike in their toils, undivided in their death. But as we have proved for ourselves, and our forefathers maintained, we believe, and are sure that, amid all the toils of this life, we must always be assisted in obtaining God's Mercy by the prayers of special interceders, that we may be raised by the Apostles' merits in proportion as we are weighed down by our own sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, etc.

A 6th Century St. Paul from the Roman catacombs

And my first link to the new Vatican news website.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Russia has been properly consecrated.



That's according to Sr. Lucia, who would know Our Lady's wishes better than anyone except Our Lady herself.  Let's hope that settles the matter.   Francis Phillips' reflections here.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart (Part 9)



Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a moveable feast, and will actually take place this year  in July (July 1). 

In "The Devotion to the Sacred Heart," by Fr. John Croiset, SJ, which was commissioned by Our Lord Himself, through St. Margaret Mary, Fr. Croiset tells us that the obstacles to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus may be reduced to four: "great tepidity in the service of God, self-love, secret pride, and certain passions which people have not taken care to mortify from the beginning of their conversion."

We have also seen that, according to Fr. Croiset, there are two principal means of overcoming these obstacles.  The first is true mortification and the second is humility, which we discussed here and here

We also saw here the seven means suggested by Fr. Croiset for acquiring perfect love of Jesus Christ and a tender devotion to His Sacred Heart. 

In addition, we have considered here what Fr. Croiset tells us are proper motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced.   We also saw here how Our Lord chose the day for the feast of the Sacred Heart.

We have begun to look more deeply into Devotion to the Sacred Heart.  We have already considered daily practices of Devotion to the Sacred Heart recommended by Fr. Croiset.  We have also meditated upon the motives which Fr. Croiset says should urge us to visit the Blessed Sacrament.  Now we will consider practices recommended by Fr. Croiset for a daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

"Offer yourself to Jesus Christ to be united more closely to Him, asking Him to fill you with His spirit and His sentiments, and above all, ask Him to be permitted to enter His Sacred Heart never to leave It.  Then consider Jesus Christ as your Head, and yourself as one of His members, as one of His associates, one of His brethren to whom He has given over all His merits and bequeathed all the recompense due to Him from His Heavenly Father for His holy labors and death on the Cross.   It is in this capacity of associate of the Eternal Word, of one of His brethren, of His members, that we dare to appear before God with confidence, to speak to Him familiarly, and, in union with the Eternal Word, in a manner to oblige Him to give us a favorable hearing, to grant our requests and bestow on us His graces in virtue of this association, this union which we have with His Divine Son and, in particular, in virtue of the infinite value and dignity of the Victim which we offer to Him in the Blessed Sacrament.  Then finish the visit by a spiritual Communion, accompanied by a perfect consecration of all your affections and desires to the Sacred Heart."

Hail, Saintly Bishop and Father of the Church



St. Irenaeus was born in Smyrna (today part of Turkey) in 130 AD and became Bishop of Lyons, France in 178.  Irenaeus strove by his writings, most significantly in his great work “Against Heresies,” to defeat the Gnostic heresy.  Considered the first great Western ecclesiastical writer and theologian, Irenaeus emphasized the unity of the Old and New Testaments, the distinction of Christ’s human and divine natures, and the value of tradition.  Instrumental in establishing the canon of scripture, by offering careful arguments for or against the inclusion of books which until Irenaeus’s time were regarded informally as inspired scripture.  St. Irenaeus died in 202 AD, according to some traditions as a martyr, and is a Father of the Church.  His tomb and relics were destroyed by Calvinists in 1562 AD.


The following is taken from “Against Heresies:”

“Since therefore we have such proofs, it is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth: so that every man, whosoever will, can draw from her the water of life. Revelation 22:17  For she is the entrance to life; all others are thieves and robbers. On this account are we bound to avoid them, but to make choice of the thing pertaining to the Church with the utmost diligence, and to lay hold of the tradition of the truth.”

Reminds me of the Lion King




The closing Mass of the LA Religious Education Congress is quite a show.  As an act of adoratio it seems to me seriously deficient.  Will Archbishop Gomez run former Cardinal Mahoney's circus out of town?

Monday, June 27, 2011

Vatican II - rupture is not the same as reform

At Ars Orandi, David Werling responds to Enrico Morini's argument that Vatican II was both a continuity with tradition, and a rupture from tradition.  In sum, Werling argues that Morini is playing with definitions.

Novena to the Sacred Heart for Priests - Day 5


Courtesy of Sr. Lisa Marie Doty.

To be said for priests.   Sr. Doty uses the prayer employed by St. Padre Pio for those who requested his prayers.  

