Historic St. Anthony Catholic Church
258 Ohio, Wichita, Ks
2nd St. & Ohio
Two blocks east of Old Town
Sunday Mass at 1:oo
English/Latin missals provided. Join us for coffee and donuts after mass downstairs in the St. Clair/Sunshine room, south exterior basement entrance.
Pastor of St. Anthony Parish: Fr. Ben Nguyen
EFLR Celebrants: Fr. John Jirak, Fr Nicholas Voelker
Master of Ceremonies: Tony Strunk
Choir Director: Bernie Dette


Continuing News

+To submit an article or if you have comments contact me, Mark, at bumpy187@gmail.com.

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Did You Know

Mass Propers, the readings that change everyday, can be found in the red missalettes at the entrance of church?

Fr. Nicholas Voelker celebrates Low Mass Saturdays at 8:00 a.m., St. Mary's Catholic Church, 106 East 8th street, Newton. There is no mass this Saturday, January 30, 2016.


Monday, November 25, 2013

Post # 266

Topics: A Repeat Post: A Light Burns...St. Andrew: The First Disciple of Jesus?...Catholic Symbol: What Do They Mean?...Pictures: St Theresa Parish Hutchinson Ks.
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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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I hope all of you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving. Let us me mindful of those things we have that others do not: warmth, safety, food and clean water, love, health...the list of God's gifts are endless. I know I will be praying this Holiday season for those without. Those without hope, beauty, dreams, companionship...and those who suffer with addiction, loneliness, despair, hunger (physically and spiritually). I thank God for all I have: my dearly loved ones, grace, temperance, silence...and my family at St. Anthony.
...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. 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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A Light Burns 
A Repeat of a Previous Post

Thursday night I had occasion to be leaving St. Anthony around 8:30 at night. Locking up behind me was Mr. Bob Wells, life long parishioner of St. Anthony and Sacristan for the Latin Mass. As he turned out the lights we walked out of the sacristy and made our way through the pews to the front door.

Aside from the street lights shining dimly through the stained glass the only other light source were the vigil candles. In the darkness the sanctuary lamp burned red, our Mother's altar lit blue and St. Joseph was illuminated gold.

I thought of my parents, both deceased, who always left a light on expecting me home and, even after adulthood, would leave the porch light on as I made my way out the door and on my way.

My way might have been down the road to my house, or out into life, toward a woman I loved or down a wayward and lost path. But always, there was a light burning for me, and warm food, and comfort and safety.

And so a light still burns...in the Sanctuary, for me, and my parents, for you and for us... where our Father waits in the dark and comfort and safety dwell.

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Who was the First Disciple of Jesus?
The New Theological Movement

November 30th, Feast of St. Andrew

The Church begins her liturgical year with the disciple called first by the Lord. For, while it is true that the Blessed Virgin, St. John the Baptist, St. Elizabeth, and St. Joseph (in that order) all believed in the Messiah before him, St. Andrew is the Protokletos, the first-called.

St. Andrew was the first disciple of Christ Jesus in his public ministry – and in this sense, it is fiting that his feast be celebrated at the first of the Church’s year.

However, there is a difficulty: St. John tells us that Andrew was called in the place where John was baptizing, but St. Matthew specifies that Andrew and Peter were called together while cleaning their nets on the sea of Galilee. How are these two accounts to be reconciled?

The account from St. John

[1:36] And beholding Jesus walking, he saith: Behold the Lamb of God. [37] And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. [38] And Jesus turning, and seeing them following him, saith to them: What seek you? Who said to him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? [39] He saith to them: Come and see. They came, and saw where he abode, and they stayed with him that day: now it was about the tenth hour. [40] And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard of John, and followed him.

[41] He findeth first his brother Simon, and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. [42] And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.

Here we see that Jesus calls Andrew and “the other disciple” (i.e. John the Evangelist) while they were yet disciples of John the Baptist. The vocation of Andrew, according to St. John, occurs south of Galilee on the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. Further, Andrew is called before Peter and he leads his younger brother to the Lord.

The calling of Peter and Andrew, from St. Matthew

[4:18] And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers). [19] And he saith to them: Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men. [20] And they immediately leaving their nets, followed him.

