In Search of
The Authentic Life
“Pater Meus Servat Vineam”
A week before Christmas, when no one has the time to analyze this…nothing is left to chance…it is all by design…everything that is happening now in the world is connected and it is all the result of…sin…
Special thanks to New Advent for links to the above articles. Please go there for ongoing coverage.
“Réquiem ætérnam dona eis, Dómine, et lux perpétua lúceat eis. Requiéscant in pace. Amen.”
When combining Holy Church’s old and new calendars, we see the following features for the month of November…
The month has begun in the midst of the Triduum of Death, reminding us of the brevity of this life and the glory which awaits the Children of God. I recall hearing the following lyrics in early childhood-I think it made some impression on me:
What a wonderful month that begins contemplating the Church Triumphant and ends in expectation of the Birth of Our Savior!
The Triduum concludes with All Souls Day, reminding us that for most, there will be a cleansing of suffering. Therefore, this month is dedicated to the souls still undergoing this suffering, the Church Penitent, with special indulgences given. We celebrate 3 Doctors of the Church, 2 of whom are called “great.” We have another saint honored with this title, Saint Gertrude the Great. She was given this title by Pope Benedict XIV to distinguish her from her abbess superior, another Saint Gertrude. We can presume this pope found her mystical writings to be worthy of this title. Gertrude the Great is also invoked for the holy souls, whom she was dedicated to-it is fitting that her feast is in November. On the 21st in the new calendar, we honor Christ, King of the Universe. We celebrated Christ the King on October 31st in the old. Let us be the Church Militant, showing our acknowledgment of Christ’s rule over us, won by His Blood, at this critical moment in history. On the same day, we have Our Lady’s Presentation as an infant, not to be confused with her Purification (or Our Lord’s Presentation).
Here are some notable feasts for the remainder of this month and below is a follow-up from the previous post on Holy Souls devotions…
10-Pope St. Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church, Author The Tome
13-St. Frances “Mother” Cabrini, Founder Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 20th Century Saint
15-St. Albert the Great, Doctor of the Church, Patron of scientists, Author On Cleaving to God
16-St. Gertrude the Great
18-Dedication of Basilicas of Sts. Peter & Paul
21-CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE / PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
22-St. Cecilia, Patroness of music
23-St. Felicitas, Martyr, invoked in Canon of Mass
24-St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church, Author Dark Night of the Soul
28-First Sunday of Advent
30-St. Andrew, Apostle
From the above article…
“Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican tribunal dealing with matters of conscience, said the indulgences traditionally obtained [for departed souls] during the first week of November [11/1-8] can be gained throughout the entire month of November…Indulgences are granted when a Catholic visits a cemetery to pray for the dead, goes to confession, attends Mass and receives the Eucharist and prays for the intentions of the Pope.”
What the article left out about the obtaining of a plenary indulgence: one must be in a state of grace when the indulgenced act is performed, must be detached from sin and must perform all criteria within 20 days before or after.
Amen.
The above Holy Hour was taken from the most recent edition of…
This monthly booklet is published by Sophia Institute Press and is a wonderful Catholic guide and missal for the Tridentine Mass. The page above contains glowing comments by the likes of Cardinal Burke, Archbishop Vigano, Bishop Schneider and Bishop Strickland. (So you know its good.) My only beef with it, as a sustainability proponent, is that it uses too much paper, as the entire mass (quite conveniently) is repeated for each Sunday. This was my husband’s idea to subscribe, after hearing about it online. In spite of all the tree destruction, I am starting to really like my Benedictus and rely on it. Each one comes with a beautiful prayer card which can be used as a bookmark, and the price is only $5.00 a month! Please see the above link for further details.
As for the Holy Hour above, it is not indicated what the source is. It seems to be an opening prayer for an hour before the Most Blessed Sacrament. I suppose the rest of the hour could be performed in silent meditation or organized prayer. I am not aware of an indulgence attached to it, though there may be. It is quite beautiful. I was not able to find it elsewhere on the internet. If you would like a good copy or the source, please contact Sophia Institute Press.
