Election Day USA, Meditation from Sunday's Mass

When following along in the missal this past Sunday, at the Tridentine Mass, it struck me how appropriate these sentiments were for a Sunday before Election Day….particularly this Election Day. This Mass was the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, otherwise known as the Resumed 4th Sunday after Epiphany (I know, that sounds complicated, please don’t ask me to explain it:)

Here is some of the text, for your meditation this week, as the USA attempts to peacefully elect its next President, along with numerous other votes on the ballots. We need prayers for a peaceful transition of power, no matter how the elections go. Prayers for accurate election results. Prayers for the unborn, religious freedom and freedom in general, from an increasingly tyrannical government. These words speak of trust, in spite of the darkness of this world. They speak of the universal human condition of imperfection and suffering. The Gospel depicts the Apostles with Our Lord on the stormy sea. The sea is a metaphor for life itself. Yes, these are hard times and harder times are clearly coming, but we must retain faith…not only for the world, but for Holy Church as well. All will be made right in the end. Patience and trust.

I am including here, some regular parts of the Mass, which speak so eloquently of times such as these.

+ + +

(Psalm 42)
P: Judge me, O God, and distinguish
my cause from the unholy nation,
deliver me from the unjust and
deceitful man.
S: For Thou, O God, art my strength,
why hast Thou cast me off? And why
do I go about in sadness, while the
enemy afflicts me?
P: Send forth Thy light and Thy truth:
they have conducted me and brought
me unto Thy holy mount, and into Thy
tabernacles.
S: And I will go unto the altar of God: to
God, Who gives joy to my youth.
P: I shall praise Thee upon the harp, O
God, my God. Why are you sad, O my
soul, and why do you disquiet me?
S: Hope in God, for I will still praise
Him, the salvation of my countenance,
and my God.

The Lord saith: I think thoughts of
peace, and not of affliction: you shall
call upon Me, and I will hear you; and
I will bring back your captivity from all
places. (Ps. 84: 2) Lord, Thou hast
blessed Thy land: Thou hast turned
away the captivity of Jacob.

O God, Who knowest us to be set in
the midst of dangers so great that, by
reason of the frailty of our nature, we
cannot always withstand; grant to us
health of mind and body, that being
helped by Thee, we may overcome
the things which we suffer for our
sins.

Thou hast delivered us, O Lord, from
them that afflict us: and hast put them
to shame that hate us. In God we will
glory all the day: and in Thy name we
will give praise forever. (Ps. 129: 1-2)

Alleluia, alleluia.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my prayer.

Alleluia.

(Matthew 8:23-27)
At that time, when Jesus entered into
the boat, His disciples followed Him:
and behold a great tempest arose in
the sea, so that the boat was covered
with waves, but He was asleep. And
His disciples came to Him and awoke
Him, saying: Lord, save us, we
perish. And Jesus saith to them: Why
are you fearful, O ye of little faith?
Then rising up, He commanded the
winds and the sea, and there came a
great calm. But the men wondered,
saying: What manner of man is this,
for the winds and the sea obey him?

I have loved, O Lord, the
beauty of Thy house and the place
where Thy glory dwelleth. Destroy not
my soul, O God, with the wicked, nor
my life with men of blood. In whose
hands are iniquities, their right hand is
full with gifts. But I have walked in my
innocence: redeem me, and have
mercy on me. My foot has stood on
the right path; in the churches I will
bless Thee, O Lord.

P: Deliver us, we beseech Thee, O
Lord, from all evils, past, present, and
to come; and by the intercession of the
blessed and glorious ever-Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, together with Thy
blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul, and
Andrew, and all the Saints, mercifully
grant peace in our days, that sustained
by the help of Thy mercy, we may be
always free from sin and secure from
all disturbance.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

P: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said to
Thine Apostles: Peace I leave you, My
peace I give you; regard not my sins,
but the faith of Thy Church, and deign
to grant her peace and to unify her
according to Thy will.

What return shall I render unto the
Lord for all He has given me? I will
take the Chalice of salvation, and I will
call upon the name of the Lord.
Praising I will call upon the Lord, and I
shall be saved from my enemies.

Amen I say to you,

whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive, and it shall be done to you.

May Thy gifts, O God, detach us from
earthly pleasures, and ever
strengthen us with heavenly
refreshment.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of
men. And the light shineth in darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it…

That was the true light, which enlighteneth
every man that cometh into this world.
He was in the world, and the world was
made by Him, and the world knew Him
not. He came unto His own, and His
own received Him not. But as many as
received Him, He gave them power to
be made the sons of God, to them that
believe in His name. Who are born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.

AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH,

and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory,

the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,

full of grace and truth.

Thanks be to God!

+++ Feast of the Assumption +++ / Migrant Crisis in New York City

O Holy Virgin Mary, on the glorious feast of your Assumption, pray for us!

From the Tridentine Mass:

A great sign appeared in heaven: A
woman clothed with the sun, and the
moon under her feet, and on her head
a crown of twelve stars. Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle:
because He hath done wonderful
things.

Almighty everlasting God, who hast
taken body and soul into heaven the
Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Thy
Son: grant, we beseech Thee, that by
steadfastly keeping heaven as our
goal we may be counted worthy to join
her in glory.

The Lord hath blessed thee by His
power, because by thee He hath
brought our enemies to nought.
Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the
Lord the most high God, above all
women upon the earth. Blessed be the
Lord who made heaven and earth,
who hath directed thee to the cutting
off the head of the prince of our
enemies. Because He hath so
magnified thy name this day that thy
praise shall not depart out of the
mouth of men who shall be mindful of
the power of the Lord, for ever.

~ ~ ~

“Filthy Migrant encampment including illicit open-air market hawking drugs — sprouts up on Randall’s Island [New York]: It’s a calamity”

New York Post

Safe & healthy! Still don’t think it’s time to hit the road?

“Hit the Road Jack”

Ray Charles

Holy Name of Jesus Tridentine Mass

We had the privilege of attending this Mass recently at a church on Long Island which occasionally offers the Latin Mass on feastdays. In this month of the Holy Name of Jesus, it was wonderful to attend this Mass for the first time. Here is the Introit and a link to the full Propers, which you may wish to pray with your family during the remainder of January:

In the name of Jesus let every knee

bow of those that are in heaven, on

earth, and under the earth; and let

every tongue confess that the Lord

Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the

Father. O Lord, our Lord,

how wonderful is Thy Name in the

whole earth.

Glory be to the Father

and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now and

ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

mass proper: holy name of jesus

(Propers on extraordinaryform.org are PDFs and may easily be printed!)

Thought for the Day

I woke up last night and these words were spontaneously placed in my head. There was no thought process…

“What is the Tridentine Mass? A spaceship to Heaven.”

I fell back to sleep.

Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary with PDF

September 15th, from the Tridentine Mass:

There stood by the cross of Jesus,

His mother, and His mother's sister Mary
of Cleophas, and Salome, and Mary
Magdalen.

Woman, behold thy son, said Jesus.
To the disciple…Behold thy mother.

O God, at Whose Passion, according
to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of
sorrow pierced the most sweet soul of
the glorious Virgin and Mother Mary:
mercifully grant, that we who with
devotion honor her Sorrows, may
obtain the happy fruit of thy Passion.

Sorrowful and tearful art thou, O Virgin
Mary, standing by the cross of the
Lord Jesus, thy Son and Redeemer.

O Virgin Mother of God, He Whom the
whole earth containeth not, the Author
of life, made man, beareth this
anguish of the cross.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the world,
stood by the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, sorrowing.

+++ sequence +++

At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart His sorrow sharing, All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had pass'd.
Oh how sad and sore distress'd, Was that Mother highly blest,
Of the Sole-Begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs, She beneath beholds the pangs,
Of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep? Whelmi'd in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold.
Can the human heart refrain, From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?
Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd, She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
For the sins of His own nation, Saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His Spirit forth He sent.

O thou Mother font of love! Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with thine accord.
Make me feel as thou hast felt, Make my soul to glow and melt,
With the love of Christ our Lord.
Holy Mother pierce me through, In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Savior crucified.
Let me share with thee His pain, Who for all my sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with thee, Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
By the Cross with thee to stay, There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.
Virgin of all virgins best, Listen to my fond request,
Let me share thy grief divine.
Let me to my latest breath, In my body bear the death,
Of that dying Son of thine.

Wounded with His every wound, Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd,
In His very Blood away.

Be to me O Virgin nigh, Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awful Judgment day.

Christ when Thou shalt call me hence, Be Thy Mother my defense,
Be Thy Cross my victory.
While my body here decays, May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in paradise with Thee.

+++

Remember, O Virgin Mother of God,
when thou standest in the presence of
the Lord, that thou speak good things
for us and turn His wrath from us.

