24 May. Feast Day Of Our Lady, Help Of Christians.

Text taken from "The Liturgical Year",
by Abbot Gueranger, O.S.B.
Translated from the French by
Dom Laurence Shepherd, O.S.B.
Volume 8, Paschal Time, Book II.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications,
July 2000.
www.libers.com

OUR LADY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS.

(Feast Day, 24 May).

Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Santander, Cantabria, Spain.

Photo: 16 October 2008.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eltb/7055632377.

Author: Enrique López-Tamayo Biosca.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Ever since our entrance upon the joys of the Paschal Season, scarcely a day has passed without offering us some grand Mystery or Saint to honour; and all these have been radiant with the Easter sun.

But here has not been a single Feast of Our Blessed Lady to gladden our hearts by telling us of some Mystery or glory of this august Queen. The Feast of her Seven Dolours is sometimes kept in April - that is when Easter Sunday falls on or after the 10th of that month; but May and June pass without any special Solemnity in honour of the Mother of God.

It would seem as though Holy Church wished to honour, by a respectful silence, the Forty Days during which Mary enjoyed the company of her Jesus, after His Resurrection. We, therefore, should never separate the Mother and the Son, if we would have our Easter mediations be in strict accordance with Truth - and that we surely must wish.

MARIAN DEVOTION.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/P8u96TT0p3U

English: Basilica of Our Lady, Help of Christians, Turin, Italy. 
Founded by Saint John Bosco.

Italiano: Santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice - Torino - Italia.

Photo: March 2007.

Source: fotografia personale.

Author: Franco56.

Permission: GFDL.

(Wikimedia Commons)

During these Forty Days, Jesus frequently visits His disciples, weak men and sinners as they are: Can He, then, keep away from His Mother, now that He is so soon to ascend into Heaven, and leave her for several long years here on Earth ? Our hearts forbid us to entertain the thought. 

We feel sure that He frequently visits her, and that, when not visibly present with her, she has Him in her Soul, in a way more intimate and real and delicious than any other creature could have.

No Feast could have given expression to such a Mystery; and, yet, the Holy Ghost, who guides the spirit of the Church, has gradually led the Faithful to devote, in an especial manner to the honour of Mary, the entire month of May, the whole of which comes, almost every year, under the glad Season of Easter.

13th-Century Italian Acclamation 

to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/7Cjd1Inh1T4

No doubt, the loveliness of the month would, some time or other, suggest the idea of consecrating it to the Holy Mother of God; but, if we reflect on the Divine and Mysterious influence which guides the Church in all that she does, we shall recognise, in this present instance, a Heavenly inspiration, which prompted the Faithful to unite their own happiness to that of Mary, and spend this beautiful month, which is radiant with their Easter joy, in commemorating the maternal delight experienced during that same period, by the Immaculate Mother when on Earth.

A painting of Dom Prosper Guéranger 

by Claude-Ferdinand Gaillard.

Printmaker was Claude-Ferdinand Gaillard (1834–1887). 

Created 1874, published 1878 or earlier.

Photo: 2007-05-07 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia.

Author: Original uploader was Ikanreed at en.wikipedia.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age, 

see these sources: [1] and [2].

(Wikimedia Commons)

Dom Prosper Louis Pascal Guéranger (4 April 1805, Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France – 30 January 1875, Solesmes, France) was a Benedictine Priest, Abbot of Solesmes Abbey (which he founded in the disused Priory of Solesmes) and founder of the 

French Benedictine Congregation (now the Solesmes Congregation).

Dom Guéranger was the author of "The Liturgical Year", which covers every day of the Catholic Church's Liturgical Cycle in 15 volumes. He was well regarded by Blessed Pope Pius IX, and was a proponent of the Dogmas of Papal Infallibility and the Immaculate Conception. Dom Guéranger is credited with reviving the Benedictine Order in France, and revitalising the Tridentine Mass.

Today, however, we have a Feast in honour of Mary. True, it is not one of those Feasts which are entered on the General Calendar of the Church; yet,it is so widely spread, with the consent of the Holy See, that our "Liturgical Year" would have been incomplete without it.

