The Christmas Pledge

 My Christmas Pledge

1. To make my Christmas a holy day with Christ... not a holiday without Him.
2. To observe Christmas as the birthday of Christ... not a day to give and receive material gifts.
3. To remember that the real symbols of Christmas are the Star, the Stable and the Crib... not Santa Claus and his reindeer.
4. To teach my children that "Santa Claus" is the nickname of St. Nicholas... who gave to the poor in honor of Christ.
5. To help one poor family... in honor of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family of Bethlehem.
6. To send Christmas cards remindful of Him, the Infant Savior... not decorated only with candy canes, dogs, ribbons and wreaths.
7. To make room in my home for Him... with a Christmas Crib to remind me that He was born in the stable.
8. During the Christmas season, in a special way, to honor Mary, His mother... who kept the first Christmas vigil beside the manger.
9. To begin Christmas by leading my family to His Altar... to receive the Bread of Life.
10. Today and every day, to give "Glory to God in the highest"... to work and pray for "Peace on earth to men of good will."

Nihil Obstat: Joseph A. M. Quigley, Censor Librorum

Source:

• Confraternity of St. Peter. (2011, September). My Christmas Pledge. Cum Petro.

On the First Sunday of Advent

ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 

Today, our Holy Mother Church begins afresh in her ecclesiastical year. Thus, today is not just the beginning of Advent but also the commencement of a "new" ecclesiastical year.

Collect

Stir up Thy power, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come: that from the threatening dangers of our sins we may deserve to be rescued by Thy protection, and to be saved by Thy deliverance: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost God, world without end. Amen.

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (xxi, 25-33)

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved. And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift your heads, because your redemption is at hand. And He spoke to them a similitude: See the fig tree and all the trees: when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen, I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away.

Excerpts from Goffine's Ecclesiastical Year (my comments in brackets)

What is the meaning of Advent, and what do we understand by the term? The word Advent signifies coming, and by it is understood the visible coming of the Son of God into this world, at two different times.

[Here Goffine refers to the first coming of Christ in Bethlehem and the second coming of Christ at the Last Judgement, nowadays Advent is also a time for preparing for the coming of Christ in our hearts, thus Advent is a preparation for the triple coming of Christ, yesterday, today and tomorrow].

Why does the Church cause the gospel of the Last Judgment to be read on this day? To move us to penance, and to induce us to prepare our souls for the coming of Christ, by placing the Last Judgment before our minds. Should not the thought of this terrible judgment, when all good and all evil will be revealed, and accordingly be rewarded or punished in the presence of the whole world-should not this thought strengthen us in virtue!

[I still hear people being terrified of the coming 21st of December 2012 believed to the end of days according to the Mayan calendar. Mayans were pagans why should we Christians believe in them? Also, why are we so concerned in predicting the time of the end of the world? As the Scripture puts it, only God knows the time of the Second Coming. Our Lord wants us to prepare for His coming not to be awe-stricken by the events of the Last Judgement.]

Source:

• The Roman Missal (1962) published by the Baronius Press (2004)
• The Ecclesiastical Year (51st ed) by Rev. Leonard Goffine (1880)

Advent Novena

 ADVENT NOVENA

This is traditionally recited fifteen times a day starting on St. Andrew’s Day (November 30) until Christmas.

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.

The Call of Beauty

 

The Call of Beauty

Raymond Cardinal Burke on the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962).

On the Third Sunday of Lent

Today our Holy Mother Church, in her latin extraordinary form, celebrates the THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT. It is otherwise known as Oculi Mei Sunday from the first words of the Introit of the Mass. The Byzantine Church calls this Sunday the Veneration of the Cross Sunday.


Collect

Humbling ourselves before Thee, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, favorably to regard the desires of our heart: and in our defense to stretch forth the right hand of Thy Majesty. Through our Lord.

Epistle (Ephesians 5:1-9)

Brethren : Be ye followers of God, as most dear children : and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness. But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints: or obscenity, or foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose : but rather giving of thanks. For know you this, and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean or covetous person, which is a serving of idols, hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words : for because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness: but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light : for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth.

