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

A reader alerted me to the following in The Daily Illini.  This concerns demonic possession and exorcism.

My emphases and comments.

Exorcist shares past experiences with demonic possession
Katie Palmer  
October 28th, 2009 – 4:00 AM

With Halloween around the corner and Hollywood releasing horror movies such as "Paranormal Activity" and "Saw VI," one cannot help but feel chills running down his or her spine. [But perhaps for the wrong reason.  Perhaps because people are becoming desensitized to true evil by constant exposure to silly evil.] St. John’s Catholic Newman Center had the timing right when it invited exorcist Father Vince Lampert to speak about his experiences Monday night at Foellinger Auditorium.

Lampert, the head priest at St. Francis and Clare parish in Greenwood, Ind., was ordained a priest in 1991. He was later asked by the archbishop of Indianapolis if he was willing to train as an exorcist, said Monsignor Gregory Ketcham, director and head chaplain at the Newman Center.

"Father Lampert was asked to take on the role of an exorcist because he is very prayerful and faithful, and he has a lot of integrity — he’s a good man," Ketcham said.  [Exorcists need to be upright.]

Lampert is one of twelve exorcists in America today, Ketcham said. Lampert spent a whole summer in Rome training under Italy’s head exorcist. This training included witnessing and assisting in about 60 exorcisms.  [There is now a course for priests in Rome.]

Now that Lampert has been a fully trained exorcist for several years, he said he receives five to six calls a week from people who believe they are possessed. Exorcisms are only performed as a last resort once the subject is determined to be truly possessed.  [And not just a little strange.]

"For one to become possessed by the devil, one has to have a dedication to the devil, be cursed or lead a life that is full of sin; it is something more than just a struggle against temptation," Lampert said.  [There is also a difference between the levels or grades of demonic attacks.]

Performing an exorcism takes a lot of preparation by not only the subject, but by the exorcist too, Lampert said. Before each exorcism, Lampert has to go through a series of prayers and attend confession so the devil will not be able top reach him.

"In order for a person to be exorcised, they have to be fully committed to turning to Christ," Lampert said. "If they resist, the exorcism cannot be performed."

When determining if a person is in fact possessed, Lampert looks for several criteria.

"A person may be possessed if they have an ability to speak unknown languages, unhuman-like strength, the knowledge of the unknown, and an inexplicable aversion to holy places," Lampert said.  [Remember… this world has it "Prince", as the Lord said.  The realm of the sacred and the secular or profane are in contrast.  By blessings and consecrations, people, places and things are torn from the grasp of the Prince of this world and given over to the King.  Sacramentals are powerful weapons of the spiritual life.  Use them.  Ask for blessings.]

During an exorcism, Lampert goes through 10 steps, including prayers and blessings, he said.

"Sometimes the exorcism can be rather dull," Lampert said. "But I have seen a woman levitate and people’s faces contort."

During his lecture, Lampert told several stories of extraordinary events that have occurred during his exorcisms. In one story, a person spoke in a childlike voice that was not his own, as it was the devil speaking.

People formed long lines before the microphone in order to ask Lampert questions about his unusual career. [I bet.  The problem with this topic is that it tends to spark unhealthy interest and dangerous curiosity.] Many viewers were also listening attentively to his answers with gasping and awing. Many of the seats at Foellinger Auditorium were occupied throughout the event.

Erika Satterlee, freshman in LAS, said she went into the lecture not knowing much about exorcisms except for depictions in movies.

"The lecture was definitely interesting," Satterlee said. "It freaked me out too, which I knew it would."  [You better be freaked out.]

This was Lampert’s second time speaking at the University around Halloween, Ketcham said.

"Lampert’s purpose of speaking is to share the Catholic view of evil and how it works in our lives," Ketcham said. "He is here to tell us the truth."

 

Perhaps the riposte of Yoda to Luke Skywaker is appropriate.  The young man declares that he is not afraid.  Yoda responds "You will be."

Some random comments.

