For the love of all that’s good, for love of God and neighbor, please pray against the hurricane that could wind up being a Cat 5, hitting where Helene hit in Florida.
Bishops, priests! Pray the LITANY against storms. Do it. JUST DO IT. Don’t be afraid. Use the Latin if you can.
Go HERE
At 07:14 the sun rose.
At 18:40 the should set. If not… I don’t know.
Thank you Lord for this day.
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I am joining these prayers to the orations of Holy Mass.
However, today I was privileged to celebrate a 1st anniversary Requiem for the father of one of the the owners of the bar I hang out at in the evening if I am meeting friends, Cafe Taba on the Campo. I was able to use the new black vestment which our project brought to completion. This is the one with my coat of arms.
I am so grateful to the donors. The decorum of the Masses is greatly enhanced. They will be available for all the priests who say Requiem Masses, especially in November.
Symmetrical Breakfast.
Over to the Campo to chat with the veg stand folks and then buy some flowers. The white roses are gone and some red perdure. However, I was after some alstroemeria.
On lookers.
Speaking of Cafe Taba… which drink is mine?
This was an interesting concoction from Enzo the Mixer, a special rye which one of my evening companions had brought (he’s long time patron), a kind of Manhattan with a touch of chocolate bitters. I am not sure I would choose the chocolate direction again, but it was a nice change of pace.
The pace changed seriously for supper as the three of us tackled an enormous fiorentina at a favored locale. It may have been the best, most tender and flavorful fiorentina I have every had.
In churchy news… Walking Together about Walking Togetherity goes …. *yawn*…. on. Robert Royal interview Fr. Murray at The Catholic Thing about it. As usual Father makes good points. One thing I would have stressed is that the point of the WTaWT is to establish the preeminence over all things – including fidelity and reason – of PROCESS. That’s the whole megillah.
SSPX Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais died on Tuesday 8 October 2024 having received the sacraments of our Holy Mother Church. Which he could receive because Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication. He was 79 years old, had been a priest for 49 years and a bishop for 36. He was one of Lefebvre’s first seminarians. May he rest in peace.
May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.
In chessy news… HERE
It is sometimes said that were we truly to realize to the depth of our soul precisely the awesome what and the tremendous WHO the Blessed Sacrament is, we might never be able to get our faces up from off the floor except that out love and His grace would give us the joyful strength.
If a single glimpse in the Host is an encounter with the One who is mysterium tremendum et fascinans, how much more Holy Communion?
Go to confession!
That said, I am looking at a new book from the great people at TAN by Fr. J. Francis Sophie, OP:
Martyrs of the Eucharist: Stories to Inspire Eucharistic Amazement.
In the intro we read:
This book treats the Martyrs of the Eucharist in four divisions. Part One relates the heroic stories of priests who were killed for celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or the laity who were killed while attending the Mass. Part Two considers those men and women who fearlessly died defending or protecting the Eucharist. Part Three recounts the remarkable stories of persons who risked their lives for the Eucharist, though they were not actually killed. And Part Four describes the remarkable stories of those who died because of some intimate connection to the Eucharist.
Celebrating, protecting, risking, dying.
As I write, I look up from my keyboard at the bell tower of the chapel of the Venerable English College in Rome. Off to the side there is another, smaller and decrepit campanile with a lever to the bell attached to a cable that descends through the terracotta tiles to the chapel below. This is the bell that was rung when news of a English martyr arrived.
I look down at my screen now and see the stories of saints in the first part of the book from Pope Sixtus II (+258) to Fr. Jacques Hamel (+2016) and I feel both small and massively increased in the same moment.
On my screen is the account of how priest-hunter Richard Topcliffe as Elizabeth I’s “interrogator” sought out priests and recusants for torture and horrific execution. Many were hanged, drawn and quartered.
As I contemplate the storm barreling down on Florida, sure to pass of St. Augustine, the place of the 1st Mass in N. America, there is the tale of a 15-year old indigenous boy Manuel (+1700) the first to be recommended to enter the seminary there. He was made sacristan of their chapel Our Lady of Candelaria. The village was attacked by Creek Indians and British troops who fired the chapel to draw out the priest so they could torture him. Manuel tried to save the chapel but they beat him ferociously and forced him to watch the flames. When all was burned they drowned him in the horse trough. His cause for beatification is being considered.
Across the Ponte Sisto here in Rome, the bridge to Trastevere linking the street that runs along side The Parish and in front of the little church were St. Vincent Pallotti is buried, we find Santa Maria della Scala. In that Carmelite church there is a shrine to Ven. Francis-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan (+2002). A bishop for 22 years, he was taken by the Communists to a “re-education camp”… for 13 years. He found ways to have wine and tiny broken hosts smuggled in and celebrated Mass, then giving Communion to others.
“I will never be able to express the joy that was mine: each day,
with three drops of wine, a drop of water in the palm of my hand, I celebrated my Mass.
See what I mean?
I think all priests should have at least one Mass formulary memorized along with the Ordinary. I know you know why.
Would you consider giving this book to your parish priests? Their spiritual lives could be enriched as they then approach the altar of Sacrifice.
This is just about priests and religious, of course. I also think that it would be a good gift for a fallen away Catholic or someone wavering. In the ancient Church, during the “Gesimas”, prospective converts were instructed about the possibilities of suffering. It would be a great book for convert classes, too. A select chapter at a time.