Gospel (Luke 11:14-28)

At that time Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb. And when He had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration at it. But some of them said : "He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils." And others, tempting, asked of Him a sign from Heaven. But He, seeing their thoughts, said to them :"Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall. And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall this kingdom stand? Because you say that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now If I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But if I by the finger of God cast out devils : doubtless of the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth. But if a stronger than he come upon him and overcome him, he will take away all his armor wherein he trusted, and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with Me is against Me : and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest : and not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out. And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked then himself, and entering in they dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: "Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck." But He said: "Yes, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it." 

 

On the Second Sunday of Lent

O God, who seest that we are wholly destitute of strength, keep us within and without: that we may be defended in body from all adversity: and cleansed in mind from evil thoughts. Through our Lord...

Today is the SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT in the Roman Rite. In the Greek Rite, this Sunday is

The Epistle today, from 1 Thessalonians 4,1-7, talks about us being called by God unto sanctification in Christ and not by uncleanness (sinfulness). The Gospel, Matthew 17,1-9, speaks about the Transfiguration of Christ.

Thus, this Sunday's liturgy speaks of us being called to sanctification or spiritual cleanliness (Epistle) in Christ who is the perfect example of cleanliness as seen in His face "shine as the sun" and His garments as "white as snow" (Gospel) and that we should ask Him to cleanse our minds from evil thoughts (Collect).

On the First Sunday of Lent

O God, who dost purify Thy Church by the yearly observance of Lent: grant to Thy household, that what we strive to obtain from Thee by abstinence, we may achieve by good works. Through our Lord.

Today our Holy Mother Church commemorates the FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT or Quadragesima Sunday (Quadragesima, Latin for fortieth). In the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, it is also known as Invocabit Sunday from the first word of the introit. Our Orthodox and Oriental brethren commemorates the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

The Gospel is taken from Matthew 4,1-11 and gives an account of the Temptation of Jesus in the mountain. After forty days and forty nights of fasting, being led by the Spirit, in the desert, the devil came and tempted him. The devil thought that since Christ is weak from fasting it would be easier for him to tempt Him. But he was wrong! As explained by Fr. Joe Zerrudo, of the Sense of the Sacred blog,  Christ triumphed from this temptation because (1) he was the Son of God and (2) he fasted. The spirit is stronger when the flesh is weaker.

Our Holy Mother Church imitates the forty day fast of Christ by observing the great discipline of Lent. We fast not only from food but from vices, luxuries and bad attitudes. This we do in preparation for the joyous season of Easter. Unless you fast first or abstain first, it would be a very difficult feat to control your other bad attitudes. It is a step-by-step process. Even in psychology, it speaks about personality as not changeable over night. It takes time.

 

On the Fifth Anniversary of the Confraternity of St. Peter

Ad annos multos!

Yesterday was the anniversary of the foundation of the Confraternity of St. Peter. I would like to greet all members of the Confraternity a Blessed Anniversary! May God grant our causes! Since yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the feast of the Chair of St. Peter is transferred today (according to Fr. James Fryar, FSSP)! So happy feast day to all members!

On Ash Wednesday

Grant,O Lord, to Thy faithful people, that they may undertake with fitting piety the venerable solemnities of fasting, and complete them with steadfast devotion. Through our Lord...

Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent. In the Usus Antiquor, the ceremonies of this day begins with the blessing of ashes. The ashes are blessed with four prayers of ancient origin after which they are sprinkled with holy water and incensed while the priest says the antiphon Asperges Me.


The ashes are then distributed while antiphons are sung (or said). The ashes are traced in a form of cross at the forehead while the priest or minister says the following (in Latin, of course):

"Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."

As for the Mass proper, the Collect asks God that we may be fit to undergo fasting in this season of Lent and that we may have "steadfast devotion". The Epistle talks of penance while the Gospel talks of doing penance but not making others now it except of course the Father.


