Last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we had the pleasure of a visit from Fr. Aidan Nichols, O.P. of Blackfriars, Cambridge. Here he is seen celebrating Holy Mass for the community according to the Dominican Rite.
In this Rite, the chalice is prepared with wine and water before the prayers at the foot of the altar.
A third candle is placed on the altar after the Offertory.
The Elevation.
The priest's arms are fully extended for the Unde et memores after the Consecration.
Reception of Holy Communion.
Also present were a private retreatant (far left) ...
It is always a thrill to think of the centuries and millennia that have gone into making the venerable Liturgy we have today; how many saints, holy monks, nuns, priests and lay folk have sanctified themselves while celebrating or assisting at this Liturgy.
It is even more of a thrill when you can put your hands, so to speak, on evidence that much of that Liturgy is the same now as it was all those years ago.
This page of the manuscript Laon 239, written around the year 930, shows part of the Holy Mass for today, Septuagesima Sunday.
When comparing the text of that ancient Mass to the text used in today's celebration you can see that they are exactly the same.
Clearly the interpretation of the chant is a little different today (yes, those markings above the words are the neums of Gregorian Chant!), but the words of the Mass have remained unchanged for over 1000 years! Have a look at the Offertory, for example (highlighted in the manuscript):
Bonum est confiteri Domino et psallere nomini tuo Altissime.
It is good to give praise to the Lord: and to sing to thy name, O most High.
Thank you Father Anthony Mary, confrères and friends for the kind messages that you have sent me.
I remember you all, your families and your intentions at the altar of God.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is our greatest mainstay during this earthly exile. After Baptism and the Holy Mass my greatest treasure is the monastic calling.
Of that calling, St Gregory of Nyssa said:
To find God is to seek him unceasingly. The reward of the search is to go on seeking. For to find God is never to have had your fill of desiring Him.
I ask the grace to ever seek after Him and that He never gives up on me. Thank you for your prayers.
Fr Michael Mary, F.SS.R.
Profession Day, 2 February, 1972, aged 18. I am on the left with Br M. with whom I had been a novice the previous 12 months. Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple
is 40 days after Christmas
(which was according to the Law of Moses).
The number 40 has an important significance
in the workings of God’s plan of salvation.
At the Flood the rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights.
The children of Israel ate Manna for 40 years in the desert.
Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights in the mountain with God
before he received the ten conmmandments.
David slew Goliath on the 40th day.
David reigned for 40 years.
Solomon reigned for 40 years.
Elias in the strength of the food given him by the angel
walked 40 days and 40 nights
unto the mount of God, Horeb.
And most importantly Our Lord fasted for
40 days and 40 nights in the desert
and tarried 40 days amongst us before His Ascension.
This year, on 2 February, Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple Fr Michael Mary celebrates the 40th anniversary of his entry into Religion and the service of God.
Father Anthony Mary
and all the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer
join with all his family and friends
to wish Father a Happy Anniversary, a long life and a crown above.
We wish him many blessings
and assure him of our filial devotion and prayers.
Saturday 28th January saw the ordination of seven young men to the Subdiaconate at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary.
The future Subdeacons processing into the chapel holding a candle in their right hand, and, hanging over their left arm, the tunicle and maniple in which they will later be vested.
The candidates prostrate themselves before the altar.
Br. Martin Mary, F.SS.R. was given the great privilege of cantoring the Litany of the Saints with one of the other seminarians, which can be seen in the video below.
The camera used to film the Litany would not go beyond ten minutes per clip, so there is a small jump in the middle where a new one was started.
the tradition of the instruments to the Subdeacons, who touch the cruets...
...and the chalice.
The amice is pulled over the head.
The maniple is given them to reverence,
and finally they lay their right hand upon the Epistolarium, from which they will now chant the Epistle at a Solemn High Mass.
Silence is an integral element of communication; in its absence, words rich in content cannot exist. In silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; ideas come to birth and acquire depth; we understand with greater clarity what it is we want to say and what we expect from others; and we choose how to express ourselves.
Mutual Listening.
By remaining silent we allow the other person to speak, to express him or herself; and we avoid being tied simply to our own words and ideas without them being adequately tested. In this way, space is created for mutual listening, and deeper human relationships become possible.
Thus the Pope speaks to us about the internet, blogging and social communications. We are involved in Internet communications. We hope that our sites also breathe religious silence.
Silence
The latest edition of our newspaper Catholic is in the post. It opens the subject of continual prayer. I invite you to subscribe to this newspaper and read quietly - away from Internet, in deep listening silence - about the continual prayer.
Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.
Attention should be paid to the various types of websites, applications and social networks which can help people today to find time for reflection and authentic questioning, as well as making space for silence and occasions for prayer, meditation or sharing of the word of God.
Pope Benedict XVI. 24 January 2012.
