Maronite Catholic: Chant...September 29th: The Feast of St. Michael
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...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church is one of only two churches celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita area. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.
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Conscience Rights Are Being Violated
His Excellency Bishop Michael O. Jackels
Diocese of Wichita
September 19, 2011
To the priests, religious and lay faithful in the Diocese of Wichita:
The Bishops of the United States have been asked to make a last-minute effort in defense of religious freedom and conscience protection.
Please write the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services before Sept. 30 to ask that sterilization and prescription contraceptives be removed from the list of preventive services the federal government is mandating in private health plans.
You may write to the HHS by clicking on this link: usccb.org/conscience. The message below will be in the body of the email and you will be given the option of writing your own opening and editing the message below.
"Pregnancy is not a disease, and drugs and surgeries to prevent it are not
basic health care that the government should require all Americans to purchase. Please remove sterilization and prescription contraceptives from the list of 'preventive services' the federal government is mandating in private health plans. It is especially important to exclude any drug that
may cause an early abortion, and to fully respect religious freedom as other federal laws do. The narrow religious exemption in HHS's new rule protects almost no one. I urge you to allow all organizations and individuals to offer, sponsor and obtain health coverage that does not violate their moral and religious convictions."
With regard to the mandated services, contraception is not health care, and pregnancy is not a disease. And regarding a religious exemption, there is one provided, but it is so narrow that it will be difficult for some Catholic agencies to claim it.
Confident in your response to this important effort, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Bishop Michael O. Jackels
Maronite Catholic Chant
Ecce Agnus Dei
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The Feast of St. Michael
September 29th
A long tradition identifies St. Michael the Archangel, as the leader who remained faithful to God, and cast Lucifer at God’s command. His powerful aid has always been invoked by the Church in time of emergency.
The Popes have constantly called on St. Michael as the special protector of the Church whenever great evils threatened God’s people. For this reason, St. Michael is especially honored at Rome, on Monte Gargano, near Foggia, in Italy, and in France on Mont St. Michel in Normandy.
In times of unusual danger, when the malice of the devil seems triumphant, St. Michael will come to our aid.
Sepember 29th
This is the feast day of St. Michael and all the Angels. It is the most ancient of all the angel festivals. The Anglican church celebrates all angels, both name and unnamed on one day. Roman and Orthodox Churches separate them into two categories (with the unnamed angels having their feast day on October 2nd).
From fairly early on, Michaelmas was an important holiday, the religious or Christian equivalent of the autumn equinox. In England, it was considered the start of a new quarter. It marked the start of a new business year, a time for electing officials, making contracts, paying rent, hiring servants, holding court and starting school. Obviously we still see the remnants of this in the timing of our elections and school year.
This is also a time when the weather is known to change. In Italy, they say "For St. Michael, heat goes into the heavens." In Ireland, people expect a marked decrease in sickness or disease. The Irish also consider this a lucky day for fishing:
Plenty comes to the boat on Micheael's Day.
Barolini records a nursery rhyme about hours of sleep:
Nature requires five,
Custom gives seven,
Laziness takes nine
And Michaelmas eleven.
