Recta Ratio

We are now the "Catholic Restorationists."

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Let's start on those folk choir people.

The Recusant Cricket Club poses some pertinent questions for the aging hippies.

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From The Glories of Mary, by Saint Alphonsus Liguori:

Behold, O Mother of my God, my only hope, Mary, behold at thy feet a miserable sinner, who asks thee for mercy. Thou art proclaimed and called by the whole Church, and by all the faithful, the refuge of sinners. Thou art consequently my refuge; thou hast to save me. I will say with William of Paris, Thou knowest, most sweet Mother of God, how much thy Blessed Son desires our salvation ("Tu . . . enim, dulcissima Dei Mater, nosti quantum placeat benedicto Filio tuo salus nostra"�Rh�t. Div. c. 18). Thou knowest all that Jesus Christ endured for this end. I present thee, O my Mother, the sufferings of Jesus: the cold that he endured in the stable, his journey into Egypt, his toils, his sweat, the blood that he shed, the anguish which caused his death on the cross, and of which thou wast thyself a witness. O, show that thou lovest thy beloved Son, and by this love I implore thee to assist me. Extend thy hand to a poor creature who has fallen, and asks thy help. Were I a saint, I would not need seek thy mercy: but because I am a sinner, I fly to thee, who art the Mother of Mercies. I know that thy compassionate heart finds its consolation in assisting the miserable, when thou canst do so, and dost not find them obstinate. Console, then, thy compassionate heart, and console me this day; for now thou hast the opportunity of saving a poor creature condemned to hell; and thou canst do so, for I will not be obstinate.

I abandon myself into thy hands, only tell me what thou wouldst have me do, and obtain for me strength to execute it, for I am resolved to do all that depends on me to recover the divine grace. I take refuge under thy mantle. Jesus wills that I should have recourse to thee, in order not only that his blood may save me, but also that thy prayers may assist me in this great work; for thy glory, and for his own, since thou art his Mother. He sends me to thee, that thou mayst help me. O Mary, see, I have recourse to thee; in thee do I confide. Thou prayest for so many others, pray also for me; say only a word. Tell our Lord that thou willest my salvation, and God will certainly save me. Say that I am thine, and then I have obtained all that I ask, all that I desire.

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Check out the designs now available.
I really like this:

On a "Cardinal-Red" shirt.

On the back of another shirt:


Too bad they don't combine the two, or add the quotation to the back of the knight ready for the next Crusade.

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When there is a host of 5-10 of them at every Mass, even when the priest alone could zip through the "chore" of housling the whole congregation in under 15 minutes?

The Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers: well-intentioned people whose presence and function detract from belief in the Real Presence, and who should be just sitting in the pews throughout Mass, just like everyone else.

If they want to spell Father bringing the Blessed Sacrament to shut-ins, nursing home residents, hospital patients, and prisoners, excellent. More power to them. Great.

But we don't need the veritable clouds of them that infest the Sanctuary at Mass every Sunday. And the fact that there are so many of them makes giving the Sacrament under the utterly unnecessary Two Species almost a necessity, so that there is something for the whole mob of them to do.

Crescat has more. Follow the combox thread, too.

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Over at Abbey Roads 2.

That will be added to the blogroll probably before you read this, unless you are parked on my Site Feed and just drolling for the next post.

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You scored as Traditional Catholic. You look at the great piety and holiness of the Church before the Second Vatican Council and the decay of belief and practice since then, and see that much of the decline is due to failed reforms based on the "Spirit of the Council". You regret the loss of vast numbers of Religious and Ordained clergy and the widely diverging celebrations of the Mass of Pope Paul VI, which often don't even seem to be Catholic anymore. You are helping to rebuild this past culture in one of the many new Traditional Latin Mass communities or attend Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy. You seek refuge from the world of pornography, recreational drugs, violence, and materialism. You are an articulate, confident, committed, and intelligent Catholic. But do you support legitimate reform of the Church, and are you willing to submit to the directives of the Second Vatican Council? Will you cooperate responsibly with others who are not part of the Traditional community? http://saint-louis.blogspot.com - Rome of the West Traditional Catholic 95% Neo-Conservative Catholic 71% New Catholic 60% Radical Catholic 52% Evangelical Catholic 29% Lukewarm Catholic 0% Liberal Catholic 0% What is your style of American Catholicism? created with QuizFarm.com

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Great job by Steve the Evil Traditionalist.

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From The Glories of Mary, by Saint Alphonsus Liguori:
O my sovereign Queen and worthy Mother of my God, most holy Mary; I seeing myself, as I do, so despicable and loaded with so many sins, ought not to presume to call thee Mother, or even to approach thee; yet I will not allow my miseries to deprive me of the consolation and confidence that I feel in calling thee mother; I know well that I deserve that thou shouldst reject me; but I beseech thee to remember all that thy Son Jesus has endured for me, and then reject me if thou canst.