07:13 was the time for the sun to evolve over the eastern horizon and at 18:42 it shall again devolve.
The Ave Maria should ring at 19:00 (though by the strictly solar reckoning I suppose it would be at 19:12).
Thank you, O Lord, for this day.
Welcome registrants:
mkmrdh
J.A.B.
JDR
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I was out with a couple of lawyer friends last night, in Rome for different motives and who didn’t know each other. However, my Marvel super-power is networking. I wonder if this new connection will bear mutual fruits. We are meeting for supper again tonight.
Last night, however, these were the appetizers. Little fried anchovies.
Bruschetta with artichoke. It’s “broo-SKETT-ah” not “broo-shett-ah”.
We had a lovely Sicilian box wine, remarked by one of my dining companions:
C’mon… that was funny.
In churchy news…
Card. Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem and quite papabile, composed a prayer for peace. Yesterday was the anniversary of the terroristic attacks on Israel. It was also the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto. Get it?
Didn’t Pizzaballa offer to exchange himself for hostages?
This morning after celebrating St. Bridget of Sweden, I walked past her little (locked up) church at the P.za Farnese. Little did I know that soon I would fire up Twitter and see this lovely illumation HERE. In the Morgan Library, from Naples, end of the 14th c.
There’s a lot going on in there.
In chessy news… HERE
Please retweet and share around. The buttons are just up there… ? … see e’m?
Hurricane Milton is coming.
It could be Cat FOUR. It is just shy of Cat FIVE.
Here’s an action item for you believing priests and bishops out there. With confidence we can pray the prayers which the Church has designated against storms.
I believe what the Church believes. Do you?
Therefore….
BISHOPS OF THE GULF COAST AND FLORIDA: Stand on the steps of your respective cathedral churches, dressed in cope and miter and, surrounded by clergy, with crosiers in hand, pronounce from the traditional Rituale Romanum the Litany of Saints with the deprecatory prayers against storms. [below] Ring the cathedral bells.
Bells are sacramentals. They are “baptized” and given names. They speak. In valleys of mountainous countries, as storms approached, people would ring the bells and pray the Litany. That’s one of the reasons why we have consecrated bells!
You all talk to each other: perhaps coordinate your timing.
I know that in every chancery at least one person reads this blog, probably more. Readers, especially if you know your bishops personally, ask them to do this.
Look, you bishops out there… I know you are nervous about Rome frowning on you because you used a traditional book. You don’t have to publicize it. If you are nervous, do in it private. BUT DO IT.
For the love of God and those in your charge. Use the God given office and authority of a successor of the Apostles and PRAY DOWN THIS STORM!
PRIESTS OF FLORIDA: Ditto. Also, if you have blessed bells, ring the bells of your churches against the storm.
LAY PEOPLE: Get on your priests about this. The prayers of priests and bishop are powerful. Also, ask your holy angels to protect you and to help you make prudent decisions.
Fathers, Bishops…
Use the old Roman Ritual (yes, the traditional book – you can do it! – it’s the real deal!) and pray the Litany with the deprecatory prayers against storms. A procession could be done around the grounds of the cathedral or even indoors… even with a very few.
You don’t have to be directly in the line of the storm to pray for others! You don’t have to be in Florida!
Fathers… Bishops… do this in Latin to be most effective.
PROCESSION FOR AVERTING TEMPEST [Better in Latin, but here is the English.]
The church bells are rung, and all who can assemble in church. Then the Litany of the Saints is said, during which – at the right moment, namely, after the invocation, “That you grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, etc.”, the following invocation is said twice:
From lightning and tempest, Lord, deliver us.
At the end of the litany the following is added:
P: Our Father (the rest inaudibly until:)
P: And lead us not into temptation.
All: But deliver us from evil.
Psalm 147
P: Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem; * praise your God, O Sion.
All: For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; * He has blessed your children within you.
P: He has granted peace in your borders; * with the best of wheat He fills you.
All: He sends forth His command to the earth; * swiftly runs His word!
P: He spreads snow like wool; * He strews frost like ashes.
All: He scatters His hail like crumbs; * the waters freeze before His cold.
P: He sends His word and melts them; * He lets His breeze blow and the waters run.
All: He has proclaimed His word to Jacob, * His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.
P: He has not done thus for any other nation; * He has not made known His ordinances to them.
All: Glory be to the Father.
P: As it was in the beginning.
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: Lord, show us your mercy.
All: And grant us your salvation.
P: Help us, O God, our Savior.
All: And deliver us, O Lord, for your name’s sake.
P: Let the enemy have no power over us.
All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm us.
P: May your mercy, Lord, remain with us always.
All: For we put our whole trust in you.
P: Save your faithful people, Lord.
All: Bless all who belong to you.
P: You withhold no good thing from those who walk in sincerity.
All: Lord of hosts, happy the men who trust in you.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.Let us pray.
God, who are offended by our sins but appeased by our penances, may it please you to hear the entreaties of your people and to turn away the stripes that our transgressions rightly deserve.We beg you, Lord, to repel the wicked spirits from your family, and to ward off the destructive tempestuous winds.
Almighty everlasting God, spare us in our anxiety and take pity on us in our abasement, so that after the lightning in the skies and the force of the storm have calmed, even the very threat of tempest may be an occasion for us to offer you praise.