According to St. Matthew, Jesus calls Andrew together with Peter (and Peter is named first). The two apostles are called while they were fishing on the sea of Galilee. Further, John is called after both Peter and Andrew. Hence, St. Matthew’s Gospel seems to be quite different from St. John’s.

A vocation harmony

The Fathers of the Church labored to prove the historical accuracy and reliability of the Gospels. They were especially keen to consider various places where the Gospels seemed to be in contradiction and, when they reconciled this apparent contradiction, they created what came to be called a “Gospel harmony” – to show how the four Gospels, though four voices, make a beautiful harmony singing in unison.

When considering the two accounts of the vocation (i.e. calling) of St. Andrew, the Church Fathers admit that the differences are significant. Therefore, the obvious conclusion must be: St. John is speaking of one calling, and St. Matthew is speaking of another.

Indeed, what we ought to conclude is that St. John discusses the first occasion in which Andrew was called – and, at that moment, he became the Protokletos (first-called). Together with St. John the Beloved, Andrew was the first disciple of Christ in his public ministry.

After this first calling, according to our Savior’s will, Andrew (together with John and Peter) returned to his home and took up again his labor of fishing. Some time later, Christ Jesus returned to Galilee and (after the wedding feast at Cana) he sought out him whom he had first called, together with Peter and John (and James, the brother of John). And this was the second vocation of the apostles – it is recorded in Matthew’s Gospel.

Not only does this reconcile the two Gospel accounts, but it also helps to explain something of the human element in the calling of the apostles at the sea of Galilee. At first, we might be a bit perplexed as to understand how it was that Sts. Peter and Andrew knew to abandon all and follow Christ – simply from St. Matthew’s account, it seems as though they would not know anything at all about our Savior. But, according to this Gospel harmony, we understand that the two had already met Christ and come to know much about him, for (Andrew, at least) had heard St. John the Baptist say of our Lord, Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world; and both had followed him briefly in the area near the Jordan where John was baptizing.

St. Andrew, Pray For Us!

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What Does that Catholic Symbol Mean?

The Pelican

The Pelican is used as a symbol of the Eucharist since the Pelican bird feeds its young by piercing its own flesh and taking blood from itself to feed its chicks. This is like Christ's offering of Himself on the cross in atonement for our sins. Through His Passion and Death on the Cross we now have the Sacrament of Eucharist in which the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Our Lord. Like the Pelican, Christ's manner of feeding us is through His self-sacrificial love. St. Thomas Aquinas makes reference to the Pelican symbol in his famous hymn 'Godhead Here In Hiding'. The Pelican also appears on the Coats of Arms of Archbishop George Pell, and of Corpus Christi College at Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford and Cambridge are two of the greatest Universities in the world and were established in the thirteenth century. Many of the colleges in Oxford and Cambridge were established by Catholic religious orders for the education of their members and still retain reminders of their Catholic heritage, especially on their Coats of Arms. Within the quadrangle of Corpus Christi College in Oxford there is a large column on which is perched a statue of a Pelican. The words 'Corpus Christi' are Latin for 'Body of Christ.'

The Cross

The Cross is the most common of all Catholic symbols. It symbolises the Cross on which Christ died. Every year the Church celebrates a special feast called the 'Feast of the Exhalation of the Holy Cross'. This is in memory of a miraculous apparition to Emperor Constantine in 312 AD as he prepared to fight a battle. He saw a vision in the sky of the words 'In Hoc Signo Vinces' which is Latin for: 'By this sign you shall conquer'. There are also some special kinds of crosses. For example, paintings of St. Peter often depict him holding a cross which is upside down. This is because St. Peter was martyred by being crucified on an upside down cross. Similarly there is another type of cross called a 'St. Andrew's cross'. This cross is in the shape of an X because St. Andrew was crucified on two pieces of wood which were shaped like an X.