Every diocese is suppose to have an appointed exorcist.  Sadly, this hasn’t been take seriously in all times and places.

The new Rite for Exorcism is held by some to be inferior.  However, the Congregation for Divine Worship said that the old Rite can be used.   Furthermore, the older Rite of Excorcism is found in the pre-Conciliar Rituale Romanum.

Priests cannot, on their own, do exorcisms without permission of ecclesiastical authority.  This is for everyone’s good! 

Laypeople: Do not! NOT!  NOT EVERRRRRRRR attempt anything like an exorcism.   If you have concerns about a person, go to a priest or the bishop after consulting medical and psychological professionals.  If you are worried about your house or a place.  Talk to a priest. Use sacramentals such as Holy Water and blessed salt.  Do NOT fool around with this stuff.  This isn’t a joke.

Avoid avoid avoid things that might open you up to oppression by the Enemy, such as Tarot cards and Ouija boards and other things that might be taken to be "games".  If you have those things destroy them NOW, not later.
 
Priests have the character that comes from Holy Orders: lay people do NOT. 

Be aware of these things without developing to great an interest.

From the parish church of "Beat Vergine Assunta" in Viguzzuolo, in the Diocese of Tortona, the pastor, Fr. Gino Bava demonstrates to the world that your church doesn’t have to be huge for there to be a Solemn Mass in the Traditional Roman Rite.

Here are a couple photos from their celebration of the Feast of Christ the King.  There are a lot more on their site.

So much of what people send me is simply dreadful.

Here is a nice piece to lift the spirit!

[9-year old X’s] 7-year old sister needed a monstrance for her St. Clare costume (for the parish festival alternative to Halloween on Sat. eve) so he made this for her. The bottom of an A&W can forms the center—cut out and with the sides cut into strips and twisted into ornate rolls. The stand is a paper towel tube + plastic drink container base and the sunburst is well, obvious. It’s all held together, of course, with kids’ favorite adhesive: tape. I don’t know if we’ll get to the painting of it because we’re trying to move next week but I almost prefer the pre-paint version for its inventive charm. I was slack-jawed, quite frankly. Kids may not know how to define "ineffable" but they sure know how It should be treated!

 
The result?

From a priest reader who works in a seminary and is involved with helping seminarians learn how to say Mass (edited):

... I find it helpful to know the historic reasons behind even small gestures at Mass.  [...]
 
Thus, I would like to prepare to pass along this wisdom by studying the Mass and absorbing, as much as I can, the reasons that we do what we do up there – so that the men are competent in, and devoted to saying the black/doing the red because they understand whence they come – and I find that if one wants to understand the parts/gestures/prayers/sequence of the novus ordo, he must study the TLM.
 
I read recently The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Fr. Nicholas Gihr, which was superb.  Might you have other book suggestions, either for me in preparation, or for the students, so as to understand the NO by understanding the TLM?

I haven’t read Gihr, but I have heard of it.

I am pleased that Father is taking this approach.  As young men learn the older forms or learn about them, they will have a better grasp of who they are as priests and what they do at the altar.

I think they could benefit from access to Jungmann’s The Mass of the Roman Rite, which will be in the library, but should be on all of their shelves without question.  It is a scholar’s approach.   More accessible is, perhaps, Romano Guardini’s little book Meditations before Mass. 

Also, have them look at the works of Klaus Gamber about ad orientem worship.

 

Perhaps some readers will offer other titles.

Folks… I don’t have time for this right now… can you help?

From a reader:

This summer, our diocese of _ will see its first Extraordinary Form Liturgy since…well, probably since Vatican II.  The Mass will be a Nuptial Mass for two of my good friends.  I am merely wondering about the rubrical guidelines for a sung wedding Mass.
•    Is the Asperges done before the Mass, directly after the Nuptial Blessing or not at all?
•    How many servers, at minimum are needed for this particular form of the Sacred Liturgy? 
•    I know the engaged both would like incense, but is this permissible and is incense used at any point during the Blessing?
•    What is sung by the choir and what is omitted by the server?
Fr. Fortescue’s book has started to hurt my head in trying to get it all squared away!

