Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Friday 1 January 2021

The Circumcision Of Our Lord. And Octave Of The Nativity. Feast Day 1 January.


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

The Circumcision of Our Lord and
   Octave of The Nativity.
   Feast Day 1 January.

Station at Saint Mary's-beyond-the-Tiber.

Indulgence of 30 years and 30 Quarantines.

Double of The Second-Class.

Privileged Octave Day.

White Vestments.


Artist: René de Cramer.
“Copyright Brunelmar/Ghent/Belgium”.
Used with Permission.

In The Liturgy of today, three Feasts are really included.

The first Feast, that which was known in the ancient Sacramentaries as "On The Octave-Day of Our Lord". So, The Mass is largely borrowed from those of Christmas.

By the second Feast, we are reminded that it is to Mary, after Almighty God, that we owe Our Lord, Himself. For this reason, formerly a second Mass was Celebrated in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, in honour of The Mother of God. Some traces of this Mass remain in the Collect, Secret and Postcommunion, which are the same as in The Votive Mass of The Blessed Virgin Mary. The Psalms at Vespers are also the same as on The Feasts of Our Lady.


The third Feast is The Circumcision, which has been kept since the 6th-Century A.D. Moses commanded that all the young Israelites should undergo this rite on the eighth day after birth (Gospel). It is a type of Baptism, by which a man is spiritually circumcised.

"See," says Saint Ambrose, "how the whole sequence of The Old Law foreshadowed that which was to come; for circumcision signifies the blotting out of sins. He who is spiritually circumcised, by the rooting up of his vices, is judged worthy of The Lord's favour.

"While speaking of the first drops of His Sacred Blood that Our Redeemer shed for the cleansing of our Souls, The Church emphasises the thought of the cutting out of all that is evil in us". "Jesus Christ . . . gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and cleanse us" (Epistle). "O Lord. . . cleanse us by these Heavenly Mysteries" (Secret). "May this Communion, O Lord, purify us from sin" (Postcommunion).

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

Mass: Puer natus est nobis.
Creed. Is Said or Sung.
Preface: For Christmas.
Communicantes: For Christmas.

Thursday 31 December 2020

Zephyrinus Wishes A Happy, Holy, And Peaceful, New Year To All Readers Of This Blog.

 


Illustration: SHUTTERSTOCK

Fifty Years Of “The New Mass”. An Ongoing Series On The Liturgical Movement Of Vatican II.




This Article, which first appeared in 2019, is taken from, and can be read in full at,
FIFTY YEARS OF “THE NEW MASS”

Half a Century ago, Pope Paul VI imposed a Liturgical Reform on the whole Church in the name of The Council that had just ended. Thus was born “The Mass of Vatican II”. It was immediately rejected by two Cardinals and, since then, the opposition against it has not weakened. This sad Anniversary is an opportunity to trace its story.

On FSSPX.News, the story of this development is traced from beginning to end, in an ongoing Series of Articles, collected here:


The Making Of The Roman Missal.
3 December 2019.

Before considering The Liturgical Reform of Pope Paul VI and “The New Mass”, it is necessary to recount the history of The Roman Missal, since this Reform claims to be a continuation of “The Past”. The historical perspective will help with understanding the inanity of this claim.

The development of The Roman Missal was spread over several Centuries. Even if the essential elements, required for the accomplishment of The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass, have always been present, they have been progressively enshrined in Rites which make it possible to understand them and to grasp their deep meaning.

Read Part 1


The Development Of The Roman Missal.
13 December 2019.

The First Part of this historical overview of the development of The Roman Missal goes back to the 11th-Century. A new decisive stage was the work of The Council of Trent and Pope Saint Pius V, which we present in this Second Part.

Read Part 2


The Tridentine Missal Put To The Test By Gallicanism.
19 December 2019.

The First and Second Parts of this historical overview recounted the development of The Roman Missal, then the work of The Council of Trent and Pope Saint Pius V, up to the 16th-Century. Let us now consider the evolution of The Liturgy in the period that followed.