In addition to Benedictus, this company publishes all sorts of other things, including a very interesting series of catechetical documents from antiquity…
From the website…
“From as early as the 9th century, scores of faithful priests, bishops, popes, saints, and Church councils have published succinct, reliable summaries of Catholic doctrine: catechisms…Now, for the first time ever, dozens of historic catechisms are being unearthed and painstakingly restored. They are being reformatted for publication and presented to you in this gorgeous 20-volume, cross-indexed collection. The catechisms of several Popes and Church Councils are included; such as the world-renowned Catechism of the Council of Trent, those of the Synods of Maynooth and Baltimore, and the catechism of Pope St. Pius X. Here also are those classical handbooks of Catholic doctrine authored by the great Saints and Doctors of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Peter Canisius, and St. Robert Bellarmine. The many historical catechisms of Catholic doctrine featured in this series include both titles that are well known, as well as some that have not been printed or read in centuries. Originating from regions as diverse as Italy, France, Germany, Spain, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and North America, the many catechisms contained in this series demonstrate the remarkable universality of the Catholic Faith as never before.”
Well, they’ve got me sold. That’s why I just bought the first 4 volumes and subscribed to the series, at $25.00 every 3 months. I always say as a prepper, you can never have enough good, hardcover Catholic books. Who knows how long these will be available in the current climate?
Wishing you blessings in this month of November and the coming Season of Advent.
[Edited since posting.]
The above text is from the “Communion” of the Tridentine Mass for All Souls Day. The rainbow photo was taken by my son at a lake in New Jersey on All Hallows Eve. The photo below it is from the All Souls Day Mass at one of the churches we attend on Long Island. You can see the beautiful and rare black vestments. Though this Mass is solemn, we are also joyful that upon its celebration, many souls likely ascend to Heaven from their stay in the fires of Purgatory…a place of refreshment, light, peace and unspeakable joy!
How can we honor and assist the Holy Souls this month? Here are a few suggestions:
1) A partial indulgence may be obtained by visiting a cemetery with mental prayer for the Holy Souls. There is a similar plenary, which has been extended by the Vatican-will discuss this in another post.
2) A partial indulgence may be obtained by recitation of the Office of the Dead.
3) A partial indulgence may be obtained by recitation of the De Profundis.
4) Remember the Holy Souls in daily family prayer, litanies, the Rosary, etc. Attend weekday Mass for the Holy Souls.
5) Perform a Holy Hour for the Holy Souls, either at home or organized at your church with pastoral permission (we will be posting one soon).
6) Obtain one of the plenary indulgences for the Year of Saint Joseph.
Wishing you blessings during this month of November…stay tuned for Part II…
If you haven’t read my personal Tridentine Mass testimony, please read “About CF Mathews,” button to the right>>> I cannot tell my life story without mentioning this, because this Mass changed the course of my life and my entire way of thinking. You would not be reading this blog right now, if my husband-to-be had not brought me to this glorious Holy Mass in that summer of 1988. Also, 20 years ago, when my husband and I were deciding where to move to on Long Island, the presence of a traditional Catholic community was a large factor. This “Mass of the Ages” remains at the center of our lives and hopefully will continue to until we go home to Our Lord.
I am illustrating here, the brutality of Traditionis Custodes. I know we are not the only family to have constructed our lives around this Mass with the hopes of establishing new friends and a place to raise our children, apart from the corrupt influences of the world. As I am writing these words, many families have already had the rug pulled out from under them, after perhaps, giving everything to possess this Mass. A down-payment on a house, a job close to the Mass, a school, relationships and years of their lives invested. This situation reminds us that nothing is ever certain in this life, which from a prepper point of view, is a good lesson. Actually, many “Latin Massers” have become used to a somewhat nomadic life. Even here on Long Island, we have done some bouncing from church to church. It seems this is the attitude we must have, going forward…we will follow the Tridentine Mass to the ends of the earth!
