Recta Ratio

I have not mentioned my heavenly patrons in some time, and as new readers are always stopping in, I thought it would be good to list them.

Foremost:

The Two Hearts of Our Lord and Our Blessed Lady
and Our Blessed Lady again, in her role as Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Special Patron For 2008:
St. Venantius Fortunatus

My name patrons:

St. George
St. Thomas
St. John the Evangelist

My spiritual guides:

St. Louis de Montfort
St. Paul of the Cross
St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
St. Alphonsus Liguori
St. Francis de Sales

Patrons who have also aided greatly in a particular matter:

St. Boniface
St. Katherine Drexel
St. Anthony the Abbot
St. Nicholas of Myra
St. Philomena
Bl. Frederick Jansonne

Sacred Heart patrons:

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
St. Jean Eudes
St. Claude de Colombiere

Special Patrons:

St. Patrick
St. Joseph
St. Peter
St. Paul
St. Michael the Archangel
My own good Guardian Angel

Two new patrons:

St. Anthony of Padua
St. Dymphna

Dear saints, blesseds, and angels, thank you for your help, and please continue to pray unceasingly for me.

Labels: Recta Ratio Housekeeping

A great American statesman, former Senator Jesse Helms, died on July 4th at the age of 86. He was, on most issues, the model conservative, unwavering as bedrock, immovable as a mountain, solid as can be, true blue, and would to God that all the other Republican senators had always voted with him. I am convinced that they would still control the Senate if they had. And probably by a very wide margin. Requiescat in pace.

Labels: Requiescat In Pace

I thank Thee, O Eternal Father, for the power given to Mary, Thy daughter.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

I thank Thee, O Eternal Son, for the wisdom given to Mary, Thy mother.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

I thank Thee, O Eternal and Holy Spirit, for the love given to Mary, Thy spouse.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

To thee do we cry, O Queen of Mercy, return, that we may behold thee dispensing favors, bestowing remedies, giving strength. Show us thy compassionate looks, and we shall be saved.

O sovereign Lady of all things, Saint of Saints, splendor of the world, glory of Heaven, acknowledge those who love thee; hear us, for thy Son honors thee by denying thee nothing.

Run, hasten, O Lady, and in thy mercy help thy sinful servant, who calls upon thee, and deliver him from the hands of the enemy.

Who will not sigh to thee? We sigh with love and grief, for we are oppressed on every side. How can we do otherwise than sigh to thee, O solace of the miserable, refuge of outcasts, ransom of captives? We are certain that when thou seest our miseries, thy compassion will hasten to relieve us.

O our sovereign Lady and our Advocate, commend us to thy Son. Grant, O blessed one, by the grace which thou hast merited, that He who through thee was graciously pleased to become a partaker in our infirmity and misery, may also, through thy intercession, make us partakers in His happiness and glory.
attributed to St. Bernard

Labels: Restorationists

Seven Offerings To the Most Precious Blood Of Our Lord

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for the propagation and exaltation of my dear Mother the Holy Church, for the safety and prosperity of her visible Head, the Holy Roman Pontiff, for the cardinals, bishops and pastors of souls, and for all the ministers of the sanctuary.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Blessed and praised forevermore be Jesus Who hath saved us by His Precious Blood! Amen.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for the peace and concord of nations, for the conversion of the enemies of our holy faith and for the happiness of all Christian people.

Glory be, etc. above

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for the repentance of unbelievers, the extirpation of all heresies, and the conversion of sinners.

Glory be, etc. above

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all my relations, friends and enemies, for the poor, the sick, and those in tribulation, and for all those for whom Thou willest I should pray, or knowest that I ought to pray.

Glory be, etc. above

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all those who shall this day pass to another life, that Thou mayest preserve them from the pains of hell, and admit them the more readily to the possession of Thy Glory.

Glory be, etc. above

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all those who are lovers of this Treasure of His Blood, and for all those who join with me in adoring and honoring It, and for all those who try to spread devotion to It . .

Glory be, etc. above

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all my wants, spiritual and temporal, for the holy souls in Purgatory, and particularly for those who in their lifetime were most devoted to this Price of our redemption, and to the sorrows and pains of our dear Mother, most Holy Mary . . .

