June Is The Month Dedicated To The Most Sacred Heart Of Jesus. Make It Mean Something To You. Recite The Litany Of The Sacred Heart On A Daily Basis.

Catholic Holy Card depicting The Sacred Heart of Jesus, circa 1880.

Auguste Martin Collection, University of Dayton Libraries,

Ohio, United States of America.

Date: 1880.

Source: Turgis et Fils, Paris, France.

Author: Turgis et Fils, Paris, France.

(Wikimedia Commons)

300 Days' Indulgence once a day.

Pope Leo XIII.

Litany Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus.

With 18th-Century Plainchant From Auxerre Cathedral, France,

By Ensemble Organum - Marcel Pérès.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

The following five sentences are from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

The Litany is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

The Litany of The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a formal Prayer in The Catholic Church dedicated to The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

It is one of six approved Litanies for public use.[1]

In The Catholic Church, six Litanies are approved for public recitation:

The Litany of The Holy Name of Jesus;
The Litany of The Sacred Heart of Jesus;
The Litany of The Most Precious Blood of Jesus;
The Litany of The Blessed Virgin Mary (also known as The Litany of Loreto);
The Litany of Saint Joseph;
The Litany of The Saints.

In 1899, Pope Leo XIII approved the Litany of The Sacred Heart of Jesus for public usage [2]

Litaniæ de Sacratissimo Corde Iesu.

Litany of The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, The Father of Heaven,

have mercy on us.
God, The Son, Redeemer of the World,

have mercy on us.

God, The Holy Ghost,

have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,

have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, Son of The Eternal Father,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed in the womb of The Virgin Mother by The Holy Ghost,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, hypostatically united to The Eternal Word,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Holy Temple of God,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of The Most High,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, worthy of all praise,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, King and centre of all hearts,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in which are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in which dwelleth all the fullness of The Divinity,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in which The Father is well pleased,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, desire of eternal hills,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, patient and abounding in mercy,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, rich unto all that call upon Thee,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, the propitiation for our sins,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, filled with reproaches,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our sins,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, made obedient unto death,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of them that hope in Thee,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, hope of them that die in Thee,

have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the World,

spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the World,

graciously hear us, O Lord,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the World,

have mercy on us.

Versicle:

Jesus, meek and humble of Heart.

Response:
Make our hearts like unto Thine.

Let us Pray.

Almighty and Eternal God, consider the Heart of Thy well-beloved Son and the praises and satisfaction He offers Thee in the name of sinners; appeased by worthy homage, pardon those who implore Thy mercy, in the name of the same Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee, World without end.

Amen.

The following Text is from PRECES-LATINAE

In 1899, Pope Leo XIII approved this Litany of The Sacred Heart of Jesus for public use.

This Litany is actually a synthesis of several other Litanies dating back to the 17th-Century.

Father Croiset composed a Litany in 1691, from which seventeen Invocations were used by Venerable Anne Madeleine Remuzat, when she composed her Litany in 1718 at Marseilles.

She joined an additional ten Invocations to those of Father Croiset, for a total of twenty-seven Invocations. Six more Invocations, written by Sister Madeleine Joly, of Dijon, France, in 1686, were added by The Sacred Congregation for Rites when it was approved for public use in 1899.

This makes a total of thirty-three Invocations, one for each year of life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. A Partial Indulgence is attached to this Litany.

Litaniæ de Sacratissimo Corde Iesu.

Litany of The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Kyrie, eleison

Christe, eleison

Kyrie, eleison

Christe, audi nos
Christe, exaudi nos.

Pater de cælis, Deus,
miserere nobis.
Fili, Redemptor mundi, Deus,
miserere nobis.
Spiritus Sancte, Deus,
miserere nobis.
Sancta Trinitas, unus Deus,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, Filii Patris aeterni,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, in sinu Virginis Matris a Spiritu Sancto formatum,
miserere nobis.

Cor Iesu, Verbo Dei substantialiter unitum,
miserere nobis.