This day is an obligatory fast and abstinence day in the Philippines. The other days of Lent, especially Fridays, being days of penance.

Further Readings:

• Propers of the Mass at virgomaterdie.com
• Thurston, H. (1907). Ash Wednesday. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. 

On Quinquagesima Sunday

We beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously hear our prayers: and releasing us from the bonds of our sins, guard us from all adversity. Through our Lord . . .

Today our Holy Mother Church celebrates Quinquagesima Sunday. Quinquagesima in Latin means the fiftieth. This Sunday immediate precedes Ash Wednesday. Our Eastern brothers, call this Sunday as Cheesefare Sunday for this is the time when they start abstaining from milk and cheese products.

Before this day was marked with merry-making for this was one of the last days of the carnival which ends before Lent. As a response, Pope Benedict XIV introduced acts of penances for the excessive merry-making:

“As the days before Lent were frequently spent in merry-making, Benedict XIV by the Constitution "Inter Cetera" (1 Jan., 1748) introduced a kind of Forty Hours' Devotion to keep the faithful from dangerous amusements and to make some reparation for sins committed.” From the Quinquagesima article in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

The Collect for this Sunday talks about beseeching God to release us from the bonds of sins and to guard us from all adversity. In the Epistle (1 Corinthians 13: 1 – 13) St. Paul discusses charity and its preeminence among the two other theological virtues (i.e. faith and hope).

The Gospel (Luke 18: 31 – 43) relates the story of Jesus’ prediction of his passion and death and the healing of a blind man from Jericho. In this episode of the life of Our Lord, the blind man utters the very famous aspiration (both in the West and East) “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

One thing that I love in the calendar of the Extraordinary Form (or the Tridentine Rite) of the Roman Rite is the season of Septuagesimatide (Pre-Lent). It gives us a signal that the great discipline of Lent is fast approaching. It does not make one awestruck when Lent comes but rather gives Christians time to prepare for the journey to the spiritual desert of Lent.

Athough in the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) you could prepare also for Lent though it lacks a Pre-Lenten season, it is very different when you are gradually exposed to the season of Lent (violet vestments, no alleluia, no Gloria). Even God prepared humankind gradually before sending His Son to them.

Here are some web pages where one can find suggestions for Lent, we still have roughly three days to prepare:

• Lenten Observances in the Vein of a New Liturgical Movement by Shawn Tribe in the blog New Liturgical Movement
• What Will You Do for Lent This Year? - A Guide for Preparing Now by Dr. Taylor Marshall in the blog Canterbury Tales

Further Readings:

•  Mershman, F. (1911). Quinquagesima. In The Catholic Encyclopedia.
•  Summorum Pontificum Wangaratta for the propers of the Mass.

On St. Valentine's Day

Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we, who celebrate the heavenly birthday of blessed Valentine, Thy Martyr, may by his intercession be delivered from all the evils that threaten us. Through our Lord...
- Collect of the Mass

Today in the Ancient Usage of the Roman Rite is the commemoration of St. Valentine, martyr.

There are two saints in the martyrology that are commemorated on this date. Here is an excerpt from the martyrology for this day:

February 14th anno Domini 2012 The 21st Day of Moon were born into the better life.
At Rome, upon the Flaminian Way, the blessed martyr Valentine, a Priest, who after much healing and teaching was cudgelled and beheaded under Claudius Caesar, [in the year 268.]...
At Teramo, [in Umbria, in the year 273,] the holy martyr Valentine, Bishop of that see. He was heavily flogged and committed to jail, but as he would not yield he was thrown out of the prison in the silence of midnight and beheaded by command of Placidus, Prefect of the city....

The customs related to the feast of St. Valentine had its origin in the Middle Ages in England and France. This was because of the belief that on this day birds look for mates.

So traditionally, Valentine's day had a Christian root before it has become commercialized today. Let us not be blinded by the commercialization of this day. Always keep in mind that love is not always something about "the bed" something on the erotic side. Let us also remember that Cupid (Eros) is a pagan god and should not be used as a symbol for this Christian festival. Let not also be troubled when you do not have a Valentine on this day, if God wills it it will happen.

