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Saturday, June 04, 2005

This Is Why He Is Called "The King of Fiskdom"

Dale Price delivers a priceless (pun intended) riposte in which he skewers the inanities of a liberal nun bewailing the sacking of Father Reese at America.

Another Novena To the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

For 9 days.

Begin by making the

Sign Of the Cross.

State the intention(s) for which you are making the novena.
Recite The Magnificat:

My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit rejoiceth in God my Savior.
For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He hath shown strength with His arm:
He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their hearts.
He hath pulled down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted those of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
And the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.


Then recite the Litany of Loreto (also called the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary):

We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities; but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

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.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

Holy Mother of God, pray for us.

Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.

Mother of Christ, pray for us.

Mother of divine grace, pray for us.

Mother most pure, pray for us.

Mother most chaste, pray for us.

Mother inviolate, pray for us.

Mother undefiled, pray for us.

Mother most amiable, pray for us.

Mother most admirable, pray for us.

Mother of good counsel, pray for us.

Mother of our Creator, pray for us.

Mother of our Savior, pray for us.

Virgin most prudent, pray for us.

Virgin most venerable, pray for us.

Virgin most renouned, pray for us.

Virgin most powerful, pray for us.

Virgin most merciful, pray for us.

Virgin most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of justice, pray for us.

Seat of wisdom, pray for us.

Cause of our joy, pray for us.

Spiritual vessel, pray for us.

Vessel of honor, pray for us.

Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.

Mystical rose, pray for us.

Tower of David, pray for us.

Tower of ivory, pray for us.

House of gold, pray for us.

Ark of the covenant, pray for us.

Gate of heaven, pray for us.

Morning star, pray for us.

Health of the sick, pray for us.

Refuge of sinners, pray for us.

Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.

Help of Christians, pray for us.

Queen of Angels, pray for us.

Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.

Queen of Prophets, pray for us.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.

Queen of Confessors, pray for us.

Queen of Virgins, pray for us.

Queen of all Saints, pray for us.

Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.

Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.

Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.

Queen of Peace, pray for 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 O Lord.

We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities; but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


That officially concludes the novena, but if you wish to add one or all of the following prayers, there is certainly no harm.

An Act of Spiritual Communion Through the Blessed Mother:
O Immaculate Queen of heaven and earth, Mother of God and Mediatrix of all grace: I believe that the Body and Bl--d, Soul and Divinity of thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is truly, really, and substantially contained in the Blessed Sacrament. I love Him above all things and more than all things. Since I cannot now receive Him sacramentally, be so good as to place Him spiritually in my heart. O my Jesus, I embrace Thee as One who has already come, and I unite myself entirely to Thee. Never permit me to be separated from Thee.
Amen.

The Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
That never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
Implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother;
To thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
But in thy mercy hear and intercede for me.
Amen.



The Salve Regina:
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
Our life our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
To thee do we send up our sighs,
Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, O most gracious advocate,
Thine eyes of mercy toward us
And, after this our exile,
Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


Whether these prayers are included or whether you stop at the Litany, end with the

Sign of the Cross.

The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As thy children, we implore thine intercession with Jesus thy Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before thee today, especially ...(special intention).

We are comforted in knowing thine heart is ever open to those who ask for thy prayer. We trust to thy gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever.
Amen.

Friday, June 03, 2005

Eggs Benedict XVI

We knew it was inevitable.
Go see it at Shrine of the Holy Whapping.

John Paul the Great's Secretary Named Archbishop of Krakow

From the Vatican Information Service:

The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, adjunct prefect of the Pontifical Household, as metropolitan archbishop of Krakow (area 5,730, population 1,618,593, Catholics 1,566,555, priests 2,026, religous 4,841), Poland. The metropolitan archbishop-elect was born in Raba Wyzna, Poland, in 1939. From 1966 to 1978 he acted as private secretary to Archbishop Karol Wojtyla of Krakow and, following the latter's election as Pope John Paul II, continued to act as his private secretary throughout his pontificate from 1978 to 2005. He was ordained a bishop by John Paul II in 1998 and elevated to the dignity of archbishop in 2003. He succeeds Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese was accepted by the Holy Father, upon having reached the age limit.


John Paul the Great was Archbishop of Krakow, of course, before he became Pope.

Temporary Reprieve

The Archdiocese has announced that Holy Trinity, yesterday placed on the Endangered Historic Properties list, has been given until December 15th, and will not close on June 30 as previously planned. The main reason is that the two social service agencies are not ready to move. If one or the other of those two groups relocate, the case for keeping Holy Trinity open weakens.

In some sense, this is just postponing the showdown. My guess is that this came about because the Archdiocese has received so much flak for this, they think that, if they put it off, the public pressure will go away. Right now, there are successful sit-ins and an active media campaign. In December, 10 days before Christmas, will there be so much attention? The mind of the public will be distracted by the holidays. Other vigils will have been resolved, and the pressure will be on HT parishioners to "suck it up" and "get with the program."