Be sure to check out this Polish site Nowy Ruch Liturgiciczny for photos of a Solemn TLM coram episcopo, Most. Rev. Marian Golebiewski, Archbishop of Wroclaw.

The photos are GREAT.





Folks… this is what the RED MASS should always look like.

This is what the pols and judges need to see.

Remember my Liturgical Political Manifesto?

From a reader:

A classmate of mine is about to be ordained to the priesthood.  I’m trying to find an antique chalice for him.  Do you know any merchants who sell antique chalices?

Anyone?

From a reader:

First let me say I am a long time reader of your blog. Thank you for all that you do.

A few years ago I found a brass censer on eBay which I bought. The exterior is quite tarnished, and the interior is a bit corroded with the copper plating missing in some places. There’s a small ding at the base.

Nonetheless, I floated the idea of attempting to restore it and let my children present it to out priest as a gift to celebrate the Year of the Priest. I started polishing it up, and dang it if it doesn’t look pretty sharp. He does not currently use a censer; but if he has an inkling in his heart to do so, perhaps this would be a little encouragement.

Do you know of any reason why this would not be an appropriate gift? Would it be acceptable even if it is clear that the item is not new (I won’t even attempt to remove the small ding, fearing I’d only damage it further)?

Do you have any thoughts on this sort of gift? Are you aware of any considerations I should keep in mind when continuing?

First, it is good that some of this old stuff is being rescued and cleaned up and … hopefully… used.

A lot of that ecclesiastical hardware is is pretty expensive new.

Also, I can’t see why it would not be a good gift to some parish where the priest is trying to get things going again.

Something like this might be a source of encouragement.

I would also present it along with some incense and some charcoal, so that it is easy to start using it right away.

 

I suspect most people would like to have more solemn liturgy on occasion, and the use of incense can go a long way in making it so.

 

I am sure you remember how the NCR instrumentalized an old priest of the Diocese of Kansas City, MO, to attack his bishop… NCR’s bishop… His Excellency Most Rev. Robert Finn.

NCR published a letter from a priest of the Kansas City, MO diocese, Fr. Michael Gillgannon to Bishop Finn.  The letter reveals the thought processes and categories of the deeply entrenched left-leaning Catholic liberal democrat now evolving into a mean-spirited whiner in the face of a shifting American episcopate.

As a little followup, you might want to see what some of the comments say on the NCR site in support of Fr. Gillgannon’s positions.

The deeper aims of NCR is to pit the laity against faithful bishops and "John Paul II priests" – who terrify the editors into incontinence – and pit "discontinuity and rupture priests" of yesteryear against faithful bishops and "John Paul II priests", and pit disconunity priests against faithful priests, etc.  You get the idea.

A WDTPRS reader made a selection:

Submitted by Fr Francis O (not verified) on Sep. 19, 2009.

Did you not see the famous painting by DaVinci based on a genuine photo of the Last Supper. Brown and Howard made a film of it [And we’re off to the races!] and turned St. John into Mary Magdalene as the token female priest of the Twelve who seduced Jesus according to some true-fictional stuff based on a fgake List in the French National Library (Brown explained it both ways) Judas was so shocked he did the Opus Dei (Work of God) and turned Jesus in to the Hierarchy. Peter was ashamed and used very bad language and denied knowing Jesus ( maybe still angry that He cured Peter’s mother in law?). Only John was at the Cross with Mary, Jesus’ Mother and the same Mary of Magdala to be with Jesus when He died. Nothing much has changed since. The Hierarchy are not there for Jesus so often, but [Here it comes!...] they probably would object if the Magdalene wanted to use birth control or have an abortion. The Holy Spirit finally got to their hearts and they did the GOSPEL OF LIFE and protected Life from Womb to Tomb – did not selectively decide who received pastoral care.  [And Paul VI issued Humanae vitae...] Jesus served them FISH for breakfast Easter morning (John 21) – McDonald’s one assumes so Domino’s Pizza was not on the menu. [!? ... huh?] Way to go Father Michael. 