Its object is to honour the Mother of God as the Help of Christians - a Title she has justly conferred upon Christendom. Dating from that day whose anniversary we have just celebrated (Pentecost), when the Holy Ghost descended upon Mary in the Cenacle, in order that she might begin to exercise over the Church Militant her power as Queen - who could tell the number of times that she has aided, by her protection, the kingdom of her Son on Earth ?

MARIAN DEVOTION.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/w8kmuZqV7dI

Heresies have risen up, one after the other; they were violent; they were frequently supported by the great ones of this world [current Politicians take note - Editor]; each of them was resolved on the destruction of the True Faith; and yet, one after the other, they have dwindled away, or fallen into impotency; those of the present day are gradually sinking by internal discord [written at the end of the 19th-Century, but still relevant today - Editor]; and Holy Church tells us that it is Mary who "alone destroys all heresies throughout the whole world." [Gaude, Maria Virgo ! cunctas haereses sola interemisti in universo mundo (Office of the Blessed Virgin. Matins vii Antiphon).

If public scandals or persecutions, or the tyranny of secular interference (current Politicians take note - Editor], have at times threatened to stay the progress of the Church, Mary has stretched forth her arm, the obstacles were removed, and the Spouse of Jesus continued her onward march, leaving her foes and her fetters behind her.

All this was vividly brought before the mind of the Saintly Pontiff, Pope Pius V, by the Victory of Lepanto, gained by Mary's intercession over the Turkish fleet, and he resolved to add one more Title to the Glorious List given to Our Lady in the Litany of Loreto: It was "Auxilium Christianorum, HELP OF CHRISTIANS".

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Eight).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Missa " CUM JUBILO", Canto Gregoriano, Giovanni Vianini, 

Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis, Milano, Italia.

English: Mass IX (Missa Cum Jubilo), used on Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Italiano: Missa CUM JUBILO, Canto Gregoriano "In solemnitatibus et Festis Beatae Mariae V.", a pagina 741 del libro Graduale romano, Gian Nicola Vessia : Organo, direttore Giovanni Vianini, Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis, Milano, Italia, www.cantogregoriano.it

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/0DYyWFtPmpA

In the Middle Ages, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a Doctor of the Church, was a fervent supporter of Mary. He highlighted her Virginity and Humility as the basis for her veneration. A particularly significant contribution to Mariology came from John Duns Scotus, who, in the 13th-Century, defended the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Scotus identified the key theological foundations, which led to the declaration of the Dogma of Immaculate Conception, centuries later.

In the 16th-Century, Saint Ignatius of Loyola promulgated an ardent love to the Virgin Mary. Ignatius admired images of the Virgin Mary and, before his death, instructed the Jesuits to preserve Madonna della Strada, which was later enshrined in the Church of the Gesu, in Rome. Filippo Neri, a contemporary of Ignatius, called Mary "Mother and Advocate" and is credited with the innovation of daily Marian devotions during the month of May. Saint Peter Canisius is credited with adding the Hail Mary to his Catechism of 1555.

In the 18th-Century, Saint Alphonsus Liguori wrote the classic book,"The Glories of Mary", in which he called Mary the "Gate of Heaven". Saint Louis de Montfort's book, "True Devotion to Mary", synthesised many of the earlier Saints' writings and teachings on Mary. His approach of "total consecration to Jesus Christ, through Mary" had a strong impact on Marian devotion, both in popular piety and in the spirituality of religious institutes. One of his well-known followers was Pope John Paul II, who said that reading Montfort's book was a "decisive turning point" in his life.

Mary in Roman Catholic Liturgy.

The Roman Catholic Liturgy is one of the most important elements of Marian Devotions. Marian Feasts are superior to the Feast Days of the Saints. The Liturgical texts, of the Marian Feast Days, all link Mary to Jesus Christ and keep Marian awareness awake within the Church.

English: Azzano San Paolo, Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy. 

Procession on the Feast of the Holy Rosary.

Italiano: Azzano San Paolo, Bergamo - 
processione per la festa del santo rosario.

Photo: 23 September 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Luigi Chiesa.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Catholic Marian Feast Days.