Lord Jesus, who uttered a word of command to the raging tempest of wind and sea and there came a great calm; hear the prayers of your family, and grant that by this sign of the holy cross all ferocity of the elements may abate.
Almighty and merciful God, who heal us by your chastisement and save us by your forgiveness; grant that we, your suppliants, may be heartened and consoled by the tranquil weather we desire, and so may ever profit from your gracious favors; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
He sprinkles the surroundings with holy water.
Bishops, priests!
You don’t have to advertise this or call in the TV cameras (though that would be great, too). JUST DO IT.
C’MON! What do you have to lose?
It was cloudy, but the sun probably rose on time at 7:12. It will probably have to be take on faith (evidence of things not seen) that it will set at 18:43.
The Ave Maria Bells is set for 19:00.
Thank you, Lord, for this day.
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK HERE WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary which means that it is also the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto. In Italian it’s: Lépanto.
It is also the Feast of St. Mark, Pope, who died in +336. He was one of the first who was not a martyr. I think the very first was Miltiades.
Here is a shot of one of the NEW black vestments laid out for one of the priests to celebrate a Requiem. This is the one with my stemma. What a pleasure to see it in use for the first time!
And this is The World’s Best Sacristan™ screwing around.
I had to consult with Pippo the florist today. He assures me that there will be alstromeria soon. However, I had to speak about 50 long stem yellow roses requested by friends who are coming to celebrate their 50th anniversary of marriage. They want to give them to Mary at The Parish. Nice.
Pippo, setting up. You can say send him a note: info@pippocampodefiori.com You might say, “Ciao Pippo e Anastasia da uno dei lettori di don John!”
Then to the butcher, nearby. Delivery in progress.
Rabbit… yum.
Today is the Feast of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus, early martyrs. There is an image of them in the Church of St. Mary della Scala in Trastevere. I’ve posted it before. Not real flattering, I think. It seems to me that both of them just saw …
… the consistory list.
It’s the eyes upward to Heaven that does it… or is it an eye roll? Maybe it’s that. An eye roll to Heaven.
Consistory list or maybe they are participants in the Walking Together about Walking Togetherity.
St. Sergio: “Please get me out of here?”
St. Bacco: “If I have to listen to this Jesuit one more minute…”.
Yesterday at the parish we had the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii.
And just for nice, from Holy Mass in the morning… external celebration of Our Lady of the Rosary (thus, white).
That leads to churchy news….
Yes, the list of new cardinals is out. Of those I know anything about, one is pretty good. One… an perhaps a subtle insult to the whole institution of the College and to us.
In chessy news… HERE
Hey Fathers! How about a clerical Guayabera shirt?
UPDATE:
BREAKING: Bernard Tissier de Mallerais SSPX is dying and will live for only a few more days.
Please keep His Excellency in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/1jFh4jbXbt
— Matthew Joseph (@matthew_sede) October 7, 2024
AND…
Let 4-7 October be a time of reparation for the elevation of the demon idol “Pachamama” near to and within one of the most sacred shrines in all Christendom, St. Peter’s Basilica. 1st Day HERE 2nd Day HERE 3rd Day HERE
5th “anniversary”.
There is a prayer called “The Golden Arrow based on interior locutions given to a French Carmelite nun Mary of St. Peter in 1843. Jesus told her that acts of sacrilege and blasphemy were like a poisoned arrow. Hence, Golden Arrow for the prayer of reparation. While Christ told Mary of St. Peter that the two sins which offend him the most are blasphemy and profanation of Sunday, this fits well our intent today. Moreover, 5 years ago at the Mass of the closure of the “Walking Together about the Amazon”, a bowl connected to worship of the demon Pachamama was placed on the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica over the bones of the 1st Vicar of Christ! This was on a Sunday, 27 October 2019. That seems like a profanation of Sunday.
The Golden Arrow Prayer
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.
Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Mass of obligation for this 20th Sunday after Pentecost, or the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time?
Tell us about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.
Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?
A couple thoughts about the sign of the cross: HERE A taste…
Sometimes we waver or struggle in our faith. This is not a surprise, for we are not angels who, understanding things in their very essence and lacking the appetites that come with being individuated in matter cannot change their minds. We are buffeted about in life. Doubts can creep in. We must be alert at these moments and take steps to both apply our own elbow grease to the spanner in the gears and beg for graces from God. We also have to make distinctions. There is a difference between difficulties with aspects of the faith and doubts. As St John Henry Newman wrote:
Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.
[…]
7:11 and 18:45 are God’s times to light and dim the skies over the Eternal City.
It is the Feast of St. Bruno, which will delight a friend of mine, and also one of the days of the year when the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii is raised at Noon, wherever you are. Yes, this is the same place where the archeological digs are. It is also where former satanic priest Bl. Bartolo Longo converted.
I have an image of a massive wave of prayer lifted to God through the intercession of the Mother of God rolling hourly from across the globe like an ascending wave.
Please go 
for more about the Supplica to Our Lady of Pompeii… offered on 8 May and on the 1st Sunday of October. HERE
Last night I was out with a well-known Catholic commentator for a bite and a chat.
Just as I was about to leave the apartment, from my window…
We went to a favorite place nearby which has something that has become a regular choice for me. It is an appetizer, but it could be a regular course. A seafood stew.
After supper, walking back through the Campo, I saw – couldn’t miss – that most of the street lamps are still blinking because of a storm a couple weeks back.