Cor Iesu, maiestatis infinitae,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, templum Dei sanctum,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, tabernaculum Altissimi,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, domus Dei et porta caeli,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, fornax ardens caritatis,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, iustitiae et amoris receptaculum,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, bonitate et amore plenum,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, virtutum omnium abyssus,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, omni laude dignissimum,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, rex et centrum omnium cordium,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, in quo sunt omnes thesauri sapientiae et scientiae,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, in quo habitat omnis plenitudo divinitatis,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, in quo Pater sibi bene complacuit,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, de cuius plenitudine omnes nos accepimus,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, desiderium collium aeternorum,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, patiens et multae misericordiae,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, dives in omnes qui invocant te,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, fons vitae et sanctitatis,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, propitiatio pro peccatis nostris,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, saturatum opprobriis,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, attritum propter scelera nostra,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, usque ad mortem oboediens factum,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, lancea perforatum,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, fons totius consolationis,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, vita et resurrectio nostra,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, pax et reconciliatio nostra,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, victima peccatorum,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, salus in te sperantium,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, spes in te morientium,
miserere nobis.
Cor Iesu, deliciae Sanctorum omnium,
miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
parce nobis, Domine.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
exaudi nos, Domine.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis,

Versicle:

Iesu, mitis et humilis Corde,

Response:
Fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum.

Oremus;

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, respice in Cor dilectissimi Filii tui, et in laudes et satisfactiones, quas in nomine peccatorum tibi persolvit; iisque misericordiam tuam petentibus, et veniam concede placatus, in nomine eiusdem Filii tui Iesu Christi, Qui tecum vivit et regnat in saecula saeculorum.

Amen.

From the Raccolta #245 and Enchridion of Indulgences, #29.

Saint Boniface. Bishop And Martyr. Feast Day, Today, 5 June.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

Saint Boniface.
   Bishop and Martyr.
   Feast Day 5 June.

Double.

Red Vestments.

Saint Boniface,

by Cornelis Bloemaert, circa 1630.

Date: 26 April 2013.

Source: Het Utrechts Archief

Author: Cornelis Bloemaert (1603-1684).

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Boniface was born in England at the end of the 7th-Century. He is one of the great glories of The Order of Saint Benedict. Pope Gregory II sent him to Germany, where, with a chosen band of Monks, he announced The Good News, as Jesus Risen had commanded His Apostles to do, to the people of Hesse, Saxony, and Thuringia (Collect).

Made a Legate of The Apostolic See, by Pope Gregory II, he called together several Synods, among which was the famous Council of Leptines, in the Diocese of Cambrai. Appointed Archbishop of Mainz, by Pope Zachary, he, by his order, anointed Pepin, King of The Franks.

After the death of Saint Willibrord, the Church of Utrecht, in Frisia, was committed to his care. The Frisians massacred him at Dokkum, with thirty of his Monks, in June 755 A.D. His body was buried in the celebrated Abbey of Fulda, which he had Founded.

Mass: Exsultábo.

English: The Imperial Abbey (Prince-Bishopric) of Fulda,

Hesse, Germany. Now, Fulda Cathedral.

Deutsch: Reichskloster (Fürstbistum) Fulda.

Aufnahme des de:Fuldaer Dom

Español: Catedral de Fulda.

Français: Cathédrale de Fulda

Photo: 6 April 2004 (original upload date).

Source: Originally from de.wikipedia; description page is/was here

Author: Author and original uploader was ThomasSD at de.wikipedia

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Coat-of-Arms of The Bishops of Fulda.

Deutsch: Wappen des Bistums bzw. des ehemaligen

Fürstbistums und Hochstiftes Fulda.

Date: 29 December 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: David Liuzzo

(Wikimedia Commons)

Statue of Saint Boniface,

by Werner Henschel, (1830), at Fulda, Hesse, Germany.

Photo: 30 July 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Frank Schulenburg

(Wikimedia Commons)

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

The Monastery of Fulda was a Benedictine Abbey, in Fulda, in the present-day German State of Hesse. It was Founded in 744 A.D. by Saint Sturm, a Disciple of Saint Boniface. Through the 8th- and 9th-Centuries A.D., the Fulda Monastery became a prominent centre of learning and culture in Germany, and a site of religious significance and Pilgrimage following the burial of Saint Boniface. The growth in population around Fulda would result in its elevation to a Diocese in the 18th -Century.

English: Boniface chops down a Cult Tree in Hessen, Germany.

Engraving by Bernhard Rode, 1781.

Deutsch: Bonifacius haut in Hessen einen Opferbaum

m Radierung von Bernhard Rode 1781.