I think the key is to not let up on the pressure, to continue to try to grow the Latin Mass community, to work on keeping all parties (Bridge Over Troubled Waters, the Cardinal Medieros Center, the Latin Mass community, and the German parish) actively on the same page, keep the press campaign going, work behind the scenes with the FSSP and other Latin Mass orders so that an alternative to Archdiocesan control can be crafted, and, if necessary, see if a white knight can be recruited to buy the property at a sale (Tom Monaghan? Mel Gibson?) and keep it as a Latin Mass center (with the Germans invited to continue to make use of the church, though it would no longer be a "German parish" or even a parish).

So my general take is relief, but let's not think we've won anything, other than the months of July, August, September, October, and November to work with and get better organized to fight to keep the traditional Latin Mass at Holy Trinity. The Archdiocese blinked, but don't let them lull us into a false sense of security, and hit us with a Christmas sucker punch.

The Best Book For Today's Feast

Is Father Croiset's The Devotion To the Sacred Heart Of Jesus, here available through EWTN.

The Sacred Heart Of Our Lord


Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my . Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.

I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.

Amen.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thursday, June 02, 2005

I Can't Think Of Anyone Who Would Do A Better Job

Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has been writing his own speeches.

John Paul the Great never quite mastered the teleprompter, and was always hunched over, glued to the written page of his addresses (especially in his various extra languages). I wonder if Pope Benedict will be the first Pope to make good use of a telepromoter.

Holy Trinity On Endangered Historic Properties List

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has put Holy Trinity, along with the other Boston-area churches threatened with closing, on its list of Endangered Historic Places.

June Blog Business

I already miss the steady presence of May's daily Marian image and prayer from The Glories of Mary. Even when I was too busy to get to post on any given day, I made sure I had at least that one entry pre-posted.

But June is now here, with warmer, nicer weather, so far. Recta Ratio: The Yahoo Group now has shed the spring pastels of the last 6 weeks, and is now a patriotic red, white, and blue for the summer holidays (Memorial Day, Flag Day, Bunker Hill Day, Independence Day).

Important feasts and saints' days which will be noted in June include:

The Sacred Heart of our Lord tomorrow,
The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday,
Saint Boniface on the 5th,
Saint Anthony of Padua on the 13th,
Saint Botolph (patron saint of Boston) on the 17th,
Saints Thomas More and John Fisher on the 22nd,
The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Midsummer Night) on the 24th,
Saint Josemarie Escriva on the 26th,
Our Lady of Perpetual Help on the 27th,
and Saints Peter and Paul on the 29th.

Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has published the following prayer intentions for June:

The Holy Father's general prayer intention for the month of June is: "That our society should, with concrete acts of Christian and brotherly love, come to the aid of the millions of refugees who live in extreme need and abandonment."


His mission intention is: "That the Sacrament of the Eucharist should be more and more recognized as the beating heart of the Church's life."

From The Vatican Information Service

Remember that one of the usual conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence for an indulgenced act or prayer is at least one Pater, and one Ave for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Oh, yes. Recta Ratio starts its fourth year with its third birthday on Saturday, June 4th.

Recta Ratio: The Yahoo Group, now 13 months old, is starting to run out of storage space. It is over 80% of capacity in the photo albums, though there is still plenty of space in the files area for text. I would like to convert all the images that are now present as links to actual photos uploaded into the albums. But I will soon bump into that limit. If push comes to shove, I might create Recta Ratio 2, and move some of the phot albums there, though I'm not keen on the idea and hope that Yahoo just ups the storage capacity for groups in a timely manner, just as it has gone from 250 MB to 1GB of storage for e-mail in the last month.

June calendar image (depicting haying) from
Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Barry

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

May 31st

Traditionally, May 31st is the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven. That is why I picked the illustration for today's prayer that I did.

But a quick check of the current liturgical calendar reminded me that today is the Visitation, which the traditional calendar celebrates on July 2nd. In the modern calendar, today also celebrates Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, which is a point driven home again and again by Saint Alphonsus Liguori in The Glories of Mary, which has been my lectio during May.

The Visitation by Giotto
This is one of the frescoes he painted around 1304 for the Arena Chapel, one of Padua's most magnificent works of architecture and sacred art, largely thanks to Giotto. Take a virtual tour of the Arena Chapel here.

For Corpus Christi

I joined The Bread of Life Webring.

Requiescat In Pace

Eddie Albert, star of Green Acres and numerous movies (The Longest Day comes to mind), died at the age of 99.
Requiescat in pace.

United States of Europe Derailed For Now

Good work, France. The Dutch get to vote it down next. The Brits will probably cancel their referendum.