The Crucifix

The Crucifix is a cross with a figure of the body of Jesus attached to it. Usually it has the letters INRI written across the top. These letters are short for the Latin phrase - 'Jesus Nazaranus Rex Judaeorum' which translates as 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews'. These are the words which Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea, ordered to be written above the Cross on which Christ was crucified. Sometimes a crucifix also has a skull and crossbones at the base of the cross. A crucifix must be placed on or over an altar where the sacrifice of the Mass is to be offered. In some Churches the Crucifix above the altar will depict Christ as the High Priest, crowned, robed and alive. This is because the Jewish High Priest was the person who offered the sacrifices for the Jews, and Christ is our High Priest who offers Himself to God for the remission of our sins. Crucifixes are carried in processions and displayed in Catholic homes as a constant reminder to us of Christ's sacrifice for us. Some nuns and brothers also wear a crucifix as a part of their 'habit'. A 'habit' is the word used to describe the special garments or 'uniforms' worn by members of religious orders.

The Sacred Heart

This is a symbol of the love of Jesus for all of humanity. It reminds us that His love for us is eternal and unconditional. It usually takes the form of a heart shape with a cross on top and thorns twisted around the top of the heart and the base of the cross. This is a reminder to us that Christ's love was so deep that he suffered crucifixion on our behalf. Over the centuries a series of saints have encouraged devotions to the Sacred Heart. These include: St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), St. Bonaventure (1221-74), St. Mechtilde (1210-80), St. Gertrude (1265-1302), St. Margaret Mary Alocoque (1647-90) and St. Claude de la Colombiere (1641-82). Of these the most famous is St. Margaret Mary Alocoque who fostered the practice of Catholics attending Mass for nine consecutive first Fridays of each month to pray that they will be spiritually prepared for death when it happens. This is a special kind of novena, that is, a prayer that is said nine times over a particular period of time to pray for a special spiritual gift. In Australia devotion to the Sacred Heart has been spread by the Jesuit priests who have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart (St. Claude de la Colombiere was a Jesuit), and also by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are an order of priests founded in the Nineteenth century in France by Fr. Jules Chevalier. Many of the earliest Catholic missions in the Pacific region, including Papua New Guinea, were established by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. During the period of the French Revolution in the final decade of the eighteenth century many hundreds of thousands of Catholics were killed by the Revolutionaries. Some were beheaded by the machine known as the guillotine but many were also drowned. In the vendee region of France thousands of these Catholics went to their death carrying banners of the Sacred Heart or wearing Sacred Heart badges on their clothes. The Sacred Heart remains a very powerful symbol of the Catholic faith throughout the world, but especially in France. The French words for 'Sacred Heart' are 'Sacre Couer' and this explains the name of the girls' school in Glen Iris and of other Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese of Melbourne. After the French Revolution the French people built a magnificent basilica on top of Montmartre in Paris in atonement for the sins of the revolutionaries. The word 'Montmartre' means 'hill of martyrs'. The Basilica is known as the 'Sacre Couer' basilica.

Alpha and Omega

These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In the book of Revelation which is the last book of the New Testament, Christ is referred to as the 'Alpha and Omega'. This means that He is both the origin and end of all creation. We only exist because we are created by God, and the final purpose of our lives is to spend eternity with God in heaven. The Alpha and Omega symbols are placed on the paschal candle at Easter. Pope John Paul II often reminds us that Jesus Christ is the 'center and purpose of human history'. All time, and all creation is under His command.

IHS

The letters IHS are frequently found in Catholic churches and on gravestones and sacred vessels. They are a monogram for the name of Jesus, formed by abbreviating the Greek word for Jesus. In the Middle Ages the IHS was widely used among the Franciscans and it later became popular with members of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
The Fleur-De-Lis

This is the shape of the lily and is used throughout the world, but especially in European countries, as a symbol of Our Lady. The whiteness and beauty of the lily is a symbol of Our Lady's purity. This symbol is found in many side chapels to Our Lady, including the Lady Chapel in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne.
Fish

The Fish has been used as a symbol for Christ and Christianity since the earliest days of the Church. The Greek word for fish is Ichthus. This is treated as an acronym for Iesous, CHristos, THeou, Uios, Soter - Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. The fish is also an emblem of those apostles who were fishermen and Christ's promise to make them 'fishers of men' (Mark 1:17). It is found on many Christian tombs in Rome dating from the first centuries AD, sometimes with a basket of loaves and a glass of wine. The loaves are a symbol of the miracle described in the Gospel when Christ feeds a multitude of people on a small number of fish and loaves of bread. The Pope is also known as 'The Fisherman', since he is the successor of St. Peter, and St. Peter was a fisherman. The expression 'the shoes of the Fisherman' refers to the institution of the Papacy. The 'Fisherman's Ring' is a special signet ring worn by the Pope and used for sealing important Papal documents. It represents St. Peter fishing and carries the name of the ruling Pope. When a Pope dies his ring is destroyed.