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK HERE WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
I created a search link at wdtprs dot com slash shop dot htmEnter anything and search. You might get a window that “The information you’re about to submit is not secure”. Ignore that and “send anyway”.
Don’t forget the traditional Benedictine monks of Norcia who make stupendous beer. Perhaps your parish priests might like to have some.
In churchy news… I saw an interesting tweet that at a presser for the Walking Together about Walking Togetherity yesterday there were about the same number of panelists as journalists in the seats. Even the newsies have given up. They probably watched the stream… maybe. However, that way there was no way to ask questions. I guess they don’t care.
Another church in France was burned. HERE How many is that now?
The Vatican website is still featuring art by Rupnik. Unreal. HERE
Not so churchy, more political, but really funny if you know…
Spice up Halloween and election season this year – what could go wrong? pic.twitter.com/EeS9T1JQpK
— Classical Studies Memes for Hellenistic Teens (@CSMFHT) October 4, 2024
The Nashville Dominicans have VOCATIONS. HERE
The traditional men’s institutes in France have VOCATIONS. HERE
In chessy news… HERE
Let 4-7 October be a time of reparation for the elevation of the demon idol “Pachamama” near to and within one of the most sacred shrines in all Christendom, St. Peter’s Basilica. 1st Day HERE 2nd Day HERE
5th “anniversary”.
It is Sunday. On Sundays at this time of year we use the Preface of the Most Holy Trinity. It is fitting to use the Fatima prayer to the Holy Trinity today. It is attributed to an angel who appeared to the visionaries of Fatima. It is sometimes called the Angel Prayer.
Act of Reparation to The Holy Trinity
O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary I beg the conversion of poor sinners.
This 20th Sunday after Pentecost’s ancient Collect is found without variation in the Liber Sacramentorum Gellonensis, written perhaps in Meaux, near Paris, between 790-800. The Gellone Sacramentary, which has Frankish influences, is a strand in the complicated web of manuscripts descending from what we called the Gelasian Sacramentary, the source of so many of our ancient prayers found in the Roman Missal. The Gellone seems to have been an attempt at a complete book for liturgical services.
COLLECT (1962MR):
Largire, quaesumus, Domine, fidelibus tuis indulgentiam placatus et pacem: ut pariter ab omnibus mundentur offensis, et secura tibi mente deserviant.
The pattern indulgentiam [X] et pacem reminds me of the post-Conciliar formula for absolution of sins spoken by the priest in regular auricular confession: Deus, Pater misericoridiarum… indulgentiam tribuat et pacem. I found the same pattern in ancient prayers with various verbs inserted in the X spot, such as tribuas and also consequatur as well as largiatur or largiaris.
Our prayers very often include requests for pardon, that God forgive our sins. We ask for absolutio, remissio, indulgentia (technical terms for different ways of being unbound and reconciled) and in liturgical language we use verbs like largiri, tribuere, conferre, and as the priest speaks to God, he describes Him in terms of propitius, propitiatus, and placatus.
Largire looks like an infinitive but is really an imperative form of the deponent largior, “to give bountifully, to lavish, bestow, dispense, distribute, impart… to confer, bestow, grant, yield”.
The adjective securus, –a, –um, which the mighty Lewis & Short Dictionary says means first and foremost “free from care, careless, unconcerned, untroubled, fearless, quiet, easy, composed” is understandably found in conjunction with the Last Judgment. We wish to be “free from anxiety” when see the Just Judge coming. Think of the line in the great sequence Dies irae used during Requiem Masses… coming up in a few weeks:
“Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? Quem patronum rogaturus? Cum vix iustus sit securus. … What am I, a wretch, to say then? what patron am I to beseech? When the just man is scarcely free from care [about his salvation – ]”.
Remember also from the Ordinary of the Mass after the Lord’s Prayer (my emphases):
Libera nos, quaesumus, Domine, ab omnibus malis, da propitius pacem in diebus nostris, ut, ope misericordiae tuae adiuti, et a peccato simus semper liberi et ab omni perturbatione securi: exspectantes beatam spem et adventum Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi…
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I know… it’s X now.
I miss the bird.
Placo is “to appease, render favorable”, and is also connected with gifts (munera, dona) or sacrifice (immolatio). Deservio is not simply “to serve”, but “to serve zealously, be devoted to, subject to”. This takes a dative “object”. Par, paris, n., means “a pair”, which logically gives us the adverb pariter, “equally, in an equal degree, in like manner, as well”.
In the first place, indulgentia indicates an attitude: “indulgence, gentleness, complaisance, tenderness, fondness”, and then what flows from that attitude, namely, “a remission” of something like punishment or taxation. In the French language dictionary of liturgical Latin, we find the same idea, an attitude which brings a result: “abandon de sa sévérité”, or “a giving up of severity”.
It doesn’t take much thought to see why “security”, in the sense of being without anxiety, and “peace” are closely tied to God’s forgiveness, His indulgence.
If God were to judge us truly according to our own fruits, and not mercifully see us through the merits of Christ’s Sacrifice, life would become unbearable and each day would bring us closer to unspeakable terror as we awaited either death or Christ’s return.
LITERAL TRANSLATION:
Having been appeased, impart to Your faithful, O Lord, we beseech You, remission and peace: so that in an equal measure they may be cleansed from all sins, and may zealously serve You with a mind free from anxiety.
