Post #210

Topics: Relics of The "Little Flower": Arrive in Jerusalem...Mozarabic Chant Video: Inlatio & Sanctus

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Aha! A email subscriber informed me that I was overlooking the fact that the email newsletters do not have a right hand column in which the propers of mass reside. This is only on the website  http://venite-missa-est.blogspot.com/ . Oops.

The Propers of mass menu (right column) has been fixed. Feel free to download and use these propers I created for the Latin Mass Community of St. Anthony. They represent an entire year of work. Larry Bethel also put in a good amount of time in proof reading the propers as well as covering the cost (of the printed material). I used to insert these propers into the red missalettes before mass each week. Do you think there is still a need?

For those of you who receive Venite Missa Est! via email: After receiving a report from one subscriber that their weekly e-mailing had been affected by malware, I asked many of you to report any viruses, or suspicious happenings that you possibly could attribute to this blog. I have not recieved reports of any such kind. I have not discovered any viruses on my machines and not recieved any virus reports from friends or family coming from my machines.

To post a comment, ask a question, or submit an article contact me, Mark, at bumpy187@gmail.com.

..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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Who was the First Disciple of Jesus?

The New Theological Movement

http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2011/11/who-was-first-disciple-of-jesus.html

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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 Relic of the Holy Cross venerated in Montreal

Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem

http://www.lpj.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1663%3Aune-relique-de-la-sainte-croix-veneree-a-montreal&catid=97%3Anews&Itemid=142&lang=en

Submitted by Michael O'Neil

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem invited Bishop William Shomali, to celebrate the solemn Mass along with Bishop Louis Dicaire, Grand Prior of the Order (Lieutenancy of Montreal) , in honor of Our Lady of Palestine on November 6th . A relic of the True Cross was thereafter venerated with devotion by some 900 faithful.

Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph's Oratory on Mount Royal (Montreal, Quebec), with the Melkite Choir leading the chants.

Bishop Shomali during his homily first greeted Bishop Louis Dicaire, then greeted their Excellencies Dr. Giuseppe Maiolo, Lieutenant, Mr. Allard, Vice-governor of honor, Mr D’Argenio, Emeritus Lieutenant, Dr. Richard, Official Lieutenant of Quebec, and all the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre of the Montreal Lieutenancy. He did not fail to thank Father Claude Grou and the community of the Holy Cross for their hospitality in the great basilica.

"Fill the oil lamps"

The Bishop invited the faithful to meditate on the Gospel, "the parable of the ten virgins". Evoking the metaphor of the oil lamps, Bishop Shomali recalled that «as we await for the return of Christ, our lamps threaten to burn out of oil and we need to refill them. » This oil may well be, for instance, and mostly should be, the daily reading of the Scripture. He also spoke about the Holy Land: "To fill your lamps with oil and get a better understanding of the Word of God, I suggest you plan a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. You may visit the holy places where God has spoken through the prophets, and Jesus was born, taught, suffered, died and rose again. Such a pilgrimage will enhance your faith, your hope and your charity."

In the Holy Land, pilgrims do not miss Calvary, where the Cross of Christ was planted. It is precisely from Jerusalem to Montreal that Bishop Shomali brought a relic of the Holy Cross. The 900 faithful gathered in the Basilica venerated the precious relic, encapsulated to a cross of olive wood from the Holy Land.

A reception followed. The collection made by the youth of Palestinian heritage living in Montreal, was offered for the Holy Land.

In the previous week, Bishop Shomali was in Washington, DC as a panelist at the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) conference to discuss the situation of Christians in the land of Christ. While in the USA, he met with Archbishop Edwin Frederick O'Brien, who was appointed Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem by Pope Benedict XVI on August 29.

 The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem invited Bishop William Shomali, to celebrate the solemn Mass along with Bishop Louis Dicaire, Grand Prior of the Order (Lieutenancy of Montreal) , in honor of Our Lady of Palestine on November 6th . A relic of the True Cross was thereafter venerated with devotion by some 900 faithful.

Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph's Oratory on Mount Royal (Montreal, Quebec), with the Melkite Choir leading the chants.

Bishop Shomali during his homily first greeted Bishop Louis Dicaire, then greeted their Excellencies Dr. Giuseppe Maiolo, Lieutenant, Mr. Allard, Vice-governor of honor, Mr D’Argenio, Emeritus Lieutenant, Dr. Richard, Official Lieutenant of Quebec, and all the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre of the Montreal Lieutenancy. He did not fail to thank Father Claude Grou and the community of the Holy Cross for their hospitality in the great basilica.

"Fill the oil lamps"

The Bishop invited the faithful to meditate on the Gospel, "the parable of the ten virgins". Evoking the metaphor of the oil lamps, Bishop Shomali recalled that «as we await for the return of Christ, our lamps threaten to burn out of oil and we need to refill them. » This oil may well be, for instance, and mostly should be, the daily reading of the Scripture. He also spoke about the Holy Land: "To fill your lamps with oil and get a better understanding of the Word of God, I suggest you plan a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. You may visit the holy places where God has spoken through the prophets, and Jesus was born, taught, suffered, died and rose again. Such a pilgrimage will enhance your faith, your hope and your charity."


In the Holy Land, pilgrims do not miss Calvary, where the Cross of Christ was planted. It is precisely from Jerusalem to Montreal that Bishop Shomali brought a relic of the Holy Cross. The 900 faithful gathered in the Basilica venerated the precious relic, encapsulated to a cross of olive wood from the Holy Land.