The Evangelists

The Evangelists are the writers of the four gospels - St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John. In the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, at (4: 6-10) the evangelists are represented by symbols. St. John has an eagle, St. Luke an ox, St. Matthew, the face of a man, and St. Mark, a lion. These symbols can be found on the marble floor of the sanctuary in St. Patrick's Cathedral, in Melbourne. In Venice a huge statue of a lion stands above the piazza of St. Mark and throughout the Christian world these symbols are found on copies of the Gospels and in paintings of the evangelists.

The Crossed Keys

The crossed keys are a symbol of the Papacy. This is because Christ said to St. Peter that he would give him the 'keys of the kingdom' and that whatever he bound on earth, would be bound in heaven, and whatever he loosed on earth, would be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16,19). St. Peter was the first Pope and those who have followed share this power of the keys to bind and loose. While St. Peter is often depicted in art work with the crossed keys, St. Paul is usually depicted with a sword which is a symbol of the 'sword of faith' - the weapon against the devil.

The Lamb

The Lamb is a symbol of Christ. The whiteness of the lamb symbolises its purity, and lambs are often associated with innocence and in the Old Testament, with sacrifice. Christ was thus the sacrificial lamb for the sins of humanity. Sometimes the lamb carries a flag symbolising Christ's victory over death in His Resurrection. This is known as the 'Lamb of Victories' symbol. Another form of the symbol shows a lamb standing on a book which is closed with seven seals. This symbolises Christ as judge at the end of the world. In the book Isaiah (53:7) are found the words: 'harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly, he never opened his mouth like lamb that is led to the slaughterhouse'. These words are found in various readings for Good Friday. The Latin word for Lamb is 'Agnes' and St. Agnes is also symbolised by a figure of a lamb. St. Agnes was a Roman martyr during the period of the persecution of the emperor Diocletian. She is one of the saints mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer, otherwise known as the 'Roman Canon'.

The Dove

This is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. When Christ was baptised by St. John the Baptist a dove descended over him. (Matthew 3:16; and Mark 1:10). Sometimes in art a dove is depicted with seven tongues of fire which symbolise the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. A dove with an olive branch in its mouth also symbolises peace. This is because of the Old Testament account of the great flood after which Noah released a dove from the ark which returned with an olive branch in its beck. The olive branch was a sign to Noah that the waters had resided. Some saints also have the dove as their special symbol. These include: St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, and St. John Chrysostom.

CHI-RHO

This is a symbol of Christ arranged as a monogram The first two letters of His name in Greek are XP. The two are usually written with the P superimposed over the X. The Emperor Constantine used the symbol on his military standards and it continues to be used in religious art, especially on liturgical vestments.

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St Theresa Parish Hutchinson Ks.

In case you have never been, here are some pictures of St. Theresa parish in Hutchinson where Fr. Voelker is Pastor.





Friday, November 22, 2013

Post #265

Topics: Feast Day: Our Lady of La Vang...Fr. Nicholas Gihr: Excerpt from Book...Video: Our Lady of La Vang Feast Day
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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. 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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Feast Day: Our Lady of La Vang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_La_Vang

Our Lady of La Vang (Vietnamese: Đức Mẹ La Vang) refers to a reported Marian apparition at a time when Catholics were persecuted and killed in Vietnam. The Shrine of our Lady of La Vang (Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang) is situated in what is today Hai Phu commune in Hải Lăng District of Quảng Trị Province in Central Vietnam.

Fearing the spread of the Catholicism, in 1798 Emperor Canh Thinh restricted the practice of Catholicism in the country. Soon thereafter, the emperor issued an anti-Catholic edict in which persecution ensued.
Many people sought refuge in the rain forest of La Vang in Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, and many became very ill. While hiding in jungle, the community gathered every night at the foot of a tree to pray the rosary. One night, an apparition surprised them. In the branches of the tree a lady appeared, wearing the traditional Vietnamese áo dài dress and holding a child in her arms, with two angels beside her. The people present interpreted the vision as the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus Christ. They said that Our Lady comforted them and told them to boil leaves from the trees for medicine to cure the ill. Legend states that the term "La Vang" was a derivative of the Vietnamese word meaning "crying out". Modern scholars believe it comes from the ancient practice of naming a location for a genus of a tree or plant native to the area, La meaning "leaf" and '"Vang "herbal seeds".