It is nice to look at old translations from old hand missals on occasion, just to see something smoother, language that doesn’t stick slavishly to the text. Here is a version prepared by J. O’Connell and H.P.R. Finberg, the editors of …
The Latin Missal In Latin and English (1957):
Relent, Lord, we pray thee, and grant thy faithful pardon and peace, so that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind.
I like that “with a quiet mind”.
What a grace it is to live with a mind and conscience quiet about the course of our lives and our coming judgment.
Isn’t it true that when you are aware of your unconfessed sins, or when you – through your fault – are out of step or in conflict with others that your mind is not quiet?
Quiet is a hallmark of the holy.
Even the ringing, thunderous song of HOLY HOLY HOLY before the throne of God in heaven is quiet, because it is in perfect accord.
Hell and sin are discordant. When Hell and sin are in us, we are out of harmony, disquieted. God’s grace in the sacrament of penance washes out our disrupting sins and pours calming sweet balm on our minds and hearts. We need quiet, outside as well as inside. Put aside the noise makers, sins of course, but also clattering screens and caterwauling distractions.
Maybe you have done a wave experiment in a physics class using a table full of water, set to vibrate at different rates and from different directions. When the waves, crossing each other, are in sync and harmony, it looks as if they are standing still in perfect patterns. The more they get out of harmony with each other, the greater the chaos on the surface of the water.
Remember too that in the spaces between sensible signs is where God is to be found. That is one of the reasons why the older, traditional form of the Roman Rite is so helpful. It has elements such as silence which are now so hard for modern people. We have to grow out of the noise and distraction and into the still and the quiet.
And speaking of “silence”…
Robert Card Sarah’s The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise
Must have!
Today the sun rose over the Eternal City at 07:10. It will set, shedding golden light on the streets, at 18:47.
The Ave Maria Bell ought to ring at 19:00.
I can take some Mass intentions. Mass Intention Form HERE
It is the Feast of St. Placid. I recommend the precious little book, published in the 1950’s called The Life of Little Saint Placid, originally in French, by Mother Geneviève Gallois.
I had long hoped that it would be republished. IT HAS BEEN! St. Augustine Academy Press, who made the truly stunning book about Holy Mass in the traditional Roman Rite, obtained permission to republish the lovely little book. I admire the exquisite spiritualized art by Mother Geneviève.
A sister named Placida went to Mother Geneviève and asked her to draw her a picture. Mother drew 104 and thus the book was born.
It is a work of deep spiritual value and nearly painful charm.
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The lovely light on the facade of The Parish church, Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini.
Thank you, Lord, for this day.
I was so happy to be able to make spaghetti alle vongole last night. It was marvelous. I make it patiently.
Garlic is necessary. This is not the weak-ass garlic we usually get in the USA.
Leave it large, but smash it a little
I simmer it with hot peppers, some oil, wine and I had a little bit of chicken stock from my soup the other day.
I cooked, mostly, the spaghetti ahead. In go the clams, well purged.
I fish them out as they open.
In goes the pasta to finish cooking in the broth.
And assembled.
In churchy news… Gavin Ashendon gave a splendid talk at the Catholic Identity Conference. HERE
In chessy news… HERE
Let 4-7 October be a time of reparation for the elevation of the demon idol “Pachamama” near to and within one of the most sacred shrines in all Christendom, St. Peter’s Basilica. 1st Day HERE
5th “anniversary”.
Pope John Paul II referred to reparation as the “unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified”.
Since the demon idol was also a direct offence to Our Lady, the Mother of God and Mother of the Church, for this 2nd Day and for this 1st Saturday let’s use this prayer.
I invite you to pray it on your knees. Make a good confession soon and receive Communion in the state of grace.
An Act of Reparation
for Blasphemies Against the Blessed Virgin Mary
Most glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, turn thine eyes in pity upon us, miserable sinners; we are sore afflicted by the many evils that surround us in this life, but especially do we feel our hearts break within us upon hearing the dreadful insults and blasphemies uttered against thee, O Virgin Immaculate. O how these impious sayings offend the infinite Majesty of God and of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ! How they provoke His indignation and give us cause to fear the terrible effects of His vengeance! Would that the sacrifice of our lives might avail to put an end to such outrages and blasphemies; were it so, how gladly we should make it, for we desire, O most holy Mother, to love thee and to honor thee with all our hearts, since this is the will of God. And just because we love thee, we will do all that is in our power to make thee honored and loved by all men. In the meantime do thou, our merciful Mother, the supreme comforter of the afflicted, accept this our act of reparation which we offer thee for ourselves and for all our families, as well as for all who impiously blaspheme thee, not knowing what they say. Do thou obtain for them from Almighty God the grace of conversion, and thus render more manifest and more glorious thy kindness, thy power and thy great mercy. May they join with us in proclaiming thee blessed among women, the Immaculate Virgin and most compassionate Mother of God. [Say three Hail Marys]
You have got to shake out of your head the image of St. Francis of garden statues with bunnies and birds. Get rid of the Brother Sun stuff.
In my text group this came up… what a blessing, this group…
St. Francis lived at a time of heretical attacks on the doctrine of the Church facilitated by the weaknesses of its hierarchy.
He set out to combat such crisis by showing a love for Christ – one at times hard to comprehend in its “excesses” – which was surely aided by uncommon gifts by the Holy Spirit but was also a spiritual version of the knight he had been educated to be.