The earliest Christian Feasts, that relate to Mary, grew out of the Cycle of Feasts that celebrated the Nativity of Jesus. By the 7th-Century, a Feast dedicated to Mary was celebrated, just before Christmas, in the Churches of Milan and Ravenna, in Italy. Over time, the number of Feasts (and the associated Titles of Mary) and the venerative practices that accompany them, increased and, today, Roman Catholics have more Marian Feasts, Titles and venerative practices than any other Christians. Marian Feasts have continued to be developed in the Catholic Church, e.g., the Feast of the Queenship of Mary was declared in 1954, in the Papal Encyclical, "Ad Caeli Reginam", by Pope Pius XII.

Some Marian Feasts relate to specific events, e.g., the Feast of Our Lady of Victory (later renamed Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary) was based on the 1571 victory of the Papal States against the Muslims in the Battle of Lepanto. It is now celebrated on 7 October. The month of October was then established as the "month of the Rosary" by Pope Leo XIII, who recommended daily Rosary devotions in October.

During the month of May, May Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary take place in many Catholic regions. These include the singing of Marian Anthems, Readings from Scripture, a Sermon, and or presentations by local Choirs. The month is also associated with Reflection on the Virgin Mary's role as the ideal Disciple,  who sheds light on the Christian way of Life, and theologian Karl Rahner stated: "When we are involved in our May Devotions, we are engaged in a Christian understanding of the human situation."

English: A Feast of Our Lady of Andacollo Procession, in Chile, 1838.

Español: Fiesta en Honor a la Virgen del Rosario de Andacollo (Chile) 1838.

Source: http://www.ub.es/geocrit/sn-94-106.htm.

Author: GAY. Claude. Album D'Un Voyage dans 
la Republique du Chili par Claude Gay.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates three Marian Solemnities, which are also Holy Days of Obligation, in many countries during the Liturgical Year (in Liturgical order):

8 December Feast of the Immaculate Conception;
1 January Mary, Mother of God (in the new Ordinary Rite. The Extraordinary Rite (Usus Antiquior) has the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord, in addition to being within the Octave of the Nativity.)
15 August The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Among the other prominent Marian Feast Days and "Memorials" in the General Roman Calendar (Ordinary Rite) of the Catholic Church are:

12 December Our Lady of Guadalupe;
11 February Our Lady of Lourdes;
13 May Our Lady of Fátima;
31 May Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
Immaculate Heart of Mary (Saturday after the Sacred Heart of Jesus);
22 August Queenship of Mary;
8 September Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Chant of The Templars (Salve Regina).

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/uv_2x6JmuaE

Titles of The Blessed Virgin Mary.

A large number of Titles, to honour Mary or ask for her intercession, are used by Roman Catholics. While Mater Dei (i.e., "Mother of God", as confirmed by the First Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D.) is common in Latin, a large number of other Titles have been used by Roman Catholics  –  far more than any other Christians.

Titles used to refer to the Virgin Mary, throughout history, at times reflect the changing attitudes towards her. Domina (Lady), Regina (Queen) and Stella Maris (Star of the Sea) are some of the early Titles of Mary, of which Regina is the earliest. Domina and Stella Maris are found in Jerome, who perhaps originated the etymology of Mary as Stella Maris in the 5th-Century.

While the early emphasis in Stella Maris was on Mary as the Star that bore Christ, by the 9th-Century the attention had focused on Mary, herself, as indicated in the Hymn, Ave Maris Stella. By the 11th-Century, Mary, herself, had emerged as the Star that acted as a Guiding Light. 

By the 13th-Century, as Mariology was growing, Saint Anthony of Padua had composed "Mary Our Queen".  Titles continue to be interpreted, e.g., Queen of Heaven was further elaborated in 1954, in the Papal Encyclical, Ad Caeli Reginam, by Pope Pius XII.

Pope Francis and Marian Devotion.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/9nUt0TstM7c.

Among the most prominent Roman Catholic Marian Titles, are:

Mary, Mother of God;
Mary, the Immaculate Conception;
Mary, Queen of Heaven;
Queen of the Angels;
Queen of Peace;
Star of the Sea (Stella Maris);
Mother of All Sorrows;
Queen of Queens.

