What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Now that the whole Paschal cycle is finished (let’s not talk about the Octave of Pentecost) Papa Ratzinger has put his white paschal mozzetta back in the mothballs and has extracted the usual red.

Before

On Monday after Pentecost…

 

Remember that Card. Castrillon Hoyos consented to speak on the new DVD produced by the FSSP and EWTN? 

Remember how he essentially said that priests don’t need to wait for requests from the faithful to begin having the TLM in their parishes?

Remmeber how he indicated that the Holy Father desires that celebrations of the TLM become normal?

Here is a YouTube of the section on the DVD.

Today is Monday in the Octave of Pentecost, or at least it ought to be in in the Novus Ordo as it is in the older, Traditional Roman Calendar.

I dig in to what a liturgical Octave, is adding my own comments.  I am little frustrated with a few things in this matter of the tinkering done with the calendar… done?... hardly, still being done!

The we hear from the great St. Augustine (+430) on the feast of Pentecost, preaching on 12 June 412.  He has interesting wine imagery and talks about what it means to be a living member of the Body of Christ.

If I get some feedback, indicating that people hear this, I may make a few more for the rest of the Octave.

 

 Octaves, Fr. Z rants & Augustine on Pentecost [51:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As you know, this year will be dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle.

Below, find the decree in Latin from the Sacra Penitenzieria Apostolica for the plenary indulgence that can be gained.

Here is the story from VIS.

VATICAN CITY, 10 MAY 2008 (VIS) – According to a decree made public today and signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv., respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Benedict XVI will grant the faithful Plenary Indulgence for the occasion of the two-thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle Paul. The Plenary Indulgence will be valid throughout the Pauline Year which is due to run from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009.

"With the imminence of the liturgical Solemnity of the Prince of the Apostles", says the decree, "the Supreme Pontiff … wishes, in good time, to provide for the faithful with spiritual treasures for their own sanctification, that they may renew and reinforce … their purpose of supernatural salvation from the moment of the First Vespers of the aforementioned Solemnity, principally in honour of the Apostle of the Gentiles the two-thousandth anniversary of whose earthly birth is now approaching.

"In fact, the gift of indulgences which the Roman Pontiff offers the Universal Church, facilitates the way to interior purification which, while rendering honour to the Blessed Apostle Paul, exalts supernatural life in the hearts of the faithful and spurs them on … to produce fruits of good works".

The means to obtain the Plenary Indulgence are as follows:

"All Christian faithful – truly repentant, duly purified by the Sacrament of Penance and restored with Holy Communion – who undertake a pious visit in the form of a pilgrimage to the papal basilica of St. Paul on Rome’s Via Ostiense and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, are granted and imparted Plenary Indulgence for the temporal punishment of their sins, once they have obtained sacramental remission and forgiveness for their shortcomings.

"Plenary Indulgence may be gained by the Christian faithful, either for themselves or for the deceased, as many times as the aforementioned acts are undertaken; it remains the case, however, that Plenary Indulgence may be obtained only once a day.

"In order that the prayers pronounced on these holy visits may lead and draw the souls of the faithful to a more intense veneration of the memory of St. Paul, the following conditions are laid down: the faithful, apart from pronouncing their own prayers before the altar of the Blessed Sacrament, ... must go to the altar of the Confession and pray the ‘Our Father’ and the ‘Creed’, adding pious invocations in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Paul; and such acts of devotion must remain closely linked to the memory of the Prince of the Apostles St. Peter".

"Christian faithful from the various local Churches, under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion, prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) and completely unattached to any form of sin, may still obtain the Plenary Indulgence if they participate devotedly in a religious function or in a pious exercise held publicly in honour of the Apostle of the Gentiles: on the days of the solemn opening and closing of the Pauline Year in any place of worship; on other days determined by the local ordinary, in holy places named for St. Paul and, for the good of the faithful, in other places designated by the ordinary".  [May bishops everywhere, please God, take note!]

The document concludes by recalling how the faithful who, "through sickness or other legitimate or important reason", are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain the Plenary Indulgence if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, "spiritually unite themselves to a Jubilee celebration in honour of St. Paul, offering their prayers and suffering to God for the unity of Christians".

URBIS ET ORBIS
D E C R E T U M

 Saeculo XX expleto postquam Sanctus Apostolus Paulus in terris ortus est,
speciales conceduntur Indulgentiae.

Cum instet sollemnitas liturgica Principum Apostolorum, Summus Pontifex, pastorali impulsus sollicitudine, in animo habet tempestive decernere de spiritalibus aperiendis thesauris pro sanctificatione fidelium, ita ut ipsi salutaria proposita semper quidem concipienda, vel maxime hac pia et felici occasione innovent et roborent, in actum ferventissime deducenda inde a primis vesperis memoratae sollemnitatis, praesertim in honorem Apostoli Gentium, a cuius ortu in terris bismillesimus anniversarius dies nunc propinquat.