ROFL!  The writer identifies himself as "Fr".  Fun!

Submitted by Fr. Bill Taylor (not verified) on Sep. 22, 2009.

Re Anonymous Sept. 15. When I was in the seminary, I learned that the most solemn Spirit-filled moment in the Church occurred at an ecumenical council. There was no council as spectacular as Vatican II, where the pope gathered in consultation with thousands of bishops from throughout the world. It never happened before on such grand scale.  Its impact on priest of my generation was like a thunder-clap. The Church had become a narrow medieval curiosity spouting answers to questions nobody was asking. Because of the Council, I felt liberated and a whole new future seemed to be opening in the Church. Pope John Paul did everything possible to diminish its impact. This put me into a spiritual quandary: If the Spirit was not present in a great council, and its powerful aftermath, why should I believe the Spirit is present in the almost unreadable ponderings of Pope John Paul? And above all, why should I listen to a mere bishop who seems to imagine that he is the voice of God?

This guy passes these judgments, but admits that he doesn’t understand the writings of John Paul II.  Smart, huh?   If he can’t understand John Paul II’s writings, he probably doesn’t have a clue about what the Council’s documents say.   

Here is a real winner.  Just sit back and read this with a beer, or cup of tea, or something.  Enjoy!

Submitted by Aileen (not verified) on Sep. 21, 2009.

After reading through all of the comments again this past weekend,   I was struck with a curious thought.  [A thought curious to whom?]   It would be most revealing if everyone who made a comment had included their year of birth and the year of their first holy communion…   and whether they are laity or ordained. My real life experience has been that those who so fervently desire to return to the old traditions and ways of pre-Vatican II (or how they imagine it), are too young to actually remember it,   and just how burdensome and depressing it could be to live under such repressive and unforgiving rules. [LOL!  Excellent.  What she doesn’t understand is that people want "continuity" with our tradition, not rupture.]   Today’s retro-uber-orthodox would have a rude awakening if they achieved their wish.   Most Catholics today are not aware (or perhaps have forgotten?) just how oppressive the situation was.     One example among many (for those of us who do remember):   ANY divorced person was formally excommunicated for the mere fact of divorce; [Really?]  even the wronged spouse who had been left for another person through no fault of their own, nor had they remarried.  [?!?]   Marriage tribunal to address such an injustice was virtually unheard of for the average Catholic in the pew. [Why would they?  People would have recourse to the tribunal if they were thinking about divorce.]    Pope Paul VI (post-V2) changed that unjust rule,   thankfully.  [What rule was that?] Because laity were considered an inferior sub-culture below clergy,   the list of misery perpetuated upon them was long and final.  ["misery"?]   One reason there was a bumper crop of clergy in those days was because,   for Catholics,   it was the only game in town.   Being ordained,   or having a child or sibling who was ordained,   provided some modest ‘status by association’ for their family members among the laity.  [Ahhh… that’s why men were ordained!]   Some folks today have the illusion that people in the old days were just "more spiritual".     Actually,   they were pragmatic. In those supposedly good old days,   laity "paid and obeyed" without question…   and got their ticket punched for Mass.     They got ‘zero’ input on anything   (forget any pastor/parish council).     A woman’s only Catholic badge of honor was hinged to remaining continually pregnant during her entire reproductive span.     Infertility had the reverse effect,   and was considered a disgrace… even carrying a ‘suspicion of secret sin’.   Babies born dead (and so unbaptized) were denied a funeral Mass or burial in consecrated ground…   the same denial held true for the mentally ill who committed suicide (they were consigned to hell). [Wow… lot’s of baggage here.]  For women,   the only ‘holy’ alternative to marriage and marathon procreation was to ‘take to the cloth’ in a convent.     Those are just a few of the nostalgic “goodies” of the good old days that some in today’s Church long for so fervently.     There was much more than just the "old" Mass in Latin or the happy black and white Bing Crosby movies.     Like so many romantic notions,   they tend to fade in the harsh light of day and actual practice.  No one was a bit more “spiritual” as a result — only intimidated and guilt-ridden.     To desire a return to those former ways actually approaches being pathological…   possibly masochistic.  [ROFL!] When Pope John XXIII “opened the doors and windows of the Church” and convened the Second Vatican Council,   it was this dark oppression and joyless legalism that he sought to remedy.  [Ahhh….that’s what he did.]   How ironic that today there are some who would take the Church back to that dark,   enclosed place where only those who could perfectly keep the rules were welcome,   and the hierarchy’s imposed unjust suffering on laity was believed to be the will of God.     I can understand why certain bishops would love that arrangement.     I cannot understand the appeal to laity.