Marian Music.

One of the earliest Marian compositions is the popular Salve Regina, in Latin, from a Benedictine Monk, which exists in several Gregorian versions. The Liturgy of the Hours include several Offices to be sung. At the close of the Office, one of four Marian Antiphons is sung. These songs, Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina Caelorum, Regina Caeli, and Salve Regina, have been described as "among the most beautiful creations of the Late Middle Ages."

PART NINE FOLLOWS.

Gregorian Chant Week-End Course.

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Around Easter each year, the Gregorian Chant Network organises a residential week-end course for singers of all all levels of experience. Gregorian Chant requires specialised training and this is provided by tutors with a wealth of teaching experience in this most beautiful of musical forms.

Students on the course mainly sing with, or are planning to sing with, parish choirs and scholas who use Gregorian Chant on a regular basis, most commonly with the Traditional Latin Mass.

WATCH THE VIDEO, HERE.

The Chant course runs side-by-side with the St Catherine's Trust Family Retreat (see part one of this film) and singers provide the music for the liturgy on the retreat.

The film features interviews with Dr Joseph Shaw, of the Latin Mass Society, who is the main organiser, and with one of the course tutors.

The Latin Mass Society: lms.org.uk
The Gregorian Chant Network: gregorianchantnetwork.blogspot.co.uk

Zephyrinus commends this Gregorian Chant Week-End Course to all Readers.

Watch the Video (see, above) and see if you agree.

The Ancient Roman Mass. The Abbey of Cluny.

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Zephyrinus has discovered a most worthy Blog, entitled THE RAD TRAD, and heartily recommends it to all Readers.

It can be found at THIS LOCATION and has recently Posted on two excellent Articles. One is on THE ABBEY AT CLUNY and the other is on THE ANCIENT ROMAN MASS.

Both Articles make riveting reading. Why not pop over and have a read ?

Psalm 50 (The Miserere). One Of The Seven Penitential Psalms. Gregorio Allegri's "Miserere".

English: Saint Augustine of Hippo.

Deutsch: Hl. Augustinus in betrachtendem Gebet.

Four of the Penitential Psalms were well known to Saint Augustine of Hippo.

Artist: Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510).

Date: Circa 1480.

Current location: Florence, Italy.

Notes: Deutsch: Auftraggeber: wahrscheinlich aus der Familie der Vespucci (Wappen).

Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.

Permission: [1].

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Penitential Psalms, or Psalms of Confession, so named in Cassiodorus's commentary of the 6th-Century A.D., are Psalms 6, 32, 38, 50, 102, 130, and 143 (6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, and 142 in the Septuagint numbering).

Psalm 6.      Domine ne in furore tuo (Pro octava).
Psalm 32.    Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates.
Psalm 38.    Domine ne in furore tuo (In rememorationem de sabbato).
Psalm 50.    Miserere mei Deus.
Psalm 102.  Domine exaudi orationem meam et clamor meus ad te veniat.
Psalm 130.  De profundis clamavi.
Psalm 143.  Domine exaudi orationem meam auribus percipe obsecrationem meam.

MISERERE MEI DEUS

(One of the Seven Penitential Psalms)

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/pPdXtPP0iRM

Ember Wednesday After Pentecost. Hymns During The Octave Of Pentecost.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),
by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Ember Wednesday after Pentecost.

Station at Saint Mary Major, Rome.

Indulgence of 30 years and 30 Quarantines.

Semi-Double.

Red Vestments.

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

"The Gift of Fortitude [one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost] is a permanent power, which the Holy Ghost communicates to our will, to assist us in overcoming the difficulties which might deter us in the practice of what is right" [Rev. M. Meschler, S.J., "The Gift of Pentecost: Meditations on the Holy Ghost," translated by Lady Amabel Kerr, p. 260].

VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS

(Hymn during the Octave of Pentecost)

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/Kphky63gK5I

The Ember Days always fall during the Octave of Pentecost. The Church then offers up to God the first-fruits of the new Season, and Prays for the Priests who, on the coming Saturday, are about to receive the Holy Ghost in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

The Station on Ember Wednesday was always held at Saint Mary Major. It was at the feet of the Blessed Virgin, whom the Holy Ghost filled with His Grace in the Cenacle, that the newly-Baptised gathered together.