Prayer for Day 5:

"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I.  My Jesus,You have said,‘Truly I say to you,ask and it will be given you,seek and you will find,knock and it will be opened to you.’ Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I knock, I seek and ask that my prayer be granted. Today, I ask:

Intention for Day Five – Monday, June 27:  We pray for the protection of Priests against the sin of Gluttony (excessive and uncontrolled preoccupation with food and drink), and for an increase in the virtue of Temperance (restrain the inordinate movements of our desires or appetites. “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life.” Jn 6:27)
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, You have said,‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.’
Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, in Your Name I ask the Father that my prayer be granted.

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III.  O my Jesus,You have said,‘Truly I say to you,heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.’ Encouraged by Your infallible words, through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother I feel confident that my prayers will be answered.

(mention the day’s request)

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

O Sacred , O Merciful, O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,
I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate heart of Mary,Your tender mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen…

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us."

Church renovation results in more beautiful church





                       Altar before renovation


                             Altar after renovation


Not uglier one, as we have come to expect in recent decades. 
New Liturgical Movement has story here.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart (Part 8)


Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a moveable feast, and will actually take place this year  in July (July 1). 

In "The Devotion to the Sacred Heart," by Fr. John Croiset, SJ, which was commissioned by Our Lord Himself, through St. Margaret Mary, Fr. Croiset tells us that the obstacles to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus may be reduced to four: "great tepidity in the service of God, self-love, secret pride, and certain passions which people have not taken care to mortify from the beginning of their conversion."

We have also seen that, according to Fr. Croiset, there are two principal means of overcoming these obstacles.  The first is true mortification and the second is humility, which we discussed here and here

We also saw here the seven means suggested by Fr. Croiset for acquiring perfect love of Jesus Christ and a tender devotion to His Sacred Heart. 

In addition, we have considered here what Fr. Croiset tells us are proper motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced.   We also saw here how Our Lord chose the day for the feast of the Sacred Heart.

Now we will look more deeply into Devotion to the Sacred Heart.  We have already considered daily practices of Devotion to the Sacred Heart recommended by Fr. Croiset.  Now we will meditate upon the motives which Fr. Croiset says should urge us to visit the Blessed Sacrament.  Fr. Croiset writes:

"If we are sick, unhappy, or afflicted, let us have recourse to Jesus Christ, let us go to Him, who is our good Father, and tell Him of the misfortunes which have happened to us and of the evils which threaten us.  If we have some important decision to make, if we want to restore peace in some family, if we want to bring about the conversion of some person, if we are remiss in the service of God, inconstant, imperfect, let us run to Jesus Christ and ask him humbly and with respectul familiarity for the graces that we need, and above all let us ask with great confidence."

Land O'Lakesian scholar blasts Blessed Mother

Ho-hum.  Interesting as theological pathology.

Flashmobs and Eucharistic Adoration

Eucharistic Adoration (sometimes accompanied by flashmobs) is on the rise in England.  It's starting to happen here, too.  It's a hopeful sign of Grace at work in the Church.  The estimable Dr. Oddie's reflections here.

Catholic universities full of heresies - not so shocking

But the priests and bishops full of heresies - that is shocking.   Yet, that's what the Secretary for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said in 2009.

We must pray even harder to the Exterminatrix of Heresies.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

"The first condition for the New Evangelization is adoration"


That's a quotation from Bishop Dominique Rey of France, founder of the Missionaries of the Most Holy Eucharist.  The Missionaries just held a conference in Rome called Adoratio 2011, which was addressed by Cardinal Ranjith (pictured above).   According to a report of the conference at Rorate Coeli, Cardinal Ranjith stated that, in his view:

"there was often a lack of wonder and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, quoting St Augustine saying, "We would sin if we did not adore Him before receiving Him."
"The Cardinal also spoke of the meaningless and tasteless (in many senses) experience of the Eucharist in many parishes because of a noisy and frenetic atmosphere that was no longer devout, adoring and contemplative. These aspects are not of choice but essential to a celebration of the Mass - an experience much more usual in the "Tridentine" Mass."

Saturday, June 25, 2011


Courtesy of Sr. Lisa Marie Doty.

To be said for priests.   Sr. Doty uses the prayer employed by St. Padre Pio for those who requested his prayers.  

Prayer for Day 2:

"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I.  My Jesus,You have said,‘Truly I say to you,ask and it will be given you,seek and you will find,knock and it will be opened to you.’ Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I knock, I seek and ask that my prayer be granted. Today, I ask:

Intention for Day Three – Saturday, June 25: We pray for the protection of Priests against the sin of Sloth, and for an increase in the virtue of Diligence (The decision to fulfill all of the responsibilities in our vocation or state in life).

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, You have said,‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.’
Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, in Your Name I ask the Father that my prayer be granted.

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III.  O my Jesus,You have said,‘Truly I say to you,heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.’ Encouraged by Your infallible words, through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother I feel confident that my prayers will be answered.

(mention the day’s request)

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

O Sacred , O Merciful, O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,
I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate heart of Mary,Your tender mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen…

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us."

For those who pray the Divine Office



You may wish to visit this site.  It provides side by side Latin and English versions, and offers a variety of English translations.