His weapons were extreme penance – to reform oneself before reforming anything else – and uncompromising adherence to Catholic truth. This would show in the personal poverty of the friars and in the uncompromising care for Liturgy and the Sacraments. This would prove heretical arguments false and surreptitious. Not perchance he is considered a patron saint of the Roman Missal which he and his friars propagated well before Trent.
He sought to imitate Christ in His sacrificial love but never asked anybody to imitate what he himself was doing. He only asked two things of his friars: to follow the Rule and “to be Catholic” and wrote and preached so every time he could. Granted the Rule was tough, but he did much more than what it required, trying to hide it from his friars for fear they’d be discouraged. In fact, he forbade his friars form judging those who could not live as friars, he was an enemy of the sectarian mentality. But had no patience for those friars who were found to be unfaithful to the doctrine of the Church.
His writings leave no doubts about that unlike modernists and heretics, he didn’t think he had “the” solution to the Church’s problems. He knew that only Christ is the solution and that you only encounter Christ in the Church. So, he set out to do just that, to the point of being transformed almost physically into another Christ, his body pierced his soul burning to save as many as he could.
Our day brightened at 07:09 and it will darken at 18:48, if storm clouds don’t darken it first.
The Ave Maria should ring at 19:0o.
It is the Feast of St. Francis.
It is a 1st Friday.
Lord, thank you for this day.
A week or so before I set out for my present Roman Sojourn, I contacted Gammarelli (the legendary ecclesiastical tailor shop) about progress on the BLACK VESTMENT PROJECT for The Parish, Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini.
They told me the new vestments might be ready about mid-October.
Some history.
You might recall that the black vestments there were a hodgepodge of very worn and mismatched elements. Such as…
I got an estimate and started a pledge drive to sound interest in having new 7 new vestments in black made, one with my coat of arms (ne obliviscantur). Pledges came right away. We got the ball rolling, donations were collected, the order was placed.
Yesterday, the Feast of dear St. Therese, Gammarelli wrote that the vestments were ready!
Here they are, all 7, stacked up and ready to be blessed.
You might notice that this time Gammarelli got our directions right. No cross on the chalice veil and the cross on the maniple higher, where the widening begins.
Indeed… Zelus domus Tuae!
On my way to errands. Just for nice. Roman nasoni are such a joy!
I went to the fishmonger and got clams for tonight. Spaghetti alle vongole. In case you are wondering, vongole veraci are 28/kg
I am purging them. You can see them starting to drink in the salty water and get rid of the undesirable mud, etc.
In churchy news…
I note that Cupich of Chicago has given his thorough explanation of Francis’ remarks about all religions being paths to God. It was even picked up by Vatican News, he did such a good job. HERE
Also, at Fishwrap (aka National Sodomitic Reporter) we read that that eminent Franciscan Friar Daniel Horan (aka The Horan of Babylon) has left the Franciscans and the priesthood. Such a loss. How he will be missed. He says that he is making a “transition” to a new kind of life. I suppose he means … not being a friar, but you never know.
In chessy news… HERE
Let 4-7 October be a time of reparation for the elevation of the demon idol “Pachamama” near to and within one of the most sacred shrines in all Christendom, St. Peter’s Basilica.
5th “anniversary”.
In the 1928 encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor Pope Pius XI said:
The creature’s love should be given in return for the love of the Creator, another thing follows from this at once, namely that to the same uncreated Love, if so be it has been neglected by forgetfulness or violated by offense, some sort of compensation must be rendered for the injury, and this debt is commonly called by the name of reparation.
Since today is a 1st Friday, it is appropriate to use on this first day the Act of Reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus which was given to us as a great spiritual tool by Pope Pius XI in Miserentissimus Redemptor (“Most merciful Redeemer”). You can find that prayer HERE. You can gain a partial indulgence under the usual circumstances. If possible, make a good confession and Holy Communion today or tomorrow, a 1st Saturday. Another prayer could be the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – HERE.
That said, I opt to post Leo XIII’s Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus because it specifically mentions idolatry. Also, it is October. This prayer is recited on the last Sunday of October, the traditional Feast of Christ the King. This prayer underscores the Kingship of Christ not only over the Heavenly realm in the summation of all things, but in the here and now over everything and everyone.
I invite you to get down on your knees and recite this aloud.
The Act of Consecration of the Human Race
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thy altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy toward the children of that race, once thy chosen people. Of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Saviour; may It now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life. Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and honor forever. Amen.
Today is the Feast of St. Thérèse de Lisieux.
I call upon her intercession today in a special way, for myself and for my benefactors.
One of my two 1st class relics of St. Thérèse, to whom I am grateful.
St. Therese probably saved my priesthood back when I was in seminary and it was “Ioannes contra mundum”. What a sick sick place and time. What a beautiful saint and powerful intercessor.
I have roses in my apartment tonight.
Moses approves even as he scrutinizes.
Remember the ivy (creeper) last spring?
Thanks to DM who helped me to upgrade my phone with the improved camera. If you like my Rome photos, stop and say an Ave for him!
I do enjoy the Mondezzaro signs, the 18th c. “no dumping” signs posted by the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor President of the Streets promising massive fines and dire corporal punishments. There’s one directly outside the sacristy door at The Parish.