Date: artwork: 1781; file: 2009.01.17.

Source: Eigene Fotografie (own photography).

Author: Artwork: Bernhard Rode (1725–1797). File: James Steakley

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Boniface (Latin: Bonifatius) (Circa 675 A.D. – 5 June 754 A.D.), born Winfrid, Wynfrith, or Wynfryth, in the Kingdom of Wessex in Anglo-Saxon England, was a leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of The Frankish Empire during the 8th-Century A.D.

He established the first organised Christianity in many parts of Germany. He is the Patron Saint of Germany, the first Archbishop of Mainz and the "Apostle of the Germans". He was killed in Frisia in 754 A.D., along with fifty-two others. His remains were returned to Fulda, where they rest in a sarcophagus, which became a site of Pilgrimage. Facts about Boniface's life and death as well as his work became widely known, since there is a wealth of material available — a number of "Vitae", especially the near-contemporary "Vita Bonifatii auctore Willibaldi", and legal documents, possibly some Sermons, and, above all, his correspondence.

According to the "Vitae", Boniface felled the Donar Oak, Latinised by Willibald, the "Apostle of the Frisians", as "Jupiter's Oak,", near the present-day Town of Fritzlar, in northern Hesse. According to his early biographer, Willibald, Boniface started to chop the Oak down, when suddenly a great wind, as if by a Miracle, blew the ancient Oak over.

Saint Boniface Altar,

Fulda Cathedral, Germany.

Photo: 21 October 2006 (original upload date).

Source:Transferred from nl.wikipedia to Commons.

Originally from en.wikipedia; description page is/was here

Author: AJW at Dutch Wikipedia

(Wikimedia Commons)

When the god ("Jupiter") did not strike him down, the people were amazed and converted to Christianity. He built a Chapel, Dedicated to Saint Peter, from its wood at the site — the Chapel was the beginning of the Monastery in Fritzlar.

Through his efforts to re-organise and regulate The Church of The Franks, he helped shape Western Christianity, and many of the Dioceses, that he proposed, remain today. After his Martyrdom, he was quickly hailed as a Saint, in Fulda, and other areas in Germany and England.

His cult is still notably strong today. Boniface is celebrated (and criticised) as a Missionary; he is regarded as a Unifier of Europe, and he is seen (mainly by Catholics) as a Germanic national figure.

Complete Gregorian Chant. Listen For Free.

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Fidélité,

Provence, France.

What is Neumz ?

Neumz is the only complete recording of all Gregorian Chant in the World.

More than 7,000 hours in an App for iOS and Android.

More details at NEUMZ

Saint Francis Caracciolo (1563-1608). Confessor. Feast Day 4 June.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,

unless stated otherwise.

Saint Francis Caracciolo.
   Confessor.
   Feast Day 4 June.

Double.

White Vestments.

Saint Francis Caracciolo (1563-1608).

Date of Illustration: 1894.

Source: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints.

Author: Unknown.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Francis, of the noble family of Caracciolo, in The Abruzzi, Southern Italy, determined, during a severe illness, to devote himself to the Service of God, so as to be ready when The Master should come to take him away (Gospel).

A Letter, delivered to him by mistake, apprised him of a Project of two pious men to Found a new Religious Institute. In this, he saw a providential sign and he became one of the Founders of The Order of Minor Clerks Regular.

At his Profession, he took the name of Francis, on account of his Devotion to Saint Francis of Assisi. To the love of Penance, he added a great zeal for Prayer (Collect). Burning with love for The Blessed Sacrament, his heart melted like wax when he was in the presence of The Tabernacle (Introit), for there he felt the overflowing sweetness prepared by God for those who fear Him (Communion).

He died at the age of forty-four, in 1608, on The Vigil of Corpus Christi, and, "although his life was short, he completed a long course, for a spotless life is equivalent to protracted years" (Epistle).

Following Saint Francis Caracciolo's example, let us Pray and reduce our bodies to subjection (Collect), so that, burning like him with the fire of Charity, we may worthily kneel at The Communion Table (Secret).

Mass: Factum est.

“The Miracle Of The Vistula”: When Our Lady Saved Poland (And The World) From Communism.

The following Article is taken from, and can be read in full at,

Fr. Timothy Finigan's Twitter thingy at

TWITTER, FR. TIMOTHY FINIGAN

English: State flag of Poland with Coat-of Arms, symbolic version.