A reception followed. The collection made by the youth of Palestinian heritage living in Montreal, was offered for the Holy Land.

In the previous week, Bishop Shomali was in Washington, DC as a panelist at the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) conference to discuss the situation of Christians in the land of Christ. While in the USA, he met with Archbishop Edwin Frederick O'Brien, who was appointed Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem by Pope Benedict XVI on August 29.

Post #209

Topics: Relics of The "Little Flower": Arrive in Jerusalem...Mozarabic Chant Video: Inlatio & Sanctus

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The Propers of mass menu (right column) has been fixed. Feel free to download and use these propers I created for the Latin Mass Community of St. Anthony. They represent an entire year of work. Larry Bethel also put in a good amount of time in proof reading the propers as well as covering the cost (of the printed material). I used to insert these propers into the red missalettes before mass each week. Do you think there is still a need?

For those of you who receive Venite Missa Est! via email: After receiving a report from one subscriber that their weekly e-mailing had been affected by malware, I asked many of you to report any viruses, or suspicious happenings that you possibly could attribute to this blog. I have not recieved reports of any such kind. I have not discovered any viruses on my machines and not recieved any virus reports from friends or family coming from my machines.

To post a comment, ask a question, or submit an article contact me, Mark, at bumpy187@gmail.com.

..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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Solemn Entry of Relics of St. Therese in Jerusalem

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

http://www.lpj.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1219%3Aentree-solennelle-de-sainte-therese-dans-jerusalem&catid=80%3Adossiers&Itemid=125&lang=en
Submitted by Michael O'Neil

A cheering, joyful and prayerful crowd welcomed the relics of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face at Jaffa Gate on Wednesday, March 16th. The relics came from the Nunciature, then brought in procession to the Co-Cathedral of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem for Vespers.


More or less two thousand people gathered at 4:30 p.m. in front of the Citadel of David to greet the "Little Therese" entering the Holy City for the first time. At the Patriarchate, the courtyard was decked with Vatican flags of yellow and white. Scouts with bagpipes accompanied the procession to the Co-Cathedral.   Members of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, priests, seminarians, men and women religious and the faithful of Jerusalem came to welcome the “Little Flower.” His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem presided over Vespers.

The faithful reverently followed the chanting of Vespers. The Patriarch in his homily greeted "the greatest Saint of modern times” with reverence. He recalled how the Holy Land is in dire need of Grace: "… we just concluded our Plenary Assembly of the Ordinaries of the Holy Land, and we realized how much we are in need of divine transcendence, to carry us in our mission, to be in communion with all our fellow Christians and achieve unity with Jews and Muslims. We need grace to implement the Propositions of the recent Synod, so that the faithful will feel supported and be closer to God. He continued by asking the Patroness of the Missions 'to help us in our mission: the world is marked by a vocation to the mission, we are all called to respond.'"


Tonight the relics of St. Therese will be venerated in Jerusalem, the city of Resurrection. Tomorrow, the relics will be transferred to the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Haifa.

The reception of these relics, which travelled the world, will be a source of Grace.   St. Therese attracts crowds not only Christians but also people of other faiths including those away from our church.

See the image gallery from the Latin Patriarch here.

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Mozarabic Chant: Inlatio & Sanctus

The Inlatio for the feast of St. James the Great followed by the Sanctus, sung by Ensemble Organum from from Chant Mozarabe: Cathédrale de Tolède (XVe siècle). (Video by yours truly)

The Mozarabic Inlatio, or Illatio, corresponds to the Roman Preface; as Dom Fernand Cabrol says of them (in his The Mass of the Western Rites): "hardly a Mass but has its own; some of them comprise many columns of text, and if they were sung, these must have lasted at least half an hour. We will attempt presently to discover their authors. But we may say at once that they form a dogmatic collection which is priceless for the study of theological history in Spain during the Middle Ages, and a collection which, it must be confessed, has as yet been but little studied. It contains pages which do honor to the learning, the depth, and the culture of Spanish theologians from the fifth-ninth centuries." Here is an excerpt from the Catholic Encyclopedia's article on the Mozarabic Rite:

"The Illatio or Inlatio. This is called Praefatio in the Roman and Contestatio or Immolatio in the Gallican. With the Post-Sanctus it forms St. Isidore's fifth prayer. There are proper Illationes to every Mass. The form is similar to the Roman Preface, but generally longer and more diffuse, as in the Gallican. It is preceded by a longer dialogue than the usual one [...] The Illatio ends in all manner of ways, but always leading by way of the angels to the Sanctus."This particular Inlatio (from the Omnium Offerentium) curiously has a reference to a medieval tradition, recorded in the Golden Legend, that St. James cured a paralytic on his way to execution, which caused one of the executioners, a scribe named Josiah, to convert at the spot and be martyred along with him: 'per Jesum Christum Filium tuum, Dominum nostrum: in cujus nomine electus Jacobus, cum ad passionem traheretur, paraliticum ad se clamentem curavit, atque hoc miraculo cor illudentis sibi ita compulsit, ut cum sacramentis instinctum fidei faceret ad gloriam pervenire martyrii' ("through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, in whose name the elect James, when he was being dragged to his passion, cured a paralytic who called out to him, and by this miracle so softened the heart of him who mocked him, as to cause him now imbued with the sacraments of faith to arrive at the glory of martyrdom.")