I bet you can’t. 

There is more baggage in these comments than in the hold of a 747.

Okay… this is the opposition lined up against those who desire continuity and reform, rather than discontinuity and rupture.

There will always be one or two of these last types in a parish.  They will rise up against anything that does not fit their total rupture model, which is usually fueled by anti-clericalism and low theology, if any theology at all.

Forget the dopey errors.  People on both sides get things wrong about details of Church law or the Church’s teachings.

How do you bring people like this around?

I propose that the Five Rules could be of use.  You know the Rules?  From when Summorum Pontificum was released?

Fr. Z’s 5 Rules of Engagement for after the Motu Proprio is released:

1) Rejoice because our liturgical life has been enriched, not because "we win".  Everyone wins when the Church’s life is enriched.  This is not a "zero sum game".

2) Do not strut.  Let us be gracious to those who have in the past not been gracious in regard to our "legitimate aspirations".

3) Show genuine Christian joy.  If you want to attract people to what gives you so much consolation and happiness, be inviting and be joyful.  Avoid the sourness some of the more traditional stamp have sadly worn for so long.

4) Be engaged in the whole life of your parishes, especially in works of mercy organized by the same.  If you want the whole Church to benefit from the use of the older liturgy, then you who are shaped by the older form of Mass should be of benefit to the whole Church in concrete terms.

5) If the document doesn’t say everything we might hope for, don’t bitch about it like a whiner.  Speak less of our rights and what we deserve, or what it ought to have been, as if we were our own little popes, and more about our gratitude, gratitude, gratitude for what God gives us.

Our friends over at NLM have a really good entry about sources for unbleached beeswax candles used for Requiem Masses.

Here is the post:

Sourcing Unbleached Beeswax Altar Candles

One of our priestly readers wrote in with the question of where to find unbleached beeswax altar candles for use at the altar or at the catafalque.  [Consider various sizes, too.]

I know others had the same question following my recent post encouraging the use of unbleached beeswax candles alongside the use of black vestments for Requiems and also for All Souls Day—the latter of which is now but 5 weeks away.  [Right!  Tempus fugit.]

In view of that, the time to order for All Souls Day, if that is your goal, is certainly now.

Speaking personally, I know the Eastern Christians are those who still most commonly use these and they might be those who I would first seek out. One example I came across from a quick internet search was Sts. Mary and Martha Monastery in South Carolina—an Eastern Orthodox monastery. Some of their candles can be seen in the image to the right.

I thought I would put it out to our readers to see what their own recommendations might be. Who do you yourself know of who sells unbleached beeswax candles of various widths and heights suited church use, and sold, for that matter, at reasonably affordable prices?

Please use the comments.

 

Comment there and here.

Not too long ago I contacted my friend "John" in church goods at Leaflet Missal Company in St. Paul, MN.  He got me a box of candles for the altar.

I am in the grip of a techno nightmare, the stuff of man-made purgatory.

My main computer, the big one, which was giving me so many problems, which I had thought I had repaired, threw a nutty again yesterday in the midst of my writing a column. 