Based on Image:Flag of Poland.svg and I-age:Herb Polski.svg.

Note: the Coat-of-Arms used here is not the official, accurate version. The official one is still not available in vector format, hence the alternative image in PNG format below, featuring the correct Coat-of-Arms.

Polski: Flaga Polski z godłem, wersja symboliczna. Oparta na Image:Flag of Poland.svg i Image:Herb Polski.svg. Uwaga: godło użyte w tej grafice nie jest oficjalne. Oficjalna wersja godła nie jest jeszcze dostępna w formacie wektorowym, stąd zamieszczono poniżej dodatkową wersję tej grafiki w formacie PNG, w której użyto poprawnego wizerunku godła.

Date 26 June 2007

Source: Own work.

Author: Aotearoa, Wanted

(Wikimedia Commons)

“Miracle Of Vistula”: When Our Lady Saved The World

From Communism. In 1920, in the face of Soviet aggression, Catholic Poland stood alone.

Corpus Christi Procession.

Corpus Christi Procession.

Illustration: FACEBOOK, RICHARD HAWKER

What Happened To The Ember Days ?

This Article is taken from, and can be read in full at,

THE MUNIMENT ROOM

Illustration: FR. Z's BLOG

Ember Days, the days of Fasting and Abstinence at the beginning of each of The Seasons, are ancient in origin. According to The Catholic Encyclopædia:

"The "Liber Pontificalis" ascribes to Pope Callistus (217 A.D. - 222 A.D.) a Law ordering The Fast, but probably it is older. Pope Leo the Great (440 A.D. - 461 A.D.) considers it an Apostolic institution.

When The Fourth Season was added, cannot be ascertained, but Pope Gelasius (492 A.D. - 496 A.D.) speaks of all four Seasons. This Pope also permitted the conferring of Priesthood and Deaconship on The Saturdays of Ember Week - these were formerly given only at Easter.

Before Pope Gelasius, The Ember Days were known only in Rome, but, after his time, their observance spread. They were brought into England by Saint Augustine."

Rogation Day.

Circa 1950.

The Vicar and Sunday School Children go out into the fields to Bless The Crops. The little boy is carrying a symbolic Tree of Plenty.

Picture Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Illustration: ABOUT RELIGION

Rogation Days are also an ancient Tradition:

"Days of Prayer, and formerly also of Fasting, instituted by The Church to appease God's anger at man's transgressions, to ask protection in calamities, and to obtain a good and bountiful harvest."

Few Catholics under the age of seventy (other than those who regularly attend The Extraordinary Form of The Mass) will know what these are, as they were done away with. Strange to say, this was not by Bugnini and his colleagues, although they were happy to mess with them.

Illustration: MATER DEI LATIN MASS PARISH

Bugnini writes:

"The Ember Days are to be Celebrated at times and on days to be determined by the Episcopal Conferences, provided that they are in harmony with The Seasons and thus truly correspond to the purposes for which they were established."

Pope Paul told Bugnini that he would insist that any periods, which replaced the then-existing Ember Days, should be carefully determined by the Episcopal Conferences and that should also be Days of Prayer for Vocations to The Priesthood and Religious Life.

Illustration: ABOUT RELIGION

So where are The Ember Days ?

According to The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales:

“Amongst these other Celebrations, from the earliest times have been The Rogation Days and Ember Days; Days of Prayer for particular need, or, in thanksgiving for particular Blessings of The Lord”. Since 1972, The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has preferred to drop all distinction between Ember Days and Rogation Days and to speak simply of Days of Special Prayer.

In 1972, six such Days were introduced, but, in the years which followed, the number of such Days increased to such an extent that they risked intruding on The Celebration of The Liturgical Year, and especially on The Celebration of The Lord’s Day on Sundays.

Sunday School Children Celebrate Rogation Day in 1953.

A photo at Market Lavington Museum, Wiltshire, England.

Illustration: MARKET LAVINGTON MUSEUM

Subsequently, The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales concluded that, from Advent 1996, these Days of Special Prayer be subsumed into, and replaced by, a Cycle of Prayer.