Papal teaching for today



Traditionally, Saturday is devoted to the Blessed Mother, and therefore our Papal teaching for today concerns Mary  The following is taken from the Apostolic Exhortation "Marialis Cultus" of Pope Paul VI, promulgated in 1974 (full text here):

Mary is also the Virgin-Mother-she who "believing and obeying...brought forth on earth the Father's Son. This she did, not knowing man but overshadowed by the Holy Spirit."(52) This was a miraculous motherhood, set up by God as the type and exemplar of the fruitfulness of the Virgin-Church, which "becomes herself a mother.... For by her preaching and by baptism she brings forth to a new and immortal life children who are conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of God."(53) The ancient Fathers rightly taught that the Church prolongs in the sacrament of Baptism the virginal motherhood of Mary. Among such references we like to recall that of our illustrious predecessor, Saint Leo the Great, who in a Christmas homily says: "The origin which (Christ took in the womb of the Virgin He has given to the baptismal font: He has given to water what He had given to His Mother-the power of the Most High and the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit (cf Lk. 1:35), which was responsible for Mary's bringing forth the Savior, has the same effect, so that water may regenerate the believer."(54) If we wished to go to liturgical sources, we could quote the beautiful Illatio of the Mozarabic liturgy: "The former [Mary] carried Life in her womb; the latter [the Church] bears Life in the waters of baptism. In Mary's members Christ was formed; in the waters of the Church Christ is put on."(55)

Friday, June 24, 2011

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Part 7)



Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a moveable feast, and will actually take place this year  in July (July 1). 

In "The Devotion to the Sacred Heart," by Fr. John Croiset, SJ, which was commissioned by Our Lord Himself, through St. Margaret Mary, Fr. Croiset tells us that the obstacles to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus may be reduced to four: "great tepidity in the service of God, self-love, secret pride, and certain passions which people have not taken care to mortify from the beginning of their conversion."

We have also seen that, according to Fr. Croiset, there are two principal means of overcoming these obstacles.  The first is true mortification and the second is humility, which we discussed here and here

We also saw here the seven means suggested by Fr. Croiset for acquiring perfect love of Jesus Christ and a tender devotion to His Sacred Heart. 

In addition, we have considered here what Fr. Croiset tells us are proper motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced.   We also saw here how Our Lord chose the day for the feast of the Sacred Heart.

Now we will look more deeply into Devotion to the Sacred Heart.  In particular, we will consider daily practices of Devotion to the Sacred Heart recommended by Fr. Croiset.

Practice of the Devotion for morning:

"In the morning on rising, after the example of many saints, we should prostrate ourselves in the direction of the nearest church where the Blessed Sacrament is kept, and thus prostrated make an act of Faith."

Practice of the Devotion while attending Mass:

"Above all, everyone should endeavor to bring home to himself that the Sacrifice of the Mass is the same as that of Calvary and should assist at it with the most profound respect and reverence, like people who believe that the Sacrifice of Calvary is here renewed."

Practice of the Devotion for afternoon:

"The afternoon is a most suitable time for visiting Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in order to honor His Sacred Heart by our love and homage.  As it is the time when people think least about Jesus Christ and when few people visit Him, those who visit Him at this time are sure of  being well received."

Practice of the Devotion for evening:

"St. Aloysius Gonzaga was accustomed before going to sleep to recite three Hail Marys, in order to put himself under the protection, and as it were, in the heart of the Blessed Virgin.  Then he made a profound bow in the direction of the church to adore the Blessed Sacrament, asking the Sacred Heart of Jesus to watch unceasingly over Holy Church, and especially over those who love Him tenderly, and begging to be preserved through His mercy from all the snares of the devil; protesting that it was in the Sacred Heart that he wished to take his rest and saying with the Psalmist: "In peace in the self same," that is, in the my supreme Good, "I will sleep and I will rest." (Ps 4:9)



Evil, Grace, Mercy, and Justice



Making sense of a beloved priest who was also an admitted predator.  The estimable Dr. Oddie's thoughts here.

Day Two of Novena to Sacred Heart for Priests



Courtesy of Sr. Lisa Marie Doty.

To be said for priests.   Sr. Doty uses the prayer employed by St. Padre Pio for those who requested his prayers.  

Prayer for Day 2:

"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I.  My Jesus,You have said,‘Truly I say to you,ask and it will be given you,seek and you will find,knock and it will be opened to you.’ Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I knock, I seek and ask that my prayer be granted. Today, I ask:

Intention for Day Two – Friday, June 24: We pray for the protection of Priests against the sin of Lust, and for an increase in the virtue of Chastity.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, You have said,‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.’
Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, in Your Name I ask the Father that my prayer be granted.

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III.  O my Jesus,You have said,‘Truly I say to you,heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.’ Encouraged by Your infallible words, through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother I feel confident that my prayers will be answered.

(mention the day’s request)

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

O Sacred , O Merciful, O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,
I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate heart of Mary,Your tender mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen…

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us."