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS

(Hymn during the Octave of Pentecost)

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/tFzdQZrCj9o

The Liturgy reminded them of the miracle of Pentecost (Lesson) and the marvels wrought by the Apostles, as a result of which the number of those who believed in the Lord was greatly increased (Epistle).

Moved by the Holy Ghost, the Catechumens also believed in Jesus; they turned to Him, and Jesus gave them to eat of the Bread that would make them live for ever (Gospel).

Let us implore the Divine Consoler to enlighten us always more and more and to place us in full possession of the truth (Collect).

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Seven).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Italiano: Giovanni Paolo I con il card Karol Wojtyła nella Città del Vaticano.

English: Pope John Paul I, with Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (later, Pope John Paul II), in the Vatican.

Deutsch: Johannes Paul I mit Kardinal Karol Wojtyła.

Español: Juan Pablo I con el cardenal Karol Wojtyła en la Ciudad del Vaticano.

Català: Joan Pau I amb el cardenal Karol Wojtyła.

Français: Jean-Paul Ier avec le cardinal Karol Wojtyła.

Photo: 4 September 1978.

Source: Archivio.

Author: Sibode1.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Pope John Paul II, made Marian devotions and consecrations 

a hallmark of his Papacy.

Mary's Role in Salvation and Redemption.

One of the components, of the Catholic veneration of Mary, is the focus on her participation in the processes of Salvation and Redemption. Entire books have been devoted to the exploration of the Catholic perspectives on Mary's role in Salvation and Redemption.

The underlying theological issues have been discussed as far back as Saint Thomas Aquinas, in the 13th-Century, and were intertwined with the discussions of the Immaculate Conception. One of the first scholars to offer theological foundations in this area was the Franciscan, Duns Scotus, who developed the notion that Mary was preserved from sin by the Redemptive Virtue of Jesus. Devotions to, and the veneration of, the Virgin Mary continued to spread, as she came to be seen as the helpful Mother of Christians, and by the 15th-Century these practises had oriented all the Catholic devotions.

Andrea Bocelli sings Schubert's Ave Maria.

Available on YouTube at 

http://youtu.be/pwp1CH5R-w4

As of the 17th-Century, a common thread in the writings of Saints and theologians, alike, is the role of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary as joint symbols of Redemption and Co-redemption. Saint Veronica Giuliani expressed how Mary's suffering, on Calvary, united her heart with that of Jesus, as she suffered each torment along with Him. The joint devotion to the hearts was formalised by Saint Jean Eudes, who organised the scriptural and theological foundations and developed its Liturgical themes.

John Eudes wrote that: "The Virgin Mary began to co-operate in the Plan of Salvation, from the moment she gave her consent to the Incarnation of the Son of God". The venerative aspects, of the united nature of the two hearts, continued through the centuries and, in 1985, Pope John Paul II coined the term "Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary", and, in 1986, addressed the international conference on that topic held at Fátima, Portugal.

John Duns Scotus.

One of Scotland's greatest men and, arguably, the most forward-thinking man of the 13th-Century. John of Dunse (as it was then spelt) was so controversial, because of his forward thinking, that many thought he was mad. Hence the word "dunse" or "dunce" for a poor scholar. He was educated at the Franciscan Grammar school in Haddington, Scotland, and, though he never joined the Franciscan Brotherhood, he is revered within that Order. There are Duns Scotus Colleges on the Continent. This statue stands in the public park of his home town, Duns, in Berwickshire, Scotland.

Photo: 16 October 2008.

Source: From geograph.org.uk.

Author: james denham.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Duns Scotus developed the notion that 

Mary was preserved from sin 

by the Redemptive Virtue of Jesus.

By the 18th-Century, the continued growth of Marian veneration had emphasised the role of the Virgin Mary in Salvation. In his classic book, "The Glories of Mary", Saint Alphonsus Liguori explained how God gave Mary to mankind as the "Gate of Heaven", and he quoted Saint Bonaventure, namely: "No-one can enter Heaven, unless by Mary, as though through a door." And he wrote: "Thou art the gate, through which all find Jesus; through thee, I also hope to find Him."