Read Part 3


Dom Guéranger And The Liturgical Movement - I.
28 December 2019.

The first three Articles in this Series took us to the 19th-Century. At that time, The Tridentine Missal, which had been established almost everywhere, was challenged, in particular by Gallicanism and Jansenism. This difficulty was encountered especially in France, but also in Italy with the famous Synod of Pistoia, held by The Jansenists in 1786.


Dom Guéranger And The Liturgical Movement - II.
6 January 2020.

The first four Articles brought us to the 19th-Century, to Dom Guéranger and to his magnificent work of restoration of The Roman Liturgy, prelude and beginning of The Liturgical Movement. There is, however, in the work of the Founder of Solesmes, a remarkable passage which fits happily into the study of “The New Mass”.


Fr. Emmanuel, Parish Priest Of Mesnil-Saint-Loup.
11 January 2020.

This Article considers one of the most beautiful Religious and Pastoral achievements of the second half of the 19th-Century in France, accomplished by Fr. Emmanuel, who lifted up his Parish through The Liturgy. A Monk from The Maredsous Benedictine Abbey once stated that three Benedictines summarised The Liturgical Effort of the 19th-Century: Dom Guéranger, Doctor of The Liturgy; Fr. Muard, Apostle; and Fr. Emmanuel, Pastor.


Pope Saint Pius X And The Liturgical Movement - I.
21 January 2020.


One historian of The Liturgical Movement wrote: “With Pope Saint Pius X, The Liturgical Movement entered into an entirely new period. Indeed, until then, it had been the prerogative of individual forces in The Church. Voices were raised here and there, manifesting their common agreement on a kind of reaction against pervasive Secularism, and advocating the return to sources as the true means of re-Christianisation . . . But these appeals, which started to work against the fabric of daily practices, could hit without warning the indifference of a whole, and by far the most numerous, section of the Clergy, who took poorly to any change in habits of piety and methods to the Apostolate.

“From the day when, on becoming Pope, Saint Pius X made himself the official propagator of The Liturgical Restoration, things changed. His multiple interventions on Religious Music, on The Psalter, and on frequent Communion, were so many energetic strokes which resolutely directed The Church towards a Liturgical Life steeped in Traditional Piety, Sacramental Grace, and Inspired Beauty”.

The Holy Pope’s Liturgical Work is thus distinguished by its areas of intervention: Religious Music; Decrees on Holy Communion; Reform of The Breviary and The Liturgical Calendar.

Read Part 7


Pope Saint Pius X And The Liturgical Movement - II.
21 January 2020.


The first Article dealt with the intervention of Pope Saint Pius X in the field of Liturgical Music, which enabled him to lay the cornerstone of The Liturgical Movement: To restore The Liturgy to its full glory, and, by this means, to revive The Liturgy's true Catholic spirit. Another intervention by Pope Saint Pius X concerns The Liturgy considered at its heart; the practice of The Sacraments.

Read Part 8


Pope Saint Pius X And The Liturgical Movement - III.
31 January 2020.

The first Article dealt with the intervention of Pope Saint Pius X in the field of Liturgical Music, which enabled him to lay the cornerstone of The Liturgical Movement: To restore The Liturgy to its full glory, and, by this means, to revive The Liturgy's true Catholic spirit. Another intervention by Pope Saint Pius X concerns The Liturgy considered at its heart; the practice of The Sacraments.

Read Part 9


Dom Gaspar Lefebvre And His Missal.
15 February 2020.

Born of Benedictine fathers, The Liturgical Movement for a long time will see its history linked to that of The Order of Saint Benedict. The Movement, which sprung specifically from The French Congregation and Dom Guéranger, would grow and quickly spread beyond the borders of France. Indeed, the expulsion of The Religious (The Laws of 1880 and 1903) for a time would shift The Liturgical Movement’s centre of gravity towards Belgium. Dom Lefebvre is a prominent representative.


Dom Lambert Beauduin And The Liturgical Movement.
2 March 2020.