In light of the above, it goes without saying that I am shocked and deeply saddened by this most current Motu Proprio. However, I do believe God would not allow it, unless it was for His greater glory and the ultimate good of souls. So even now, we must remain joyful and trusting! As I continue to absorb the implications of this document, I may continue to give commentary on it in the coming days, as it strikes me. Things remain undisturbed on Long Island, under Bishop John Barres. Please feel free to contact us with any of your stories or prayer requests at this time.
Note: You may feel the above concerns have been overstated. As I said, many of us are used to moving around with the old Mass. Some local shifting is not a huge concern. However, there are parishes which are fully traditional, which have been there for years, where people truly build their lives and did not foresee this coming. From Traditionis Custodes, Article 3, Point 5: “The bishop of the diocese” is “to proceed suitably to verify that the parishes canonically erected for the benefit of these faithful are effective for their spiritual growth, and to determine whether or not to retain them.”
And in this Year of Saint Joseph…
I will let Our Blessed Lord give His commentary. It’s much better than anything I could come up with:
Matthew 16:18
On this feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, let us flee to our Heavenly Mother for consolation…
Our Lady of Fatima
Preface from the Tridentine Mass:
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, through Christ our Lord. Who ascending above all the heavens and sitting at Thy right hand, poured out on this day the promised Holy Spirit upon the children of adoption. Wherefore the whole world doth rejoice with overflowing joy; and the heavenly Hosts also and the angelic Powers sing together the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying:
From the New Marian Missal:
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, being seated on the right hand of God, sent, as He had promised, the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, who, after His ascension, continued in prayer at Jerusalem, in company with the Blessed Virgin, awaiting the performance of His promise. Let us pray in like manner with the Church: Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.”
Introit:
The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world, alleluia; and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered: and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.
Let us contemplate the above words and pray with all our hearts to the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, as the world now begins to grant benefits to those who have received the abortion-tainted Covid vaccine (not to mention many other concerns about these vaccines)…and begins to deprive those who refuse it. Let us understand we are at war and must prepare for the fight to increase. O Come Holy Ghost, give us courage and all the wisdom and grace we need to face this situation upon us!
Remember Pentecost is an octave, a time to be joyful and continue in our prayers to the Holy Ghost. For a short meditation on the Descent of the Holy Ghost, please see “Rosary Meditations” to the right>>>
Image courtesy Discount Catholic Store, which we previously did a post on. Purchase this Holy Spirit Suncatcher here!
After 6 years on this blog, maybe it’s time to tell you a bit about me. I initially did not want to write a bio because I do not like the focus to be on me. But recently, I have been thinking that it is probably important to give my readers more of a sense of a personal connection. So, here goes my life story (sorry, there is only one version…the long one)…
Chiara Florence Mathews
I was born in Levittown, New York, in the late 60’s. This was the first of William J. Levitt’s idyllic pre-fab post WWII communities. My formative years were a beautiful initiation into life. To some degree, my personality was formed by Levitt’s vision. I have never lost, through great trials, that spirit of beauty, order and exuberance that Levittown gave me. Of course, I also must credit my loving parents. Though not devout, they sent me to Catholic school and gave me some understanding of the Faith.
It all went south when my father died of heart attack when I was 7 years old. My mother was left confused and helpless, with 3 children still at home. 2 years later, she married a Jewish man and we lived a strange dual-religion life, with Judaism being predominant. This led to spending several months in Beersheba, Israel, when I was 10 years old. It was an incredible thing visiting the Holy Land at such a young age and it changed the direction of my thinking and my understanding of the world. I remember walking across the desert to the bus station (quite a walk) and thinking, “Maybe Jesus walked in this very spot.” We spent a few days in Jerusalem and visited the Western Wall of the Temple, the significance of which I did not comprehend at the time. As is customary, I wrote something and placed it within the wall. I have no idea what I wrote-I wish I could remember. This was nothing like a pleasure trip. The experience was fraught with difficulty and terror. But I am deeply grateful for it and everything I learned about Judaism, which enriched my understanding of Catholicism.