Glory be, etc. above

Blessed and exalted be the Blood of Jesus, now and always, and through all eternity. Amen.

Labels: Restorationists

But these images are antique (though not antiquated).







Happy Independence Day!

Labels: American Patriotism Is Not A Sin

Ok, it's not the same as the real thing. But I'm a July baby, and I love my fireworks.

Nothing could be more American than watching fireworks on July 4th. Yet, for many in remote areas, this is not practical. Your town may not be putting on a display this year because of budget constraints. Or you might not be able to get to the nearest fireworks display.

It is a tradition here at Recta Ratio to link to virtual fireworks displays you can enjoy in the comfort of your own study. So turn off the lights, crank up the volume on your speakers, plug some John Phillips Sousa, some Handel Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks, and some Williamsburg Corps of Fifes and Drums into the CD player, pour yourself some wine, and put some more mustard on that hot dog!

I always link to Hogpainter's fireworks display. For the record, I just last year figured out that this is a guy who paints motorcycles. So "hogs" are motorcycles. Live and learn.

And try this one.
But you activate it by left-clicking the mouse within the field.

I like this one, too.

This one allows you to watch fireworks over the White House and over New York City, or at a carnival or baseball game.

This one over New York Harbor reminds me of the one 20 years ago (can it be that long?) when the Statue of Liberty was newly rehabbed and President Reagan came for the show and watched from the deck of USS Iowa.

Happy Independence Day!

Labels: American Patriotism Is Not A Sin

For those men who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 2nd, 1776, the odds did not look very good. Public opinion polls, if they existed, probably would have told them that only one-third of the population favored the course upon which they were about to embark. One-third was indifferent. One-third opposed independence. The men gathered from the thirteen colonies in Philadelphia, even without polling, probably had a sense that this was the case. After all, recruitment for the Continental Army was disappointing, and there had already been more than one pro-British uprising by loyalists.

The army which would be the primary instrument of winning independence was scarcely disciplined, poorly uniformed, badly armed, and ill-supplied with food and ammunition. Pay was a promise (which, in fact, was mostly ignored 7 years later). Its generals had no experience commanding larger bodies of troops than a battalion. Many found themselves commanding troops just because of political influence in their colonies.

True, there had been some victories. Boston had been rendered untenable for the enemy, and he had evacuated it. Fort Ticonderoga had fallen to a surprise attack, and supplied the heavy artillery that had led the British to evacuate Boston. Montreal had been captured, though that invasion force had been stopped at Quebec, and even now, after being rolled back within the boundaries of New York, was building an anti-invasion fleet on Lake Champlain. The delegates in Philadelphia probably did not know it, but an enemy invasion of Charleston, SC had been averted a few days before.

But there had also been defeats. Despite inflicting heavy losses on the enemy, Bunker Hill had been captured. The attempt to capture Canada had failed miserably.

Most significant was what was coming. As the delegates debated independence, they knew that the British army that had left Boston was en route from Halifax, probably heading for New York. If their spies were accurate, that army would rendezvous with another escorted by an even larger fleet. And those troops who had failed to capture charleston were also heading to New York with a large fleet. Large numbers of British and German troops had driven the American Northern Army from Canada, and were poised to drive down Lake Champlain.

These troops who would confront their own tattered, inexperienced army were the best Europe could field. British troops who had conquered an empire just 15 years before would be joined by excellent troops from Brunswick and Hesse Cassel, Frederick the Great's best allies. The enemy was supported by professional artillerists, and by a navy that was (despite peacetime decline and corruption) still, ship-for-ship, the best in the world. Thousands of their fellow countrymen would be happy to take up arms alongside the British army. To make matters worse, the Indian nations were ready to take up arms on behalf of the King, raising the prospect of burned farms, scalped settlers, and women and children abducted into captivity among the savages.

The men in Philadelphia must have found the prospect of declaring independence a daunting task. In the next three months, the most likely outcome was that the British army would take New York, flatten their own army, and then march on Philadelphia to hang them for treason. Their property would be taken from their families. At best they would become fugitives constantly on the run from British authorities.