Sane vero, Indulgentiarum donum, quod Romanus Pontifex universae Ecclesiae praebet, optimae interiori purificationi summo gradu attingendae viam sternit, quae scilicet Beato Paulo Apostolo honorem defert et supernaturalem vitam in cordibus fidelium exaltat et ad fructus bonorum operum gignendos suaviter impellit.

Itaque haec Apostolica Paenitentiaria, cui Beatissimus Pater commisit ut Decretum de Indulgentiis totum per spatium Anni Paulini largiendis et acquirendis praeparet atque redigat, per praesens iuxta ipsius Augusti Pontificis mentem editum, gratias, quae in sequentibus significantur, benigne dilargitur:

 

I.- Omnibus et singulis christifidelibus vere paenitentibus, qui, rite per Sacramentum Paenitentiae expiati et Sacra Synaxi refecti,papalem Sancti Pauli Basilicam ad viam Ostiensem in forma peregrinationis pie inviserint et ad mentem Summi Pontificis oraverint, plenaria temporalis poenae, pro peccatis luendae, Indulgentia, misericorditer in Domino conceditur atque impertitur, obtenta prius ab iisdem admissorum cuiusque suorum sacramentali remissione ac venia.

Plenaria haec Indulgentia a christifidelibus cum sibi, tum aliis fidelibus vita functis toties lucri fieri poterit, quoties imperata opera rite perficiantur, norma autem illa usque vigente, qua semel dumtaxat in die consequi licet Indulgentiam plenariam.

Ut vero quae in sacris hisce visitationibus effundentur preces ad Sancti Pauli memoriam recolendam fidelium animos studiosius referant atque excitent, haec, quae sequuntur, statuuntur atque iubentur: praeter eas supplicationes, quae ultro pro singulorum pietate ante SS.mi Sacramenti aram ad Deum admovebuntur, ad Confessionis aram recitari debent Oratio Dominica atque Symbolum Apostolorum, additis piis invocationibus in honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis atque Sancti Pauli. Quae quidem animi devotio sibi semper conexam habeat memoriam Principis Apostolorum Sancti Petri.

 

II.- Christifideles variarum Ecclesiarum localium, suetis condicionibus (sacramentali Confessione, eucharistica Commu-nione et oratione ad mentem Summi Pontificis) rite adimpletis, omnino excluso affectu erga quodcumque peccatum, plenariam lucrari valebunt Indulgentiam, si sacrae functioni vel pio exercitio in honorem Apostoli Gentium publice peractis devote interfuerint: diebus, quibus Annus Paulinus sollemniter aperietur et claudetur, in omnibus sacris aedibus; aliis diebus a loci Ordinario determinandis, in sacris aedibus sub titulo Sancti Pauli et, pro utilitate fidelium, in aliis ab ipso Ordinario designandis.

 

 III.- Denique fideles, morbo vel alia legitima et notabili causa impediti, pariter plenariam consequi poterunt Indulgentiam, semper elongato animo a quocumque peccato et concepto proposito suetas condiciones, cum primum eis possibile erit, adimplendi, dummodo iubilari celebrationi in honorem Sancti Pauli peractae se spiritaliter adiunxerint, preces suas suosque dolores misericordi Deo offerentes pro Christianorum unitate.

Quo autem facilius christifideles caelestium horum munerum participes fieri queant, sacerdotes, competenti ecclesiastica auctoritate ad confessiones audiendas adprobati, prompto et generoso animo sese praebeant ad ipsas excipiendas.

Praesenti per Annum Paulinum tantum valituro. In contrarium facientibus non obstantibus quibuscumque.

Datum Romae, ex aedibus Paenitentiariae Apostolicae, die X mensis Maii, anno Dominicae Incarnationis MMVIII, in vigilia Dominicae Pentecostes. 

IACOBUS FRANCISCUS S. R. E. Card. STAFFORD
Paenitentiarius Maior

+ Ioannes Franciscus Girotti, O. F. M. Conv.
Ep. Tit. Metensis, Regens

Over at Fr. Longenecker’s place, there is an an interesting entry on young people and ad orientem worship.

My emphases and comments.

Friday, May 09, 2008
High Schoolers Facing East

Six high school boys stayed after Thursday’s daily Mass at St Joseph’s Catholic School:

"Father, why didn’t you celebrate Mass facing East today?"