Hail, Saintly Herald of Our Lord



The Relics of St. John the Baptist

Today we celebrate the feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist.  According to Our Lord Himself, among those born of women there is no one greater than St. John the Baptist.   St. John the Baptist is not only a martyr, but also a close, saintly relative of Jesus who was not, as Our Lady was, assumed bodily into heaven.  Consequently, first class relics of St. John the Baptist have always been particularly prized, a first class relic being the physical remains of a saint.  We moderns tend to smirk at the allure which relics held for our forebears in faith, overlooking the extent to which we ourselves are fascinated by less worthy relics.  I read recently of a woman who carefully preserved jelly beans trod upon by the Beatles back in early sixties.   So, before loftily dismissing the veneration of saintly relics in the past, let us consider the non-saintly relics amongst our own bric-a-brac. 

From wikipedia, here is a short history of the relics of St. John the Baptist:

The burial-place of John the Baptist was at Sebaste in Samaria, and mention is made of his relics being honored there around the middle of the 4th century. The historians Rufinus and Theodoretus record that the shrine was desecrated under Julian the Apostate around 362, the bones being partly burned. A portion of the rescued relics were carried to Jerusalem, then to Alexandria, where on May 27, 395, they were laid in the basilica that was newly dedicated to the Forerunner on the former site of the temple of Serapis. The tomb at Sebaste continued, nevertheless, to be visited by pious pilgrims, and St. Jerome bears witness to miracles being worked there.

What became of the head of John the Baptist is difficult to determine. Nicephorus and Symeon Metaphrastes say that Herodias had it buried in the fortress of Machaerus (in accordance with Josephus). Other writers say that it was interred in Herod's palace at Jerusalem; there it was found during the reign of Constantine I, and thence secretly taken to Emesa, in Phoenicia, where it was concealed, the place remaining unknown for years, until it was manifested by revelation in 453. However, the decapitation cloth of St. John is kept at the Aachen Cathedral. The Coptic Christian Orthodox Church also claim to hold the relics of St. John the Baptist. These are to be found in a monastery in Lower Egypt between Cairo and Alexandria. It is possible, with permission from the monks, to see the original tomb where the remains were found. An obscure and surprising claim relates to the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, where the Baptist's head appears on the official coat-of-arms. A legend first recorded in the late 16th century and reported in William Camden's Britannia accounts for the town's place-name, as 'halig' (holy) and 'fax' (face), by stating that the first religious settlers of the district brought the 'face' of John the Baptist with them.

Items said to be St. John's skull are located at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Scetes, Egypt, at Gandzasar Monastery's Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, in Nagorno Karabakh, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. (Extant)., and San Silvestro in Capite in Rome, and the Residenz Museum in Munich, Germany, (official residence of the Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria from 1385 to 1918). Further heads, no longer available, were once held by the Knights Templar, Amiens Cathedral in France (brought home by Wallon de Sarton from the Fourth Crusade in Constantinople), Antioch in Turkey (fate uncertain), and the parish church at Tenterden in Kent, where it was preserved up until the Reformation.

The saint's right hand, with which he baptised Jesus, is in the Serbian Orthodox Cetinje monastery in Montenegro, and also in the Romanian skete of the Forerunner on Mount Athos.  A further hand - it is unclear which - is preserved in the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. John at Chinsurah, West Bengal, where each year on "Chinsurah Day" in January it blesses the Armenians of Calcutta.  An arm, with or without a hand, is at the Topkapi Palace.

RELATED:  Catholic Herald conducts poll - "Does it matter if relics are fake?"

RELATED:  St. John the Baptist and do re mi fa sol la:

"It is also a well-known fact that the Vesper hymn of St. John provided the names of the notes for the first diatonic scale, noted by Guido of Arezzo in the 11th century. The opening stanza reads

Ut queant laxis / resonare fibris
Mira gestorum / famuli tuorum,
Solve polluti / labii reatum,
   Sancte Ioannes.
The six notes of the original scale are named for the syllables at the beginning of each half-line, each such syllable occurring on a higher note than the one preceding. The names of the notes were thus originally, “ut – re – mi – fa – sol – la”; the scale was later increased to seven notes with the addition of “si”, from “Sancte Ioannes”. In Italian, “ut” was changed to “do” to make it easier to pronounce and sing, since words do not end in hard consonants in Italian, and “si” was changed to “ti” in the English-speaking word in the 19th century."
 
More here.

Corpus Christi procession through MANHATTAN!


Followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.   And I missed it!  Just found out about from Fr. Z.

I wonder if the Bovina Bloviator was there.  He frequently worships at Holy Innocents.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sr. Lisa Marie Doty has a Novena to the Sacred Heart



To be said for priests.   Sr. Doty uses the prayer employed by St. Padre Pio for those who requested his prayers.  