 Further Readings:

• Thurston, H. (1912). St. Valentine. In The Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Divinum Officium (please click for the Prime of February 13, as the Martyrology is anticipated) 

Unique Ideas to Celebrate St. Valentine's Day

I was supposed to publish this post last year, but for whatever reason it was, I forgot to post it. So for #4, it refers to last years DOH campaign.

UNIQUE IDEAS TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY

As one of my co-teacher was reading a a certain magazine, she came across an article about unique ways to celebrate Valentine's Day. As she was reading them aloud, I was answering her back and giving some of my "unique ideas." So I decided to blog them up. Here they are:

1. ATTEND HOLY MASS. I think there is no better way to celebrate the Day of Love than to express our love to the first one who loved us and that is the Triune God.
2. For married couples, SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH EACH OTHER (or if you have kids with them). Valentine's day should not be equated with the consummation of the love thing, there is more to that!
3. For unmarried couples, DO NOT CONSUMMATE YOUR LOVE UNTIL AFTER YOU GET MARRIED. The let-us-consummate-our-love-to-prove-our-love-with-each-other ideology is based from non-sense. Love is not just physical attraction, there is a much more deeper idea behind it. Also, if you think contraceptives are good, think again you are just making it worst. So the best way to prevent it is to just ABSTAIN FROM IT.
4. If ever you see government officials handing out contraceptives to couples in the middle of a busy street, I advise you to PRAY FOR THEIR SOULS, so that the Almighty God have mercy upon them forgive them their sins and bring them to life everlasting.

On Sexagesima Sunday

O God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do: mercifully grant, that by the protection of the Doctor of the Gentiles we may be defended against all adversities. Though our Lord…
- Collect for the Mass

Today the Latin Church celebrates Sexagesima Sunday. Sexagesima means “sixtieth” an approximation of the sixtieth day before Easter. In the Greek Church, this Sunday is known as Meatfare Sunday for this is the last day for eating meat in preparation for Pascha.

Notice that St. Paul is mentioned many times in the proper of the Mass, this was because the Stational Church was at the Basilica of St. Paul, Outside the Walls. The Collect refers to him as the “Doctor of the Gentiles” and the Epistle relates his sufferings.

In the Gospel (Luke 8:4-15), our Lord tells about the parable of the sower. A certain sower scatters seeds but some fell on the road, on rocky areas, on thorny areas and on good ground. Our Lord further explains that the seed refers to the Word of God. The first three places where the seed fell refer to men who heard the Word but were not good enough to keep it in their hearts and apply it to their lives. On the other hand, good ground refers to men who hears, keeps and applies the Word.

Fr. Zuhldorf in his blog article WDTPRS Sexagesima Sunday: “that we may be fortified against every adverse thing”, relates the seed of the parable, in context with the Holy Mass, as the “Host… Christ the High Priest sows in us”.

How do we receive the Word of God, made flesh? Do we receive him with unrepented and impure heart just like bad ground? Or, do we receive him with a contrite and pure heart just like good ground? Let us pray to receive him worthily in Holy Communion and in the Scriptures.

Further Readings:

• Luke 8:4-15

• Mershman, F., article Sexagesima in Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912.

• Zuhldorf, blog post WDTPRS Sexagesima Sunday: “that we may be fortified against every adverse thing” in WDTPRS, 2012.

On Septuagesima Sunday

Photo credits: Una Voce of Orange County

Ite et vos in vineam meam, et quod justum fuerit dabo vobis. - Matt. 2,4

Today our Holy Mother Church, using the Missal of 1962, celebrates Septuagesima Sunday, the start of Septuagesimatide. Among our Eastern brothers, this Sunday is called the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. This Sunday also marks the season of Septuagesimatide which ends on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday

Septuagesima, in Latin, means seventieth. It was termed as such in reference to Quadragesima Sunday (First Sunday of Lent) although it does not correspond to the seventieth day before Easter, it is merely an approximation of the number. The nomenclature is a symbolism of the seventy years of Babylonian captivity of the Jerusalem.