Octave Beauduin was born in Rosoux, Belgium, on 4 August 1873. At the great Liège Seminary, he was strongly influenced by Fr. Antoine Pottier, who was very attached to The Workers’ Apostolate and the Encyclical “Rerum Novarum”.

He was ordained a Priest in 1897 and appointed Supervisor and Teacher at Saint-Trond. Starting in 1899, however, he joined the Diocesan Congregation of The Society of Labour Chaplains, Founded five years earlier. He carried out various responsibilities in this young and modest Congregation, principally that of running a House in Seraing, where, with other Priests, he undertook an Apostolate with the labourers.


The National Centre For Pastoral Liturgy.
19 March 2020.


On 20 May 1943, the Fathers Pie Duployé and Aimon-Marie Roguet (themselves, Dominicans) Founded The Centre de Pastorale Liturgique (CPL) [Centre for Pastoral Liturgy] on the premises of the Éditions du Cerf publishing house (belonging to The Dominicans). Dom Lambert Beauduin participated in the Foundation Meeting.


Maria Laach Abbey.
20 March 2020.

Maria Laach Abbey is a German Benedictine Monastery located in Glees, in The Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Founded in the 11th-Century, the Abbey has remained active, except for a time during the 19th-Century when it became a Jesuit Scholasticate.

Returning to its Benedictine vocation in 1892, it is now part of The Beuron Congregation of The Order of Saint Benedict. It brings together most of the male and female Benedictine Houses in the German language.


Fr. Romano Guardini.
22 March 2020.

Fr. Romano Guardini is rightly regarded as one of the Fathers of “The New Liturgy”. Through his writings, his Liturgical experience, and his influence, he marked The Liturgical Movement and participated in its Modernist Deviation.

Read Part 14


Fr. Pius Parsch.
26 March 2020.


With Fr. Romano Guardini, Fr. Pius Parsch is another key player from across The Rhine in The Liturgical Movement. Like Fr. Guardini, he was both a Theorist and a Liturgical “Experimenter,” seeking to embody his ideas in New Ceremonies.

Read Part 15


Liturgical Revolution And Reaction Of The Hierarchy.
20 May 2020.


During The Second World War, the German Clergy found themselves confined to Churches and Sacristies by the Anti-Christian Government. However, they did not remain inactive. Among the innovators, a veritable Liturgical Revolution was being prepared and developed. The ideas of Dom Odo Casel, Fr. Romano Guardini, and Fr. Pius Parsch, were thus gaining ground.

“Te Deum”. “Veni Creator Spiritus”. Two Plenary Indulgences Available.

 


"Te Deum".
5th-Century Solemn Monastic Chant.
Monks of the one of the Abbeys of The Solesmes Congregation sing this beautiful Chant. The Te Deum is attributed to two Fathers and Doctors of The Church, Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine and is one the most majestic Chants in The Liturgy of The Church. It is sung in Traditional Seminaries and Monastic Houses at The Divine Office and for Double Feasts of The First Class: The Nativity; Easter; Corpus Christi; Epiphany; Pentecost; and those Feasts which have an Octave. The Solemn Te Deum is sung on all occasions of public Church rejoicing (in Traditional Catholic Churches).
Available on YouTube at


“Veni Creator Spiritus”.
Available on YouTube at


The following Text is from FR. Z's BLOG

FATHERS ! Tell your people.

Catholics can gain a Plenary Indulgence on New Year’s EVE, 31 December (EnchInd. 26) by the Recitation or the Singing of The Te Deum.

To gain the Indulgence, the usual following conditions must be met:

1. Sacramental Confession and Communion within a brief time (about 20 days);
2. The prescribed Good Work (for 31 Dec. the Recital of The Te Deum);
3. Prayers for the Pope’s designated intentions (One x Our Father, One x Hail Mary);
5. Detestation of, and detachment from, even Venial Sins (without which only a Partial Indulgence can be gained), at the time of the Indulgenced Work.

Catholics can gain a Plenary Indulgence on New Year’s DAY, 1 January (EnchInd. 26) by the Recitation or the Singing of The Veni Creator Spiritus.