The Cycle of Prayer seeks to preserve the integrity of The Sunday Liturgy, without losing sight of the importance of being united with The Universal Church, or Local Church, in Praying and working for important intentions. It seeks to do this by encouraging The Faithful to Pray for The Intentions set out in The Cycle in their Personal Prayers throughout the period specified, and not only at Mass on a particular day.

Saint Michael's Church, Bunwell, Norfolk, England, has always been the centre of Village Life. In this picture, taken on Rogation Sunday, April 1967, the Rector, Rev. Samuel Collins, followed by the Choir, Parishioners, and The New Buckenham Silver Band, walk The Parish Boundaries and Bless the Stream.

Illustration: BUNWELL HERITAGE GROUP

The Cycle of Prayer is based on a division of The Year into six periods, three of these being the principal Liturgical Seasons of Advent/Christmas, Lent, and Easter, and the other three periods being divisions of "Ordinary Time, namely Winter, Summer, and Autumn."

So, apart from losing their Initial Capital Letters, The Ember Days and Rogation Days were merged, were stripped of their Penitential Character, were separated from their association with The Seasons and Harvests, were moved from their ancient, perhaps even Apostolic, dates, and were then abolished and replaced by a "Cycle of Prayer", which was apparently instituted in 1996, and which is important enough to have a page dedicated to it by The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales Liturgy Office (HERE), and which I, for one, have never heard of before.

This is how "Nu-Church" is constructed. Take "Something Venerable" and say how important it is: So important, that it needs to be specially adapted for every Country and Territory; and, if the adaptation kills it off, well, that's how Traditions evolve, isn't it ?

And, if what replaces "The Venerable Something" ends up being neglected and ignored by everybody, it must be that "The Venerable Something" needed to have been abolished anyway.

The following Text is taken from THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC

Ember Days occur four times a year at the start of each Season. In Latin, they are known as the “Quattuor Anni Tempora” (the “Four Seasons Of The Year”).

Traditionally observed by some Christian denominations, each set of Ember Days is three days, kept on a successive Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. These three days are set apart for Fasting, Abstinence, and Prayer.

The first of these "four times a year" comes in Winter, after The Feast of Saint Lucia, on 13 December;

The second set comes with The First Sunday in Lent;

The third set comes after Whitsunday/Pentecost Sunday;

The fourth, and last set, comes after The Feast of The Holy Cross, 14 September.

Their dates can be remembered by this old mnemonic:

“Sant Crux, Lucia, Cineres, Charismata Dia,

Ut sit in angaria quarta sequens feria”.

Which means:

“Holy Cross, Lucy, Ash Wednesday, Pentecost,

are when The Quarter Holidays follow.”

Folklore has it that the weather on each of "The Three Days" foretells the weather for three successive months. As with much folklore, this is grounded in some common sense, since the beginning of The Four Seasons cue the changes in weather, as well as a shift in how we keep harmony with The Earth and respect our stewardship of The Earth, our “Garden of Eden.”

“Little Reprobates !!! What Time Is Confession ?”

“Little Reprobates !!! What Time Is Confession ?”

What Are Ember Days ? “Fasting Days And Emberings Be, Lent, Whitsun, Holyrood, And Lucie”. Or, Even A Shorter Mnemonic: “Lenty, Penty, Crucy, Lucy”.

Illustration: THE MISSIVE

This Article, dated 13 March 2019, is taken from, and can be read in full at,
THE MISSIVE

In the most recent edition of “Meménto”, we included the following Article by FSSP Quincy Pastor and former Superior General Fr. Arnaud Devillers, who explains the history of The Ember Days and their place in The Liturgical Calendar.

By Fr. Arnaud Devillers, FSSP.

What are Ember Days ? Ember Days are three days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) set apart in each of the four Seasons for Fasting, Abstinence and Prayer. Tied to the Seasonal Cycles of farming and harvesting, the purpose of Ember Days is to render thanks to God for the gifts of Creation and to ask His help in using them well. Since 1966 [Editor: Post-Vatican II, of course], the Fasting and Abstinence are no longer prescribed, but still encouraged.

What is the origin of Ember Days ? Pin-pointing the exact date may be challenging, but what is certain is that they originated in Rome within the first Centuries of The Church. Pope Saint Leo the Great (Mid-5th-Century A.D.) has left a series of beautiful Sermons for these days, and he thought they had been instituted by The Apostles, themselves. The “Liber Pontificalis” dates their institution to Pope Saint Calixtus (218 A.D. - 225 A.D.), though they were more probably instituted by Pope Siricius (384 A.D. - 399 A.D.).

