Today is the feast (in the new calendar) of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the “Little Flower of Jesus,” a Carmelite nun. She died at the young age of 24 and has received the extraordinary honor of “Doctor of the Church” for her writings. She is one of only 4 women to have been given this distinction.
October is the Month of the Holy Rosary & Respect for Life
The first week of October is jam-packed with amazing feasts. October 1st is the new feast of Saint Therese and the 3rd is her trad feast. The 2nd is devoted to the Holy Guardian Angels, the 4th is Saint Francis of Assisi, the 5th is Saint Faustina Kowalska (stay tuned for a post on our recent visit to the Divine Mercy Shrine) and the 7th, Our Lady of the Rosary. On the 11th, we have the Divine Maternity of Our Lady & Saint John XXIII, 20th Century Pope. The month goes on: 13th-Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima (not a feast), 16th & 17th (new/trad)-Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, 18th-Saint Luke, 22nd-Saint John Paul II, another 20th Century Pope, 24th-Saint Raphael the Archangel, 28th-Saints Simon & Jude, 29th-the traditional CHRIST THE KING and the 31st-All Hallows’ Eve, beginning the Triduum of Death.
Don’t forget the wonderful November plenaries the first week of November. Your departed loved ones will be eternally grateful!
In the last of the Marian Triad of the Months, we honor Mary under the title Our Lady of the Rosary…so important is this great devotion! Through Our Lady of Fatima, we know the Holy Rosary is the antidote to these unprecedented times of evil. One of the worst of these evils is the sin of abortion and all of the offenses against human life which are becoming more prevalent in a post-Christendom world. One of Our Lady’s requests at Fatima was the recitation of the Rosary daily. She saw what was coming upon the world and this great meditative prayer was given to us to obtain mercy and mitigate these evils. Let us pray the Holy Rosary for the sanctity of life this month and encourage others to do so as well.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!
O Lord have mercy upon the world for its crimes against Thee and humanity!
Most Holy Trinity, deliver us!
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!
22 Years: 9/11 Prayer, Song, Scripture, & Meditation
Light a candle and pray with your family, sometime this week…
O Most Holy Trinity, we light this candle for all the victims of that terrible day, 22 years ago. We pray for those at the World Trade Center, including the 2 planes, those at the Pentagon, including the plane, and those on the plane in Pennsylvania. We pray for the first responders who gave their lives. We give to Thee all those who died or suffered in any way, along with their loved ones. We remember also, those who continue to live with physical and mental disability. May they all be healed and brought close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we never forget them. We also lift up to Thee, those responsible for these horrific crimes against God and humanity. May they be brought to repentance and mercy.
God bless the United States of America, and may we become once again, a nation respecting the laws of God, the sanctity of life and all human rights. Lord have mercy upon us.
Amen.
Song: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly minded,
for, with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.
King of Kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth He stood,
Lord of Lords, in human vesture,
in the Body and the Blood.
He will give to all the faithful
His own Self for heav'nly food.
Rank on rank the host of Heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of Light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the pow'rs of Hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six-winged seraph,
cherubim with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the Presence,
as with ceaseless voice they cry,
“Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Lord Most High!”
(Picardy/Moultrie)
And Jesus being come out of the temple, went away. And his disciples came to shew him the buildings of the temple. And he answering, said to them: Do you see all these things? Amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed…Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows…And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come…For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be…And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors…Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come…Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season…Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing.
Matthew 24
On that day 22 years ago, 2,996 people died and many more suffered, as Our Lady of Sorrows looked on from Heaven. She continues to watch over her children with the love and compassion of her Immaculate Heart. She understands the Foot of the Cross. And she leads us to the joy of the Resurrection. Death is never the end of the story.
The “candle” Saint Francis refers to is the soul illumined by the Light of Christ. As the hymn states: “…the Light of Light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the pow'rs of Hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.”
Our Lord’s prophecy in this Gospel chapter refers to the End of Time. We do not know where we are in that timeline, but it is clear that the world is changing. Even if we are not at “The End,” the words above are still relevant to our times. We are seeing unprecedented sorrows, the global reach of the Gospel and unnatural endeavors which have never been attempted before. We are told to be watchful. We are told to prepare and provide for those in our care. If we heed these commands, we will be deemed “blessed” and win our heavenly reward!
Saints of September 11th, Protus, Hyacinth, Paphnutius and Adelphus…pray for us!
Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth
+++ New Yorkers Will Never Forget +++
Image from Pinterest
Luke 7:11 and Our Lady of Sorrows
“And it came to pass afterwards, that he went into a city that is called Naim; and there went with him his disciples, and a great multitude. And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow: and a great multitude of the city was with her. Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her: Weep not. And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it, stood still. And he said: Young man, I say to thee, arise. And he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. And there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the country round about.”