I am a wretched sinner, who, more than all others, have despised the infinite majesty of God: but the evil is done. To thee have I recourse; thou canst help me; my Mother, help me. Say not that thou canst not do so; for I know that thou art all-powerful, and that thou obtainest whatever thou desirest of God; and if thou sayest that thou wilt not help me, tell me at least to whom I can apply in this my so great misfortune. "Either pity me," will I say with the devout St. Anselm, "O my Jesus, and forgive me, and do thou pity me, my Mother Mary, by interceding for me, or at least tell me to whom I can have recourse, who is more compassionate, or in whom I can have greater confidence than in thee" ("Aut miseremini miseri, tu parcendo, tu interveniendo; aut ostendite, ad quos tutius fugiam misericordiores; et monstrate, in quibus certius confidam potentiores"�Orat. 50).
Amen.

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...That a little Pugin couldn't make better.

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Or has there been a dearth of juicy Catholic news stories lately? Are we still in post-Easter hang-over mode? Are we just so fixated on the forthcoming motu proprio on the traditional Mass that no other story really matters?

I never thought I'd sing the praise of a wine from Australia. Ten years ago, I would never have thought I'd praise a California wine, being a purist and wanting only wines from France, Italy, or Spain and Portugal. But I have to say that I tried and greatly enjoyed Thorn Clarke's 2005 Barossa Shiraz.

It was great on its own, but also perfect with delicious almond poundcake, and good with fried chicken.

Two thumbs up.

They should take something for their paranoia, and stop treating every "scientific" report like it was true.

Global warming, and especially the notion that human activity, especially human economic activity, is the cause, is complete and utter balderdash. If things are warming up (and I am not all that convinced), completely natural explanations rooted in the cyclical nature of the world's temperatures are far more likely to be the causes than my toilet paper use (and I would be Sheryl Crow's Public Enemy No. 1), whether I spray my The Dry Look with an aerosol sprayer, the number of SUVs on the road, or the fact that the coal-fired electrical plant is working three shifts and producing more electricity to power a growing economy.

Most environmentalism seems to me to be directed at crippling the U.S. economy. Environmentalism is the new mantra of socialism.

The best solution to environmental concerns is wise use of resources, not being overtly wasteful, but using what we have, and what we can create.

In short, anything the "progressives" back is bad for the U.S and the cause of ordered liberty, whether it is enforced "equality," high taxes, bilingualism, a War on Moslem Terrorism bugout, open immigration, vegetarianism, gay "marriage," gun control, quotas, or environmental hysteria.

Yet again.

How about this great prelate to replace the decidedly mediocre Cardinal Egan as Cardinal/Archbishop of New York, and de facto Primate of the U.S.?

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I agree. Whenever a civil servant is bringing undue political cost to the administration he serves, it is time for him to go. And may his replacement be even more reliably conservative!

Yes, we should get out of the current peace-keeping role in Iraq, so that our armed forces are available to roll into Syria and Iran, to depose those terrorist-supporting governments and bring the war on Moslem terror which started after September 11th that much closer to victory.

The only immigration reform this country needs is a wave of massive sweeps for illegals, and mass deportations, coupled with truly vigorous guarding of the border.

Seminarian Matthew at A Catholic Life rehearses the dangers of centering prayer, the New Age "prayer" technique that originated at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, MA with Abbot Thomas Keating and the late Father Basil Pennington as its principle advocates.

The text of Father John D. Dreher's The Danger of Centering Prayer has also been available at Recta Ratio: The Yahoo Group for quite some time.

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From The Glories Of Mary, by Saint Alphonsus Liguori:
O Lady, O ravished of hearts! ("O Domina, quae rapis corda.") I will exclaim with St. Bonaventure: "Lady, who with the love and favor thou showest thy servants dost ravish their hearts, ravish also my miserable heart, which desires ardently to love thee. Thou, my Mother, hast enamoured a God with thy beauty, and drawn him from heaven into thy chaste womb; and shall I live without loving thee? "No, I will say to thee with one of thy most loving sons, John Berchmans of the Society of Jesus, I will never rest until I am certain of having obtained thy love; but a constant and tender love towards thee, my Mother, who hast loved me with so much tenderness" ("Nunquam quiescam, donec habuero tenerum amorem erga Matrem meam, Mariam"), even when I was ungrateful towards thee.