We offer Thee prayers and sacrifices,
O Lord Jesus Christ, humbly
entreating that we, who commemorate
in our prayers the piercing of the most
dear soul of blessed Mary, Thy
Mother, may, through the multiplied
intercession of her and of her holy
companions under the cross, by the
merits of Thy death, receive our
portion with the blessed.

Happy the senses of the blessed
Virgin Mary, which without death
earned the palm of martyrdom
beneath the cross of our Lord.

May the sacrifices of which we have
partaken, O Lord Jesus Christ,
devoutly celebrating the piercing of
Thy virgin Mother's soul, obtain for us
with Thy clemency the effect of every
salutary benefit.
Amen.

PDF (Printable) of Sequence

Pray with your Family or Church Group during this Month of Our Lady of Sorrows!

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

From the Tridentine Mass of this great feast:

Hail, holy Mother,

thou who didst bring

forth the King who rules heaven and

earth for ever and ever.  

Impart unto Thy servants, we beseech

Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly

grace, that to us, for whom the

childbearing of the Blessed Virgin was

the beginning of our salvation, the

votive solemnity of her nativity may

give increase of peace. Through our

Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives

and reigns with Thee in the unity of

the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. 

Thou art blessed and venerable, O

Virgin Mary, who with purity unstained

was found to be the Mother of our

Savior. Virgin Mother of God,

He whom the whole world was unable to

contain enclosed Himself in thy womb,

being made man. 

Alleluia, alleluia.

Happy art thou, O

sacred Virgin Mary, and most worthy

of all praise, for out of thee hath risen

the sun of justice, Christ, our God.

Alleluia. 

Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who

didst bear the Creator of all things;

thou didst bring forth Him Who made

thee, and remainest a virgin forever. 

Blessed is the womb of the Virgin

Mary, which bore the Son of the

Eternal Father.

+++ Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary +++

“Frari Assumption” by Tiziano Vecelli, altarpiece in Venice, 1518

Beautiful prayers from the Tridentine Mass of the Assumption:

A great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Ps. 97: 1) Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: because He hath done wonderful things. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. A great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

Almighty everlasting God, who hast taken body and soul into heaven the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Thy Son: grant, we beseech Thee, that by steadfastly keeping heaven as our goal we may be counted worthy to join her in glory. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear: and the King shall greatly desire thy beauty. All beautiful is the King’s daughter as she comes in, robed in cloth of gold.

Alleluia, alleluia. Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angelic host rejoices. Alleluia.

I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed.

May our offering of due service rise unto Thee, O Lord: and through the prayer of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed by Thee into heaven, may our hearts be set on fire with love and ever yearn for Thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation that we always and everywhere give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God: and that we should praise and bless, and proclaim Thee, in this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ever Virgin: Who also conceived Thine only-begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, and the glory of her virginity still abiding, gave forth to the world the everlasting Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy majesty, the Dominations adore, the Powers tremble: the heavens and the hosts of heaven, and the blessed Seraphim, together celebrate in exultation. With whom, we pray Thee, command that our voices of supplication also be admitted in confessing Thee saying:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,

Dóminus Deus Sábaoth. Pleni sunt

cæli et terra glória tua. Hosánna in

excélsis! Benedíctus qui venit in

nómine Dómini. Hosánna in excélsis!

All generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me.

Through the merits and prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Thee assumed into heaven, may we, O Lord, who have received the sacraments of salvation, come to the glory of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

The following commentary on the Mariology of the Assumption, is from a wonderful resource which I have used a lot: extraordinaryform.org

“Among the feasts of the Blessed Virgin that of the Dormitio Sanctae Mariae, or of her bodily Assumption into heaven, was from very early times the most solemn and the most widely observed. In the time of Pope Sergius I a solemn procession proceeded to St. Mary Major, where Mass was celebrated. It was customary to carry images of the Savior and of His Blessed Mother in this procession; outside of Rome a similar ceremony was observed. It should, however, be borne in mind that though the divine maternity of theBlessed Virgin Mary may be regarded as the immediate reason of her Assumption into heaven, yet the first and formal reason of this privilege is to be sought in her Immaculate Conception. It is true, indeed, that the dignity of the Mother of the Incarnate Word was the primary reason for which God preserved the Immaculate Conception of Mary from all stain of original sin – and in this sense the Gregorian Sacramentary rightly attributes the reason of the bodily resurrection of the Blessed Virgin to her prerogative as Mother of the Word – but in order to express this truth with perfect accuracy, it is necessary to say that the formal reason for the preservation of her body from corruption was precisely her immunity from all stain of original sin.”