Same conditions.


For the sake of those legitimately impeded, Confessors can commute both the Work prescribed and the Conditions required (except, obviously, detachment from even Venial Sins).

Indulgences can be applied either to oneself or to the Souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on Earth.

For The Te Deum – HERE

For The Veni Creator Spiritus – HERE

For your edification, you might listen to some musical settings of The Te Deum. In Gregorian Chant, there are Solemn and Simple Tones. There are numerous Orchestral and Choral Settings.


Perhaps you have a favourite Setting ?

This is kinda fun. When the French get it right, it’s pretty awesome. With the great Organ of The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. From Les Grandes heures liturgiques à Notre-Dame de Paris.

US HERE – UK HERE – and check today’s CHRISTMASCAzT !

Be CAREFUL with the volume!

Indulgences . . . don’t leave Life without them.

Did you know that there is a Partial Indulgence attached to Recitation of your customary
Prayer After A Meal ?  “Agimus tibi gratias" . . . "We Give Thee Thanks, O Lord . . .".

Think about it.



Illustration: ROMA AETERNA.JP/LIBER


The following Text is from RORATE CAELI

§ 1.   A Plenary Indulgence is granted to The Christian Faithful, who, in a Church or in an Oratory, are present in a Recitation or Solemn Chant of:

1°.    The Hymn, "Veni Creator Spiritus" . . . on The First Day of the Year, imploring Divine Assistance for the whole of the coming Year . . .


2°.    The Hymn, "Te Deum" . . . on The Last Day of the Year, in thanksgiving to God for the favours received in the course of the entire Year.

(Reference: Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, 4th edition, al. concessiones.)



The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

"Veni Creator Spiritus" ("Come Creator Spirit") is a Hymn, believed to have been written by Rabanus Maurus in the 9th-Century A.D. When the original Latin Text is used, it is normally sung in Gregorian Chant.

NOTE: Not to be confused with The Sequence for Pentecost "Veni Sancte Spiritus ".

As an Invocation of The Holy Ghost, it is sung in The Roman Catholic Church during Liturgical Celebrations on The Feast of Pentecost (at both Terce and Vespers). It is also sung at occasions such as the entrance of Cardinals to the Sistine Chapel when they elect a new pope, as well as at the consecration of bishops, the ordination of priests, when celebrating the sacrament of Confirmation, the dedication of churches, the celebration of synods or councils, coronations, the profession of members of religious institutes, and other similar solemn events.

The hymn is also widely used in the Anglican Communion and appears, for example, in the Ordering of Priests and in the Consecration of Bishops in the Book of Common Prayer, 1662. It has been translated into several languages; one English example is "Creator Spirit! by whose aid", written 1690 by John Dryden and published in The Church Hymn book 1872 (n. 313); one of the earlier is the 1627 version "Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire" by Bishop John CosinMartin Luther used it as the basis for his chorale for Pentecost "Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist", first published in 1524.

Saint Sylvester I. Pope And Confessor. Feast Day, Today, 31 December. The First Twenty-Five Popes Die Martyrs.


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

Saint Sylvester I.
   Pope and Confessor.
   Feast Day 31 December.

Double.

White Vestments.



English: Pope Saint Sylvester I and Emperor Constantine.
San Silvestro Chapel at Santi Quattro Coronati, Rome, Italy.
עברית: דוד שי מאשדוד הוא היה הסילבסטר הוא היה מרביץ ליהודים ושובר להם את הרגליים
Date: 1247.
Author: Unknown Mediæval artist in Rome, Italy.
(Wikimedia Commons)

If 31 December falls on a Sunday, The Mass of The Sunday within The Octave of The Nativity of Our Lord is said, with a Commemoration of Saint Sylvester.

The Church reproduces in her Liturgy all phases of The Life of her Divine Founder.

When only just born, The Infant God is persecuted by Herod: The Church, still in her cradle, sends to Heaven her First Martyr in the person of the Deacon, Stephen, and her First Twenty-Five Popes die Martyrs.