And what should I now be, O Mary, if thou hadst not obtained so many mercies for me? Since, then, thou didst love me so much when I loved thee not, how much more may I not now hope from thee, now that I love thee? I love thee, O my Mother, and I would that I had a heart to love thee in place of all those unfortunate creatures who love thee not. I would that I could speak with a thousand tongues, that all might know thy greatness, thy holiness, thy mercy, and the love with which thou lovest all who love thee. Had I riches, I would employ them all for thy honor. Had I subjects, I would make them all thy lovers. In fine, if the occasion presented itself I would lay down my life for thy glory. I love thee, then, O my Mother; but at the same time I fear that I do not love thee as I ought; for I hear that love makes lovers like the person loved. If, then, I see myself so unlike thee, it is a mark that I do not love thee. Thou art so pure, and I defiled with many sins; thou so humble, and I so proud; thou so holy, and I so wicked. This, then, is what thou hast to do, O Mary; since thou lovest me, make me like thee. Thou hast all power to change hearts; take, then, mine and change it. Show the world what thou canst, do for those who love thee. Make me a saint; make me thy worthy child. This is my hope.
Amen.

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A good one from the Caveman.

I would add four more.

A. If you insist on receiving in the hand...

B. If you insist on receiving under Both Species...

C. If you love the idea of hosts of Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist at Mass, even when the congregation could be conveniently housled by the priest alone...

D. If you allow your daughter become an altar girl, or in any other way encourage the practise...

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From The Glories of Mary, by Saint Alphonsus Liguori:

O most holy Mother Mary, how is it possible that I, having so holy a mother, should be so wicked? a mother all burning with the love of God, and I loving creatures; a mother so rich in virtue, and I so poor? Ah, amiable Mother, it is true that I do not deserve any longer to be thy son, for by my wicked life I have rendered myself unworthy of so great an honor. I am satisfied that thou shouldst accept me for thy servant; and in order to be admitted amongst the vilest of them, I am ready to renounce all the kingdoms of the world. Yes, I am satisfied. But still thou must not forbid me to call thee mother. This name consoles and fills me with tenderness, and reminds me of my obligation to love thee. This name excites me to great confidence in thee. When my sins and the divine justice fill me most with consternation, I am all consoled at the thought that thou art my mother. Allow me then, to call thee mother, my most amiable mother. Thus do I call thee, and thus will I always call thee. Thou, after God, must be my hope, my refuge, my love in this valley of tears. Thus do I hope to die, breathing forth my soul into thy holy hands, and saying, My Mother my Mother Mary, help me, have pity on me!
Amen.

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Now is the month of maying, when merry lads are playing,
Fa la la la la la la la la, fa la la la la la la.
Each with his bonnie lass, a-dancing on the grass,
Fa la la la la la la la la, fa la la la la la la.

The Spring, clad all in gladness, doth laugh at Winter's sadness,
Fa la la la la la la la la, fa la la la la la la.
And to the bagpipe's sound, The nymphs tread out the ground,
Fa la la la la la la la la, fa la la la la la la.

Fie, then, why sit we musing, youth's sweet delight refusing?
Fa la la la la la la la la, fa la la la la la la.
Say, dainty nymph, and speak, shall we play barley break?,
Fa la la la la la la la la, fa la la la la la la.

The custom was for young people to go into the woods and gather garlands of flowers to later deck the maypole with. There would be feasting and entertainment (including morris dancing, and Robin Hood plays). Today has been rainy and raw, hardly good maying weather, though last year on May 1st, as I look back at the archives, it was a capital day for Maying

It is part of the genius of Christianity that it was able to take something that had been a part of pagan life for centuries, and graft onto it the May Procession in honor of Our Blessed Lady.

A garden devoted to Our Blessed Lady, dominated by a statue of her, is a wonderful thing to install, if you have the space.

Fisheaters has a great page with suggestions for such a garden.

And this page is a treasure trove for those thinking about a Mary Garden.

Here is a Mary Garden at St. Mary's church, Annapolis, MD

How would I design such a garden if I had the opportunity?

It would have a statue of the Immaculate Heart as its center and focal point. It would be enclosed by a four-foot high brick wall. Roses would be trained to grow along the inside of the brick walls. There would be a gravel path from the single wrought-iron gate (centered to lead directly to the statue). The pathway would lead a) directly to the statue, and in a circle around it, and b) along the perimeter of the garden. Yews and holly would line the pathways, growing no higher than 2.5 feet. There would be 4 identical fountains centered in the 4 cantons or corners of the garden. The statue itself would have beds of tulips and daffodils around it. Spaces in the rose bushes would be made for "stations" for the Seven Sorrows. There would be benches, and kneelers in front of the statue. There would be a cherry tree in each of the four corners of the garden. Other flowers suitable to Our Blessed Lady would be planted around the 4 fountains, each to bloom in a particular season. There would be 15 small wooden "stations" around the statue for each of the traditional Mysteries of the Rosary (suitably treated to be protected from the elements). Just inside the gate, on either side of it there would be two scenes, perhaps statue groups. On the right side, an Annunciation scene, significantly smaller than the central statue. On the left, a Pieta. Opposite the gate, there would be an Our Lady of Mount Carmel statue, again, lower than the central statue of the Immaculate Heart.