In 1802 the Christians returned to their villages, passing on the story of the apparition in La Vang and its message. As the story of the apparitions spread, many came to pray at this site and to offer incense. In 1820, a chapel was built.

From 1830-1885 another wave of persecutions decimated the Christian population, during the height of which the chapel in honour of Our Lady of La Vang was destroyed. In 1886, construction on a new chapel bagan. Following its completion, Bishop Gaspar (Loc) consecrated the chapel in honour of Our Lady Help of Christians, in 1901.

On December 8, 1954, the statue of Our Lady of La Vang was brought from Tri Bun back to the holy shrine. The Vietnamese Bishops Conference chose the church of Our Lady of La Vang as the National Shrine in honour of the Immaculate Conception. La Vang became the National Marian Center of Vietnam on April 13, 1961. Pope John XXIII elevated the Church of Our Lady of La Vang to the rank of a minor basilica on August 22, 1961.

On June 19, 1998, Pope John Paul II publicly recognized the importance of Our Lady of La Vang and expressed desire to rebuild the La Vang Basilica in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the first vision.[1] Researcher Lê Xuân Nhuận[2] published an article on the English-language vnforum@vnforum.org moderated by Dr. Trần Đình Hoành, to reject the “Yes” answer of the dying old-aged believers on which the Trí Bưu Vicar based to report about the apparitions.[3] Subsequently, Pope John Paul II himself, two months later, through L'Osservatore Romano, on August 12, 1998, was really honest and straightforward to confirm that: “Unfortunately, there is no written documentation of these apparitions (of the Virgin Mary in La Vang).” At the same time, a Vietnamese Catholic personage, Mr. Nguyễn Lý Tưởng frankly wrote and published, on August 15, 1998 as quoted above: “The Trí Bưu (Cổ Vưu) Parish priest asked the local old-aged believers when these were on their deathbed, awaiting exoneration and anointment: ‘You must swear to say the truth, did you hear your parents, grand-parents, in the past mention something concerning the Virgin Mary’s Apparitions in La Vang?’ All those persons answered ‘Yes’ and ‘The event happened nearly 100 years ago.’ The Virgin Mary had appeared about 100 years earlier.” Afraid of not being allowed to go to the paradise, those “witnesses” had to answer “Yes” to things supposedly happening long, very long even before they had been born. They themselves did not see (witness) anything. This explains why the Vatican negated it.[4]

In the Philippines, the chapel of Our Lady of La Vang is now the Roman Catholic parish church and national shrine in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. Became has a patroness of Puerto Princesa and patroness of Palawan.
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We Must Withdraw Our Souls from the World
 and Participate with Great Inward Focus at the Mass
A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics
Submitted by Michael O'Neill

Fr. Nicholas Gihr, in his book The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Dogmatically, Liturgically, and Ascetically Explained, highlights true active, interior participation at the Mass in a section explaining the exalted prayers of the Preface, the common parts of which date to Apostolic times according to Fr. Gihr, one of the greatest scholars of the Mass in the history of the Church.  Active participation is not running around performing various jobs during Mass, or acting in what from time immemorial was the place of the priest in the distribution of Holy Communion.  Participation is inward, does not require the understanding of every word spoken at Mass, and is focused above all on turning out thoughts away from the world and its illusions, and focusing them on God and our need for contrition and repentance. Pages 555-557 below:
Sursum corda! "Lift up your hearts!" The meaning of these words is most comprehensive: they signify that we should withdraw all the faculties of our soul from what is earthly, and consecrate them exclusively to intercourse with God and divine things. For this is, above all, necessary to turn mind and spirit from worldly objects and to close them to distracting thoughts, so as to be immersed with all one's might andattention in holy meditations.  If the mind be penetrated with a higher light from above, then the will also will be incited to devotion. The heart becomes aglow with holy love of God, and disengages itself from the bonds of worldly inclinations and desires, that enchain it in the dust; it rouses itself from its sluggish indolence and tepidity, that it may with holy ardor soar heavenward with all its powers. ''Hearts on high!" 