Post #208

Topics: Blessings of St. Benedict: The Model for Treating Ills of Society

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Because of the start of Advent this last Sunday of November will be a high mass at St. Anthony.

The Propers of mass menu (right column) has been fixed. Feel free to download and use these propers I created for the Latin Mass Community of St. Anthony. They represent an entire year of work. Larry Bethel also put in a good amount of time in proof reading the propers as well as covering the cost.

For those of you who receive Venite Missa Est! via email: I have received a report from one subscriber that their weekly e-mailing may have, at least in one instance, been affected by malware. If you have experienced any problems within the few weeks and you believe that it is caused by this site please contact me and PLEASE update your anti virus protection and run scans everyday. I myself have not run across any suspicious activity on my machines and do not believe this Blogspot account has been
comprimised.

To post a comment, ask a question, or submit an article contact me, Mark, at bumpy187@gmail.com.

..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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The Blessings of St. Benedict

He is a model for treating the ills of modern society

By Sandra Miesel

Catholic World Report

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Zone/11/Essay.aspx

Western civilization is “waiting for another Benedict,” according to philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre. But why single out St. Benedict of Nursia (480-547) as a model for treating the ills of modern society?

As the father of monasticism in the West, St. Benedict is the spiritual patriarch of European culture and all cultures stemming from it. St. Benedict’s identity challenges the contemporary erosion of fatherhood and even masculinity itself. For 15 centuries, his fruitful celibacy has proclaimed that paternity is not confined to semen donation.

On October 24, 1964, Pope Paul VI issued his apostolic letter Pacis Nuntius (“Messenger of Peace”) to celebrate the re-consecration of Monte Cassino after its destruction in World War II. He used the occasion to name St. Benedict, the abbey’s founder, as heavenly patron of all Europe. Since then, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Adalbert, Birgitta of Sweden, Catherine of Siena, and Edith Stein have been designated co-patrons of the continent. Yet St. Benedict, eldest of the group, retains his pre-eminence in Europe and beyond.

Besides praising St. Benedict’s commitment to peace—a word commonly inscribed over the doors of monasteries following his Rule—Pope Paul also hailed him as “architect of unity, teacher of culture and civilization, herald of the Christian religion, and founder of monastic life in the West.” Benedict’s virtues helped bring a new dawn as ancient Europe was falling into darkness. With Ora et Labora (“Pray and Work”) as their motto, the holy abbot and his sons spread Christian civilization by the cross, the book, and the plow. They dispelled shadows so that under the light of Christ, goodness might prevail.

Despite St. Benedict’s enduring renown, all that is known of his life comes from the Dialogues of Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-604). Although St. Gregory was only a child when St. Benedict died, he cites testimony from four knowledgeable witnesses and devotes a quarter of his book to the holy abbot’s doings. Nevertheless, the text is hagiography and not biography. St. Gregory arranges his slender store of data for maximum didactic effect on issues important to him. He points out scriptural parallels, likening the saint to Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, and St. Peter. Bowed down by heavier responsibilities in worse circumstances than St. Benedict’s, St. Gregory may have envied the quiet of the saint’s monastery—not to mention his steady wisdom.

St. Benedict’s story needs to be placed in historical context. Some elements, especially the social ones, have obvious contemporary relevance. The Western Empire, divided from the Eastern in 395, had formally ended with the deposition of its last emperor in 476, just before Benedict was born. Rome had not fallen because of rampant immorality or luxurious excess. The Late Empire, nominally Christian since the fourth century, was a stern and serious place, not prone to orgies. The Patristic Church was strict on sexual matters, preached restraint of the appetites, and had even managed to end gladiator contests. But contra Gibbon, the triumph of Christianity did not sap imperial vigor by encouraging rejection of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Celibacy—monastic or private—did not siphon too many people to maintain the birth rate. Prosperous Romans had never been partial to large families, preferring a few “expensive” children to the barbarians’ many “cheap” ones. Slaves and the lowest classes reproduced poorly. Population losses from epidemics and war from the late second to the early fourth centuries were not replaced. Demographic decline accelerated, reducing productivity and the capacity for defense. Imperial armies recruited barbarians to fill the ranks, partly inspiring mass migrations of their fellow tribesmen.

The Western Empire had never been as rich, populous, or urbanized as the East. Huge landed estates dominated the countryside, worked by slaves or, increasingly, by serf-like colonni who had traded freedom for security. Meanwhile, citizens of modest wealth were being crushed by financial obligations in dying cities swarming with destitute people. The Late Empire was a tightly regulated, highly stratified society marked by astonishing disparities in wealth. Humiliores (the humble) and honestiores (the elite) were unequal in the eyes of the law. Poverty and philanthropy were never-ending problems for the Church, which attempted to meet them with exhortations and organized charity.

In 330, Constantine had shifted the axis of empire eastward by founding Constantinople as his New Rome. Later, Ravenna had replaced Rome as the Western capital in 402. Yet Rome had recovered from its sacks by the Visigoths (410) and the Vandals (455) because it was the See of Peter, home to the priceless relics of martyrs. Generous gifts from members of the still-functioning Roman Senate restored damage and built lavish new churches. A classical education—essential for a civil career—remained available in the Eternal City.