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Prayer from The Glories of Mary, by Saint Alphonsus Liguori

O, Mother of my God, and my Lady Mary; as a beggar, all wounded and sore, presents himself before a great queen, so do I present myself before thee, who art the Queen of heaven and earth. From the lofty throne on which thou sittest, disdain not, I implore thee, to cast thine eyes on me, a poor sinner. God has made thee so rich that thou mightest assist the poor, and has constituted thee Queen of Mercy in order that thou mightest relieve the miserable. Behold me then, and pity me: behold me and abandon me not, until thou seest me changed from a sinner into a saint. I know well that I merit nothing; nay more, that I deserve, on account of my ingratitude, to be deprived of the graces that, through thy means, I have already received from God. But thou, who art the Queen of Mercy, seekest not merits, but miseries, in order to help the needy. But who is more needy than I?

O, exalted Virgin, well do I know that thou, who art Queen of the universe, art already my queen; yet am I determined to dedicate myself more especially to thy service, in order that thou mayest dispose of me as thou pleasest. Therefore do I address thee in the words of St. Bonaventur: "Do thou govern me, O my Queen, and leave me not to myself" ("Domina, me tuae dominationi committo, ut me plenarie regas et gubernes; no mihi me relinquas."—Stim. Div. Am. p. 3, c. 19). Command me; employ me as thou wilt, and chastise me when I do not obey; for the chastisements that come from thy hands will be to me pledges of salvation. I would rather be thy servant than the ruler of the earth. I am thine; save me ("Tuus sum ego, salvum me fac."—Ps. cxviii. 94). Accept me, O Mary, for thine own, and as thine, take charge of my salvation. I will no longer be mine; to thee do I give myself. If, during the time past I have served thee ill, and lost so many occasions of honoring thee, for the future I will be one of thy most loving and faithful servants. I am determined that from this day forward no one shall surpass me in honoring and loving thee, my most amiable Queen. This I promise; and this, with thy help, I hope to execute.
Amen.

Each day during this May, God willing, I will post what I consider a lovely Marian image, and one of the many prayers to Our Blessed Lady from St. Alphonsus' wonderful treatise on her glories. I have collected these prayers over at Recta Ratio: The Yahoo Group.

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Litany of St. Joseph
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,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, One God,

Holy Mary, (Pray for us.)

St. Joseph,
Noble scion of David,
Light of the Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin,
Foster-father of the Son of God,
Sedulous Defender of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most valiant,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of all who labor,
Glory of family life,
Protector of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Consolation of the afflicted,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of the demons,
Protector of Holy Church,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, (Spare us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, (Graciously hear us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, (Have mercy on us.)

He made him the lord of his household. (And prince over all his possessions.)

Oremus:
God, Who, in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the Spouse of Thy most holy Mother; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in Heaven whom, on earth, we venerate as our protector. Who livest and reignest world without end.
(Amen.)

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Our Blessed Lady's Shrine, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux parish, Bridgewater, NJ

May is devoted to Our Blessed Lady.

Important feasts observed during the month of May include:

1st St. Joseph the Carpenter
2nd St. Athanasius
3rd St. James the Lesser and St. Phillip
4th St. Florian and the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
6th St. Dominic Savio
8th St. John the Evangelist
10th St. Solange
12th St. Flavia Domitilla (martyr) and St. Pancras
13th Our Lady of Fatima and Bl. Julian of Norwich
14th St. Matthias
15th St. Dymphna
16th St. Brendan the Navigator, St. Simon Stock, and St. John Nepomucene
19th St. Dunstan
20th St. Bernardine of Siena
24th Our Lady,Help of Christians, and St. Simeon Stylites the Younger
25th St. Pope Gregory VII
26th St. Phillip Neri
27th St. Augustine of Canterbury, and St. Bede the Venerable
28th Bl. Margaret Pole (martyr)
30th St. Jeanne de Arc

The First Friday (for purposes of the Sacred Heart devotion) is May 4th.
The First Saturday is May 5th.

May is mostly in Pascal time this year. The Rogation Days are Monday May 14th, Tuesday May 15th, and Wednesday May 16th. Ascension Thursday is May 17th. Whitsunday or Pentecost is May 27th. The Whitsun Embertide begins on Ember Wednesday, May 30th, and continues on Ember Friday June 1st, and concludes on Ember Saturday June 2nd.

The Novena To the Holy Ghost Before Whitsunday, the first approved Novena, is said between Ascension Thursday and the vigil of Whitsunday.

The intentions of our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI for the month of May, 2007 are:

General:
That, following the example of the Virgin Mary, all Christians should allow themselves to be guided by the Word of God and always remain attentive to the signs of the Lord in their own lives.

Mission:
That in Mission territories there may be no lack of good and enlightened teachers in the major Seminaries and in the Institutes of consecrated life.

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