This applies principally to the time of Mass. It, of course, requires serious effort on our part to raise mind and spirit on high, and keep them recollected and disengaged from what is earthly and perishable; human frailty and the inconstancy of man being so very great. To persevere in undisturbed recollection and communion with God, is possible only to a soul that daily endeavors to divest itself of all earthly dross and bonds, and labors to attain a permanent direction upward. [So, we must practice penance and mortification regularly to improve our ability to participate actively and inwardly at the Mass.]  Hence the words of the Apostle: "Our conversation is in heaven" (Phil. 3, 20). 
 What does this imply? That we should not grovel like worms in the dust, but like the birds in the air we ought to soar in spirit heavenward ; we should not burthen and oppress our hearts with the thoughts and desires, with the cares and pleasures of this life, but we should so divest ourselves of the earthly and of the love of perishable goods, that our soul may aspire with ease to Heaven with lively hope and ardent desire. "Mind the things that are above, and seek for what is above" this is the wisdom of Christian life.  
The Sursum corda, therefore, admonishes us, especially at the Sacrifice of the Mass, to have our mind occupied with heavenly things only and to be intent upon them. "No one should be present in such a manner, that, although he may say with the lips: 'We have lifted our hearts to the Lord,' his thoughts are directed to the cares of this life. We should indeed think of God at all times; but if this be impossible, on account of human frailty, we should take it to heart most especially at least during the Holy Sacrifice...... 
......The more estranged the soul becomes from frivolity and the distractions of the world, the more she rises above all created things, the more clearly and profoundly also will she perceive that God is the eternal love and the fountain-source of all that is good: she thereby becomes penetrated with a lively sense of grateful praise to Him.
Thus Father Gihr presents the timeless wisdom of the Church on pious participation at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We are very frail creatures. Maintaining our focus for even an half hour on thoughts of God and heavenly things is very difficult. We can only achieve such through practice. This practice should really begin outside the Mass with focused times of prayer, meditation, and spiritual reading.  It is not a trivial task.

But when we think of what the Mass is, what awesome events transpire there, and what the Mass means for our souls, even a large effort seems to pale in comparison to the august Gift we receive every time we worthily participate in the Mass and receive Our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist. It is the Source and Summit of our Faith, and worth our utmost efforts to participate with the most reverent and deeply engaged participation possible.

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Happy Feast Day to the People of Vietnam
By Charles Cole

Today is also the Feast of Our Lady of La Vang who appeared in Vietnam in the 1700s. A reader in Vietnam has kindly sent in a link to the documentary below (in Vietnamese and French) which has some wonderful footage from the 1960s. He writes:

The first part of the documentary is about the arrival of the International Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima in 1965. In it one can see that altars in the less major cities of Vietnam are still Ad Orientem, while in the capital of Saigon, concelebration (on giant altars!!) and Versus Populum Masses are already taking place. One sees that priests still wear maniples etc. 
The second part of the documentary is about the Marian Congress of 1961 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang. There are many clips of the Pontifical Masses in this documentary, and Archbishop Ngo Dinh Thuc is featured many times, conferring Confirmations and Consecrating the Minor Basilica. There are many interesting processions throughout both documentaries wherein traditions from the Colonial period are still observed.
Đức Mẹ thánh du tại Việt Nam 1965

Monday, November 18, 2013

Post # 264

Topics: Communion: Differences...The Rosary: Reasons for Praying Even More Often

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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. 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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The Difference between Spirtual and Sacramental Communion
 (Thomas Aquinas and Trent)
Canterbury Tales
Posted by Taylor Marshall

The Catholic Church distinguishes two ways in which the Body of Christ is received by the faithful. Saint Thomas Aquinas dedicated an article to this topic (Summa theologiae III, q. 80, a. 1). Moreover, the Council of Trent also treated this subject (Session 13, Chapter 8).