Illustration: THE MISSIVE

In her early days, The Church in Rome was confronted with a number of pagan religious nature festivals. Outstanding among them was the threefold Seasonal observance of prayer and sacrifices to obtain the favour of the gods upon sowing and harvest.

The first of these Seasonal celebrations occurred at various dates between the middle of November and The Winter Solstice. It was a time of prayer for successful sowing (“Feriæ Sementivæ”: Feast of Sowing).

The second festival was held in June for the grain harvest (“Feriæ Messis”: Harvest Feast).

The third festival came before The Autumnal Equinox (September) and was motivated by the grapes harvest (“Feriæ Vindimiales”: Feast of Wine).

As The Roman Empire became officially Christian, The Church tried to Sanctify these Seasonal festivals. The first regulations mention only “Three Seasons”. Eventually, The Church added a fourth Prayer Period (in March).

This change seems to have been motivated by the fact that the year contains four natural Seasons [Editor: Spring; Summer; Autumn; Winter], and also by the mention of four Fasting Periods in The Book of Zechariah (8:19).

At about the same time, each period was extended over the three Traditional Station Days (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday). While The Station Fast, at other times was expected, but not strictly prescribed, this Seasonal observance imposed Fasting by obligation. The Eucharistic Sacrifice was Offered after having Fasted the whole of Saturday and having performed a long Vigil Service of Prayers and Readings, lasting the greater part of the night.

FSSP Ordinations on Ember Saturday of Pentecost, 26 May 2018.

Illustration: THE MISSIVE

In 494 A.D., Pope Gelasius I prescribed that The Sacrament of Holy Orders be conferred on Ember Saturdays. Thus, the Prayer and Fasting of Ember Week acquired added importance, for Apostolic Tradition demanded that Ordinations be preceded by Fast and Prayer (Acts 13:3).

Not only did the candidates, themselves, Fast and Pray, for a few days in preparation for Holy Orders, but the whole Clergy and People joined them to obtain God’s Grace and Blessing upon their Calling. Thus, Embertides became like Spiritual Exercises for all, similar in thought and purpose to our modern Retreats and Missions. Ember Days have been used at times as Special Prayers by The Faithful for Vocations to The Priesthood and for The Sanctification of Priests.

Why are they called “Ember Days” ? The words have nothing to do with embers, or, ashes. It may be from The Anglo-Saxon “Ymbren”, meaning a circle, or, revolution; or, more likely, it may be a corruption of the Latin “Quatuor Tempora” [Editor: “Four Seasons”, or, “Four Times”] through Dutch, Danish or German (“Quatember”).

What are the dates of Ember Days ? They have fluctuated throughout history. The Ember Days of Lent were not originally linked to The First Week of Lent, but to The First Week in March. Francis Mershman, in The Catholic Encyclopedia (1908), affirms: “They were definitely arranged and prescribed for The Entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, after 13 December (Sancta Lucia) [Editor: Feast Day of Saint Lucy], after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (The Exaltation of The Holy Cross).” This was expressed in the old English rhyme:

“Fasting Days and Emberings be,

Lent, Whitsun, Holyrood, and Lucie”.

Or, even a shorter mnemonic:

“Lenty, Penty, Crucy, Lucy”.

Since the publishing of The Catholic Encyclopedia, the dates have changed again. According to The Extraordinary Form of The Roman Missal (1962), The Advent Ember Days are The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, of The Third Week of Advent, and The September Ember Days are The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, of The Third Week of September.

Ember Days remind us of a time when society was mostly rural. In our urban society, the connection between Ember Days and The Cycle of sowing and harvest does not speak to most of us any longer. However, the association of Ember Days and Ordinations could give a new purpose to Ember Days as voluntary Days of Penance by Clergy and Faithful, together, to, not only Confess and atone for sins of the past, but, also, to Pray for more Vocations to The Priesthood and The Sanctification of The Clergy. +

The Feast Of Corpus Christi. A First-Class Feast With A Privileged Octave Of The Second Order.

Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

The Feast of Corpus Christ.

Double of The First-Class.

Privileged Octave of The Second Order.

White Vestments.