Prayer for Day 1:

"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I.  My Jesus,You have said,‘Truly I say to you,ask and it will be given you,seek and you will find,knock and it will be opened to you.’ Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I knock, I seek and ask that my prayer be granted. Today, I ask:

Day One – Thursday, June 23: We pray for the protection of Priests against the sin of Pride, and the virtue of Humility.

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, You have said,‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.’
Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, in Your Name I ask the Father that my prayer be granted.

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III.  O my Jesus,You have said,‘Truly I say to you,heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.’ Encouraged by Your infallible words, through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother I feel confident that my prayers will be answered.

(mention the day’s request)

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be to the Father…

O Sacred , O Merciful, O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,
I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate heart of Mary,Your tender mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen…

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us."

It's the Feast of Corpus Christi



                                                    The carpet of flowers


In Arundel, England it is.  They celebrate the feast in a magnificent manner.

Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith has related reflections here.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart (Part 6)



                   How Jesus Christ chose the day for the feast of the Sacred Heart

Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a moveable feast, and will actually take place this year  in July (July 1). 

In "The Devotion to the Sacred Heart," by Fr. John Croiset, SJ, which was commissioned by Our Lord Himself, through St. Margaret Mary, Fr. Croiset tells us that the obstacles to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus may be reduced to four: "great tepidity in the service of God, self-love, secret pride, and certain passions which people have not taken care to mortify from the beginning of their conversion."

We have also seen that, according to Fr. Croiset, there are two principal means of overcoming these obstacles.  The first is true mortification and the second is humility, which we discussed here and here

We also saw here the seven means suggested by Fr. Croiset for acquiring perfect love of Jesus Christ and a tender devotion to His Sacred Heart. 

In addition, we have considered here what Fr. Croiset tells us are proper motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced. 
Next, we will see how, according to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and Fr. Croiset, Our Lord chose the day for the feast of the Sacred Heart.

"When one day during the octave of Corpus Christi, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, under the inspiration of a very special grace, was filled with the desire to make some return to our loving Saviour by giving love for love, the Son of God Himself appeared to her and said:  "You cannot give Me a greater return of love than by doing what I have so often demanded."  Then He revealed to her His Sacred Heart and said: "Behold this Heart which has so loved men even to exhausting and consuming Itself to testify to them Its love; and in return, I receive from the generality of men nothing but ingratitude through the contempt, irreverence, sacrileges and coldness which they show Me in the Sacrament of My love; but what is still more painful to Me, is that there are hearts consecrated to me that treat Me thus.  For that reason I demand that the First Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be set apart for a special feast to honor My Heart; that, on this day, reparation be made to It with special solemnity, that the faithful receive Holy Communion in reparation for the indignities which It has received on the altars; and I promise that My Heart will expand to pour out in abundance the treasures of Divine love on those who render It this honor."

Hell exists


                                                     Still in business

Every once in a while, it's good to be reminded.

A four part online course to understand the revised missal?

We may as well teach everyone the Latin.  It wouldn't require much more effort.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

US Ordinariate coming along nicely

Cardinal Wuerl says it could be up and running by fall.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart (part 5)

   

                       Proper Sentiments and Motives for Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.

In "The Devotion to the Sacred Heart," by Fr. John Croiset, SJ, which was commissioned by Our Lord Himself, through St. Margaret Mary, Fr. Croiset tells us that the obstacles to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus may be reduced to four: "great tepidity in the service of God, self-love, secret pride, and certain passions which people have not taken care to mortify from the beginning of their conversion."

We have also seen that, according to Fr. Croiset, there are two principal means of overcoming these obstacles.  The first is true mortification and the second is humility, which we discussed here and here

We also saw here the seven means suggested by Fr. Croiset for acquiring perfect love of Jesus Christ and a tender devotion to His Sacred Heart. 

Now we will turn to what Fr. Croiset calls "The Practice of This Devotion."   We will begin by considering the motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced.  Fr. Croiset tells us our motive should be:

"to make reparation, as far as is in our power, by our love and adoration and by every kind of homage, for all the indignities and outrages which Jesus Christ has suffered in the course of the ages and which He still suffers daily at the hands of wicked men in the Blessed Eucharist.  It is with this spirit and these sentiment that we should perform the practices which are here proposed."

Oxford conference on "Chesterton's Prophetic Voice"



Until I was a senior in high school I'd never heard of Chesterton.  During Christmas vacation that year, I was browsing the St. Francis of Assisi book shop on 31st Street in Manhattan (now closed, I believe) with a classmate and a pious, Thomistic faculty member from our impious, antinomian public high school.  I'd selected some book or other, and showed it to the teacher, who was appalled.

"Don't waste your money on that drivel," he gasped. "Let me buy you this instead," he added, handing me a paperback copy of "The Everlasting Man."  I've been growing in admiration of Chesterton ever since.

I won't be attending the Oxford conference, though I'd like to.   Dr. Oddie will be there, for one thing.  The estimable Dr. Oddie's reflections on Chesterton here.