Saint Louis de Montfort, whose writings later influenced Popes, was an ardent supporter of the Virgin Mary's role in Salvation. The Catholic focus on the role of Mary, in Salvation and Redemption, continued into the 20th-Century, e.g., Pope John Paul II's 1987 Encyclical, Redemptoris Mater, began with the sentence: "The Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of Salvation."

Catholic Saints and The Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Roman Catholic perspective on the Virgin Mary has not simply been shaped by the theological studies of a few scholars, but also by devotional concepts embraced by millions of Catholics who venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary. These devotions have relied on the writings of numerous Saints throughout history, who have attested to the central role of Mary in God's plan of Salvation.

Early Saints included Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, in the 2nd-Century, who was perhaps the earliest of the Church Fathers to write systematically about the Virgin Mary, and he set out a forthright account of her role in the economy of Salvation. Saint Ambrose of Milan (339 A.D. – 397 A.D.) based the veneration of Mary not only on her virginity but also on her extraordinary courage.


PART EIGHT FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Six).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

The "Ave Regina Caelorum", 

one of the four Marian Anthems that are described 

as "among the most beautiful 

creations of the Late Middle Ages".

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/OAi6T7tQruE

Saint Louis de Montfort taught that God appointed Mary as "the Dispenser of Grace", and, to receive Grace from God, one can receive it through the hands of the Blessed Virgin, as a child receives from a mother. This concept of Mary, as "the Mother to us in the Order of Grace", who can intercede for "the gift of eternal salvation", was restated in the 1960s in Lumen Gentium, one of the principal Documents of the Second Vatican Council.

Consecration and Entrustment to Mary.

For centuries, Marian devotions among Roman Catholics have included many examples of personal or collective acts of consecration and entrustment to the Virgin Mary; the Latin terms oblatio, servitus, commendatio and dedicatio, were used in this context.

Consecration is an act by which a person is dedicated to a sacred service, or an act which separates an object, location or region from a common and profane mode to one for sacred use. Consecration to the Virgin Mary has been practised by Catholics for many centuries, at the personal, societal and Papal levels, where individuals, societies, regions and the whole world have been consecrated to her.

The Catholic Church makes it clear that the use of the term "consecration", with regard to Mary, is only applied in the "broad and non-technical sense" and is different from "those self-offerings which have God as their object, and which are characterised by totality and perpetuity, which are guaranteed by the Church's intervention and have as their basis the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation."

Madonna and Child (Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy).

Madonna, by Batoni, an example of Marian Art.

Artist: Pompeo Batoni (1708–1787).

Date: Circa 1742.

Source: Web Gallery of Art.

Author: Pompeo Batoni (1708–1787).

Permission: Public Domain.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Further, "the Faithful should be carefully instructed about the practise of consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . it is, in reality, only analogously a 'consecration to God,' and should be expressed in a correct Liturgical manner: To the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, imploring the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom we entrust ourselves completely, so as to keep our Baptismal commitments and live as her children. The act of consecration [to Mary] should take place outside of the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, since it is a devotional act which cannot be assimilated to the Liturgy. It should also be borne in mind that the act of consecration to Mary differs substantially from other forms of Liturgical consecration."

Individuals, declaring their "entrustment" to Mary, make a personal act to show their devotion and dedication to Mary as the Mother of God, who, though holy, is not, herself, a Divine being. Such individuals seek her intercession before God, through her Son, Jesus Christ, for she has no Divine power. Devotions to Mary are also commonly directed to Mary herself, to the Immaculate Heart, and/or to the Immaculata; true consecration is only to God.

Consecration to the Virgin Mary, by Roman Catholics, has taken place from three perspectives, namely personal, societal and regional and with three forms: To the Virgin, herself, as a whole, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to the Immaculata.