English: The Oratory of Saint Sylvester,
at the Basilica Santi Quattro Coronati, Rome, Italy.
Italiano: Roma, Santi Quattro Coronati: oratorio di S. Silvestro.
Photo: 21 May 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa
(Wikimedia Commons)

Returned from Egypt, Jesus grows in age and wisdom at Nazareth, where the years pass in quietness: Under the Pontificate of Sylvester I (314 A.D. - 345 A.D.), The Church, after three hundred years of Persecution, begins to enjoy liberty, which is her greatest boon.

She spreads in The Roman Empire, and The Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) establishes triumphantly, against Arius, The Doctrine of The Divinity of The Saviour, of which The Liturgy of The Season of Christmas is full.

At The First Council of Nicea, The Breviary tells us, The Catholic Faith on the subject of The Divinity of Christ was explained by three hundred and eighteen Bishops; Arius and his sect being condemned. At the request of The Fathers, Sylvester confirmed again this Council in a Synod held at Rome, and in which Arius was condemned again.


English: Christ-in-Glory fresco in the Oratory of Saint Sylvester,
at the Basilica Santi Quattro Coronati, Rome, Italy.
Italiano: Roma, Santi Quattro Coronati:
oratorio di S. Silvestro - storie di Costantino e Silvestro (XIII sec.).
Photo: 21 May 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa
(Wikimedia Commons)

According to the legend of The Breviary, Sylvester decreed also that the Bishop alone should consecrate the Chrism; that, in the administration of Baptism, the Priest should anoint with The Holy Oils the crown of the head of the person being Baptised; that Deacons should wear the Dalmatic and have a Maniple of linen on the left arm; and, finally, that The Sacrifice of The Mass should be offered up upon an Altar Cloth of linen.

He fixed also a certain period for those who should receive Holy Orders, during which they must exercise successively their Order in The Church, before being raised to a higher degree.

Sylvester ruled The Church twenty-one and a half years. He was buried in the Cemetery of Priscilla on The Salarian Way.

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

Mass: Sacerdótes tui.
Second Collect: Of The Octave of The Nativity of Our Lord.
Epistle: Testificor.
Gospel: Sint lumbi.
Creed. Is Said or Sung.
Preface: For Christmas.
Communicantes: For Christmas.



English: Emperor Constantine, suffering from leprosy, dreams of Saints Peter and Paul.
Fresco in The Oratory of Saint Sylvester, at the Basilica Santi Quattro Coronati, Rome.
Italiano: Roma, Santi Quattro Coronati, oratorio di S. Silvestro:
Costantino, colpito da lebbra, sogna i santi Pietro e Paolo.
Photo: 21 May 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa
(Wikimedia Commons)

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

Pope Sylvester I (+ 31 December 335 A.D.), whose name is also spelled "Silvester", was the Head of The Catholic Church from 31 January 314 A.D., to his death in 335 A.D. He succeeded Pope Miltiades. He filled The See of Rome at an important era in the history of The Catholic Church, yet very little is known of him.

The accounts of his Papacy, preserved in The Liber Pontificalis (7th- or 8th-Century A.D.), contain little more than a record of the gifts said to have been conferred on The Church by Emperor Constantine I, but it does say that he was the son of a Roman, named Rufinus. During his Pontificate, were built the great Churches founded at Rome by Constantine, e.g. the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Saint Peter's Basilica, and several Cemeterial Churches over the graves of Martyrs.

Pope Sylvester did not attend The First Council of Nicaea, in 325 A.D., but he was represented by two Legates, Vitus and Vincentius, and he approved The Council's decision.

Wednesday 30 December 2020

Fontfroide Abbey, France.