Guillotined Daughter of Charity beatified

Story here.


Similar events dramatized in Poulenc's "Dialogue of the Carmelites."  Riveting final scene of Met's production here (sound quality not so hot):

Hail, Saintly Chancellor and Merry Martyr



As government treads ever more directly and forcefully upon the rights of religion, the likelihood that the blood of martyrs may once again be spilled to defend religion's rights grows toward certainty.  Today is the feast of St. Thomas More, who was such a martyr, though martyrdom was never his ambition.  More was an eminent lawyer and judge, and served King Henry VIII as chancellor.  When the Pope refused to annul Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon in order that Henry might marry Anne Boleyn, and Henry divorced Catherine and married Anne anyway, More retired from public life.  Yet retirement from public life did not afford More safety, since Henry soon required all his subjects to swear an oath affirming the validity of his new marriage.   More assented to as much of the oath as possible, and refused his assent only to the portions relating to the marriage, but kept a strict silence as to the basis for his refusal.  As a lawyer, More was well aware that the only lawful construction to be given his silence would be consent to the oath.  For refusing the oath, More was arrested, but remained silent regarding the oath through 15 months of imprisonment in the Tower of London.  Yet silence did not afford More safety, since he was tried for treason anyway, and convicted on the basis of false testimony regarding his reasons for refusing the oath. 

More bore his judges no acrimony, telling them that he wished "we may yet hereafter in Heaven merrily all meet together to everlasting salvation.”

Although he was one of the more important men of his times, More was genuinely humble, unencumbered by any undue regard for his own greatness.  Here is More on the subject of worldly importance:

"As Boethius says: For one man to be proud that he has rule over other men is much like one mouse being proud to have rule over other mice in a barn."


UPDATE:  Archbishop Chaput: 21st Century America Likely to be much less friendly to religious faith
Clearly, anti-Christian pressures are building. 

Michigan Bishop: Deacons should preach less

I'm all for this
It would be great if the Michigan bishop also decreed, "Priests should preach better."

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Jesuit Expert: Catholic schools must be more Catholic

Great idea!   Let's start with Jesuit colleges and universities.

America magazine pins its hopes for world peace on Lady Gaga



                                      If she can't end war, who can?


Having discarded devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in order to concentrate on promoting social justice, the Jesuit editors of America magazine note with dissatisfaction that there continue to be wars in the world.  The editors find this incomprehensible, since they distinctly recall Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Art Garfunkel, and even Paul McCartney singing songs about ending war.  In near despair, America magazine now turns to (who else): Lady Gaga.

I kid you not.

Surprise! Land O'Lakesian scholars favor assisted suicide

Isn't it remarkable how consistently Land O' Lakesian colleges and universities oppose the teaching of the Church

Surely he can't mean this blog

"Vatican prelate: Church has something to learn from bloggers."

Vatican II - Continuity and Rupture

Courtesy of Sandro Magister, we bring you the latest entry in the debate between traditionalists and innovators concerning the hermeneutic of the Second Vatican Council. 

Historian Enrico Morini argues that the Council should not be regarded as in continuity with tradition.  Nor was it a rupture from tradition.  Instead, it was both.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Jesuits (Part 6)



We have seen how the Jesuits, having been selected by Our Lord Himself to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart, and after having dedicated themselves to this work with great success for almost three hundred years, have in recent decades largely dropped this mission, though without explanation (see here , herehere and here).

St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, was himself deeply devoted to the adoration of the Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist.  The following is taken from "The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist" by Fr. John Hardon, SJ (full text here):

"In 1540, a few weeks before the Institute of the Society of Jesus was formally approved by Paul III, [St. Ignatius Loyola] wrote to the citizens of his native town of Azpeitia, exhorting them to a greater devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. “I beg and entreat you,” he said, “by the love of God and by the respect which we owe Him, to apply yourselves to serve Our Lord Jesus Christ with all the fidelity of which you are capable, and to venerate His Divine Majesty with the deepest respect, above all in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, in which He is hidden in all the greatness of His divine and human natures, wherein He is present as entirely, as powerfully and as infinitely as He is in heaven.”'

Fr. Corapi wrap up (Part 2)

The online dissection of this sad affair continues. 

Kresta has trouble squaring Corapi's story with the facts;  The Anchoress ponders the reaction to EWTN's suspension of Corapi programming;  the Archbolds poke fun at the Sheepdog; and Deacon Kandra says "enough".

Hail, Saintly Novice and Patron of Teenagers



Today is the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568 AD - 1591 AD). 

You have undoubtedly wondered why that West Coast college with the very good basketball team was given such a strange name.  From Catholic Fire:

"The people who mass-produce statues and holy cards have done St. Aloysius Gonzaga no favors. The standard image of the saint as a frail, doe-eyed novice has given us the wrong impression. It may even be responsible for the decline in devotion to St. Aloysius. Yet Aloysius deserves a revival, especially as the patron saint of teenagers.