My teenage years were spent in New Jersey, in a spiritual search for truth and an immersion in music, creative writing and theater. After making the rounds of Protestant churches and considering conversion to Mormonism, a friend invited me to come to the city with his family, to see a priest they knew. This priest was none other than one of the greatest Catholic theologians of the 20th century, Fr. John A. Hardon (there is now a cause for his canonization). To me, he was just a nice old man. I spent a few minutes privately with him and confided that I was confused. The only thing I remember him saying is, “Pray the Rosary every day.” He handed me a pair of blue plastic Rosary beads, which I cherish to this day. Through the same friend, I met my future husband, also from a devout family. He was able to explain all the things about Catholicism which I did not understand. I made the decision at the age of 18 to return in fullness to the Catholic Faith.
At Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), NJ, I majored in music. After meeting Fr. Michael T. Mannion, famed for his work in post-abortion healing and the director of the campus Newman Center, I started a pro-life club. We accomplished some great things, but received flack for it, which included a run-in with the head of the music department. I left to pursue my dream of becoming a singer/songwriter in Manhattan (I wound up working all the time to pay my rent). Eventually, I continued college at the State University of New York in Purchase. I was one of a group of winners in a recorded music competition, which gave me the opportunity to present my work on a CD put out by the college. This led to a meeting in the Sony building in the city, with a well-known producer. He likened one song to Leonard Cohen and was interested in working with me. I was supposed to record a few more things and come back. I never entered the Sony building again.
With John Paul II’s “Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei" in 1988, my husband-to-be brought me to the Tridentine Mass. At the age of 21, just down the block from Grand Central Station, at Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s former parish, Saint Agnes, I wept while kneeling. Seeing what I had been deprived of growing up…The most beautiful thing this side of Heaven*, I was forever changed. In the ensuing years, this is where my spirituality and intellect would continue to take shape, through the extraordinary oratory of theologians Fr. George Rutler and Fr. John Perricone. This is where we would be married. This is where our son would be baptized.
Work during my 20’s included teaching music, a series of office jobs and a difficult position at Good Counsel as a live-in counselor at one of their homes for women and children. I got to know the director, Chris Bell, and his pro-life heroin wife Joan Andrews Bell (I had sung 2 of my songs at their wedding reception prior to working there-Joan had asked me to do so, because she really liked a pro-life song of mine). Fr. Benedict Groeschel was part of the ministry and we would occasionally have retreats with him. My pro-life activism also led me to NYC’s pregnancy center pioneer Chris Slattery and sidewalk counseling at some of the worst clinics in the city. All of this gave me life experience well beyond my young years.
From Levittown to the Negev Desert to the death camps on Main Street, it’s no wonder my music sounded like Leonard Cohen. But gradually, I realized Cohen’s “cold and broken Hallelujah” could not be mine. There was another “Hallelujah” which called me. And I began to see, looking at the Signs of the Times, that the jig was up anyway.
After 10 years with my best friend, I finally married the young man who helped me so much in the spiritual life. We had a beautiful big baby right away. This was to be our only child. I became ill with Chronic Fatigue/Pain Syndrome, which I still suffer from. We bought a house on Long Island, not far from Levittown. In the past 20 years, I have continued with pro-life work, in addition to volunteering in various capacities (church, school and community garden projects). I have had training in preparedness/back to nature issues, including the Cornell University Master Gardener course. I am also proud to have pioneered a program with a local Montessori school, which has introduced thousands of Long Island children to gardening, at the annual Huntington Tulip Festival.
Needless to say, as a New Yorker and as a human being, I was very deeply affected by the terrible events of 9/11. After watching Bush’s behavior in the classroom on that day, I realized this is not the world I thought it was. There was something very wrong and I had to get to the bottom of it. Hence my “truther” journey, which involved in-depth study of the true control-structure of the world. This led to many esoteric topics and back to Catholicism, in terms of prophecy. (I have been connecting the dots for the past 2 decades, which prepared me for understanding the events of the past year.)