Luke 7:11
Above is the Gospel passage for today, the 2nd Sunday in this month of Our Lady of Sorrows. Do you notice anything? This account of one of Our Lord’s miracles of raising the dead, foreshadows the Passion and the Resurrection. Mary was a widow at the foot of the Cross, which is why Jesus gave her to Saint John, to be cared for by him. Her Son was crucified, but raised after 3 days! She never lost hope, trusting that this was part of God’s great plan for the redemption of the human race.
Our celebrant at the Tridentine Mass in Glen Cove, New York, brought light to this scripture. He mentioned that the crowd would have been astonished by Our Lord touching a dead body, as this was considered unclean. He drew the parallel to us when we are in a state of sin. Christ reaches out to us in our misery, to lead us to the sacrament of Penance and the great peace that follows. It is a bathing of the soul. We are all that young man, given back to our Holy Mother Church, the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
Another point Fr. Daniel made, was that once you are forgiven, it is time to become a witness. As soon as the boy was raised, he spoke. How important this is in our own time, as the world has forgotten all that is good and Godly. Let us courageously speak of the love and mercy of the Most Holy Trinity to all the world and transform the face of the earth!
September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows-Part 2
In Part 1, the image from The Divine Mercy website states:
“The Key to Peace: Emulate Mary’s Surrender.”
Why did Our Blessed Lord give us His Mother (through Saint John), from the Holy Cross, as He suffered so terribly? Why has Holy Church given her the title “Our Lady of Sorrows?” It is to honor her, of course, and her grievous pain. It is also for the purpose of ministering to us, the Body of Christ. Suffering is part of life. During these unprecedented times, the trials of humanity are unique in history. We know not what the future holds, but we do know it will be greatly challenging, and in fact, already is. Our Blessed Mother teaches us the way to suffer in peace. It seems a contradiction, but all is possible with God’s grace. Even through the worst of Our Lord’s Passion, she never despaired, trusting in God’s plan for salvation. We can do the same. Emulate her surrender.
On the above link, there is an article by the late Stephen LaChance. He brings out a great insight on the “Pieta” sculpture…
Michelangelo has carved into his Pieta an element as profound as it is subtle. Off to one side, almost hidden behind the lifeless body of Christ, Mary's left hand lies open in a sign of surrender to God. This gesture symbolizes her entire life.
In the Scriptures, starting with the words of her fiat, "Be it done unto me according to your word," to her patient waiting for the descent of the Holy Spirit, we see Mary living in complete acceptance of the will of God. Tradition has developed this surrender as epitomized in seven of Mary's sorrows:
The Prophesy of Simeon, The Exile in Egypt, The Loss of Jesus in the Temple, The Way of the Cross, The Crucifixion, The Descent from the Cross, The Burial of Jesus
He goes on to discuss the feast of the Triumph (Exaltation) of the Holy Cross…
Standing by the cross of her Son, she offers all these pains for our benefit. Standing with her, we see the solution to the problem of evil. We look at the all-powerful, all-good God and see Him suffer and die, in the Person of Christ.
This seeming contradiction has led the Church to celebrate a feast called the Triumph of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14). This triumph is the paradox of the cross, which St. Paul calls "a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
This feast is celebrated the day before the Sorrows of Mary. It makes sense that these two feasts are so connected, but it is surprising that the Triumph comes before the Sorrows. Where else in the world does triumph come before sorrow, or when does victory come before the battle? Yet the inspired wisdom of the Church does not fail us in this regard. For it is only in light of the Triumph of the Cross that the Sorrows of Mary and our sorrows have any meaning.
Take a look at The Divine Mercy site for the full article and much more. Their shrine is in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is a beautiful place. I will be there with my family in 2 weeks!
Our Lady of Sorrows, or the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, is celebrated September 15th. We will post the prayers from the Tridentine Mass on that day. Though this month has a sad cast to it, remember we also honored Mary’s joyful nativity on the 8th and will honor the Most Holy Name of Mary on the 12th.
Some other feasts of note are: The Ember Days of Autumn (prayer and penance for the coming season), starting on the 20th, Saint Matthew on the 21st, Saint Padre Pio on the 23rd and the Archangels on the 29th. For the full traditional calendar, please see: calefactory.org
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.
Thought for the Day
“It’s not only about the economy. You got mentally deranged people in charge in a country near you…If we don’t stop where we’re going, we are going to be annihilated in a nuclear war. We have demonic, evil people in charge…I fight for peace and so I’m telling everybody out there, you better put your money where your heart is and do something to support peace because if we don’t, this thing is finished.”
Gerald Celente, Trends Journal
September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows-Part 1
Let us honor the 7 Sorrows of Our Lady this month. She teaches us how to suffer. Last month, we celebrated her Immaculate Heart and now we see the great suffering which results from great love. Next month, we contemplate the Holy Rosary, the gift to humanity out of this motherly love.
There are many devotions to Our Lady of Sorrows. Think about choosing one (the chaplet is wonderful) and praying it with your family or church group.
Come back next week and we will discuss this topic a bit further, along with the notable feasts of the month. Don’t forget Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s feast on the 5th and Our Lady’s nativity on the 8th!
our lady of sorrows, pray for us!
+++ 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.