"I’m doing so on two days of the week, and on the other two the usual way. Do you like the Mass when I celebrate facing East?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It feels more holy. It’s older right? But you’re not really facing East here."  [Ex ore infantium….]

"There’s something called ‘liturgical East.’ It’s when the priest faces what used to be the East ‘cause all the churches were built to face the rising sun, which was a symbol of the resurrection and also because Jesus would return to Jerusalem, which was in the East."

"Like Muslims facing Mecca."

"Sort of, but I’m not going to start wearing a turban"

"You could wear your biretta more often."  [... perfecisti laudem!]

"Shall I?"

"I like Mass when you face East because it feels like you are offering the Mass for us more."

"I just like stuff that’s more traditional."

"I think it feels more, well, manly. Do you know what I mean. Is that dumb?"  [God bless these young men!]

"That’s interesting. No, I don’t think it’s dumb, but I have to think about why it might be true."

"I think it’s good because I was thinking more about God and not you, and when you elevated the host it was like Jesus floating there. It was more mysterious. It was cool."  [The point of Holy Mass is our transforming encounter with Mystery.  We need awe at trasncendence!]

"Would you like me to continue saying Mass facing with you to the Lord?"

"Yes please."

"You don’t feel slighted because I have turned my back to you? You sure I haven’t hurt your feelings?"

Laughter all around. "You’re not that good looking anyway Father."

"OK, why don’t you all go to lunch now?"

WDTPRS kudos to the excelleny Fr. Longenecker and those kids!

Good job!

I will be helping with a prilgrimage to Rome in the fall, the "Glory of Catholic Rome" pilgrimage, 31 October 31 – 8 November 2008.

It is being organized principally by Patrick Madrid, who is pretty well know by all of you, I think.

Patrick informed me that the "early bird" special discount for the pilgrimage is expiring soon, 1 June.

Here are a few points for the pilgrimage:

Around Rome itself we will be visiting, for example, Ostia Antiqua, the ancient Roman port city.  I often recommend that if people can’t spare the time to go to Pompeii, south of Naples, they should go to Ostia.  This is where St. Augustine, on his way back to north Africa after his baptism in Milan, was blockaded during a time of civil unrest and where his mother, St. Monica, died.  Monica’s tomb is in the Church of St. Augustine in Rome.  We’ll visit Nemi,  in the Castelli Romani, the hills south of Rome, and Castle Gandolofo.  We’ll give our perspectives on the catacombs, the Roman basilicas, museums, restaurants. 

Also, this is a special year dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle, so it is good for a Roman pilgrimage.  A plenary indulgence can be gained for a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle in the Basilica of St. Paul outside-the-walls!  Read this!

I’ll be saying Mass each day, proabably with the 1962 Missale Romanum.

For information you can go to www.surprisedbytruth.com to download the full-color brochure, click the image above, or you can call the travel coordinators, Corporate Travel, at 800-727-1999 (ext.  290).

I got a question from a reader.  Perhaps you can chime in with answers.

I believe he is talking about the Novus Ordo.

Should the congregation STAND or SIT for the singing of the Sequence on Easter and Pentecost? At my church the cantor asked for people to remain seated for the Sequence. One of the priests said that was wrong, that the congregation should stand. Which is Correct?

I’ll let you readers get into this.

In the meantime, perhaps our WDTPRS parody song writer can come up with the answer… musically. 

"Should I stand or should I sit", might be just as good a title for someone going to the "Tridentine" Mass for the first time!

Looking for the perfect gift for that priest who is curious about Summorum Pontificum but is too timid to get off his backside and actually do something about it?

Encouragement is here!

I got this useful item via e-mail from Fr. S in LA.

Manipulus ‘Pueri Mundi’

Since the late 1970’s the children of the world fabric has been popularized because of its liturgical flexibility, it is non of the liturgical colors, yet at the same time it is all of them!

Now for the first time, the 1970’s meet the 1570’s, as Maniple Productions introduces the Manipulus ‘Pueri Mundi’.

The ‘children of the world’ maniple is liturgically neutral and thus can be worn on any occasion, indeed all occasions!

It is lined with a solid cotton reverse fabric and comes with a matching tie to ensure that it stays put during the Sacred Mysteries.

It’s the perfect gift for the priest who thinks he has everything!

He probably already has a ‘children of the world’ stole, perhaps even a chasuble but he never dreamed he would see this day.

Thanks to Pope Benedict XVI’s recent motu proprio never before has a liturgical item been in such demand. For those priests not expecting the liberalization of the Mass of All Time this timely product must truly be a manipulus fletus et doloris.

Remember one size fits all, from the chubbiest cleric to the prissiest priest.

Just strap it on and watch!

Introibit ad altare Dei!

For more information please visit our website…