Thomas Aquinas taught that there are two way to receive the Eucharist: spiritually and sacramentally. However, the Council Fathers of Trent teach three ways: spiritually alone, sacramentally alone, or spiritually and sacramentally. As you can see, there is no difference here between Saint Thomas and the Council, but only a further distinction. Here are the words of the Council of Trent:
Now as to the use of this holy sacrament, our Fathers have rightly and wisely distinguished three ways of receiving it. For they have taught that some receive it 1) sacramentally only, to wit sinners: 2) others spiritually only, those to wit who eating in desire that heavenly bread which is set before them, are, by a lively faith which worketh by charity, made sensible of the fruit and usefulness thereof: whereas 3) the third (class) receive it both sacramentally and spiritually, and these are they who so prove and prepare themselves beforehand, as to approach to this divine table clothed with the wedding garment.
So then, if a person is in mortal sin and receives the Eucharist, he receives it only sacramentally but receives no grace, but rather condemnation. Now a person in a state of grace who eagerly seeks union with Christ and makes an act of the will (i.e. an Act of Spiritual Communion), this person does receive the grace and presence of Christ. No then, the best way is to combine both the sacramental reception with the earnest desire of a spiritual communion. This is what spiritual authors call "making a good communion," which requires preparation (sacramental confession or at least an act of contrition) and an openness to receiving the Divine Savior into a the palace of one's heart.

 The Council of Trent also gives further advice on how we ought to receive this holy mystery:
Now as to the reception of the sacrament, it was always the custom in the Church of God, that laymen should receive the communion from priests; but that priests when celebrating should communicate themselves; which custom, as coming down from an apostolical tradition, ought with justice and reason to be retained. And finally this holy Synod with true fatherly affection admonishes, exhorts, begs, and beseeches, through the bowels of the mercy of our God, that all and each of those who bear the Christian name would now at length agree and be of one mind in this sign of unity, in this bond of charity, in this symbol of concord; and that mindful of the so great majesty, and the so exceeding love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His own beloved soul as the price of our salvation, and gave us His own flesh to eat, they would believe and venerate these sacred mysteries of His body and blood with such constancy and firmness of faith, with such devotion of soul, with such piety and worship as to be able frequently to receive that supersubstantial bread, and that it may be to them truly the life of the soul, and the perpetual health of their mind; that being invigorated by the strength thereof, they may, after the journeying of this miserable pilgrimage, be able to arrive at their heavenly country, there to eat, without any veil, that same bread of angels which they now eat under the sacred veils.
 Truly beautiful. When I read such things, I realize how truly unworthy I am to be made a partaker of this great mystery. If the world only knew that God who is Love is present on our altars, would not every last person prepare himself and come kneeling before the throne of grace?

Sacred Heart of Jesus, wounded by our sins, have mercy on us.

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Beautiful Reasons for Praying the Rosary Even More Often


Father Gabriel Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican writes:
One day a colleague of mine heard the devil say during an exorcism, "Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end."
The secret that makes this prayer so effective is that the Rosary is both prayer and meditation. It is addressed to the Father, to the Blessed Virgin, and to the Holy Trinity, and is a meditation centered on Christ.

In addition to the above:
Please enunciate each word of the Rosary clearly and distinctly. Do not trample on the heels of the words of anyone with your words. Do not speak over the leader if you are following or the respondent if you are leading the Rosary. Remember that they also are having a conversation with Mary Our Mother and it is not polite to speak when someone else is speaking.

In the case of the public Rosary there are only two people speaking: the
Leader and the respondents. Each is speaking to the Blessed Mother and
listening carefully to her response within their hearts as they meditate on
the scene before them in their consideration of the mystery being spoken of and interpreted and translated into their lives.
Spread this powerful prayer of exorcism, the Rosary, which contains the Our Father, the Perfect Prayer, prayed five times in the recitation of each set of the Rosary's Mysteries, backed up by the powerful prayers of Our Mother who prays with us as we pray 53 Hail Mary's.

