Thursday, March 28, 2013

Maundy Thursday. Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus...

The Mass of Maundy Thursday
Christchurch, New Zealand.

 Epistle: 
Fratres, convenientibus vobis in unum...
Brethren, when you come together therefore into one place...
 Mandatum novum do vobis...
A new commandment I give unto you...
 ...alter alterius lavare pedes...
...to wash one another's feet...
 Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est...
Where are charity and love, God is there...
Timeamus et amemus Deum vivum...
Let us fear and love the living God... 

Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.
And let us love one another with sincere hearts.

 ... et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.
..and may Christ, our God, be in the midst of us.

Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
Et clamor meus ad te veniat.
O Lord hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto Thee.

Ubi est refectio mea

Christchurch, New Zealand
Holy Thursday

Ubi est refectio mea
Say to the master of the house:
The Master saith:
Where is My refectory where I may eat the Pasch
with my disciples.

Et invererunt...
And they found as He had told them:
and they prepared the pasch.



Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The example of religious life.

Christchurch, New Zealand. 
The Sacred Triduum this year is taking place
in the small chapel of a University Hall of residence.
It is a difficult location.
This causes us to pull out all stops to try to make it a success.


The Monastery Garage
Preparations for the Sacred Triduum. 
The Brothers are renovating an old altar
which they will transport by trailer to the little chapel 
tomorrow morning, Holy Thursday. 

Brother Clemens painting the old altar.

 There are also matching altar rails thanks to white paint.

 Brother has prepared the mensa or altar-top 
and is about to lower the altar stone into its place. 

 Brother Nicodemus Mary is painting with gold obtained
for him by our friend, 
the local artist and statue repairer, 
Mr. Damian Walker. 

 Deacon Brother Magdala Maria is 
directing Brother Xavier Maria who is inside the altar
lining up the new wooden support.

One of the great consolations of the religious life
is to see Brethren who pray together and
also work together in great peace and mutual co-operation;
"just getting the job done"
working to late at night
to do something worthwhile for Our Lord and for souls.

May God bless their work
and the Holy Triduum.

Monday, March 25, 2013

We adore Thee, O Christ!

I thought that perhaps some of our readers might like to hear this recording of our singing here at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary.  This rendition of Adoramus Te Christe, by G. P. da Palestrina, was sung during Mass this Palm Sunday, 24th March.




Adoramus te, Christe,
et benedicimus tibi,
quia per sanctam crucem tuam
redemisti mundum.

We adore Thee, O Christ,
And we bless Thee,
Who by Thy Holy Cross
hath redeemed the world.


The English-speaking seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP).
Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, Denton, NE, USA

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Palm Sunday in Christchurch, New Zealand

Today, 
Palm Sunday,
we officially began our apostolate in
the Diocese of  Christchurch, New Zealand.

Palm Sunday
Church of St Therese
Riccarton, Christchurch.

click on photos to see them in larger format! :)

The Blessing of Palms in front of the church. 

Hosanna filio David.
Hosanna to the Son of David. 

Hosanna in excelsis.
Hosanna in the highest. 

 Procession with Palms.

 Brother Clemens strikes the Church doors, 
the gates of the city of Jerusalem,
that they be opened to receive the King of Glory.

 Attollite, portae, capita vestra,
et attollite vos, fores antiquae,*
ut ingrediatur Rex gloriae!

Lift up O gates, your lintels,
and be ye lifted up, O ancient double doors:
and the King of Glory shall enter in! 

Ingrediente Domino in sanctam civitatem,
Hebraeorum pueri 
resurrectionem Vitae pronuntiantes,*
cum ramis palmarum:
"Hosanna in excelsis."

 As our Lord entered the holy city,
the Hebrew children,
heralding the resurrection of Life,
with palm branches cried out:
"Hosanna in the highest!" 

Jesus autem iterum clamans voce magna,
emisit spiritum.

And Jesus again crying with a loud voice,
yielded up the spirit.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Since AD 313 -the Red Shoes of the Fisherman



I am happy to share an image that was sent to me, 
since it seems that people don't understand that 
the Papal red shoes go back through all the Popes 
to just after the Church of the Catacombs. 

It is wrong for people to target 
His Holiness Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI 
as if they were his personal choice
from vanity or contempt for the poor.