Image from Wikipedia entry about this extraordinary painting.

Taylor Marshall on Our Friend's Show...Monday Night!

A Deep Dive into Biblical Typology with Dr. Taylor Marshall

Dr. Taylor Marshall joins Anthony and Rob to do a deep dive into how the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament through biblical typology.

March 27th, 8:00 PM LIVE! US ET

“Avoiding Babylon [YouTube] was started during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic. During these difficult and dark days, when most of us were isolated from family, friends, our parishes, and even the Sacraments themselves, this channel was started as a statement of standing against the tyrannical mandates that many of us were living under. Since those early days, this channel has morphed into an amazing community of friends…no…more than friends…Christian brothers and sisters…who have grown in joy and charity.”

My husband and I know Anthony Abbate from our local Tridentine Masses that we attend on Long Island. He’s a great guy and has a beautiful family. We are really excited about Dr. Marshall on the upcoming show. My husband is also a regular in the chat…please give his channel your support and tune in!

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary

From the Tridentine Mass of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, October 7th:

LET us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating a festival-day in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary, for whose solemn festival the angels rejoice and give praise to the Son of God. My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the King.

O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, His death and His resurrection hath purchased for us the reward of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating on these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same our Lord.

Because of truth, and meekness, and justice: and thy right hand shall conduct thee wonderfully. Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear, for the King hath greatly desired thy beauty.

Alleluia, alleluia. The solemn festival of the glorious Virgin Mary of the seed of Abraham, sprung from the tribe of Juda, of David’s royal race. Alleluia.

In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Like a rose planted on the rivers I have borne fruit.

Send forth flowers as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in His works.

We will discuss the month of October further in the coming week. Here is the calendar: calefactory.org

Image from catholicfaithwarriors.blogspot.com

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

[Edited since posting.]

“Treasure of Kindness, Which Forever Lives and Never Dies”

When looking for images, I look for one that grabs me and is somewhat unique.  The vintage French prayer card above was perfect.  I realized I had to translate the French and this was my best attempt. The sentiment is beautiful and calls to mind the eternal bliss possessed by Our Lady and all those in Heaven.  This illustration of the Immaculate Heart contains many of the elements we normally see:  the lily emerging from the flame, the sword with the drops of blood, the wreath of roses and the emanating rays of light.  We also sometimes see the Crown of Thorns surrounding her heart in a circular fashion.  This month, we might meditate more deeply on the symbolism of Our Lady’s heart, passed down to us over the centuries.  We might also seek to conform our own hearts to hers, that we may be that “Treasure of Kindness” to those around us.

How else may we honor this most loving of hearts, inextricably united to the Sacred Heart?  It would certainly be an appropriate time to begin the Communion of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart 5 First Saturdays, given to Sister Lucia by Our Lady of Fatima.  If your parish does not offer this, consider meeting with your pastor to discuss it.  What an exciting privilege to establish and lead this devotion in your own Catholic community!  The traditional feast of the Immaculate Heart is celebrated August 22nd, alongside the new feast of the Queenship of Mary.

Other Marian feasts this month are:  Our Lady of the Snows on the 5th, THE ASSUMPTION on the 15th and Our Lady of Knock, celebrated on the 17th or the 21st.  Saint Dominic, seer of the Holy Rosary, is honored on the 4th and Saint Joachim, father of the Blessed Virgin, on the 16th.  What an amazing month to become closer to the Mother of God, to offer reparation to her Immaculate Heart and to console her in her sorrows, looking upon this world of corruption.

Let us remember the TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD on the 6th. August also celebrates 3 Doctors of the Church:  Saint Alphonsus de Ligouri, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and Saint Augustine.  We also have dear Saint Clare (otherwise known as Clara or Chiara-my name) on the 12th and Saint Rose of Lima, patroness of gardeners (we are especially devoted to her here), on the 30th.

As you may know, the Tridentine Latin Mass is being persecuted more aggressively in recent days in the United States.  Let us commend this sorrow to Our Lady and be at peace that God is provident and always holds His children in His Hands.  (I was going to give you some links, but it upset me so much, I could not continue reading-some dioceses most recently cracking down are Chicago, Washington DC and Arlington VA.)

Here is the traditional calendar for the month of August:  calefactory.org

Note:  Both old and new feasts are given.  The old is given preference when there are 2 dates.

If you wish to get on our email list, you will receive our monthly theme automatically. See button above^^^ We don’t spam too much:)

Image from Ethelyn at Pinterest.