In Catholic teachings, consecration to Mary does not diminish or substitute the Love of God, but enhances it, for all consecration is ultimately made to God. Pope Leo XIII especially encouraged everyone to make acts of consecration to the Virgin Mary, based on the methods of Saint Louis de Montfort (who was Beatified by Pope Leo), and granted Indulgences for such consecrations. Pope Benedict XV also provided strong support for Marian consecration. Pope John Paul II's motto, Totus Tuus (i.e., "totally yours"), reflected his personal consecration to Mary.

The "Ave Maris Stella".

Available on YouTube at 

http://youtu.be/TacNIbmDZ4s

In the 18th-Century, Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort became a tireless advocate of "total consecration to Jesus, through Mary." In "True Devotion to Mary", Saint Louis de Montfort stated " . . . the most perfect consecration to Jesus Christ is nothing else than a perfect and entire consecration of ourselves to the Blessed Virgin and this is the devotion I teach; or, in other words, a perfect renewal of the vows and promises of Holy Baptism."

Early in the 20th-Century, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, called the Apostle of Consecration to Mary, began a vigorous programme of promoting consecration to the Immaculata and published Miles Immaculatae, which reached a circulation of 750,000 copies a month.

In modern times, Pope John Paul II clarified consecration to Mary in his 1987 Encyclical, "Mother of the Redeemer", in which he stated, "Mary's Motherhood . . . is a gift which Christ, Himself, makes personally to every individual." Pope John Paul II suggested Christians could best "entrust" themselves to Mary by becoming her spiritual sons and daughters.

Theologian, Garrigou-Lagrange, designated personal consecration to Mary as the highest level among Marian devotions. His student, Pope John Paul II, made Marian devotions and consecrations a hallmark of his Papacy, often referring to John 19:26–27, and heavily relying on the spirituality of Saint Louis de Montfort. He also consecrated the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

PART SEVEN FOLLOWS.

Division Of The Ecclesiastical Year.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),
by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

DIVISION OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR

A.      CHRISTMAS CYCLE 

          (Mystery of the Incarnation)

Preparation (Violet Vestments)

First Sunday of Advent to 24 December.

Celebration (White Vestments)

Christmastide (Christmas and Epiphany)

24 December to 13 January.

Prolongation (Green Vestments)

Time after Epiphany

14 January to Septuagesima Sunday.

B.      EASTER CYCLE

          (Mystery of the Redemption)

Preparation (Violet Vestments)

(remote)       Septuagesima

Septuagesima to Ash Wednesday.

(near)           Lent

Ash Wednesday to Passion Sunday.

(Immediate)  Passiontide

Passion Sunday to Holy Saturday.

Celebration (White Vestments and Red Vestments)

Easter and Pentecost

(Paschaltide)

Easter Sunday to Saturday after Pentecost.

Prolongation (White Vestments and Green Vestments)

Time after Pentecost

Trinity Sunday to Advent.

Votive Masses.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),

by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Votive Masses, which may be said on certain Feast Days of Semi-Double or Simple Rite and on certain Ferias, have been instituted to meet the wishes of the Faithful and satisfy private devotion.

The ordinary Votive Masses, as also the ordinary Masses for the Dead, may not be said on Greater Ferias, except on those of Advent.

Examples of Votive Masses, which can be requested of their Parish Priest, by the Faithful, include:

Votive Mass of Jesus Christ the High Priest;
Votive Mass of the Holy Trinity;
Votive Mass of the Holy Angels;
Votive Mass of Saint Joseph;
Votive Mass of Saints Peter and Paul;
Votive Mass of All the Holy Apostles;
Votive Mass of the Holy Ghost;
Votive Mass to obtain the Grace of the Holy Ghost;
Votive Mass of the Blessed Sacrament;
Votive Mass of the Holy Cross;
Votive Mass of the Passion;
Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
Votive Mass for Papal Election;
Votive Mass on the Anniversaries of the Pope;
Votive Mass for the Consecration of a Bishop;
Votive Mass on the Anniversaries of a Bishop;
Votive Mass of Ordination;
Votive Mass for the Sick;
Votive Mass for a dying Person;
Votive Mass for the Propagation of the Faith;
Votive Mass against the Heathen;
Votive Mass for the Removal of Schism;
Votive Mass in Time of War;
Votive Mass for Peace;
Votive Mass in Time of Pestilence;
Votive Mass of Thanksgiving;
Votive Mass for the Forgiveness of Sins;
Votive Mass for Pilgrims and Travellers;
Votive Mass for Any Necessity;
Votive Mass for a Happy Death;
Votive Mass of The Sacred Heart;
Votive Mass of The Holy Name;
Votive Mass of The Precious Blood;
Votive Mass of Christ The King;
Votive Mass of The Holy Family;
Votive Mass of The Immaculate Conception;
Votive Mass of The Seven Sorrows;
Votive Mass of All Saints;
Votive Mass of Any Canonised Saint
(even not mentioned in the Universal Calendar).