All the Popes since AD 313 have worn
the red papal shoes of the Fisherman. 
The Holy Father of 2013 has chosen to lay them aside. 
That is his decision which we respect 
but Pope Francis' decision should not be used
to reflect badly 
upon His Holiness our beloved Emeritus Pope.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

First Sunday Mass as Pope

The Pope offered Mass this morning in the parish of St Anne, Vatican City.
The Pope stepped out of a plain black car and 
immediately began shaking hands and blessing babies.
The small church was packed and many were unable to find seats.

At the end of the Mass, Francis did the unexpected.
He walked to the podium again, 
and talked about a priest from Uruguay 
whom he had spotted among the faithful attending the Mass. 
The priest, Don Gonsalvo 
stood up while Francis was talking about his work 
with street children and drug-addicts for whom he built a school.
  (Source: The Telegraph)


Thursday, March 14, 2013

The Papa.


This morning, Pope Francis stopped by the Vatican-owned residence where he routinely stays during visits to Rome and where he stayed before the start of the conclave to pick up his luggage and pay the bill.

The Rev. Pawel Rytel-Andrianek, who teaches at the nearby Pontifical Holy Cross University and is staying at the residence, said he didn't just come to get his luggage, noting that anyone could have come to get his suitcases.

"He wanted to come here because he wanted to thank the personnel, people who work in this house," he said. Francis met with the staff in the dining room. "He greeted them one by one, no rush, the whole staff, one by one," Rytel-Andrianek said, noting that the pope knew everyone by name.

Official Statement


Official Statement on elevation of 
His Holiness Pope Francis
to the See of Rome


The most small institute of the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer rejoice in the election of our Holy Father Pope Francis.
We recognise in him the person of our highest Superior whom, by vow, we have willingly bound ourselves to obey. We pledge him our humble and filial charity.
This morning the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered to God in thanksgiving for his election.  


God bless our Pope!


Edifying photograph of great beauty:
Pope Francis as a Cardinal, 
washing the feet of twelve AIDS victims.

May The Lord preserve him and give him life, 
and make him blessed upon the earth : 
and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. 

The Most Small Institute.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Habemus Papam!


Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum;
habemus Papam;
Eminentissium ac Reverendissium Dominum,
Dominum 
Georgium Marium
Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae 
Cardinalem Bergoglio
Qui sibi nomen imposuit 
Franciscum.

I announce to you with great joy;
We have a Pope;
The most eminent and most reverend Lord
Lord George Mario
Cardinal of Holy Roman Church Bergoglio
Who has taken the name
 Francis.



Friday, March 08, 2013

The Gregorian Conclave

The Conclave 
to elect the successor of St Peter
is to begin on 
the Feast of 
Pope St Gregory the Great,
Tuesday, 12 March, 2013.

Oratio.
Deus, qui animae famuli tui Gregorii
aeternae beatitudinis praemia contulisti:
concede propitius;
ut, qui peccatorum nostrorum pondere premimur,
eius apud te precibus sublevemur.
Per Dominum.

O God who hast conferred
the rewards of everlasting happiness
upon the soul of Thy servant Gregory,
mercifully grant that we,
who are oppressed by the burden of our sins,
may be relieved by his prayers with Thee.
Through our Lord.

Monday, March 04, 2013

The Public Religious Profession of Brother Alfonso Maria, F.SS.R.

Having been absent from the monastery
on 22 August 2012
Brother Alfonso Maria, F.SS.R.
made his Public Religious Profession yesterday,
shortly after his return from the Philippines.

Our Lady's Chapel, Stronsay,
after the Missa Cantata.

The Public Profession of Vows
Most loving Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God, Who art deserving of the highest love, I, Brother Alfonso Maria Star of the Sea, joined, even though unworthy, to the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, inflamed with the desire of consecrating myself entirely to Thy Holy Love, bind myself to serve Thee for the future with all my strength, by imitating the holy life of Jesus Christ Thy Son, and Our Divine Redeemer, which is the only way of pleasing Thee, and to labour for the salvation of the most abandoned souls, especially of those who live in the country, according to the principal end of this Congregation. Therefore, now, in the presence of Thy Divine Majesty, of Mary Most Holy and Immaculate, my Mistress and Mother, of St Joseph and St Alphonsus, and of the whole Court of Heaven, prostrate on my knees, I promise and vow for three years:  OBEDIENCE, CHASTITY, and POVERTY, and I declare myself bound by these vows, in the manner expressed in the Rules of St Alphonsus and the Constitutions of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer. Amen.


Thanksgiving Antiphon to Our Lady.
Ave Regina Caelorum.