I got it going again with the radical choice of a complete system restore only to have it wig out once more with the same problem.

This morning I was up early and finally got the file off the box and moved to a USB drive so I could complete it on my laptop.

And so I am sitting here, preparing to slit my wrists right after I put down the sledge hammer.

I need help to resolved this problem with the video card driver, a problem lots of people seem to have with

nvlddmkm.sys delenda est.

I have googled and searched and even tried some of the solutions suggested.

However, there are so many putative "fixes" which seem not effectively to resolve the problem that it is hard to know what to do next.

Anyone who mentions "get a Mac" will be eternally banned from the blog.

I am considering options. 

First, I am guessing that replacing the card with a card that has nothing whatsoever to do with Nvidia might do the trick.  I would need something with a dual digital output.

Second, do any of you have any experience with this problem, understand what I am talking about, and know what to do?  I could use your experienced help.

Folks, I am not exactly a newbie… so let’s try to avoid suggestions about spyware, etc.

The OS is Vista Ultimate.  The card is an NVidia Geforce 8800.  The driver causing the problem is the hated nvlddmkm.sys.  This time, after the screen freaks out, I have gotten the message "Display Driver nvlddmkm stopped responding, has successfully recovered".  It would happen a few more times, quickly, and then either BSD with the hated driver indicated or simply reboot.

Right now it managed to boot up in safe mode with networking, which is how things stand at the moment.

If any of you truly understand what is going on and know what to do, I would be happy to give you a call if you have time.

From priest reader:

I just started praying the usus antiquior low mass after a year of preparation (of latin and the rubrics).

Question:  When may I opt to say a missae defunctorum?  When may I not?  In other words, may a missae defunctorm be chosen over a 3rd class feast, etc.?

First and foremost, thank you for learning the older form, traditional form of Mass.  I am always happy to learn that another priest is not ignorant of our common Latin Rite.  Kudos to you.  I am also hoping that you are young, so that you can say this form of Mass for many many years for many many people.

There are those special occasions as in, for example, when people die or it is the anniversary of their death.  However, I think what you are aiming at is really the daily Requiem Mass.

The rules for these daily Requiem Masses are along the lines of the rubrics for votive Masses.

A Requiem is of the 2nd class on the day of death (or getting news of the death) or on the day of burial.  That’s the Missa in die obitus seu depositionis defunctorum. It is of the 3rd class on the third, seventh, and thirtieth day after the death or burial.

A "daily" Requiem is 4th class and can be used on ferial days of the 4th class.

So… tomorrow 16 September is the Feast of Ss. Cornelius and Cyprian.  It is a 3rd class feast.  But the day after tomorrow, 17 September, is a "dies non", a 4th class feria.  You can say the "daily" Mass for the Dead, the Missa quotidiana defunctorum.

I hope that helps.

And remember that there are some differences in the Requiem Mass.  You exclude the Iudica me at the beginning, and do not bless the water.  Kiss the altar at the end, but don’t give the final blessing before the Last Gospel.  Leave off the gloria after washing your fingers and exclude the first of the three private prayers before your Communion.  The Agnus Dei is a little different and your say Requiescat in pace for the dismissal.

So, Father, put on those nice black vestments.  Put those unbleached candles on the altar and fire ‘em up!

From a reader in Japan…

Dear Father Z,

[I am] from Japan (therefore, I am sorry for my poor English).
I thank God for your great blog. My faith grows up everyday by reading your blog.

I have a question regarding "Solemn Pontifical Mass"... in OF.

In my diocese, once a year a Cardinal celebrates OF in Latin and Gregorian Chant, and this Mass is entitled "Solemn Pontifical Mass in Latin".

But Wikipedia says that "Solemn Pontifical Mass/ Pontifical High Mass" is for the Tridentine Mass. After the liturgical reform, categories (Low Mass, High Mass, Pontifical High Mass) were abandoned.