The time and place where he grew up — 16th-century Italy — is not very different from 21st century America. It was a lax, morally careless, self-indulgent age. Aloysius saw the decadence around him and vowed not to be part of it. He did not, however, become a kill-joy. Like any teenage boy, he wanted to have a good time, and as a member of an aristocratic family he had plenty of opportunities for amusement. He enjoyed horse races, banquets and the elaborate parties held in palace gardens. But if Aloysius found himself at a social function that took a turn to the lascivious, he left.

Aloysius did not just want to be good, he wanted to be holy; and on this point he could be tough and uncompromising. He came by these qualities naturally: among the great families of Renaissance Italy, the Medici were famous as patrons of the arts, and the Borgias as schemers, but the Gonzagas were a warrior clan. While most Gonzaga men aspired to conquer others, Aloysius was determined to conquer himself.

Aloysius wanted to be a priest. When he was 12 or 13, he invented for himself a program he thought would prepare him for the religious life. He climbed out of bed in the middle of the night to put in extra hours kneeling on the cold stone floor of his room. Occasionally, he even beat himself with a leather dog leash. Aloysius was trying to become a saint by sheer willpower. It was not until he entered the Jesuit novitiate in Rome that he had a spiritual director — St. Robert Bellarmine — to guide him. Bellarmine put a stop to Aloysius’ boot camp approach to sanctity, commanding him to follow the Jesuit rule of regular hours of prayer and simple acts of self-control and self-denial. Aloysius thought the Jesuits were too lenient, but he obeyed. Such over-the-top zeal may have exasperated Bellarmine, but he believed that Aloysius’ fervor was genuine and that with proper guidance the boy might be a saint.

To his credit, Aloysius recognized that his bullheadedness was a problem. From the novitiate he wrote to his brother, "I am a piece of twisted iron. I entered the religious life to get twisted straight."Then, in January 1591, the plague struck Rome. With the city’s hospitals overflowing with the sick and the dying, the Jesuits sent every priest and novice to work in the wards. This was a difficult assignment for the squeamish Aloysius. Once he started working with the sick, however, fear and disgust gave way to compassion. He went into the streets of Rome and carried the ill and the dying to the hospital on his back. There he washed them, found them a bed, or at least a pallet, and fed them. Such close contact with the sick was risky. Within a few weeks, Aloysius contracted the plague himself and died. He was 23 years old.

In the sick, the helpless, the dying, St. Aloysius saw the crucified Christ. The man of the iron will who thought he could take Heaven by sheer determination surrendered at last to divine grace."

When bishops blog

By blogging I am not imperilling the teaching authority of the Church.  As if.  For one thing, hardly anyone reads this stuff. 

However, when bishops blog it may be a different story (link fixed).

Monday, June 20, 2011

Notre Dame has no Catholic identity


                               A golden dome does not a Catholic university make


If I publicly declared myself independent of Catholic authority, would I still be entitled to call myself Catholic?  The question answers itself.   But to be sure we're not overlooking something, let's consult Webster's dictionary for assistance.  Here is Webster's definition of independent:

"not dependent: as a (1) : not subject to control by others : self-governing (2) : not affiliated with a larger controlling unit "

So, by declaring myself independent of Catholic authority, I am saying that I am not subject to Catholic authority, I am not governed by Catholic authority, and I am not even affiliated with Catholic authority. 

Which means I wouldn't be Catholic. 

If I nevertheless continue to hold myself out as Catholic, it could mean I am suffering from delusions; that is, I am unable to grasp the logical consequences of declaring myself independent from Catholic authority. 

Or it could mean I am perpetrating a fraud; that is, claiming to be Catholic while knowing I was not Catholic with the object of deceiving others into believing I am Catholic. 

Or, it could mean that I am a frivolous person, who is given to making statements without serious concern for their truth or falsity.  

One further point: after having declared myself independent of Catholic authority, I can in no case become Catholic again simply by claiming to be Catholic.  I can become Catholic again only by un-doing the act by which I became a non-Catholic.   In other words, I must again submit myself to Catholic authority.

Sorry to belabor the obvious.  I'm doing this because in the case of Notre Dame, all of the above becomes very confusing to practically everybody.  For an example of such confusion, read this.  

In 1967, Notre Dame, along with many other theretofore Catholic universities, declared themselves independent of Catholic authority.  They did this publicly.  They were very proud of themselves for doing it.  Even now, they post the instrument by which they became independent of Catholic authority on their website.  Ever since, Notre Dame has been no more Catholic than you or I would be if we declared ourselves independent of rightful Catholic authority.  Yet Notre Dame continues to hold itself out as Catholic.  Notre Dame is therefore either delusional, or it's perpetrating a fraud, or it's being frivolous. 

However, until it once again submits itself to Catholic authority, there is one thing Notre Dame assuredly is not:  NOTRE DAME IS NOT CATHOLIC.