Will Finland "Pope"?

Asks Andrew at The Holy Whapping.

Seattle Catholic Is On Nutburger Patrol

A guy who claims his parents and another lady elected him Pope.

And I was elected Holy Roman Emperor by the rest of the staff of my high school newspaper, The Eagle of Saint John's Preparatory School in Danvers, MA in 1982.

That gives us the exact same standing: absolutely none.

It Only Took More Than 30 Years

But we may finally know the identity of "Deep Throat."

Not a big name. Not Henry Kissinger, or John Dean, or some other "name." Just an FBI agent.

Yesterday's Corpus Christi Mass At Holy Trinity Got Some Press

The AP covered the story, including a photo of RC from Catholic Light.

Thank Heavens I sit many rows back and on the other side, or the last photo could have had me in it!

The Mass was wonderful. The procession great, though I was bringing up the rear and couldn't hear anything. And the reception afterwards was also terrific.

Let us pray that it was not, as billed, the last solemn high Mass at Holy Trinity, but only one of a great many more. Ad multos annos!

Today's Prayer From The Glories of Mary


PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH

Most Holy Mary, Mother all-good and all-loving, when I remember my sins and think of the moment of death, I tremble and scarcely know where to turn. But my hope is in the Blood of Jesus Christ and thy powerful intercession, O my loving Mother.

Comforter of the afflicted, be with me in that hour, console me in that great affliction. If even now the remorse over my sins, the uncertainty of pardon, the danger of relapse, and the rigor of Divine Justice so frighten me, how will it be with me then?

Ah my Lady, obtain for me before death comes a deep sorrow for my sins, true amendment, and fidelity to God for the remainder of my days.

And when at last the hour of death arrives, O Mary my hope, help me in that terrible anguish in which I will find myself. Strengthen me against despair over the remembrance of my sins, which the devil will call up before me.

Obtain for me the grace to call upon thee over and over in that dread hour, so that I may die with thy name and the name of thy most holy Son on my lips.Thou hast granted this grace to so many of thy clients. I too desire it and hope for it.
Amen.

Monday, May 30, 2005

The Greatest Tribute Ever To Our Nation's Fallen Heroes

Are the words of Abraham Lincoln at the then new National Cemetery at Gettysburg, delivered in a few minutes from the back of an envelope.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and d--d who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored d--d we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these d--d shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.


Happy Memorial Day! And to those who served and those who have lost loved ones in the service of the country, thank you.

Today's Prayer From The Glories Of Mary

PRAYER FOR PERSEVERANCE

Queen of Heaven, most Holy Mary, I was once a slave of sin, but now I consecrate myself to thee as thy client forever. I give myself to thine honor and service for the rest of my life. Do not reject me as I deserve, but accept me as thy servant.

I have placed all my hope in thee as my Mother. I bless and thank Almighty God, because in His mercy He has given me this confidence in thee. It is true that in the past I have shamefully fallen into sin; but I trust that, through thy prayers and the merits of Jesus Christ, I have been forgiven. But yet, my Mother, this is not enough. One fear I have which troubles me: that I may fall into sin again and lose the grace of God.

The dangers are constant; my enemies never sleep; and new temptations will assail me. O my Lady, protect me. Help me in the assaults of Hell, so I may never again offend thy Divine Son Jesus.

Let not the same thing happen again, that I lose my soul, Heaven, and God. This is the grace I beg of thee, O Mary; this is what I long for; obtain this grace for me through thy prayers.
Amen.
Thus, I hope. Thus, may it be.

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Today's Prayer From The Glories Of Mary

PRAYER FOR LOVE OF JESUS AND MARY

O MARY, of all creatures thou art the noblest, the purest, the holiest, the most sublime, the most beautiful. Oh, that all knew you, my Lady, and loved thee as thou deserveth!

I too, though I am a sinner, love thee, my most amiable Queen. And yet I love thee too little. I long to love thee with a greater and more tender affection, and it is thou who must obtain this grace for me. To love thee is a singular mark of predestination, a grace that God grants to those who are saved.

Then too, my Mother, I realize my great obligation to love thy Son; I see that He deserves an infinite love. Since thou desireth so much to see Him loved, obtain this grace for me --- a deep love for Jesus Christ.

I have no wish for earthly goods, for honors, for riches. I ask for that which thine heart desires far more, to love my God alone. Is it likely that thou wilt not help me in my desire, which is so pleasing to thee? Ah no, for even now thou art praying for me.

But I am consoled in thinking that so many Souls in Heaven and saintly people on earth love thee for thy goodness and beauty. Above all, I rejoice that God Himself loves thee alone, more than He loves all men and Angels together.

Pray for me, Mary; pray and never cease to pray until thou dost greet me in Heaven. There I shall possess my God forever . There too I shall possess my dearest Mother.
Amen.

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