Rome survived the initial transition to barbarian rule better than many places in the West. After 493, it became part of the Ostrogothic kingdom ruled by Theodoric the Great, who had spent his youth in Constantinople and wanted his people Romanized. He called himself King of Goths and Italians, with a polite nod to the supreme authority of the Eastern emperor. After 30 good years, his reign ended badly, setting in motion the horrors of the Gothic War (535-554). This attempted re-conquest by Constantinople utterly ravaged Italy, leaving it helpless when invaded by the savage Lombards in 560. After war, plague, and famine were done, more than half the population had perished.

Elsewhere in the West, other conquerors were attempting to form their own kingdoms. The newcomers were not the genetically distinct “fresh, young peoples” once extolled by nationalistic historians. Their tribal labels (Goths, Vandals, Franks, Huns, Alans, Alemanni, etc.) covered multi-ethnic groupings. When they settled down, they did not eliminate vanquished Romans because they needed to exploit them for “hospitality” in the form of lands or revenues.

Barbarians were not necessarily opposed to Romanization or Christianity. The pagan Franks of Gaul accepted Catholicism in 496. The Ostrogoths, Visigoths, and Vandals had arrived already Christian, but Arian rather than orthodox. Mutual relations varied from tolerance to hostility to persecution. Religious and cultural assimilation would be issues for centuries to come.

This is the world into which Benedict was born in the year 480. The future saint, “blessed by grace and blessed by name,” came from a noble provincial family in Nursia, northeast of Rome. Sober-minded from childhood and old beyond his years, he was shocked by the worldliness of Rome and abandoned his studies there rather than fall into a life of vice.

Benedict moved to a nearby town accompanied by his doting nurse. He lived among a group of pious men until a miracle worked on his nurse’s behalf attracted unwelcome notoriety. He fled alone to wilder country at Subiaco, 40 miles south of Rome. A friendly monk invested Benedict with the habit and kept him fed while he spent the next three years as a hermit in narrow cave. People gradually started coming to him for spiritual advice. During this time, any residual pride or priggery was burned out of Benedict when he rolled naked in briars to quell a violent temptation to lust. His serenity was never troubled again.

A nearby monastery begged Benedict to be their abbot, and he reluctantly agreed. But once installed, his strict governance stirred so much resentment among the lax monks that they attempted to kill him with poisoned wine. The cup shattered when he blessed it, providing the future saint with one of his iconographic symbols. Benedict forgave his enemies and returned to Subiaco.

There Benedict founded 12 monasteries of 12 monks each under superiors he appointed while he lived apart with a few companions. The fame of his holiness and miracles stirred a local parish priest to such keen jealousy that he sent Benedict a poisoned loaf of bread. But realizing that the gift was lethal, the saint directed a raven to carry it away into the wilderness. The friendly raven became another of Benedict’s symbols.

Frustrated in his malice, the evil priest tried to corrupt the monks by sending seven naked girls to dance around the monastery. To protect his brethren—and his enemy—from further temptation, Benedict resolved to leave Subiaco with some close associates. The priest’s sudden accidental death did not change his plans.

So around 529, Benedict settled on the high plateau of Monte Cassino, southeast of Rome. He destroyed a temple, altar, and sacred grove dedicated to Apollo that were still used by pagans in the area. He replaced them with chapels of St. Martin and John the Baptist. Benedict never again left his new monastic home. Here the holy abbot—never ordained a priest—perfected his Rule and embodied its precepts of obedience, honesty, generosity, and hospitality. As St. Gregory puts it, “the holy man could not teach otherwise than as he himself lived.” He instructed and counseled, fed the hungry, relieved the oppressed, planted a new foundation, and even curbed the cruelty of the Gothic King Totila with well-aimed rebukes.

As a miracle worker, Benedict banished demons, raised the dead, gave peace to restless souls, cured leprosy, multiplied food, and made prophecies. Among his visions was a view of the whole world within a single beam of dazzling light. Exasperated by seeing so much goodness and supernatural power, the Devil once screamed at him: “Maledict, not Benedict! Stop blessing and start cursing!” He was, of course, ignored.

Only once was Benedict overmatched. His twin sister Scholastica, herself a nun, begged him to prolong their annual visit on the monastery’s grounds, but Benedict refused. By praying and weeping, Scholastica raised a violent storm that kept her brother with her until dawn. Her love trumped his adherence to regulations. When she died three days later, Benedict saw her soul ascending to heaven as a dove and ordered her buried at Monte Cassino in a grave he would eventually share.

Benedict died of a fever on March 21, 547. He passed away while his monks were holding him upright for a final prayer. Two generations later, Pope Gregory’s Dialogues preserved the fame of his holiness for posterity, presenting him as a model for a life lived in search of perfection.

Regardless of their accuracy, St. Gregory the Great’s stories about St. Benedict are filtered through the Pope’s own sensibilities. But the Rule of St. Benedict gives direct access to the sainted abbot himself. The monastic ideal was more than two centuries old by Benedict’s time. Singly or in groups, men and women pursued the consecrated life from Syria to Ireland, following a wide variety of rules. Benedict was a brilliant synthesizer, not an inventor. Besides the Bible and the Church Fathers, he borrowed from earlier rules devised by Saints John Cassian, Pachomius, Basil, Augustine, and Caesarius. He adapted his overall system from an earlier one known as the Rule of the Master, a clumsy document that specified such minutiae as proper nose-blowing. Benedict modestly calls his plan for communal religious life “a school of the Lord’s service” in which monks can begin to make progress in virtue. By obediently climbing the ladder of humility, one approaches God.