A Sacred Music Revolution?

"Simple English Propers" is more like a return to ancient forms.  It would mean Catholics would once again sing the Mass, rather than sing wretched contemporary songs at Mass, and for both reasons I say "Deo Gratias!"

The Ed Sullivan-ization of the Mass

Yesterday, at the beginning of Mass at a parish on Long Island, we were requested to applaud the new deacon, and then, just before dismissal, the fathers in the congregation were asked to stand so that we could give them a round of applause.

Reminded me of the Ed Sullivan show, when Ed would single out celebrities in the house for a round of applause.  Though it was fine for Ed Sullivan, it's out of place at Mass.

For those of you too young to remember celebrity bows on the Ed Sullivan Show, here's a sample of what it was like:

It looks like Cardinal Burke was wise to demur

And didn't simply lose his nerve, as I'd said here.   It seems Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice has been getting a little loony about Fatima and the Novus Ordo.   The estimable Dr. Oddie's thoughts here.

Fr. Corapi wrap-up

Mark Shea, Elizabeth Scalia, Fr. Z, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Patrick Archbold and the Bovina Bloviator share their reflections on Fr. Corapi's announcement that he has left the priesthood.

We'd expected better of him, but we will pray for John Corapi as he follows his odd new path.

No one who turns to her for help is left unaided



During World War II, the parish of Cospicua on the heavily bombed island of Malta decided to send their statue of the Virgin and the painting of the Virgin from above their high altar away for safe-keeping, "vowing that if their church were spared, they would bring both back with suitable solemnity."

Their church was indeed spared.  Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith tells the rest of the story here.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Trinity Sunday (Part 2)



Frank Sheed was blessed with a genius for explaining the mysterious with clarity.  St. Augustine's manifold genius included a talent for inquiring into the mysterious with power and beauty.  From St. Augustine's "On the Trinity" (full text here):

Let us now inquire more carefully, so far as God grants, into that which a little before we deferred; whether each person also in the Trinity can also by Himself and not with the other two be called God, or great, or wise, or true, or omnipotent, or just, or anything else that can be said of God, not relatively, but absolutely; or whether these things cannot be said except when the Trinity is understood. For the question is raised—because it is written, “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God,” — whether He is so the Father of His own wisdom and His own power, as that He is wise with that wisdom which He begot, and powerful with that power which He begot; and whether, since He is always powerful and wise, He always begot power and wisdom. For if it be so, then, as we have said, why is He not also the Father of His own greatness by which He is great, and of His own goodness by which He is good, and of His own justice by which He is just, and whatever else there is? Or if all these things are understood, although under more names than one, to be in the same wisdom and power, so that that is greatness which is power, that is goodness which is wisdom, and that again is wisdom which is power, as we have already argued; then let us remember, that when I mention any one of these, I am to be taken as if I mentioned all. It is asked, then, whether the Father also by Himself is wise, and is Himself His own wisdom itself; or whether He is wise in the same way as He speaks. For He speaks by the Word which He begot, not by the word which is uttered, and sounds, and passes away, but by the Word which was with God, and the Word was God, and all things were made by Him: by the Word which is equal to Himself, by whom He always and unchangeably utters Himself. For He is not Himself the Word, as He is not the Son nor the image. But in speaking (putting aside those words of God in time which are produced in the creature, for they sound and pass away—in speaking then) by that co-eternal Word, He is not understood singly, but with that Word itself, without whom certainly He does not speak. Is He then in such way wise as He is one who speaks, so as to be in such way wisdom, as He is the Word, and so that to be the Word is to be wisdom, that is, also to be power, so that power and wisdom and the Word may be the same, and be so called relatively as the Son and the image: and that the Father is not singly powerful or wise, but together with the power and wisdom itself which He begot (genuit); just as He is not singly one who speaks, but by that Word and together with that Word which He begot; and in like way great by that and together with that greatness, which He begot? And if He is not great by one thing, and God by another, but great by that whereby He is God, because it is not one thing to Him to be great and another to be God; it follows that neither is He God singly, but by that and together with that deity (deitas) which He begot; so that the Son is the deity of the Father, as He is the wisdom and power of the Father, and as He is the Word and image of the Father. And because it is not one thing to Him to be, another to be God, the Son is also the essence of the Father, as He is His Word and image. And hence also— except that He is the Father [the Unbegotten]— the Father is not anything unless because He has the Son; so that not only that which is meant by Father (which it is manifest He is not called relatively to Himself but to the Son, and therefore is the Father because He has the Son), but that which He is in respect to His own substance is so called, because He begot His own essence. For as He is great, only with that greatness which He begot, so also He is, only with that essence which He begot; because it is not one thing to Him to be, and another to be great. Is He therefore the Father of His own essence, in the same way as He is the Father of His own greatness, as He is the Father of His own power and wisdom? Since His greatness is the same as His power, and His essence the same as His greatness.