Realizing, as I suspected long ago, that we are approaching volatile times, a new dream emerged, of creating a Catholic ministry to deal with the issues before us. I started a blog 13 years ago and this is the current version of it. The vision of Nomen Christi Apostolate started to form about 9 years ago, as ideas came into greater maturity, including my thesis of “The Authentic Life.” Simply stated, the way God intended us to live, close to nature and communal, is also the safest, most self-reliant kind of life (ultimately speaking). The vision continues to evolve, particularly in light of the past year, as things are clearly heating up. It is my goal to move out of cyberspace and into the real world. I have become more interested in helping people to create rural refuges from the world. Stick with me and there will be more talk on this. I touch on theology from time to time. I should say, I am not a theologian but I like to meditate on these topics. I have been influenced by the best of the best and I give them all the credit.
My husband is an Information Technology manager. I would never have been able to navigate the computer world without him, so he has been an integral part of this work. Our son has an engineering degree from the University of Southern California. Our Shihpoo Frankie (named after Saint Francis) has degrees in cuteness and begging.
As for music, I will sing with Saint Cecilia on a cloud one day…
PS What have I learned from it all? I’ve learned this.
* famous quote by Fr. Frederick Faber, 1814-1863
Yesterday, March 12th, was the feast and the date of death, of Pope Saint Gregory the Great. He has been called “The Greatest of the Great,” in other words, the greatest pope who ever lived. He was the last of the most influential early doctors of the west, preceded by Saints Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine. Why is he regarded so highly by many Catholic scholars?
Saint Gregory lived from about the year 540 to 604. He was born in Rome to a noble family. The Roman Empire was now in disarray and the new capitol was Constantinople. As this pagan era was falling, Christendom began to rise, and Saint Gregory was an integral part of this. He sat on the Chair of Saint Peter for only 14 years, but this short time was extraordinarily productive, in spite of his aging and poor health.
This early medieval pope was known for his great charity…“Every day he invited 12 poor people to be guests at his table, and he was himself accustomed to pour the water with which they cleansed their hands.”
The normative form of music for the Tridentine Mass is what we call “Gregorian Chant,” hearkening back to Saint Gregory’s papacy. There is scant information, but we know he was involved in musical education, in which chant was sung. From the book St. Gregory and the Gregorian Music, author Wyatt: “The great work of Gregory was to organize, set in order, and fix.”
The above link is an example of Gregorian chant in Latin. In this Month of Saint Joseph, this will be sung on his feast, on the 19th, at Vespers. It is also sung on the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, May 1st. It was written by Fr. Juan Escollar (d. 1700).
Why is Saint Gregory often depicted with a dove? Please read the above for this amazing story and more on his bio.
For a more exhaustive look at his life, please see: Pope Saint Gregory I
Image courtesy http://communio.stblogs.org
Regarding this feast, again, we will look at the wonderful commentary by Sylvester P. Juergens SM, Doctor of Sacred Theology, in The New (as of 1958) Marian Missal :
“Its origin is traced to the XVIth century, when it was celebrated by the Franciscan Order. In 1721 Pope Innocent XIII made the keeping of this solemnity universal.”
Here are some excerpts from this Tridentine Mass:
“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 admirable is Thy Name in the whole earth!”
“O God, Who didst constitute Thine only-begotten Son the Savior of mankind, and didst bid Him to be called Jesus: mercifully grant, that we who venerate His holy Name on earth, may fully enjoy also the vision of Him in heaven.”
“For there is no other Name under heaven given to man, whereby we must be saved.”
“Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations: that we may give thanks to Thy holy Name, and may glory in Thy praise.”
“Thou, O Lord, our Father and our Redeemer: from everlasting is Thy Name.”
“Alleluia, alleluia. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy Name. Alleluia.”
“I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Thy Name for ever: for Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon Thee, alleluia.”