He who prays is certain to be saved. He who does not pray is certain to be damned. All the elect are in heaven because they prayer. All the damned are in hell because they did not pray. St. Alphonsus
Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider, O.R.C., consecrated bishop on 2 June, 2006, is Auxiliary Bishop of Maria Santissima in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Relying on accurate history and good theology, the author of DOMINUS EST makes a plea for a return to distributing Holy Communion to kneeling communicants on the tongue — the practice now restored at papal liturgies by Pope Benedict XVI.
The book written by Bishop Schneider is available in English.
Dominus Est – It Is the Lord! Preface by Cardinal Ranjith.
Originally published in Italian by the Vatican Press, this book offers readers insights into the sacrality which ought to surround the distribution and reception of Holy Communion
The book comes with the endorsement of the then two highest officials in the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Link to buy the book via Internet in the USA Link to buy the book in the UK.
This is the sight that greeted us after the Immaculate Conception Hurricane 8 December 2011. The wind speed had been registered at 138 mph on Mainland Orkney.
"Padre Pio" our boat and implement shed had been well secured but the pressure of the wind, laden with humidity, blew its doors in and out.
The north eastern door was blown over the top of the shed and stayed there.
While the north western door blew inwards and onto the bonnet of a vehicle.
Quite a worry. A howling wind tunnel.
Thanks be to God and Fr. Anthony it's back in place again, straightened out and patched up. Hanging! And ready for another storm!
Sister leads carol singing with local children dressed in festive costume. This is called "Vetep", a Ukrainian tradition.
The following clip is a Christmas carol from Sister Onufria's region in the Carpathian Mountains. These people are called Huzuly. They are dressed in their regional costume which includes a trusty mountain axe and a sonorious horn.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world!
Christ is born for us! Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to the men and women whom he loves. May all people hear an echo of the message of Bethlehem which the Catholic Church repeats in every continent, beyond the confines of every nation, language and culture. The Son of the Virgin Mary is born for everyone; he is the Saviour of all.
This is how Christ is invoked in an ancient liturgical antiphon: “O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, hope and salvation of the peoples: come to save us, O Lord our God”. Veni ad salvandum nos! Come to save us! This is the cry raised by men and women in every age, who sense that by themselves they cannot prevail over difficulties and dangers. They need to put their hands in a greater and stronger hand, a hand which reaches out to them from on high. Dear brothers and sisters, this hand is Christ, born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary. He is the hand that God extends to humanity, to draw us out of the mire of sin and to set us firmly on rock, the secure rock of his Truth and his Love (cf. Ps 40:2).
This is the meaning of the Child’s name, the name which, by God’s will, Mary and Joseph gave him: he is named Jesus, which means “Saviour” (cf. Mt 1:21; Lk 1:31). He was sent by God the Father to save us above all from the evil deeply rooted in man and in history: the evil of separation from God, the prideful presumption of being self-sufficient, of trying to compete with God and to take his place, to decide what is good and evil, to be the master of life and death (cf. Gen 3:1-7). This is the great evil, the great sin, from which we human beings cannot save ourselves unless we rely on God’s help, unless we cry out to him:“Veni ad salvandum nos! – Come to save us!”
The very fact that we cry to heaven in this way already sets us aright; it makes us true to ourselves: we are in fact those who cried out to God and were saved (cf. Esth [LXX] 10:3ff.). God is the Saviour; we are those who are in peril. He is the physician; we are the infirm. To realize this is the first step towards salvation, towards emerging from the maze in which we have been locked by our pride. To lift our eyes to heaven, to stretch out our hands and call for help is our means of escape, provided that there is Someone who hears us and can come to our assistance.
Jesus Christ is the proof that God has heard our cry. And not only this! God’s love for us is so strong that he cannot remain aloof; he comes out of himself to enter into our midst and to share fully in our human condition (cf. Ex 3:7-12). The answer to our cry which God gave in Jesus infinitely transcends our expectations, achieving a solidarity which cannot be human alone, but divine. Only the God who is love, and the love which is God, could choose to save us in this way, which is certainly the lengthiest way, yet the way which respects the truth about him and about us: the way of reconciliation, dialogue and cooperation.
Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, on this Christmas 2011, let us then turn to the Child of Bethlehem, to the Son of the Virgin Mary, and say: “Come to save us!” Let us repeat these words in spiritual union with the many people who experience particularly difficult situations; let us speak out for those who have no voice.
Together let us ask God’s help for the peoples of the Horn of Africa, who suffer from hunger and food shortages, aggravated at times by a persistent state of insecurity. May the international community not fail to offer assistance to the many displaced persons coming from that region and whose dignity has been sorely tried.
May the Lord grant comfort to the peoples of South-East Asia, particularly Thailand and the Philippines, who are still enduring grave hardships as a result of the recent floods.
May the Lord come to the aid of our world torn by so many conflicts which even today stain the earth with blood. May the Prince of Peace grant peace and stability to that Land where he chose to come into the world, and encourage the resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. May he bring an end to the violence in Syria, where so much blood has already been shed. May he foster full reconciliation and stability in Iraq and Afghanistan. May he grant renewed vigour to all elements of society in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East as they strive to advance the common good.