If there is no more "Solemn Pontifical Mass" in the reformed liturgy(OF), is the title of this annual "Solemn Pontifical Mass" inaccurate?
Or can we still use the category "Solemn Pontifical Mass" for OF as a sort of custom?

Who wants to help our friend in Japan with the terminology?

That is EMBER not "amber".

It is almost Embertide again… this time the "Michael" Embertide…. 23, 25 and 26 Sept.  [In my original post, I used a calendar with an error.  I have corrected the dates.  There is discussion of this, below.]

If you have access to the TLM in your parish, will you try to attend one of these Masses?

Wnat to know more about Ember Days?

Read HERE for more!

Have you ever wished that your car had a phaser option?  That there was a trap door under the pulpit?

A tip of the biretta to Mulier Fortis for the following.

In the future there may be some serious penalties for cellphone use in church.

I must find out more about this system.

I had a note from some people who have started a great program, potentially very useful.

What I was sent is too long to post, but here are a few items to let you know essentially what they are about.

First, there is a group who want to restore training in Aristotelean/Thomist philosophy.  Therefore, it is about the restoration of critical thinking.

Second, they are going to offer courses through internet distance learning.

The International Society of Scholastics was founded in 2005 by students of the Roman Pontifical Universities in collaboration with noted Scholastic philosophers at the Vatican and worldwide.

We are an intellectual association committed to restoring the philosophic doctrines, didactic principles and scientific synthesis of the greatest masters of the classical universities, the Scholastics.  It is our purpose to reestablish the Scholastic synthesis in all speculative and practical fields as offering the normative model for rational inquiry and practical activity that results in personal perfection, economic stability, and political faultlessness.

With a strong emphasis on Logic, the division and subordination of the sciences, and strict methodology, we defend our attention to detail with the axiom:

‘A small error in principle is a large error in conclusion.’

Our courses in philosophical science aim to make Scholasticism available in its classical, unadulterated form; educational materials that follow not only the content of traditional philosophy, but its structure as well.

For further Society details, please visit the ‘about us’ pages on our website, www.SocietyofScholastics.org.  There you will find our Constitution, principles, officers, goals, and more.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email us: TheSchoolmen@societyofscholastics.org

About the courses….

SAPIENTIS ONLINE COURSES

Sign up for the Sapientis online education program and soon you will be sharing a cyber-classroom with scholars from the United States, China, Brazil, New Zealand, Ireland, England, and elsewhere in an effort to master the Scholastic synthesis!

Currently, we’re offering courses in Scholastic Logic and Ethics.  Eventually we’ll be adding Natural Philosophy (including Philosophical Psychology), Economics, Politics, and Metaphysics.  However, we strongly recommend that students begin with the course in Logic.  As Aristotle noted, it is absurd to search for knowledge and the method of acquiring it at the same time. ...

An e-mail came with a question.

It came without a subject in the subject line and I usually just delete them, but I opened this one.

What is the "rule of thumb" ,age wise, for boys to start to train for the Latin Mass?
Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I think that the age of First Holy Communion might not be too early to start thinking about learning and speaking the Latin responses.

What about those of you involved with training altar boys?

Folks?  Want to chime in?

Remember!

In this year dedicated to priests and prayer for priests, Holy Church has provided lay people with a special plenary indulgence on first Thursdays of each month.

For the faithful, a plenary indulgence can be obtained on the opening and closing days of the Year for Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the faithful.

To obtain the indulgence the faithful must attend Mass in an oratory or Church and offer prayers to "Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mould them to his heart."

The conditions for the faithful for earning a plenary indulgence are to have gone to confession and prayed for the intentions of the Pope.

BENEDICT XVI’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, 1 SEP 2009 (VIS) – Pope Benedict XVI’s general prayer intention for September is: "That the word of God may be better known, welcomed and lived as the source of freedom and joy".

  His mission intention is: "That Christians in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, who often meet with great difficulties, may not be discouraged from announcing the Gospel to their brothers, trusting in the strength of the Holy Spirit".