“May Thy blessing, O most merciful God, by which every creature lives, sanctify, we beseech Thee, this our Sacrifice, which we offer unto Thee to the glory of the Name of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that it may be well-pleasing to Thy Majesty for Thy praise, and profit us unto salvation.”
“All the nations Thou hast made shall come and adore before Thee, O Lord, and they shall glorify Thy Name: for Thou art great; and dost wonderful things: Thou art God alone. Alleluia.”
“O almighty and everlasting God, who didst create and redeem us, look graciously upon our prayer, and with a favorable and benign countenance deign to accept the Sacrifice of the saving Victim, which we have offered to Thy Majesty in honor of the Name of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ:
This missal gives daily inspirational messages from a work called The Following of Christ. Here is the message for today, which is quite relevant during these confusing times:
“When thou hast Christ, thou art rich, and He is sufficient for thee. He will provide for thee, and be thy faithful procurator in all things: so that thou needest not to trust in men.”
As in the Mass for the Circumcision, red vestments are worn today. That is something to meditate upon. What do you think is the reason?
January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. The month begins with the feast which commemorates the moment Our Lord received His Holy Name. A few days later, we celebrate the feast of this Name in both the old and new calendars. Let us find devotions this month which honor and glorify His Name and always defend it from profanation!
O Lord, I believe and profess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first.
Accept me today as a partaker of Your mystical Supper, O Son of God, for I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief, I profess You.
Remember me, O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom.
Remember me, O Master, when You come into Your Kingdom.
Remember me, O Holy One, when You come into Your Kingdom.
May the partaking of Your holy mysteries, O Lord, be not for my judgment or condemnation but for the healing of soul and body.
O Lord, I also believe and profess that this, which I am about to receive, is truly Your Most Precious Body and Your Life-Giving Blood, which, I pray, make me worthy to receive for the remission of all my sins and for life everlasting. Amen.
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
O God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy of me.
Lord, forgive me for I have sinned without number.
My husband and I attended our first Byzantine Mass Saturday night, the celebration of the “Dormition of Our Lady,” which parallels our feast of the Assumption. The celebrant, Fr. Daniel Nash, said we look at the same mystery from a different angle. This was a truly unique, multicultural Mass, as it was Eastern Rite, part in English, part in Spanish, and attended by different segments of the Catholic community of Long Island. It took place at St. Patrick Church in Glen Cove, New York.
I must admit, I was confused through the Mass and cannot explain very much about it. My ability to see was limited since I was all the way in the back. Still, I found it greatly enriching. I am now interested in the Byzantine Mass and would like to go again, to a more standard one, and really get my brain around it.
We can see similarities with the Latin Rite prayers, with some interesting differences. I don’t think anyone can say the above “Prayer Before Holy Communion,” and receive Our Blessed Lord unworthily. This prayer effectively accomplishes 3 things:
1) A profession of faith. This takes away any doubt about the Real Presence.
2) Acknowledgment of one’s unworthiness and contrition for sins. This should hopefully prevent any sacrilege and prepare us to receive with proper humility.
3) An appeal to God’s mercy and acceptance prior to the consummation of Holy Communion. This extends from the spirit of humility. We are asking for His agreement before entering into this most sacred union.
You can see in the first picture a similarity with the Tridentine Rite, in the facing away from the people. Also, much of the Mass is sung. There are several customs which are different, which you can see in the two other photos. The overall feel of the Mass was that something extraordinary and other-worldly was happening. There was a sense that our Creator, the Divine Majesty, was being interacted with…that this was not just a worship service, not just a social event, not something that could take place anywhere out in the world…but something reserved for the Elect, the spiritual royalty of the Body of Christ. There was little room for misinterpretation.
Whichever Mass we attend, Holy Church reminds us that there are two worlds and we must choose only one. As the two worlds continue to divide further apart, the choice becomes more and more obvious, and also more difficult.
© 2015-2024 Chiara F. Mathews Content may be reproduced or shared on the condition that this source is indicated.