But the best of them had a vision for the future, and strong reasons to feel the need to break with the past. The vision was that they would govern themselves, as they actually had for the most part, until the Imperial government decided to tap America for revenue to pay for keeping the peace with the Indians. John Winthrop's vision of a city set upon a hill remained a strong one, and merged with Locke's ideas about government, and newer ideas coming from Adam Smith about how an economy ought to be allowed to develop. A unified vision of a new nation which would serve as a beacon of liberty for all nations emerged, and was in the forefront of the minds of the men in Philadelphia. They had in this synthesis of ideas and in adapting to conditions on the American frontier, become a new nationality in need of a new nation.

And yet, despite all the obstacles, it was the vision that prevailed, and not the balance of forces. It is that vision that we celebrate today. John Adams, who did more than anyone to push the cause of independence through Congress, wrote to his wife that July 2, 1776 (the day the Declaration was approved):

"...Will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverence by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."

May it always be so!

First reading of the Declaration of Independence at Boston's Old State House

Labels: American Patriotism Is Not A Sin

I have a new particular reason to venerate Saint Thomas. I just discovered that he is the patron saint of blind people. And while I have not been officially diagnosed as legally blind, it is only because I haven't been examined in years. I am pretty well-convinced that, when I am, I will be.

Note, this is only his feast in the new calendar. His feast is in December, just before Christmas, in the traditional ordo. But when a saint I particularly venerate has different feast days in the two ordos, I tend to remember him or her on both, with more particular notice on the traditional date.

Labels: Restorationists

Whither the Latin Mass community of the City of Boston?

Apparently, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, in the basement, which looks like an unhappy remnant of some sort of wreckovation project. According to reports, the congregation gets to sit at a 90 degree angle to the main altar. No altar rail. Utterly unsuitable to the norms for worship according to the traditional Missal.

Would that some very rich traditional Catholic would make a jaw-dropping offer that can't be refused for Holy Trinity, with the secret and undisclosed intention of turning it over to any traditionalist group, Canons Regular, FSSP, ICKSS, even the SSPX, willing to open a traditional Mass apostalate there.

Then, I suppose, the Cardinal would refuse to incardinate any priests to work there.

The Archdiocese wants the money from a sale, and will not be second-guessed by the laity about shuttering the parish. They really think the best thing that can be done with the property is to turn it over for development as condos, and don't want any part of any other solution. When you encounter that kind of pig-headedness, chances are that there is not just an Irishman involved, but that there is already a sweetheart deal for some favored developer that has been agreed to in private.

Pray for the traditional Mass community of the City of Boston.

Labels: Restorationists

DEO GRATIAS!!!!

On June 14th, the Transalpine Redemptorist community at Papa Stronsey petitioned the Holy See to be readmitted to full communion, and for the priestly suspensions on its priest members to be lifted. The Holy Father has been pleased to graciously lift the suspensions, and admit this dedicated Catholic community to full communion with the Holy See.

Father Zulsdorf has the details here.

My heart rejoices in this small accession to the ranks of those who licitly celebrate the traditional Mass and horarium. I have great respect for the project at Papa Stronsey, where an ancient monastery on a small desolate island off the Scottish coast has been brought back to life by a community dedicated to the traditional Mass and the heritage of Saint Alphonsus Liguori. I am particularly impressed with the community's dedication to aiding the Poor Souls in Purgatory.

We can now add Papa Stronsey to Clear Creek, Le Barroux, and Solesmes as religious houses where the great tradition is licitly observed.

More at the community's blog.

DEO GRATIAS!!!!

Labels: Restorationists

Novus Ordoians observed the Visitation some time ago. But for those of us who follow the traditional Ordo, July 2nd is always the Feast of the Visitation.



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 hath 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 hath exalted those of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
And the rich He has 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.

Labels: Restorationists

In the traditional mode of the Latin Rite, the Feast of the Most Precious Blood is July 1st.

Litany of the Most Precious Blood
V/ Lord, have mercy.
R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Christ, have mercy.
R/ Christ, have mercy.

V/ Lord, have mercy.
R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Jesus, hear us.
R/ Jesus, graciously hear us.

V/ God, the Father of Heaven,
R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Holy Ghost,
R/ have mercy on us.

V/ Holy Trinity, One God,
R/ have mercy on us.

R/ for ff: save us.

Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father,
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God,
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in Thy Agony,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in Thy Scourging,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in Thy Crowning with Thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world.
R/ spare us, O Lord

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R/ graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R/ have mercy on us.

Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood.
R/ And made us, for our God, a kingdom.

Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant we beseech Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R/ Amen.

Labels: Restorationists

I had a feeling that the excellent Archbishop Raymond Burke, the best of his rank in the US, was not long for the See of Saint Louis. I had hoped to see him Cardinal Archbishop of New York. But he is, for now at least, going to Rome, with an appointment that probably involves a red beanie. Maybe New York later. We shall see.

I feel sorry for the Catholics of Saint Louis in losing such an excellent prelate. The Church in the US as a whole will be poorer, in the short-term, at least, for his absence in Rome. But I have much hope for Archbishop Burke, and rejoice at his likely elevation to the status of Cardinal in the next year or so, probably at the next consistory.

God bless Archbishop Burke in his new appointment, and may he trade in the purple beanie for a red one very soon.

Labels: Restorationists

I eat a lot of meals at McDonald's. And some at Wendy's. It is convenient for me. But I will readily admit that I am sick and tired of bland, mushy, warm burgers. Wendy's has atrocious service, particularly in the evenings. I can go to Burger King, but it isn't convenient. Burger King has better fries and better-tasting burgers. Downtown Boston and bordering areas has no Taco Bell, no KFC, no Pizza Hut. We have McDonald's BK, and Wendy's. And that is it for fast food. Circumstances have put me on a near-constant diet of burgers, hot dogs, pizza, subs, with the occasional bowl of clam chowder thrown in.

Desperate for something different, last week, I tried a roast beef sandwich at Quincy Market, at a place called The Brown Derby. They cut the beef to order. Well, I had a long, long wait. The fries were MacCain's frozen. Very bad. The roast beef sandwich was bland, lacking all flavor. My 1 roast beef sandwich, 2 orders of those awful fries (one for me, and one for a friend), and a Nantucket Nectar came to $17.00!!!!! Disappointing and way over-priced.

But this weekend, I was able to make up for it. You won't believe this, but I had never eaten in an Arby's. They are not everywhere, the way Mickey D's, BK, and Wendy's are (though they now own Wendy's). I was apprehensive after my experience at the Brown Derby with a roast beef sandwich. But I was very pleased with the result.

I ordered a beef and cheddar, with curly fries and a drink. Less than $6.00. I put some horseradish sauce, which they offer, on my sandwich. I got a 3-pepper sauce for my fries, even though they were already spiced. The sandwich had a sauce on it, and was served on a fresh onion roll. The cheddar was just plain cheddar cheese sauce, hardly Cabot's Seriously Sharp, which I am very fond of, but still nice. There was, admittedly, not as much roast beef on the sandwich as on the bland one at the Brown Derby. But it tasted much better. I got more satisfaction from that lunch than I have had from fast food in years.

I noticed that Arby's advertising campaign (which I am pretty much immune to, since I don't watch TV, and hardly ever listen to the radio) proclaims that they are trying to save the world from ordinary fast food, and challenging your taste buds. Very true, and I like what they are doing. Come on, Arby's! Open a store or two in Downtown Boston. And staff it with competent people, not the idiots who staff the Downtown Boston Wendys.

A big thumbs up for Arby's!!!

Labels: Appreciating

July at the Crane Estate at Castle Hill, Ipswich, MA
Important feasts celebrated during July include:

July 1st The Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
July 2nd Traditional date for the Visitation
July 3rd St. Thomas, whose feast was formerly in December,
July 4th Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
July 6th St. Maria Goretti
July 9th Martyrs of Gorkum and Bl. Rose Hawthorne Lathrop
July 11th St. Benedict
July 16th Our Lady of Mount Carmel
July 17th Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne
July 22nd St. Mary Magdalene
July 24th St. Thomas a Kempis
July 25th St. James the Greater
July 26th SS. Anne and Joachim
July 29th St. Martha
July 31st St. Ignatius of Loyola

The monthly dedication for July is to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

July is entirely part of the season after Pentecost. There are no embertides in July.

The published prayer intentions of our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI for the month of July, 2008 are:

General:
That there may be an increase in the number of those who volunteer to serve the Christian community with generous and prompt availability

Mission:
That World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, may kindle the fire of divine love in numerous young people and render them sowers of hope for a new humanity

Labels: Restorationists