In its wisdom, sobriety, and moderation, the Rule of St. Benedict is a posthumous child of Roman civilization. In a turbulent world growing ever darker, it offers an island of peace. In a society wracked by extremes of fortune, it commends austerity. As historian Eleanor Shipley Duckett summarizes, “Benedict wrought the marriage of faith and intellect, of things contemplative and things practical in one sacrament of daily life within the cloister.”

Yet Benedict’s directives have lost none of their relevance. Benedictine monastic life is designed to be orderly and harmonious, but open to adaptation. The abbot must be a solicitous father who listens to his monks as well as a final authority who commands them. There will be no class distinctions among monks or guests. Hospitality is offered freely. Personal responsibility complements willing obedience. Manual labor is as honorable as mental. The liturgy is a work of God performed for God. Nothing is to be preferred to the love of Christ.

Although St. Benedict required spiritual reading in his monastery—a practice that would develop into lectio divina—he was silent about book-copying or other kinds of cultural preservation. That program was the idea of his slightly younger contemporary Cassiodorus (485-580), a wealthy Roman who had served the Ostrogothic state. After retiring to his family estate in southern Italy, he founded a monastery of Benedictine style and organized its monks to “fight the Devil with pen and ink.” This idea spread until other Benedictine houses became beacons of book-learning and the other arts of civilization during the Dark Ages.

Although its innate merits and St. Gregory the Great’s admiration had sealed its prestige, the Rule of St. Benedict did not immediately become the dominant form of Western monasticism. That status was achieved by St. Benedict of Aniane (d. 821) who codified variant rules for maximum strictness and won Charlemagne’s patronage.

Subsequent reformers pursued ascetic rigor in different ways. Founded in 902, the Burgundian Abbey of Cluny and its 1,000 subordinate daughter houses emphasized sumptuous liturgies and purification of the Church. Meanwhile, St. Romualdus (d. 1027) adapted the Rule for a community of hermits at Camaldoli in Italy. The Cistercians, established in 1098, rediscovered primitive simplicity and manual labor. The French Trappists tightened Cistercian practices in 1662.

The failed Cluniac experiment aside, the sons and daughters of St. Benedict have never been a single unified entity. The surviving orders are independent branches comprising congregations of separate communities, both contemplative and active, with Anglican counterparts. Each strives to follow St. Benedict’s principle: “May the holy Cross be my light.”

Whether Pope Benedict XVI is actually the alter-Benedictus that Alasdair MacIntyre bids us await, he acknowledges the Father of Monks as his inspiration. The Pope is keenly aware of Western civilization’s peril as it flounders in moral relativism and cultural decadence. In an audience on April 9, 2008, he noted that survival is impossible without “an ethical and spiritual renewal which draws on the Christian roots of the Continent.” In this “the great monk is still a true master.”

Even St. Benedict’s beloved Monte Cassino provides a sign of hope. Destroyed by the Lombards (584), burned by the Saracens (883), flattened by an earthquake (1349), sacked by Napoleon (1799), suppressed by united Italy (1866), bombed by the Allies (1944), it stands restored once more. The abbey still continues St. Benedict’s mission “that in all things God might be glorified.”

Post #207

Topics: Prioress of the Carmelite Monastery of Wichita, Mother Mary of the Angels: Requiescat in pace....2012 Extraordinary Form Ordo: Order Information

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Please pray for the Discalced Carmelite Sisters of the Carmelite Monastery of Wichita and for the soul of Mother Mary of the Angels, prioress, who passed Sunday morning. Details are below.

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For those of you who receive Venite Missa Est! via email: I have received a report that the weekly e-mailing may have, at least in one instance, been affected by malware. One subscriber has told me that upon opening Venite emails that his computer shuts down. I need to know if this has happened to any other (email) subscribers or if this is an isolated incident.

I subscribe to AVG Anti-virus software, update it regularly and run it every morning. I also will regularly run Trend Micro-HouseCall as well as Spybot Search and Destroy on my machines. Even with these precautions there have been instances where online programs such as Blogger/Blogspot (where Venite resides) has been hacked, beyond our individual machines and, our control. The most recent example of this was Facebook last week which was attacked and infected with a virus.

If you have experienced any problems within the last week and you believe that it is caused by this site please contact me and PLEASE update your anti virus protection and run scans everyday. I myself have not run across any suspicious activity on my machines.

This is not a warning of infection but an inquiry and investigation.

Once again this is for those who receive the email newsletter (not visiting the site proper). If you have questions contact me.

To post a comment, ask a question, or submit an article contact me, Mark, at bumpy187@gmail.com.

..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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Mother Mary of the Angels

Requiescat in pace

Mother Mary of the Angels, prioress of the Carmelite Monastery of Wichita died this morning, 11-20-11.
There is a viewing and vigil until 7 P.M. Monday then a rosary and vigil prayers beginning at 7.
The funeral begins at 11 A.M on Tuesday.
The above is all at the Carmelite Monastery, address 7445 N Woodlawn, which is approximately 1&1/2 miles north of 254 highway.
Please car pool as much as possible as parking is limited.

After the funeral there will be a lunch at
The Church of the Resurrection
4910 N Woodlawn

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2012 Extraordinary Form Ordo

The 2012 Extraordinary Form Ordo is now available at Fraternity Publications.  www.fraternitypublications.com; (570) 842-4000, extension 401/402; $10 + $2 shipping.  As usual, it contains a wealth of Latin Mass oriented material besides the Ordo.