Indulgence of 400 days for those who attend Mass or Vespers.

Artist: René de Cramer.

"Copyright Brunelmar/Ghent/Belgium".

Used with Permission.

Illustration: UNA VOCE OF ORANGE COUNTY

“Pange Lingua”.

Sung during The Corpus Christi Procession.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

The Solemn Celebration of this Feast is, in some places, observed on the following Sunday.

After the Dogma of The Holy Trinity, The Holy Ghost reminds us of the Dogma of The Incarnation of Our Lord, in Celebrating with The Church the greatest of all Sacraments, summing up the whole Life of The Redeemer, giving Infinite Glory to God and applying The Fruits of The Redemption at all times to ourselves (Collect).

It was on The Cross that Our Lord redeemed us, and The Holy Eucharist, instituted on the night before Our Lord's Passion, remains its Memorial (Collect). The Altar is the extension of Calvary ["The Celebration of The Mass has the same value as The Death of Jesus Christ on The Cross", Saint John Chrysostom.]; The Mass "shows The Death of The Lord" (Epistle).

Jesus is there in the State of a Victim, for the words of the Double Consecration mean only that the Bread is changed into The Body of Christ and the Wine into His Blood. On account of this double action with different effects, which constitutes The Sacrifice of The Mass, we are entitled to speak of Our Lord's Presence, under the appearance of Bread, as that of The Body of Christ, although, since He can die no more, the whole Christ is there contained; similarly, we may speak of the Presence under the appearance of Wine as that of His Blood, although He is contained there whole and entire.

“The Eucharist in a Fruit Wreath”.

By: Jan Davidsz de Heem, 1648.

From the Blog: "Ars Orandi:

The Art and Beauty of Traditional Catholicism".

Through His Priests, Our Lord, Himself, The Principal Priest of The Mass, offers in an unbloody manner His Body and Blood, Which were really separated on The Cross, but, on the Altar only in a representative or Sacramental sense, the matter and words used and the effect produced being different in the two Consecrations.

Besides, The Eucharist was instituted under the form of food (Alleluia), that we may be united with The Victim of Calvary, so that The Sacred Host becomes the "wheat" which feeds our Souls (Introit).

THE SEQUENCE FOR CORPUS CHRISTI.

Solemnity of The Body and Blood of Christ. Holy Mass, Procession to Saint Mary Major and Eucharistic Blessing. Basilica of Saint John Lateran, 23 June 2011. Solennità del Santissimo Corpo e Sangue di Cristo. Santa Messa, Processione a Santa Maria Maggiore e Benedizione Eucaristica. Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, 23 Giugno 2011.

The Sequence:

“Lauda Sion Salvatorem”.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

Moreover, Christ, as The Son of God, receives The Eternal Life of The Father; in the same way, Christians share in that Eternal Life by uniting themselves to Christ, through The Sacrament, which is the symbol of unity (Secret), and this possession of The Divine Life, already realised on Earth through The Eucharist, is the pledge and the beginning of that in which we shall fully rejoice in Heaven (Postcommunion). As The Council of Trent puts it: "That same Heavenly Bread that we eat now, under the Sacred Veils, we shall feed upon in Heaven without Veil."

We should regard The Mass as The Centre of all Eucharistic Worship, seeing in Holy Communion the means instituted by Our Lord to enable us to share more fully in this Divine Sacrifice. In this way, our Devotion to Our Lord's Body and Blood will effectively obtain for us The Fruits of His Redemption (Collect).

English: Corpus Christi Procession.

Oil on canvas by Carl Emil Doepler.

Deutsch: Carl Emil Doepler the Elder

(1824 Warszawa or Schnepfental - 1905 Berlin): Fronleichnamsprozession.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Concerning the Procession, which regularly should follow The Mass, we remember how the Israelites revered The Ark of The Covenant, which was the Presence of God among them. When they carried on their victorious marches, the Ark went before, borne by the Levites in the midst of a cloud of incense, accompanied by the sound of musical instruments and of the songs and shouts of the multitude.

We Christians have a treasure far more precious, for, in The Eucharist, we possess God Himself. Let us feel a holy pride in forming His Escort and extolling His Triumphs, while He is in our midst.

Every Parish Priest celebrates Mass for the people of his Parish.