I could describe what I might do to the nasty little wall piddlers were I the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor President of the Streets.
I brought my register, “Missarum Diarium et Onera” with me for writing down Mass intentions when they come in. An extra weight in the bag but… meh! Red pen is used for writing the date of completion of the intention.
The first pages have the canons of the 1983 Code that cover Mass stipends. Just to be clear about what we are doing.
The nominative of the Latin word for “stipend” would be stips, but it doesn’t occur in the wild in classical works. It seems to come from a root meaning “heaped” or “compressed”, like coins in a heap. So it means “gift, donation, contribution”. Here is a shot of a page (sorry a little fuzzy after praising the camera… shooter error). You can see this is for an institution which would receive many intentions, far far more than I. It even breaks it down into what church, which altar, the city! And… the spaces are TINY, perhaps because this merely refers to a larger register. Anyway, I’ve been using multiple lines for each one and I write what I want where I want… which sort of defeats the format. BUT.. the books says the right thin on the cover.
I thought I might come up with a new format for a register while I am here, print the pages, and then have it bound by my bookbinder. That could be a good project. No? Format the page according to my own needs. Hmmmm.
Here’s a lovely little chapel in the church across the way. Look at the beautiful marbles.
In churchy news… NO FEMALE DIACONATE. AGAIN. Will the repetition do any good? I doubt it. I am tempted to feel a little sorry for those who are wasting their efforts on this. It can’t happen for the simple reason that, in modern times, the Second Vatican Council in Lumen gentium said that the Sacrament of Holy Orders is one sacrament, not three, and it is conferred in three orders, two of which are priestly (bishop and priest) and one diaconal. However, it is one sacrament, not three. If the first two orders of the one sacrament can only be conferred on men, then all three can only be conferred on men. It’s one sacrament of Orders, not a Sacrament of Priesthood and a Sacrament of Diaconate.
The Vatican’s Doctrinal Office today on the female diaconate: “the Dicastery judges that there is still no room for a positive decision by the Magisterium regarding the access of women to the diaconate, understood as a degree of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The Holy Father… pic.twitter.com/X8jAiXsacx
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) October 2, 2024
Also, a friend texted in our fun text group yesterday that the first session of “walking together about walking togetherity” was being streamed LIVE on Youtube and that we could watch it… if we had a need to cure insomnia. I can’t think of much worse to watch.
Also, and this could be big, it seems that a previously unknown manuscript of Benedict XVI has been published, The Christian Image of Man. The Pope wanted it to be published after his death. HERE
The retired pontiff wrote it between Christmas and Epiphany 2019-2020, entrusting it to Fr. Livio Melina, former head of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.
In the introduction to the newly published text of Pope Benedict, Fr. Melina writes that the late Pontiff “considered that measure unjust and unacceptable, and sought by various means to get those responsible to reconsider.”
Between August 2019 and January 2020, the emeritus Pope met with Fr. Melina seven times in his residence within the Vatican to discuss the Veritas Amoris Project, which seeks to continue something of what was originally envisioned for the Institute for Marriage and Family.
You can see where this is going.
In chessy news… HERE
Hey Fathers! How about a clerical Guayabera shirt?
The sun rose over Rome at 7:06 and it is going to set soon at 18:52.
The Ave Maria today changed to the 1900 cycle. It is the Feast of the Guardian Angels, to whom we owe so much joyful gratitude and… attention.
Angele Dei, qui custos es mei,
me tibi commissum pietate superna
(hodie, hac nocte)
illumina, custodi, rege, et guberna!
Amen.
Thank you, Lord, for this day.
A taste of last night’s edge of golden light towards the aforementioned sunset.
Notice the “mascherone” and the kids with the soccer ball. Rome.
What greeted me this morning. Click for larger.
I have my eye on a new place and I won’t have this view. But I’ll get over it.
This isn’t the Feast of St. Raphael, but Raphael certainly was Tobit’s Guardian Angel! This is one of the beautifully restored paintings at The Parish.
Breakfast with The World’s Best Sacristan™.
Last night we were bringing some things over to my place from storage and I saw that many of the lamps were blinking. “What gives?” Remember a couple weeks back I posted some video of a bad storm at Rome? It seems that that storm screwed up whatever regulates the consistency of current (capacitors?) to these lights.
In the church across the way, dedicated to St. Jerome, St Philip Neri started his Oratory. Here is a little inscription for those who are so inclined. I know at least one of you are, because you asked for it. There is interesting information in here for the history of the Roman Church.
TEMPLVM HOC CLARISSIMVM, OLIM S. PAVLAE, MATRONAE ROM.