A tidbit of somewhat-related information; I.Donnelly's in KCMO now has the handheld (layman's) Daily Roman Missal for the Ordinary Form with the new English translation in hardback for $59.95.  This one has the Ordinary in both Latin and English, the Propers and Commons in English only.  I. Donnelly's expects to receive several other daily Ordinary Form missals between now and January.  (816) 363-2828;  www.idonnelly.com   They have an on-line catalog with all sorts of "Catholic stuff" you can order.

One local Catholic goods retailer, Catholic Art & Gifts, doesn't expect any handheld daily Ordinary Form missals with the new English translation until January.  However, about two weeks ago I. Donnelly's also said they weren't expecting any until January, and now -- surprise, suprise -- they have some.

Possible explanation for the delays with Ordinary Form / new translation material: We have only one publisher in this country and that one is currently buried publishing alter missals.  However, the handheld missal (above) that I. Donnelly's now has comes from England, where things -- at least in this area of interest -- apparently weren't so slow getting off the starting blocks.

Post #206

Topics: Communion: Differences...The Rosary: Reasons for Praying Even More Often...St. Anthony Catholic Church Wichita: Open House

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

..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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The Difference between Spirtual and Sacramental Communion

 (Thomas Aquinas and Trent)

Canterbury Tales

http://cantuar.blogspot.com/2011/11/difference-between-spirtual-and.html

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?

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Historic St. Anthony Catholic Church 

2nd Annual Open House and Art Sale

Wichita's historic St. Anthony Catholic Church, 2nd and Ohio streets (two blocks east of Old town) will host it's 2nd annual open house on Sunday November 20th from 1 to 5 p.m. Invocation will be at 1:05 p.m. in the St. Clare Sunshine Room under the church south side.


An afternoon of music is provided by Trevor Stewart, Chapman Stick virtuoso. Refreshments will be served. The event is fee and open to the public and a tour of the restored 1905 Church Interior will be at 3 p.m.
Artists include: Lynda Beck, Diane Thomas Lincoln, Michael Pointer, Jennifer Walterscheid, Susan deWit and Raphael Robles.

Post #205

Topics: Missionaries: The Alvarez Family...Clear Creek Abbey: Capitals Sculpted By Andrew Wilson Smith...The Only Certified Marian Apparition Shrine in the U.S.: Our Lady of Good  Help

..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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Alvarez Missionaries

submitted by Larry Bethel

I received this via facebook from the Alvarez'. Most of you know the Alvarez family,
who were mainstays at the St Anthony traditional Latin Mass and have been missionaries in the Phillippines for the last year. If you have a chance to send them some money it will be greatly appreciated. Larry

Odilio Stacie Alvarez
Thanks for helping us put the word out at St. Anthony's. We are down to our last dollars and even though our airfare is paid from Manila to the US, it is the airfare from our nearest mainland to Manila that we need help. We need to fly from Cagayan de Oro to Manila on the 22nd or 23rd of November. Our flight leaves Manila on the 23rd around noon-ish and we arive in Houston on the 23rd at 10pm-ish. We will spend Thanksgiving with my family in TX and then head to Louisiana for our Year-In-Review which is for 1st timers in the field. We will discuss our next steps as well as review our first mission post.

The tickets to Manila from here are around $430 for all of us. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again for helping us. The time flew by so quickly that we are almost in panic mode :) It's good to hear from you and we hope to be in KS for Christmas! Can't miss the Midnight Mass in Latin :)


Odilio wrote: "Thanks everyone! Donations can be sent to Family Missions Company 12624 Everglade Abbeville, LA 70510 Just put Alvarez Family anywhere on the envelope and they'll take care of the rest. May God bless you all!"

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Capitals Sculpted By Andrew Wilson Smith at Clear Creek Abbey

New Liturgical Movement

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2011/11/capitals-sculpted-by-andrew-wilson.html#disqus_thread

Andrew Wilson Smith has now completed the capitals for Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma. However, you can see more images of the finished work at his site here. Some readers may remember that I showed some photos of the work in its early stages earlier this year, here.
The technique that Andrew uses is very interesting. He models it first in clay (this is the work we saw earlier). Then he makes a mold and plaster cast. Using this cast as a model he then sculpts the finished product out of stone. To help him he uses a device that was developed in the late Renaissance and was used a lot by sculptors in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is an external frame that is fixed to the cast at three points. Then within the stone he creates three identical points. This means that the frame, which sits around the cast, can be fixed to the stone in an identical position. From there moving armatures are used to measure positions on the cast relative to these three fixed positions. When the frame is transferred to the stone, the movement in the armatures tell him how far into the stone he must now cut in order to fix the surface in the stone carving in an identical position. In this way he builds up a series of reference points, just like using a grid in two-dimensional drawing, from which he can carve the final sculpture in stone. This method was used, for example, by the Nordic sculptor of the 18th century, Bertel Thorvaldsen.

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Faithful Trek to Wisconsin Shrine

By Judy Keen, USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-09-22/wisconsin-virgin-mary-shrine/50519566/1

CHAMPION, Wis. – Philip and Barbara Hesselbein came to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help to pray for a grandson who has an inoperable brain tumor.
Darlene Searcy prayed for her family and for herself; she has cancer.
Mary Spakowicz, who also has cancer, came "because God will hear me here."