English: The Cloisters,
Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Français: Cloitre de Fontfroide.
Photo: 23 April 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: J-f.desvignes
(Wikimedia Commons)



English: The Cloisters, Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Français: Vue en panorama du cloître de Fontfroide
Photo: 9 September 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: J-f.desvignes
(Wikimedia Commons)


English: Cistercian Monks at Fontfroide Abbey.
This photo was taken between 1858 and 1907.
Français: Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide à Narbonne (Aude). Entre 1858 et 1907. Vue d'un groupe de moines à l'intérieure du cloître de l'abbaye. Au premier plan rangée de moines, vue de dos, regards vers extérieur, costumes religieux, cape, ; au second plan colonnes, arcades, plafond. Mention manuscrite : « C. abbé Laborie ». Etiquette imprimée : « E. Trutat N° ».
Collection: Archives municipales de ToulouseThis photograph is part of the Fonds Eugène Trutat, preserved by the City archives of Toulouse.
It was provided to Wikimedia Commons as part of a co-operation project with Wikimédia France.
(Wikimedia Commons)


English: The Cloisters, Fontfroide Abbey, France.
The same view, today, as the previous photograph (above)
showing the Monks in the Cloisters.
Français : Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide.
Photo: 3 May 2014.
Source: Own work.
Author: Tournasol7
(Wikimedia Commons)


Fontfroide Abbey (French: Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide; Latin: Fons frigidus) is a former Cistercian Monastery in France, situated fifteen kilometres South-West of Narbonne, near to the Spanish border.

It was Founded in 1093 by Aimery I, Viscount of Narbonne, but remained poor and obscure, and needed to be re-Founded by Ermengarde, Viscountess of Narbonne.

In 1144, it affiliated itself to The Cistercian Reform Movement. Shortly afterwards, The Count of Barcelona gave it the land in Spain that was to form the great Catalan Monastery of Poblet, of which Fontfroide counts as The Mother House, and, in 1157, the Viscountess Ermengarde of Narbonne granted it a great quantity of land locally, thus securing its wealth and status.



English: The Cloisters and Garden, Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Deutsch: Abbaye de Fontfroide,
Kreuzgang, Zwillingssäulen der Arkatur.
Photo: 27 August 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Jochen Jahnke
(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey fought, together with Pope Innocent III, against the heretical doctrine of The Cathars, who lived in the region. The Abbey was Dissolved in 1791 in the course of The French Revolution.

It was re-Founded in 1858 by Monks from Sénanque Abbey. The Community was driven out of France by French legal changes in 1901. The premises, which are of very great Architectural interest, passed into private hands in 1908, when the artists Gustave and Madeleine Fayet d'Andoque bought it to protect the fabric of the buildings from an American collector of sculpture. They restored it over a number of years and used it as a centre for artistic projects.

It still remains in private hands. Today, wine is produced here of the AOC Corbières quality under the French appellations system. It also has a small working farm, bookstore and restaurant and takes paying guests.

The Web-Site of Fontfroide Abbey can be found HERE

And The Winner In This Year’s Pulpit-Of-The-Year Award Is . . . (The Novus Ordo Did Not Apply).



The Pulpit,
Saint Stephen's Cathedral, Passau, Germany
Illustration: PINTEREST

"The Prayer".



“The Prayer”.
Sung by: Celine Dion and Josh Groban.
Available on YouTube at

Tuesday 29 December 2020

Another New Monastery. More New Monks. This Time In Montana. The Traditional Latin Liturgy Grows Stronger And Stronger. Deo Gratias.



Rosa Mystica.
One of Our Lady's Titles from The Litany of Loreto.
Illustration: PINTEREST


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

Dear Friends.

Live Jesus Our Love And Mary Our Hope !

On behalf of the Members of The Congregation of The Sons of The Most Holy Redeemer, I announce with joy and gratitude to The Infant Jesus and His Most Holy Mother, that, on The Feast of The Most Holy Rosary, 7 October 2020, our Religious Order was granted a Canonical Invitation to establish a Monastery in The Diocese of Great Falls - Billings, which is the Eastern Diocese of Montana, in the United States of America.


His Lordship, The Bishop of Great Falls - Billings, Bishop Michael Warfel,
signing with The Rector Major, Father Michael Mary, The Canonical Agreement and Invitation into The Diocese.