On this day, the Church starts to prepare for the Great discipline of Lent. Thus, violet vestments are worn and the Alleluia and the Gloria are not said during the Mass. This was the case in memory of the tradition, before the reign of Pope St. Gregory I, of starting the season of penance on this Sunday.

The Gospel for today is about the parable of the vineyard (Matthew 20.1-16). It is about a householder looking for workers in his vineyard. At the end of the day, he paid his workers equal amounts of wages despite them not working with equal amounts of time.

The vineyard represents the world and the householder represents the Almighty God. The different times he went out symbolizes the different times he asked men to work for His Church. The wage represents eternal life.

Truly, God is asking us to work in his vineyard. There are many things to do in his vineyard, that is why he gave us different talents as St. Paul relates to his letter to the Corinthians (cf. I Corinthians  12.4ff).

Another point in the Gospel is when the householder gave the wages some workers complained because he gave them all the same amount when some of them just worked for a few hours. The householder responded “I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?”

The above is what we, as employees should ponder always. Sometimes, we always complain that we have so many works to do and yet we receive the same salary as those that have fewer duties. Let us just offer our work to God and we will see that our work will become lighter.

O Lord, we beseech You, graciously hear the prayers of Your people, that we who are justly punished for our sins may be mercifully delivered for the glory of Your name. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

References:

• The Gospel according to St. Matthew (Matthew 20.1-16)
• Mershman, F. (1912). Septuagesima. The Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine’s The Church’s Year. Septuagesima Sunday.
• Rev. Adrian Fortescue’s Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described.

On the Purification of Mary

Picture source: Guardian Angel

"Lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuæ Israel."

- Luc. 2:32

Today the Roman Catholic Church, according to the Usus Antiquor, celebrates the feast of the Purification of Mary. “Presentation of the Lord” is the current title in the 1970 Missal, while “Meeting of the Lord” is what the Greek Rite calls this feast.

This feast commemorates the purification of Mary after being ritually “unclean” and the presentation of Jesus as the first-born. These events in the lives of Jesus and Mary are found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:22ff). These were done in accordance with the Law of Moses (cf. Exodus 13:12-15 and Leviticus 12).

Apart from above, the meeting of the Holy Family with Simeon and Anna is commemorated. God promised Simeon that he would not die until he has seen the Christ. Upon seeing the Christ, he blessed God and said a hymn. This hymn is sung during Compline in the Divine Office and is known by its latin name, the Nunc Dimittis. Also Simeon prophesized that Mary’s “soul a sword shall pierce.”

Prior to the reform of the Second Vatican Council, a blessing of candles preceded the Mass and consisted of five orations, the blessing and incensing of the candles, singing of the Nunc Dimittis during the distribution of candles, and a procession inside the Church with three antiphons, thus this feast was also referred to as Candlemas. The blessing commemorates the prophecy of Simeon that the Lord shall be “a light to the revelation of the Gentiles.”

This feast is one of the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and coincidentally is a feast of the Lord. However, after the Conciliar reforms, the emphasis on the Purification of Mary and Candlemas were suppressed to give more emphasis to the Presentation of the Lord.

This feast illustrates the virtue of obedience whereas the Holy Family obeyed the commandments of the Father. Jesus, being the Son of God, did not need to conform to the Laws for he was the Lawgiver but he still obeyed the laws out of love for his Father. The same is true with Mary for she did not need ritual purification for she was stainless. Let us pray to God, through the intercession of Mary, Joseph, Simeon and Anna, to grant us the virtue of obedience.

Almighty, eternal God, we humbly beseech Your majesty that, as Your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the nature of our flesh, so may You grant us to be presented to You with purified minds. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Reference:

•        The Gospel according to St. Luke (Luke 2,22ff).
•        Holweck, F. (1908). Candlemas. In The Catholic Encyclopedia.