The afflicted and the faithful have long made pilgrimages to the quiet country site where Belgian immigrant Adele Brise said in 1859 that she saw the Virgin Mary three times. For the past few years, maybe 30 or 50 people had trickled in daily to visit the chapel, Brise's grave and the candlelit crypt that marks the site of the apparition.

That changed in December, when Bishop David Ricken of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay certified after investigations by three theologians that Brise had indeed seen a beautiful lady in white who said she was the "queen of heaven."

That made the shrine, which is a mile from the unincorporated town of Champion, the USA's only official site where Mary is said to have appeared.

Now there's a steady flow of traffic into the recently enlarged gravel parking lot. Cars, vans and buses bring 500 people — and often many more — here daily. License plates from Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana were spotted one recent weekday.

A new building houses much-needed restrooms. A former boarding school on the site is being refurbished to house two priests recently assigned full time to the shrine."I knew that there would be some increase in interest" after he certified Brise's vision, Ricken says. "I wasn't sure how wide it would be, how broad it would be."

Our Lady of Good Help attracts far fewer visitors than international Marian shrines such as France's Lourdes, which draws 5 million a year, or Mexico's Our Lady of Guadalupe, which has double that.
Still, Ricken expects the number of visitors to continue to rise and says the diocese is trying to figure out how to accommodate them without losing "the simplicity of that beautiful shrine and the peace of the place."
Traffic brings opportunity.The farming area around the shrine is changing already."If the rumors are right, it's going to look like downtown Chicago pretty soon," says Louie Gomand, who owns a farm adjacent to the shrine.

A farm stand on his property sells vegetables and water to visitors. A sunflower costs 50 cents and a gourd 35 cents. A handwritten sign reads "bus specials." There's a lot more traffic, he says, but he has no complaints.

Neither does Kelli Vissers, 34. She and her husband, David, 38, own two buildings in Champion. "Since the shrine happened" in December, "the traffic has quadrupled through here," she says.
They have converted a small trailer into the mobile On the Way Cafe. Kelli Vissers said she hopes to cater meals for tourists and turn one of the buildings into a bed-and-breakfast and the other into a full-scale cafe.

Barb Cornette, 58, who grew up in the area and now helps run a dairy farm a couple of miles from the shrine, says some residents have mixed feelings about its growing popularity. "Traffic has increased tremendously," she says. "Some of the area farmers that are retired want to sell their land … for possibly a hotel, a restaurant. They're looking for the gold mine, unfortunately," she says.

For decades, Cornette says, the shrine was visited mostly by local people. "We felt like this was our chapel," she says, "and now we have to share it with everybody — which is OK if they wouldn't try to change it" by adding restaurants and other tourist accoutrements.

'A special presence'
The shrine retains its qualities despite the growing number of visitors, says caretaker Karen Tipps. "What you remember about the experience in the crypt, the beautiful sense of peace, is not different," she says.
Visitors agree. "There's a special presence of Our Lady here," says Barbara Hesselbein, 63, who lives in Brookfield, Wis. "It's very peaceful."

Spakowitz, who lives in Green Bay, says, "No matter how many people are around you, you feel like you're the only one."

Cristina Ortiz, 32, also from Green Bay, emerged from the shrine in tears. "You feel that special connection," she says."I felt something," says Darlene Searcy, 76, who lives in Plainfield, Ill. "I'm practically in tears."
Ricken acknowledges that the shrine is experiencing "growing pains" and he says Cornette is right: Our Lady of Good Help no longer belongs only to local residents. "You've had her for 150-some years," he says, "and now it's time to share her with the world."

Post #204

Topics: The Structure: Our Prayers at Mass...Saint Charles Borromeo: November 4

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We are all so thankful to Fr. Hay for All Saints day mass. It was a good turnout.


I would like to thank Tony Strunk, Bob Wells and Bob Walterscheid for all the work they do behind the scenes. Mass happens in a large part because of what these lay gentleman do and have done in the past.


 Let us keep in our prayers Delmar Kuhlman (St. Anthony Choir member) who's funeral was this past week. Mr. Kuhlman died from injuries he suffered from a fall. His wife Rose sings in the choir at St Anthony's. Prayers for Rose and her family and, of course, for the eternal salvation and rest of Delmar's soul.

Michael O'Neil sends his thanks for prayers and contact information.
  michaelmjo@yahoo.com, 316-295-9409.
Michael, St. Anthony TLM attendee, is looking for work and has experience/knowledge in the following:
Aeronautics, aircraft operations, watch (i.e., operations) center officer
aviation management at small general aviation airports, avaition security, and
personnel training.
 Michael earned a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. If anyone can assist in helping Mr. O'Neil find work please contact him.

..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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The Structure of Our Prayers at Mass

By Anonymous

St. Louis Review

http://stlouisreview.com/article/2011-11-02/structure-our-prayers

Jennifer Brinkerjbrinker@stlouisreview.com

There's a specific method, or structure, in which Catholics pray at Mass. And that method will be be further revered in the new translation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition.

On the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27, Catholics in the U.S. other English-speaking countries will implement the new English translation (blogger's note: of the Ordinary Form of Mass) of the Roman Missal. It is perhaps the most significant change in the language of the Mass since the Second Vatican Council. The translations took nearly a decade to develop and included consultations with the U.S. bishops, the International Commission on English in the Liturgy and the Vox Clara Committee, which advised the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments on English translations.