DOMICILIVM S. HIERONYMI ECCLESIAE DOCTORIS MAXIMI HO
SPITIVM AC DIVTVRNVM S.PHILIPPI NERII DIVERSORIVM
VNA CVM ARA MAXIMA IN HONOREM S.DOCTORIS EIVSDEM
ERECTA (SVB QVA PRAETER SS:PRIMITIVI ET VITALIS)
RELIQVIAS EIVS TABVLA INCLVSAS ALIORVM PLVSQVAM
DVCENTORVM ITIDEM MARTYRVM CORPORA REQVIESCVNT
ILLM.VS ET RMVS D. CAROLVS ALBERTVS GVIDOBONVS
CAVALCHINI ARCHIEPVS PHILIPPENSIS RITV SOLENNI
CONSECRAVIT III KAL. OCTOBRIS ANNI MDCCXXXVIII
HVIVS VERO CONSECRATIONIS ANNIVERSARIVM FESTVM CELE
BRARI IN POSTERVM STATVIT. DOMINICA TERTIA CVIVSLIBET
MENSIS SEPTEMBRIS. QVA DIE XPI FIDELIBVS ILLVD DEVOTE
VISITANTIBVS PRAETER PLENARIAM QVOTIDIANAM ALIASQVE
PLVRIMAS SVMMORVM PONTIFICVM BENEFICENTIA ATTRIBVTAS
INDVLGENTIAS. ALIAM XL. DIERVM IN FORMA ECCLESIAE
CONSVETA PERPETVO DVRATVRAM CONCESSIT
ARCHICONFRATERNITAS CHARITATIS
NE REI MEMORIA EXCIDERET MONVMENIVM PONI CVRAVIT
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK HERE WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
In churchy news… I recommend a piece by my friend Robert Royal at The Catholic Thing about the empty rehashing of 70’s cliches in this round of “walking together about walking togetherity”.
Also, the Holy See is bleeding red ink. My spies say that the hunt is one for buildings etc. to sell in Rome to plug the hole. Gosh. I wonder what would happen if their “messaging” changed? But who am I to judge.
In chessy news.. HERE
It began with optimism. It devolved into irritation.
The sun rose in Rome at 7:05 and WILL SET at 18:53. The Ave Maria bell should ring at 19:15. but it won’t.
There was hardly anyone entering JFK. Some people were waiting in the Sky Priority line. Soon I knew why. 2 agents- one on the phone for some 20 minutes with a single customer, the other like molasses in winter. After each person she walked away for a little while. Then we found pre-check had closed 45 minutes before the scheduled time. The subcontactors controlling access to priority passengers were not letting people in until a Delta Rep came by.
Half a mile of hurried concourse later….
I managed to get a decent bowl of soup in the lounge before schlepping to the gate.
UPDATE
pThe aisle setup is weird. They are sort of staggered.
33 is across from 32.
Also since I added my Italian SIM this app is trying to correct everything I write In English. This could become annoying – fighting hostile spell check in two languages.
UPDATE:
On the way in. Iconic.
Home sweet home… until I find home sweeter home. Please PRAY.
Another entrance. To the parish.
You can see the death announcement of Giancarlo. They buried him today. I missed that too.
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK HERE WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
BeatifyStickler on Rome 24/10 – Day 9: MEAT… and PRIME: “My family will be forever indebted to John-Henry Newman. Happy feast of this great son of St Philip Neri.”
on Rome 24/10 – Day 9: MEAT… and PRIME: “According to ChessCom: GM Anish Giri scored his first win on Tuesday to lead the PBG Alaskan Knights to their…”
on Rome 24/10 – Day 8: Box wine with friends: “When we were in Italy some years ago we quickly realized the correct pronunciation of bruschetta was “broo-SKETT-ah”. One evening…”
on STICKY – ACTION ITEM! GULF & FLORIDA BISHOPS, PRIESTS, LAITY: Pray the Litany against Hurricane “Milton”: “Prayer for Protection during Hurricane Season By The Most Reverend Maurice Schexnayder, Second Bishop of Lafayette, La Written in 1957…”
on STICKY – ACTION ITEM! GULF & FLORIDA BISHOPS, PRIESTS, LAITY: Pray the Litany against Hurricane “Milton”: “Certainly pray for the safety of the innocent, but make no mistake, the storm is coming and is needed to…”
on Rome 24/10 – Day 8: Box wine with friends: “As a Sicilian…Love the wine. Grappa good too. Last night Chris Salcedo on Newsmax spoke of the Battle of Lepanto…” on Rome 24/10 – Day 8: Box wine with friends: “In London, the Alpine SG Pipers end PBG Alaskan Knights’ unbeaten streak. It’s an interesting event, but too hard to…”
on 4-7 October – 4th Day – Act of Reparation: “Addendum to comment on the Golden Arrow prayer: the prayer is given correctly in the text of the book. However,…” on 4-7 October – 4th Day – Act of Reparation: “The Golden Arrow prayer is almost universally mistranslated. Christ’s words to Mary of St. Peter were: “and in the Hells”,…” on STICKY – ACTION ITEM! GULF & FLORIDA BISHOPS, PRIESTS, LAITY: Pray the Litany against Hurricane “Milton”: “Thank you Father Z. During Covid, I wrote to Our illustrious Cardinal and asked why he was closing and limiting…”
on Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 20th Sunday after Pentecost (N.O.: 27th) 2024: “For Sunday October 6 our FSSP parish celebrated the external solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary. For the homily…”
on Rome 24/10 – Day 7: Our Lady of the Rosary: “Our priest organised a Rosary this evening, with all 20 mysteries incl. Luminous. The turnout was 1/2 that of the…”
on Rome 24/10 – Day 6: Our Lady of Pompeii: “Noon on the 8th of May; all day on the 1st Sunday of October.” on Rome 24/10 – Day 7: Our Lady of the Rosary: “The PBG Alaskan Knights won their fifth match on Sunday to lead the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League with a…” on Rome 24/10 – Day 2: Lights (video): “A read who studied with Fr. Foster years ago took a stab at the long inscription. These inscriptions can be…”
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A Daily Prayer for Priests
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