May the birth of the Saviour support the prospects of dialogue and cooperation in Myanmar, in the pursuit of shared solutions. May the Nativity of the Redeemer ensure political stability to the countries of the Great Lakes Region of Africa, and assist the people of South Sudan in their commitment to safeguarding the rights of all citizens.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, let us turn our gaze anew to the grotto of Bethlehem. The Child whom we contemplate is our salvation! He has brought to the world a universal message of reconciliation and peace. Let us open our hearts to him; let us receive him into our lives. Once more let us say to him, with joy and confidence: “Veni ad salvandum nos!”
We have been graced this year with a great storm over Christmas. While the wind raged outside, we were treated to a wonderful candlelight Midnight Mass.
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign. In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshiped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
After Mass was over each of us venerated the baby Jesus.
Lord, save our Queen Elizabeth, and graciously hear us in the day when we call upon Thee.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, we pray that Thy servant our Queen Elizabeth, who by Thy mercy has undertaken the government of this realm, may receive increase of all the virtues; so fittingly adorned, may she be enabled to avoid all foul temptations, (overcome her enemies), and with her prince consort and the Royal family, may she at the last be welcomed by Thee, who art the way, the truth, and the life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
DOMINE, SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM ELISABETH, ET EXAUDI NOS IN DIE, QUA INVOCAVERIMUS TE.
OREMUS. QUAESUMUS, OMNIPOTENS DEUS, UT FAMULA TUA ELISABETH, REGINA NOSTRA, QUI TUA MISERATIONE SUSCEPIT REGNI GUBERNACULA, VIRTUTUM ETIAM OMNIUM PERCIPIAT INCREMENTA; QUIBUS DECENTE ORNATA, ET VITIORUM MONSTRA DEVITARE, (HOSTES SUPERARE) ET AD TE QUI VIA, VERITAS, ET VITA ES, CUM [PRINCIPE CONSORTE ET PROLE REGIA, GRATIOSA VALEAT PERVENIRE. PER CHRISTUM DOMINUM NOSTRUM. AMEN.
Reverend Mother Maria Angela Borsa, Prioress of the Venerable Monastery of theMost Holy Annunciation and Incarnation in Genoa, Italy, before the relics of the Holy Foundress, Bl. Maria Vittoria (behind the Infant Jesus). Below: A clearer view of the sacred incorrupt relics.
During the 1990s our Congregation made a home in the former monastery of the Celestial Annunciades in Joinville, France (below). The holy order, founded by Blessed Maria Vittoria de Fornari Strata, seemed to have more or less dwindled and we were privileged to glean, from local memories and some remaining artefacts, a little of the history of the beautiful order which had once found a home within the same walls.
Each day we devote a few moments to preparing the image of the saint for the next day for our top right sidebar. Having found that 15 December is the anniversary of Blessed Maria Vittoria’s death, and making the association with our former home, we went searching for a suitable image.What a surprise to find that the monastery where her relics repose is alive and well and very much inclined towards the traditional religious life. The photographs are simply beautiful so we decided to share them with our readers.
The Altar of Blessed Maria Vittoria during the traditional First Holy Mass offered there in 2009 by the newly ordained Rev. Fr Francesco Ramella .
The Celestial Annunciades are religious order for women founded by Bl. Maria Vittoria Fornari (1562 - 1617) at Genoa. The death of her husband, Angelo Strata, left her the care of six children, and it was only after they had entered the religious life that she was free to carry out her life work, for which she had been preparing by retirement and the practice of austere virtue. Her lack of temporal means for some time caused her director and the Archbishop of Genoa to withhold their consent, which, however, was finally obtained (1602), and a convent was erected at the expense of one of her companions.Pope Clement VIII approved them in 1604, placing the Order under the Rule of St Augustine. In the same year ten members were received, each adding the name Maria Annunziata to her baptismal or religious name, and they made their solemn vows on 7 September, 1605. The Order spread through France, Germany, and Denmark.
Above: A novice preparing embroidery for the support of the monastery. Below: The altar of Our Lady of Protection, a devotion particular to the order.
The title of our post, Victoria Who Overcame the World,is a play on the words of Holy Scripture, often seen in pictures of the Blessed: "For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith." [1 John 5,4]It is uplifting to see her spiritual daughters continuing to overcome the spirit of the world, the flesh and the devil.
Eternal Maxims - Tuesday
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Maxims of Eternity
or
Meditations for Every Day in the Week.
*Meditation for Tuesday*
*Mortal Sin.*
I.
Consider, O my soul! that having been created to love ...
Rev. Fr Hubert Austen, C.SS.R. (1884 – 1964)
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Father was born in Hamburg on 16 May, 1884, into a profoundly Catholic
family. It was from them and the priests who formed his soul as a child and
a youn...
The Foundation of Saint-Anne de Beaupré (Canada)
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*1905*
The Venerable Father Passerat had just introduced the Redemptoristine
Sisters into Austria (1831). When the sons of Saint Alphonsus had reached
as f...
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