Mass: Cibávit eos.
Sequence: Lauda Sion.
Creed: Is said.
Preface: Of Christmas. Also, throughout The Octave.

“Lauda Sion Salvatorem”.

(The Sequence for Corpus Christi).

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

THE PROCESSION.

(Indulgences are granted to those who take part in The Procession.)

Regularly, The Sacred Host, carried in The Procession, has been Consecrated in The Mass and exposed in The Monstrance immediately after The Communion of the Priest.

Sometimes, however, The Procession is a separate function in the afternoon.

Capilla de Música de la Catedral de Pamplona:

“Sacris Solemnis”.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

When the Priest leaves the Altar, the Choristers intone the Vesper Hymn “Pange Lingua”. If time allows, other Eucharistic Hymns are also sung, to be found among The Benediction Hymns, e.g: “Sacris Solemniis” and “Verbum Supernum”. Also, the Hymns for The Ascension, “Salutis Humanæ”, the Canticles “Benedictus”, or, “Magnificat”. On the return of The Procession, the “Te Deum” is usually sung.

When the Celebrant is arrived at the Altar, the Choristers intone the “Tantum Ergo” and Benediction is given.

“Verbum Supernum”.

Sung during The Corpus Christi Procession.

Available on YouTube at

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The “Magnificat”.

The Canticle of Mary.

Sung during The Corpus Christi Procession.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

The Solemn “Te Deum”

(5th-Century Monastic Chant).

Sung when The Corpus Christ Procession

has returned to The Church.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

The Month Of June Is Dedicated To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus.

 

Catholic Hymnal: “O Sacred Heart”.

Hymn to The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

A Little Levity To Lighten Your Day . . .

Illustration:

TIME INC UK

“DARLING, I CAN’T FIND THE CHICKEN FOR LUNCH”.

“WHERE DID YOU PUT IT ?”

Summorum Pontificum Congress. 11 June 2021. Including A Priestly Ordination In The Traditional Rite By Cardinal Raymond Burke.

 

Summorum Pontificum Convention.

10 June 2021 - 13 June 2021.

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

With the Guest of Honour, His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke, 

who will Celebrate a Priestly Ordination in The Traditional Rite

on 11 June 2021, at 5 p.m., at The Shrine of The Martyrs.

Fall in love with your Church through her Tradition.

Various In-Person and Virtual Ticket packages at

www.summorum.mx

Summorum Pontificum Congress.

The Fœderatio Internationalis Una Voce

is happy to invite you and all interested people to the forthcoming Summorum Pontificum Congress, to be held in

the City of Guadalajara, México, and transmitted

real-time through Video-Conferencing Systems.

More information and tickets on the Event’s official Web Page:

SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM CONGRESS

Saint Marcellinus. Saint Peter. Saint Erasmus. Bishop. Martyrs. Feast Day 2 June.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Saints Marcellinus, Peter, And Erasmus.
   Bishop.

   Martyrs.
   Feast Day 2 June.

Simple.

Red Vestments.

Statue of Saint Marcellinus.

Martyr.

Seligenstadt, Germany.

Source: Own work.

Author: Agridecumantes.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Exorcist, Peter, sent to prison, under the Emperor Diocletian, converted his gaoler and all his family, and brought them to the Priest, Marcellinus, who Baptised them. The Judge, Serenus, ordered them both to appear before him and they bore witness to Jesus Christ (Gospel). They were condemned to death and, after atrocious torments, were beheaded, towards 303 A.D.

Possessing The First Fruits of The Holy Ghost, they awaited with sighs the adoption of The Children of God, and their sufferings were in nowise compared with the Glory which now shines forth in them (Epistle). Both Saints are mentioned in The Canon of The Mass (Second List). The Station of The Saturday on The Second Week in Lent is held in the Church Dedicated to them.

Saint Erasmus, Bishop in Syria, afterwards Hermit in Lebanon, was cruelly tortured several times in Antioch and in Illyria under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. His legend tells us that his entrails were wound round a windlass; he is, therefore, Invoked for internal diseases, as one of "The Fourteen Auxiliary Saints". He died at Formiae, Campania, Italy.

Let us follow the examples of courage and fortitude of these Holy Martyrs, whose merits are our joy (Collect).

Mass: In Paschaltide: Sancti tui.
Mass: Out of Paschaltide: Clamavérunt.