Episode 3 | New Translation of the mass from St. Louis Review on Vimeo.
While the there will not be a change in the way the Mass is celebrated, what's going to be different is a translation of a number of the prayers, offered by both the priest and faithful, during the Mass. The goal in mind: To make our prayers as close to the original Latin text of the Roman Missal as possible, and in the process, will display a certain respect and reverence for the history of generations who have come before us in the celebration of the Mass.

In the weeks leading up to Advent, the Review will explore the reasons why the translation is a gift to the Church, as explained by Father Jason Schumer, a liturgical theologian and associate pastor at St. Ambrose Parish on the Hill. In this third installment, he will explore the structure of Christian prayer, which includes four distinct parts.

"It's going back to the way that we pray, the fundamental order in which things are presented in the prayer," said Father Schumer. "These prayers have a definite structure."

Communicating the structure

In a previous article on the Roman Missal, Father Schumer described a concept called dynamic equivalence, a theory used in translating the prayers of the Mass from Latin to English after the Second Vatican Council. In that theory, the translation occurred by reading the prayer in the original Latin and expressing, using modern language, what the prayer meant.

But that led to a certain subjectivity across languages, said the priest. "So what happens is from one language to another ... you get very different translations."

What also happened is that the structure of the prayer, or the fundamental order in which things are presented to God through prayer, became unclear, or even worse, completely lost, said the priest.

"But the new translation, taking account for each word and each phrase, and the tenses of verbs, communicates the structure again."

The four parts

Each prayer in the Mass, such as the Collect or Opening Prayer, the Prayer Over the Gifts, or the Prayer After Communion, should each have a definite structure including four main parts. They include:

1. The invocation, or to whom the prayer is addressed. Father Schumer said that is oftentimes something as simple as using the words, "o God," or "Almighty God." The prayer is usually addresses to God the Father, but sometimes God the Son as well.

2. The anamnesis, which is a Greek word meaning "remembering." This is the foundation of the prayer, said Father Schumer. "Now we remember what it is that God has done for us in the past," he said. "This remembering expresses confidence in God because of what's happened in the past."

3. The epiclesis, or "sending forth," is the third part of the prayer's structure. It includes calling down the Holy Spirit and delivering a specific request in the prayer. "This is what is at the heart of the prayer," said Father Schumer. The epiclesis may include specific words, such as "grant, we pray," what it is that we are asking for.

4. The doxology, or the praise to God, is the fourth and final part of the prayer. This is the part that specifically lifts our praise to God, using phrases such as "we ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever," or something as simple as "we ask this through Christ our Lord."

The bigger picture

While the smaller prayers within the Mass will be reflective of that specific structure, Catholics also can step back, and in a more simplistic way, see that the entire Mass itself also has a similar structure, said Father Schumer.

"We begin with the Liturgy of the Word, in which we read the Word of God and remember what God has done," he said. "We remember the actions of Jesus on earth, we remember what happened in the Old Testament, how God has been active in our world. In salvation history, always He's been with us."

After remembering that, the faithful call down the Holy Spirit in the Eucharist, "and that Word becomes flesh," he said. "Because of what God's done in the past, we have every confidence that when we come to Mass, the bread and wine is transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

"It's because we have the confidence of the action of God, always and everywhere in salvation history that here and now in our parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Louis that God's going to continue to act, and he acts in the sacraments, giving us His grace. And he gives us that grace for eternal life."

Examples of the structure of prayer

In the new translation of the Collect, or Opening Prayer, for Midnight Mass on Christmas, Dec. 25, the prayer says this:

O God who have made this most sacred night
radiant with the splendor of the true light,
grant, we pray, that we, who have known the mysteries of his
light on earth
may also delight in his gladness in heaven.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Looking at the foundation of the structure, it is clear that there is an invocation ("O God") and anamnesis (remembering the action of the first night of Christmas), an epiclesis ("grant, we pray"), and the doxology ("who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit one god forever and ever").

The request, or heart of the prayer, said Father Schumer, is that the faithful who worship at Mass who understand the mysteries of the light will experience the light of the world in heaven. In almost every prayer, the request is toward the eternal life, he further explained.

"But here, it's phrased in a way that's particular for Midnight Mass, which has a focus on light," he said. "That God's light is coming into the world, that sacred night was filled with the splendor of true light. Now we also want to delight in the gladness of God, in that light of the world in heaven."

A second example is the Collect for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, celebrated on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's Day. (If Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday, the feast is marked on Dec. 30.) The prayer says this:

O God, who were pleased to give us
the shining example of the Holy Family,
graciously grant that we may imitate them
in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity,
and so, in the joy of your house,
delight one day in eternal rewards.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

In this prayer, the faithful recall the shining example of the Holy Family and request that "we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity," said Father Schumer.

What's interesting about this particular prayer, he said, is that the epiclesis, or request, is extended and includes what he described as the "aim of the prayer."

"It says that 'grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity,' and so ... this points toward the aim. Why are we requesting this? We request from God the virtues and the charity of the Holy Family so that we can delight in his house for eternal life."

Understanding the specific structure of prayer will take time and patience, Father Schumer acknowledged.

"We're going to have to listen carefully ... but they're going to be there. This is what the new prayer offers. That structure of remembering and of requesting. And that is common to Christian prayer."

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Saint Charles Borromeo (November 4)

Gloria.tv
http://gloria.tv/?media=211580
November 4 is the feast day of Saint Charles Borromeo. This prayer is for the arts and learning.