The Eternal Father described to a group of us, through a Visionary Friend of mine, what happens when we pray the Rosary, saying, "When you pray Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now....., the Blessed Mother comes instantly to your side to pray with you. And she does not come alone. She brings angels with her. And not just one or two for she is the Queen of Angels, so choirs of angels come with her. And she and Jesus are joined at the heart and cannot be separated so she brings Jesus with her. And Jesus cannot be separated from the Trinity so He brings the Father and the Holy Spirit with Him. And where the Holy Trinity is, all of creation is, and you are surrounded by such beauty and light as you cannot imagine in this life.
Your Mother comes as Our Lady of Grace with her hands outstretched. Rays of light emit from her hands piercing your body, healing you and filling you with graces. This is your inheritance which was poured out from the heart of Jesus on the Cross, when the centurion pierced His Heart with the spear, into the only pure vessel ready to receive such graces at that time, Your Mother.

Now as you pray the Rosary, or even just recite one Hail Mary, you
receive your portion of these graces.
He also said at this time, "Anyone who goes to Mary and prays the Rosary cannot be touched by Satan." Is it any wonder that anyone who prays the Rosary from the heart is so blessed and protected and powerful in their prayers for others?

Friday, November 15, 2013

Post #263

Topics: Sunday, 11/17/13Resumed Sixth Sunday After Epiphany...Fr. Jacques Philippe: Presents at Blessed Sacrament Parish Mission...Pics: Good Ol' Catholic Pictures...Priest's Prayers: While Vesting

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Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church is one of only two churches celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. 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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Sunday, 11/17/13
Resumed Sixth Sunday After Epiphany

This Sunday,11/17/13, Resumed Sixth Sunday After Epiphany is a Low Mass at 1 p.m. with Fr. Voss celebrating. There will be coffee and donuts in the St. Claire/Sunshine Room after the Mass. 

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Fr. Jacques Philippe to present Blessed Sacrament Parish Mission
Submitted by Larry Bethel

Fr. Jacques Philippe, author of Searching for and Maintaining Peace, will present Blessed Sacrament’s parish mission Nov. 19-21.

Fr. Philippe will present the The School of the Holy Spirit at 7 p.m. each night in the church, 124 N. Roosevelt. The mission is free of charge and no RSVP is necessary.

“Fr. Philippe presents the spiritual life in such a profound yet practical way that he can hardly be rivaled,” Fr. John Jirak, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish said. “In fact, when I tell people about Fr. Philippe, I say that he is a modern-day St. Francis de Sales in the way that he writes about the spiritual life.”

Philippe is a member of the Community of the Beatitudes, founded in France in 1973. He has written several books, including Interior Freedom and Time for God.

“They are among my most treasured books,” a Blessed Sacrament parishioner said. “My favorite is Interior Freedom. I am one of those people who writes in books as I read them. I underline important things that touch me. The problem I have with Fr. Philippe's books is that I have to underline everything! It seems like he is talking directly to me.”

A reception will follow the Nov. 21 presentation in Bishops Hall. Babysitting will be provided for those who RSVP to the parish office. Copies of Fr. Philippe’s books will be available for a suggested donation of $10 per book. For more information, call (316) 682-4557 or email rhittner@blessedsacramentwichita.com.

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Good Ol' Catholic Pictures

I love Catholic art. If you are an email subscriber you probably don't see these pictures. Just surf on over to http://venite-missa-est.blogspot.com/ to view them. Notice the Life Magazine picture. As the Blessed Sacrament arrives all go down on their knees. Click on pictures for larger views.






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Priests Prayers While Vesting

You might have noticed that, after the prayers at the foot of the altar, the priest moves to the sedilia  to remove his cope and vest in his chasuble. If you look carefully he will read from a card the corresponding prayer for that particular vestment. Each article of clothing, which is donned in a predefined manner, has attached to it a certain prayer which Father recites back in the Sacristy.

The Amice: "Place, O Lord on my head the helmet of salvation, that I my overcome the assaults of the devil".

The Alb: "Purify me, O Lord, from all stain and cleanse my heart, that washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy eternal delights."

The Cincture: "Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may remain in me."

The Maniple: "Let me deserve, O Lord, to bear the maniple of tears and sorrow, so that one day I may come with joy into the reward of my labors."

The Stole: "Restore to me O Lord, the state of immortality which was lost to me by my first parents, and although unworthy to approach Thy sacred mysteries, grant me nevertheless eternal joy."

The Chasuble: "O Lord, Who hast said "My yoke is sweet and my burden light", grant that I may carry it so as to obtain Thy grace".

Priest's Vestments