Then, having received extraordinary providence from Our Most Sweet Infant Jesus, on The Feast of The Expectation of The Blessed Virgin Mary, 18 December 2020, we purchased the 200-acre hilly domain of 72, Red Shale Lane, Forsyth, Montana, with the intention of building there the future Monastery of our American Foundation, and a place in their own Country for our much-loved American Vocations.

Here is a place that is, according to our Constitutions, a holy wilderness for Prayer and Retreat; and, should God so Will our Monks, would spread from here as Missionaries to wherever they are called.

Together with the recent announcement of a new Monastery in France (see HERE), there is, obviously, a renaissance of Contemplative Monastic Life within the World.

The World is in desperate need of the Prayers and Devotions of these new Monasteries, and Zephyrinus encourages all Readers to visit their Web-Sites and, if possible, make a small donation. That way, you are participating in the spread of this wonderful way of life.

Saint Thomas Of Canterbury. Bishop And Martyr. Feast Day 29 December.


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

Saint Thomas of Canterbury.
   Bishop and Martyr.
   Feast Day 29 December.

Double.

Red Vestments.


Canterbury Cathedral, 
where Saint Thomas was murdered on 29 December 1170.
Photo: 2006.
Attribution must say: WyrdLight.com
Author: Antony McCallum: Who is the uploader, photographer,
full copyright owner and proprietor of WyrdLight.com
(Wikimedia Commons)


This miniature, from an English Psalter, presents an account of
the murder of Saint Thomas of Canterbury. Three of the four Knights
attack the Archbishop kneeling in Prayer before the Altar. One of the Knights
kicks Saint Thomas to the floor, and sends his Mitre flying.
Artist: Anonymous.
Date: Circa 1250.
Current location: Walters Art Museum, Baltimore,
Maryland, United States of America.
Credit line: Acquired by Henry Walters.
Source/Photographer: Walters Art Museum
(Wikimedia Commons)

If 29 December falls on a Sunday, The Mass of The Sunday within The Octave of The Nativity is said, with a Commemoration of Saint Thomas.

The Season of Christmas, by manifesting to us The Divine Filiation of The Child in The Crib, as the Epistle of The Day reminds us, shows that He is a Priest. His Priesthood consists in making The Life of God penetrate our Souls and in defending, even at the cost of His Life, The Divine Rights of this Beloved Spouse.

The Feast of Saint Thomas Becket shows us that, in participating in The Dignity of The Christ Priest, as Archbishop of Canterbury, he knew how to prove himself, like Christ, The Shepherd, who defends His flock against the ravages of the wolf (Gospel).


Seal of The Abbot of Arbroath, Scotland, showing the murder of Saint Thomas Becket.
Arbroath Abbey was Founded eight years after the death of Saint Thomas and
Dedicated to him. Arbroath Abbey became the wealthiest Abbey in Scotland.
Date: Mediæval Seal. Photo from the 1850s.
Source: Cosmo Innes and Patrick Chalmers (eds.), Liber S. Thome De Aberbrothoc;
Registrorum Abbacie De Aberbrothoc, Volume 2, Edinburgi
(Bannatyne Club) 1848-1856, front.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Henry II, King of England, wished him (Thomas) to sanction customs contrary to the liberties of The Church. Saint Thomas knew that to make this Divine Society subservient to the secular power would be to violate her very constitution, and so he declared that "as a Priest of Jesus Christ, he would willingly suffer death in defence of The Church of God".

He was slain in his Cathedral by the King's soldiers on 29 December 1170.

Against those who seek to enslave The Church, let us neither employ the craft of politics nor the weapons of warfare, but, after the example "of the glorious Thomas, who fell by the swords of the wicked in the defence of The Church" (Collect), let us know how to withstand them resolutely with all the moral strength that the defence of The Rights of God inspires.

Mass: Gaudeámus omnes in Dómino.
Second Collect: Of The Octave of The Nativity.
Creed.
Preface: For Christmas.
Communicantes: For Christmas.
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