First-Class Sundays. Second-Class Sundays. Ordinary Sundays.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),
by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

a.      Sundays of The First-Class are:

The First Sunday of Advent and the four Sundays of Lent; Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday; Easter Sunday; Low Sunday; Pentecost. These ten Sundays give place to no other Feast.

b.      Sundays of The Second-Class are:

The Second, Third and Fourth Sundays of Advent; Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima Sundays. These Sundays give place only to Doubles of The First-Class.

c.      Ordinary Sundays (every Sunday other than the Sundays, above), give place to Feasts of The First-Class and of The Second-Class, as also to Feasts of Our Lord. But they supercede all Greater-Doubles, Ordinary Doubles, and Semi-Doubles. These Feasts are then simplified, i.e., only a Commemoration is made of them at Mass and in The Office.

The Rite And Degrees Of Feasts.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),
by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Feasts kept on the days of the year are not all equal in importance and Solemnity. The Church has established their Rank by a special Rite, and by different Degrees.

The Rite of a Feast consists in the form which constitutes it. There are three principal Rites:

1.      A Double Rite, on which days the Antiphons are Doubled by repeating the whole of them before and after each Psalm of Vespers. There is only one Collect at Masses of this Rite (provided there is no Commemoration to be made of one or more Saints).

2.      A Semi-Double Rite, on which only the first words of the Antiphons are said before the Psalms. The whole of them is said after the Psalms. There are always three Collects at Masses of this Rite.

3.      A Simple Rite.

The Degrees of a Feast consist in the greater or less Solemnity with which they are Celebrated. They are thus distinguished:

Doubles of The First-Class;

Doubles of The Second-Class;

Greater-Doubles;

Ordinary Doubles;

Semi-Doubles;

Simples.

All Souls' Day (2 November) excludes Feasts which occur below the Rank of First-Class, and transferred Feasts of any Rank.

Vigils.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),

by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Vigils, or Eves, are a preparation, by a Special Office, for the Celebration of the next day's Feast. They are days of Penance, the Office is often long, and Violet Vestments are usually worn.

They are classified as follows:

A.      Privileged Vigils:

1.      Of The First-Class, as the Vigils of Christmas and Pentecost, which do not give place to any Feast;

2.      Of The Second-Class, as the Vigil of The Epiphany, which only admits Feasts of The First-Class of Our Lord and of The Second-Class of Our Lord.

B.      Ordinary Vigils, as of Apostles, etc.

Ferias.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),
by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Ferias are weekdays on which no Feast is kept.

Ember Days, Rogation Days, and every Feria in Lent, have a special Mass. On other Ferias, the Mass of the preceding Sunday is said.

Some Ferias are called Greater Ferias, and are divided into two classes:

a.      The Privileged Ferias are Ash Wednesday and the first three days of Holy Week. These Ferias do not give way to a Feast.

b.      The Non-Privileged Ferias are those of Advent, Lent, the Ember Days, and the Monday of Rogation Week. A Commemoration is always made of them on Feast Days, and their Gospel is read at the end of Mass.

On the Ferias of Lent (after Ash Wednesday) and those in Passiontide (before Palm Sunday), the Ember Days (not those in Pentecost Week), on Monday of Rogation Week, and on ordinary Vigils, if a Greater-Double, Double, or Semi-Double Feast is kept, it is allowed in Private Masses to say the Mass of the Feria or of the Vigil with a Commemoration of the Feast, or the Mass of the Feast with a Commemoration and Last Gospel of the Feria or Vigil.